Custom Search

2009

TODAY's CASES:

Apple Spice Cake

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: DeAnne 
  To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, October 07, 2009 9:04 AM
  Subject: Lost Cake Recipe

My mother used to bake an "Apple Up-side-down Spice Cake with Lemon Sauce". 
She baked it in a large cast iron skillet. It was sooo good. The recipe was 
from an old Spry cookbook.

My name is DeAnne 

Hi DeAnne,

See below.

Phaed

  Apple Upside Down Spice Cake (From the Spry "What Shall I Cook Today?" cookbook.)

  1/4 cup Spry
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  1/4 teaspoon allspice
  3/4 cup sugar
  1 egg, unbeaten
  1 1/4 cups sifted flour
  1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  1/2 cup milk
  2 cups apples, sliced
  3 tablespoons Spry
  1 tablespoon butter
  1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  2 tablespoons milk

  Combine Spry, salt, and spices. Add sugar gradually and cream until light and fluffy . 
Add egg and beat thoroughly . . . Sift flour and baking powder together 3 times. Add small 
amounts of flour to creamed mixture, alternately with milk, beating after each addition 
until smooth . . . Arrange apples in 8 x 8-inch pan greased with Spry. Melt Spry and butter 
together; add brown sugar and milk and mix well. Spread over apples and pour batter over all . 
Bake in moderate oven (350°F.) 50 to 60 minutes. Serve upside down with whipped cream or 
Lemon Sauce 
Serves 8 to 10.

  Lemon Sauce

  Tart and transparent

  1 tablespoon cornstarch
  1/2 cup sugar
  Dash of salt
  1 cup boiling water
  1 tablespoon butter
  Grated rind of 1/4 lemon
  2 tablespoons lemon juice

Combine cornstarch, sugar, and salt, and mix well . Add boiling water, stirring constantly, 
and boil gently 5 minutes . Add butter and lemon rind and juice . Makes 1 1/4 cups sauce.

Snowcaps

----- Original Message ----- 
From: judy 
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com 
Sent: Wednesday, October 07, 2009 4:23 PM
Subject: Snowcaps

I have been searching for a recipe for SnowCaps do you any idea where this may be found?

Judy 

Judy,

Please describe "SnowCaps".

Phaed

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: judy 
  To: Phaedrus 
  Sent: Wednesday, October 07, 2009 8:09 PM
  Subject: Re: Snowcaps

  They are still sold. Round chocolate with white round candy like beads on top. 

Hello Judy,

That's what I thought you meant. All they are is little discs of semi-sweet chocolate with sugar sprinkles on top. Here's a "how to make": It may be difficult to get them the exact size and roundness of the commercial product . The commercial makers probably use a mold.

Phaed

How to Make Nonpareils or "Snowcaps" 1) Melt bittersweet chocolate until a liquid consistency is obtained. 2) Spoon chocolate onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet, making small circles. 3) Sprinkle with sugar "sprinkles" or beads. 4) Allow to cool for three to four hours


Mother Poem

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Connie 
  To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com 
  Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2009 12:59 PM
  Subject: Poem

  Dear Uncle Phaedrus,

  I am looking for a poem that I read at my mothers funeral twenty years ago. 
I have searched poem sites, ask all family members and no one can help me. 
I turn to you, my last hope.

  I thought the name of the poem was (Since Mother Went Away). Something about 
( I can not touch your face and yet I miss you more and more). (Time has not erased 
the longing in my heart the day I realized that we must dwell apart).

  Can you help me? 

  Thank you for you valuable time.

  Connie 

Hi Connie,

The poem below is the closest that I can find, and it has that name. I cannot find any poem with all of the verses that you give.

Phaed

Since Mother Went Away (by Helen Steiner Rice)

Since mother went away,
it seems she's nearer than before,
I cannot touch her hand,
and yet she's with me more and more,
and the years have never lessened
the longing in my heart
that came the day I realized
that we must dwell apart,
and just as long as memory lives,
my mother cannot die,
for in my heart she's living still
as passing years go by
--------------------------------------

Oh how wonderful you are, and so fast. Thank you with all my heart.

Connie

Spudnuts

From: Jodi
To: Phaedrus
Subject: Spudnut Donut Recipe
Date: Saturday, October 24, 2009 1:46 PM


Hi Phaedrus,

I found a recipe for home use using potato flour, which works for gluten free folks..

The original Spudnut Recipe:

2 pkgs. regular or rapid rise yeast
1/4 cup warm water (100-105 degrees F)
1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk (use microwave – 45 seconds)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup shortening
5 cups potato flour – you can purchase this at King Arthur flour or check the internet 
 for your local provider of potato flour
2 tablespoons of Vegetable oil 

Cream glaze:
1/3 cup butter
2 cups icing sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
4-6 tbsp. hot water

