One of my all-time favorite desserts is Baked Alaska. I first had Baked Alaska on a cruise many, many years ago and I have loved it ever since. Many people think Baked Alaska is difficult to make but I don’t find it is. It does, however, take a little planning and time since it is prepared in stages. Baked Alaska can be made as a large dessert to serve several or it can be tailored down to serve one or two. My recipe is for two individual servings, perfect for a special intimate dinner such as Valentine’s Day, or anytime as a nice treat.
There are options for the cake base of a Baked Alaska. Brownies or pound cake are my preferences and they can be either bought or homemade. I like brownies because the dark contrast is eye-appealing with a light-colored ice cream. Whatever base is used, it needs to be cut out with a 2” cookie cutter and it should have a depth of about ½” to ¾ “. Now, at first glance, this might appear to be a rather miniscule dessert but, as you’ll soon discover, the meringue adds a lot of volume to the Baked Alaska.
Choice of ice cream is important for the Baked Alaska. Choose a high quality ice cream with a high percentage cream content for this dessert because it will freeze hard. Some of the lower fat or cheaper ice creams tend to be softer and, because this ice cream is going into a 475° oven, it needs to be able to stand up for itself! Any flavour of ice cream of your choosing will work. My favorites are vanilla, coffee, or strawberry. Let the ice cream soften slightly at room temperature for 5-7 minutes before scooping it out. You want to try and get as perfectly a round scoop as you can because this is what will give the Alaska its dome shape.
It’s important that both the cake base and the scoop of ice cream be frozen super hard so plan ahead to have them frozen for at least two hours or longer before serving time. I use a couple of small pieces of wooden boards covered with tin foil on which to bake the Alaskas because the boards don’t heat as fast as a metal cookie sheet would which could cause the Alaskas to start to melt down too quickly in the oven. The idea is to keep the Baked Alaskas as cold as possible. The Alaskas are only put in the oven for 2-3 minutes solely to tan the meringue.
The Raspberry Coulis can be made a day or two ahead and kept refrigerated.
I find I have greater success with whipping egg whites for the meringue when they are at room temperature. Allow the separated egg whites to come to room temperature for about 30-40 minutes before whipping.
It’s super important to completely cover the ice cream and base with the meringue as, otherwise, heat will reach the ice cream which will simply melt and ooze out of the Alaska when placed in the oven. The meringue acts as an insulator of sorts which prevents the ice cream from melting for the 2-3 minutes it is in the oven. I have found that even the smallest gap in the meringue will cause the ice cream to melt in even the short time it is in the oven. Work as quickly as you can to apply the meringue so that the ice cream does not soften and melt.
Individual Baked Alaskas with Raspberry Coulis
Raspberry Coulis:
1¼ cups raspberries, fresh or frozen ⅓ cup sugar ¾ tsp lemon juice 1 tsp water
In medium-sized saucepan, combine all ingredients.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until raspberries have broken down and released their juices.
Remove from heat and pour mixture into a fine sieve over a bowl.
Press mixture with the back of a spoon to extract as much juice as possible. Discard raspberry seeds left in the sieve.
Cover coulis tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled.
Yield: ½ cup
Baked Alaskas:
2 pieces of brownie cut into 2” circles and sliced ½“ – ¾” thick. 2 round scoops of ice cream, your favourite flavour
Meringue:
2 large egg whites, room temperature ⅛ tsp salt ⅛ tsp cream of tartar ¼ cup sugar ½ tsp almond flavouring
Line a small rimmed baking sheet with tin foil. Using the rimmed baked sheet allows for easy transport to and from the freezer and keeps the Alaska bases from accidentally sliding off. Place the brownie circles on the baking sheet and top each with a scoop of ice cream. Place in freezer for at least 2 hours, until very firm.
At the same time, cover two small boards with tin foil and place in freezer.
When ready to prepare the dessert, place oven rack about 8” from broiler and preheat oven to 475°F.
In bowl of stand mixer, beat egg whites just until frothy then add the salt and cream of tartar.
While beating the egg whites, add the sugar slowly, about a teaspoon at a time.
Continue to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form when wire whisk is lifted from the egg whites.
Add the almond flavoring and beat for 10-15 seconds longer.
Remove brownie and ice cream rounds along with the foil-covered boards from the freezer. Transfer the brownie and ice cream rounds to the foil-covered boards. Quickly cover the ice cream and brownie completely with the meringue.
With the tip of a knife, twirl the meringue into decorate tips.
