Genoise Sponge Cake - worth making

Have you ever heard of a Genoise Sponge Cake?  Well, I have wondered what it was like for a long time so, I decided that it should be my next bake.  The recipe calls for an 8 inch cake pan and I only had 9 inch so it only seems natural to get onto Amazon and order a new pan.  I bought the Fat Daddio's Anodized Aluminum pans because they come highly recommended.  Seems that they are great pans.

A Genoise Sponge Cake originated in Genoa, Italy.  It is a soft flavorful cake that you can fill with all kinds of wonderful things.  For this cake, I just used my homemade strawberry jam (I seem to be getting a lot of mileage out of that jam) and whipped cream.  I topped it with more cream and fresh strawberries.  It seemed a little dryer than I expected but it was tasty. Just means I'll have to make it again until I perfect it.

This cake uses just a few ingredients but following the directions is important.

**Very important -  your 4 eggs HAVE to be a room temperature

Preheat your oven to 350* and put rack in the center of the oven.

Prepare one 8 inch cake pan by cutting a piece of parchment to fit into the bottom. Spray the pan bottom and edges and then place the parchment in the bottom of the pan and spray it.

First, measure out your dry ingredients using a scale and then sift them together three times- this is important!

1 cup (120 grams) all purpose flour -sift with a fine mesh strainer

2 Tbls (16 grams) cornstarch - add to the sifted flour

1/4 tsp salt add to the flour and cornstarch and sift together three times. Set aside

Melt the butter and set aside to cool so that it is barely warm (you may want to do this while the eggs are beating)

In a mixer bowl add:

4 large eggs at room temperature 

2/3 cup (135 grams) granulated sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (can also use Almond Extract)

Mix together with your mixer until eggs have increased in size and are thick and fluffy  **This is the trick for the sponge.  You have to beat the eggs and sugar on high for 10 minutes.

 

Now, gently fold in the sifted flour mixture.  (I actually sifted it once more into the eggs) Fold it in  with a spatula. Make sure you do not stir and deflate the eggs!

Next, fold in the melted butter just until incorporated being very careful to not

 deflate the cake mixture.

Pour into the prepared pan and put into the oven,  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Let cool for 10 minutes and then loosen the edges if needed with a thin sharp knife.  Turn out to finish cooling.

Once it is cooled, slice the cake in half through the middle and add whatever filling you might like. It can be a pastry cream or fruit - use your imagination.

Place the top on, dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!

**Note if you have a cake slicer like the pros use-that would be very helpful to get a clean even cut.  I guess I need to get back onto Amazon. 

I hope you will give a sponge cake a try.  It may seem a bit intimidating, but actually, it was easy and yummy.

Happy Baking!

 

Viennese Whirls

 Again!  What is it with the late post?  Well, maybe I got a little bit distracted?

We had the best time on the Big Island of Hawai'i but that shouldn't be an excuse.  My goal was to make something every month.  I finished these cookies at 9:45 thelast night of the month, April 30th-so I met my goal-I just didn't get it posted until now, May 2, 2025. So here we go!

Have you ever heard of a Viennese Whirl? It's a butter cookie made into a sandwich.  I was worried it would be a bit like the cookies I made for Valentine's Day but it's not. (I liked those better) These are an

easy cookie to make but not a great choice for someone who is right handed and has some arthritis happening in said right hand.  Squeezing these out of that little bag was hard and they really don't look great.  But, they do taste pretty tasty.

The dough is easy to mix together.  It's just butter and powdered sugar that you beat hard for 5 minutes.  It has some vanilla, all purpose flour, and cornstarch, and maybe a little tiny bit of milk.  That's it-no eggs.

The trick comes in making them look pretty with a star tip and piping bag.  

Draw 2 inch circles on the back of your parchment and then you know where to pipe.  My circles were a bit larger than 2 inches so I piped inside the circle and it seamed to work.  Refrigerate for 10 minutes and then bake at 355*.  Let them cook completely on the cookie sheet and then remove with a spatula.

Frost with the buttercream and add some jam. Top with the other cookie and there you go.  Sprinkle with a bit of powdered sugar is always a great addition.  But not before I took a bite.  They really are quite tasty.

Would I make these again? Probably!  Would I let Mike squeeze them into the circles? YES!  My poor hand was killing me by the time I finished. I hope you will give them a try.  And remember, weighing your ingredients helps to give you consistency.  Get a scale, it really is best to weigh instead of measure.

