Mad About Maida

Chocolate On Oatmeal Bars Source:  Maida Heatter's Brand-New Book of Great Cookies (Random House, 1995 ed.) , pg. 71 . Amidst the tornado warnings and chaos going on outside, I made these yesterday and brought them to share at the library. Now you know that anything with oatmeal and chocolate is going to be good! The recipe reads as written but I changed a few of the steps which I think makes it easier to follow. This calls for a 9-inch square pan but I only have an 8-inch so I used it. The only difference is that the bars might be a little thicker. Also, I only had almond milk on hand and used it in the exact proportion. It was fine. I think these actually tasted better the next day. Just store them in an air-tight container. Oatmeal Layer 3 oz. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 1/2 cup sifted unbleached flour 1/8 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal (not "instant") 3 oz. milk chocolate, cut into 1/4...

Jelly Roll Source:  Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.) , pg. 39 . I made this last weekend to take to some friend's for an after-dinner dessert. One reason I chose this particular dessert was to use some of a large jar of Sarabeth's Strawberry & Raspberry Preserves . The preserves were included in a gift basket we received at Christmas. It is quite delicious although I don't eat it that often and Michael never eats sweets at breakfast. This turned out to be excellent (I love making roll-type cakes) and Michael said it was one of his favorite desserts that I had ever made from Maida's books. 4 eggs (at room temperature) 3/4 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 3/4 cup sifted cake flour 3/4 cup tart jelly Additional granulated sugar for sprinkling on cake Adjust the oven rack to the center and preheat to 400. Cover a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 inch jelly roll pan with foil (us...

Chocolate Intrigue Source:  Maida Heatter's Best Dessert Book Ever (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.) , pg. 51 . I have always enjoyed making loaf cakes. I think they are fun and they look so tidy and neat. This is a very moist and flavorful loaf cake that slices like a dream (all cakes should slice this well!). Mine looks a bit flat and I should have used a smaller loaf pan. The recipe calls for a 5-cup capacity loaf pan but a larger one is okay, your cake will just not be as tall. This makes 2 cakes and you will need two loaf pans.  This recipe has a secret ingredient - pepper. It gives the cake an unusual kick.  Keep the cake wrapped in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. 3 oz. semisweet chocolate 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate 1 TBS. dry instant expresso or coffee 1 1/3 cups boiling water 1 3/4 cups sifted unbleached flour 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process) 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. b...

Light Pound Cake Source:  Maida Heatter's Best Dessert Book Ever (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.) , pg. 111 . This "light" pound cake is reminiscent of a sponge cake. It does have a light, airy texture and it is very moist. We thought it was delicious and very good served with sweetened fruit in syrup. I loved the slightly crunchy top. Maida says that you can ruin the recipe by underbeating the eggs at the beginning or overbeating the flour and butter additions at the end. The recipes says to beat the eggs for about 25 minutes. This sounds excessive to me and I'm not sure if she was referring to using a hand-held mixer. I mixed it for about 15 minutes in my stand mixer. You will need to cover the mixer with a towel to avoid a mess! I did not have any problems with it and it turned out fine. 1 stick unsalted butter 1 cup unsifted unbleached flour 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 6 large eggs 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup granulated su...