Place the Alaskas on a rimmed baking sheet for ease of transfer to and from oven. Bake in the pre-heated oven until the meringue browns, about 2-3 minutes.
Remove from oven and plate. Drizzle with Raspberry Coulis and garnish with fresh raspberries. Serve immediately.
Serves: 2
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Today, I’m sharing the recipe for a real old-fashioned vintage dessert. Some of you may remember your mother or grandmother making Raisin Puff (aka Plum Puff) dessert or, perhaps, you have made it yourself. Continue reading Raisin Puff (aka Plum Puff)→
One of my all-time favorites is the traditional old-fashioned Apple Crisp dessert — the sweet apple flavour filling topped with a crisp, crunchy streusel. And, oh, the heavenly scent in the house when the apple crisp is baking! Continue reading Old-fashioned Apple Crisp→
It’s not often that I discover a new food on Prince Edward Island. Until recently, I had never heard of haskap berries and did not know that they were grown on PEI. Earlier this month, I travelled to Rollo Bay in the Eastern end of the Island to view a five-acre field of haskap bushes and to have a chat with the growers. This posting will also contain a recipe for Hascap Sauce. Continue reading Caps off to Haskaps – A Trendy New Berry on PEI→
Rhubarb Custard Torte is one of my all-time favorite desserts and it is simply sublime! It makes a lovely springtime treat when the fresh rhubarb is available but can also be made with frozen rhubarb and enjoyed year-round. Continue reading Rhubarb Custard Torte→
Gingerbread with Whipped Cream and Brown Sugar Sauce
Do you have certain desserts that you associate with different seasons or times of the year? Gingerbread is one dessert I tend to associate most with the coldest winter months for some reason. It’s a plain but tasty dessert any time of the year but it’s a particularly good comfort food in the dead of winter. Continue reading Gingerbread→
We are familiar with cakes made with vegetables like carrot and zucchini. However, have you ever heard of potato cake?
We Islanders like our spuds, there is no doubt about it. Potatoes are a very versatile vegetable and can be prepared and served in many different ways but have you ever heard of having them for dessert? Well, combine potatoes with chocolate and some light spice seasoning and you have a really tasty cake.
What follows is my creation of a recipe for chocolate potato cake. This is a fairly dense-textured cake so don’t look for it to have the same “foggy” and fluffy texture of a typical chocolate cake mix out of a box! Despite the two cups of sugar in the recipe, it is not overly or sickeningly sweet. The potatoes are cooked and mashed really well before adding them to the cake batter. It is important that they be lump-free as, otherwise, you will have lumps in the cake batter. The mashed potatoes should be warm when added to the batter.
You may find two or three of the ingredients different in this cake recipe. For example, I have added a pinch of cayenne pepper because I find it enhances the depth of the chocolate flavor. The key, of course, is not to overdo it – if you add too much, there will be excessive “heat” in the cake….just a pinch is all it takes. The addition of the espresso powder is also another good way to draw out the flavor of the cocoa and lend a mocha flavor to the cake. I have quite a collection of balsamic vinegars from our local Liquid Gold store here in Charlottetown. One of them is the dark chocolate balsamic vinegar which is delicious when simmered on the stove, reduced down, and drizzled over ice cream. If you have never tried a good quality balsamic vinegar reduction in this way, you are missing out on a delectable treat. I added 1/2 tbsp of this balsamic vinegar to the chocolate cake batter. This is a chocolate all-the-way cake!
I recommend baking this cake in a 10″ tube or bundt cake pan. These pans have a hollow tube in the center of the pan and this allows dense-batter cakes to rise and bake more evenly. There is also less chance of the cake falling in the middle or the outsides of the cake baking too quickly and drying out before the centre of the cake is baked.
The key to making this cake is not to overbake it. Start checking it at about the 40-45-minute baking point. If a cake tester does not come out clean at that point, continue to bake it but check it every 4-5 minutes. If it overbakes, it will be dry.
Chocolate Potato Cake
2½ cups flour
¼ tsp salt
2¾ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp allspice
pinch cayenne
⅔ cup cocoa
¾ cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 cup warm mashed potatoes
½ cup milk
1½ tsp espresso powder dissolved in ⅓ cup hot water
½ tbsp dark chocolate balsamic vinegar (optional, but good)
1½ tsp vanilla
Method:
Assemble ingredients.
Ingredients for Chocolate Potato Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line bottom of 10” tube pan with parchment paper.Grease or spray cooking oil on sides of pan.
Tube Pan Prepared for Chocolate Potato Cake
Sift or whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne, and cocoa.Set aside.
