Carrot Cake

The best there is!
From the former, but famous Commissary and the Frog
restaurant in Philadelphia in the 1970s.
They are both gone, but the cookbook remains!

PECAN CREAM FILLING:

1 1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
6 oz. (3/4 c.) unsalted butter
1 1/4 c. chopped pecans
2 tsp. vanilla extract

CARROT CAKE:

1 1/4 c. corn oil
2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs
4 c. grated carrots (about a 1 lb. bag)
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. raisins

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

8 oz. soft unsalted butter
8 oz. soft cream cheese
1 1 lb. box powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

ASSEMBLY:

4 oz. shredded, sweetened coconut

Pecan Cream Filling:

In a heavy saucepan, blend well the sugar, flour and salt.
Gradually stir in cream.
Add the butter.
Cook and stir the mixture over low heat
until the butter has melted,
then simmer for 2--30 minutes until golden brown in color,
stirring occasionally.
Cool to lukewarm. Stir in the nuts and vanilla.
Let cool completely and then refrigerate,
preferably overnight.
If too thick to spread,
bring to room temperature before using.

CARROT CAKE

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Have ready a greased and floured 10" tube cake pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the corn oil and the sugar.
Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Sift half of the dry ingredients into the sugar-oil mixture and blend.
Alternately sift in the rest of the dry ingredients while adding the eggs,
one at a time. Combine well.
Add the carrots, raisins and pecans.
Pour into a prepared tube pan and bake for 70 minutes.
Cool upright in the pan on a cooling rack.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Cream the butter well.
Add the cream cheese and beat until blended.
Sift in the sugar and add the vanilla.
If too soft to spread, chill it for awhile.

ASSEMBLY

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Spread the coconut in a baking sheet and
bake it for 10-15 minutes until
it colors lightly.
Toss the coconut as it's baking so that it browns evenly.
Cool completely.
Have the filling and the frosting at spreadable consistency.

Loosen the cake in its pan
and invert onto a serving plate.
With a long serrated knife,
cut the cake into three layers.
Spread the filling between the layers.
Spread the frosting over the top and sides.
Pat the toasted coconut on the sides of the cake.
If desired, reserve 1/2 cup of frosting and color with green
and orange food coloring.
Decorates the cake with carrots, using 1/16" piping.
Serve at room temperature.

Cake can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours.
It also freezes well.
Four cups of ungrated, green apples or zucchini
can be subsituted.
This batter can be made as cupcakes, loaves or petit fours.
The filling can be used as topping for ice cream if warmed first.

From The Frog and Commissary Cookbook

Oven Roasted Potatoes

2 1/2 lb. unpeeld all purpose potatoes
1 Tb. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2/3 c. corn oil
2 1/2 c. finely chopped onions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Cut the potatoes into 1/2 - 1/3" dice
and toss them with the salt, pepper and corn oil.
Spread them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet
pan and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and combine
the onions with the potatoes.
Return to the oven and continue to roast
for 25 minutes or until browned and crisp.

Stir occassionally.

Sauteed Green Beans with Hazelnut Crumbs

1/2 c. ground or finely chopped toasted hazelnuts
1/2 c. fine fresh bread crumbs or 1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1 lb. green beans, stemmed
6 Tbs. butter
1 Tb. minced shallots
1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper

Combine the nuts and bread crumbs and set aside.
Blanch the green beans in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes.
Refresh under cold running water and drain.
Heat water the butter in a saute pan.
Add the shallots and saute until softened.
Add the green beans, salt, pepper and hazelnut crumbs.
Saute several minutes to heat through.
Serve at once.

From The Frog and Commissary Cookbook

Chicken Breasts with Apples and Cider Cream Sauce

CIDER CREAM SAUCE:

2 c. flitered cider
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
2 1/2 c. heavy cream
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper

CHICKEN:

6 boneless chicken breast halves, skinned
3/4 c. flour, seasoned with 1 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper
1/2 c. clarified butter
2 large tart apples, cored and cut into 1/4" slices

SAUCE:

In a 2 qt. saucepan, reduce cider to 1/2 cup.
Whisk in the mustard and cream and reduce to about 2 cups
over medium-high heat or until thickened like a sauce.
Add seasonings and set aside.

CHICKEN AND ASSEMBLY:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Dredge chicken in the seasoned flour and shake off the excess.
Heat 6 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet.
Add the chicken and saute on one side for 5 minutes.
Turn the chicken over and saute for 3-5 minutes more or until
just done. Remove the chicken from the skillet
and keep warm in the oven.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan.
Add the apple slices and saute for 3-5 minutes or until
just tender.
Remove the apples and keep warm.
Pour off any excess butter from the pan.
Add the cider cream sauce to the pan and heat
through while scraping up any little browned bits
from the bottom of the pan.
When hot, serve over the chicken breast and garnish with the apple rings.

From The Frog and Commissary Cookbook