Cabbie’s Cooking

I visited Memphis last week (see previous post), and when we had dinner at the Blues City Cafe, people were buying their apple dumplings like crazy.  Our table was near the counter, and so I was able to watch the cook/chef put the dish together several times.  This is how he did it:

Apple Dumplings - Blues City Cafe Style

(1) Take a small cast iron skillet (one-serving size), place it in the oven until it is piping hot.

(2) Toss a scoop of butter in the skillet (probably a tablespoon) - it will sizzle and melt.

(3) Take an apple dumpling (They had them pre-made and packaged individually on a small paper plate covered with plastic wrap) and heat it in the microwave.  Then dump the dumpling in the skillet.

(4) Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of the dumpling.

(5)  Drizzle caramel syrup all over it.

(6) Enjoy

They’d bring the apple dumplings to the table in the skillet with a little potholder fitted on the handle. They had a small wooden tray under the skillet.  They were selling like hotcakes. 

Two of the teachers in our group of ten ordered the dumplings and passed them around for everyone to taste.  I declined - don’t ask me why.  Everyone raved on and on about how delicious it was!  Even the next day some of them were still talking about it.  I was sorry I didn’t taste it myself.

The question now is:  How did they make the apple dumplings?  I don’t know their recipe, but here’s how I’ve made them in the past:

Cut up some apples - very thin slices, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon or apple pie spice.  Wrap a pie crust (or a flattened, uncooked canned biscuit) around about 1/4 cup of apple slices.  Crimp the edges to seal it.  Use a knife to make a couple vents in the top.  Dot with butter. Make however many apple dumplings you want.  One per serving.  Bake at 350 until golden brown.

Once they’re cooked you can add ice cream, caramel sauce - whatever sounds good.  I remember once I made apple dumplings with whole apples - coring them, filling the center with brown sugar and nuts, wrapping pastry around them and baking them.  They were good - but much too big for a single serving.

I’m writing this from my mother-in-law’s house.  I just ate a slice of cake that was out of this world. It’s a moist pound cake with caramel frosting.  Lillian, my MIL, agreed to give me the recipe.  Here it is:

MOIST POUND CAKE

3 cups plain flour

5 eggs

1 cup milk

2 3/4 cups sugar

2 sticks margarine, whipped

1 cup Crisco

2 tsp. vanilla or desired flavoring

Have ingredients at room temperature.  Cream together margarine, Crisco and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well;  add flour and milk alternately at low speed.  Add flavoring.  Grease and flour 3 nine-inch cake pans.  You can also cut waxed paper to fit in the bottom of the pans.  Pour batter into the pans, and bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.  Cool and remove from pans.

 

Caramel Frosting

3 cups sugar

1 T all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup evaporated milk

3/4 cup margarine

1 tsp vanilla

Put 1/2 cup of the sugar in a small pan and heat until it completely melts and caramelizes - stirring constantly.  Set aside.  Mix the rest of the ingredients in a heavy pan and bring to a boil.  Add the caramelized sugar to it.  Once it reaches a boil, boil for 5 minutes - stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and start mixing it with a mixer - up to 15 minutes until it’s the right consistency for frosting.

This cake and frosting are just about the most delicious things I’ve ever put in my mouth.

I’ve had this pecan pie recipe for probably 35 years.  It is so easy but so good.  I’ll be making several of these tomorrow to take to my mother’s and to mother-in-law’s for Thanksgiving. 

THE BEST SOUTHERN PECAN PIE

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans

one unbaked pie crust

Beat the eggs.  Add the other ingredients (except pie crust - duh!)  Pour into the unbaked pie shell.  Bake 45 minutes at 300 degrees.  It is done when the center is firm.

You can add a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or some flaked coconut for a different twist.  However, in my opinion, plain pecan pie is the best.

I don’t want to brag, but I’m famous for my apple pies. Well,  famous within my family circle, anyway.  I have a secret that makes my apple pies better than any others I’ve ever tasted.  Not bragging - just stating a fact.  Here’s the recipe and the secret:

CAROL’S FAMOUS APPLE PIE

2 unbaked pie crusts

About 3-5 pounds of apples (get a variety of red and golden delicious, granny smith, gala - whatever is on sale.  Having a variety is important)

1 cup sugar (more or less depending on your taste)

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons plain flour

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

Apple pie spice - the more, the merrier

a few dabs of butter or margarine

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Spray a deep dish pie pan with Pam and spread one of the pie crusts on the bottom.  Set aside.

Peel the apples and cut them into very thin slices and place in a large microwave safe bowl.  It will be a lot - but it will cook down.  Add the sugar, flour, cornstarch and spices to the apples and mix thoroughly.  Add about 1/2 cup water and stir again.

Place the bowl in the microwave and microwave on high for about 10-15 minutes, pausing occasionally to stir.  Pre-cooking the apples is my secret step.  It makes an enormous difference!

Pour the mixture into the prepared pie pan.  Dot with butter.  The apple mixture should reach the top of the pan. 

Place the second pie crust over the top, fold the top crust under the bottom one and crimp the edges with your fingers or with a fork to seal the two crusts together  Take a knife and cute a few X’s in the crust so that steam can escape. I have a cute apple cookie cutter, and I like to cut an apple shape out of extra pie crust dough to add to the top of the pie.  It gives it a pretty touch.

