My Favorite Recipes

Douglas Perkins

Introduction

I try to write blog entries with recipes of my favorite dishes. These can generally be found on my website in the recipe section. I've made these recipes many times. Generally speaking they are simple and forgiving. If you're particularly scared of cooking, start with the tacos or the apple crisp. Many of these recipes are family favorites. Some are slight modifications of the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. I have a copy of the Eleventh Edition (1965), and several of these recipes are from there.

Some of the recipes are written in both English and Japanese.

The words here are all under a Creative Commons Attribution license. Recipes themselves cannot be copyrighted — only the precise wording is protected. That's great, because it means if you like some recipe you find, either here or elsewhere, you can rewrite it in your own words and do whatever you like with it.

Almond Cake

2016-07-29

This is a recipe for almond cake. It is a variation of a recipe from allrecipes.com. Serve with coffee.

225 g (2 sticks) unsalted butter

250 g marzipan

150 g (¾ cup) white sugar

¼ tsp almond essence

¼ tsp vanilla extract

6 large eggs

125 g (1 cup) flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C). Let the marzipan and butter warm up to room temperature. If the marzipan is cold, it will not mix well with the other ingredients. Butter a baking pan or large pie tray.

In a large bowl, mix the marzipan and butter together, using an electric mixer if available. Stir in the sugar. Then mix in the almond essence and vanilla extract, and finally mix in the eggs. In another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Pour this into the first bowl and mix well.

Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. When the cake looks golden and cooked, and a toothpick comes out cleanish, remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan. For the best flavor, wait a day before eating.

Apple Crisp

2010-11-13

This is an old and wonderful recipe for apple crisp. It's a modification of the 1979 Fannie Farmer Cookbook recipe.

3 tart apples

¾ cup (75 g) flour

1 cup (170 g) brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

½ cup (45 g) walnuts

1 stick (110 g) butter

¼ tsp salt

Add cloves or extra cinnamon if you like. Butter a baking dish. Cut the apples into small slices and put in the baking dish. Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, walnuts, butter, and salt with your fingers or a fork. Then pour this mix on top of the apples. Bake at 350°F (175°C) until crust is brown (40-50 minutes). Let cool and eat. Optionally, serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

すっぱいリンゴ　3本

ケーキ用の薄力粉　175 cc (75 g)

黒砂糖　235 cc (170 g)

くるみ　120 cc (45 g)

シナモン　小さじ 1

バター　120 cc (110 g)

塩　小さじ ¼

天板はバターをします。リンゴを切って、天板に入れる。フォークで薄力粉と黒砂糖とくるみとシナモンとバターと塩を混ぜて、リンゴの上に入れる。175°Cでオブーンに焼きます、40～50分。10分待って、食べる。

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-08-15

This is an old and wonderful recipe for chocolate chip cookies. It's a modification of the 1979 Fannie Farmer Cookbook recipe.

1 stick (110 g) butter

½ cup (100 g) white sugar

½ cup (90 g) brown sugar

1 egg

¾ tsp vanilla

1 ⅛ cups (155 g) flour

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

½ cup (45 g) walnuts

1 cup (170 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Soften the butter and mix with the white and brown sugar. Mix in the egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking soda, and then add to the butter mixture. Mix in the walnuts and chocolate chips. Place in teaspoon-size balls on a buttered cookie sheet and bake at 375°F (191°C) for 8-10 minutes or until light brown. Let cool, eat, and enjoy!

バター 115 g

砂糖 ½ カップ (100 g)

黒砂糖 ½ カップ (90 g)

卵 1個

バニラ 小さじ ¾

小麦粉 1 ⅛ カップ (155 g)

塩 小さじ ½

ベーキングパウダー 小さじ ½

くるみ ½ カップ (45 g)

チョコチップ 1 カップ (170 g)

バターを常温にして、ボールに入れる。砂糖と黒砂糖を入れて混ぜる。卵とバニラを入れて混ぜる。他のボールで小麦粉と塩とベーキングパウダーを混ぜる。これを上のミックスに入れて混ぜる。くるみとチョコチップを入れて混ぜる。くっつかないようにトレーにバターをぬる。食べやすい大きさ形にする。191°Cのオーブンで8~10分焼く。冷まして、食べる。

Cashew Cardamom Balls

2011-11-10

1 cup (140 g) finely chopped cashews

1 cup (180 g) finely chopped dates

¼ tsp ground cardamom

grated peel of one orange

½ cup dried shredded coconut

This is a recipe for cashew cardamom balls which I found at SCO*RECIPE (2011). Using your hands, mix the cashews and cardamom. Then mix in the orange peel, followed by the dates. The dates should make everything stick together, making a big ball. Divide this big ball into 16 small balls. Chop the coconut into as small pieces as possible, and roll each ball in coconut.