Viennese Whirls

250 g unsalted butter at room temp (I used salted butter)

3/4 c (105 g) powdered sugar

1 tsp (5 g) vanilla extract

1 1/2 c (225 g) all purpose flour

1/2 c (68 g) cornstarch

**Note here, my dough was so stiff that I added about 1 tbls milk to help and it worked great

Filling

125 g (1/2 c) unsalted butter (or salted)

1 1/2 c (210 g) powdered sugar

1/2 tsp (3 g) vanilla extract

1 Tbls milk - more if needed

raspberry/strawberry jam

Preheat oven to 355*

Line baking sheets with parchment paper that you have drawn two inch circle on the back

In an electric mixer mix the butter until well mixed and then add the powdered sugar and vanilla.  Beat hard for about 5 minutes, scraping the edges a couple times in that 5 minute period, or until it is light in color and light in texture.

Sift the flour and cornstarch into the butter and mix with mixer or by hand.  Add a little milk if it's too stiff-the dough should be soft but not loose

Put the dough into a piping bag that has been fitted with a large star tip.  Squeeze dough into the circles starting at the outside and coming into the middle.  Lift up and move to the next circle.

Put in the refrigerator while you do the next baking sheet.

Bake the first sheet for 10 minutes or until no raw dough is left and edges are just starting to brown.

Let cool on the pan.  

Remove and pair up the cookies with like sizes.  Spread or pipe the buttercream onto one cookie, add jam and top with the other cookie.  Dust with powdered sugar.

*Note, you can store cookies in the refrigerator for up to 5 days if they last that long!

Keep Baking!

Biscuit Week Meets Valentine's Day

 On the Great British Baking Show, they always have a biscuit week.  The challenges are fun and I thought I should give one of the recipes a try.  A"biscuit" in Great Britain is a hard, thin, and crispy cookie that has a snap and is sometimes filled with something yummy. By definition, it's sweet, crumbly and sometimes buttery.  So this week/month, as my tribute to our friends across the pond, I made Paul Hollywood's Jammy Biscuits.  They are easy to make, BUT they take some time.  Delicious is an understatement. You'll have to give them a try and let me know what you think.

Because everyone, but us American's, use grams instead of cups, I am putting the recipe at the bottom of this post in both grams and measurements for those who don't want to figure out the conversions.  But, remember, it's better to weigh the ingredients than to measure them.  Just sayin!

Cream the butter and sugar together and beat for 3-5 minutes in your stand mixer.  Add the vanilla and eggs and beat until creamy. (*Note, I added half vanilla and half almond extract) Remove from the mixer and stir the flour and cornstarch in by hand.  It will be on the crumbly side but that's okay.  Pour it out onto a floured surface and gently work it with your hands to make a soft dough. Don't overwork it.

Divide the dough in half and then in half again so you have four equal sizes and form them each into a disc.  Wrap east disc in plastic wrap and place in your refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, remove one disc and roll it out to about the thickness of a nickel - because this was my first time making these, (and I WILL make them again) some may have been a little thicker and some a little thinner.  It's a learning process!

I cut them with a 3 inch fluted cookie cutter.  Paul says to use a 2 3/4 inch but I didn't have one that size.

Place on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper and put back into the refrigerator for another 20 minutes. You want half of your biscuits to be plain and the other half to have a cutout of your choice in it.  I chose hearts for Valentine's Day!

After 20 minutes in the refrigerator, place them in a 325* oven for 10-12 minutes.  Keep an eye on them so they don't get too brown but you want them to start to barely brown around the edges.  Mine actually baked for 14 minutes but it will be different for each oven, so watch them.

Let them cool on the pan for 5 minutes (I know, you will be setting your timer over and over and over).  Remove to a cooling rack and let cool the rest of the way.

Once they are cooled they are ready to assemble.

Before hand, dust the tops with a generous amount of powdered sugar.  You want them to really look beautiful!

Next, frost the bottoms of the plain biscuit with a little bit of the buttercream and then top that with your favorite jam. You can use raspberry, lemon curd, apricot preserves or strawberry jam.  I used strawberry.

After you spread the jam, carefully top with a powdered sugar biscuit with the cutout.  Look how cute these are.  I took them to the office where I volunteer today and the ladies went a little crazy.  There was not one soul who didn't rave about how yummy they are. 

Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Biscuit Week!  

Paul Hollywood's Jammy Biscuits

(this is a double batch because I needed more than 12 biscuits)

240 grams unsalted butter softened  -  1 cup

240 grams sugar  - 1 cup

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

430 grams all purpose flour - 3 1/2 cups

50 grams cornstarch - 1/2 cup

Buttercream

1/2 cup softened butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Mix the butter until fluffy, sift in the powdered sugar and add the vanilla.  Mix until thick and fluffy. I did add about 1 tsp of whipping cream to help bring it together.  It will be thick.

Mix the butter and sugar until fluffy - about 3-5 minutes in your stand mixer.  Add the eggs and the vanilla and mix until well blended.  Remove from the stand mixer and stir in the flour and cornstarch (mix these together with a whisk) until almost mixed- it will be crumbly.  Pour out onto a lightly floured surface and gently work with your hands into a soft dough.  Do not overwork.  Divide in half and then divide each half in half again. (*Note, if you are making half this recipe, only divide the dough in half)

Form each piece into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap.  Put in the refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes. 

