The Guy with The Glock

There were many who questioned our willingness to proceed with an Egyptian adventure this year. Planning the trip seemed foolhardy given the state of the country, but as events in Paris and San Bernardino unfolded, the world itself no longer seemed safe and Egypt became just one of many hot spots that sensible travelers should avoid. While we appreciated folks backing off, only cancellation of our tour would have kept us from the country that we had tried to visit on three other occasions. I do want to set the record straight. I am neither foolhardy nor brave, as a mater of fact I'm downright cautious. When I walk into a room, I make a mental note of exit locations and I don't leave home without a flashlight. There are places I will not walk, day or night, and my larder is always stocked with requisite emergency rations. The thing is, I won't let others dictate what I can or cannot see. I might live longer in my rocking chair, but I need the challenge and adventure unseen places provide and any type of travel, reduced to its elements, is a calculated risk that I am willing to take.

The company that planned our tour and the Egyptian Tourist and Antiquity Police - yes there is such an organization - made sure no incidents would mar our visit to the country. We were part of a group of 24 who shared a determination to see Egypt when tours for American groups were again available. Like Bob and I, these folks kept abreast of happenings in Egypt, and while the makeup of the group changed slightly in the days before departure, surprising few selected themselves out of the tour. Not only was ours the first large American group to tour Egypt since the revolution 3 years ago, tourism in general was way down. This is high season and ours was the only tour bus at Luxor and Valley of the Kings. While that was wonderful for us, numbers like that are devastating to an economy that is highly dependent on tourist dollars.

Suffice it to say, our satisfaction and safety was paramount in our hosts minds. Our guide was an Egyptologist and the steps taken to assure our safety throughout the country were amazing. At the airport, we met the first of the guards who would ride shotgun on our bus. Dressed in plain clothes, but packing a visible side arm, he took his place behind the driver and was always last on and first off the bus. More amazing was the police escort that accompanied us through the cities we visited on the tour. The police cars were replaced with armored vehicles or flatbed trucks as we convoyed through long stretches of dessert toward the end of the tour. While it may have been overkill, when we debarked for museum tours or a meal, bomb dogs circled the bus before we got back on, and our hotel and bus were changed three times while we were in Cairo. It took us a day to adjust to the safety precautions, but most of us were on a first name basis with the guards before the trip ended. And doesn't everyone wait for bomb dogs to finish their inspection before boarding a vehicle? I am happy to report that the guys with the glocks kept terrorists at bay and pretty much managed to scatter the one dolla' hawkers that swarmed whenever we got off the bus, and the escort sirens got us from one place to another in record Cairo time.

Egypt is an amazing country. If you visit you will be well-housed and fed and you will be safe to explore a country rich in layered and tangible history. If you decide to travel to Egypt, or any other country for that matter, there are steps you can take steps to assure your safety. The US Department of State provides travel advice and timely information about breaking news situations for citizens around the world. It offers a travel registration tool called STEP that allows you to enter the details of your trip so they will be able to contact you if there is trouble at any of the places you plan to visit. If the situation in a country becomes dangerous, by registering your trip in STEP, the State Department can contact you in the event of a disaster, emergency or other crisis, and give you instructions, including those for evacuation, if necessary. Remember, I'm cautious not brave, so I recommend that international travelers take advantage of the travel safety services offered by the Department of State. It beats the rocking chair.

Brief Encounters

"I met a traveler from an antique land Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert.......on their base these words appear: 'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!'"

Egypt is many things to many people, but few would argue that it is the world's greatest open air museum. While it would take a lifetime to fully explore all of the monuments that house the tombs and temples of the pharaohs, at Luxor, the statue that inspired Shelly's "Ozymandias", actually that of Ramesses II, is a short paved walk from the parking lot. While some were more difficult to reach, a cursory glance of most Egyptian antiquities is nearly effortless and therein lies my problem. They are so easy to reach, that I suspect you've seen photos of all of them. So, determined not to bore you, I've decided to post blocks of those photos on Facebook and use the blog to highlight some brief encounters and musings we had on our Egyptian adventure.