In separate bowl, combine the brown and white sugars.
In bowl of stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars until fluffy (2-3 mins on medium-high speed).
Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well to incorporate after each addition.
Add the mashed potatoes and beat on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes until batter is smooth.
Add the coffee, liqueur, balsamic vinegar, and vanilla to the milk to make 1 cup of liquid. (Note – if you choose not to add the liqueur and/or balsamic vinegar, replace them with milk so that the liquid measurement equals 1 cup.)
Add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the liquid ingredients, starting and ending with the flour mixture (process is three additions of dry ingredients to two of liquid), mixing well after each addition.
Scrape sides of bowl with spatula as necessary to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.
Scrape Sides of Bowl Frequently
Pour batter into prepared tube pan.
Bake for apx. 40-55 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean and the cake springs back to a light touch.Do not overbake or cake will be dry.
Baked Chocolate Potato Cake
Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Ice with your favorite frosting.
Enjoy!
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Chocolate Potato Cake
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Do you ever have a craving for comfort foods? You know, the foods that are basic, nostalgic, or that you have a sentimental attachment to and that take you down memory lane. Some might even refer to these dishes as vintage. Maybe your mom made them for you when you were a child or you remember them from visits to grandma’s house. I’m talking about foods like macaroni and cheese, baked beans, scalloped potatoes, apple pie or crisp, homemade stews and “boiled dinners“, and baked bread. Cottage pie, rice pudding, roast chicken dinners, meatloaf with mashed potatoes, and fruit cobblers are other comfort foods commonly enjoyed in North American culture. There are many other dishes that bring us comfort, especially in the cold Canadian winters, so this list is not exhaustive and what constitutes comfort food may vary between cultures and regions of Canada.
These foods, in their traditional content, are by no means gourmet fare nor are they necessarily devoid of calories. They’re typically plain and simple stick-to-the-ribs kind of fare and they generate feelings of contentment and satisfaction … you feel warm and cozy when eating the meal. These kinds of dishes take basic, easy-to-find ingredients and are not usually difficult or complicated to make. They’re the kinds of foods that, when you walk into a home where they are being prepared, your appetite is immediately whetted and you harken back to early memories of enjoying those foods. They are hearty classics and endure over time, generation after generation. Yes, even the old tuna casserole is still considered a comfort food by many!
Today, I am sharing my recipe for Blueberry Grunt. I don’t know the origin of this dessert or how it got its name but it’s really just a baked fruit dessert – a slightly thickened fruit sauce on the bottom topped by a biscuit-like dumpling. This dessert is often made on the stove top where the dumplings are put in the pot on top of the bubbling blueberry sauce, covered and let simmer for about 15 minutes. However, my recipe calls for the dessert to be baked in the oven.
Baked Blueberry Grunt
My featured Island product in this recipe are the blueberries. Each summer, I pack away several bags of these sweet little Island-grown morsels for use in my favorite recipes like this one for Blueberry Grunt.
[Printable recipe follows at end of posting]
Blueberry Grunt
Ingredients: 4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen 1/2 cup white sugar 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch 2 tsp lemon juice 1 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind 1/2 cup water 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/8 tsp cardamon
Topping: 2 cups flour 4 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 2 1/2 tbsp white sugar 1 cup milk 2 1/2 tbsp cold butter
Method:
Preheat oven to 400F.
In a small bowl, mix together the sugars, cornstarch, and spices. Stir in the grated lemon rind. Set aside.
In saucepan, combine blueberries and the sugar mixture. Add the lemon juice and water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer mixture for 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse oatmeal. Add enough milk to make a soft dough mixture that will cling together.
Grease a 1 1/2 or 2-quart baking dish or 8 individual ramekins. Spoon the blueberry mixture into baking dish(es).
Divide the dumpling dough into 8 portions.
Place dumplings over blueberry mixture (close together if baking in one casserole or centered if using individual dishes).
Bake in 400F oven for about 20-25 minutes or until dumplings are done and lightly golden brown on top.
Serve hot or warm with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (or both!).
An easy to prepare comfort dessert, Blueberry Grunt consists basically of blueberries baked in a flavorful sauce under tea biscuit dumplings. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream and/or whipping cream.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Canadian
Keyword blueberries, blueberry grunt
Servings8
My Island Bistro KitchenMy Island Bistro Kitchen
Ingredients
Blueberry Base:
4cupsblueberries, fresh or frozen
1/2cupwhite sugar
2tbspbrown sugar
1tbsp+ 1 tsp cornstarch
2tsplemon juice
1 1/2tspgrated lemon rind
1/2cupwater
1/2tspcinnamon
1/4tspnutmeg
1/8tspcardamom
Topping:
2cupsflour
4tspbaking powder
1/4tspsalt
2 1/2tbspwhite sugar
1cupmilk
2 1/2tbspcold butter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F.
