Strawberry Muffins

This is a pretty standard recipe.  I like that it makes a lot of batter, so it makes a generous dozen.  It does have a bit of a bland taste, but I will use this recipe again. 

Strawberry Yogurt Muffins
2-1/4 c. sifted all-purpose flour
1/3 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. yogurt

1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. sliced strawberries

Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt).  In a separate bowl, beat together the liquids (eggs, oil, yogurt and vanilla).  Add the liquids to the dry ingredients.  Mix until just barely combined then fold in strawberries.  Spoon the muffin batter into muffin paper cups or well greased muffin tin.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.

Found on www.cooks.com: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,194,158171-245197,00.html

Belgium Waffles

We're in a quest to find an absolutely scrumptious Belgium waffle recipe, and this one isn't it.  They looked and smelled amazing.  They tasted ok, but a little bit dry.  This recipe came from the waffler instruction booklet from VillaWare.

Plain Belgium Waffles
4 eggs, separated, room temperature
1 T sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted and cooled
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt (optional)

Separate the eggs. Beat egg yolks and sugar together until light and frothy.  Add butter, milk and vanilla to the egg mixture.  Mix flour, baking powder and salt and add into the liquids, beat well.  Beat egg whites until stiff and fold them into the batter.  And of course, cook according to your waffler's instructions.

Erdbeer Torte (Strawberry Cake) part 2

This yummy Erdbeer Torte is a staple in Germany, but the strawberry topping is harder to make here in the US without the thickening packets that they have in Germany.  So I can't guarantee that the topping will turn out.  Sad... but here is what the recipe says, and you could very well experiment with adding some unflavored gelatin with the cornstarch for some cake success.

Take the cake out of the oven, turn over to a cake plate and let it cool off for an hour.  Meanwhile, wash the strawberries, hull them, and place in a bowl.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup of sugar over them. After about an hour, drain the reserved strawberry juice that were naturally extracted from the strawberries. Place the strawberries on the cake starting from the middle and working outward.  (We cut our strawberries in half).

Mix 1/3 cup sugar, drained strawberry juice (add water or juice, e.g. cranberry to make 1 cup), and bring to a boil.  Make a thickening paste with 3 teaspoons cornstarch and 2 T water (here is where you would add a bit of gelatin as well) and add to the boiling strawberry juice.  Stir constantly until thickened.  Boil for one minute longer and take off heat.  (You can add food coloring as well, but we never do).

Spoon the thickened strawberry juice over the strawberries on the cake.  Again start in the middle and quickly work your way to the edges, covering all the fruit.  The picture shows Thomas quickly spreading the juice; he says that it thickens quickly and the amount just barely covers the cake.  Refrigerate for at least 1/2-1 hour before serving.
You can also use any other kind of fruit.  Last year for my birthday we used raspberries!

Garnish with whipped topping.  Enjoy this beautiful, simple, delicious cake!

Erdbeer Torte (Strawberry Cake) part 1

My favorite German cake to make with Thomas' help!  This batter recipe is so easy, but the strawberry topping part is another story (but that's part 2, so we'll deal with that part later).  This recipe comes from the book Aunt Cate gave me Authentic German Home Style Recipes by Gini Youngkrantz (4th ed, 1994).

 Grease and flour a 12 inch tart pan
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

Beat 3 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar and 1tsp vanilla for 10 minutes.  Yes, I used a HUGE bowl but the smaller ones were not available...

Look how thick yet light and airy the batter is!  This picture doesn't give it justice with the bad lighting.  I mixed it with a hand mixer.  I haven't tried it with my stand mixer yet.

 

Mix 1/3 cup flour, 1/3 cup cornstarch, and 1/2 tsp baking powder

Combine the flour mixture with the egg mixture. 

Fold together until combined thoroughly

Bake for 20 minutes (350 degrees F)

Now, that was the easy part!  Tomorrow I'll attempt to explain the second part, adding the fruit topping.

Becky's Classic Potato Salad

Thomas' favorite potato salad!
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6 medium (I put in 10 small) potatoes
about 1 cup Miracle Whip
about 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 heaping Tablespoon mustard
paprika and/or Salad Supreme
Salt and Pepper
1 bunch green onions
black olives (I put in 10)
dill pickles (I put in 3)
hard boiled eggs (I didn't put those in this time, but I would use either 2 or 3)

Peel potatoes, dice and put in a medium pot with salted water. After it comes to a boil, cook for 20 minutes, check for doneness (a big piece of potato will be easily cut through with an inserted fork), and drain. Dice washed green onions, pickles, black olives and the hard boiled eggs. Mix together the mayo and Miracle Whip with the mustard, salt & pepper and paprika/Salad Supreme in a separate bowl. Combine the green onions, pickles, black olives and eggs with the mayo/mustard mixture. Chill overnight (at least 4 hours) before serving.

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Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens and Mom