Angel Food Cake for the Archangels' Feast

Heavenly King,You have given us archangels
to assist us during our pilgrimage on earth.
Saint Michael is our protector;
I ask him to come to my aid,
fight for all my loved ones,
and protect us from danger.
Saint Gabriel is a messenger of the Good News;
I ask him to help me
clearly hear Your voice
and to teach me the truth.
Saint Raphael is the healing angel;
I ask him to take my need for healing
and that of everyone I know,
lift it up to Your throne of grace
and deliver back to us the gift of recovery.
Help us, O Lord,
to realize more fully the reality of the archangels
and their desire to serve us.

Holy angels,
pray for us.

Amen.

Every baker should have a good angel food cake in her (or his) repertoire for the angels' feast days (the feast of the Archangels, the Guardian Angels, Our Lady of Angels, etc.). This is one of those baked goods that seems daunting, but is really very easy to  make, and rather budget friendly. It stands alone with a dollop of whipped cream, or can be dressed up simple with berries, a drizzle of chocolate glaze, or really kicked up a notch with creme anglaise. 

One true key to a successful angel food cake is to make sure there are no traces of oil in the batter, so  make sure your pan is completely clean and that you don't get any yolk in your egg whites.

Angel Food Cake

1 cup cake flour

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

12 large egg whites

1 1/2 t. vanilla

1 1/2 t. cream of tartar

1/2 t. salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Be sure that your 10 inch tube pan is clean and dry. Sift together the flour, and 3/4 cup of the sugar, set aside.

In a large bowl (the egg whites will whip up to completely fill a Kitchen Aid mixer bowl), whip the egg whites along with the vanilla, cream of tartar and salt, to medium stiff peaks. Gradually add the remaining sugar while continuing to whip to stiff peaks. When the egg white mixture has reached its maximum volume, fold in the sifted ingredients gradually, one third at a time. Do not overmix. Put the batter into the tube pan.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake springs back when touched. Balance the tube pan upside down on the top of a bottle, to prevent decompression while cooling. When cool, run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert onto a plate.

Pin It

Angel Kisses for the Feast of the Guardian Angels

This post was written by Catholic Cuisine contributor, Charlotte from Waltzing Matilda. 

I whipped up these little peppermint meringue cookies earlier today trying to beat the rain that is heading our way today. If you've ever made meringue cookies, you know that rain or humidity can kill all of your efforts turning what should be a delightfully crispy little melt-in-your-mouth treat into a chewy piece of cardboard. I wanted to add a little peppermint flavor to my cookies which some people do with crushed up candy canes but I still wanted them to be white for the feast day today so I used a little peppermint extract. Keep these in mind for Christmas too!

Angel Kisses

2 egg whites (room temperature… very important to let your egg whites come to room temperature)

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. cream of tartar

1/2 C. sugar

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract (depends on how pepperminty you want them.

Preheat oven to 225 degrees and line pans with parchment paper. Place egg whites, salt and cream of tartar in a metal bowl and whip with electric mixer. You can't use a hand whisk. It doesn't put enough air into the egg whites.

When you have beaten the whites to form stiff peaks (tips of whites stand straight up in the air when you pull the beaters out) and the egg whites look glossy, gradually add your sugar. Add it slowly and beat well after each addition. Finally, using a clean spatula free of any kind of oil, quickly fold in the peppermint extract using a light hand. Scoop batter into a gallon size zip top bag with one corner cut off or use a piping bag with a decorative tip. Pipe out little dollops. Place pans in oven for 1.5 hours. Don't let the cookies brown. They should be completely dry when done. Turn off oven and leave door ajar while the cookies cool completely.

Enjoy!

I humbly salute you, O you faithful, heavenly Friends of my children! 

I give you heartfelt thanks for all the love and goodness you show them. 

At some future day I shall, with thanks more worthy than I can now give, 

repay your care for them, and before the whole heavenly court 

acknowledge their indebtedness to your guidance and protection. 

Continue to watch over them. Provide for all their needs of body and soul. 

Pray, likewise, for me, for my husband, and my whole family, 

that we may all one day rejoice in your blessed company. Amen

Pin It

Pumpkin Angel Food Cupcakes for Autumn Guardian Angels Feast

I am not intentionally getting Catholic Cuisine on the pumpkin bandwagon, but Fall brings many pumpkin flavored foods, which I love. Some people think that it goes a little overboard this time of year, but fall being harvest time and the time of pumpkins is part of God's natural cycle.  So to celebrate the fall season and the Feast of the Guardian Angels, a great combo cupcake.

