Valentine's 5-Layer Finger Jello

Valentine's 5-Layer Finger Jello
Strawberry, Cherry and Raspberry Jell-O with milk filling

The other day, I was going through old cookbooks (pretending to clean) and found the 1979 Arlington Elementary School PTA cookbook. You know, those spiral bound, type-written fundraising cookbooks. In other words, the mother lode of nostalgia. (BTW, this wasn't even my elementary school, but somehow I have it...)

On page 221, under Soups & Salad, it's 7 Layer Finger Jello. Oh yes, I remember you and Pop Rocks candy well. (And I love that it is under "Soups & Salads" category.)

I know Utah and many LDS members have a close relationship with Jell-O...highest per capita consumption in SLC and official snack food of Utah! However, I haven't picked up a box of the sugar/gelatin mixture in years. I think Jello was the first thing I remember "baking"! (Whew, I have an answer for the TWD Q&A when my turns comes round).

I made a 5-Layer Valentine's Jello using the three "red" jellos I could find: Strawberry, Cherry and Raspberry. Except I couldn't find my heart shaped cookie cutter! Oh well, you get the idea! :)

This recipe is for a 7-Layer Finger Jello and you can adjust accordingly.

7 Layer Finger Jello

4 pkg. 3 oz Jello (lemon, orange, lime, strawberry)
4 pkg. Knox unflavored gelatin
1 can sweetened condensed milk

1. Mix 1 pkg flavored jello with 1/2 pkg of unflavored gelatin. Add 1 cup boiling water. Stir to dissolve. Cool to room temp and pour into 9 x 13 glass pan. Refrigerate for 15 minutes (and make sure your refrig is level!)

2. Mix 1 can sweetened condensed milk with 1 cup boiling water. In a small bowl, sprinkle 2 pkg unflavored gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Let stand a few minutes and then add 1/2 c boiling water to dissolve gelatin; add to milk mixture and stir to combine. Cool to room temp and pour 1 cup of milk mixture over first layer of jello. Refrig for 15 minutes.

3. Repeat for next three flavors. Let jello set. Cut and serve!

Happy Pre-Valentine's Day!

Do you eat your layered Jello by chomping on it, or by splitting the layers? I'm bi-jello and go both ways. :)

TWD - Floating Islands are just not that into me

Sorry, no Tuesdays with Dorie Floating Islands today. I really wanted to make them but through a crazy comedy of errors (such as forgetting my computer at work, having the camera memory card in one location and the camera in another...you get the picture), I realize floating islands are just not that into me. Sigh.

I hope to make them sometime soon. This week's selector is Shari of Whisk: a food blog and she has one of the best blogs in the world! Please go visit her for the recipe and the rest of the TWD gang for their creative creations!

Literary Pie: Funny in Farsi Apple Rose Water Pie (You Want Pies with That?)

Literary Pie: Funny in Farsi Apple Rose Water Pie
Finished off with a sprinkle of pistachios and pomegranate molasses

This month’s theme for You Want Pies with That? was chosen by… ME!! I selected “Literary Pie” (really, what did you expect from The Food Librarian?). I also said you get bonus points from me if you use your library...and I read the most wonderful stories of trips to the library as both a child and adult from some bakers. (By the way, in these tough economic times, public libraries are busy. We offer entertainment to the whole family! DVDs, downloadable audiobooks, storytimes, magazines, book clubs, internet access, cultural programs, and so much more! Please support your library because as our usage sky-rockets, our budgets are taking a big hit. [Mary exiting her soap box now :) ])

For my pie, I selected the memoir, Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America by Firoozeh Dumas

This memoir chronicles Firoozeh’s experiences coming from Iran at age seven and settling in Whittier, California (a suburb of Los Angeles) in 1971. Written in short vignettes, she describes her experiences in this new county with her family (including being horrified when she thought we ate dogs in our “hot dogs”). Her father’s optimism and love of the United States (especially Walt Disney) is touching and hilarious. I couldn’t put it down and have loaned it out to everyone I know. All who have immigrant parents or grandparents can relate, regardless of their homeland.

Pomegranates are natives of Persia/Iran and are used in a lot of Persian cooking (I had a roommate and boss who were Iranian American). Oh man, I love Persian food. The rice dishes are sooooo delicious. If you get a chance to go to a restaurant, or better yet, get invited over to someone’s house, please try this delicious cuisine. Luckily, Los Angeles has a large concentration of Iranian Americans (did you know that Jimmy Delshad was the first Iranian American mayor of Beverly Hills?) and lots of Iranian stores and products (I love Mashti Malone’s saffron pistachio ice cream sandwiches).

I wanted to make the Citrus POM Tart with fresh pomegranates, but, wouldn’t you know it, Poms are out of season! (Rain check for next season). So I focused on another Persian flavor: Rose Water. I found this recipe for Apple Pie with Rose Water on the Food Network.

