Homemade Cheese Crackers

Homemade cheese crackers taste a million times better than anything you can buy at the supermarket. Trust me. This recipe for cheese crackers is very simple and can easily be made with ingredients you already have in your pantry. I used a pastry cutter to create the scalloped edge of the cracker, however you can also use a cookie cutter or free hand the crackers with a knife. I prefer extra sharp cheddar cheese because of its strong taste and salty flavor.

Cheese Crackers

From Carla: This is a flaky (like piecrust), tasty cracker. Use any yellow cheese. You can grate a soft cheese on the big holes of the grater and then use your fingers to work it into the flour and margarine, as you would make a piecrust.

1. Grate a hard cheese as fine as possible.

2. Rub 3 tablespoons of margarine into 3/4 cup of flour.

3. Work in 1/2 cup of grated cheese (measured after grating) and a dash of salt.

4. Blend 1 egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of cold water and add.

5. Work it into soft dough.

6. Roll out very thing and cut into rounds or whatever shapes you prefer.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cracker dough).

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 Livinglooks 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. 

Banana Bread Recipe

With summer just around the corner, I am more interested in baking with fruit than with chocolate. Bananas are not technically a summer season fruit, but they do work well in cakes and breads. One of my favorite breakfast treats is banana bread with walnuts. In The Encyclopedia of Country Living, Carla explains that bananas are best used when ripe. Bananas are usually picked when they are green, giving them ample time to transition to a bright yellow color once they reach the market. I have found that using over-ripe bananas with brown skin when baking creates a softer cake and a stronger banana flavor.

Banana Bread Recipe:
1. Cream 1/2 cup butter and 3/4 cup honey in a bowl.
2. Stir in 2 eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1-teaspoon vanilla.
3. Sift 1-teaspoon baking soda with 2 cups flour.
4. Add to creamed mix.
5. Add 3 mashed bananas and 1/2 cup chopped nuts (preferably walnuts or pecans)
6. Pour into greased loaf pan.
7. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour, or until done.

If you simply cannot bear to part with chocolate in your pastries, add 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips (mini or regular size) to the batter. This will add a hint of chocolate but not overpower the banana.

Homemade Salsa Recipe

I am a huge fan of spicy flavors. I believe that any dish can be made better with a dash or two or five of hot sauce. When it comes to Mexican food, adding homemade salsa to a cheese quesadilla or taco completes the meal. I prefer to use jalapeno peppers in my salsa because they are not too high or low on the Scoville Heat Scale. In the Encyclopedia of Country Living, Carla Emery describes jalapeno peppers as “very hot” with a Scoville rating of 3,500 to 4,000. They have a much sharper taste than a mild pepper. In comparison, the hottest of the hot peppers such as Cayenne, Serrano, Tabasco, and Habanero have Scoville ratings upwards of 20,000. The hottest pepper of all, the Tepin pepper, has a Scoville rating of 160,000-600,000! Just the thought of eating one of these peppers makes my eyes water and my tongue burn. I would need a gallon of milk to quell the intense burning from these peppers!

Carla Emery has a fantastic recipe for homemade salsa for those interested in trying a spicy yet tame jalapeno pepper salsa with their next Mexican meal. For the more adventurous cook, try her recipe for spicy salsa made with hot red chilies.   

Spicy Homemade Salsa:

1. Chop 3 fresh jalapeno or Serrano chilies, 4 ripe big tomatoes, 1 globe (or 6 green) onion, 2 garlic cloves, and 1/4-cup fresh parsley (or cilantro) leaves.

2. Mix together.

3. Stir in 1/2-teaspoon salt.

4. Enjoy!

Even Spicier Homemade Salsa:

1. Combine 4 fresh (split and seeded) red chilies, 2 cups boiling hot vinegar, and 2 peeled garlic cloves.

2. Cover and let steep 2 days.

3. Add 1 cup chopped tomatoes and blend thoroughly.

4. Add 2 dried chilies.

5. Cook half hour in double boiler.

6. Strain out solids.

7. Store in refrigerator.