カシュー　140 g

なつめやし　180 g

カルダモン　小さじ ¼

オレンジピール　1個の分

ココナツのパウダー　½ カップ

Chestnut Cake

2011-11-13

The following is a recipe for chestnut cake. It's an adaptation of a recipe by Chef Tallyrand at HUB-UK (2011).

500 g chestnuts

250 mL milk

250 g white sugar

6 large eggs

100 g butter

100 g finely chopped almonds

100 g bitter chocolate

100 mL brandy

2 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Butter a round 25-26 cm cake tin. Roast or boil the chestnuts. If the chestnuts are roasted, simmer in the milk for 15 minutes or until soft. Puree the chestnuts in a food processor. Put the sugar and egg yolks in a large bowl and mix. Add the melted butter, and mix. Add the almonds, chocolate, lemon juice, and brandy, and mix. Then, add the chestnuts and mix. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff, and fold into the mix. Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake for 45 minutes. Let cool for an hour or more before eating.

Cornbread

2010-08-16

This is a nice recipe for cornbread. It's a modification of the 1979 Fannie Farmer Cookbook recipe.

¾ cup (120 g) yellow cornmeal

1 cup (110 g) flour

⅓ cup (70 g) sugar

3 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 cup (90 g) milk

1 egg

2 tbsp melted butter

onions (optional)

jalapeños (optional)

sausage (optional)

In a big bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat the egg, melt the butter, and add the egg, butter, and milk to the mixture. Mix well. Optionally, add some fried onions, jalapeño peppers, and cooked breakfast sausage. Pour the mix into a hot buttered 6" or 8" cast iron frying pan, and bake at 425°F (220°C) for 20 minutes. Let cool and eat.

Masa (corn flour) can be used instead of cornmeal. Simply substitute in equal parts. This changes the texture, and the bread might rise more than with cornmeal, but the taste is quite nice.

これはコーンブレッドのレシピです。

コーンミール　120 g

小麦粉　110 g

砂糖　90 g

ベーキングパウダー　小さじ 3

ミルク　235 cc

卵　1個

バター　大さじ 2杯分

塩　小さじ ½

コーンミールと小麦粉と砂糖とベーキングパウダーと塩を混ぜる。バターを溶かしておく。ミルクと卵とバターを入れて混ぜる。混ぜたものを鉄板のフライパンに入れる。220°Cのオーブンに20分入れる。少し冷まして、食べる。（日本にはコーンミールが珍しいですが、外国の食べ物の店はコーンミールを売っています。）

Danish Oatmeal Balls

2015-11-08

This is a recipe by Emma og Anne for danish oatmeal balls (gode havregrynskugler) from Alletiders Kogebog. Kaya, my school's Danish exchange student, wanted to do cooking for the annual school Christmas party. We don't have easy access to the kitchen, and she thought of this no-bake recipe. Kaya tells me that many kids in Denmark make these kinds of snacks around Christmas time. With this kind of food, as long as there's enough butter for everything to stick together, you can make small adjustments according to your own tastes.

1 tsp powdered instant coffee

150 g white sugar

180 g oatmeal

3 tbsp cocoa powder

160 g butter

100 g coconut powder (optional)

100 g powdered sugar (optional)

In a bowl, mix the coffee, sugar, oatmeal, and cocoa powder. Then mix in the butter. Use your fingers to crush everything together until it forms a sticky mass.

With your fingers, make 1" balls. Roll these in coconut powder or powdered sugar and put them on a tray. Optionally, cover the tray and refrigerate for 2 or more hours. Refrigeration brings out the flavor, but if you're pressed for time, eat the oatmeal balls immediately after making them. Enjoy.

