Grandmother Alice's Chocolate Pound Cake

 

Here is another one from the Copley family cookbook. Grandmother Alice Long's chocolate pound cake recipe. This one is a classic and it bakes up perfect every time. 

Grandmother Alice's Chocolate Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1 lb butter

3 cups Sugar

5 eggs

3 cups flour

1 teaspoong baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup cocoa

1 cup milk

3 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using an exlectric mixer, cream butter and sugar thoroughtly until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly then add vanilla.

2. In a small bowl, combine thr flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cocoa. 

3. Add the dry ingredients alternatively with the milk until all is combined. Pour batter into a greased tube pan dusted with flour. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes. Do not open the oven while baking. Let cake cool in the pan before turning out. 

Sourdough Spaetzle

 Spaetzle is not a common American food. It is a staple German dish, one we had many times when we visited family in Germany a few years ago. Since then we have attempted to make our own spaetzle at home, but not until recently have we be able to re-create the authentic German noodles so accurately. 

Our family eating in Germany circa 2016

I have been reviving my sourdough starter habit, and with that, I have also been finding ways to use the discard. This sourdough spaetzle is the best tasting spaetzle I have had outside Germany, AND it helps me use my sourdough. Win - win!

These boys are so extra

The technique for this dish is interesting. Of course, there is a market for a spaetzle maker. It is a piece of metal with handles and holes in it. If you have a colander with medium holes and a spoon, you will be all set. Someone once recommended a potato ricer to me for making spaetzle. I did not have much luck with that. The batter is runny enough that it all just glopped together on its way out of the ricer. (not so nice) The colander method, which I perfer, is not very difficult. You will need to have a stockpot 2/3 filled with water and boiling. To cook your spaetzle, hold your colander over the boiling water, tipped on its side above the boiling water. Take about a 1/2 cup scoop of batter, put it inside the colander, then scrape your spoon against the inside of the colander to push the dough through and make it drip into the boiling water. It usually takes several passes with the spoon to get all the batter through. This makes little dumplings which will float to the top of the water once they are cooked. Scoop out the cooked spaetzle into your serving dish and then proceed with the next 1/2 cup of batter. It is a good idea to have some butter inthe dish so the spaetzle do not stick together. Spaetzle is traditionally served with butter, salt, pepper and parsley, or with a cheese sauce. 

Riddles in Germany. Check out our matching shirts!

Sourdough Spaetzle

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sourdough starter (135g)

4 large eggs

1/3 cup milk (90g)

1 3/4 cup flour (260g)

1 teaspoon salt (6g)

1/2 teaspoong ground nutmeg (1-2g)

Instructions:

1. Bring a stockpot 2/3 full of water to a boil.

2. While the water boils, create your spaetzle batter. Whisk your starter together with your milk and eggs. Mix in the flour, salt and nutmeg. Mix until just combined. 

3. When the water has come to a rolling boil, cook spaetzel using either a spaetzel maker or colander. Drop the batter into the water using the method described above. Let the spaetzle cook for 1-2 minutes or until it floats to the top of the water. Remove to your serving dish and toss with butter. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with butter, salt, pepper and parsley, or cheese sauce. 

Cardamom Cookies

 

This recipe is our family's new favorite cookie. We love cardamom. These cookies are like a chewy cardamommy ginger snap. You can make them as is, or we sometimes make a glaze with orange juice and icing sugar. The recipe is super easy, and if you have a cookie scoop, it is a breeze.

Cardamom Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup flour

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Zest of one orange

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degress. Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, sugars and molasses until creamy. With the mixer on low, add in the egg, vanilla, lemon juice and orange zest until well combined. 

2. Add the flour, cardamom, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Mix until just combined. 

3. Scoop dough by 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoon balls onto parchment lined baking sheets. Space the dough with room for the cookies to spread. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the pan before removing to a rack to cool. 

4. Enjoy as is, or add a glaze.

Sourdough Discard Waffles

 

I have been using my sourdough a lot lately, but last week my starter got tired. I fed it twice and it didn't really rise at all. Troubleshooting, I fed it a more hearty flour, some oat flour I had on hand, and it just took off. I had a lot of starter that needed to be used, so we tried a sourdough waffle recipe. It is a keeper!

If you want your waffles to be more "sour" and fermented you can make the batter the night before (leaving out the baking soda and eggs) and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. Juat add the eggs and baking soda in the morning and cook them up.

Sourdough Discard Waffles

Makes 8 waffles

Ingredients:

1 cup starter

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup buttermilk*

1/2 cup butter melted

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat your waffle iron.

