FOOD PROCESSOR and TOASTER OVEN
This is probably my most used appliance though my toaster oven may be coming quickly into first place since I have been using my new Breville Smart oven to bake small pizzas and cakes It cooks more evenly than my oven, and toasts bread and bagels better than any previous toaster oven.
My food processor is used for bread crumbs, grating cheese, pesto, and many of my cake and cookie batters. Here are my two new favorite recipes each of which is made entirely in the food processor.
Williamsburg Orange Cake: Serves: 8
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 stick softened butter
1 cups sugar (divided)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 orange carefully cleaned and organic if possible: Using a knife cut of the peel and put in food processor with 1/2 cup sugar to chop finely
1 cup buttermilk
3 TBS cup orange juice mixed with 1/2 cup sugar (I don't use all of this glaze)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir raisins and nuts and grated orange/sugar mixture into the dry ingredients and set aside.
3. In a food processor, cream the butter and blend in 1/2 cup of the sugar.
4. Beat the eggs into the creamed butter mixture.
5. Add vanilla and buttermilk and mix well.
6. Add the flour/orange mixture and pulse 3 or 4 times until just mixed.
7. Pour batter into a greased 9-inch square pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or when a toothpick comes out with dry crumbs..
8. While the cake is baking, combine the orange juice with the remaining cup of sugar.
9. Spread this glaze over the top of the hot cake and immediately return it to the oven for about 5 minutes, until the glaze bubbles and the cake tests done when you insert a toothpick or wooden skewer near the center.
Let the cake cool in the pan before turning it out onto a serving plate.
Madeleines (Makes about 16)
Ingredients:
2 large eggs
2/3 cups sugar (divided)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 lemon using only the peel
1 cup all purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 ½ sticks of butter, melted and cooled slightly so as not to cook the eggs
Powdered sugar
1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. Use madeleines mold with teflon coating sprayed with oil or greased with butter
3. In the food process process the peel of one lemon mixed with 1/3 cup of the sugar until lemon peel is finely incorporated into the sugar
4. Add eggs and the final 1/3 cup sugar and process together along with vanilla.
5. Add flour and pulse a few times until just blended
6. Gradually add the cooled butter processing until just blended
7. Let the batter stand at room temperature for at least two hours or refrigerate overnight or even for a couple of days.
8. Spoon about 1 TBS into each mold filling about ¾ of the mold
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are beginning to brown
10.Turn them out while still hot onto a rack.
11. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar.
12.These are best eaten warm but also keep for a few days in a tin.