I usually dot the top with butter and sprinkle a little sugar on top to make it look even prettier, but that’s  optional

Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.  You will probably want to put a cookie sheet or aluminum foil under the pie pan before baking since the pie tends to bubble over during baking.

Serve the pie warm with a little vanilla ice cream, and you’ll swear you’ve died and gone to heaven.

RT was quite the gentleman for Valentine’s Day!  He prepared breakfast for me, and then packed my lunch to take to school.  He hand delivered a beautiful pink rose bouquet to me at school, and then when we got home that evening, he insisted that I sit down and relax while he prepared a special dinner for me.  He even insisted that I relax while he cleaned up the kitchen after dinner.  RT can grill a mean steak, and that’s what he did for Valentine’s Day.  He prepared a delicious shrimp cocktail with lemon wedges for an appetizer, opened a bottle of Charles Shaw merlot to sip throughout the meal, grilled two great ribeye steaks, had a plate of fresh watermelon slices, an original salad, and an original dessert.   Note that both the salad and the caramel volcano are completely original recipes that RT created as he prepared the meal.  They both were absolutely DELICIOUS!  Here are the recipes:

Grilled Ribeye Steaks

2 high quality ribeye steaks

garlic salt

pepper

Rub both sides of the steak with the garlic salt and pepper.  Be generous with the seasonings.  Grill 6 - 10 minutes per side - depending on the thickness of the steak and your preference for doneness.  After removing from the grill let the steaks rest for a few minutes before serving.

Mandarin Pecan Romaine Salad

Juice of one lemon wedge

1 small can Mandarin oranges

1/4 cup pecans pieces

1/4 cup crisp bacon bits

1/2 cup shredded cheese

1 head shredded Romaine lettuce

Ranch dressing

Mix all the ingredients except lemon and ranch dressing.  Squeeze the lemon wedge over the salad.  Serve with ranch dressing.  DELICIOUS!

Caramel Volcano

1 small can Mandarin oranges

1/2 cup pecan pieces

1 cup vanilla yogurt

2 tsp. light brown sugar

A shot glass of Bailey’s Caramel Irish Cream Liqueur

2 Maraschino cherries with a little of the Marschino liquid

Build your volcano by placing half the Mandarin oranges in the bottom of each of two individual serving bowls.  Sprinkle the pecan pieces on top of the Mandarin oranges - half in each bowl.  Tower half the yogurt in the middle of each bowl.  Sprinkle the brown sugar over the top.  Pour the Bailey’s Caramel Irish Cream on top of it all.  Place the bowls in the freezer for approximately 15 - 20 minutes before serving.  Add a maraschino cherry on top and drizzle a little of the marschino liquid down the sides of he volcano.

This recipe is one that my mother-in-law has made for years, and it’s my daughter’s AND my son-in-law’s favorite.  As my daughter says, “It is OH SO GOOD!”  Not too difficult to make - and delicious and moist.

FRESH APPLE CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups oil

1 cup nuts, chopped finely

2 1/2 cups plain flour

1 tsp. soda

3 eggs

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. baking powder

3 cups apples (peeled, chopped finely)

Preheat over to 350.  Grease three 9-inch round cake pans with Crisco and flour.  (I always line the pans with waxed paper, too). 

Combine sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla.  Beat well. In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt.  Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar/eggs mixture.  Finally add the apples and nuts.  Mix well. 

Pour into the cake pans and cook for approx. 30 minutes.  You can also make this in a bundt pan and cook for an hour.  (My daughter’s note: “It is the icing that is so good and you get less icing if you use a bundt pan).

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese

1 stick butter

1 cup finely chopped nuts

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 box powdered sugar

Let the cream cheese and butter soften.  Add the vanilla.  Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until well mixed.  Add the nuts. 

Once the cake layers have cooled, spread the frosting on them - one layer at time.  VOILA!  Delicious! 

This will look and taste like something that was complicated and took a long time.  However, it is quick and easy.

EASY Brownie Dessert

1 box brownie mix (any kind)

1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding

1 small container whipped topping

1/2 cup crumbled toffee (You can find Heath Bar toffee crumbles next to chocolate chips in the grocery store.)

Follow the package directions to make and bake the brownies.  Cool. 

Follow the package directions to make the pudding. 

Spread the pudding on top of the brownies in the pan.  Spread the whipped topping on top of the pudding.  Sprinkle the crumbled toffee pieces on top.  Cut into squares and serve.

Variation: You can add a “kick” to this dessert by mixing a couple tablespoons of Kahlua to the pudding.

Variation: You can make it look fancier by putting it into a clear trifle bowl.  First spread a layer of pudding on the bottom.  Then break up the brownies and use half to make a layer of brownie pieces, then a layer of half the remaining pudding, and next a layer of half the whipped topping.  Then another layer of brownie, pudding and whipped topping.  Sprinkle the toffee pieces on top.  Voila!

Variation:  You can also experiment with various types of brownie mix and pudding flavors.  However, you just can’t beat CHOCOLATE!