Humm-baby!

They are among the smallest of birds, a marvel of God's creation.  They can hover in mid air by rapidly flapping their wings 12-90 times per second and they can fly backwards.  My garden is a hum with hummingbirds each day.  Their Jewel toned bodies and fluttering wings look like miniature helicopters as they hover over flowers seemingly piercing the delicate blooms and drinking in their sweet nectar.
Despite it's name, the Hummingbird cake is not made from or for hummingbirds!  It is a Victorian cake recipe that is truly exceptional.  It is the perfect way to use over-ripe bananas, freezes well, easy to make and serves many. Some say that the cake is so delicious it makes you hum with happiness while others theorize that the people hover around the cake similar to hummingbirds hovering over blossoms.....

Hummingbird Cake 
(Makes 12 servings)

Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 8oz. can crushed pineapple with juice
1 cup cooking oil
3 large eggs, well beaten
2 cups chopped banana (3 bananas)
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Glaze:
1 tbsp. melted butter or margarine
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
juice from canned pineapple
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 325° . Generously grease a 10" tube or fluted  tube pan.
2. To make the cake: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
3. Remove 2 Tbsp. of the juice from the can of pineapple. Set aside for the glaze.
4. Add the pineapple, oil, eggs, banana, nuts and and vanilla to the flour mixture. Stir until just blended (do not beat).
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the 325° oven about  1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes.  Invert the cake onto a wire rack and remove the cake from the pan.  Cool completely.
6. To make the glaze: In a small mixing bowl, combine the melted butter or margarine and the powdered sugar.  Add enough of the reserved pineapple juice to make a glaze of drizzling consistency.  Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake.
(For a glaze with a whole new dimension, substitute rum for the pineapple juice).

Enjoy this humdinger of a cake:)

Tip: To evenly grease a fluted tube pan, use a pastry brush to coat the pan with the shortening.

Only Fools Rush In...

"Wise Men say, only fools rush in... but I can't help falling in love with you....."

The mind races through this simple dish, so refreshing on a summer's day, one might find its modern equivalent in popularity to yogurt with fruit at the bottom, though no artificially sweetened yogurt can compare to fresh crushed fruit and cream, so simple, yet so easy to fall in love with the ease of preparation and the delightful result!  There are numerous allusions made to fools, from that accompanied King Lear on his howling journey across the moors to the more modern blunderer asking "what kind of fool am I".  But the name of this gossamer dessert comes from the French word foule meaning pressed or crushed and usually refers to a combination of fruits and thick cream.  It is a dish that is sublime in its simplicity!

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. fresh strawberries  (It's ok to try with any berry) washed, hulled, and cut into large dice
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tblsp. sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
• 1 1/2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Method:
Place the strawberries, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and salt in medium, non-reactive pan and stir until the strawberries are well coated in the sugar. Mash the fruit until about half of them are smashed, leaving some medium sized chunks.  Place the pan over high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until bubbles form along the edge, about 5 minutes.  Add lemon juice and lemon zest, and bring to a boil - for about 2 more minutes. Skim any foam from the surface.  Remove from heat and let it cool down, then refrigerate for about 30 minutes until it is cold. Whisk the cream in a large bowl until it reaches the soft peak stage.  While whisking add the remaining 2 tblsp. of sugar. Add vanilla and continue to whisk until the cream reaches still peaks.  Measure 1/4 of the strawberry sauce and set aside.  Using a rubber spatula, fold the remaining sauce into the whipped cream, leaving a few streaks of whipped cream and sauce.  Divide the fool among six 1/2 cup serving bowls or decorative glasses and garnish with straberry sauce and berries.

Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 hours. What I wouldn't give to be a fool today - yum!

A sticky situation.....

Where does this delicious concoction of chopped dates mixed in a spongy, cake batter and drizzled with hot, homemade toffee sauce originate? The English claim this as their own as do the Australians who serve this as a national dessert like their famous pavlovas! Though the origins of this desert is debatable and most sources agree it is of English descent, I had the joy of eating this on my recent trip to Sydney, indulging in this comforting, calorie laden cake a few times and on my return home decided to tackle this sticky sensation on my own. The result was a tantalizing taste of sweet,sticky and slightly salty perfection.

 

Sticky Toffee Date Cake
Serves: two 9" cakes (round) or about 20 muffins

Ingredients:
. 1lb dates, pitted and chopped
. 2tsp. baking soda
. 8oz. softened butter
. 3/4 cup sugar
. 4 eggs (at room temperature)
. 1 tsp. good vanilla extract
. 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
. 1 tsp. salt
. 3/4 tblsp. baking powder
For the Toffee (Caramel) sauce:
. 1/2 lb butter
. 1 cup brown sugar (8 oz)
. 1/2 cup heavy cream
. 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour two 9" round cake pans.  Place the dates in a large saucepan with 3 1/2 cups cold water.  Bring to boil, stirring a little to break up the dates. Let it simmer for a minute and then remove from the heat.  Stir in the baking soda - this will cause the mixture to bubble up!  Cream the butter and sugar together in a food mixer until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time.  Scrape down the bowl occasionally.  Add the vanilla extract, flour and salt and mix briefly to form a rather lumpy dough.  Now add the warm date mixture in tow batches.  In between the mixings, make sure to scrape down the bowl.  You will get a rather watery dough but don't let that alarm you! Next add the baking powder which will bubble up too.  Pour the batter equally into the two prepared pans.  Bake for about  30 - 40 minutes .  Test with a toothpick and it should come out clean when the cakes are done.

To make the sauce, combine the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract in a medium sized saucepan.  Bring to boil and then reduce to a gentle simmer until it thickens and is well blended. Once the cakes are done, poke little holes all over with a toothpick.  Pour the sauce over it while the cakes are still warm and let it soak for about 10 minutes.  You can decorate the cake with some dates.

Indulge!