Chocolate glaze:
1/3 cup butter
2 cups icing sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
4-6 tbsp. hot water
4-oz milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method: 
1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in medium sized bowl. Add milk, salt, eggs, shortening 
 and 2 cups flour.
2. On low speed mix, scraping bowl constantly, 30 seconds. 
3. Mix on medium speed scraping bowl periodically. Stir in remaining  potato flour until smooth.
4. Let Rest.
5. Cover and let rise in warm place – Tip – Place a cup of hot water in the bottom of your 
 stove in a small metal container. Turn your oven  ten minutes before on to the minimum of 
 200 degrees F. Turn off  and do not add the dough mixture for another five minutes – then 
 place in dough mixture to rise.  This is a quick way of having your own rising warm oven 
 without purchasing a commercial restaurant rising oven.
6. Place your dough onto a floured surface and roll out with your favorite roller. Dust with 
 flour to prevent sticking. Roll out to 1/2inch thick. Using doughnut cutters, cut your Spudnuts.
7. Cover and let rise until double, 30 minutes.  [Note:You can use your oven again - but be 
 very careful not have a degree of 200F. Preferably keep your oven at 190 degrees F]
8. Heat vegetable oil in deep fryer to 350 degrees. Place the spudnuts into the hot oil with 
 wooden spoon.
9.Turn over the spudnuts as they rise. Fry until golden brown, about 1 minute on each side. 
 Remove carefully from oil and place on a dry cloth surface to help drain off the oil drippings.
10. While the Spudnuts are still hot – Dip the spudnuts into cream glaze set on rack. You can 
 use chocolate glaze as well as cream glaze.
 
Thanks,
Jodi

Folks, use the above recipe at your own risk. The below person had bad luck with it.

Phaed

Hi - just wanted to drop you a quick note about the 'Spudnut' donut recipe found on 
your site - tried it, twice actually - and in 40+ years of baking/cooking, I've never 
had a recipe fail so horribly. The amount of potato flour listed is way too much for 
the amount of liquid in the recipe (potato flour takes about half as much regular flour) 
- also, there is not enough levening in this recipe using solely yeast - since there is 
no gluten in the potato flour, there should be baking powder added - but that's a whole 
different recipe! Sorry, I've never had any other recipe I've tried off the internet FAIL 
so completely as this one. Just thought I'd share if you feel the need to make a note with 
the listing so that others wont waste the time and money (about $15) to try the recipe like 
I did!

Thanks for all your other entries!

Robbin

Robbin,

I did put your experience on the site.

Sorry about your expenditure of time & money, but, as I say in the disclaimer on the "How to Request a Recipe" page, I just find recipes. I don't try them. I could not possibly do so. Apparently Jodi, who sent the recipe, also just found it - she didn't create it or try it.

Your statement about leavening and gluten is puzzling to me. Yeast acts on sugars and starches, not on gluten. There are plenty of starches and sugars in potato flour, and there is added sugar in that recipe. Gluten is actually a form of protein. It's "stickiness" is what gives bread its texture (makes it hold together), but gluten does nothing as far as leavening. No amount of baking powder would correct problems caused by a lack of gluten in the dough.

Be that as it may, the most puzzling thing is that in the 10 years + that I have been doing this site, no one has been able to create or find a decent home recipe for "spudnuts" or "potato flour donuts". Ex-spudnut employees might not have ever known what was in their dough mixture because the "spudnut flour" probably came in pre-mixed with the other dry ingredients. They didn't make the dough from scratch. They just mixed the "flour" and the liquids per instructions and then cut out and fried the donuts. It's that way with a lot of franchise products.

I've always thought that spudnuts were made with a mixture of potato flour and wheat flour, not just potato flour.

Phaed

Update 2013: According to Wikipedia, Spudnuts were made from a pre-made mix. The owners, the Pelton Brothers, made it at their central location and shipped it out to the franchises. They were the only ones who knew the formula. No one in the Spudnut Shop franchises knew the formula.


Morrison's Cheesecake

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Jim
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 12:10 PM
Subject: RE: Cheesecake Recipe

> I am sure your readers would enjoy getting the Morrison's cheesecake recipe.
> I know I sure would.  Looking forward to hearing from you and hopefully
> obtaining a copy of this wonderful recipe.
>
> Thank you for the efforts!
>
> Jim

Hi Jim,

Here's the recipe from the actual Morrison's recipe book. Note that it's for 7 cheesecakes. Hope it's what you remember.

Phaed

Morrison's Cheesecake

Yield: 7 cheesecakes (56 - 8 cut or 63 - 9 cut)

Bake prepared 9 inch Graham Cracker Crusts in reheated 250 degree oven for 5 
minutes and allow to cool.

Cheesecake Filling:

6 lbs cream cheese
10 oz. whole eggs
1 1/2 lbs sugar
3 lemons (juice only)
1 oz grated lemon rind
2 oz. vanilla
12 oz. egg whites

Place cream cheese in mixer and using paddle attachment beat until cheese is 
fluffy - approximately 5 minutes. Stop mixer and scrape sides. Turn mixer on 
and add eggs. Continue mixing and add sugar. Mix one minute. Stop mixer and 
scrape down bowl. Turn mixer back on and add lemon rind, lemon juice, and 
vanilla. Mix approximately two minutes and remove from mixer.

Take egg whites and place in clean mixing owl and using wire whip, whip egg 
whites until medium stiff. Remove and fold into cream cheese mixture.

Pour into Graham Cracker crusts.

Bake at 200 degrees for approximately one hour. Note: Too hot an oven and 
cakes will fall.

Cheesecake topping:

1 quart whipping cream
5 oz powdered sugar
2 lbs sour cream
1 oz vanilla

Whip cream in mixer until thick - approximately 15 minutes. Continue to mix 
and add powdered sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Mix together, approximately 
3 minutes. When cheesecakes are cool, spread mixture over top making sure 
topping is spread to outer edge of pie.

Cut each cake into 8 slices Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs mixed with 
small amount of sugar before serving.

Thanks to James.


""


Copyright (c) 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Phaedrus