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HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
From
Sea to
Sea
Around the country
for old favorites
Warm-up with
a New England
Favorite; Indian
Pudding
One of the most beloved
traditional Yankee recipes is
Indian pudding. While not
widely known beyond the
borders of New England,
this early American dish is
Still celebrated in diners, res- ,
taurants, and inns through
out the northeast. According
the the Culinarylnstitute of
America, the simple recipe
has changed little since
colonial days. Steadfast and
true, like the first Patriots
who enjoyed it, Indian pud
ding has earned its rightful,
though quietly unassuming
.jb
place in our culinary his
tory.
Indian pudding is a baked
custard made from corn meal
and milk, eggs and spices,
and is sweetened by dark,
rich molasses. According to
“America’s Founding Food”
authors Keith Stavely and
Kathleen Fitzgerald, colo
nists used the word “Indian”
when referring to corn or
corn meal, not the indig
enous peoples. This pudding
became popular among colo
nial cooks around the time
of this country’s indepen
dence.
For your time - and
patience - you’ll get a creamy,
golden brown pudding and
the lingering aroma of a tra
ditional New England dish.
It’s a dish worth waiting for
during the coldest months
of winter.
Indian Pudding
Makes 8 servings
4 cups milk
1/2 cup cornmeal
2/3 cups molasses
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon each of ground
ginger, nutmeg, and cinna
mon
In Advance: Preheat oven
to 275 degrees F. Butter
a souffle dish or pudding
mold. Bring a kettle of water
to a boil to make a hot water
bath for steaming the pud
ding.
Bring the milk to a boil in a
saucepan over medium heat.
Add the cornmeal gradually,
whisking constantly. Simmer
over low heat, stirring con
stantly, until the mixture
has thickened, about 5-10
minutes.
Remove the pan from the
heat, and stir in the molas
ses. Allow it to cool slightly
for about 5 minutes and then
stir in the eggs and spices.
Pour this batter into a
prepared dish and set it in
a larger baking dish. Place
the assembly on a rack in a
preheated oven. Add enough
boiling water to come up to
the level of the pudding.
Bake for about 2 hours or
until the pudding is firmly
set. Allow the pudding to
rest for 30 min. Serve while
still warm.
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Chocoholic/
dreams
•CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE • FROZEN MOCHA PIE* ROCKY ROAD CEREAL BARS
By CHARLOTTE PERKINS
Journal Staff Writer
Got the mid-winter blues? Blast them away with
chocolate.
While chocolate is high in calories, it also is now believed
to have some health benefits in moderation, including
being antioxidant-rich. Dark chocolate is thought to be
good for heart health, and many would argue that choco
late is the all-time great comfort food.
This is because it has been linked to serotonin levels in
the brain and to reductions in blood pressure.
Originating in South America where native people used
it to make a bitter beverage the cacao bean was exported
to the old world by Spanish explorers and now most of
the world’s chocolate originates in Africa.
Here are some recipes that make the most of of the
singularly delicious flavor of chocolate.
Chocolate Mousse Cake
Chocolate Mousse Cake is a rich, flourless chocolate
cake, leavened with meringue (beaten egg whites). The
crumb is tremendously soft and velvety, thanks in part
to corn starch. Without any flour of any kind, all you’re
tasting in every bite is a blend of chocolate, egg, butter
and sugar. It’s a silky chocolate mousse in the form of
a cake. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. An additional
option is to add a dollop of raspberry jam or orange mar
malade,
cooking spray
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate pieces
1/2 cup butter OR margarine
6 eggs, separated
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Argo Corn Starch
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Spray 9-inch spring form pan with cooking spray; dust
lightly with additional corn starch.
Combine chocolate and butter in small saucepan. Cook
over low heat, stirring frequently, just until chocolate
melts. Pour into large bowl; cool to room temperature.
Beat egg whites until foamy in medium bowl with
mixer at high speed. Gradually add sugar, beating until
soft peaks form. Add egg yolks to chocolate mixture; stir
until blended. Stir in com starch.
Fold egg whites gently into chocolate mixure until
thoroughly blended. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in
preheated 300°F oven 40 to 45 minutes or until set. Run
knife around edge immediately after removing from
oven.
Cook on wire rack. Remove side of pan. Sprinkle with
powdered sugar.