I made it with two granny smiths and one gala apple in a galette shape. I brushed the crush with some cream and sprinkled it with sanding sugar.

A huge thank you to all the people who baked along with me this month! It was such a thrill to choose a theme! I can’t wait to see the round-up of pies. You’ll be able to see them on the You Want Pies with That website soon!

Orange Cornmeal Cake (Everyday Food)

Orange Cornmeal Cake (Everyday Food)

My Friday so far.
Get up late.
But want to bake.
Check my Delicious account for items tagged “quick.”
Find this recipe.
Make and bake.
Shower and get ready.
Pull cake out of oven.
Look at clock. Eeck!
Put the hot cake on cooling rack in my car.
Drive to work.
Take some photos in the library (sorry for the bad lighting – it was raining outside). Thanks to the Children's Librarian for letting me borrow a piece of blue construction paper for the background!

And now we are at my lunch hour.

Not much to say besides MAKE THIS CAKE. Here's the recipe!

I used navel or Valencia oranges (can never tell them apart) from my neighbor’s yard (left) and some California grown Cara Cara Oranges (right). Have you had the Cara Cara? They are one of my favorites.

Granulated sugar tops the cake

This cake is super duper simple (one bowl, by hand, no melting, creaming, or getting anything to room temp). It uses olive oil so it’s dairy free (but does contain eggs). You can use either dry white wine or orange juice (I used fresh squeezed orange juice). And, as I joked with a co-worker, it has cornmeal...and that's a vegetable! :)

The only thing I might do different is bake it in a springform instead of a regular cake pan. You have 1/3 cup sugar on top and need to invert it. The springform would make that less messy. Cara Cara orange section garnish the cake.

Here's the recipe for Orange Cornmeal Cake! Make this cake and have a great weekend!!

National Carrot Cake Day, George Clooney, and Spiced Carrot Cake (Everyday Food)

Spiced Carrot Cake

OMG! True story: I made Everyday Food's Spiced Carrot Cake yesterday and brought it into work (Tuesday, February 3, 2009). While browsing my reader, this Serious Eats entry came up! Turns out, February 3rd was National Carrot Cake Day!

I see this and shout it out to my co-workers. What a coincidence!

Then, I say: "Tomorrow will be 'George Clooney Comes to My Office Day'."

Hey, a girl can hope! (When I worked in non-profit years ago, George Michael did stand in the doorway of my office on a tour.) And, I think George is in town filming his return to ER... :)

Okay, here is the real reason I made the Spiced Carrot Cake from Everyday Food!

I have an episode of Everyday Baking with John B. on my DVR. I haven't seen this PBS show in a bit...I hope it is still in production! His show "The Best Cakes" aired in June 2008 and has 4 cakes:
Coconut Layer Cake
Three Layer Apple Cake
Spiced Carrot Cake
Boston Cream Pie

And I'm going to try them all!

Here is Round One: Spiced Carrot Cake

I love these Sweet Nantes Carrots from Trader Joe's. They are like orange sugar. One cup of finely shredded carrots and 1/3 c of low-fat plain yogurt make this a moist cake. It also has eggs and oil. I guess you could make it non-dairy by using soy yogurt.

This recipe has 1/2 t cardamom (I threw in 1/4 t of cinnamon as well). It is a really simple batter - no KitchenAid needed. After it cools, drizzle on some powdered sugar and water glaze. It is super moist. You can also add some nuts for added crunch. Next time, I might add some finely grated zucchini for added fun.

Happy National Carrot Cake Day!

e. a. s. y.
p. e. a. s. y.
Spiced Carrot Cake
Recipe here on the PBS site and here on Martha's site.

World Peace Cookies (Tuesdays with Dorie)

World Peace Cookies
What a perfect name for such a delicious cookie!

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection, Jessica of cookbookhabit chose World Peace Cookies on pages 138-139 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours. Check out Jessica's blog for the recipe or get the awesome book!

This recipe takes just a few minutes to make...butter, cocoa powder (I used Dutch processed), baking soda, flour, vanilla, brown sugar, salt and bittersweet chocolate. Dorie suggests fleur de sel (salt) but I used Trader Joe's sea salt (with the built-in grinder). Some people had crumbly dough, but I got lucky and it came together okay. I chilled it overnight and sliced it with a sharp knife in the morning. I made half the recipe and got 20 cookies.

If you have a few minutes of mixing time, and an overnight of chilling time, make some of these yummy egg-less shortbread cookies.

Please check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers and see their masterpieces!

Apple-Cinnamon Bundt Cake (Everyday Food)

Apple-Cinnamon Bundt Cake from Everyday Food

I love me the Bundt cake. Perfect in shape and easy to serve. Oh, Bundt, I salute you.

