A Trunk Full of Recipes

Toasted Pecan Layer Cake with a Toasted Pecan Frosting

Did you ever see the movie Pollyanna with Hayley Mills? If so, do you remember the scene where she's at the church carnival sampling all the food? She comes to this one booth where the housekeeper hands her this big piece of white layer cake with chocolate frosting. She goes around that carnival eating this grand piece of cake.

I remember watching that scene and remarking over that piece of cake. I have always wanted to be able to make a cake as big, fluffy and white as that one and with icing as whipped and creamy as that appeared to be.

I have made many cakes and tried many different kinds of recipes but until yesterday morning I had not been able to create a cake that seemed almost as perfect as the cake in the Pollyanna movie! It seems funny that the magical recipe comes from an old fashioned Maine cook book, but on the other hand those Maine church ladies really knew what they were doing!

Toasted Pecan Layer Cake with a Toasted Pecan Frosting. This is in the running, if not, the best white cake I have ever made. It is light and fluffy. It rises beautifully in the oven and when the layers are stacked together they make a full an beautiful layered white cake.

The frosting is simple too. Confectioners sugar with butter, cream, and vanilla. Blended together until creamy then add the remainder of the pecans and spread on the cake.

The only thing that separated this cake from the perfect Pollyanna cake was the nuts and the icing. Eliminate the nuts and switch the icing around a bit to be either a plain vanilla or chocolate icing and it would be a spot on perfect white layer cake.

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

Cheese Pie

I say this a lot but this is one of the best desserts I've made thus far! If you like cheesecake then you most definitely like this cheese pie.

The base is a graham cracker crust filled with a cream cheese and egg base and topped with a sour cream and sugar mixture. It's baked in the oven in layers but only takes a total of 25 minutes.

It's so creamy and delicious. You won't be disappointed by this one! Enjoy!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

Poppy Seed Cake

"The next tow recipes are my favorites, neither one is iced for there is too much goodness in the cake itself."

Marjorie Standish

I missed this little excerpt until just right now when I was rewriting it! It seems as though I "messed up" by putting icing over this cake. In my defense it still tasted delicious and it was only a thin layer.

Typically when I make a cake from this cookbook, or any dessert from this cookbook it's fairly dense. This recipe was different. It was so light and fluffy, and probably one of the best cake recipes I've come across. I think Marjorie's statement at the beginning of the recipe rings true it does have a lot of goodness!

Don't let this one slip you by! Grab Cooking Down East and make this recipe as soon as you can!

Bue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

Hot Clam Dip and Hot Clam Dip- Number 2

Not very creative with her recipe titles I know! But creative with her recipes thats for sure!!

Hot Clam Dip (the one thats featured up close in the photo). Easy as pie, and this one was the preferred dip. Simply saute some onion and green pepper add processed cheese, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, sherry cayenne pepper and salt and pepper. Stir this combination over the top of a double boiler.

To serve this delectable dip Marjorie suggests using sour dill pickle slices or toast or crackers. At the Blue Elephant we served with butter crisp crackers and for the occasional daring customer we broke out a dill pickle. The word was that it was in fact delicious and did bring out the flavor of the dip.

Hot Clam Dip- Number 2. This was the more inventive of the two. Saute some bacon and garlic, drain off some of the fat and add minced clam and juice. Mix cornstarch and tomato paste and then add to the aforementioned bacon/clam mixture and stir until thickened. Add seasonings and simmer.

Marjorie recommends serving this particular dip with toasts or rounds. For this particular dip at the Blue Elephant we served it with Sunbeams. The crackers that I just finished posting about. It was a delightful combination.

Both of these recipes come from the section "These 'Firsts' Are Last." I like the title of this section, I can't decide wether or not it they are recipes that Marjorie was actually fond of or not. I have made most of them and generally speaking they have been pretty good!

Looking for something new to try? Turn to this section, they're easy and fun!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents?ref=tn_tnmn

Sunbeams

"You may call these delicious cheese cookies 'sunbeams,' it is one name for them. This recipe came from Gardiner, where it is widely used. You will find them popular at any kind of party."