In a small bowl, mix together the sugars, cornstarch, and spices. Stir in the grated lemon rind. Set aside.
In saucepan, combine blueberries and the sugar mixture. Add the lemon juice and water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer mixture for 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse oatmeal. Add enough milk to make a soft dough mixture that will cling together.
Grease a 1 1/2 or 2-quart baking dish or 8 individual ramekins. Spoon the blueberry mixture into baking dish(es).
Divide the dumpling dough into 8 portions.
Place dumplings over blueberry mixture (close together if baking in one casserole or centered if using individual dishes).
Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until dumplings are done and lightly golden brown on top.
Serve hot with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (or both!).
Recipe Notes
Yield: 8 servings
[Copyright My Island Bistro Kitchen]
If you have made this recipe and enjoyed it and/or wish to share it with your friends and family, please do so on social media but be sure to share the direct link to this posting from my website.
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You may also enjoy these other blueberry dessert recipes from My Island Bistro Kitchen:
Today’s posting is all about plum pudding, or as some refer to it simply as the Christmas pudding, the traditional Christmas dinner dessert in many Prince Edward Island households. Continue reading Plum Pudding Recipe and Symbolism→
There are so many things I like about summer in Prince Edward Island but one of my very favorite things is Glazed Strawberry Pie made with fresh, locally-grown Island berries. After I have had a couple of “feeds” of plain berries, sugar, and milk, I am ready for them in other recipes. One of those recipes always has to be fresh strawberry pie. Continue reading Glazed Strawberry Pie→
Belgian Dessert Waffle with Fresh Strawberries, Whipped Cream, and Chocolate Sauce
The first time I had Belgian waffles was in Ogunquit, Maine, a long time ago. We used to vacation there and we found a wonderful little café that opened only for breakfast and their specialty was the Belgian waffle served with huge, fresh Maine blueberries. Naturally, a Belgian waffle maker had to be purchased so we could make them at home because waffles are, in fact, quite easy to make and just take standard baking ingredients!
Waffles are very versatile. They can be a breakfast food, eaten at brunch, lunch, for dessert or even as a main course for dinner, depending on the topping. There is nothing like creamed chicken atop a puffy Belgian waffle for good old-fashioned comfort food!
I love fresh berries, especially strawberries and blueberries, on waffles. Good drizzled with pure maple syrup, a rich chocolate sauce is also an option and a real treat for waffles. So, why not take a lowly basic waffle and dress it up for a tasty meal at any time of day.
Waffle Ingredients
Belgian Waffles
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 tbsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda pinch salt 1 cup milk 1/2 tsp vanilla 2 medium-sized eggs, separated 2 tbsp melted butter Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites stiff. Set aside.
In separate bowl, mix the egg yolks and all remaining ingredients.
With electric mixer, beat until well-blended.
Gently fold the egg whites into the flour and milk mixture. Fold just until they are incorporated. This will yield a light, fluffy waffle.
Heat waffle maker and cook waffles according to manufacturer’s directions.
To serve, add sliced fruit, a dollop of whipped cream, and drizzle with your favorite syrup or topping. Dust with confectioner’s sugar, if desired.
Perfectly puffy Belgian Waffles with Strawberries are a fabulous treat especially with a dollop of whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Canadian
Keyword Belgian Waffles, waffles
Servings4
My Island Bistro KitchenMy Island Bistro Kitchen
Ingredients
1cupall-purpose flour
1/2tbspbaking powder
1/4tspbaking soda
pinchsalt
1cupmilk
1/2tspvanilla
2medium-sized eggs, separated
2tbspmelted butter
Instructions
Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites stiff. Set aside.
In separate bowl, mix the egg yolks and all remaining ingredients. With electric mixer, beat until well-blended.
Gently fold the egg whites into the flour and milk mixture. Fold just until they are incorporated. This will yield a light, fluffy waffle.
Heat waffle maker and cook waffles according to manufacturer's directions.
