Vanilla – Let's Cook Together

Vanilla Ice Cream

Denis Martel — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:24:01 +0000

We can modify this recipe with different flavours. We just have to pay attention to the quantity of liquid (maple syrup, banana pure, etc.).

This ice cream becomes very hard because it contains very little air compared to commercial ice cream. You should take the container out of the freezer 30 minutes before serving or in the microwave for 30 seconds.

This ice cream is great with the cherry jubilee recipe. Try it and you will see!

Ingredients:

500 ml milk
200 ml sugar
4 egg yolks
500 ml whipping cream
5 ml vanilla

Method:

In a thick bottom sauce pan, mix the milk, sugar and egg yolks
Simmer while stirring on low heat until the mixture thickens
Let cool to room temperature
Add the cream and vanilla and pour into a ice cream maker
Stir until frozen then transfer in storing containers. Keep frozen.

Chocolate Fudge

Denis Martel — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:15:42 +0000

Delicious, particularly during a cold Winter day!!!

Ingredients:

2 ounces unsweeted chocolate (like Baker chocolate)
500 ml white sugar
175 ml sour cream 15%
A dash of cinnamon
2 ml vanilla

Method:

Melt chocolate over very low heat or in a double boiler
Add the other ingredients while stirring
Keep stirring until sugar has melted and the mixture is smooth
Increase the heat and bring to 234⁰ F, using a candy thermometer
Allow the temperature to reduce to 100⁰ F and beat the fudge
Spread the fudge in a dish (20 cm X 20 cm) and let cool.

Sugar Pie (Tarte au Sucre)

Denis Martel — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:01:09 +0000

Do you know that sugar pie is a real French Canadian dessert? Poor English friends, most of them are not familiar with it. I guess French Canadians are such sweet people!

Ingredients:

500 ml brown sugar
250 ml milk
5 ml butter
5 ml flour
One egg
2 ml vanilla
45 ml instant thickener (like Knorr Veloutine)
Uncooked pie crust

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together except the crust
Pour the mixture in the pie crust
Bake for 15 minutes at 425⁰ F and another 15 minutes at 375⁰ F

Pecan Pie

Denis Martel — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:00:07 +0000

This is a classic. I suggest you serve it warm instead of cold as in the restaurants. It is much better from my point of view.

Ingredients:

3 eggs
250 ml maple syrup (or corn syrup if you don’t have any)
60 ml melted butter
125 ml sugar
1 ml salt
5 ml vanilla
250 ml pecans
One pie crust uncooked

Method:

Mix together the eggs, syrup, butter, sugar, salt and vanilla
Place the pecans at the bottom of the pie crust
Pour the preparation on top of the pecans
Bake at 400⁰ F for 25 to 30 minutes

Cream Cheese Pie

Denis Martel — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 15:32:50 +0000

Talk about easy to make. You can use raspberries or blueberries instead of the strawberries. I would personally NEVER use fruit from a pie preparation (like Sheriff for example). For me, this would be a sacrilege. Yeurk!!!

Ingredients:

One can of Eagle Brand milk
250 gr of cream cheese
75 ml lemon juice
2 ml vanilla
One pie crust already baked (or a cooked Graham crumps crust)
One pack of frozen strawberries, thawed
5 ml corn starch diluted with a bit of water

Method:

Mix the first four ingredients together and pour the batter into the baked crust
Place the pie in the refrigerator for at least two hours
In a sauce pan, heat the strawberries until the juice begins to boil
Add the corn starch and mix well
When cooled, pour the fruits over the pie

Upside Down Pineapple Cake

Denis Martel — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 15:31:13 +0000

When I was a kid, my mom used to make this cake. Now that mom is gone, it is Adele who took over and makes this great cake for us when we go to Chicoutimi.

Ingredients:

125 ml butter
15 ml water
500 ml dark brown sugar
1 can of sliced pineapple
75 ml nuts (pecan or hazelnut)
Maraschinno cherries
125 ml butter
250 ml powder sugar
3 eggs
600 ml cake flour
20 ml baking powder
2 ml salt
200 ml milk
10 ml vanilla

Method:

Preheat oven to 375⁰ F
Melt butter in a pan
Add brown sugar and water, stirring until sugar melted
Pour into a rectangular pan (14X9X2 inches)
Place the pineapple slices on top and add a cherry (upside down) in the hole of each pineapple slices, then add the nuts
In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar
While beating, add the eggs, one at a time
In another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together
Add the flour to the butter/eggs mix, alternating with the milk
Add the vanilla and pour the batter over the pineapples
Bake at 375⁰ F for about 45 minutes
Remove from the oven and turn the cake upside down on a serving dish.

Orange and Poppy Seed Cake

Denis Martel — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 15:26:03 +0000

This cake is easy to prepare but it is time consuming to make. The result is however fantastic.

