Chiffon Cake

Chiffon Cake

 

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
3 egg yolks
1 tsp. flavoring
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
3 egg whites

 

Directions:

 

1. Mix and sift first four ingredients.
2. Make a well in the center and add, in order, oil, water, egg yolks and flavoring (vanilla, lemon, orange extract, etc).
3. Beat with a spoon until smooth.
4. Add cream of tartar to egg whites.
5. Beat until egg whites form very stiff peaks.
6. For chiffon cake, eggs should be beaten more stiffly than for a normal cake.
7.  Using the side of a spatula, fold egg whites into first mixture until well blended.
8. Gently fold by using a cutting motion; slice spatula down through the batter, sweep across bottom of bowl and bring up along the side; turn bowl 1/4 of a turn and repeat.
9. Do not stir.
10. Turn batter into an ungreased 8 or 9-inch tube or angel food cake pan.
11. Bake in a preheated 325°F oven for about an hour, or until cake springs back when lightly touched in center.
12. Remove cake from oven and turn pan upside down and suspend the cake so that nothing touches it until the cake has cooled.
13. When the cake has cooled completely, loosen edges of cake from the sides of the pan using a butter knife or thin spatula.
14. Remove from pan.
15. Allow to cool before you ice.

Homemade Peach Wonton

Homemade Peach Wonton

Ingredients:

2 pounds ripe peaches, peeled and sliced/diced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 package Wonton wrappers

Canola or vegetable oil

Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Instructions:

1) Slice up the peach and toss in a large bowl with flour and brown sugar.

2) Lay out the wonton wrappers, drop about a tablespoon of sliced/diced peaches and a tad bit of peach juice in the center of each wonton wrapper.

3) Using your finger or pastry brush, wet the outside edge of the wonton wrapper.

4) Fold one corner of the wrapper over to the other corner, and gently press down to seal edges.

5) Make sure to seal edges thoroughly to avoid the oil splattering.

6) Add an additional fold, if you'd like by dabbing the corners with water and folding them up to meet in the middle.

7) Heat 1" of canola or vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium-high heat to 375°F.

8) Carefully slide wontons into oil and fry for about 2-3 minutes, turning as they fry.

9) When they reach a lovely golden brown, remove from oil to a paper towel lined pan.

10) Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

11) Let cool ever so slightly

 

Spicy Shrimp with Creamy Buttermilk-Avocado Sauce

Spicy Shrimp with Creamy Buttermilk-Avocado Sauce

 

Ingredients:

2 pounds large cooked shrimp with tails, peeled, deveined

2 lemons

4 teaspoons hot sauce

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

1 pack mixed baby greens, thoroughly washed

Creamy buttermilk-avocado sauce

 

Directions:

1) Bring 2 quarts water to boil in oven a Dutch oven.

2) Add shrimp and cook 30 seconds.

3) Drain, rinse under cool running water, and place in a small bowl.

4) ln medium bowl with ice.

5) Place bowl contain shrimp on ice.

6) Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.

7) Squeeze juice from lemons through small strainer over shrimp in large bowl, drizzle with hot sauce, and toss to coat.

8) Sprinkle with Creole seasoning, toss to coat.

9) Serve shrimp over mixed greens with creamy buttermilk-avocado sauce.