Nile river cruises are less formal than ocean bound voyages. Despite that, two English women who sailed with us put aside their khakis and safari jackets and dressed for dinner. That made Iris and Maude standouts in the dining room. I sought them out one afternoon and over tea learned their story. The two had been childhood friends and remained in touch with each other over the years. This past year, they both lost their husbands and neither wanted to face the prospect of that first Christmas alone. Pooling resources, they put the names of places they wanted to see into a hat, and leaving their final destination to chance, pulled the name of the country where they would spend the Christmas holiday. They were wonderful traveling companions and save for an occasional catch in the throat, they made it through the season with no public tears. We parted company in Cairo. While we headed home, their adventure continued on to Jordan and Israel. I love people who inadvertently teach the art of gracious aging. Emails from both Iris and Maude have convinced me that I made a youthful mistake by not continuing on to Jordan and the wonders of Petra. I'll become smarter with age and experience.

Salma and Kasim, my plane seatmates, were both younger than me. As a matter of fact, they were younger than my children. I met Salma on the trip to Cairo where we both laughed at the passenger who was incensed when he learned no liqueur was served on Muslim airlines. She was lean and lovely and had that glowing skin that marks all the world's great beauties. She struck me as being quite modern and stylishly dressed. I was surprised her hair was covered with a traditional hijab. Apparently, she did not wear it at school but wore it when at home for her mother who would be upset by its absence. She, however, had no trouble wearing it. She explained that the veil symbolized what she believed, while her clothing was a statement of who she was. I met Kasim on the way home. He was American born but his family returned to Yemen when he was a toddler. He was returning to the United States in an effort to obtain visas for his wife and son because the Yemeni civil war was intensifying and he feared for their safety. While it surprises many American flyers, Muslim prayers are said on Egypt Air flights before take off. This was not my first rodeo, so I threw in a prayer or two of my own and struck up a conversation with Kasim when he finished his prayers. He was concerned that I would be uncomfortable sitting next to an Arab on the flight home. Nothing could be further from the truth. After the fact, I realized he had taken off his vest to assure me he was harmless. I insisted he put it back on. The plane was cold.

Then there was Sarah, an expat returning to the United States for the first time in better than 20 years. She was Brooklyn born and bred and a side trip from an Israeli vacation she had taken all those years ago landed her in Alexandria Egypt. She loved it so she never left and was coming back to New York to bury a favorite brother. Expats have always fascinated me and Sarah was no exception. Sarah, as surely as T. E. Lawrence, aka Lawrence of Arabia, has fallen in love with the dunes and the rhythms of the desert and its flow.

I guess these folks, and all the others I've encountered as I travel, support my belief that they've been sent my way to share directions and keep me from getting lost as I work my way toward the light, should this per chance be my final stop. Tomorrow I'll be back with "The Guy with the Glock". See you then.

Menu for the Week of December 27, 2015

Weekly Menu at One Perfect Bite... 

♬ Christmas Wishes and A Canon ♬

May all who journey and brave the night, know there is warmth and shelter here tonight. 

We send blessings, joyful greetings and a bit of music from our home to yours. 

Eat well, make merry and bask in the warming comfort of family and good friends. 

We hope the peace and light of Christmas remain yours throughout the coming year. 

Merry Christmas to you and those you love...Bob and Mary


Pachelbel's Canon in D Major

Menu for Christmas Eve 2015

Gougere

Stuffed Mushrooms

.....

Endive Pear and Watercress Salad

Bouillabaisse de Poulet

Ratatouille with Polenta or Rice

Crusty Peasant Bread

.....

Paris Brest

Vegan Dark Chocolate Pudding

Red Lentil Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I like to make a huge pot of soup to use for meals or meal supplements during the holiday season. I must admit that in our house meals served in the week between Christmas and New Year are usually nothing more than glorified leftovers. We celebrate both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so there are lots of odd bits left in the refrigerator. I've found that a bowl of soup can tie them together and make for a more substantial meal as we pick our way through the leavings. I like that soup to be hearty and a change of pace from the meat laden soups I usually serve. That is tricky when the lord of the manor is a committed carnivore who has a tendency to recoil, vampire style, at the sight of beans or lentils. Over the years, I've found a few meatless soups that he does not object to. This red lentil soup, which by the way stays red, is one of them. It is a light, yet spicy dish that is painless to make and is as tasty as it is good for you. If you're looking for a soup to serve during the holidays, you might want to give this one a try. It has some texture and the lemon helps offset the more standard chili flavors. Here is how it is made.

