Baking Outside the Box

Into the world of Bread-making!

2012-02-27T07:24:00.000-08:00

This Sourdough bread was more than a week in the making! I have recently dipped my toes into the vast world of bread-making, feeling a bit guilty that my focus has been almost entirely on desserts for years. I felt like maybe I'm not a true baker until I know how to make bread. So I'm studying up on it and learning how to make sourdough, wheat, soft sandwich bread, and cinnamon rolls. As soon as I feel like I have a bit of a handle on it, I will blog about my learning experiences here! As with desserts, I am sure it takes years to get to be a really good bread-maker. But it's never too late to learn something new, right?

Mardi Gras King Cake

2012-02-20T09:45:00.000-08:00

I fell in love with New Orleans food when I took my honeymoon there. I visited two other times while on a theatre tour, and I absolutely loved it. King Cake would not be on my top list of NOLA foods, but it is so quintissentially New Orleans that last year I decided to try to learn how to make it. My quest continues this year, because I love a challenge. And let me tell you, this ring-shaped pasty is a heck of a lot more challenging than it looks!

King Cake is actually not a cake at all. The only way to describe it for those who haven't had one is that it is kind of like a giant cinnamon roll shaped in a ring and covered with icing and sugars in the mardi gras colors - purple, green and gold. It is the food most associated with Mardi Gras. There is a wonderful history behind the King Cake, which is summarized nicely by Nola.com here: Brief history of the King Cake

King Cakes are time-consuming to make, so it's good that Mardi Gras comes only once a year! Traditionally there is a little baby hidden within the cake. The person who gets the baby has to buy the next cake (and they aren't cheap) or some say, host next year's party. Getting the baby is also supposed to be lucky. If you want to put a baby in your cake, you can buy little plastic or ceramic ones at most party stores or online.

This King Cake Recipe supposedly comes from the famous Bakery Haydel's in New Orleans, which is known for being one of the top King Cake bakeries. I cannot vouch for this recipe genuinely being theirs, since I found it online at a site I like called SkiptomyLou.org. I cannot swear it is in fact Haydel's recipe, but it is good. Last year I tried a "filled" King Cake and didn't like it, so this year I tried this recipe:

Dough:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
½ cup all purpose shortening
4 cups all purpose flour
2 lg. eggs
1 cup milk (room temperature)
2 sm. packs active dry yeast
¼ tsp lemon flavor
¼ tsp orange flavor
¼ tsp vanilla flavor
¼ tsp butter flavor
½ cup canola oil
½ cup cinnamon sugar

In a mixer at first speed combine 1/3 cup granulated sugar, salt, and shortening until well creamed:

Add eggs and continue to cream. In a separate bowl, dissolve the yeast in the milk and add the flavors. Once dissolved add to creamed mixture and continue to mix. Switch to your dough hook attachment and add flour and mix until dough tightens:

Remove from mixer and kneed into a ball. Place the ball in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest in a warm place for 1½ hours.

(While the dough is resting you can mix your colored sugars if you are making them instead of using pre-colored sugars - See below for directions).

When dough has rested roll out into an oblong piece. Brush on canola oil covering the entire piece:

Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar liberally over the whole piece.

Once the dough is covered with the cinnamon sugar and oil, fold it in half lengthwise:

Cut into 3 strips and braid the dough.

Gently roll the dough, (kind of smooshing it into itself) by starting at one end and working all the way down to the other end:

This long piece can then be shaped into a ring like this:

Once shaped place on a baking pan covered with piece of parchment.

Place in a warm area covered with a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rest again until it doubles in size.
You can sprinkle the sugars directly onto the dough before baking, or you can bake it first and then top with the icing and sugars. Make sure to alternate the three colors.

Bake at 370 degrees F for 12-15 minutes until dough is golden brown.
Laissez les bon temps rouler!

How to Make your own Colored Sugar:
3 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp purple food color (try 2 drops red to one drop blue and adjust as needed)
1 tsp yellow food color
1 tsp green food color
Note: liquid colors work best for this, not professional paste colors.

