Angel Food Cake - A 90th Birthday Celebration

We'd like to take this moment, we have one thing to say, the best of health and happiness on this important day! Hey!

As many of you know, those are the words to my family's version of "Happy Birthday." We celebrated Grandma Wanda's 90th birthday this past Sunday. Instead of a gift, she wanted me to bake her a cake, and she picked angel food. (Of course, I got her another gift too. What kind of grandchild would I be?!)

The cake is designed to be light and fluffy, and it definitely was. This is a great recipe for those of you who love angel food cake but think that there are better versions out there than the grocery store bakery or boxed mixes. I've got to give some credit to Ben Allen, who graciously played sous chef. Bake this for anyone you want to impress with a homebaked treat.

Angel Food Cake

From Baking Illustrated

1 cup sifted plain cake flour

1 1/2 cups sifted sugar

12 large egg whites, at room temperature

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Adjust an oven rack tot he lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Have ready an ungreased large tube pan ( 9-inch diameter, 16-cup capacity), preferably with a removable bottom. If the pan bottom is not removable, line it with parchment paper or waxed paper.

Sift both the cake flour and sugar before measuring to eliminate any lumps and ensure the lightest possible texture. Whisk the flour and 3/4 cup of the sugar in a small bowl. Place the remaining 3/4 cup sugar in another small bowl next to the mixer.

Beat the egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer at low speed until just broken up and beginning to froth. Add the cream of tartar and salt and beat at medium speed until the whites form very soft, billowy mounds. With the mixer still at medium speed, beat in the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all the sugar is added and the whites are shiny and form soft peaks. Add the vanilla, lemon juice, and almond extract and beat until just blended.

Place the flour-sugar mixture in a sifter set over waxed paper. Sift the flour-sugar mixture over the whites, about 3 tablespoons at a time, and gently fold in, using a large rubber spatula. Sift any of the mixture that falls onto the paper back into the bowl with the whites. (Tip: be sure to fold all the way down to the bottom of the bowl, or you might end up with dry ingredients not incorporated into the mixture).

Gently scrape the batter into the pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and give the pan a couple of raps on the counter to release any large air bubbles. Bake until the cake is golden brown and the top springs back when pressed firmly, about 50 to 60 minutes.

If the cake pan has prongs around the rim for elevating the cake, invert the pan onto them. If the pan doesn't have prongs, invert the pan onto the neck of a bottle or funnel. Let the cake cool completely, 2 to 3 hours. To unmold, run a knife around the edges of the pan, being careful not to separate the golden crust from the cake. Slide the cake out of the pan and cut the same way around the removable bottom to release or peel off the parchment paper. Place the cake, bottom-side up on a platter. (Tip: The cake may appear as though it is a little wet still, but just leave it out to dry a little. Don't worry, the cake is fully cooked.) Cut slices by sawing gently with a large, serrated knife. Serve the cake the day it is made; we like serving ours with homemade whipped cream and strawberries.

Cookie Eight: Fried Crullers

Watching Grandma Wanda in the kitchen is like watching an artist. Even though she thinks she's lost her touch, she's mistaken. She moves through the kitchen like she's been doing this every day of her life. The technique for her is second nature, and I was truly grateful to learn this old family recipe from her. After some debate, my dad and I decided that the recipe was a family secret, but we also wanted to share it with others. Our compromise was that I would only post what was written on the recipe card. I'm convinced that you couldn't follow the recipe and come out with the same finished product because most of the technique is absent. For instance, Grandma Wanda uses a 70-year-old cast iron skillet that I'm positive produces the most delicious Crullers on the planet. Any other pan just won't do. If you can produce an equally amazing Cruller by just following the recipe, please let me know. I'll have to send you a prize.

Fried Crullers
From the kitchen of Wanda Girard

1/2 tsp salt
3 egg whites
1 whole egg
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of mace
1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp cream
2 cups sifted flour
Powdered sugar for topping

Add salt to eggs & beat lightly. Stir in sugar, mace and butter. Add cream and flour, then mix until smooth. Knead dough on floured surface until dough no longer sticks to your hands. Chill thoroughly. Separate dough in half. Roll to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut in 7x1 inch strips, cutting ends diagonally. Make a lengthwise slit in center of each strip and pull one end through slit.


Fry in lard at 370 degrees F until delicately brown.


Drain on absorbent paper.


Sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar after cooled and serve. Makes about 45 Crullers.

Pecan Pie and Pumpkin Pie

The weekend before Thanksgiving, I was lucky enough to bake with all three of my grandparents. Nani Bird and Potchie held a pie bake-off and Grandma Wanda helped me to learn how to make her famous pie crust. I'm nowhere near the master she is, so I'll be calling her for tips for sure. The pies were so good that I recreated them for Thanksgiving dinner. Of course, my pies weren't as good as Grandma Wanda's Lemon Meringue Pie, but I'm still learning. I especially need to work on my crust crimping technique and making the crust look more professional. I can only hope my pies turn out like hers one day.

A clear winner couldn't be concluded for the pie bake-off, but I can tell you that the baking session included some bickering and attempted sabotage, Nani and Potchie style. I saw a lot of ingredients that were tampered with, but that's all I can divulge. Not wanting to get written out of either's will, I decided to remain neutral. You can make both pies and decide for yourself - both will soon be holiday season favorites!

Pumpkin Pie

Adapted from the kitchen of Joe Mayer

1 can condensed milk

15 oz. canned pumpkin

3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

Make your favorite pie crust recipe. Roll out crust and place in 9 inch pie pan. Freeze for 30 minutes. Do not blind bake the crust (produces a hard crust)!

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine all above ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour filling into frozen pie crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely before serving and top off with homemade whipped cream.

Pecan Pie

Adapted from the Food Network Kitchen

5 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups chopped toasted pecans

1 1/2 tbsp. bourbon (I prefer Maker's Mark)

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3 eggs, lightly beaten

Again, prepare your favorite pie crust dough and roll out into a 9-inch pie pan, and do not blind bake. Freeze crust for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and stirring constantly, continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts, bourbon and vanilla. Set the mixture aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the beaten eggs into the filling until smooth. Put the pie shell on a cookie sheet and pour the filling in the crust.

Bake on the lower over rack until the edges are set but the center is slightly loose, about 40 to 45 minutes. (If the edges start to get too dark, you can cover them with aluminum foil half way during baking.) Cool on a rack. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, with either homemade whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.