Chicken Rosmarin

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This quick chicken dish harkens back to the days when the words braise or saute were unknown to me. My culinary vocabulary was even more limited than my cooking skills and if a dish wasn't fried or roasted I was quite frankly asea. Fortunately, Julia came along and changed all that. By applying techniques she demonstrated, this bride's chicken became edible and over time received favored family status. As a matter of fact, I made it so often that my family eventually tired of it and it was entombed in the shoe box I called recipe heaven. Lately, I've been de-cluttering, and while I postponed as long as I could, the box, which has survived three moves unscathed, came under scrutiny. Most of the old recipes were tossed into the circular file, but a few of them, including Chicken Rosmarin, were deemed worthy of an encore performance. The dish is simple and inexpensive to prepare and it makes a great weeknight meal. If you are looking for a quick and easy entree to help carry you through this busy holiday season, do give this recipe a try. Here is how the chicken is made.

Another Arroz con Pollo

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our Egyptian adventure has ended and I'm back in Eugene getting ready for the Christmas holiday. With less than a week to prepare, I can guarantee shortcuts will be taken and the silver might not gleam as brightly as I wish, but Christmas will happen and we will keep the season merry. I thought I'd finish the remainder of this week with some simple family dishes that my crew enjoys. While they are easy to prepare, they are good enough to serve for informal gatherings and I thought you might want to add them to your files. The first is a Spanish rice dish that I particularly enjoy. It is inexpensive to make and it epitomizes comfort food. The recipe was created by Sarah Jay and I urge you to give it a try. Starting on the 26th of December I plan to share some thoughts, observations and recipes gleaned from our Egyptian adventures on the blog. I suspect that few of you will be looking for new recipes so close to the end of the year, and I thought that a recap of our Egyptian adventure would be a perfect filler. I hope you'll stop by. Here is the recipe for an especially nice version of Arroz con Pollo.

Popcorn Balls

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There was a time when Christmas would not be complete if we did not make popcorn balls to decorate the table and the Christmas tree. Back in the day, a hot caramel sauce was need to form and shape the balls for the holiday. Little hands had to be kept away from the mixture until it had cooled to a point where it would no longer burn. Things are easier these days and kids can be part of the production from beginning to end. This recipe is for basic popcorn balls, but you can add candy or additional flavors if you wish. Color can also be added to the melted marshmallow if you wish red or green balls to make the season even more festive. Here is a good basic recipe for popcorn balls.

Hungarian Nut Bars

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've made a lot of bar cookies this holiday season. I have, of course, wanted to capture as many recipes as I can for my collection, but my fondness for bar cookies has more to do with how easy they are to store and transport than the arbitrary accumulation of recipes that may or may not be used again. This is a lovely cookie and it is sure to please. While it is expensive to make, it keeps well and it is very easy to make. If you are looking for a new, or another, nut bar recipe for your holiday collection, I urge you to give this one a try. Here is how the bars are made.

Chocolate Snowball Kisses

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These Christmas kisses are a chocolate lover's delight. They are simple to make and if you can bring yourself to share them, your guests will love these chocolate cookies that have chocolate kisses hidden inside them. The recipe comes from Hershey's and while most folks love the cookies, a few have reported they are too crumbly for their taste. I have not had that problem, and having made the cookies several times, I am comfortable sharing the recipe with you. Here is how the chocolate snowball cookies are made.

Chocolate Snowball Cookies...from the Kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Hershey's test kitchen

Ingredients:
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup finely chopped almonds
3/4 cup toffee bits
60 milk chocolate kisses
3/4 cup powdered sugar for rolling

Directions:
1) Beat butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla in large bowl until blended. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda; add with milk to butter mixture until well blended. Stir in nuts and toffee bits.
2) Refrigerate until firm enough to handle, at least 2 hours. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease. Remove wrappers from chocolates. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Press chocolate piece into each ball, covering completely with dough. Reshape into balls; place on prepared cookie sheet.
3) Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely; roll in powdered sugar. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

                    

                                   Older Posts

                One Year Ago Today:                                                Two Years Ago Today:

                Cratchit's Crumble Pie                                                  Corn and Cod Chowder

                Three Years Ago Today:                                                  Four Years Ago Today: 

                   Apple Walnut Bread                                               Assorted Christmas Confections

Butter Pecan Turtle Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Here is another scrumptious bar cookie that I recommend you try. If you enjoy "turtle" candy, I know you will enjoy these bars with their layers of chocolate, caramel and nuts. The bars are simple to prepare and the recipe is easy to follow. The cookies will quickly disappear from your Christmas cookie tray. Here is how they are made.

