Sunday

Hello. This is Loki.

 

And this is Csonka.

 

They live in my house now. And they are at least partially responsible for all of the nothing going on at this blog for the last few weeks. I mean, they’re freaking adorable. How am I supposed to get anything done?

Really, The Day Job is just as much to blame for eating up quality cooking time. And reading time. And housekeeping and yard clean-up and squash-harvesting time. I’d rather talk about kittens, though.

Loki is all black and rather small. His brother was adopted away from him (we wanted to get both of them) at the local vet clinic, which took some adjustment on his part. We had decided that Loki was a good name for a black cat even before we knew that there were multiple families wanting to adopt his brother (who is just an average-looking striped tabby-type kitten). Since so many people were making a big deal about his brother and ignoring him, Loki was clearly the best name for him. He is a little weird.

 

Csonka is black and white with symmetrical, tuxedo-like markings. He’s big for his age, but is a good big brother to Loki. He only beats him up a little bit, and never at full strength or with claws out. He is mostly sweet and mild, and I was a little surprised that he didn’t get snatched up at the shelter because he was the prettiest, sweetest, mildest load of a kitten there. He was destined to be ours. 

 

Csonka was named Gronk at the shelter, but no New England Patriot is allowed in our house. We went back to a real undefeated team for a big-guy namesake, and so he is now Csonka. (If he continues to grow at his current rate, he will also gain the title Mister, like Harry Dresden's furry beast in Jim Butcher's Dresden Files.)

When I’m not trying to keep Csonka from drinking out of the toilet or Loki from climbing up my leg to get at any food-like substance he seems to think I have in my hands, I do cook the occasional meal, including a version of this black bean soup with peppers and tomatoes instead of a jar of salsa, pizzas on the weekend, this Zucchini Cheddar Risotto (there’s still so much zucchini!), and a version of this skillet pasta dish.

When I made up a list of favorite recipes posted in the month of October, I came up, quite accidently, with 31 of them. Since, if my math is correct, that makes one for each day of the month, on Twitter and Facebook, I’m sharing a link to an October “recipe of the day”. I’ll post a page here by tomorrow night with a running list to follow along.

It’s been a while since I really got into a good novel, but I just started Throne of Jade, the second book in the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik, which is quite good, and easy to read with kittens sleeping in one’s lap.

I’ve also been perusing Dappled: Baking Recipes for Fruit Lovers by Nicole Rucker. This book is wonderful, and I’d love to be baking my way through it.

Autumn is here, and I’ve got to get out to the garden to harvest the buttercup and butternut squash I grew, and clean up the other messes. I can’t wait to cut into those squash and make soup and chili, savory pie, risotto, and salad. I also want to try some new recipes for rosemary cheddar soda bread, jam tart with shortbread crumble, chocolate cookies, apple-zucchini muffins (still!), and apple, pear and pumpkin cakes and pies.

Sitting quietly with a cup of coffee in hand and a kitten in my lap is nice, though, too.

Another post like this one: Saturday Night (from about a year ago)

 

Rum Cake

I was beginning to forget when I had last baked something that didn’t have shredded zucchini in it. I think that must have been what drove me to finally make this cake, but I don’t remember that for sure either. And I hadn’t even been drinking any of the rum.

This all started with a bottle of spiced rum purchased from Door County Distillery while on vacation in Wisconsin. Harry bought it and described its sharp, clean, lightly spiced flavor. “I will make it into a cake,” I said.

Now, my mother in law is the undisputed Queen of Rum Cake. Her recipe has crossed family lines and become a favorite in my family, too. It makes a comforting cake with just the right sweetness and punch of rum. All that good stuff being said, this is not her rum cake recipe. You’ll have to acquire that another way.

What this is, however, is a fluffy Bundt cake redolent with rum and glazed with a sugary butter-rum coating. It’s an adaptation of a bourbon cake with simple ingredients and no fancy techniques. It’s made with cake flour so it is especially soft, like, softer than I expected it could be. While I like this cake very well all on its own where its fluffy texture and bittersweet rum aroma can be especially appreciated, it was also very good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or with sliced peach sautéed in butter, brown sugar, and more spiced rum.