One batch produces around thirty balls. These oatmeal balls are sweet and buttery. They go well with tea or coffee.

Eggnog

2010-12-21

This is a recipe for eggnog. It's rather strong, so care should be taken when consuming. Also, some people worry about the uncooked eggs. My family has used this recipe for decades without a problem, but regardless, use your own judgment. I got this recipe from my parents, who got it from my grandparents.

12 eggs

1 ½ cup sugar

¼ tsp salt

1 qt heavy cream

1 qt brandy (or bourbon)

1 cup rum

A bit of nutmeg

Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Then beat in ½ cup sugar. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, and salt until very light. Combine the egg mixtures and stir until blended. Beat the heavy cream until stiff. Then add it to the egg mixture along with the milk, brandy, and rum. Mix well, pour into a gallon jug, and store in a cool place for 10 days to let it mellow. Shake well before serving. Serve with a sprinkle of nutmeg. Drink sparingly.

これはアメリカの卵酒（エッグノッグ）のレシピです。アルコール分が多いので注意してください。

卵　12

砂糖　375 cc

塩　小さじ ¼

生クリーム（ヘビークリーム）　1 L

ナッツメッグ

牛乳　1 L

ブランディ　1 L

ラム　250 cc

卵白を泡立てる。砂糖（125 cc）を1.に入れて混ぜる。他のボールで、卵黄と砂糖（250 cc）と塩を混ぜる。これを上のボールに入れて混ぜる。生クリームを泡立てる。これと牛乳とブランディとラムを上のボールに入れて混ぜる。混ぜたものを大きなガラス壺に入れる。涼しい場所で10日間待つ。もう一度混ぜる。クラスに注いでナッツメッグを少々振りかける。ゆっくり飲む。

Grandmother's Pound Cake

2014-01-05

This is a recipe for pound cake. As you may know, the main objective of pound cake is to let everyone eat a lot of butter. You also need some eggs, sugar, and flour, otherwise it wouldn't be cake. Pound cake improves in flavor if left for a day or two. Children or adults who are impatient will be inclined to eat the cake not long after it cools and their hands should be watched closely. This is a modification of the 1979 Fannie Farmer Cookbook recipe.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 ⅔ cups (320 g) sugar

5 eggs

2 cups (240 g) flour

¼ tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).

Mix the butter and sugar until fluffy. This is best done with an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs one at a time and mix until creamy. Fold in the flour and salt. Spoon into one large loaf pan or two smaller ones. Bake for 1 ½ hours.

Johnnycake

2014-12-12

This is a recipe for a johnnycake. To call this a recipe is an overstatement, because there are only three ingredients, two of which are salt and water.

1 cup water (or milk)

½ cup cornmeal

1 tsp salt

Mix the cornmeal and salt in a small baking pan or cast iron fry pan. Boil the water and mix it in. Bake at 360°F (182°C) until crisp. Baking times vary by oven; in my oven, thirty minutes is perfect.

Serve with maple syrup. Eat with a spoon directly from the fry pan, being careful not to burn one's fingers on the dish. Johnnycakes taste best just after cooking when they're still hot. Don't bother trying to prepare extra for later.

Masa Pancakes

2014-12-07

This is a recipe for masa pancakes. Masa pancakes are very similar to regular pancakes, except for the enjoyable extra corn flour taste. This is a variant of a recipe from Mexscape.

1 cup masa (corn flour)

½ cup all purpose flour

1 tsp sugar

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 eggs

1 ½ cups milk or water

3 tbsp vegetable oil

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, mix the wet ingredients in a second bowl, and then mix the two together. After thoroughly mixing, let the bowl sit for five minutes to let the corn flour soften. Stir the mixture again.

Put a fry pan on the stove at medium heat. Lightly butter or oil the pan. Using a ⅓ cup measure, pour batter into the fry pan. When each pancake has bubbles and starts to dry around the edges, flip and and cook it for another minute.

Serve with maple syrup or your favorite toppings. The above quantities give enough pancakes to feed two people.

Persimmon Cookies

2010-11-16

This is a nice recipe for persimmon cookies. It's a modification of Patty Tindall's recipe at allrecipes.com (2010).

