The Red Hat Society - Eat Dessert First!: The Red Hat Society Dessert Cookbook

2007 by The Red Hat Society Photographs 2007 by Erik Boker All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc. Thomas Nelson, Inc. titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use.

For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com. Photo styling and testing by Victoria Storm ISBN 978-1-4185-6881-8 (eBook) Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Eat dessert first! / The Red Hat Society ; introductions by Sue Ellen Cooper ; photographs by Erik Boker. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. Desserts. 2. Baking. I. I.

Cooper, Sue Ellen. II. Red Hat Society. TX773.E3193 2007 641.8'6dc22 2007023174 07 08 09 10 11 125 4 3 2 1 Contents It is said that the ability to accept and apply the principle of delayed gratification is a sign that a person has reached adulthood. Most of us start learning this principle early. No matter how old you are now, theres a good likelihood that you have heard (and made) statements like these, some time in your life: Finish your homework before you turn on the TV.

Finish your chores before you go outside to play. Finish your vegetables before you ask for dessert. Conventional wisdom dictates that the hard part has to come first; thenand only thenthe pay-off follows. We even structure our meals on this model. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines dessert as a usually sweet course or dish (as of pastry or ice cream) usually served at the end of a meal. But, heres some food for thought (sorry, I never could resist a pun).

I recently ran across this anonymous quotation: The best part of dinner is the dessert, and it usually arrives when you cant eat any more. That puts things in a whole new light, dont you think? Now that were independent, oh-so-mature adults, who can tell us that we cant occasionally reverse the principle of delayed gratification? Wouldnt a creamy wedge of cheesecake taste even better if you dug into it when you were really hungry, instead of stuffing it down after youre already sated? Wouldnt your inner child think she was really getting away with something? Wouldnt it be FUN? We Red Hat Society members think so! And, if you need it, we even give you our permission to (at least occasionally) eat dessert first! Sue Ellen Cooper, Exalted Queen Mother
Red Hat Society Birthdays, holidays, society luncheonsalways a reason
(or who needs a reason) to celebrate. Theres an old song that begins, If I knew you were comin, Id have baked a cake... The ever-popular cake has become a sign of both celebration and hospitality. With or without candles, a cake is a familiar, homey treat. This type of dessert may be common, but the list of potential ingredients is long.

Included in the following recipes are such diverse ingredients as fruit (apples, strawberries, prunes), vegetables (potatoes, carrots), chocolate, whiskey, nutseven lavender! With all these choices, at least one of these recipes is bound to become your favorite! 2 large eggs 2 cups sugar cup canola oil 4 cups shredded, peeled apples 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 cup chopped nuts 1 cup chopped raisins 2 teaspoons vanilla Confectioners sugar Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13 9-inch baking pan. Set aside. In a large bowl beat the eggs until fluffy. Add the sugar and oil. Stir in the apples.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add to the apple mixture. Stir in the nuts, raisins, and vanilla. Mix well. Pour into the prepared pan, and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Dust with confectioners sugar before serving. Makes 10 to 12 servingsCarol Betush, Queen
Rebellious Elegant Dames,
Redding, CaliforniaCAKE BATTER: 2 large eggs 2 cups sugar cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups all-purpose flour teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons cinnamon teaspoon nutmeg 4 cups peeled and diced apples 1 cup chopped walnuts ICING: 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 3 tablespoons butter, softened Pinch of salt teaspoon vanilla 1 cups confectioners sugar Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13 9-inch baking pan. Set aside. For the cake, in a large bowl beat the eggs until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar, oil, and vanilla.

Add the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. (The batter will be stiff.) Stir in the apples and walnuts. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 40 minutes. Cool in the pan 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and place on a serving plate.

For the icing, combine the cream cheese, butter, salt, vanilla, and confectioners sugar in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Frost the cooled cake. Makes 10 to 12 servingsPaula Rae Espy, Red Hat Accountess
Red Hot River Babes,
Burlington, IowaCAKE BATTER: 5 large eggs, beaten 2 cups sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 2 cups all-purpose flour teaspoon salt 1 teaspoons baking powder cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon coconut extract 1 cup flaked coconut GLAZE: 2 cups sugar 1 cup milk cup (1 stick) butter Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Set aside.

For the cake, in a large bowl combine the eggs, sugar, and oil, mixing well. In a medium bowl combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir into the egg mixture, beating lightly. Add the milk, vanilla, coconut extract, and the coconut. Mix thoroughly. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake 1 hour, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven, loosen the cake from the edge of the pan with a knife, and prick the top of the cake in several places with a toothpick. For the glaze, in a small saucepan combine the sugar, milk, and butter over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Pour the mixture over the hot cake. Cool the cake in the pan before removing to a serving plate.

This cake freezes well. Makes 16 servingsKaron Saul, Queen Mum
Wacky Women of The Ya Ya Sisterhood,
Jacksonville, Florida 3 large apples, peeled and sliced 1 cup chocolate chips, divided 1 cup chopped nuts, divided 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided cup shortening 1 cups firmly packed brown sugar, divided cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda teaspoon salt 1 cup cold water 1 teaspoon vanilla Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 9-inch baking pan. Set aside. In a medium bowl combine the apples, cup of the chocolate chips, cup of the chopped nuts, and cup of the flour. Toss together to coat the mixture and set aside.

In a large bowl cream the shortening, cup of the brown sugar, the granulated sugar, and eggs. Add the remaining 2 cups of the flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt alternately with the cold water and vanilla. Mix well. Fold in the apple mixture. Spread into the prepared pan. In a small bowl mix the remaining cup brown sugar, the remaining cup chocolate chips, and the remaining cup nuts together and sprinkle on top of the batter.

Bake 30 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 24 servingsPatricia Ruegger, Queen Mother