Start by taking one cup of sugar and your yellow food coloring.
Mix by hand with a wire wisk in a metal bowl until the sugar turns yellow.
Pour you yellow sugar into a separate bowl and put off to the side.
Repeat this process mixing green then purple. (By doing them in that order you only dirty one mixingbowl)

Chocolate Rolled Cookies

2012-02-16T07:53:00.000-08:00

This is a sophisticated alternative to the usual rolled sugar cookie. These chocolate cookies are not overly sugary, so they tend to appeal more to adult taste buds. But if you wanted to make a kid-friendly version, you could use all white sugar (instead of a mix of white and brown) and exchange the coffee for milk. This recipe comes from Toba Garrett, the famed cookie and cake decorator, in her book Creative Cookies. They are versatile, like any rolled sugar cookie - You can decorate them with icing or fondant for something special, or you can make sandwich cookies with them. You could add jam to make a chocolate version of a linzer tart. But my favorite is to just give them a drizzle of mocha icing!

1 Cup Butter
2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1 large Egg
1 Tbsp Extra Strong Coffee
1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder (the recipe says Dutch-process, but regular is fine)
3 Cups All-purpose Flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars together with an electric mixer for two minutes. Scrape down the bowl, then Beat in egg and coffee. (I also like to add a touch of vanilla even though the recipe doesn't list this). Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda in a separate bowl, then gradually add it to the butter mixture, adding the last cup of flour by hand. This is a stiff dough and you need to get your hands in there to work in the last little bit.

You do not need to chill this dough before rolling out, and in fact it will be too stiff if you do. If you do need to make it ahead of time, store it in the fridge but take it out about an hour before rolling.

Roll about 1/4" thick and bake on a greased cookie sheet for about 6-8 minutes, depending on the size of your cut-outs.

Here are some things you can do with these cookies:

Fancy Decorating...

Sandwich cookies...

Mocha Hearts...

Vegan Chocolate Cake

2012-02-16T07:45:00.000-08:00

I am not vegan, so if there is anything I've overlooked here, please let me know! But people ask me to come up with vegan recipes all the time, and I realized that since this chocolate cake contains no eggs or dairy, it fits the bill nicely. It is the same as the Quick and Easy Skillet Cake with only a minor modification to the frosting.

1 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour

3 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder (natural, not dutch-process)

1 Cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1 cup cold Water

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

Grease or line with parchment paper one 9" cake pan for a single layer, or two 6" cake pans for a double layer cake.

Sift dry ingredients together and stir with a fork until well-mixed. Make three wells in the dry ingredients. Pour the oil into the first well, the vinegar into the second, and the vanilla into the third. Pour the cold water over the top of it all, then stir with a fork until well-blended. Pour into greased or parchment-lined pan and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool, then frost.

Vegan Mocha Frosting:

4 Tablespoons Crisco

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

dash of salt

2 Tablespoons strong black coffee

Cream together the Crisco, sugar, cocoa and salt until well-mixed. Add the liquid and beat until fluffy. You can do this by hand since it is such a small batch, you really don't need to use a stand mixer for this.

If you prefer just a glaze on top, you can omit the crisco - just mix the coffee (or use soy milk if you don't want the mocha flavor) with the sugar and cocoa powder. You can add more liquid or more sugar to get the consistency you want.

Mile-High Lemon Meringue Pie

2012-02-11T10:22:00.000-08:00

Despite what we all say about Apple being the All-American favorite, THIS is the pie everyone drools over. Maybe it is the combination of the sweet meringue and tart lemon that goes so good together, or maybe it's just that the billowy meringue piled high on top looks so impressive. Maybe it is the fact that pie lovers know this one is like a hothouse flower - delicate, prone to wilting, and a bit temperamental. I don't know, but pie lovers RAVE about Lemon Meringue pie like no other. This particular recipe is my mother's. She is not a big pie baker, but this is the ONE pie she bakes, and it is her signature dessert. (Incidentally, my mother claims that making this is as easy as...well...pie. But what does she know? I have made tons of pies over the years, and I am officially labeling Lemon Meringue as one of the comparatively high-maintenance ones. So there.) If I haven't scared you off from trying it yet, let me tell you that it is WORTH THE EFFORT! This recipe calls for double the amount of meringue, because Mom likes it piled high and peaked, never swirled!

Fair Warning: This pie is best served the same day it is baked. The meringue will wilt and shrink a little by the next day, and if by some slim chance there is any left after two days, it looks downright pitiful! So be sure it is nice and fresh.

Prepare one recipe for Flaky Pie Crust (You will use the bottom crust only, so freeze the other half for later use). Pat the dough into a pie pan, flute the edges, and blind bake it. (Blind Baking is pre-baking the crust before filling it: Prick the crust bottom a few times all over with a fork, then put some tin foil inside the crust and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, then let it cool.) Leave the oven on so it is already preheated for the next step.