Butter Pecan Turtle Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of William Maple and the Columbus Dispatch

Ingredients:
Crust
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup pecans (halved)
Caramel Layer
2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
Topping
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) To make crust: In a bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and butter and mix at medium speed until combined. Press into an ungreased 9-by-13-inch pan. Sprinkle pecans evenly over unbaked crust.
3) To make caramel layer: In a saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to boil. Boil for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour over crust layer.
4) Bake 18 to 22 minutes, or until caramel layer is bubbly and crust is light golden brown. Remove from oven, sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let chips melt slightly for 2 to 3 minutes. Use a knife to swirl chips as they melt to cover bars. Cool and cut into bars for serving. Yield: 24 cookies.

                    

                                   Older Posts

                One Year Ago Today:                                                Two Years Ago Today:

            Swedish Cardamom Wreath                         Night Before Christmas Cold Oven Coffee Cake

                Three Years Ago Today:                                                  Four Years Ago Today: 

                       Candied Almonds                                                              Bean Burgers

Dinner Rolls - Buttermilk Cluster

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have a pan of these rolls sitting in my freezer. While they would be wonderful with Christmas dinner, I plan to use them as slider rolls on New Year's Day. The rolls are simple to make and if you have a stand mixer with a dough hook they are almost effortless to prepare. The topping on the rolls can be varied to taste and I often substitute poppy seeds for the sesame seeds called for in the ingredient list. The recipe makes light and fluffy rolls that I know you will enjoy. Here is how they are made.

Pecan Tassies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Pecan Tassies are a Southern cookie that is especially popular during the Christmas season. Like the bar cookies featured earlier this month, they are thought to be an adaption of an old French-American recipe for pecan pie that originated in New Orleans in the early 1700's. When all is said and done, tassies are miniature pecan pies. They are not hard to prepare and if you follow the recipe below, you'll have no trouble making them. Your problem will be keeping them, and you should be forewarned that they are addictive. Tassies can be made and frozen well before the holidays, so they are a perfect candidate for a stressless addition to your holiday cookie tray. There are literally hundreds of recipes for tassies. This happens to be my favorite one.

Cinnamon Babka for Christmas Brunch

Photo courtesy of Cook's Country magazine

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There are no limits to my love for bread. I can walk away from any cookie, but bread, scones and biscotti all bring me to my knees. The cinnamon babka I'm featuring today is an especially nice bread and it is perfect for a holiday breakfast or late night snack. While it is wonderful when sliced and buttered, it makes stellar toast and it is hard to find a better base for bread pudding or French toast. It is not a beginner bread, but if you have had success with yeast breads in the past, this one will be easy enough for you to duplicate. The bread can sit for a couple of days before it becomes dry, but if you are not going to use it immediately, I think it is best to completely cool and then freeze it. Do give the recipe a try. It is enormously flavorful and it is a pretty loaf that looks more complicated than it actually is. Here is how it is made.

Brown Butter Sandwich Spritz Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I decided to feature this recipe because it uses brown butter to make an otherwise classic spritz cookie. It also uses maple syrup to "cement" two layers of the cookies together. I'm not sure you'll prefer these cookies to the spritz cookies you usually make for the holidays, but the recipe is food for thought and will give you another way to approach this Christmas classic. These cookies freeze and store well, so you can make them well before the holiday. I do hope you'll give them a try. Here is the recipe.

Pattie's Italian Sesame Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The recipe for these cookies comes from Patty Acciarito Meegan. Pattie is one of the best Italian cooks I know and her recipes are treasures that have been passed from one generation of her family to the next. These sesame cookies are an example of the food that comes from her kitchen. They would make a wonderful addition to your holiday cookie tray, and I can tell you from experience, that they are wonderful for dunking in an after dinner espresso or sweet wine. I sincerely doubt you'll have any of these cookies left to store, but should that happen, store them in an air tight container and they'll be fine for five days of so. Here is Pattie's recipe.

Cesnica - Serbian Christmas Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This Serbian recipe uses only basic ingredients to prepare a lovely Christmas loaf. It is one of the plainest Christmas breads I've encountered, and other than its unique and beautiful braid, the one thing that sets it apart from a standard loaf of bread is the amount of butter used in its preparation. In Serbia,  the bread is baked with a coin in it, and whoever gets the piece that contain the coin is thought to have luck and success in the coming year. I love the way this bread is shaped and I use it to braid other types of bread during the year. If you are looking for a plain loaf that has great visual appeal, give this bread a try. Here is how it is made and formed.