Marjorie Standish

I made this and was first of all amazed at the easiness of which they came together. In her directions, Marjorie compared the dough to that of refrigerator cookies, which usually seem to take forever to make.

Secondly, I was amazed at how delicious these little confections were. So simple and yet so tasty. They also are so versatile. They could be served with cheese and crackers, with soup or salad or even with a main course. And even one step further because of the consistency of the dough it could be rolled or cut into any shape.

If you're hosting a party or looking for a fun treat to try with your family look up this recipe and give it a try!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents?ref=tn_tnmn

Thursday, March 1, 2012

A Note From the Kitchen

I thought I had the fish section complete and as I was going through the book making my notes I realized.... yipes... I might have missed one!

Finnan Haddie Casserole.

I must have overlooked it. However, I'm not sure I'll be able to complete this recipe. The first ingredient is 3lbs finnan haddie which I've figured out is smoked haddock fillets. The problem is I don't know where I'm going to find this.

It will take some research and I'm going to do everything I can to find this ingredient so that I can finish this section for real!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

Shanty Fish Loaf

A long time ago, a summertime friend at South Harpswell gave us this recipe for a fish loaf. 'Guaranteed to make anyone a fish eater,' she stated. She is absolutely right, too. Served with a butter sauce or a frozen shrimp soup sauce it makes a very special dinner.

Marjorie Standish

A special meal it may be... any thoughts before I share mine?

It was an easy recipe to pull together, not many ingredients involved in this one. However, in my opinion it may not be one of the finer loaves to come out the book of Marjorie Standish. Before starting to cook my way through this cookbook I had never heard of any loaf except a meat loaf. Now I'm quite familiar with Egg Loaves, Halibut Loaf, Salmon Loaf, and now Shanty Fish Loaf.

The end result of the aforementioned salmon loaf and halibut loaf was very similar to that of a meat loaf. At least it looked like a meat loaf and it rose and cut into slices. The shanty fish loaf on the other hand did not rise like the others and I'm not sure will cut into slices.

Shanty fish loaf does have a familiar fish in it, haddock. Along with onion celery, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. After it's baked, Marjorie tells you to top it with a sauce of your choice. She does recommend frozen shrimp soup, this is what I chose.

Honestly, this one confuses me, as it is supposed to be a "special dinner" but it doesn't look all that appealing to me. Though I suppose I should remember that "back in the day" special probably meant something completely different than it does today and special is different to everyone.

Would you make this for a special meal? Would it turn you into a fish eater?

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

Broiled Haddock

Haddock is another fish that we work with a lot at the Blue Elephant. It is also a very popular fish in Maine. We used to eat it a lot at my house when I was growing up, but I have never seen or heard of it prepared in this way. It may just be the easiest way to prepare and cook haddock that I have discovered yet.

Here it goes:

1. Roll the haddock in prepared Italian dressing
2. Roll the haddock in cornflake crumbs
3. Place the fish on a broiler pan and top with butter. Bake for 10 minutes and serve warm.

That's all folks. It's so easy and it looks delicious. We are serving this dish with a side salad of fresh romaine lettuce and Italian dressing. Of course haddock goes well with many side dishes so if you were to make this recipe for your family... go crazy, choose whatever side dishes sound good to you. Have you ever made haddock this way before? If so, write to me tell me how you like it. Or if you try this particular recipe write me and tell me your thoughts.

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

Scalloped Oysters

To all you oyster lovers out there I have found (or perhaps rediscovered) a new recipe for you to try. Scalloped oysters... oysters cooked lightly in their own liquor, rolled in buttery cracker crumbs and then cooked with a milky, buttery combo.

When this dish comes out of the oven it's golden brown and bubbling. It looks creamy and delicious and we still have a few servings left so come on by tomorrow and grab a serving for lunch. Let me know what you think!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

Broiled Salmon Steaks

In one of my earlier posts I mentioned that I only had a few fish recipes left from the 'Fish and Shellfish' section so I decide to finish it up as soon as I could. Not only that but as I near the end of this project it's exciting when I finish a recipe and can say that I've completed another section.