Filling:

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

3 Tbsp Cornstarch

3 Tbsp Flour

dash of salt

1 1/2 Cups Hot Water

3 Slightly beaten egg yolks (save whites for meringue)

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp lemon zest

1/3 Cup lemon juice

Mix Sugar, Flour, Cornstarch, and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Cook until boiling, then reduce heat and cook two minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat. Mix a small amount (about 1 tsp) of the hot mixture into the egg yolks and stir. Add a little more and stir again (this is to temper the egg yolks so they don't cook and curdle). Then add the yolk mixture back into the pan and cook two more minutes, again stirring constantly, until even thicker. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and lemon zest, then slowly pour in the juice. Pour into the pie shell. Make meringue right away so that you can top the filling with meringue while the filling is still hot.

Meringue:

6 egg whites

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 Teaspoon cream of tartar
6 Tablespoons Sugar

Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Add sugar two tablespoons at at time, then beat until peaks are stiff and glossy. Spread over the lemon filling, being careful to "seal" it to the crust well at the edges.

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes until the meringue is nicely browned.

Let it cool for at least an hour before slicing. I prefer to let it cool to room temp, which is usually 2+ hours (This pie is delicate - if it is too hot it will fall apart). Slice it with a sharp knife dipped in hot water.

Valentine's Day Cake

2012-02-04T16:44:00.000-08:00

This striped Valentine's Day Cake is made up of layers of Red Velvet Cake and Strawberry Butter Cake, topped with Whipped Strawberry Buttercream. Find all these recipes in the Recipe section. Happy Valentine's Day!

Whipped Strawberry Buttercream

2012-02-04T16:32:00.001-08:00

This frosting is fluffy and has the fantastic taste of fresh strawberries. Alternately, you can use 1-2 Tablespoons (depending on your taste) of seedless Raspberry Jam to make a Raspberry frosting instead.

1 Cup good quality Butter
1/2 Cup Crisco
5 Cups Confectioner's Sugar
1/4 - 1/2 Cup Real Strawberry Puree (see directions below)
3-5 Tablespoons milk

Beat the butter and crisco in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on low until creamy. Add the confectioner's sugar and beat on low until combined. Add 1/4 cup strawberry puree and the minimum amount of milk (you can add more milk and strawberry as you go if you need it). Whip on medium for 5-7 minutes until very fluffy, scraping down the bowl about halfway through (this is one time where it really is good to have a KitchenAid mixer!) If necessary, add more milk or powdered sugar to adjust the consistecy. You can add extra strawberry puree if you don't need a stiff consistency for piping. It should be creamy and very fluffy, but firm enough to hold its shape.

Strawberry Puree - this is easy to make from fresh strawberries, or, if they aren't in season, use frozen ones instead. Just slice up two cups of strawberries and add 2 Tablespoons of sugar. Stir them and let them sit 10-20 minutes until they create some juice. Then puree the strawberries with their juice in a blender until there are no big chunks. Freeze leftover puree or use it in smoothies. If you are making the strawberry butter cake to go with this frosting (see recipe page), you will need 1 1/2 cups of strawberry puree, so go ahead and make a lot!

Quick & Easy Skillet Cake

2012-01-26T07:00:00.001-08:00

This chocolate cake isn't fancy, but it is super quick and can be made with basic ingredients most of us have on hand at all times. There is no waiting for your milk/butter/eggs to get to room temp, because none of those things are in the cake (but it's still yummy, I swear!) Bake it in a cast iron skillet, or it would also work in an 8x8 casserole dish or cake pan. I have to give credit for this recipe to Marcia Rose-Richie. This recipe of hers originally appeared in the monthly catalog for Penzey's spices.

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

1 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour

3 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder (natural, not dutch-process)

1 Cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon vinegar (do not use balsamic or flavored vinegar)

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1 cup cold Water

Sift dry ingredients together into a (10" or 12") cast iron skillet. If you don't have a skillet, use an 8x8 baking pan or casserole dish. Stir the dry ingredients with a fork until well-mixed. Make three wells in the dry ingredients. Pour the oil into the first well, the vinegar into the second, and the vanilla into the third. Pour the cold water over the top of it all, then stir with a fork until well-blended. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool, then frost.

Frosting:

4 Tablespoons softened Butter

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

dash of salt

2 Tablespoons milk or room temp black coffee

Cream together the butter, sugar, cocoa and salt until well-mixed. Add the liquid and beat until fluffy. You can do this by hand since it is such a small batch, you really don't need to use a stand mixer for this.

