Cherry Cake Squares

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Cherry Cake Squares

These cookies were inspired by another popular Holiday baking staple here in Newfoundland and a very popular recipe on this website at this time of year, Cherry Pound Cake. It's found in practically every home in the province during the Christmas season so I thought, why not translate it into a cookie square version too. These almond tinged cookie squares are pretty easy to make and are another great addition to the Holiday freezer.

Cherry Cake Squares

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Based upon a Newfoundland favorite Christmas cake and ideal for the holiday freezer, these easy cookie squares are quick to prepare, freeze exceptionally well and are always a hit with kids of all ages.

Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 25 cookie squares
Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract 
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup glace cherries, quartered
• FOR THE FROSTING
• 2 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 -2 tbsp milk

Directions

1. Cream butter sugar and vanilla until light and fluff.
2. Add the eggs, vanilla and almond extracts and beat well.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
4. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, folding to combine well.
5. Fold in the chopped cherries.
6. Spread in a parchment lined or greased 9 inch square baking pan and bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees F. (325 for glass bake ware) A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. (This recipe is too large for an 8x8 pan. If you do not have a 9x9 pan you can multiply the entire recipe by 1 1/2 and use a 9x13 pan instead if you have one of those.)
7. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
8. Frost with vanilla frosting.
9. For the vanilla frosting beat together the butter, icing sugar, vanilla and milk until, light, fluffy and of a good spreadable consistency. Add the milk only a little at a time until the proper consistency is achieved.
10. Spread over the cooled cookies and cut into squares or bars.
11. These freeze very well in airtight containers. 

Gumdrop Crinkle Cakes

Gumdrop Crinkle Cakes

I've had a couple of requests in recent months for a lunchbox favorite from my childhood here in Newfoundland, crinkle cakes. These little loaf shaped snack cakes are still made in some bakeries here in Newfoundland and as far as I know, take their name from the scalloped-edge paper liners similar to muffin tin liners, traditionally found on the bakery made varieties. A moist tender little pound cake of sorts, crinkle cakes came in raisin, cherry, and Spouse's favorite, gumdrop. 

As we wind our way to the start-up of the school year, I decided to experiment with a couple of recipes to try and replicate these delicious little lunchbox snack cakes. A recipe for crinkle cakes is just about  impossible to find, so I decided to tweak one of my favorite pound cake recipes and they turned out perfectly. The secret is to use half cake flour, real butter and I think, the addition of a little lemon extract really makes them perfect. The three I ate certainly did bring back memories for me. 

Try our other crinkle cakes recipes too by clicking the links below:

Cherry Chocolate Chip Crinkle Cakes

Apricot Pecan Banana Crinkle Cakes

Banana Orange Cardamom Crinkle Cakes

Crinkle Cakes

 
Makes 8 crinkle cakes 

Cream together:

• 3/4 cups butter
• 1 cup sugar

Add, one at a time, beating well after each addition until light and fluffy:

• 2 eggs

Blend in:

• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tsp pure lemon extract

Sift together

• 1  ½ cups cake flour (or pastry flour)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder

Fold dry ingredients into the creamed mixture alternately with

• ½ cup warm, undiluted evaporated milk

beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Fold in:

• 1 cup baking gumdrops

Bake in greased and floured mini loaf pans or in paper lined muffin tins. Bake at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Muffin sized cakes will take only about 15 to 20 minutes. Watch them carefully so they don't overbake.

Blueberry Snack Cake - a.k.a. Baked Newfoundland Blueberry Duff

Blueberry Snack Cake - a.k.a. Baked Newfoundland Blueberry Duff

I cannot count the hundreds of times I have made this simple, moist, delicious, buttery little snack cake with an abundance of wild Newfoundland blueberries baked right in. A terrific addition to any brown bag lunch, it is indeed more of a blueberry snack cake but we often had it as a duff with Sunday dinner when I was a kid here in Newfoundland. Sometimes we still do.

I often substitute local partridgeberries or bakeapples (lingonberries or cloudberries) to make other delicious versions. I've also used one of my favorites, fresh raspberries, with great success. I love the way fruits like raspberries leave little jammy pockets in the cake. Raisins are another popular substitution for the blueberries but your favorite dried fruit, like apricots or cherries would be delicious too; just be sure to cut them small enough; about the size of large raisins is about right.

