So, I’ve been looking at the bookcase in my kitchen. It’s the same bookcase that was in my bedroom when I was in junior high except now instead of the Little House books, Nancy Drew, Harriet the Spy, a bunch of Judy Blume books and a stack of “Tiger Beat” magazines, it’s filled with cookbooks. And I mean that – filled. There’s probably close to 130 or so if you include the booklets.
Some were a part of my kitchen before my kitchen was even mine. One I can’t even read because it’s not in English. Some come from products – Eagle Brand, Kahlua, Lea & Perrins. Some were compiled by historic sites, churches or towns to commemorate a bicentennial or other special occasion. German food is represented. So are Hungarian food, Italian food and Chinese food. I have cookbooks from inns and cooking schools. I can cook with Laura Ingalls Wilder, Nancy Drew, the Chippendales or the Mafia and even take a peek at how Ben & Jerry made my favorite (and now discontinued) flavor. I even have a cookbook I won by throwing a tomahawk.
I have a book dedicated to pies, cobblers & crisps. Books for fondues, cookies and green tomatoes. I have 800 pages of Jacques Pépin teaching some primo kitchen techniques. I have LaRousse Gastronomique – a glorious 1,300 page encyclopedia of gastronomy. And if I really want to, in a matter of seconds, I can put my hands on a recipe for parsnip wine or even jellied moose nose. (Yes…you read that right…jellied moose nose.) And that’s not even counting all the recipes cards or the hundreds of recipes I have clipped from Family Circle, Women’s Day, Yankee & Bon Appetit.
So let me tell ya what I’m gonna do – every week I’m going to try 3 new recipes. (Shhhh this week is only 2) An entrée, a side and a dessert. Keepers get a card and go into the recipe box. Stinkers will be revealed and noted as such. Of course, I’m not necessarily going to follow the recipes exactly. I mean…this is me we’re talking about. LOL But fear not! When I’m blogging about them, I’ll be sure to tell you what the recipe said and what I ended up doing if it was something different.
First up – a recipe I clipped from a Family Circle, I believe. It’s Chocolate Chip Pound Cake. Now, I have no scale in my kitchen, so I have no idea what 3 ½ cups of flour weighs…or what 4 eggs plus 4 egg yolks weighs. And I’m really not sure when pound cake stopped containing a pound of butter, exactly…maybe it was when the half gallons of ice cream lost that pint and became a quart and a half…I don’t know. But I know this – this recipe is totally going into the recipe box cuz it’s a damn badass cake! I made it as is and it’s fabulous! And for a little extra indulgence, I had a slice with a schmear of cream cheese. TO DIE FOR!! I’m also thinking it’d be tasty with white chips and pistachios….
Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
- 3-½ cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting pans)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325°. Coat two 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Dust with flour; shake out excess & set pans aside.
Stir together flour & salt; set aside. In small bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks & vanilla; set aside.
Cream butter & sugar together on medium-high speed until very light and fluffy, about 6 minutes. Reduce speed to medium & gradually pour in the egg mixture. Increase speed to medium-high and beat 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture. Beat until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
Divide batter between pans & smooth tops. Bake at 325° for 1 hour & 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 30 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on rack.
Rock on! Peace. Out.