3 ripe persimmons

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp salt

1 stick (½ cup) butter

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 cup crushed walnuts

1 cup raisins

Puree persimmons and mix with baking soda. In another bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar. Mix in persimmon mixture and 1 egg. Mix in flour mixture. Add walnets and raisins, and mix. Place in small balls on buttered cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 15 minutes. Let cool and eat.

Rice Pudding

2011-09-02

By Rudi Riet. CC-BY-SA 3.0.

The following is an easy recipe for tasty rice pudding. It's from a cookbook called The New Best Recipe, by Cook's Illustrated (2004, ISBN 0936184744).

2 cups water

2 ½ cups milk

2 ½ cups half and half

1 cup rice

⅔ cup sugar

1 ¼ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

½ cup raisins

Boil the water in a large saucepan. Add the rice and salt. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the water is almost fully absorbed (about 15 minutes). Add milk, half and half, and sugar. Cook on high until boiling, then lower to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and cook for another 15 minutes, or until a spoon can stand up in the pudding. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking or scorching. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, and raisins. Cool and eat. (Store in refrigerator, with plastic wrap pressed onto pudding. Eat within two days.)

By Rudi Riet. CC-BY-SA 3.0.

これは「ライスプリン」のレシピです。ライスプリンはイギリスの食べ物です。

水　2 カップ

牛乳　4 カップ

生クリーム　1 カップ

米　1 カップ

砂糖　⅔ カップ

バニラ　1.25 小さじ

塩　0.25 小さじ

シナモン　1 小さじ

レーズン　0.5 カップ

大きなソースパンに水を入れて、煮立てる。米と塩を入れる。蓋をして、水がほとんどなくなるまで（約15分間）静かに煮立てる。牛乳と生クリームと砂糖を入れる。蓋をしないで、30分くらい静かに煮立てる。弱火にして、中にスプーンを入れて立つまで（約15分間）煮る。火を止める。バニラとシナモンとレーズンを入れて、混ぜる。少し冷ましてから食べる。（冷蔵庫に入れ、二日以内に食べる。）

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2013-10-22

This is a recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies. It's a variant of Oatmeal Raisin Cookies I from allrecipes.com.

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter

¾ cup (150 g) white sugar

¾ cup (135 g) brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ½ cups (210 g) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

2 ¾ cups (240 g) rolled oats

1 cup (145 g) raisins

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Let the butter soften. Mix in the white sugar and the brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat until fluffy.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add this to the butter mixture. Stir in the raisins and oats.

Place in teaspoon size drops on a cookie sheet. Cook 9-11 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet.

Peanut Butter Cookies

2015-03-12

This is a variation of a Shirley Sadler recipe for peanut butter cookies from allrecipes.com. Peanut butter cookies are an American classic. They're quick and easy to make.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup (250 g) crunchy peanut butter

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 ½ cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 cup (300 g) chocolate chips (optional)

Mix the butter, peanut butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir this into the first batter. Mix in chocolate chips (optionally). Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll the batter into 1 inch balls and place on a buttered cookie sheet. Flatten each ball with a fork to make a criss-cross pattern. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies begin to brown. Do not over-bake. Cool and eat.

It's easy to over-cook these cookies. If you do, the cookies will get crispy when they cool. In that case, crush them and mix them in with your granola the next morning. Also, when you're flattening the dough balls with a fork, if the dough gets warm (i.e., room temperature), it will stick to the fork. In that case, either put it in the fridge to cool again, or do without the criss-cross lines. The cookies will taste good either way.

Sweet Potato Pie

2013-11-23

This is a recipe for sweet potato pie. It's a variant of Sweet Potato Pie I from allrecipes.com.

½ cup (1 stick) butter

1 lb (450 g) cooked sweet potato (2-3 potatoes)

½ cup milk

½ cup (95 g) white sugar

½ cup (95 g) brown sugar

2 eggs

½ tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pie crust

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Let the butter soften.

Boil the sweet potatoes 40-50 minutes until done. Run cold water over the potatoes and remove the skin. Or, in Japan in the fall, you can buy hot sweet potatoes from the supermarket and remove the skin from these. After skinning the potatoes, measure the above amount.

Mix the potatoes, milk, and butter in a large bowl. Stir in the eggs, brown sugar, white sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.