Pumpkin Angel Food Cupcakes

1 box angel food cake mix
1 tbsp flour
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup cold water

Heat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tin with 20 cupcake liners. In a mixing bowl beat cupcake ingredients on low for 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 1 minute and pour into the cupcake liners just under rim. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool. Frost with buttercream frosting or other frosting of choice.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Angel of God, my guardian dear,
To whom God's love commits me here,
Ever this day, be at my side,
To light and guard,
Rule and guide.
~Amen.

Pin It

The Angel's Share

Last year while visiting a local winery for a field trip, I learned about "the angel's share." The winery we visited still stores the fermenting wine in oak barrels even though many wineries have gone to plastic barrels. The guide explained that the expression "the angel's share" refers to the quantity of the wine (or whiskey) which is lost to evaporation during the aging process for alcohol in oak barrels.  The angel's share phenomenon can reduce the amount of alcohol enough to allow the wine's more subtle flavors and textures to emerge - or in the case of whiskey to reduce the proof to mellow it and make it more palatable. It is estimated that the amount of alcohol lost annually is around two percent per barrel.

The evaporating alcohol is called "the angel's share," alluding to an old belief that guardian angels watch over the product as it ages and take their share. Ironically the day of the field trip was October 2 - the Feast of the Guardian Angels and we all thought is was fun to think of angels enjoying a "share" on their feast day.  So this year on the Feast of the Guardian Angels I am recalling this fun bit of vintners lore and toasting the angels tonight with a glass of wine. 

Pin It

Heavenly Angels

My plan for today had been to make Heavenly Angel Cookies inspired by this recipe from Kraft, which we hadn't been able to get to during our recent A is for Angels study.  They didn't turn out anything like I had pictured, but I thought I would go ahead and share them with you anyways... Next year I think I'll make Charlotte's variation or just stick with Angel Food Cake!

Ingredients 

• 1 OREO White Fudge Covered Cookies  (These must be seasonal, since I couldn't find them anywhere... Instead I tried using Golden Oreos and Coconut Delight Oreos.. Not the same, but those Coconut Delight Fudge Cremes are delish!)
• 1-2 individually wrapped round hard candies, unwrapped  (I just used one for each angel)
• 1 yellow ring-shaped hard candy
• 2 Tbsp. white frosting  (I used white candy/chocolate, melted)

Directions

Cut the cookie with sharp knife into 3 pieces to form the body and wings. (The wings should be about 3/8-inch wide at the widest part and the body section should be about 1/2-inch wide at the narrowest part.)

NOTE:  Since I wasn't able to find the White Fudge Covered Oreos, we ended up covering the whole angel bodies with melted white chocolate/candy.

Arrange the cookie pieces on sheet of wax paper to resemble an angel (cookie pieces will not touch at this point). Attach wings to the body with icing (or melted chocolate); fill in the space between the body and wings with more icing. Attach the head to the body with remaining icing (stacking two candies if using a thick cookie), and the yellow candy to the head for the halo.  Let stand until icing (or melted chocolate) is completely dry.

Holy Guardian Angels, pray for us!

Pin It

Guardian Angel Cookies

Our celebration snack for today was very simple. Inspired by an idea from Jessica, I used some leftover cookies...

...cut them in half and dipped them in some white candy melts to make wings.

Then we attached a Gingerman cookie on top with another glob of candy melt on the back.

We popped them in the fridge for a few minutes before transferring the angel cookies to a serving tray and giving them a Gingerman cookie to watch over.

My kids chuckled at some of the Gingermen with broken hands. I told them, "That's what happens when you don't listen to your Guardian Angel!"

Pin It

Gluten-Free Feasting for the Angels

This post is written by Catholic Cuisine Contributor, Sarah Mackenzie from Amongst Lovely Things. 

Thursday is Michaelmas Day, the Feast of the Archangels! I like to celebrate feast days in simple ways that our whole family can enjoy, and that means making everything gluten-free.

Last year, our family began the tradition of apple picking on Michaelmas Day. Apples are often associated with Michaelmas, and this year, I wanted an easy way to enjoy the fruits of our labor. This pregnant Mama isn't much up to canning this year!

Gluten-free apple dip is an easy, tasty snack.

Gluten Free Apple Dip

Mix together a block of softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon vanilla. Serve with fresh, sweet sliced apples (we used honeycrisp, and they were perfect!)

Want something more, for dessert perhaps? Nothing tastes quite so heavenly as Angel Food Cake, and just because you're gluten-free doesn't mean you can't indulge! I like Gluten Free Mommy's recipe best. Try topping your cake with fluffy white clouds of whip cream. Blackberries would make the perfect topping (and give you a great opportunity to tell your children the old story of how Satan landed on blackberry brambles when St. Michael kicked him out of Heaven!).