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

2012-01-23T12:18:00.001-08:00

Get a glass of milk - you'll need it! These cookies are thick with peanut butter flavor. PB cookies made with butter tend to be flavorful and crunchy; ones made with shortening tend to be chewy but less flavorful. So I use mostly butter in these, with just a touch of shortening. That makes them slightly softer (but not quite chewy), while keeping that buttery flavor. This recipe is a cross between an old family recipe and one I found in my best cookbook. I really think it is the best Peanut Butter Cookie ever - And you can add any number of chips, nuts, or candies into this dough, so it's versatile too!

1 Cup Peanut Butter (Chunky or smooth depends on whether you want bits of peanut in the cookies)
1/2 Cup Butter (1 stick)
2 Tablespoons Shortening
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 Cups Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

Optional: Add Peanut Butter Chips or Chocolate Chips, Nuts or Candies (1/2 to 1 Cup as desired)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream the Butter, Shortening, Peanut Butter and sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until combined. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda with a fork until well-mixed. Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and beat on low until smooth. Add any chips/nuts you want to at this point.

Drop onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until the cookies are golden brown on the bottom and the tops no longer look shiny.

Meyer Lemon Pie

2012-01-20T12:07:00.001-08:00

Have you heard of Meyer Lemons? They are a cross between a Lemon and a Mandarin Orange. Meyer Lemons are smaller than regular lemons and are slightly sweeter with just a hint of orange flavor. They are sold in Supermarkets in small bags:

I decided to try out Meyer Lemons in a pie. So I made my Shaker Lemon Pie, but using Meyer Lemons instead of regular ones. It came out great. I had to make some adjustments to the recipe for these little lemons, but the result was fantastic.

This Pie is for the true Lemon Lovers - it is as tart as it is sweet! Remember to prep the lemons a day ahead, because they need to macerate in the sugar for up to 24 hours.

Meyer Lemon Pie:

1 recipe Flaky Pie Crust

4 Meyer Lemons

2 Cups Sugar

pinch salt

4 eggs

Grate the zest from TWO of the lemons and put it in a large ceramic or stainless steel bowl (Just don't use an aluminum bowl since it can react with lemons, giving them a metallic taste). With a very sharp knife, slice the rind from all four lemons:

Cut the Lemons into thin, small pieces, being careful to remove all seeds as you go. (Have a towel handy to wipe up your board or your knife, because all that juice can get slippery!) Add the lemon pieces to the zest in the bowl. Add the sugar and salt, then stir well. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight up to 24 hours (the longer the better).

After the lemon/sugar mix has sat for a long time, Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, beat the eggs lightly and then add them into the lemon mixture. Stir well. Roll out your pie crust and line a pie pan with the dough. Pour in the lemon mixture (it will be liquidy).

Place the top crust gently on the lemon filling and crimp the edges of the pie crust. Cut vents into the top crust to allow steam to escape. Brush with milk and sprinkle sugar over the top crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, then lower the oven temp to 350 and bake an additional 40-45 minutes. (Check after 20 minutes to see if the edges need to be covered with foil to prevent overbrowning.)

Cappuccino Pie

2012-01-18T15:03:00.001-08:00

This is another variation on the standard cream pie recipe I like to use. It has a strong coffee flavor, and just a hint of cinnamon. This was one of two recipes I developed for the 2011 Hood Dairy Cook-Off. It didn't get me into the competition, but it was a HUGE hit with my family and friends who taste-tested for me, so I decided to add the recipe to my collection.

1 recipe Graham Cracker Crust but add a dash of cinnamon to the crackers before mixing.

Filling:
1 1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 Cups milk
3 egg yolks
2 Tablespoons Instant Espresso Powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or for something interesting, try Rum extract instead)

In the top of a double boiler combine the sugar, flour, salt, and milk. Stir the mixture in the bowl while the water boils beneath it, cooking for about 10 minutes until the mixture thickens (stir it frequently). Remove from the heat.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks. Take a small amount of the hot milk/flour mixture (about a tablespoon) and stir it into the eggs. Add another spoonful and stir it in (you are "tempering" the eggs so they don't cook and curdle). Now pour the egg mixture into the rest of the hot milk mix. Return it to the double boiler and cook until thickened some more (about 3-5 minutes) stirring constantly. Take it off the heat and let it rest.

