Egg Yolks

DOWNSVILLE - As promised, Elisabeth Brodell is sharing the recipe for her Double Coconut Cake with Key Lime Buttercream Filling. Brodell, 36, who lives south of Downsville, won grand champion of all open-class baked goods with this cake during the Washington County Ag Expo earlier this summer. She took her winning recipe to the Maryland State Fair in Timonium, Md., which was in late August and early September. She earned fourth place in the coconut cake category. "There were hundreds and hundreds of (baked goods)

Hollandaise, the traditional sauce made with eggs, is the most difficult sauce for me. Not for the reason you think, but one of taste, because I do not like eggs. I can cook them, add them as ingredients to recipes, hard boil them or throw them at someone who drives me crazy, but I will not eat them.   I think it goes back to a day in my childhood when my mother made them for me and I got really sick.   The first key to a good sauce is starting with quality butter because it's made by an emulsion of melted or clarified butter, and acid such as lemon juice or vinegar with partially cooked eggs.

Mousse Au Chocolate 10 1/2 ounce semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 tablespoon instant coffee 6 egg yolks 4 egg whites 3 1/2 ounces sugar 14 ounces heavy cream 1 vanilla bean rum, a generous splash Measure all ingredients. Melt chocolate chips on water bath or double boiler Mix drop of hot water to instant coffee. Mix egg yolks, 3/4 of sugar and vanilla bean in a bowl.

2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons salad oil 1/2 onion, chopped fine 1 cup corn kernels, canned or fresh 1 tablespoon sugar Salt and pepper, to taste 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese 3 eggs, separated Heat butter and salad oil in skillet. Saut onion, add corn, sugar, salt and pepper. Cool and add cheese and well-beaten egg yolks. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour in well-greased 9-by-11-inch casserole and set in pan of hot water. Bake in 350-degree oven for 1 hour.

(Start to finish 40 minutes) 5 tablespoons butter, plus 2 teaspoons 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese 3/4 cup rice flour 2 cups whole milk 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 6 egg yolks 2 teaspoons fresh thyme 2 teaspoons salt 2 pinches nutmeg 4 egg whites Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Use the 5 tablespoons of butter to grease six 6-ounce ramekins. Dust the insides of the ramekins with the Parmesan cheese, wiping away an excess from around the rim. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the remaining butter.

3 cups milk 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 cups egg yolks (from 14 to 16 large eggs) 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 cup buttermilk alt in a saucepan over medium heat until the mixture just reaches a boil. Remove from the heat. Whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining sugar. Temper the egg mixture by gradually adding about one-half of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, whipping constantly.

For pie crust: 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup butter-flavored shortening 4 to 6 tablespoons cold water For filling: 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup cornstarch 2 cups water 4 egg yolks 1/4 cup butter 2 teaspoons lemon zest 2/3 cup lemon juice 2 drops of yellow food coloring For meringue: 4 egg whites 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1/2 cup sugar...

For a couple of dollars, it's so easy to grab a jar of mayonnaise off the store shelf. But homemade mayonnaise can be had in a matter of food processor pulses. And it doesn't have to be the same old blah. "It's relatively simple to do," said Lynn Little, an agent with the Maryland Cooperative Extension, Washington County office. Plus once you've made your own, you've got a blank canvas, said Scott Anderson, assistant director and chef with Shepherd University Dining Services.

Souffle au Pamplemousse is a souffle recipe given to Williams-Sonoma founder Chuck Williams by the chef at Chez Lucienne, a restaurant on the Left Bank in Paris in the early 1960s. It is among the 150 recipes included by Williams in his new cookbook, "Celebrating the Pleasure of Cooking" (Time-Life Books, $24.95). Souffle au Pamplemousse 6 large grapefruit 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup milk 5 egg yolks, plus 6 egg whites 1 tablespoon kirsch, or more to taste Confectioners' sugar Using a sharp knife, cut off about one-fourth of each grapefruit from the stem end in an even slice.

photo: Associated Press For those of you who missed the recipe for Spiced Apple Walnut Cheesecake, here it is again: Walnut Crust 4 cups ground walnuts 6 tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup butter (melted) Apple Cheesecake Batter 1 1/2 cups cream cheese 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese 1/2 cup applesauce 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon dash ground nutmeg dash ground cloves 3 large eggs 3 large egg yolks White Chocolate Glaze 14 1-ounce squares white chocolate 1 cup heavy cream Cinnamon Glazed Walnut Garnish 1 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 tablespoons water 1 3/4 cups walnut halves To make the crust, combine walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and butter in a mixing bowl and stir until well blended.