After chilling your dough, remove one disc and roll out to about the thickness of a nickel.  Cut with a fluted cookie cutter and place each biscuit onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Rework the dough scraps and cut more until you have 12 bottoms.  Put back into the refrigerator to chill for another 20 minutes.  Remove another disc and repeat the process, except, with these you want to cut a shape into the center of the biscuit.  It can be any shape for any holiday that you want. Put the solid biscuit onto the cookie sheet and then cut the shape out.  Save the dough and use it to make a few extra biscuits. Put them in to chill.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 325*

Bake the first sheet of biscuits for 10-12 minutes watch them so they don't get overly baked.  You want the edges to just begin to brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes.  Remove to a cooling rack and cool the rest of the way.

Dust the tops with a generous amount of powdered sugar.  Assemble the biscuits by spreading a dollop of the butter cream on the plain biscuit and then top with your choice of jam.  Add the top biscuit.  What a delightful treat.

Keep on Baking!

French Bread, Chicken Pockets and Cinnamon Rolls

I got this wonderful bread recipe when I married into the Jolley Family.  It is called 2 Hour French Bread and it is super easy. I always made French bread out of it and then one day I decided to make cinnamon rolls out of it.  I used the dough for scones and breadsticks as well.  One day, I had a bright idea. I loved though chicken pockets made with pop and fresh croissants but with a big family and on a limited budget I thought maybe I could make the same recipe with my French bread.  Wow did they turn out so much better than with the store bought rolls. 

This recipe is just stirred together.  In the picture above, it looks kind of a mess.  I promise you, if you will follow the recipe exactly it will turn out every time.  And you can use it for anything you would like!

Can you believe that is even the same bread as in the first picture.  It makes the most wonderful dough to work with. Anyway, make it into bread or rolls, or fill it with anything you can imagine. I will share some ideas with the recipe.  It's long so take a minute to look through all the ideas.

 Roll out for cinnamon rolls or orange rolls or even add raspberry jam to make sweet rolls.

 I spread butter over the dough and then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  Then I roll them up!

 Place on a sprayed pan.  I usually put them a little closer together than I did tonight!

 Let raise until double.  Bake at 400* for about 14 minutes!

Cool the rolls and then frost with your favorite frosting.

CHICKEN POCKETS:

 Mix together the cream cheese, onion, salt, pepper, melted butter and milk with a mixer

It will be very creamy and yummy!

 Add in the cubed chicken and mix it well

 Roll the dough out like for the cinnamon rolls and cut into about 3-4 inch squares.  Put a big spoonful of the chicken cream cheese mixture in the center.

Bring opposite corners of the dough up and pinch them together into little pockets. Roll them in melted butter and then in a mixture of Italian Style bread crumbs and Parmesan Cheese.

Bake at 400* until golden brown and hollow sounding when you thump on them.  (Around 16-20 minutes)

 

I make a gravy out of the chicken broth from when I baked the chicken but you can make your own gravy or use a can of Cream of Chicken soup. Anyway, these are little pillows of heaven that can bring comfort on a stormy winter night.  I hope you enjoy!

2 Hour French Bread

 

 

6 Cups Flour                                                                           1 Tbls. Salt

1 Pkg (or 1 tbls) Yeast                                                            1/3 cup Oil

3 Tbls. Sugar                                                                           2 1/2 Cups Hot Water

 

Mix the 3 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt.  Add the water and the oil.  Mix together with a spoon and then add 3 more cups flour. Leave spoon in the bowl and stir down every 10 minutes for a total of 50 minutes.  Dough is ready to use.  Roll into bread loaves and let raise until double.  Can brush with whipped egg white for a crustier crust.  Bake at 400° for 20 minutes.   Makes 2 loaves French bread.

Chicken Cream Cheese Pockets

1 8-oz. pkg Cream Cheese                                                    4 Tbls. melted butter

4 Tbls. Milk                                                                              2 Tbls. grated onion

1/2 tsp. salt                                                                              1/4 tsp. pepper

4 cups cubed cooked chicken                                                Melted butter or margarine

Italian seasoned breadcrumbs.

 

Mix with a mixer all of the ingredients except the chicken, bread crumbs and butter to roll the rolls in.  Add the chicken and stir together.  Roll the dough like for cinnamon roll except thinner.  Cut into 4-inch squares.  Put a spoonful of filling in the center of each square.  Pull up opposite corners and seal well.  Dip in melted butter and then in breadcrumbs.  Put seam side down on a cookie sheet.  Do not let rise.  Bake at 400° for 16-20 minutes.  Serve with chicken gravy over the top.