Apricot Oatmeal Bars

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Here is another bar cookie to add to your cookie collection. While I usually include this on my Christmas cookie tray, it is a great cookie to make and serve at any time of year. This is not an overly sweet confection and it will appeal to those of you who enjoy less sweet, more European-style, cookies. The apricot filling has a jewel-like quality and makes the cookie attractive to look at. Because I am fond of apricots, this cookie makes it to my personal favorites list for its taste, as well as its appearance. The cookies are simple to make and will stay fresh for several days after baking if they are stored in air-tight contains or well-wrap in foil or plastic wrap. This is another of my favorite bar cookies. While I've had good luck using dried cherries and cherry jam for the filling, I am partial to apricot and recommend the apricot version to you. Here is how the bars are made.

Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Meringues

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love this ladylike cookie. I get weak-kneed anytime I find a recipe that combines chocolate and peppermint. This one goes one step further and folds the two into a meringue base that makes the cookie so light that it is completely irresistible. If that weren't enough, the meringue is then dipped in dark chocolate to finish and serve. While the cookie is near perfect, I have one caution to share with you. Meringues must be kept dry and stored in air-tight contains or they will begin to soften and quickly stale. If you can properly store these, they would make a wonderful addition to your Christmas cookie tray. Here is how the meringues are made.

Chocolate Chili Crackled Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you are looking for another chocolate cookie, this spicy version from McCormick might just fill the bill. This is a chocolate cookie that gets its heat from Ancho chili powder. Some love these spicy versions, some do not. This is a perfect recipe for those whose families love the heat. I must admit I prefer my chocolate straight up, but the Silver Fox really likes this version, so I'm including it here. If your family loves heat with sweet, this version of crackle cookies might be just what you are looking for. They are simple to make, store well and add something a little different to your holiday cookie tray. Here is how they are made.

Chocolate Nut Brittle

Photo courtesy of The New York Times

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This brittle is neither easy nor inexpensive to make, but I promise it is worth the time and money it takes to put together. The recipe for the brittle was the creation of Suvir Saran, a chef who is highly regarded by his colleagues. His brittle is different from most others because of the spices that are used to give it its unique flavor. This is a great recipe and fortunately the brittle freezes well, so it can be made weeks before things get crazy in the kitchen. Unless you have nerves of steel, this is not a recipe you want to make at the last minute. I don't make a lot of candy for the holidays, but I'll be sure to include this with the other confections that I am planning to prepare. This is good - really good - stuff. Here is how the brittle is made.

McCall's Cinnamon Crisps

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is another recipe that is as old as my marriage, and while I'm quite proud of it, that number is not one I throw loosely about. I made these cookies for the Silver Fox our first Christmas together. The old McCall's cook book was my kitchen bible at the time and while style and taste have changed over the years, I must say it never let me down when I relied on it as my principle recipe source. I love cinnamon cookies, so these were a natural choice for me to make that first Christmas. They are simple. They are easy to make. They are delicious. There was a time I thought them difficult to make, but time and experience have made them an easy peasy addition to our Christmas table. They taste a bit like cinnamon graham crackers, but please put the emphasis on "bit like" because these are the best graham cracker you have ever or will ever have. Here is how to make the cinnamon crisps.

Romanian Holiday Bread - Cozonac

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love bread and Christmas in our home would be incomplete without a holiday loaf that we can break together and eat with our coffee on Christmas morning. Some of the breads are beautiful, elaborate affairs, while others are downright plain in their simplicity. Plain or pretty, they must be delicious to make it to my table, and if they have a story to tell they are sure to be a shoe in. This Romanian bread is much like Italian panettone and while it is time consuming to make, it is easier to make than its Italian cousin. While this is not a beginner's bread, those who have a modicum of patience and a bit of experience with yeast breads, will be in for a treat come Christmas or New Year's morning. Here is how this Romanian bread is made.

Romanian Holiday Bread - Cozonac...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of about.com

Ingredients:
2-1/2 tablespoons + 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup +1/2 cup + 1/4 cup milk
1 package active dry yeast
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup superfine sugar
4 ounces light or dark raisins
Zest of 1 lemon
4 ounces melted butter
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 ounce walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar (optional)