2. Combine all ingredients (unless you are using the overnight ferment method). Cook in waffle iron until golden. 

*To create your own buttermilk: combine 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes.

Grandmother Alice's Carrot Cake

 

Many years ago I was gifted the Coppley Family cookbook. It is a priceless collection of family recipes from Keith's grandmother's family. Some of them are family classics that have made it on the blog already, like sausage balls. This carrot cake recipe is Keith's mom's favorite. For her 70th birthday we had a cake party, and this recipe was her only request. Joseph and Grandmother made it together.

This year Aaron (who's middle name is Coppley, so this is very fitting), requested Grandmother Alice's carrot cake for his birthday.

Joseph and Grandmother baking Mom's 70th birthday cake

It has become a favorie for us all, and it is a gem of a recipe to have on hand. It bakes beautifully, and the icing is perfect. I was skeptical about putting the nuts in the icing, and didn't think it would be enough to cover the cake. Grandmother assured me it was just the right amount, and she was right. Every time it is exactly enough. That's the thing I am finding with these tried and true recipes....they really have been tried, and they are kept and passed down for a reason. Grandmother's notes in the cookbook are: "This cake is always a hit wherever I take it. I selcom bring any back home with me. Truly a family favorite, especially for my daddy and brother John Sr and John Jr." So here is our little family secret recipe for the best carrot cake. 

Grandmother Alice's Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups dark brown sugar

1 1/2 cups oil

4 eggs

2 cups plain flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

3 cups grated carrots

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix oil and sugar, cream together well.

2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. 

3. Mix in dry ingredients and mix well.

4. Fold in grated carrots. 

5. Bake in 3, 8" round layers for 20-25 minutes. Cake will spring back when done. Cool and ice with cream cheese icing.

Cream Cheese Icing:

Ingredients:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese

1/2 stick butter

3 3/4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup finely chopped nuts

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions: 

1. Soften butter and cream cheese to room temperature then cream together well. 

2. Add the sugar and beat thoroughly, then fold in the nuts.

3. This recipe will cover a 3-layer cake. On the carrot cake, it seems better to make icing thick between the layers and leae just enough to make a thinner layer for the outside of the cake. 

Candied Carrots:

Directions:

1. Using a potato peeler, peel a carrot into thin ribbons. 

2. Create a smiple syrup with 1 cup water & 1 cup sugar. Bring the syrup up to a rolling boil then reduce to a simmer. Add carrot ribbons and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes or until the carrots are slightly opaque and soft. Cool the carrot ribbons on a cookie drying rack then decorate your cake. 

Scarpaccia (Greek Zucchini Tart)

 

One of our garden staples is trombonchino, an Italian zucchini variety. It grows great on trellises and is a prolific producer. My favorite feature of trombonchino is that there are no seeds in the long skinny part of the fruit, only seeds in the bulb. (just like a butternut squash) So trombonchino is great for any recipe you would use zucchini; easy to grate, excellent for slicing, roasting and sautes. This Greek preparation of zucchini was a fantastic choise for trombonchino. It is easy to prepare, bakes in one big pan and a good variation to mix up the vegetable routine. We tried this with some feta cheese sprinkled on top which was also really tasty. This variation calls for rosemerry, but you can also use dill, basil, chives or any fresh herbs you have on hand. 

This was our biggest trombonchino we grew last year. 😲

Scarpaccia (Greek Zucchini Tart)

Ingredients:

3 zucchinis (or trombonchino 😁) thinly sliced (4-5 cups)

1/2 onion thinly sliced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp rosemerry, finely chopped

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 cup flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. 

2. Press the mix thinly out onto a parchment lined, rimmed baking sheet. Bake about 35 minutes or until the endges are lightly crisped and browned. Cut and serve with tzatziki sauce.

Grating, chopping and freezing the giant trombonchino.

5 Seed Sourdough Loaf

 

This has become my favorite sourdough recipe. It takes a lot of time, but it is absolutely worth it. I love all the seeds. It makes an amazing toast for breakfast.

5-Seed Sourdough Loaf

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

2 tablespoons chia seeds

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 tablespoons hemp seeds

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup warm water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup starter

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together and knead in the bowl about 5 minutes, just until the gluten begins to form. 

2. Let the dough sit and ferment 6-8 hours. I leave mine overnight. 

3. Line a loaf pan with parchment. Shape your loaf and place it in the lined pan. Brush the loaf with water and sprinkle with some of the extra seeds. Then slice the loaf across the top.

4. Preheat your oven to 335 degrees. Let the bread rest while the oven preheats. Bake your bread for 50 - 60 minutes or until the bread is lightly golden and a tester inserted comes out clean.