This humble little blueberry cake also dresses up nicely as a luscious comfort food dessert when served warm from the oven with warm vanilla custard.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan well.

Cream together until light and fluffy:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup sugar

Add:

• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Beat well after the addition of each egg.

Sift together:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder

Add dry ingredients alternately with:

• 1 cup milk

Always begin and end with an addition of dry ingredients. As a general rule, add the flour mixture in 3 divisions and the milk in two .

Quickly fold in:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries.

Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake at 325 degrees F in a 9 inch well greased square pan for about 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. The baking time can vary, especially if you use frozen berries. In that case it may take 10 or even 15 minutes more to bake. The toothpick test is the best way to ensure that this cake is fully  baked.

Blueberry Snack Cake - a.k.a. Baked Newfoundland Blueberry Duff

Newfoundland Fish Cakes

Today's dish and photo come courtesy of 13 year old guest chef Laura Taylor from Conception Bay South who was looking for tips on making Newfoundland Fish Cakes. She chose fish cakes as a traditional Newfoundland meal to complete an assignment for her Grade 8 Social Studies class at Vila Nova School where she is a French Immersion student, hence the photo label Gateau de Poisson.

This very simple dish was a staple on many Newfoundland kitchen tables for who knows how long; probably hundreds of years, given that the simple ingredients were readily available from the land and the sea. I remember my grandmothers cooking them in large cast iron skillets in the rendered fat from making scrunchions. For our non-native readers, scrunchions are a very traditional accompaniment to several traditional Newfoundland meals and are simply cured fat back pork which is diced in small cubes and then fried until crispy to render out most of the fat.

It does my heart good to know that our food culture is still being kept alive in the classroom. You did a great job on these, Laura; I think they look delicious. If your Social Studies teacher doesn't give you an A on this one, tell him to take it up with me! ;)


1 ½ pounds salt cod

Soak the salt cod in cold water overnight. Simmer the salt cod in boiling water for about 15 minutes. Drain the water off the fish and allow the fish to cool to almost room temperature.
When the fish is cool, flake it apart with a fork into small pieces.

In a sauté pan, melt over medium heat
¼ cup butter
Add
1 small chopped onion
Cook until the onions are softened.

Add the fish, cooked onions and butter to

6 cups mashed potato
1 beaten egg
2 tbsp dried savoury (optional)
1/2 tsp black pepper

Mix together until well combined, then form into small cakes and roll in flour.

Fry the fish cakes in canola oil over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.

Serve with scrunchions if desired.

Newfoundland Cod with Olives and Sundried Tomatoes en Papillote

First things first; don't be intimidated by the name of this recipe..."en papillote" simply means cooked in parchment paper. It is a much under-used cooking method that should really be every busy family cook's best friend. It is a great simple way to steam fish and vegetables inside a paper pouch for one fast, healthy, simple, delicious, convenient and easy meal. I sometimes put mine together the night before when the next day is going to be a blur of work, school and driving kids to their evening activities. Nobody reading can relate, I'm sure! ;)

When prepared in just a few minutes the previous night, we can easily have these on the table in half an hour straight out of the fridge and into the oven. Now what are you going to do with the time you would have spent cooking?

Serves 4

4 six ounce fresh cod portions
¼ cup chopped sundried tomatoes
½ cup pitted kalamata olives
1 tbsp dried summer savoury (tarragon or dill make good substitutes)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 medium red potatoes, washed and thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to season
Lemon for garnish

Begin by washing and slicing your potatoes and thinly slicing them. Add the slices to boiling salted water for 2 minutes to blanch them. Toss the blanched potatoes in the olive oil and savoury, and season them with salt and pepper. Divide the slices into 4 equal portions and arrange them in the centers of 4 large squares of parchment paper.

Season the fish with salt and pepper and place the cod portions on top of the potatoes. Top the cod with the sundried tomatoes and olives and a small drizzle of olive oil.

