A Trunk Full of Recipes

Friday, January 13, 2012

Best Needhams

Needhams. They are apparently a well known dessert in Maine, however, like a lot of these dishes, I had not heard of them until I pulled out this recipe. I decided to make this recipe because it had mashed potatoes in it, and I thought it sounded like fun!

My only issue with the recipe was that the whole bar was supposed to be dipped in chocolate which I was unable to do because the coconut mixture was too soft. I had let it cool like Marjorie said, but I think it needed longer, maybe even overnight, to cool. If I had let them cool overnight, then I would have been able to dip the whole thing in chocolate.

Regardless, though, they are delicious; very sweet but delicious. We still have some left so come in today and give them a try! You won't be disappointed!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

www.blueelephantcatering.com

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Since the original Bread Pudding recipe was such a hit the other day, when I was flipping through and realized there was a Chocolate Bread Pudding I decided this was an obvious choice! It had to be as good as the original right?

The method was pretty much the same as in the original recipe, however the ingredients are just a bit different. There is less sugar and obviously cocoa powder is added. It looks just like a chocolate cake and tastes like a very moist brownie!

Both bread puddings are a hit and will remain in my repertoire!!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

Nuts and Bolts

Are you from Maine? Did your Grandmother or Mother ever used to make Chex Mix or "Nuts and Bolts" for a snack around Christmas? Or perhaps any time of the year!

Throughout my childhood my mom and grandmother would make Chex Mix from scratch, I believe it may even be this recipe though they never pulled out this cookbook. It was always around Christmas and it was always a special treat. To this day my dad especially looks forward to Christmas for the homemade Chex Mix, or "T.V. Mix" as he calls it.

It's so easy and so delicious too. Simply melt butter or margarine, worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, onion salt, and celery seed together and pour over nuts and cereal. Marjorie recommends mixed nuts, rice chex, shredded wheat squares, cheerios and pretzel twists. Of course you can mix it up and make it to your own liking or follow the recipe exactly.

Once the mixture is coated evenly it's baked in the oven for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

Do you have memories with this recipe? If so write to me and tell me your story! I'd love to hear about it. We still have a few containers for sale at the Blue Elephant Cafe so come on by and grab a container for a snack later today!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

Bread Pudding

I've never made, or eaten, bread pudding before pulling out this recipe. It was super easy and I would highly recommend it as a dessert to make if you are having company over or are in a time crunch.

"Bread pudding is made in a variety of ways. Flavor of this one is different, due to the use of brown sugar." Marjorie Standish

The list of ingredients is simple; bread crumbs, milk, shortening, brown sugar, egg yolks and whites, white sugar and vanilla. The pudding

was so light and fluffy and I think this can be attributed to the method of beating the egg whites to a stiff peak and folding them into the rest of the mixture. In the future, after I have cooked my way through this Cooking Down East Cookbook, I would like to experiment with more bread pudding recipes and see if they are as good as this one!

Don't hesitate to give this recipe a try sometime, you will not be disappointed!!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Steamed Chocolate Pudding

This is the second "pudding" recipe I have made where I would absolutely not call it a pudding. Maybe it's a Maine thing where the word you're saying actually means something else. As I was mixing the batter for the steamed chocolate pudding I was thinking to myself, "wow, this is a lot like a cake batter."

The method of cooking is where the recipe must get it's title. It's poured into a pan, or several pans, then set into warm water and placed in the oven. So it literally steams. However, when it was done baking it was in fact like a cake consistency. It also got rave reviews. We still have a couple left so come on in and give it a try and let me know what you think. What is your opinion on this so called pudding?!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

Fluffy Yellow Turnip and Scalloped Tomatoes

The Blue Elephant is back after a nice Holiday break and I'm kicking off the new year with some delicious dishes from Mrs. Marjorie Standish! Up first Scalloped Tomatoes and Fluffy Yellow Turnip.

The turnip dish was as basic as they get and if you like turnips that you're sure to like this recipe. It was similar to her fluffy potato recipe. The reason she calls it 'fluffy' is that the recipe calls for eggs, and you separate the yolks from the whites and beat the whites to a stiff meringue. Then fold it into the turnips (which have been mixed with all of the other ingredients). The whole mixture is turned into a greased casserole dish and baked in the oven for about an hour. When it comes out it has risen slightly and is light and fluffy, not to mention delicious.

The scalloped tomato dish I found to be a bit more complicated, though in fact it was actually so simple it should have taken me half the time to pull together that it did. It was sliced tomatoes, layered with a homemade breadcrumb and onion stuffing. That's it. But for some reason the way the recipe is written and the way the ingredients are listed it was very confusing.

The dish is flavorful and very good. We've paired the two together to make a meal and it goes something like this: Fluffy Yellow Turnip & Scalloped Tomatoes Served with a Side of Mixed Greens Topped with Fresh Shrimp Accompanied by a Delicious Onion Vinaigrette Dressing/ 7.00.

Come Give this meal a try! You won't be disappointed.

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070