Hmmm... what happened to that other piece of cake? That baby-on-the-way... always getting into the goodies early! Such a naughty little thing! :)

Happy feasting!

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!

Pin It

"Angel Curls" Cookies

The following recipe was submitted by Luis Acosta, a seminarian in Mexico.  Thank you Luis!  

I´m Luis from Mexico, I'm a Jesuit seminarian hoping to become a Jesuit priest someday.  This is a recipe I made for my seminarian brothers in a reunion we had. It´s perfect for all Hallows eve, all saints' day, all souls' day, guardian angels' day, St Michael's day, for any bakery sale at your church or just for fun!!!

"Angel Curls" Cookies

Ingredients:

-2 cups all purpose flour

-1 tsp baking soda
-400gr butter
-1 cup sugar
-2 eggs
-4 tsp vanilla
-6 cups quick cooking oats
-1 cup pecans
-1 cup raisins

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Mix toguether flour and baking soda, reserve
-In a separate bowl cream toguether the butter with the sugar
-Add the eggs and the vanilla to the creamed butter and mix it all toguether
-Stir in the flour with the baking soda and blend well
-Add the raisins and the pecans
-Stir the oats, 1 cup at a time and mix just until blended
-Drop mixture by spoonfulls in an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned
-Cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet, then remove to a wire rack until they´re completly cooled
-Store in a covered container.

This recipe will give you like 7 dozen cookies!!!! I´m not kidding.

Tips:
-Add 2 tsp of cinnamon to the flour and baking soda for and extra-touch
-Instead of pecans and raisins you can use walnuts, almonds, coconut, chocolate chips or anything else you want!!!

I hope you enjoy the recipe!!!!

And please, pray for me, for my brothers and for all the priestly vocations in the world, your prayers are our strength. God bless you all!


Please join me in praying for Luis and for all seminarians preparing for the Holy Priesthood!

God our Father, You have chosen Your Son, Jesus Christ, to reveal Yourself to us. You have chosen Your Church to show us Your love through Him. You have chosen Luis, your son, to be a priest as a sign of that love to Your people. We pray that the Holy Spirit continue to fill him with Your peace and joy as he prepares for the holy priesthood. We pray that through his priesthood he may proclaim the wonder of Your faithfulness and love to all through Jesus Christ our Lord! Amen.

Pin It

Angels and Saint Francis of Assisi

The Memorial of the Guardian Angels is October 2nd. As we had an angels' fair earlier this week, there are already many good angelic ideas swirling around for this feast day. It's a great week for liturgical feasting! But on the negative side, all these back-to-back feast days can mean an accumulation of leftover sweets -- not always good for the waistline, nor for the budget. So this recipe idea can be double duty for both St. Francis of Assisi (October 4) and Guardian Angels (October 2) (and light on the waistline).

I was researching foods for the feast of St. Francis, looking for regional foods from Umbria, or directly from Assisi and found this recipe from Mary Ann Esposito, of Ciao Italia. It's a simple meringue recipe. The concept of having light, airy meringue kisses to remind us of the heavenly hosts isn't original. What makes this recipe unique is that it is an Assisi version that is a PINK meringue with sprinkles.

(And for some reason the pink meringue reminds me of a sweet little out-of-print booklet printed by the Daughters of St. Paul entitled The Little Angel with the Pink Wings.)

The angels connection with Saint Francis that immediately came to mind is the The Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli or Saint Mary of the Angels which is in the foothills of Assisi, where the Portiuncula chapel is encased.

Mary Ann Esposito explains the flavoring and coloring she uses is Alchermes, an Italian liqueur, sweet, red, cinnamon and clove flavored. You can substitute with food coloring, cherry or cranberry juice.

Meringhe (Meringues)

4 egg whites of large eggs, at room temperature
3 3/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons Alchermes liqueur or other flavoring or coloring
Colored sprinkles
Parchment paper

Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. With an electric mixer in a glass or copper bowl (free of oil) beat until smooth the egg whites and 2 cups of the confectioners' sugar together. Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups sugar and the Alchermes or other flavoring and continue beating until stiff glossy peaks form.

Fit a large pastry bag with a large star tip and fill with the meringue. On the parchment paper on the sheets, pipe 1 1/2-inch star meringues onto the cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle the tops of the meringues with colored sprinkles. Alternately, use a teaspoon to drop meringue one inch apart on the cookie sheet.

