Recipe testing, the last chapter

I ended up doing a total of three recipe-tests for the new cookbook. I would have loved to do more, but having all of these baked goods in the house when you are trying to lose weight is not a good thing! The last recipe was an easy, fast, and delicious one for Pineapple Bread. A super-quick bread that vanished super-fast between my two girls!

The dry ingredients were whisked, and the wet ones were combined. A total of only 7 items went into this bread!

I was surprised at how light and fluffy this batter was, as compared to the much thicker/denser batter of a zucchini or Amish friendship bread.

The batter was poured into a greased loaf pan and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Although the directions stated to bake for 1 hour 10 minutes, I found it to be completely done at 30-40 minutes... just another reason these recipes are tested!

I had to snap a quick photo before it was all gone! A light, pineapple-y sweet bread with a cinnamon-sugar crust. Perfect for breakfast or snacking ☺

Whew, finally a recipe that didn't give me too many fits. Kevin currently has the first-draft of the book in his hands, and it is scheduled to be released this Fall. I think it will be an amazing book of recipes and stories, which I am looking quite forward to. I will share more with you all when the time comes!

Recipe Testing, part 2

The next recipe on the list was simply called "Lazy Woman's" Chocolate Cake. Kevin assured me that he didn't think I was lazy, but only found the title to be humorous. Sure, Kevin, I'll bet! Anyway, the recipe is fairly different; unlike most cake recipes, it does NOT call for any eggs. The leavening agents in this particular one are baking soda and vinegar! Definitely a bit out of the ordinary.

Like I mentioned yesterday, the directions for these recipes tend to be pretty vague. I picture these Amish women scribbling the recipe down for a friend on a notepad, short and simple. They inherently seem to know how to mix the ingredients, what size pan to use, how long to bake, etc. However, when publishing a cookbook for the masses, the instructions must be clear, complete, and precise. That is one of the main reasons we are testing them; we also have to make sure they are really delicious and fit for a cookbook!

Although the only directions for this recipe was "Combine all ingredients and bake", I did start out by whisking the dry ingredients together. I made a well in the center for the liquids, then mixed into a batter. Look closely and you can see those bubbles forming from the baking soda/vinegar. Grade school science at it's finest!

The batter was poured into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan and baked. Still bubbling away right before I put it in the oven!

Hot out of the oven, hubby and I were ready for some chocolate cake! I hate to admit we were hasty in our judgement; we did not care for it! Everyone knows how a cake looks straight from the oven, with a bit of a "crust" on top. That crust was a little bit bitter, and the cake itself wasn't too sweet. I covered it in plastic wrap and left it on the countertop overnight.

By the next morning, the cake had a chance to distribute its moisture and mellow out a bit. Wow, was it moist!! Not overly sticky sweet, but a really nice cake for a good spread of frosting. A fast, one-bowl recipe for a decent cake.

ps...I should have mentioned this in my last post, but I cannot post these recipes. The cookbook is a work-in-progress, and I wouldn't want to ruin it. I can assure you, it will be a beautiful book and worth the purchase! Check out the newest book, The Amish Cook at Home, and you will see what I mean!

Recipe Testing, take 1

Why is it that sometimes, when you think something is going to be easy, it ends up being super-difficult? This recipe that I tested for Kevin and Lovina's newest baking book, called Butterscotch Brownies, seemed like a no-brainer. And, actually, it was... once I got past that first stinking step!

The first thing you do is melt butter in a pan, then add brown sugar. You are supposed to cook it until the brown sugar "melts". I was waiting for it to turn into a carmeley-saucey sort of thing, so I continued to stir...

Eventually, then entire thing seized up and turned into a brown sugar brick; good for making houses, no so good for making brownies.

I scrapped that batch (obviously!) and started over. This time, I only let the butter/b.sugar mixture get to a peanut butter consistency before I allowed it to cool.

The rest of the ingredients were assembled, and the batter was made.

As in many of these Amish recipes, the specific are just not there. Directions may just say "pour into greased pan." Then the question becomes, "What SIZE of pan?". The first batch I made in an 8 x 8 pan (and you can see that only half of that batch has nuts in it...that is intentional ☺). There just didn't seem to be enough batter to cover a 9 x 13 pan. They turned out very good, but a little taller/cakier than a normal brownie.

I take this job very seriously, so I made another batch and spread it into a 9 x 13 pan. The batter is very thick and sticky, and there isn't much of it, but my off-set spatula made short work of this. I was suprised how much that little amount of batter really puffed up! It was decided that 9 x 13 pan is definitely the right one to use.

Nutty, chewy, and not overly sweet...Delish!

Meet me in the kitchen

This week, I have enjoyed finishing up this wonderful cookbook by Lovina Eicher and my friend Kevin Williams . Kevin is the long-time editor of "The Amish Cook" syndicated newspaper column, written by Lovina. This book is absolutely fantastic! They centered it around the four seasons, with the recipes/stories/photography relating to seasonally available foods. There are also specialty-type sections about using fresh venison, wild mushrooms, and the like. I highly encourage you to pick up a copy !

Luckily, sales for this newest cookbook installment were so positive that Kevin and Lovina were quickly offered the opportunity to write a baking book. They are on a tight deadline, and each recipe must be tested before being deemed acceptable for the book. I volunteered to be a recipe-tester, which has been a really fun job. I have been taking pictures and notes of the recipes I was assigned, which I will be sharing here in my blog within the next week ☺