Chocolate Mousse Cake is a silky chocolate mousse in
the form of a cake.
Frozen Mocha Pie
Frozen Mocha Pie is perhaps the easiest-to-make of the
scores of dessert recipes offered at KaroSyrup.com! One
minute in the microwave (to heat the cream) is the only
cooking you’ll do. The main appliances for this recipe
are the blender and the freezer! Frozen Mocha Pie is an
ice-cream pie with chocolate chips and a soothing coffee
undertone. Prepared chocolate cookie pie crust adds to
FOOD
both the ease of preparation and the overall “chocolati
ness.” Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or dessert
topping, and a sprinkling of coffee crystals.
Makes 16 Servings (Two Pies)
1/3 cup cream
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
1/4 cup Karo Light OR Dark Corn Syrup
1 quart vanilla ice cream
2 prepared chocolate cookie crusts
Heat cream in microwave on HIGH (100%) for 1 minute.
Stir cream together with chocolate chips and coffee
granules. Add corn syrup and continue to stir until choco
late is completely melted and coffee has dissolved. Pour
chocolate mixture into a chilled blender container OR
mixer bowl. Scoop in ice cream.
See CHOCOLATE, Page zC
i- — —,
---ft
THE ART OF
CHOCOLATE
The Perry Arts Center and the Houston Arts Alliance
will present The Art of Chocolate on
Saturday, Feb. 9, 7 p.m. * 11 p.m>
Attire is semi-formal.
Refreshments will include chocolate desserts and treats
of all kinds.
Call 218-5229 to make reservations.
Tickets are $25 each
SECTION: C
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2008
Cooking
ahead
•European-Style Bread
•Chicken Broth
•Two Meat Loaves
I raised a large family.
Now it is just my husband
and I, but I cannot seem to
cook for two. Leftover soups
and stews frequently end
of up in the freezer. That
:> HI
Yvonne
Sutherland
yvonnes@windstream.net
to cook,
1 thawed out and reheat
ed soup or stew for supper,
sometimes adding a sand
wich.
Often, I am surprised with
unexpected company or plan
a company meal on a week
night when I am busy dur
ing the day. As I have
said before, planning ahead
avoids last minute stress.
One way I do that is to cook
when I have time, usually
on the weekends, and freeze.
Then I can call on those
reserves to prepare a spe
cial meal. Lasagna freezes
well and can be popped into
the oven when you need it.
Spaghetti sauce can be made
in large batches and frozen
in quart containers for a
quick meal. Meat loaf is
another good item to have
on hand. Make two and
freeze one.
Yeast Breads can be frozen
up to six months. I like to
make European style loaves
to serve to company. I usu
ally bake three at a time.
Then, I either give away the
extras to friends or wrap
the cooled loaves in plastic
and foil and pop them in the
freezer. When I am having
company, I thaw a loaf, brush
it with butter and heat it in
the oven just before serving
the meal. Guests feel special
when served hot, homemade
bread, and this method
leaves me free to concen
trate on the main course.
European-Style
Bread
This sounds more compli
cated than it is. Once you
get a feel for it, you can prac
tically do it in your sleep.
In fact, I normally start the
bread rising right after I
have my morning coffee.
2 cups warm water
2 packages dry yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon salt
6 to 7 cups bread flour
Put 1 cup of warm water
in a large mixer bowl and
add the yeast, stirring until
it is dissolved. Add the
sugar and dissolve it into
the water and yeast. Cover
the bowl with a clean towel
and set in a warm place for
10 minutes. It should begin
to bubble, if not, your yeast
is dead. Discard and begin
again. (I have never had
this happen, but it is safer to
prove the yeast.) Otherwise,
continue:
Add the other cup of warm
water, oil and salt to the
yeast mixture. Add 3 cups of
four and beat with an elec
tric mixer about 3 minutes.
With a dough hook: If you
have a dough hook, this is
the time to switch to it. Add
the rest of the flour, cup by
cup, with the mixer on low
until a firm dough forms.
(Note that the recipe says 6
to 7 cups of flour. You may
not need it all.) Turn up the
speed and beat continuously
See AHEAD, Page zC
served me
well dur
ing the
holidays
when I
was shop
ping and
wrapping
for that
large fam
ily. If I
could not
find time