Bake in 300ºF. oven for 1 hour or until the meringues are firm and completely dry. Rotate the baking sheets once or twice while baking. Carefully remove from the parchment paper and let cool completely on wire racks.

Our Guardian Angels, protect and pray for us.
St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us. Pin It

From Thy Bounty Fair: Feasting with the Angels!

All you Angels and Archangels, Thrones and Dominations, Principalities and Powers, Virtues of the heavens, Cherubim and Seraphim, bless the Lord forever.





Today is the Feast of the Saints Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel, Archangels.
The angels play a large role in the life of the Church, from the beginning of Creation, throughout the Old and New Testament, and the daily lives of all. Women for Faith and Family capture all the teachings from the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the angels.

September 29 was originally dedicated only to St. Michael, with St. Gabriel formerly on March 24 (the day before the Annunciation), and St. Raphael on October 24. The 1969 reform of the General Roman Calendar combined these feast days for today's triple feast.

As discussed before, there are many traditions and foods connected with this feast. From CatholicCulture.org:

This day is referred to as "Michaelmas" in many countries and is also one of the harvest feast days. In England this is one of the "quarter days", which was marked by hiring servants, electing magistrates, and beginning of legal and university terms. This day also marks the opening of the deer and other large game hunting season. In some parts of Europe, especially Germany, Denmark, and Austria, a special wine called "Saint Michael's Love" (Michelsminne) is drunk on this day. The foods for this day vary depending on nationality. In the British Isles, for example, goose was the traditional meal for Michaelmas, eaten for prosperity, France has waffles or Gaufres and the traditional fare in Scotland used to be St. Michael's Bannock (Struan Micheil) — a large, scone-like cake. In Italy, gnocchi is the traditional fare.

Since this is a food blog, I'm highlighting the feasting. But food is just a part of the feast: the Liturgy, the prayers, the crafts, the reading, copywork, nature study, and other activities are the various colored threads woven together to make a beautiful tapestry in our domestic churches. May the angels continue to guide and protect us safely to our heavenly home.

Please note: This post was originally published in 2008, and there are several blogs that are not operating, but we will leave the post as originally written. Those blogs no longer linking will have an asterisk (*) before the paragraph.

Mary at Our Domestic Church loves to research feast days (almost as much as I do), and then loves to place a spin on some of the traditions. Angel Foods for Feasting and Angels From Thy Bounty Fair are two posts that give a wide range of ideas for these feasts that involve angels.

I haven't traced the originator of the idea, but one of the most popular item for today's feast is Devil's Food Cake accompanied by cocktail swords, so that everyone can assist St. Michael in defeating the Devil. It is a great hands-on activity that can give all of us the reminder that we need to constantly fight temptation and sin.

*And our tour continues with Suzanne at Gladdest Hours shares her photos and Michaelmas feast day plans. She includes reading, decorations, activities, and her menu, Oriental Chicken Wings, Angel Hair Pasta, Broccoli, and Devil's Food Cake with swords.

Chez Ouiz shares her pictures from last year for the feast of the archangels. Stabbing the Devil's Food Cake with swords is front and center tonight for dessert, and the picture of her boys in costumes acting out St. Michael and the Dragon is so wonderful!

Jessica at Shower of Roses shares in detail all her feast day plans for Michaelmas. The menu will involve St. Michael's waffles, Apple Chicken, and Devil's Food Cupcakes with swords. The feast day plans are also real learning -- so she includes crafts, copywork, and reading.

*Marci at 6Hands2Hold is having an angel themed day for the Feast of the Archangels. Menu highlights: Breakfast will include blackberries, lunch deviled egg sandwiches, and dinner will be Angel Hair Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce and Grated Carrots. Dessert will be...you guessed it, Devil's Food Cake accompanied with swords!

Carole, who now lives and learns in Wales, sent me her feast day plans. I have to admit, I wish I was breaking bread with her. Her menu: Bottled Blackberries, Roast Chicken with Sour Cream and Apple Stuffing, and homemade bread.

Lorri and The Mac and Cheese Chronicles shares her homeschool group Michaelmas celebrations. Dessert included angel food cake with whipped cream wings and devil's food cupcakes.

Eileen at Eileen on Him has her Michaelmas feast day celebration from last year. On the menu: St. Michael's Bannock with Honey Butter; Garden Salad with fancy-grated Parmesan cheese; Archangels on Horseback over Angel Hair Pasta Alfredo.

