President David Maxwell and Madeleine Maxwell brought breakfast to all departments on campus in 2015 for a personal farewell. Below are recipes for dishes hand-made by Madeleine Maxwell.
Cheese Straws
Ingredients
1 ⅔ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 pound extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (2 . cups)
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons water
1. Sift the flour, mustard, salt and cayenne into a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the cheese and butter on low speed until well blended. Gradually beat in the flour until completely incorporated. Add the water and beat for 1 minute.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 5 times. On a large sheet of wax paper, roll the dough into a 12-by-9-inch rectangle. Slide the dough onto a cookie sheet and refrigerate until chilled, about 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 425°. Cut the dough in half crosswise, then cut it into 6-by-14-inch strips. Transfer the strips to 2 cookie sheets. Bake 1 sheet at a time for about 14 minutes, or until the cheese straws are golden brown and crisp. Let cool slightly, then transfer to rack to cool completely.
Note: The Cheese Straws can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Be forewarned: they may not be as crisp but can be placed in the oven for a few minutes to regain the crispness. Use thyme and/or sage if you are serving with chicken or make it spicier to dip in salsa and so on.
Maddy’s Blueberry Cake
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 pt. blueberries (drained & floured)
2 1/2 cups Flour
1/2 cup Nuts
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
Put baking soda in sour cream and set aside. Cream butter and sugar. Sift dry ingredients. Add one egg at a time. Add sour cream and nuts. Bake 45+ minutes at 375° in tube pan. Add more blueberries if you want to—try not to let them touch the wall of the pan. When cake is cooled, dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Laura Goodenough Apple Cake
“From the NYT’s writer: This recipe is a favorite of my grandmother, who based it on a Laura Goodenough recipe she clipped out of an unknown newspaper many years ago. Over time, she has fine-tuned and perfected the recipe, producing a cake that is a perfect balance of sweet, tart, cakey, and moist. Whenmade with peaches or nectarines, the end result is entirely different, but equally delicious.” Madeleine Maxwell clipped this excerpt from the NYT Sunday decades ago.
Ingredients
6 firm-fleshed apples (granny smith work well)
5 tablespoons plus 1.5 cups sugar
5 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
4 extra-large eggs (or 4.5 regular eggs)
5 1/2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon natural vanilla extract
Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Peel, core, and slice apples into approx. 1/8 inch slices. Combine with five tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and lemon or lime juice and set aside.
3. Sift the flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the oil, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla.
4. Beat with a wooden spoon until well blended.
5. Spoon 1/3 of the batter into a greased 9″ or 10″ angel-food pan (aerosol oil/flour combination sprays work well). Make a ring of half the apple mixture (drained of excess moisture) on top, taking care not to have the apple mixture touching the sides of the pan.
6. Spoon another third of the batter over, make a ring of remaining apples, and top with remaining batter.
7. Bake for approximately 45 minutes (checking for doneness after 35) or until done. Cover top with aluminum foil if it begins to over-brown.
8. Allow to cool to lukewarm in pan before turning out onto a serving plate. Serve immediately while warm or store in freezer. Makes 10 servings.
Note: If sweeter apples such as Fuji are used, reduce