I think you could swap other liquors or liqueurs for the rum (including, of course, bourbon), but I’d recommend using one with a flavor you like quite a lot. The rum is a big part of the taste of the cake, and anything you substitute for it would be, too. There isn’t much room for mix-ins, since the cake does fill a 10-cup Bundt pan, but if you want to add nuts or chocolate, you could try a larger pan. You certainly could add spices, especially if you really want to play up the spiced rum quality of your rum.

 

This has been a delicious dessert and a welcome change from compulsory zucchini-patch-to-table baking. If you like boozy cakes, this one really is for you. It’s also for you if you like easy cakes. It may even be for you if you just like cake. I know it works for me!

Glazed Rum Cake

Adapted from Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson

For the cake:

12 ounces cake flour (3 cups)

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup light or golden rum or spiced rum

1 cup buttermilk

For the glaze:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

¾ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup light or golden rum or spiced rum

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare a 10-cup Bundt pan by coating it with cooking spray or soft butter and coating the spray or butter with flour. Set aside.

2. In a medium-size bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk or sift together to combine well. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 2 sticks butter, 1 ½ cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Beat at medium to medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy. Give this time, about 3-5 minutes. Scrape any lumps of butter from the sides of the bowl and the paddle as you go to make sure they are incorporated.

4. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition to incorporate each egg. Beat in the vanilla extract.

5. In a measuring cup or a small bowl, combine ¼ cup rum and buttermilk. Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined. Add half the buttermilk mixture and beat it in. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk mixture, ending with the flour mixture.

6. Spoon or pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake at 350 F for 45-55 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out without any wet batter attached.

7. When the cake is about 10 minutes from being finished, make the glaze. Combine the 6 tablespoons butter, ¾ cup sugar, and ¼ cup rum in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently, until the butter is melted, the sugar is dissolved, and the mixture is smooth.

8. When the cake is finished baking, leave it in the pan and place it on a wire cooling rack. Poke deep holes in the cake using a wooden skewer or chopstick. Slowly pour about ¾ of the hot glaze over the hot cake. Set the remaining glaze aside.

9. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving plate or cake stand and remove it from the pan. (I find that the center of the pan tends to stick more than the outer edges, so I take special care to run a thin knife around that section between the cake and the pan to help release the cake.) Warm the remaining glaze over low heat. Brush the hot glaze over the outside of the cake. Let cool completely.

Makes 10-12 servings. This cake freezes well when wrapped in airtight packaging.

Other recipes like this one: Glazed Orange Pound Cake, Glazed Apple Walnut Cake, Plum Upside-Down Yogurt Cake, Simple Vanilla Yogurt Cake

One year ago: Grilled Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredient of the Week: Apples

 

I get so excited about apple season! There are so many good ones to eat and bake with and put into salads. I could hardly wait until the fresh, locally grown apples were available at the farmer’s market to make them the Ingredient of the Week.

Monday

To start: here’s a post with 14 Favorite Apple Recipes. Most of them are sweet baked goods. All of them are delicious.

Tuesday

Apples are great in salads, too. I love them as a crisp, sweet-tart addition to Crunchy Cabbage,Cauliflower, and Apple Salad.

Wednesday

I like hearty grain salads any time of year. This Farro and Apple Salad with Craisins is a great way to feature in the fall.

Thursday

Classic Double-Crust Apple Pie. Not much introduction needed.

Friday

I love heading into the weekend with the potential to bake this simple but sweet and delicious Glazed Apple Walnut Cake.

Saturday

Apple Turnovers with Dried Fruit are wrapped in an Easy Cream Cheese Pastry, but you could use your favorite crust to customize these delicious little pies.

Sunday

I never really enjoyed Applesauce until I made my own. It really doesn’t take that much time or effort, and apples that stay firm after being cooked just make an applesauce with a different character.

Be sure to make enough applesauce to have some left to make this Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.

I’ve got so many new recipes that feature apples (and pears!) waiting to be made and enjoyed. I’ll keep relying on these crisp and delicious sweet-tart fruits to brighten the upcoming darker seasons!

Next Ingredient of the Week: Cabbage!