Ingredients:

Apricot and orange cream:

250 gr dried apricot
500 ml water
180 ml sugar
180 ml butter
15 ml orange peel
3 eggs

Cake:

560 ml sifted cake flour
375 ml sugar
50 ml poppy seeds
15 ml baking powder
2 ml salt
6 egg yolks
15 ml orange peel
180 ml orange juice
125 ml vegetable oil
5 ml vanilla
9 egg whites
5 ml cream of tarter

Icing:

125 ml soft butter
250 ml sifted icing sugar
250 gr soft cream cheese
Orange peel
Orange thinly sliced

Method:

Cream:

Boil the apricot in water for about 30 minutes then discard most of the water, keeping only 60 ml of liquid
Using a food processor, puree the apricot and liquid, then return the puree to the pot
Add sugar, butter and orange peel
Cook over low heat until the butter and sugar are melted. Keep stirring
Beat the eggs in a bowl and add 250 ml of the orange mixture
Transfer the eggs and orange mixture to the pot and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the mixture is smooth and has thickened
Pour in a clean bowl, cover and refrigerate until cold

Cake:

In a bowl, mix the flour, 250 ml of sugar, the poppy seeds, baking powder and salt
Make a well in the centre and add the egg yolks, orange peel, orange juice, oil and vanilla. Using a electric mixer, mix the batter for about a minute
In another bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tarter until soft peaks
Delicately incorporate the egg whites to the cake batter in three times
Pour the batter into an angel cake pan and bake 55 minutes at 325⁰F
Once cooked, turn the pan upside down and let cool completely before removing the cake from the pan
Using a sharp knife (bread knife does a good job), cut the cake in four horizontal sections
Reserve Â¼ of the orange cream in a separate bowl
Place the bottom slice on a serving plate and cover with 1/3 of the remaining orange cream, then repeat for the second and third sections
Cover the cake with the forth section

Icing:

In a bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese and icing sugar until soft and fluffy
Incorporate the reserved orange cream and mix well
Spread the icing on the cake
Make a slit from the edge to the centre of each orange slice
Twist the orange slice and decorate the top of the cake with them

Norwegian Cake

Denis Martel — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 15:22:27 +0000

This was my father-in-laws favourite cake. It’s very light and refreshing. I usually make it at least two times during the short strawberry season.

Ingredients:

15 ml butter
6 eggs
250 ml sugar
2 ml vanilla
300 ml cake flour
500 ml whipping cream
Strawberries, raspberries or blueberries

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 350⁰F
Butter the bottom of a 22 cm spring form pan and cover with wax paper
In a large bowl, break four eggs and add the yolk of the other two. Reserve the remaining two egg whites in a medium bowl
Add sugar and vanilla to the eggs and beat until the mixture thickens
Sift the flour progressively into the eggs and mix with a spoon
Beat the egg whites until firm and delicately incorporate into the batter
Pour the batter in the pan and bake for about 50 minutes
Let the cake cool and then, using a bread knife or a very sharp knife, cut it in three section (about 1 to 1.5 cm thick)
Whip the cream and spread about 1/3 (0.75 cm) on the first layer of cake
Add slices of strawberries (or the other fruit) and then repeat by adding the second layer and then the third layer.
Cover the cake with the whipping cream and with the nicest fruit.

Decadent Chocolate Cake

Denis Martel — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 15:17:56 +0000

Try not to do what I did, mixing up baking powder with baking soda…

The home made pear jam may be replaced by just about any other type of jam.

This cake is for those who love chocolate. With the icing, there is more than a pound of chocolate, delicious!

Ingredients:

250 ml boiling water
3 ounces (cubes) unsweetened chocolate
125 gr unsalted butter
5 ml vanilla
500 ml sugar
2 eggs, separated
5 ml baking soda
125 ml sour cream
500 ml sifted flour
5 ml baking powder
Pear jam (or any other you may prefer)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350⁰ F
Grease one spring form cake pan (about 20 cm) and dust with flour
In a bowl, pour hot water over chocolate cubes and butter
Stir to melt, then add vanilla and sugar
Whisk in one egg yolk, at a time
In a small bowl, mix baking soda and sour cream (this will remind you of your chemistry class in high school)
Add the sour cream to the chocolate mixture
Sift flour and baking powder together over the chocolate mixture and mix well
Beat the egg whites into soft peaks, then add to the chocolate mixture and mix well
Gently fold in the remaining egg whites into the mixture
Pour into the cake pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes
Cool for 10 minutes then cut the cake in two, horizontally with a sharp knife
Spread the jam on one half, cover with the second half
Use the chocolate icing recipe to cover the cake

Carrot Cake Icing

Denis Martel — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 15:12:54 +0000

Best icing for carrot cake.

Ingredients:

250 gr softened cream cheese
150 gr unsalted butter, room temperature
750 ml icing sugar
5 ml vanilla
Juice from one lemon

Method:

Cream the butter and cream cheese in a bowl
Slowly sift in the icing sugar with the butter/cream mixture
Add vanilla and lemon juice and mix well