Country Wisdom Wednesday: Magic Meals

Chocolate Frosting Recipe

A few years ago I began to teach myself how to bake. I was inspired by the rising popularity of cupcakes and boutique bakeries in Seattle, such as Trophy Cupcakes and Cupcake Royale. I prefer to bake from scratch using an array of cookbooks and recipes from the web. I have found that I no longer like to use boxed cake mixes or store bought frostings. They tend to be very sugary, which can overpower the taste of a great cake.

When I make frosting, the texture needs to form peaks on its own yet remain soft enough to flow smoothly through a pastry bag. I am always looking for a frosting recipe that does not use an excessive amount of confectioner's sugar or butter. I tend to make butter-cream frosting more than any other type of frosting. However, this recipe for "Quick, Creamy Chocolate Frosting" from Carla Emery's The Encyclopedia of Country Living looks too tempting not to try.

Whipping cream is a very flexible ingredient. The longer you whip or whisk the whipping cream, the thicker and denser it becomes. This recipe includes only two ingredients: fresh whipping cream and cocoa powder. If you can avoid butter in your frosting, I suggest you do so. In my experience, frostings with a butter base do not have as long a shelf life as other frostings. They typically have a lifespan of 2-3 days depending on the room temperature before the butter begins to separate from the rest of the ingredients. They may continue to taste amazing, but the overall aesthetic of the cupcake is ruined.

Quick, Creamy Chocolate Frosting:

1. Whip 1 cup of cream.

2. Gently stir in 1/4 cup of cocoa powder or chocolate milk drink power. 

Soup's On!

When all the relentless cold of winter seems to stretch before you and the "Febtober" grays have you feeling down, savoring a warm and hearty bowl of soup is just what the Country Living doctor ordered.

In fact, Carla Emery says about milk the same thing Julia Child said of butter: "There can't be too much!" Keep in mind, however, milk or cream soups shouldn't be boiled. Boiling hurts the flavor and makes a mean scum to clean out of the kettle. Always add the hot milk to the other ingredients at the last minute.

Soups made with milk are so easy to make, good-tasting, and good for you. We just finished a lunch of tomato soup. I made it by thickening some of my V-7 juice with flour. Then I added salt, a little pour of molasses, and gradually stirred in milk. I was going to add some soda but couldn't find any. It came out good, anyway. Don't be afraid to experiment. One of my college professors used to say that every adult should be able to extemporize a soup. So get to it!

Here's a great milk soup recipe that also strikes me as a brilliant way to use up leftover greens before they spoil.

Cream of Spinach Soup

Puree 3⁄4 c. cooked greens in a blender

(or chop finely or rub through a sieve).

Combine 2 c. milk, 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs parsley, and 1 t. minced onion.

Heat to boiling.

Melt 3 T. butter.

Blend in 3 T. flour, a pinch of paprika, 1 t. salt, and the milk mixture.

Simmer 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the spinach to the mixture and 1⁄4 c. cream.

Reheat and serve.