To serve, add sliced fruit, a dollop of whipped cream, and drizzle with your favorite syrup or topping. Dust with confectioner's sugar, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Yield: Apx. 3-4 waffles
[Copyright My Island Bistro Kitchen]
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Remembrance Day Service at the cenotaph in front of Province House, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada [11 November 2012]Every year on November 11th we pause to remember the sacrifices and achievements of those who valiantly and selflessly served our country in times of war and conflict, and in peacekeeping missions around the world. We remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice – their lives for their country so future generations could have a better, more secure life. We think about their achievements and the role they played in forming Canada’s nationhood. We thank them for the peace, freedom, and human rights we enjoy in Canada today.
Those of us who have been fortunate enough never to have known or experienced war have opportunities to demonstrate our respect and gratitude for, and remembrance of, these acts of bravery and sacrifice. For example, we wear a poppy on the left breast, close to the heart to signify remembrance of the lives lost.
Poppy
Thousands of people across the country will attend Remembrance Day ceremonies in their local communities where they will respectfully observe a moment’s silence at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month to mark the time the Armistice was signed to end WWI. Wreaths will be laid in commemoration.
Remembrance Day Wreath
One of the most well-known poems about war was written in May, 1915, by Lt. Col. John McCrae, a Canadian Medical Officer in WWI. While stationed near Ypres, Belgium, where some of the most horrific and bloodiest fighting of WWI occurred, he was motivated to write about the death he saw around him and of the prolific red poppies growing amidst the devastation of war in the Flanders area of western Belgium. His poem, “In Flanders Fields” has become synonymous with Remembrance Day in Canada and Lt. Col. McCrae is often credited with being the catalyst that led to the poppy being identified as the symbol of remembrance of the blood shed by soldiers who were casualties of battle.
“In Flanders Fields”
On this Remembrance Day, I am going to focus my food blog feature story on war cake, a wartime dessert that is still made and served in several Island households today.
War Cake
As a small child I well remember my grandmother making war cake and this was long after WWII had ended. I loved her war cake! It is such a simple raisin-spice cake that is characterized by the absence of eggs and milk — ingredients that would have been scarce during wartime. This cake is sometimes referred to as “boiled raisin cake” because raisins form the main content and the majority of the ingredients are boiled, then cooled, before they are mixed with flour and baking soda and then baked in the oven. Because of food shortages during war time, many foods were rationed.
Ration Books, Cards, and Stickers
Born of necessity, homemakers during wartime became resourceful, frugal, adaptable, and creative in order to feed their families. Cooking tended to be very basic. Women were known to have saved their ration stickers so they could buy the raisins and sugar that the war cake recipe called for – thus war cake would have been a very prized commodity.
War cake was made for consumption on the home front but many also made the cakes in tin cans and packed them in socks, mittens, and underwear they were shipping overseas for their loved ones serving in the war. Imagine the excitement when a soldier would have received this package from home and discovered a mother’s or sister’s war cake inside! Amazingly, with the slow mail and ship service during WWI and WWII, there is evidence these cakes were received as the soldiers would refer to them in their letters home, letters that would have looked much like the July 7, 1914, letter in the photograph below.
Letter from a soldier written from “Somewhere in France” on July 7, 1914. In the letter, the soldier encloses two pansies as “souvenirs from France”, one flower each for the young lady he was writing to and her mother. All these years later, the pressed pansies have still retained their color and are intact.Old War Cake Recipes
In my research for this story, I examined many recipes for war cake and found similarities amongst them all. Some were very sketchy in terms of amount of ingredients to be put in the batter and many were almost totally devoid of any directions. While the amounts of the ingredients may vary slightly, all of the recipes I reviewed were essentially the same in ingredient content. All called for big, sticky raisins (you may know these as “Lexia” raisins), a variety of spices of the cook’s choice, either brown or white sugar or a combination of both, shortening or lard, boiling water, flour, and soda. One thing I noted was the significant amount of sugar that the recipes called for – i.e., two cups per cake. Sugar was one item that was commonly rationed during wartime and a cake taking two cups of sugar would certainly have been considered a luxurious dessert, I am sure. Flavour may vary from cake to cake based on spices used in the batter. The choice of spices varies but typically consisted of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, as a minimum, with ginger frequently appearing in recipes. I added mace and cardamom to my cake to give it a bit more flavour (recipe follows at end).
Ingredients for War Cake
I am told these cakes were often made with lard (as opposed to butter) for a couple of reasons. First, lard has a longer shelf life than butter would have had and, for cakes being sent overseas to the soldiers, it would have been a long journey for the cakes to reach Europe so shelf life of the cakes was an important factor. Second, butter was often scarce during wartime because there were no big herds of cattle on local farms so butter would have been used sparingly, even for those living on farms and churning their own. Lard, on the other hand, would have been much more readily available, particularly on farms. I found a couple of recipes that indicated either butter or shortening could be used in the recipe; however, butter was called for in a much lesser quantity than the shortening, if the latter was used instead. For example, I found one recipe that called for 2 tablespoons of butter or 1 cup of shortening which demonstrates how judiciously butter would have been used, if at all.