Heather at These Thy Gifts shares the successful feast day dinner, which seemed to be quite a hit by the pictures of the happy faces. The menu included deviled eggs, Deviled Chicken, Roasted Deviled Potatoes, steamed carrots (St. Raphael is the patron saint of eyesight!) and, Devil's food cake for dessert--with those little cocktail swords.

Feast of the Guardian Angels, October 2nd
Today's feast is first of two feasts of this week in honor of the angels. October 2nd is the Memorial of the Guardian Angels.

Jessica shares her Guardian Angel Plans which include include an angel food cake in a trifle bowl to incorporate whipped cream clouds.

Heather also has angel food cake and angel hair pasta on the menu for her her guardian angel plans.

Angel Crafts

I think the feast day crafting goes hand-in-hand with the menu plans. Some great examples can be found at Dawn's Tea and Craft ideas for these feast days. And while Alice doesn't have specific liturgical teas for the angels, there are angelic ideas on these pages, which combine crafting and foods for the feast. Many of the links above in this post also include creative angel crafts, and here are some more inspirational ideas:

Mary gives directions for some wonderful Angel Candy Favors, made from golden Hershey Kisses. These are just too cute!

Ana Braga-Henebry designed these darling angels to craft. Printer, scissors, tape, crayons, craft sticks and you're good to go! I plan on crafting as soon as I post this!

Eileen had some wonderful painting crafts for the Guardian Angels, too.

And for wonderful coloring pages, get your dance card and waltz on over to Waltzing Matilda where Charlotte shares her talent with us. First there is the archangels: St. Michael, St. Raphael, and St. Gabriel. Then she has the Guardian Angels based on one of my favorite Hummel pictures.

I'll close with the Collect Prayer from the feast of the Archangels:

God our Father,
in a wonderful way you guide the work of angels and men.
May those who serve you constantly in heaven
keep our lives safe from all harm on earth.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Pin It

Michaelmas Feasting from Wales

This post was submitted by my friend Carole who is now living in Wales.

Most of what I learned about St. Michael's Feast, I learned from reading Cooking for Christ by Florence Berger and Joanna Bogle's A Book of Feasts and Seasons (thank you Jenn for all the great book recommendations)! My youngest son's patron saints are St. Michael and St. Patrick. Last year I made the easy recipe Archangels on Horseback (from A Continual Feast by Evelyn Vitz).

16-20 sea scallops
8-10 pieces thin-sliced bacon; cut each piece in 2
Buttered toast

With a half slice of bacon, wrap each scallop, fastening with a toothpick. Cook under the broiler until bacon is brown and crisp, serving on hot buttered toast, cut in squares or rounds.

To make these "Angels on Horseback" replace the scallops with shucked oysters.

This year I decided to center our celebration around the various customs involving food.

This afternoon, my dd and I will be taking some blackberries (which grow wild in this area), and making Bottled Blackberries from .A Book of Feasts and Seasons. I have told my dc that since the devil spat on the blackberries when he was cast out of Heaven on Michaelmas, then they will not be good after today. Therefore, we must preserve what we have to enjoy on our toast later in the year.

First make a syrup, 1/2 pound sugar to 1 pint of water (remember it is English measure)! Make sure the syrup is boiling when you use it. You wash and clean the These aren't canned in the typical way we do in America, and I am making so little I will keep mine in the refrigerator.

It is traditional in England to have a feast of roast goose and stuffing. We read that Queen Elizabeth was eating her Michaelmas goose when she received word that the Spanish Armada had been defeated. Since my ds is studying Medieval Literature/History this year, I decided to make an historical connection with our meal. Not being very brave or adventuresome about cooking a goose, we are settling for a Roast Chicken with Sour Cream and Apple Stuffing. My ds will tell the family a little bit about St. Michael and the traditions as we celebrate our evening meal.

For the chicken, I stuff the chicken with onions, carrots, celery, and bay leaf. Then I coat the outside with thyme and Old World Seasoning (a Penzey's spice, but it is close to Rotisserie Chicken by McCormick). I place it in a 450 F oven which I then turn down to 350 F and cook for 20 minutes per pound.

We're also making a homemade bread (which we do a lot) to thank the Lord for the wheat harvest. This is part of the harvest end of the celebration.

I hate to say it, but for me, the celebration is frequently about the food! One last activity that we have planned is to plant a Michaelmas daisy. I have not fully planned our new garden, so we will probably just transfer it into a decorative pot. But the Michaelmas daisy is actually an aster with tall purple flowers ... very tiny and dainty. These plants bloom around this time of year and are frequently used to make posies for the table or to put on top of cakes given to the girls at London's Greycoat School after a special service (I learned this from Joanna Bogle's book). Pin It