Yesterday morning when I got up and was flipping through I realized I didn't have many recipes at all left in the fish section and if I could get it all together then I could finish it that day. I made a list and went to the grocery store. An hour later I had made four fish recipes. First up Broiled Salmon Steaks with a Parsley Butter.

I have worked with salmon a lot but this is one of the prettiest recipes that I've made yet. And so simple too. I cleaned the salmon, seasoned with salt and pepper then placed it under the broiler until it started to brown. I did flip the fish once while it was cooking, which Marjorie says to do. It only took ten minutes in the oven. It was so quick to bake.

Next the parsley butter. Herbed butter is actually very trendy right now. I've been reading about it a lot in my cooking magazines and online too. It's very easy to make, simply cream butter, add parsley and seasonings. Here's the part where you can have fun. Simply leave the butter in a dish and refrigerate, pipe it into fun shapes with a piping bag and tips. Or you can do what I did which was place in wax paper and roll into a log. This is then frozen for a bit. It then can be sliced into quarter sized pieces with a warm knife.

To serve the salmon we warmed it slightly and topped with a slice of parsley butter. With the warm salmon the butter melts slightly and creates a beautiful look and a delicious dish. Complete the dish with a side salad and perhaps some mashed potatoes or rice.

Usually Marjorie's meals are so simple and plain but this one had a certain elegance to it. You never know this one might just find its way onto our catering list!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

Frozen Banana Pie

Are you looking for a new treat? Something tasty and easy to make? Well then... you should definitely not skip over this recipe. Just flip to the 'Just Desserts' section and flip through till you find...

Frozen Banana Pie

I have been describing this dessert to our customers as similar to a banana cream pie only frozen and in a graham cracker crust. It is also very similar to banana ice cream. Though it isn't too strong of a banana flavor if you don't like bananas then you probably won't like this dessert too much. Overall, it has been very popular and will most definitely make it on to my list of favorites. And I will be sure to make it again... soon!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

Milk Chocolate Cake with Miracle Frosting

The Blue Elephant had a Birthday to celebrate recently! What better way to celebrate than with a cake? Even better a cake made from scratch from the great book of Marjorie Standish. It was a new recipe for me. A milk chocolate cake with miracle frosting. Sounds delicious, how could you go wrong with a name like that?

The cake was super easy. Use the creaming method, with your sugar and fats then add sifted dry ingredients then combine all together alternately with melted chocolate. The batter was very light and airy and I could tell just from its texture that when it came out of the oven it was going to be moist and delicious.

In my experience sometimes cake made from scratch can come out dry and crumbly. This was not the case with this recipe. It was in fact very moist. One modification I would make to the recipe if I were to make it again were to be to add more chocolate. However for the purposes of this project, I followed the recipe to a T and made it exactly the way Marjorie described. It still tasted delicious but could have used a bit more chocolate, and I think all you chocolate lovers out there would agree!

The frosting was an interesting adventure. All of the ingredients get mixed together and then they sit for at least a half an hour. This allows the sugar time to dissolve in the liquid. After a half an hour the mixture goes on top of a double boiler and is brought to a boiling point. Following this, it is mixed either with an egg beater or by hand, your choice!

When the frosting holds peaks you know you're done beating. If you time it correctly your cake will be cooling on the counter while you're mixing the frosting and then when you're done mixing you can move right into frosting your cake.

My frosting never quite held stiff peaks and if I kept beating my fear was that it would have separated. I'm not quite sure why it happened this way but it still tasted fine and I was able to get it to a spreadable consistency.

So I frosted my cake and put some candles in it for the Birthday boy and it was enjoyed by many! If you're looking for a yummy chocolate cake recipe to try then flip to this one. It's easy and delicious, more than likely you'll have all the ingredients in your cupboard. Give the frosting a whirl too, or try one of the other frostings listed in the book.

We're nearing the end of Cooking Down East... lots more to write about. Stay tuned!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070