While its ingredients are simple, war cake takes some time to make. All of the ingredients, except the flour and soda, are boiled on the stove for 5 minutes. Then it is important to let the boiled raisin mixture cool to room temperature as the mixture will thicken naturally on its own as it cools. This will normally take 4-5 hours. If the flour and soda are added into a mixture that is too hot, the result is likely to be a gummy cake. When the raisin mixture is cooled, the flour and soda are stirred in and the mixture turned into the baking pan. My grandmother made her war cake in a loaf pan; however, traditionally, war cake seems to have been made in some kind of a round pan – usually a tube pan or, in the case of overseas shipping during war time, in tin cans. War cake is a very dense cake which makes it sometimes difficult to get the center of the cake baked without drying out the outside edges. It is also a heavier type cake which makes it somewhat prone to falling in the center. A tube (or Bundt pan, if you have one) removes the baking uncertainty and helps the cake to bake more evenly.
War Cake Baked in a Bundt Pan
War cakes take, on average, about an hour to bake. The old recipes I reviewed didn’t even mention baking the cake let alone at what temperature (in fact, one recipe simply said “to thicken” but didn’t elaborate on what thickening agent was to be used!). These recipes predate our modern electronic ovens! While some suggest baking the cake at 350F, I thought that might be a bit high so I baked my war cake at 335F for one hour. Because there are no eggs or milk in the cake for moistness, it is very easy to overbake the cake and end up with a dry product. Hence, it is important to time the baking carefully and to use a cake tester starting at about the 45-minute point. If the cake starts to darken on the top or edges too quickly, simply place a piece of tin foil loosely over the top. Adding a small pan of water to the lower shelf in the oven while baking the cake will also help to keep the cake moist.
Including a Small Pan of Hot Water on the Bottom Shelf of the Oven Helps to Keep the Cake Moist During Baking
Because of the texture of the cake, it may seem soft on the top and not baked; however, if a cake tester comes out of the cake clean, it’s time to remove it from the oven before it dries out.
War cake is a “stick to the ribs” substantial, hearty kind of cake. It goes particularly well with a nice cup of tea.
War Cake and Tea
In keeping with the traditional way war cake was served, I have photographed the cake plain, just as it would have been eaten during wartime.
Sliced War Cake
War cake was not traditionally iced. However, it would be lovely served with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla or maple ice cream. It could also be dressed with a brown sugar sauce or, to make a plain cake really decadent, why not serve all three – ice cream, brown sugar sauce, and whipped cream!
War Cake on a Tea Table
War Cake
Regardless where you are in the world, if you have any wartime memories (either your own or those passed down to you from your ancestors) of war cake made for consumption on the home front or to send to the soldiers fighting the war, I would love to hear about them. War cake is a part of wartime culinary history.
Here are some photographs of the Remembrance Day Ceremony at the cenotaph in downtown Charlottetown, PEI, this morning.
Remembrance Day in Charlottetown, PEI [11 November 2012]Lest We Forget
Hon. Robert W.J. Ghiz, Premier of the Province of Prince Edward Island lays a wreath on behalf of the people of the Island at the Remembrance Day Service in Charlottetown, PEI [11 November 2012]Small Child Watches as a Veteran lays a Wreath at the Remembrance Day Service in Charlottetown, PEI ]11 November 2012]
Remembrance Day 2012
Veterans Laying Wreaths at Remembrance Day Service in Charlottetown, PEI [11 November 2012]At the Charlottetown Cenotaph – Remembrance Day 2012
Flag Flies at Half-Mast on Remembrance Day, Charlottetown, PEI [11 November 2012]
An old-fashioned cake made with large sticky raisins and a mixture of spices. Common cake during war time.
Course Cake
Cuisine Canadian
Keyword war cake
Servings12
My Island Bistro KitchenMy Island Bistro Kitchen
Ingredients
3/4cupshortening
2cupsbrown sugar, lightly packed
1poundlarge, sticky raisins
1tspsalt
1tspcinnamon
1tspnutmeg
1/2tspcloves
1/4tspginger
1/8tspmace
1/8tspcardamon
2cupsboiling water
3cupsall-purpose flour
2tspsoda
Instructions
Assemble ingredients.