Pour the mixture into the two pie crusts. (Instead of using two 6" pie crusts, you can use one 9" crust. Or use a rectangular pan and make bars instead.) Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean. The pie will puff up as it bakes and sink down as it cools.

Tacos

2011-03-09

The following taco recipe makes about sixteen small tacos.

16 8" flour tortillas

2 red (or white) onions

2 orange (or yellow) peppers

1 head lettuce

3 avocados

vegetable oil

300 g sliced cheddar (or mozzarella) cheese

1.3 pounds (600 g) beef

1 package taco seasoning

1 jar sliced jalapeño peppers

1 jar (16 oz.) salsa

Dice the onions and fry with a little vegetable on very low heat for 10 minutes or until brown. In a frying pan on medium heat with a little vegetable oil, brown the beef. Add taco seasoning (or make your own with garlic, cayenne, salt, and pepper) as desired. Cut the orange peppers into thin slices. Shred the lettuce. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit. With a spoon, put the green inner part into a bowl. Crush with a fork until smooth. Cut the jalapeños into very small pieces, unless you like the heat of them as is. Separate the tortillas. Store bought flour tortillas often stick together, and if yours do, microwave for 30 seconds first.

To serve, take a tortilla and add the desired amount of meat, onions, and cheese. Do this first (so the cheese will melt). Then add lettuce, avocado, orange pepper, and jalapeños. Optionally, try with sour cream, or perhaps with cilantro and limes mixed in with the avocado.

8" フラワートルティーヤ　16枚

玉ねぎ　2個

オレンジ色ピーマン　2個

レタス　1個

アボカド　3個

植物油

300 g チェダーチーズ

牛肉　600 g

ガーリック

一味唐辛子

塩

コショウ

スライスハラペーニョ

サルサ(ソース)

Turkey and Gravy

2020-11-23

I have an oven, Julie's old oven, and it's big enough to cook a turkey. So I ordered a turkey from the Meat Guy. Here's how I cooked it. This is a variant of a recipe from Food Network Magazine.

Start with a frozen turkey. Defrost the turkey in the microwave at 150 W, 6 minutes per pound, rotating occasionally. (It is recommended to purchase the turkey several days in advance and thaw it in your refrigerator instead.)

1 10 lb turkey

salt

pepper

1 tsp sage

1 tsp thyme

1 small white onion

1 small carrot

1 celery stalk

2 tsp paprika

150 g butter

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Place the oven rack in the lowest location. Lightly oil a 12" cast iron frying pan. Pat the turkey very dry with paper towels. Rub inside and out with salt and pepper. Dice the onion, carrot, and celery, and stuff into the cavity.

Melt the butter in a small frying pan. Mix in the paprika, sage, and thyme. Put the turkey in the frying pan. Butter the turkey. Roast for 1 hour. After 1 hour, baste the turkey with drippings. Continue roasting for 1-2 more hours, basting every 30 minutes, until the skin is golden brown. Use a meat thermometer to measure breast temperature, and stop roasting when it reaches 74°C (165°F). Wait 30 minutes before carving.

After the turkey is in the oven, start making the gravy. This is a variant of a recipe by Slowturtle.

4 cups (1150 ml) chicken broth

turkey giblets

½ cup onion

1 celery stalk

1 tsp salt

black pepper

½ cup (65 g) flour

turkey drippings

Dice the onion and celery. Put the broth, onion, celery, giblets, salt, and pepper in a pot. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. When the turkey is nearing completion, strain the broth. Heat the broth in a frying pan on medium heat. Add the turkey drippings and flour. Cook and stir for around 20 minutes. Use a blender to smooth the gravy out.

Vanilla Walnut Bars

2019-12-02

This is an easy recipe for vanilla walnut bars. It's a modification of one by Diana Rattray.

150 g flour

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 large egg

60 g butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

175 g brown sugar

120 g walnuts

Melt the butter and allow it to cool. Crush the walnuts into fine pieces. In one bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. In another bowl, beat the egg for 2 minutes until foamy. Mix the brown sugar, butter, and vanilla extract in with the egg. Mix the two bowls together. Fold in the walnuts and mix well. Using a fork or stiff spatula, spread this evenly into a buttered square pan. Bake in a square pan at 180°C for 20 minutes, or until the top is brown. Let cool in the pan before cutting into squares for eating.