INGREDIENTS

• 5-6 large tangerines
• 3½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ tspn. baking powder
• 1½ tspn. table salt
• 5 large eggs
• 2½ cups sugar
• 1½ cups mild extra virgin olive oil
• Confectioner’s sugar; for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F and place rack in middle of oven, removing any racks above. Grease and flour two loaf pans, or one bundt pan. Finely grate the zest of 3 tangerines, and set aside. Squeeze 1½ cups of juice from the tangerines and set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In a stand mixer, beat the eggs on medium-high speed for about a minute. Lower to medium speed, and slowly add the 2½ cups sugar. Increase speed to medium-high, and beat until the eggs are thick and pale, about 3 minutes. On low speed, alternate adding the flour and olive oil, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until the last bits of flour are combined. Add the reserved orange juice, and scrape down the bowl, if necessary. Mix until well-combined (batter will be the consistency of a thick pancake batter). Pour evenly into prepared pan(s) and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If the top begins to brown too much before cake is done, gently lay aluminum foil over the top, and continue to bake. Remove finished cakes from oven, and transfer to a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup unsalted macadamia nuts
• 3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• ¼ tspn. baking powder
• 4 eggs; separated
• ½ cup + 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
• 1 tspn. vanilla extract
• 2 small limes; finely grated zest
• 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• Pinch of salt
• ¾ cup icing sugar; sifted
• 1 lime; finely grated zest
• 1½ Tbs. lime juice

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 8-inch round cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the paper as well. Place the nuts, flour, and baking powder in a food processor and process until the nuts are ground. In an electric mixer bowl beat the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla until pale and creamy. Fold through the lime zest and coconut, then the nut mixture. Place the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl, add the salt and whisk until stiff peaks form. Fold lightly through the nut batter. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until risen, golden and pulls away from the sides of the pan-a skewer inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan, over a wire rack, for 15-20 minutes. Carefully unmold onto a rack, remove the paper, invert onto another and let cool completely.

To make the icing, combine the icing sugar, lime juice, and zest in a small bowl and mix until spreadable. Add more juice if necessary. Drizzle over the cooled cake to serve.

In This Menu:

• Thanksgiving Turkey Noodle Soup
• Cherry Almond Coffee Cake

This week I am doing a couple of recipes for the “day after” Thanksgiving. You still have those people at your house. You’re worn out after a day of cooking and eating. These are pretty easy and should make your guests’ stay even more enjoyable. Of course if you want them to leave, you might consider doing something different!

I’ve talked about my wife’s grandmother, Margaret Mitchem, in previous blog entries. She grew up on a farm and worked hard her whole life. She had an incredibly independent spirit and believed a person could accomplish anything they set their mind to. She didn’t suffer fools in her kitchen and even I, one who had had some experience cooking, was a little intimidated when I first cooked with her. She showed me how to make the noodles in this recipe by hand. I had always used a pasta machine in my previous attempts at making noodles, where in contrast she learned to make pasta in a time far removed from pasta machines. I like her method better. Maybe it is just the fact that the noodles are handmade that makes them so good. Probably more likely it is the technique that requires one to gradually mix in the flour and then hand-knead the dough. This process relaxes the glutens in the flour allowing them to stretch perfectly so they have the perfect “mouth feel”. It doesn’t really matter which way you do it as it comes down to personal preference. I just know that Margaret’s noodles are the best. She passed a few years ago at the age of 104 and she was one of the best chefs I have ever met.

A couple of hints when making the noodles; don’t think about mixing the flour with the eggs. Rather, just think about mixing the eggs together. While you are stirring the eggs, they mix with the flour naturally.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 turkey carcass
• 4 carrots, cut into ½ inch dice
• 4 stalks celery, cut into ½ inch dice
• 2 onions, cut into ½ inch dice
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 parsley sprigs
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• Water
• 2 tablespoons “Better than Bullion” chicken base

For the Noodles:

• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 eggs

METHOD

Break up turkey carcass and place bones in a large saucepan or stock pot. Add ½ of the carrots, celery, and onion. Add the bay leaf, parsley, thyme, chicken base and water. Slowly bring to a boil and simmer, covered, 2 hours. Uncover and simmer 1 hour longer to reduce liquid. Make noodles while soup is simmering.

Margaret’s Noodles

In a medium bowl, mix flour with salt. Place flour in a mound on a clean work surface or cutting board. Make a well in the center of the flour mound. You can do this by pressing you measuring cup into the center of the mound. Break the eggs into the well. With a fork, carefully start mixing the eggs together. Continue mixing until most of the flour is incorporated and you have smooth dough. Knead the dough for 10 minutes, then cut into two pieces. On a floured surface, roll each dough ball out until almost transparent. Roll up dough and cut into desired lengths. Sprinkle some more flour over dough to keep it from sticking. This will also help thicken your soup.

Finish the Soup

Strain stock into large bowl. Discard bones and vegetables, returning any meat to the broth. Return soup to the cooking pot. Add the remaining carrot, celery, and onion. Bring to a boil again, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until carrots and celery are tender (about 30 minutes). Add noodles to soup, stirring gently. Cover and let noodles cook and broth thicken for about 10 minutes. Serve.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• ½ 21-ounce can cherry pie filling
• ½ cup thinly sliced almonds

For the Icing:

• 6 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 10-inch diameter spring form pan. Cream together sugar and butter. Add eggs, extracts and beat well. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Mix half of dry ingredients into butter mixture. Mix in sour cream, then remaining dry ingredients.

Pour 2/3 of batter (about 2 cups) into prepared pan. Drop pie filling by tablespoons evenly over batter. Drop remaining batter by spoonfuls over pie filling. Using back of spoon, carefully spread batter over filling. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool in pan.

Mix ingredients for icing in a small bowl and drizzle over cake.