Place the shortening, brown sugar, raisins, salt, spices, and boiling water into a large saucepan. Over medium-high heat, bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium or slightly lower and boil mixture for five minutes. Remove from heat and set saucepan on cooling rack. Let mixture cool to room temperature (4-5 hours), stirring occasionally.
In bowl, whisk the flour and baking soda together. Set aside.
Grease large tube or Bundt pan.
When raisin mixture has cooled completely, add the flour and baking soda. Stir until dry ingredients have been completely mixed into the raisin mixture.
Spoon mixture into greased pan. Add a small pan of hot water to lower shelf in oven for moisture while cake is baking. Bake cake on middle rack in 335°F preheated oven. If cake starts to brown on the top too quickly, loosely place a piece of tin foil on top of cake. Bake apx. 1 hour but begin to test cake for doneness, using a cake tester, at the 45-minute point as cake can dry out very quickly.
Remove cake from oven and place pan on cooling rack for 10 minutes then remove from pan. Allow cake to cool completely before cutting.
Okay, so I must admit the thought of baking and cooking with something I have always considered a perfume can be a bit daunting but with lavender being the trendy new culinary herb, I thought why not be a bit venturesome. But can I use just any lavender for culinary purposes? To find out, I paid a visit to The Five Sisters of Lavender Lane – aptly named because there are five sisters involved with the growing, harvesting, and production of the lavender products.
The Five Sisters of Lavender Lane, Kelly’s Cross, PEI, CanadaLavender Farm in Kelly’s Cross, PEI
Through the scenic rolling hills of Kelly’s Cross in rural PEI, on the Island’s South side, I find PEI’s only lavender farm. In 1999, Carol Cook bought the farm and, in 2001, planted her first 100 lavender plants to see how they would ‘weather the winter’ on the Island. They did well and, today, there are over an estimated 3000 plants of two varieties (Hidcote and Munstead) grown on the farm.
Rows of Heavenly-scented Lavender at the lavender farm of The Five Sisters of Lavender Lane, Kelly’s Cross, PE
Carol tells me that starting lavender from seed is not necessarily a guarantee of success. Instead, her preference is to start new plants by propagating from cuttings. This is where a long stem of lavender attached to the mother plant is buried under some soil and left to grow its own roots. The following year it can be cut from the mother plant and, voila, a new lavender plant is started. Another option is to take a cutting from a plant, cut it on an angle, dip it in a root boost starter product, and place it in a sandy soil mixture to take root.
Most of us know lavender as a perfume and potpourri product. However, lavender is actually an herb of the mint family and certain varieties of it are known as culinary herbs. These are primarily the Hidcote and Munstead varieties. Lavender is often considered to be similar to thyme, rosemary, and sage and it can, in fact, be substituted for rosemary in many recipes. If you have ever cooked with Herbes de Provence, chances are you have already tasted lavender since it is a common ingredient in this herb mix along with the typical mixture of thyme, rosemary, and savory.
Lavender is one of the more aromatic herbs and some say it bears citrus notes or even a hint of pine. The lavender buds (the stage just before the plants blossom into full open flower) possess a higher oil content and have the most intense taste. They tend to have a stronger, minty flavour and, when used in cooking or baking will be more pungent and have “more bite” to them. When crushed or ground, the lavender buds have a sweeter, milder flavour. While the leaves, stems, buds, and flowers can all be used for culinary purposes, the flower buds are said to give the most flavour.
Lavender Buds on the left; Lavender Flowers on the right
In PEI, harvesting of lavender occurs in mid-July. When at their bud stage, the beautiful purple/mauve buds are removed from their tall spikes, washed, and spread on screens to dry. They are then ready to be used in various products. It is possible to get a second, smaller harvest from the same plants late in August or early September. The photographs below were taken at the lavender farm on July 10, 2012, the day before they began harvesting. I can only imagine the wonderful scent there must have been during the harvesting process!
The Day Before the Harvesting of the Lavender at The Five Sisters of Lavender Lane
The Five Sisters of Lavender Lane only sell their culinary lavender in the small gift shop at their farm in Kelly’s Cross and it is not uncommon for local chefs to stop by to pick up their supply for their restaurants. If you are cooking with lavender, just make sure that it is the culinary variety you are using and that it has been grown organically, pesticide-free. Besides the culinary lavender, the farm also produces and sells a number of other lavender products onsite including perfumed products. This year, they are currently experimenting with the production of lavender extract which can be used in culinary products in the same way that vanilla, almond, or lemon extract is used.
