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3Smiabm Baily Ijauxxml WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2006 The Home Journal’s DINNER TABLE i 1 Who is the king of syrup making? Maple syrup making, known as “sugaring,” takes place all over the Northeastern U.S. and Canada just as winter is losing its grip. No state, however, is as good as the king of making syrup, Vermont. See page 28. ' ' ' w\ Looking ahead to the holiday Jean Rea takes a look forward to the holidays with a few recipes for the festive season to come. See Page 38. Grilling 101 Have you been looking for tips on tailgating? Look no further as col umnist Dan McDonald has some useful tips from expert tailgaters. See Page 38. ■SR ■nSuH <*>.* All about the yeast Fleischmann’s Yeast offers new recipe col lection. See Page 48. Wm ipf' jl Cooking out southern style Although the “world’s best” barbecue is per haps the most feuded over food claim, it’s hard not to think of the South in connection with best of-class barbecue. See Page 68. Old-fashioned sheet cakes are easy to bake, take Special to the Journal Families have such busy schedules these days that when they do find time to get together, the host may throw some burgers on the grill or cook up a pot of chili and ask their guests to contribute side dishes and dessert. Not really much different from a “covered dish dinner,” “potluck,” or “dinner on the ground”- all popular and easy ways for large groups to get together for a celebration or simple camaraderie. “If you’re looking for the perfect dish to take to a gath ering like this, you can’t go wrong with an old-fashioned sheet cake,” suggests Linda Carman, Martha White bak ing expert. “Sheet cakes are simpler to make than layer cakes, much easier to carry, and everyone will love to see you coming!” If baking a cake seems intimidating, a sheet cake is a great choice. Making one layer means you don’t have to portion batter into sever al pans. And since the cake can be frosted and served right out of the pan, you don’t have to worry about getting it out of the pan, stacking layers, and frost ing evenly. A few baking tins Sheet cakes are almost always baked in 13x9-inch pans, and there are sev eral kinds basic alumi num, non-stick, disposable aluminum or glass baking dishes. They will all work fine just remember to reduce the baking tempera ture 25 degrees when using dark nonstick or glass pans. Dark surfaces and glass absorb heat, so they cook more quickly than a shiny pan. Oven temperature is important when baking a cake. If you don’t have an oven thermometer, get an inexpensive one at the gro cery store, and check the temperature of your oven. It’s a good idea to mea sure out all the ingredients before your start. It makes mixing much easier, and you’re less likely to leave something out. For easier slicing, chill cakes with creamy icing and cut with a thin knife. Sometimes a wet knife will make a cleaner cut through the icing. And if you like to prepare ahead, all these cakes with creamy icings may be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Take your choice So now, which will it be - banana, chocolate, or apple? Of course, you can never go wrong with choc olate, especially with this extravagantly thick, moist Sour Cream Chocolate Sheet Cake topped off with a hefty layer of creamy Sour Cream Chocolate Icing. 111 ‘ - ■ife—>. '-jg* » . wuT ssr jwpiifr.. •■• - VJr MMMk ygflfeL -r-<- Martha White Flour Sour cream in the cake and icing adds rich flavor and moist texture to this extravagant Sour Cream Chocolate Sheet Cake. Food Jag., , JsEmt ■ 'lk |l If » f 4 \ V Otm • V* s ®- . Martha White Flour Moist caramel apple cake is easy to stir up by hand and is just right to take to a fall outing. Banana Cream Sheet Cake is the perfect example of the delectable flavor and moist texture that ripe bananas contribute to baked foods. And the “icing on this cake” is the perennial favorite - rich and delicious, Cream Cheese. Or, how about a comforting Caramel Apple Sheet Cake? Easy to stir up, this spicy fresh apple cake is topped off with Caramel Icing, but it’s won derful with Cream Cheese Icing, too. For more cakes, cookies and pies that you can take along on family outings, visit www.marthawhite. comand click on the recipe section. Sour Cream Chocolate Sheet Cake 2 cups Martha White All-Purpose Flour 2 cups sugar 1 cup water 3/4 cup sour cream 1/4 cup butter, soft ened 1 teaspoon soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 2 eggs 4 oz. unsweetened bak ing chocolate, melted and cooled Sour Cream Chocolate Icing 1/2 cup butter, soft ened 4 oz. unsweetened bak ing chocolate, melted and cooled 4 cups confectioners’ '* k? S'/'*% «v && '' Mwi'm m~’ '• : 3SSf.i frW 9 "" ';^ISPBk ir 'j^'^.«. '^K^-'? ■# *^§jp"Jjß'- il *» t *n IjMr ' Martha White Flour A swirl of cream cheese icing perfectly complements this moist and flavorful Banana Cream Sheet Cake. sugar 1 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon vanilla Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan. In large bowl, combine all cake ingredi ents, beat on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl con stantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pre pared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool. For icing, combine but ter and chocolate until well blended. Blend in confec tioners’ sugar, sour cream and vanilla; beat until smooth. Spread over cooled cake. 12 to 15 servings Banana Cream Sheet Cake Cake 2/3 cup Crisco shorten ing 1 1/3 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 3 large) 1 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups Martha White All-Purpose Flour 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup buttermilk 1 cup chopped pecans Cream Cheese Icing 1 (8-oz.j pkg. cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup butter, soft ened 4 cups confectioners’ sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9-inch baking pan. In large bowl, com bine shortening and sugar, beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addi tion. Blend in bananas and vanilla. In another bowl, combine flour, soda and salt; whisk or stir to blend. On medi um low speed, blend about 1/3 of the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Blend in about half of the buttermilk. Repeat with flour mixture and butter milk, ending with remain ing flour mixture. Stir in pecans. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool. In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and but ter together. Gradually add sugar and stir until smooth. Add vanilla; blend thor oughly. Spread over cooled cake. Store in refrigerator. 12 to 15 servings Caramel Apple Sheet Cake SECTION B Cake 2 eggs 1 cup Crisco vegetable oil 1 3/4 cups sugar 2 1/2 cups Martha White Self-Rising Flour 3 cups peeled chopped apples 1 cup chopped pecans 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla Caramel Icing 1/3 cup butter 2/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 1/3 cup milk 3 cups confectioners’ sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla Pecan halves, optional Heat oven to 300° F. Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan. In large bowl, beat eggs. Add oil and sugar; stir until well blended. Stir in remaining cake ingredients; blend thoroughly. Pour bat ter into pan. Bake at 300° F. for 1 hour 10 minutes or until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool. For icing, melt butter in saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in brown sugar; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add milk, continue cook ing until mixture boils, stir ring constantly. Remove from heat; gradually stir in confectioners’ sugar. Add vanilla; blend well. Spread over cooled cake. If icing gets too thick, add a little more milk; blend well.