sweet Archives - Fresh From Oregon

Apricot Coffee Cake with Crumb Topping

January 9, 2016 · by Carrie Trax ·

It is the middle of winter in Oregon and the snow is falling here on the mountain today. I had been sorting through some items my mom sent me last year and came across several old cookbooks. I see they are not only from my hometown Finleyville, Pennsylvania, but also published the year I was born 1962. As I was going through the book looking at the recipes I discovered old advertising ads and still remember some of the stores we shopped at as I was growing up. It brings back a lot of memories of shopping at “Rosenberg’s Department Store” where we bought all of our clothes (No big shopping malls back then), if my mom did not make them. Also one of our treats for the week was going to “Boyka Tavern” to have a Hot Hamburger sandwich, a meaty hamburger sandwiched between two pieces of thick white bread then covered with the “BEST” gravy and homemade french fries. Old cookbooks have so much history and great memories. As I was looking at many of the recipes the Apricot Coffee Cake caught my eye. Today is “National Apricot Day” and what a great recipe to try from this vintage cookbook. I did have to do a few adjustments. It said to use a 6″x10″ pan but that is not a size I have ever seen. I also wanted to bake this so I could display it out of the pan so I choose to used a 9-inch springform pan. If you just want to leave it in the pan you can also use a 13×9 baking pan. Since this pan is larger than the original size I multiplied the recipe by 1 1/2 times and added more time for baking. Apricots are not fresh this time of the year in Oregon but I had several jars I canned last summer and they were perfect for this recipe. I also increased the amount of apricots since this was a large cake and wanted a little more apricots in the center of the coffee cake. This was an easy recipe to make and the batter was so silky and it tasted amazing. With recipes all over the internet these cookbooks are long forgotten but have such amazing recipes. So if you have some old cookbooks packed away in the basement or attic get them out and discover some of the recipes long lost and maybe they will bring back some memories for you!

Apricot Coffee Cake
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups canned apricots

Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Spray a 9-inch springform pan or 13×9-inch baking pan with non-stick spray, set aside. In a mixer bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and mix to combine. Add shortening and with a pastry blender or fork cut into the flour mixture. Add the milk, eggs, and vanilla and beat until the batter is smooth, about 2 minutes. Spread 1/2 the batter into the prepared pan. You can mash up the apricots and spread over the batter or lay the apricot pieces over the batter. Top with the remaining batter. Combine all the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the batter. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cowboy Candy Poppers

January 29, 2015 · by Carrie Trax ·

Quick and easy, these Cowboy Candy Poppers are perfect to serve at your next gathering. Only three ingredients make up these mouth watering poppers that you can make ahead or assemble, cook and serve. Surprise your guests at the upcoming Superbowl game and serve these sweet & spicy poppers but make sure you have plenty of beverages to serve with them.

Cowboy Candy Popper
1 package Wonton Wrappers
1 batch Cowboy Candy Dip
Canola Oil

Open wonton wrappers but make sure to cover with plastic wrap they dry out quickly. Fill a small bowl with water, you will need to wet around the wontons to seal them. Take one wonton and with your finger wet around the outer edge with water. Place a heaping teaspoon of Cowboy Candy in the center of the wonton. Bring back of wonton up and over the filling. Now take both sides and fold in, finish by rolling wonton forward to seal. Make sure the wonton is completed sealed or the cheese will melt out when you are cooking. Place on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. In a deep skillet or pot heat about 1-inch of canola oil over medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Add one Cowboy Candy popper to check if the oil is hot and popper starts to fry. Add more to the skillet or pot about 8 total and cook about 1 to 2 minutes or until a golden brown. Using tongs flip over and cook the other side. The first batch always seems to take the longest to cook. Cook remaining poppers but watch these will brown up much faster. Place finished poppers back on the paper towel-lined baking sheet. They are ready to serve and you need no dipping sauce for these poppers. If you would like to serve later, cool poppers on paper towel. To reheat remove paper towel and place in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 3 minutes or until they are hot.

Pumpkin Roll

November 25, 2014 · by Carrie Trax ·

The pumpkin pie is the traditional dessert at the Thanksgiving table and here is a great and easy recipe to make “Nana’s Trax Pumpkin Pie”. If you are looking to add something new to the Thanksgiving dessert table this pumpkin roll is the perfect addition. The soft sponge cake with just the perfect amount of spices is rolled with cream cheese icing and dusted with confectioners sugar.

Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Icing
Cake:
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup fresh* or can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

Icing:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners sugar
6 tablespoon butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 10x15x1-inch baking pan with cooking spray and line with a piece of parchment paper (this will make it easy to flip the cake after it is baked). Spray parchment paper with cooking spray and dust with flour, set aside. Lay out a large cotton kitchen towel on your work surface and dust with confectioners sugar.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and salt. In a bowl of an electric mixer beat the eggs and sugar until the mixture is very thick. Beat in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. Add in the flour mixture and mix until combined. With a spatula evenly spread batter in the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 13-14 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and immediately turn the cake onto the confectioners sugar dusted kitchen towel. Carefully peel off the parchment paper. Starting at one of the short ends, rolling up the cake and towel together. Cool on wire rack.

To make the cream cheese filling beat the cream cheese, confectioners sugar, butter and vanilla in the bowl of a electric mixer until smooth.

When the cake has cooled, unroll and remove the towel. Spread the cream cheese filling over the cake, leavening a 1-inch border all around. Starting at one of the ends, re-roll the cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Dust with confectioners sugar before your serve. This can be made a few days ahead of time.

*How to prepare a fresh pumpkin

Jalapeno Dip is it Sweet or is it Hot …

September 1, 2014 · by Carrie Trax ·

It’s a jalapeno dip that is “Sweet” & “Hot” and you just can not stop eating it. There are only two ingredients in the dip but you need to have a jar of homemade “Cowboy Candy” on hand to make this dip. Cowboy candy is easy to make and you can just store the jars in your refrigerator. I use so many jars of this that I get jalapeno peppers in season Fresh From Oregon and process them in a hot water bath and store them on my shelf. Jars of “Cowboy Candy” are great to give as a gift or perfect to have on hand for guests that just stop over. These sweet & hot jalapeno slices also can be added to many other things like sandwiches, chili or just enjoy eating them from the jar!

Jalapeno Sweet & Hot Dip

1 – 4 oz. jar Cowboy Candy, chopped

8 oz cream cheese, softened

Mix together and serve with nacho chips or crackers.

Cowboy Candy ~ Pickled Jalapenos

1 lb fresh jalapenos

2/3 cup cider vinegar

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons mustard seed

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Slice jalapenos. Mix cider vinegar, sugar, turmeric, celery and mustard seed, garlic, and cayenne to boil. Reduce for 5 minutes to a simmer. Add jalapenos at the simmer for 20 minutes more. Cool to lukewarm and place in glass canning jars (I use the 4oz size it is perfect for the recipe above) or one big glass jar or container. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. If you would like to can some follow recipe below.

If you want to can them you need to simmer the jalapenos for 5 minutes once you add them to the liquid. Load sterilized jars with jalapenos first and add liquid filling the jars leaving a 1/4 head space. Process in a water bath for 15 minutes. Makes 8 (4 oz) jars.

Apricot Coffee Cake with Crumb Topping

Cowboy Candy Poppers

Pumpkin Roll

Jalapeno Dip is it Sweet or is it Hot …

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