Bring two edges of the parchment paper together and roll the paper until one inch from the top of the fish. Fold the ends under the bottom to create a sort of sealed pouch in which the fish and potatoes can cook. Place on a baking sheet and place in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of your cod portions. You may want to add another 5 minutes if they are particularly thick. Let the pouches rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve in the paper pouches with a lemon wedge to squeeze over the top of the fish.

Cumin Salmon Spinach Salad Bowl with Mango-Lime Salsa

This is a favorite salad idea that I came up with to use up some of the delicious Mango-Lime Salsa that was leftover from the day before. Using the salsa on a salad means that an oil based dressing is not at all necessary. The baked tortilla bowls use only a very little olive oil to crisp them up by baking them instead of deep frying, as happens in many restaurants. This makes a very light, very delicious and very satisfying meal. A very tasty way to eat healthy.

To make the tortilla bowls, brush both sides of a 10 inch tortilla with extra virgin olive oil. Whole wheat or regular tortillas both work well. Using a fork, perforate the surface of the tortilla about a dozen times, this will prevent the tortilla from puffing up during the baking time. At 4 equally spaced points around the perimeter of the tortilla, pleat the edge of the tortilla by folding it back again itself and securing into place with a toothpick. Bake on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree F oven until the tortilla becomes crisp. Cool on a wire rack and don’t forget to remove the toothpicks.

Fill the bowl with your favorite spinach salad fixins and top with Mango Lime Salsa and pan seared salmon cut in strips. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Any grilled or pan seared fish will work well, as will grilled chicken strips or pork tenderloin medallions.

Pan Seared Cumin Salmon
(Serves 4)

4 individual salmon fillets
1 cup flour
3 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp black pepper
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a heavy bottom skillet. Mix together the flour and spices well and dredge the salmon fillets in it. Pan sear for 2-4 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the fillets.

Wild Newfoundland Cranberry and Flax Muffins

In a large bowl, sift together:

2 ½ cups flour
¾ cup white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup ground flax seed
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

In a separate bowl whisk together until well combined

½ cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
1 ¼ cups soured milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Add the mixture to the dry ingredients and fold in well. During the last few turns of folding add:

1 ½ cups fresh or frozen wild cranberries

Do not over mix your batter or your finished muffin texture will be too heavy and dense. Mix only enough to incorporate the dry ingredients. Spoon batter into greased or paper lined muffin tins, sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over the batter if desired and bake at 350 degrees F for 25-35 minutes until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Baking times will vary widely depending upon the size of your muffin tins and if you are using frozen berries or not. The toothpick test is the best way to determine if they are fully baked.

Cool on a wire rack. Makes 12-15 large muffins.

No Sugar Added Raisin Scones

No Sugar Added Raisin Scones

A regular reader of Rock Recipes recently asked for a recipe for sugar free raisin scones. Coincidentally, I make this version of raisin scones for Spouse only because she very much prefers them to those with added sugar. The omission of sugar means they have a very light, airy texture that many may prefer as well. A little additional sweetness can be added by sprinkling a coarse grain sugar over the tops before baking as is noted in the recipe. They made a very nice addition to our Sunday brunch.

I start these in my food processor because it is so fast but they can be made just as easily in a large bowl by cutting the butter in with a pastry blender or even 2 knifes held between the fingers.

In a food processor, combine:
3 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

Cut in:
¾ cup very cold butter, cubed
Pulse process until this mixture resembles a coarse meal. It is very important that pea sized pieces of butter remain in this mixture. Remove to a large bowl and toss in:

1 cup raisins (light or dark, your preference)

Mix together:

2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk

Pour this over the surface of the dry mixture. Toss all together gently with a fork only enough to form a dough ball. It is important that you work this dough as little as possible or the finished scones will be too dense and heavy. Roll to 1 inch thickness and cut out scones with biscuit cutter or in triangles with a sharp knife and place on parchment lined baking sheet.

If desired you can brush the tops of the scones with an egg wash of 1 egg beaten together with 1 tbsp water. You can sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar if desired but this is, of course, optional.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Baking time will vary depending on the size of your biscuit cutter. This recipe makes 8 large scones.