John hosted another wonderful baking party this past weekend. I'm going to go ahead and start calling this a Bake Club, since we are all committed to keeping this up on a regular basis. There were some more savory items this time around. John made lasagna and Gigi tried this interesting muffin recipe I found online with some very delicious substitutions. Instead of photographing each batch individually, I just have one plate for you with examples. I'm pretty sure you won't have any trouble figuring out which is which.
Me: Chocolate Earl Grey Cookies. I've been a little obsessed with the Chocolate + Earl Grey flavor combination after I had an ice cream version a couple years ago. Since then I've been settling for occasionally putting half a hot coco mix in with my tea (which is really not that bad), so I was pretty excited to find this recipe online.
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Gigi: Savory Muffins. I know the idea of a savory muffin sounds weird, but they really are delicious. You're just going to have to trust me. Gigi substituted broccoli and sharp cheddar for the green beans and parmesan in the original recipe. They would be the perfect accompaniment to soup or as part of a brunch.
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Christopher: Orange-Scented Olive Oil Cake. Christopher can't remember the name of the book this recipe came from. Considering the taste, it may have been handed to him directly by roman gods. At the risk of angering them, I'll post it out for you here.
(Makes two 9” round cakes)
3 large navel oranges
3 large eggs
2 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ cups olive oil
1 ½ cups milk
2 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350
Grate the zest from the oranges and place in a large mixing bowl.
Add the eggs and whisk well. Whisk in 1 cup of the sugar and continue whisking until the mixture lightens, about 1 minute. Whisk in the oil followed by the milk.
In another bowl, stir together the remaining 1 ½ cups of sugar with the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk the dry mixture into the egg mixture in three separate additions, whisking smooth after each addition.
Divide the batter equally between the 2 prepared pans (Two 9 inch round pans, 2 inches deep, well oiled, and the bottoms lined with parchment paper cut to fit.)
Bake the cakes until they are well risen, deep golden, and firm in the center when pressed with a fingertip, 50 to 55 minutes.
Cool the cakes on racks for 5 minutes, then unmold, turn right side up again, and cool completely on racks.
*You'll also see on the plate some very simple and tasty tea cookies Christopher's friend Sarah made. If I can get the recipe from here, I'll post it for you later in the comments.
John: Spinach Lasagna. This is a combination of John's mother's recipe and one he found online. I was very skeptical of these no boil noodles, but they totally worked. It's magic!
Ingredients
1lb of "no boil" lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms (try artichoke hearts, squash, or zucchini if you aren't a mushroom fan)
1 cup chopped onion (same as one medium onion)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (same as 2 or 3 cloves)
Two 10 oz. chopped frozen spinach packages (Just pop them in the microwave and drain them before mixing them in)
3 cups ricotta cheese (part skim if you prefer)
2/3 cup grated Romano cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 egg
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (part skim if you prefer)
3 cups tomato pasta sauce
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
If you do not have the "no boil" lasagna noodles bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook mushrooms, onions, and garlic in olive oil until onions are tender. Drain excess liquid and cool.
Microwave spinach for 12 minutes. Drain, then squeeze out excess liquid.
Combine ricotta cheese, Romano cheese, spinach, salt, oregano, basil, pepper, and egg in a bowl. Add cooled mushroom mixture. Mix well.
Lay 5 lasagna noodles in bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread one third of the cheese/spinach mixture over noodles. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese on top. Spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce over cheese. Repeat layering 2 times.
Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour. Cool 15 minutes before serving.
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