Honey Cake

I bought a jar of our locally made honey by Don Sausser Apiaries, a necessary ingredient for today's recipe post. This is one of those cake recipes you can whip up as an impromptu dessert and now that the holidays are here, a special homemade gift from your home kitchen. Those are the best kinds of gifts! 

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Honey Orange Cake

recipe by Chef George Hirsch | Makes 8 servings

as seen on George Hirsch Living it UP! TV Series

chefgeorgehirsch.com

2/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

1/2 cup honey, heated

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 large eggs, separated

1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel

1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly grease and flour bottom and sides of a 9-inch pan.

In medium bowl, blend orange juice, honey, butter, egg yolks and orange peel; set aside. In large bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and baking soda; set aside.

In small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Mix orange juice mixture into flour mixture until blended. Gently fold in egg whites. Turn into prepared pan.

Bake 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and serve warm or cool 10 minutes on a wire rack until cooled completely. Just before serving, sprinkle with confectioners sugar. To serve, cut into wedges and garnish, if desired, with peeled orange wedges and whipped cream. 

Chocolate-Cranberry Bread Pudding

Cool evenings + day od bread. I like to use day-old French Bread in bread pudding because it has more flavor than the gummy white kind. Cinnamon-raisin bread, sweet rolls, even left over Irish soda bread can also be substituted for part of the bread. Puree some seasonal berries for a sauce or serve with a little chocolate sauce, spiked for festive gatherings.

Chocolate-Cranberry Bread Pudding Recipe

Makes 10-12 servings | From George Hirsch Living it UP! TV series
chefgeorgehirsch.com 

3-4 cups cubed dry French bread
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup dried cranberry, raisins, or craisins plumped in 1 cup hot water for 5 minutes
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
4 cups milk
8 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons vanilla
1 Teaspoon nutmeg 

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, butter, and beat with a whisk until well blended. Slowly pour over the bread, cranberry/raisin, nut and chocolate mixture. Poke the bread so that it’s completely covered with the milk mixture and let sit for 10-15 minutes.  

Place a pan larger than the cake pan or skillet in preheated oven and place the pan holding the bead pudding inside. Immediately fill the outer pan with enough hot water so that it comes up one inch on the sides of the bread-pudding pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the water bath, reduce the temperature to 325 degrees, and bake for 25 additional minutes.

Remove the bread-pudding and allow to set for two hours before removing it from the pan.

Serve with warm fruit, vanilla or chocolate sauce.

chefgeorgehirsch.com 

Killer Keller

Bottoms-up to the summer brew from our friends + award winning brewmaster at Southampton Publick House Brewery.

Visit an Old World Lager brewery and the brewmaster will insist that you enjoy a "keller" beer direct from the aging tank. To a brewer this is beer at it's purest, unfiltered, nuanced and gently carbonated." Each year they make it with a different hop variety to create a unique interpretation of the pilsner style. 

Flavor Description: Fresh hop aroma and a bracing bitterness are balanced by a clean malt profile. A dusting of yeast and traditional lagering create a crisp, smooth flavor profile.

Food Pairings: Ideal served with seafood, meats and spicy foods.

publick.com

View TV segment at Southampton Publick House Brewery

 

George Hirsch TV series visits Southampton Publick House Brewery

Texas Original

The next time you are in Austin, drop by Stubb's. It's an institution of Q originality, filled with love, music and soul. BTW- the brisket is out of this world.

"Barbecue is eternal, like the Mississippi River. It's big and it's simple and it takes its own sweet time."  C.B. Stubbfield

You can also have your Stubb's at home. Not quite take away, but close. You Can Do IT! at home. The original Bar-B-Q Sauce is pretty darn good. The flavor; sweet, tangy tomato and molasses with a kick of vinegar and pepper.

Stubb would gladly give his recipe away to anyone who asked. "The recipe alone is just words on paper and that won’t do it." C.B. Stubbfield