The recipe is from Everyday Food (from the Martha empire). It has six (6) Granny Smith apples...therefore, it's practically health food! (Just ignore the TWO STICKS OF MELTED BUTTER). You don't even need a Kitchen Aid mixer. Rock on.

This cake is similar to my Mom's Apple Cake but baked in a Bundt pan. My mom's recipe uses veggie oil and this one uses melted butter. I think you could probably exchange things - or even make it healthier with some yogurt or applesauce. But I was too tired to deviate. I just added 1 teaspoon of vanilla because I believe practically everything sweet should contain a bit of vanilla. Things are just happier with vanilla, don't you agree? :)

This cake is packed full of apples!

The glaze on top is powdered sugar and water...I think I made mine a bit thin. Next time, I'll use less liquid.

Apple-Cinnamon Cake...recipe here!

P.S. Volunteering at the public radio station KCRW (89.9 FM in Los Angeles) Pledge Drive this weekend! Be sure to make a pledge if you are a listener and can afford it in these times.

Barefoot Contessa's Blood Orange Chocolate Chunk Bundt Cake

Barefoot Contessa's Blood Orange Chocolate Chunk Bundt Cake

Blood oranges.
Seriously pretty citrus.

I took Ina's recipe for her Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake and used blood oranges instead. Here's the recipe.

I don't think I greased my pan very well...a bunch of chips stuck!

After baking, a mixture of orange juice and sugar is heated and brushed/poured over the cake.

When cooled, a ganache of semi-sweet chips, heavy cream and instant coffee (I used instant espresso powder) is poured on top.

I heart Ina Garten.
And her cake!

From Barefoot Contessa Parties! book (2001). You can find the recipe for the Bundt cake here or the mini-cakes here (this recipe from the Food Network is basically 1/2 the Bundt cake recipe).

Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread (Tuesdays with Dorie)

Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie, Heather of Sherry Trifle chose Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread on page 212 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours.

Recently, I confessed that The Real Housewives of the OC (the original is best, and so scary close to my home in LA) is on my DVR.

There are two types of shows in my life: Live and DVR. I must watch Top Chef live because I need to discuss it with Kathy at work the next day! Okay, that one isn't embarrassing...but this next one is:

Randy Jackson's America's Best Dance Crew

Oh dear. I'm a 38 year old librarian and I craft my schedule so I can watch and VOTE (yes, vote) for America's Best Dance Crew. Am I a secret hip-hop dancer? No. This is the best description of my dancing abilities:

I have so little rhythm that I can't even do the rhythm method.

However, I just love this show. Those youths of today are pretty talented. Check it out - even if you are way too old for it. And don't forgot to txt in your vote. :) My favorites are Los Angeles based, Beat Freaks and Quest Crew. Whew, I feel better getting that confession off my chest. Alright, what's on your DVR? (Yes, Linda, I'm asking you! :)

Okay, back to the baking. Quite simply, it's yum. Not much else to say. If you like holiday spices, make this. If you like ginger, make this. And chocolate, well, you get the idea. I picked up this bittersweet chocolate at Trader Joe's...it's pretty inexpensive and good when chocolate isn't the center of attention.

Gotta run. House and The Closer are on tonight! :) Check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers!

Martha Stewart's Zucchini and Cranberry Muffins

Martha Stewart's Zucchini and Cranberry Muffins

The other morning, in my sleep deprived, inaugural euphoria, I pulled out Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook and flipped through a few pages. Since I only had about an hour before I had to leave for work, I skipped the twelve-tier cake and yeast breads...and went directly for the muffins and quick breads.

There it was! Cranberry-Zucchini Muffins on page 37! I have some cranberries in the freezer and a few zucchini in the refrig! Score!

By the way, if you don’t have Martha’s book in your collection, you should really consider adding it. The photos are great and Martha’s crazy OCD attention to details makes for good instructions.

Flecks of zucchini green and pops of red cranberry...yum!

Dry: 1 3/4 c flour, 1/2 t baking powder, 1/2 t baking soda, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/4 t salt
Wet: 2 eggs, 1 c sugar, 1/2 c vegetable oil, 1/2 t vanilla, 1 c finely shredded zucchini
Combine dry and wet then add 1/2 cup cranberries (Martha says to keep them whole but I quartered mine). As with all muffins, don't overmix!! I topped mine with some sanding sugar too.

I baked them at 375 for 25-30 minutes, and I got 11 muffins (Martha says you should get 10). I always tip my muffins shortly after they come out of the oven so the bottoms don't get soggy.

Finally, these are muffins.
M-U-F-F-I-N-S.
No, not little cakes pretending to be muffins that you can find at Starbucks and Costco.
These are light and a bit tangy with the cranberries. And I must admit...if they were mini-muffins I could probably polish off ten of them. Or, perhaps a cool dozen!

Do you have some frozen cranberries stashed in your freezer? You should try this recipe! (hint, hint Mary Ann! :)