Directions:
1) Scald 1/2 cup milk and stir in 2 1/2 tablespoons flour until smooth. Let cool 10 minutes.
2) Heat another 1/2 cup milk just until lukewarm. Do not scald. Place yeast in a small bowl and pour lukewarm milk over, stirring until dissolved. Add yeast mixture to flour paste and beat until large air bubbles appear. Cover and let rise at least 15 minutes.
3) Heat remaining 1/4 cup milk to lukewarm. Do not overheat. Pour into a warmed large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Add, stirring after each ingredient, the egg yolks, sugar, raisins, zest, yeast mixture and flour. Knead about 10 minutes by machine or 15-20 minutes with buttered hands while still in the bowl, adding butter as necessary to achieve a nonsticky, pliable, moist ball of dough. It will probably take about 3 ounces of butter. Save the rest.
3) Add rum, vanilla and oil and knead another 2-3 minutes. Cover bowl with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled. Punch down and with hands dipped in some of the reserved melted butter, knead another 5-10 minutes.
4) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 10- to 12-inch round pan that is at least 3 inches deep with cooking spray. Using buttered hands, twist the dough and place in the pan. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until dough reaches the top of the pan.
5) Mix 1 large egg yolk with 1 tablespoon cold water and brush top of dough. Sprinkle walnuts and a few raisins on the dough, if desired. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick tests clean or an instant-read thermometer registers 190 degrees.
6) Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. If you wish, while the cake is still hot, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and walnuts. Yield: 1 loaf.

                    

                                                    Older Posts

                One Year Ago Today:                                                     Two Years Ago Today:

                    Chocolate Nusse                                                        Braciola and Tomato Sauce

                Three Years Ago Today:                                               Four Years Ago Today: 

       Moroccan Chicken Smothered in Olives                                  Christmas Bread Round-Up

Oatmeal Pecan Skillet Blondies

Photo courtesy of Southern Cast Iron

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These cake-like blondies, combine the taste of oatmeal and toasted nuts in cookie wedges that bake in a cast iron skillet. I rely heavily on cookies such as these because they are so easy to transport to gatherings at this time of year. They are perennial favorites, so transportation is usually a one-way affair. It is hard to resist a treat that is nearly effortless to make, and tastes so good with milk or coffee. This recipe is best made in an iron skillet, and if you change the type of pan you use to make the blondies, you will have to alter cooking time as well. If like downhome flavor in your cookies, you will love these. They are great keepers and should you have leftovers, you'll find they do not easily stale. Here is how the blondies are made.

Pecan Pie Bars

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love pecan pie and, if it weren't so caloric, you'd see it far more often on my table. Despite the calories, I break my own rules during the holiday season and often serve it as a dessert, though in a slightly altered form. A slice of pie following a holiday feast boggles my mind, but I can deal with bite-size bars that are packed with the same ingredients and flavors. This is my favorite recipe for pecan bars. It comes from McCormick and I think you would agree these folks know a thing or two about spices. While the bars are delicious and easy to make, I've not had a lot of luck freezing them. They do, however, keep for up to a week if they are kept in an air-tight container or tightly wrapped. They are also a great excuse to practice will-power and avoidance of the old "one's not enough, two is too many" syndrome. Here is how this version of the bars is made.

Cranberry Christmas Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a lovely cake that is simple to make and perfect for the holiday. It freezes well, so in order to keep my nerves steady and counters clear, I make the cake several days before I actually plan to serve it, and save myself some stress on D-Day. The recipe comes from Barefeet in the Kitchen and it includes directions for making a gluten free version of the cake. It is great to have this recipe in your files if you have friends for whom gluten is a no-no. If you want to dress the cake up a bit, you can drizzle it with a simple sugar glaze, but taste-wise that is really not necessary. I usually make and freeze 2 cakes and cut them into pieces for storage. I pull them out for unexpected company during the holidays, and on the off-chance there are leftovers, the Silver Fox likes the cake well-enough to see there are no wasted slices. If you have a ton of company during the holidays, do give this recipe a try. Here is how the cake is made.

Banana Bread - Loaves for the Neighbors

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This simple recipe yields four nice loaf cakes that make great token gifts for the Christmas holiday. They are chock full of nuts, and if you use really ripe bananas - the brown, nasty kind - the cakes will have great flavor. The loaves can be frozen, and they will keep at room temperature for several days if you wrap them well. They, obviously, can be prepared well ahead of serving. The last time I made loaf cakes, I was asked how they differ from quick breads. In my world, cakes are lighter and sweeter than quick breads, and I tend to frost or dust them with powdered sugar. There is, however, more to it than that. I suspect the difference lies more in how the two are made. Quick breads are mixed together like muffins, where wet and dry ingredients are combined and stirred as little as possible. True cakes are lighter in texture, and the ratio of flour, fat, sugar is different  than what's used to make a bread.  That alters the crumb and texture of the final product. This recipe produces moist dense loaves, but for best results I suggest you 8-inch pans for baking. I do hope you give the recipe a try. Here is how this version of banana bread is made.