Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Several Kats asked for the recipe for the pear cake recipe mentioned in last week's column. It was shared by Charlotte Shoptaw last fall. Shoptaw credits Southern Living with the original version.
Caramel-Glazed Pear Cake
4 ripe pears, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
2 cups PLUS 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided use
3 eggs
1¼ cups vegetable oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1½ cups pecans, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Caramel Glaze (recipe follows)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
Toss together pears and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let stand 5 minutes.
Beat eggs, remaining 2 cups sugar and oil at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended.
Combine flour, salt and baking soda and add to egg mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in pears, chopped pecans and vanilla extract. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a wooden pick comes out clean. Remove from pan and drizzle Caramel Glaze over warm cake.
Caramel Glaze
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup butter
¼ cup evaporated milk
Stir together brown sugar, butter and evaporated milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly 2 ½ minutes or until sugar dissolves.
Lena Scroggins recently sent a request for raisin cookies. Scroggins didn't specify so, but we're guessing since most oatmeal containers include recipes for oatmeal-raisin, she's looking for a sugar or spice cookie with raisins, not an oatmeal cookie.
This one is from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook (1979 edition).
Raisin Sugar Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cream or milk
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chopped raisins
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, then gradually add the sugar, beating until light. Add the egg, vanilla and cream or milk; beat thoroughly.
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, salt and baking powder. Add to the butter mixture and blend well. Stir in raisins.
Arrange dough by teaspoons on cookie sheets, spaced 1 inch apart. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Makes about 40 small cookies.
This spice cookie is from Cookie Classics Made Easy: One Bowl Recipes, Perfect Results by Brandi Scalise.
Noni's Old-Fashioned Spice Raisin
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon molasses
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups raisins
Heat oven to 325 degrees. If not using nonstick cookie sheets, line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and molasses. Mix well, preferably with an electric mixer, occasionally scraping the sides of the bowl. Add the flour and mix until thoroughly blended. Stir in the raisins.
Using a 1-inch cookie scoop or rounded teaspoon, drop dough, spaced 1 inch apart, onto cookie sheets. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
REQUESTS
• Almond macaroons like Silvek's Bakery and Chewy Chocolate Supreme cookies like American Cookie Co. for Susan Henry.
Send recipe contributions, requests and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; email:
kbrant@arkansasonline.com
Food on 08/17/2016