 

 

Pizza in a Loaf

1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef or sausage                      1 minced onion

1 can or jar of your favorite pizza sauce                    grated cheese

Any other pizza toppings

Brown meat & onion until done.  Drain.  Add pizza sauce and mix together.  Roll bread dough to fit into a greased jelly roll size cookie sheet.  Put meat mixture down the middle 1/3 of the dough.  Add any other pizza toppings you like and cheese.  Make 1 inch slits diagonally about 1 inch from the filling to the edge.  Fold over edges left side then right side and repeat until completed.  Do not let rise.  Bake immediately at 400° for 16-20 minutes.  Serve hot.

Stroganoff Pockets

1 lb. lean ground beef                                                             diced onion

1 can cream of mushroom                                                     1/2 cup sour cream

Italian seasoned bread crumbs                                               melted butter

Brown beef and onion.  Drain.  Add soup and sour cream. Cool.  Roll out bread and cut into 4-inch squares.  Put a spoonful of mixture in the center of each square (can use grated cheese too).  Pull up opposite corners and seal.  Dip in melted butter and bread crumbs.  Do not let rise. Bake at 400° 16-20 minutes.

 

Breakfast Pockets

Scrambled eggs                                                                      ham or bacon

Grated cheese                                                                        any other toppings

Roll bread out and cut into 4-inch squares.  Layer with egg, meat, cheese, etc.  Pull up opposite corners and seal.  Place seam side down.  Do not let rise.  Bake at 400° for 16-20 minutes.

Sloppy Joe Pockets

Roll out bread and cut into 4-inch squares.  Fill with your favorite sloppy joe mixture.  Pull up corners and seal.  Bake, seem side down, 400° 16-20 minute.

 

Taco Pockets

 

Taco filling                                                                               grated cheese

 

Roll out bread dough and cut into 4-inch squares.  Fill and seal.  Bake at 400° for 16-20 minutes.  Can serve with an enchilada sauce over the top.

 

 

 

 

Parmesan Rolls

Melt butter or margarine and mix in grated Parmesan cheese.  (Consistency should be like pancake batter).  Make rolls about the size of a large walnut.  Roll in the cheese mixture so it is completely covered.  Put on pan and let rise until doubled.  Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Orange Rolls

1 Cube Butter or Margarine, softened

1 Cup Sugar

Grated Orange Rind (Fresh)

 

Mix butter and sugar (Do not melt butter).  Add the grated orange peel and mix. Make rolls the size of large walnuts.  Put a dab of mixture on the top of each roll.  Let rise until double.  Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes.  NOTE:  Sugar will burn if you are not careful.  It is helpful to use a coated baking sheet.

 

 

 

Heavenly Blueberry and Cream Angel Dessert

So my kids gave me some fresh blueberries from their Bountiful Basket.  I figured that I needed to make something yummy with them.  I had my family coming for a shish-ka-bob party last night so I got onto Pinterest to find a recipe.  Thanks to "Mel's Kitchen", this is what I came up with.  Man O Man is it yummy.  The best part about this recipe is that you could use any fruit that you would like.  Raspberries and/or peaches is my thought.  Any way, I didn't do step by step photos because I was in a huge hurry but the recipe tells you how to put it all together. 

I did add a little extra water to the blueberry compote to make it not quite so thick and I'm glad that I did.  Give this a try.  It looks fancy for any party and tastes so good!

Heavenly Blueberry and Cream Angel Dessert

YIELD: SERVES 8

INGREDIENTS

Blueberry Filling:

·         12 ounces frozen blueberries

·         2 tablespoons granulated sugar

·         2 tablespoons cornstarch

·         1/4 cup cold water

·         Squeeze of fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 tablespoon)

Cake and Cream:

·         Baked, cooled and cubed angel food cake (see note)

·         16 ounces light cream cheese, softened to room temperature

·         2/3 cup half-and-half or evaporated milk (can use skim evaporated milk)

·         2/3 cup granulated sugar

Whipped Cream:

·         1 1/2 cups heavy cream

·         3 tablespoons powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

1.     For the blueberry filling, in a medium saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, water and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until thickened, 5-7 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

2.     For the cake and cream layer, in a blender or with an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer), whip together the cream cheese, half-and-half or evaporated milk and sugar until smooth and creamy. Transfer the mixture to a bowl if you used a blender. Fold in the angel food cake cubes. Keep in mind (from the note above) that you may not use all the cake cubes, especially if using an angel food cake mix. Add cake cubes until they are all thickly coated with a layer of cream. If making this in advance, it can dry out if there is too much angel food cake added.

3.     For the whipped cream, beat together the heavy cream and powdered sugar until peaks form.

4.     To assemble, in a trifle dish or in a large glass bowl, spread half of the angel food cake mixture. Top with half of the blueberries, spreading evenly across, and then spread half of the sweetened whipped cream. Repeat the layers.

5.     Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Serve chilled.