Add the Espresso powder and vanilla extract to the filling mixture. Now let it cool a bit. (You can stick the filling in the fridge or freezer to help it chill faster, just remember to take it out and stir it occasionally). When the filling has cooled pour it into the pie shell. Then return it to the fridge to for another hour to make sure it is well-chilled before topping it with whipped cream (you can add the whipped cream ahead of time or just before serving) and a light dusting of cinnamon. Keep it in the fridge when not serving.

Fresh Whipped Cream Topping:
1 pint heavy cream
1/4 - 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, depending on how sweet you want it

Make sure the cream is well-chilled, (I even chill the mixing bowl and beaters when I make whipped cream). Beat on high speed with mixer until it is thickened. Spread it over the chilled pie and then put the pie back in the fridge until serving.

Almond Coffee Cake

2012-01-16T10:48:00.000-08:00

This coffee cake is a delicious alternative to the common cinnamon coffee cake. Sour cream makes it moist and dense. This basic recipe can be altered to make many other flavors - the Lemon Coffee Cake and Cinnamon Coffee cakes listed on the recipe page are just variations of this one.

2 Sticks of butter, softened

1 Cup Sugar

3 Eggs

2 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 Cup Sour Cream

1 teaspoon Almond Extract

Glaze:

1 Cup Powdered Sugar

1-2 Tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 Cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt or tube pan.

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together with a fork until well-blended. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter on low until for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the eggs and almond extract, then beat for about two minutes until creamy. Add the flour mixture to the butter and beat until smooth. Add the sour cream and mix on low until just blended (don't overmix).

Spoon the batter into the pan and Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let it rest for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack. After it has cooled a bit, you can add the glaze and the sliced almonds: Just mix the powdered sugar, milk (1 teaspoon at a time until you get a pouring consistency) and almond flavoring together in a bowl. Spoon it over the cake, letting it drizzle down the sides. Then sprinkle almonds on top.

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

2012-01-16T10:47:00.000-08:00

This is a dense, home-style Coffee Cake. This basic recipe can be altered to make many other flavors - the Lemon Coffee Cake and Almond Coffee Cakes listed on the recipe page are just variations of this one.

2 Sticks of butter, softened

1 Cup Sugar

3 Eggs

2 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)

1 Cup Sour Cream

Streusel Topping:

3/4 cup Brown Sugar

3/4 cup Flour

1 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon

1/4 cup Butter, softened

Mix until crumbly. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt or tube pan.

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together with a fork until well-blended. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter on low until for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the eggs and beat for about two minutes until creamy. Add the flour mixture to the butter and beat until smooth. Add the sour cream and mix on low until just blended (don't overmix).

Spoon half of the batter into the pan. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the streusel topping mixture on top, then cover with the rest of the batter. Sprinkle the remaining streusel topping on top of the batter. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let it rest for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack. (You will need to invert it twice to get the streusel side up - just flip it onto a cookie sheet, then flip again onto a cooling rack or a decorative plate.) Let it cool another 10-15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm if possible.

Lemon Coffee Cake

2012-01-16T10:34:00.000-08:00

This is a variation of the same great Basic Coffee Cake recipe I use. The Almond Coffee Cake and Cinnamon Coffee Cakes listed on the recipe page are all variations of this one.

2 Sticks of butter, softened

1 Cup Sugar

3 Eggs

1 Tablespoon grated Lemon Zest

1 teaspoon Lemon Extract

2 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 Cup Sour Cream

Glaze:

1 Cup Powdered Sugar

1-2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt or tube pan.

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together with a fork until well-blended. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter on low until for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the eggs, zest, and lemon extract, then beat for about two minutes until creamy. Add the flour mixture to the butter and beat until smooth. Add the sour cream and mix on low until just blended (don't overmix).

Spoon the batter into the pan and Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let it rest for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack. After it has cooled a bit, you can add the glaze: Just mix the powdered sugar, lemon juice (1 Tablespoon at a time until you get a pouring consistency) together in a bowl. Spoon it over the cake, letting it drizzle down the sides. You can garnish with a sprinkling of lemon zest on the icing if you wish.

Sour Cream Yellow Cake

2012-01-13T07:59:00.000-08:00

I can't take credit for this recipe, I found it on CakeCentral.com. It is apparently the classic Yellow Cake Recipe from Sylvia Weinstock, the legendary Cake Decorator. It is delicious, with a buttery taste and a nice soft texture. The sour cream helps keep it moist.

