Mad About Maida

Lemon Butterfmilk Cake #2 (Source:  Maida Heatter's Cakes  (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed. , pg. 24). Also in Maida Heatter's New Book of Great Desserts (Alfred A. Knopf, 1982. pg. 115. Maida Heatter has several lemon cake recipes. The most popular is the East 62nd Street Lemon Cake which was printed over and over again by everyone when she died. I kept thinking - is this the only recipe people are aware of?  Maida Heatter's Cakes lists no less than three lemon cakes - the aforementioned as well as "The Best Damn Lemon Cake" and the one here - "Lemon Buttermilk Cake #2".  Years ago, I made "The Best Damn Lemon Cake" and apparently I thought otherwise as I put a big X next to it and the comment "Too Much Extract"! Actually the inclusion of lemon extract would ruin any cake in my opinion.  Anyway, I didn't even blog about that one. Now comes this one and a mystery. I had a check mark next to which indicates that I have...

  Bittersweet Chocolate Brownies Source:  Maida Heatter's Brand-New Book of Great Cookies (Random House, 1995 ed.) , pg. 73. Another brownie recipe and this is one of the best. They have a whopping 8 ounces of chocolate and two cups of nuts. That is a lot of nuts and it is indeed very nutty. I used pecans instead of walnuts just because I'm not a big fan of walnuts. I used bourbon at the end but you can opt for rum, cognac or scotch. They are delicious and just a bite will satisfy your sweet and chocolate cravings. 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate 6 oz. semisweet chocolate 2 TBS. unsalted butter 7 oz. (2 cups) walnuts 1/2 cup sifted unbleached flour 1/4 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 2 large eggs 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 2 tsp. dry powdered instant espresso 3 TBS. dark rum, cognac, scotch or bourbon Adjust bottom oven rack one third up from the bottom. Preheat to 350. Prepare an 8x8x2 inch pan by lining it with foil. Butter the foil and place the pan in ...

  Chocolate Cracks Source:  Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts  (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.) , pg. 203. Maida doesn't provide any commentary about this recipe and when I saw it, I assumed that it was a recipe that I've long used in which the cookies develop cracks while baking. Unlike the recipe I've used in the past (I cannot remember which recipe that was), this one doesn't use powdered sugar. Aside from that, the cookies remind me of the same taste. They are soft and chewy and have a rich chocolate flavor.   This recipe is easy peasy. Here is the fast version (my attempt at making a video)!       And the more detailed version... 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar 6 oz. butter (1 1/2 sticks) 2 TBSP. water 12 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips) 2 eggs   Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.  In a heavy saucepan, mel...

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