Hollandaise, the traditional sauce made with eggs, is the most difficult sauce for me. Not for the reason you think, but one of taste, because I do not like eggs. I can cook them, add them as ingredients to recipes, hard boil them or throw them at someone who drives me crazy, but I will not eat them.   I think it goes back to a day in my childhood when my mother made them for me and I got really sick.   The first key to a good sauce is starting with quality butter because it's made by an emulsion of melted or clarified butter, and acid such as lemon juice or vinegar with partially cooked eggs.

When traveling, one of my favorite things to do is pick up a regional cookbook to browse and find different recipes or variations of favorites. I will then combine them and make my own version that suits our tastes. I adapted this recipe from "Weaverton School Family Cooking. " I am a hairstylist at Hair Concepts and have also built a reputation among co-workers and clients of bringing in baked goods to share. I have one son, Todd, and am planning to marry my fiance, Chuck Lopp, in October.

Teal, brown and deep green - these aren't the colors of Easter eggs. These are the eggs of chickens, ostriches and emus. Perhaps it's time to think outside the shell. "You can eat any kind of egg," said Jennifer R. Timmons, a poultry specialist for the University of Maryland Extension. But which ones we choose have more to do with social norms and commercial availability. Timmons, farmers and other poultry experts agreed to help The Herald-Mail decode the egg. Brown vs. white Nutritionists consider eggs to be a good source of protein.

For a couple of dollars, it's so easy to grab a jar of mayonnaise off the store shelf. But homemade mayonnaise can be had in a matter of food processor pulses. And it doesn't have to be the same old blah. "It's relatively simple to do," said Lynn Little, an agent with the Maryland Cooperative Extension, Washington County office. Plus once you've made your own, you've got a blank canvas, said Scott Anderson, assistant director and chef with Shepherd University Dining Services.

Consider making a souffle for an Easter brunch. But first, you may need to get over any fears about making a souffle in the first place. I'm no chef, but making a souffle is just not that hard. It's the kind of thing that was once in the repertoire of even average cooks. My mom used to make a souffle with canned salmon, for heaven's sake. The first thing is to make sure your oven is the temperature it says it is. Ovens are often wildly off, so before you attempt anything delicate, buy a $5 oven thermometer and test yours.

For pie crust: 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup butter-flavored shortening 4 to 6 tablespoons cold water For filling: 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup cornstarch 2 cups water 4 egg yolks 1/4 cup butter 2 teaspoons lemon zest 2/3 cup lemon juice 2 drops of yellow food coloring For meringue: 4 egg whites 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1/2 cup sugar...

(Start to finish 40 minutes) 5 tablespoons butter, plus 2 teaspoons 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese 3/4 cup rice flour 2 cups whole milk 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 6 egg yolks 2 teaspoons fresh thyme 2 teaspoons salt 2 pinches nutmeg 4 egg whites Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Use the 5 tablespoons of butter to grease six 6-ounce ramekins. Dust the insides of the ramekins with the Parmesan cheese, wiping away an excess from around the rim. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the remaining butter.

DOWNSVILLE - As promised, Elisabeth Brodell is sharing the recipe for her Double Coconut Cake with Key Lime Buttercream Filling. Brodell, 36, who lives south of Downsville, won grand champion of all open-class baked goods with this cake during the Washington County Ag Expo earlier this summer. She took her winning recipe to the Maryland State Fair in Timonium, Md., which was in late August and early September. She earned fourth place in the coconut cake category. "There were hundreds and hundreds of (baked goods)

3 cups milk 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 cups egg yolks (from 14 to 16 large eggs) 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 cup buttermilk alt in a saucepan over medium heat until the mixture just reaches a boil. Remove from the heat. Whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining sugar. Temper the egg mixture by gradually adding about one-half of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, whipping constantly.

2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons salad oil 1/2 onion, chopped fine 1 cup corn kernels, canned or fresh 1 tablespoon sugar Salt and pepper, to taste 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese 3 eggs, separated Heat butter and salad oil in skillet. Saut onion, add corn, sugar, salt and pepper. Cool and add cheese and well-beaten egg yolks. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour in well-greased 9-by-11-inch casserole and set in pan of hot water. Bake in 350-degree oven for 1 hour.