Lavender is a strong herb so my advice is less is more and to exercise caution in the amount you use in a recipe. If you use too much, it will not be a pleasant taste because it may seem like you are eating soap or that you used perfume in the dish. I find a lot of recipes call for 1-2 tablespoons of lavender and that is way too excessive in any recipe for my taste. When trying a recipe with lavender, I start with a very modest amount and, if I find it is not enough, I will slightly increase the amount the next time I make the recipe until I get it to the point that it pleases my palette. Like any herb, you want it to accent the dish, not predominate and overpower it. Rule of thumb is that, if you are using dried lavender, use one-half what you would use fresh. Because it is not very pleasant to bite into a whole lavender bud, the herb is often ground in a spice grinder or coffee grinder. It is very important to carefully read a recipe that calls for lavender to determine when the amount of the herb the recipe calls for gets measured – i.e., is it before or after the lavender is ground or crushed. If the recipe calls, for example, for 1 tsp. lavender buds finely ground, first measure the whole buds as the teaspoon measure and then grind them as, otherwise, the flavour will be too strong if you were to use 1 tsp finely ground lavender in the recipe.
Lavender is now the trendy herb not only in baked goods like cookies, scones, and sweet breads but in ice cream, in vinaigrettes, in rice, on chicken and lamb, in jams, jellies, and honey, and in drinks such as herbal teas and lemonade. I have done a lot of experimenting with cooking and baking with lavender this summer and I am lucky because I live not far from the lavender farm where I can get my supply of quality culinary lavender. Not long ago, I prepared an evening tea featuring lavender – a Lavender Blueberry Banana Bread, lavender scones with homemade lemon curd, and Swedish Teacakes filled with the curd.
An Evening Lavender TeaRoasted Beet Salad
On Sunday evening I made an entire meal with lavender as the focus. For the salad course, I started with a roasted beet and goat cheese salad on garden greens. To roast the beets, I coated them with olive oil then sprinkled some fresh thyme, lemon verbena, basil, dried lavender buds, and a bit of minced garlic on them. I wrapped the beets in tin foil and roasted them at 400C for about 1 hour, till they were fork tender. I then sliced the beets and laid them on a bed of lettuce freshly picked from our garden, added some orange sections, and tossed some goat cheese and pecans on the top. I made a simple citrus-based vinaigrette to drizzle over the salad. The beets had a nice roasted flavour to them, not strong in any herb flavour, which is the taste I was aiming for.
Lavender Chicken Breasts in Champagne Sauce served with fresh green and yellow string beans and blue, red, and white fingerlings
For the main course, I chose a recipe from Sharon Shipley’s “The Lavender Cookbook” for Lavender Chicken Breasts in Champagne Sauce. This was delicious. The chicken breasts were marinated in lemon juice, thyme, and ground lavender buds then cooked in a skillet with a wonderful mushroom and champagne sauce.
For dessert, I wrapped my homemade Lavender-Honey-Vanilla Ice Cream in a dessert crepe and drizzled it with raspberry coulis made with fresh PEI raspberries picked near Hunter River. The ice cream, my feature recipe for this posting, is also good with a hot fudge sauce or drizzled with a good quality chocolate or raspberry balsamic vinegar that has been reduced to syrup stage.
Lavender-Honey-Vanilla Ice Cream in Crepe, drizzled in Raspberry Coulis
The lavender farm at the Five Sisters of Lavender Lane is located at 1433 Route 246 in Kelly’s Cross, PEI. Check out their website at http://www.fivesistersoflavenderlane.com/ or call them at 902-658-2203.
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In double boiler, over medium heat, heat the whipping cream, half-and-half, milk, honey, sugar, lavender, and vanilla beans and pod. Stir occasionally and heat mixture until small bubbles start to appear around edge of mixture, about 10-12 minutes.
Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes to allow the lavender flavour to infuse the warm milk mixture.
Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Discard remains in sieve and return strained mixture to a clean double boiler and heat to the scalding point, stirring to prevent the mixture from curdling or sticking to the bottom of the pot.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk egg yolks and salt together. Whisk in vanilla. Add ¾ cup of the hot milk mixture to the eggs and whisk to blend. Pour this mixture into the custard in the double boiler. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens to consistency that it will coat the back of a wooden spoon. Do not boil. Be patient as this takes time.
Strain mixture through sieve into a clean bowl. Cool completely then chill, covered, in refrigerator for at least 3 hours or more (can be chilled up to 24 hours). Freeze custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ice cream. Cover and place in freezer for at least 4-6 hours to harden completely.