True French Dressing

I prefer making my own salad dressing to store-bought dressing. Homemade dressings taste better, and I can control what is in them. I always enjoy vinaigrettes, so this recipe stood out as a good variation to try. This dressing will be part of my rotation.

This recipe might be called True French Dressing because it is not a creamy dressing that includes ketchup and called French dressing in America. A true vinaigrette uses oil mixed with vinegar or lemon juice, along with some seasoning. Mom's recipe calls for corn oil, but I used olive oil. I really enjoyed the seasoning of paprika and dry mustard.

True French Dressing 

• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 to 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1 clove garlic

Measure all ingredients into a jar. Cover tightly and shake well. Chill several hours, then remove the garlic. Shake thoroughly before serving. Note: Lemon juice may be substituted for all or part of the vinegar. Enjoy!

Vanilla Orange Pizzelles

Recently, our niece Amanda turned 14, and to help celebrate her birthday, I made these vanilla orange pizzelles. I frequently make pizzelles for family events and sometimes try out new flavors. The potential flavor options for pizzelles seems endless. I have tried various combinations in the past and look forward to trying all sorts of new flavor combination in the future. These vanilla orange pizzelles were a hit.

The basic pizzelle recipe is quite easy. Pizzelles have a higher ratio of eggs compared to other cookies which gives them their specific flavor and texture. Various flavors or combinations of flavors can be made by using different flavor additives with the basic recipe. I had previously made rum orange pizzelles, and like those, these vanilla orange pizzelles had a nice subtle orange flavor.

Vanilla Orange Pizzelles 

• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 4 tsp. grated orange peel
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• powdered sugar for dusting

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar. Add the softened butter, vanilla, and orange peel. Gradually add the flour and baking powder. The batter should be stiff enough to drop by spoon.

Preheat the pizzelle maker. Drop the batter onto each plate, close the pizzelle maker and allow to cook for about one minute. Remove each pizzelle to a flat surface to cool. Dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Swedish Meatballs with California Dip

When I read this recipe, I did not specifically recall Mom making it, but it tasted so familiar. Recipes like this one were common when I was a kid because they use staple ingredients like ground beef and sour cream and are easy to make. I especially like the flavor of the nutmeg and allspice. Every time I use those spices, I always think that I should use them more often because they add a distinct, almost sweet, flavor.

Frozen prepared meatballs are easy to find in most grocery stores, but making meatballs allows for you to customize the flavor and adjust the size of the meatballs. I am not sure why mixing sour cream with a package of onion soup mix is known as California dip, but I would guess that it originated with Lipton Soup mix. These meatballs are a tasty dish that is relatively easy to make, to give it a try. 

Swedish Meatballs with California Dip 

• 2 cups California Dip (1 pint sour cream mixed with 1 envelope onion soup mix)
• 1 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 cup water

In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup California dip with meat, bread crumbs, egg, nutmeg, and allspice. Shape into one inch balls. Roll in flour. In a large skillet, melt butter and brown meatballs. Stir in remaining dip and water. Heat through for about 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Chocolate Marquesa

Klein's Bakery, at the end of our block, is a lovely Venezuelan bakery. Recently, we tried their Chocolate Marquesa which is a well-known Venezuelan dessert. I knew that I had to make this sweet treat. I found several versions of this dessert online. The common element is Maria cookies, which are slightly sweet crisp cookies that soften and become cake-like in this recipe.

This icebox cake is a great for summertime because there is no heat involved. Although it takes a little bit of time to pull the dessert together before it spends the night in the refrigerator, it is worth it. Chocolate marquesa takes the form of the container that it is made in. If you use a springform pan, you can remove the cake to make a nice presentation. Or, make individual servings in small glasses.

Chocolate Marquesa 

• 1 1/2 cup butter
• 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 package Maria cookies
• 1/2 cup chocolate milk

Cream the butter with an electric mixer for 20 minutes. Continue beating while slowly adding the sweetened condensed milk. Then add in the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Add the cocoa powder and mix until well-blended. Place a thin layer of the cream mixture in a 9-inch round pan. Dip Maria cookies in the chocolate milk to just moisten and layer the Maria cookies on top of the cream layer. Repeat alternating cream and cookies layer until done, ending with a cream layer. Refrigerate overnight. Enjoy!

Coffee Pizzelles

Pizzelles are Italian waffle cookies. When we were kids, pizzelles often showed up at family parties. Usually, the pizzelles were vanilla or anise. Since I have my own pizzelle maker, I have been experimenting with other flavors. This coffee pizzelle might be my favorite one yet. I found that the coffee flavor is strong, so kids might not like this flavor as much as adults.

Coffee Pizzelles 

• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 3 Tbsp. instant coffee dissolved in 1 Tbsp. water
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar. Add the cooled butter and coffee. Sift in the flour and baking powder into the egg mixture. The batter should be stiff enough to drop by spoon. 

Heat up the electric pizzelle iron. Drop a teaspoon of batter onto each grid pattern and close the pizzelle iron. The pizzelles will be ready in about one minute. Remove the pizzelle with tongs and allow to cool on a flat surface for flat pizzelles or immediately shape. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Dust the pizzelles with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Peach Butter Cream Pie

In the summertime, a cool dessert always appeals to me. This pie does not require baking and is served cool, so it is a perfect summer treat. Similar to a cheesecake, this pie does not actually use cream cheese. The butter cream layer is a bit like a layer of frosting in the pie.

When I made this recipe, I used nectarines instead of peaches, but it worked out well. MDS liked the pie and suggested making it with blueberries, which I might try soon. Graham cracker crusts are easy to make. And when you make your own crust, you could add some ground nuts to the ground graham crackers for a nuanced flavor. Give this pie a try for a cool summer dessert.

Peach Butter Cream Pie 

• Graham cracker crust
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 3 large peaches, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Cream butter until light; gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and extract. Beat egg whites until stiff; fold into butter mix. Spread in the pie shell. Top with peaches. Cover with cream. Chill for several hours. Enjoy!

Mocha Cake with Coffee Frosting

For MDS's birthday cake this year, the theme was coffee--mocha cake with coffee frosting. Both were excellent. When I first met MDS he did not drink coffee. I converted him to a coffee lover, and he now drinks more coffee than I do.

The mocha cake has the right balance of coffee and chocolate flavor. I used a 13x9 pan instead of  three round pans and adjusted the baking time. The coffee frosting is delicious and tastes like caramel macchiato, but it was more of a sauce than a frosting. I am not sure if I did something wrong when making it, but it never firmed up the way a frosting should and instead soaked into the cake a bit. So I might make it again as a dipping sauce, but it did not work for me as a traditional frosting.

Delightful Mocha Cake 

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. cocoa
• 3 Tbsp. instant Coffee Powder
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 3 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup chocolate milk

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. In a small bowl, blend cocoa, coffee powder, and boiling water together to make a smooth paste; add to creamed mixture. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add alternating with chocolate milk to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Pour batter into greased baking pans and bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until done. Cool in pans for ten minutes before removing cake from the pan. Once completely cool, frost. Enjoy!

Coffee Frosting

• 3 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup light cream
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 tsp. instant coffee powder
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Put first three ingredients in a deep sauce pan, bring to a boil and boil until a small amount of mixture forms a soft ball when dropped into very cold water. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. Add remaining ingredients and beat at medium speed for five minutes or until creamy. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for at least six hours. When ready to use, put desired amount in a saucepan and heat to spreading consistency. Frost cake. Enjoy!