Review: November Issue

[Mamasue]

Okay....I decided to do some baking this weekend. The weather has been cool and we actually received some snow squalls today.

1. White Chocolate Apricot Muffins: These muffins are a sort of biscuit type muffin with jam inside....not too impressed with this recipe and wouldn't waste fairly expensive ingredients, such as crystalized ginger and white chocolate (especially if you have to buy them for a recipe and you don't normally have them as a pantry staple). I had both ingredients handy. I didn't have apricot preserve and substituted with my Mom's homemade Peach and Orange jam. The type of jam you use doesn't change the recipe, in fact you could use whatever jam or preserve you have handy. This is not a keeper for me.

2. Pumpkin Streusel Bread: Very Good and moist. I would make this one again. This should freeze well too.

3. Applesauce-Raisin Cake with Caramel Icing: WOW! This cake is awesome! Cake is very moist and the frosting makes this cake. The frosting reminds me of pralines without the pecans, (not caramel) but you could sprinkle some pecans on the top of the cake. The picture of this cake shows the frosting thickly spread, but the recipe does not cover the whole cake. The bottom layer did not get any frosting on the sides, but thats okay it still looks good. I would double the frosting recipe the next time....AND THERE WILL BE A NEXT TIME! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif This cake will be No. 2 on my list (No. 1 being Italian Cream Cake). You must make this one! Now the only problem is I can't have this cake in the house for very long....so off to Mother, sister and niece it goes.




[This message has been edited by Mamasue (edited 10-29-2000).]

[nanadee]

If there is one thing I trust, It's
Mamasue's advice on cakes http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't have found the "Italian Creme cake" recipe & it to, is our favorite!!! Thanks for review on the Applesauce Raisin Cake with Caramel Icing, Mamasue, it's next on my list!!!

[This message has been edited by nanadee (edited 10-29-2000).]

[andi]

OK! Where's my November issue when I need it? The cake and pumpkin bread recipes sound wonderful. I'll give the mail another week-if it doesn't come I may have to ask you to post the recipes! Thanks for the review!

[Vanessa]

Thanks for the reviews Mamasue. Just got the Nov issue and the pumpkin bread caught my attention I was not sure on the applesauce cake but now I will try it. The orange coconut cake sounds very good.

[BeckyM]

Mamasue,

Thanks so much for the review on the Applesauce Raisin Cake. I had posted a different message asking for opinions on whether that cake was better than the Apple Torte in October's issue. (I am taking a dessert to a women's group Wednesday night and need to decide what to bring!) The only answers I got were about the Apple Torte. Did you make the Apple Torte? And if so, which do you think is better (& easier)? I'd welcome opinions from anyone else who has tried both too!

Becky

[lindrusso]

I tried the Pecan Tassies and thought they were great. The crust is a bit chewy, but I can't see it being too flaky with all the handling it gets - plus the butter gets softened, so I guess it's not intended to be too flaky.

The Sun-dried Tomato Semolina Biscuits and the Pumpkin Bread are on my list to make this week....

[BethR]

I don't have my November issue yet but I'm so happy to hear that CL has done a lightened version of pecan tassies and that they're good! They are my absolute favorite holiday-time sweet! This will be the first recipe out of November that I try!
Beth

[Wendy w]

I received my November issue on Saturday. Although I don't bake frequently, there are some recipes that may change that such as: the jalapeno corn bread, sun-dried tomato semolina biscuits, the butterscotch bundt cake, espresso cream puffs, and the fudgy souffle cake w/warm turtle sauce. Thanks Mamasue for your review, I am glad to know that the applsauce raisin cake meets your standards!

Wendy

[pvavricka]

Okay...I just have to ask! Mamasue, can you please post the Italian Creme Cake? I would love to make it this weekend. I haven't received Nov yet, but I can wait as long as you post the ICC.

Thanks...Penny

[Mamasue]

* Exported from MasterCook *

Italian Cream Cake

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cake/Cupcakes

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Cooking spray
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light butter
2 large egg yolks
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon butter extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 large egg whites (at room temperature)
Lemon rind (optional)

1.Prepare Cream Cheese Icing; cover and
chill.
2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3.Coat bottoms of 3 (9-inch) round cake
pans with cooking spray (do not coat
sides of pans), and line bottoms of pans
with wax paper. Coat wax paper with
cooking spray. Dust with flour; set aside.
4.Combine sugar and butter in a large
bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer
until well-blended. Add egg yolks, 1 at a
time, beating well after each addition.
Combine flour and baking soda; stir
well. Add flour mixture to creamed
mixture alternately with buttermilk,
beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Stir in pecans and extracts.
5.Beat egg whites at high speed of a mixer
until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat).
Fold egg whites into batter; pour batter
into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees
for 23 minutes. Let cool in pans 5
minutes on a wire rack. Loosen cake
layers from sides of pans using a narrow
metal spatula; turn out onto wire racks.
Peel off wax paper; let cool completely.
6.Place 1 cake layer on a plate. Spread
with 2/3 cup Cream Cheese Icing; top
with another cake layer. Repeat with 2/3
cup icing and remaining layer, ending
with cake layer. Spread remaining icing
over sides and top of cake. Garnish with
lemon rind, if desired. Yield: 20
servings (serving size: 1 slice).

CALORIES 300 (24% from fat); FAT 8g (sat
3.9g, mono 1.5g, poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 4.5g;
CARB 53.8g; FIBER 0.5g; CHOL 39mg;
IRON 0.7mg; SODIUM 166mg; CALC 28mg

Cream Cheese Icing

1 tablespoon light butter, chilled
1 (8-ounce) package Neufchatel cheese,
chilled
1 (1-pound) package powdered sugar,
sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat butter and cheese at high speed of a
mixer until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and
vanilla; beat at low speed just until blended
(do not overbeat, or icing will become runny).
Cover and chill. Yield: 2-2/3 cups.

[HARRYET]

The applesauce raisin cake w/carmel sauce sounds really good, but how would it be without the raisins? my SO doesn't like raisins at all!

[Vanessa]

Harryet If you don't want to use raisins use another dry fruit.

[Peggy]

I made the Pumpkin Streudel Bread tonight for an after "trick-or-treating" treat. It was delicious! Very moist and I loved the streudel on top!

I also made the Squash-Rice Casserole tonight for my vegetable/starch course. We all liked it. My husband isn't crazy about zucchini so I have to hide it in recipes. He thought this one was great!

For a salad I made the Halloween Green Bean Salad that was posted on the CL web page. I picked it because of the Halloween title. It was an unusual combination of ingredients - green beans, red onions, oranges slices and red grapes in a citrus vinaigrette. Wonderful! I'm not sure why they called it a Halloween salad, but it was good.

Peggy