This recipe goes great with Whipped Butter-Rum Frosting

2-1/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) sweet butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, separated (you will use both the yolks and the whites)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line two 9x2" pans with parchment. (You could also do two 8x3" pans or three 6x2" pans).

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy and light in color, about 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the sugar and continue to mix until fluffy and light. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, being sure each is well incorporated before adding the next one. Add the vanilla.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour. Be sure the mixture is completely blended after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl, and beat for 1 minute.

In a separate bowl, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and smooth with a rubber spatula.

Bake in the preheated oven, 35-45 minutes (depending on which pan size you use.) The top of the cake should be nicely browned. Test for doneness with a skewer or a toothpick; the tester should come out dry and clean.

Whipped Butter-Rum Frosting

2012-01-09T10:21:00.001-08:00

This frosting looks light and fluffy, but tastes decadent. Using rum extract instead of real rum means that you can control the strength of the rum flavor without adding a lot more liquid, and the bonus is that anyone can eat it, even kids.

1 Cup good quality Butter
1/2 Cup Crisco
5 Cups Confectioner's Sugar
1-2 Teaspoons Rum extract, to taste
2 Tablespoons Dream Whip Powder*
3-5 Tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon salt (only if using unsalted Butter)

Beat the butter and crisco in a KitchenAid mixer (with the whisk attachment) on low until creamy. Add the confectioner's sugar and beat on low until combined. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the salt (if using) into the milk (use the minimum of milk for now - you can add more later). Then add the milk, 1 teaspoon of the rum extract, and the Dream Whip powder into the frosting. Whip on medium for 5-7 minutes until very fluffy. Taste it and add the second teaspoon of rum if you'd like a stronger flavor. Add more milk or powdered sugar to adjust the consistecy. It should be creamy and very fluffy, with a rich decadent butter/rum taste. This frosting is a good choice for piping since it holds its fluffy shape.

*Dream Whip Powder is sold in most grocery stores in the pudding aisle. I actually DO NOT recommend it for its intended purpose, which is to make a whipped cream-like topping for desserts (real whipped cream is so much better and just as fast to make!) But for giving a fluffy consistency to frosting that will not deflate or give an off-flavor, this is great stuff.

Sinful Chocolate Buttercream

2012-01-03T12:37:00.000-08:00

This frosting is so thick and rich, it is positively sinful. A light and mildly flavored cake won't stand up to the full force of this chocolate, so choose a rich butter cake or a chocolate cake.

1/2 Cup Softened Butter
2 oz. chopped dark chocolate
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
2 Cups Confectioner's Sugar
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
1-3 teaspoons of milk (add 1 and then see if you need more)
1 tsp Vanilla extract

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or you can microwave it in ten-second intervals, stirring each time you check it. Then beat the chocolate with the butter, cocoa and confectioner's sugar on low in a KitchenAid mixer until combined. Add the remaining ingredients and turn the mixer setting to high. Beat an additional two minutes. Frost Cake immediately or cover in plastic wrap until ready to use.

Granny Mahoney's Mince Pie

2011-12-27T11:38:00.000-08:00

This recipe comes from my husband's great-grandmother, and it is at least 100 years old. This one does not have actual meat in it, but suet (beef fat). It is better to make this a couple of weeks ahead so the flavors can age. According to the directions, you are supposed to stir it every other day, adding a spoonful of Brandy each time you do. The recipe was originally meant to make A LOT of mincemeat, which would be sealed in jars and left to age for months, each jar enough to make one pie. But for this post, I have cut it down to a one pie recipe:

3 lbs apples (mostly very firm apples, though you can have a variety)
1 large box seedless raisins - dark, or a mix of dark and golden
3/4 cup chopped suet
1 tsp salt
1/2 Cup candied orange peel
1/2 Cup candied lemon peel
1 whole lemon, cut in half
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of mace

Peel and core the apples, and chop them into chunks. Put HALF of the apples, and HALF of the raisins into a large pot with the orange and lemon peel, the sugar, molasses, salt, and spices. Squeeze the lemon over the fruit, getting as much juice out as you can. Then put the lemon into the pot to simmer with the fruits (you will take it out later). Simmer (covered) on low for one hour, stirring often. Add the remaining apples and raisins and simmer for two or more hours, stirring often to make sure the bottom doesn't get scorched. Test it to make sure the candied fruits have softened. At this point you can add more sugar and spices to taste. Simmer longer if necessary to soften everything up, then take it off the fire and let it cool to room temp. Put in an airtight container and add a spoonful of Brandy to the top. Add a lid and let it sit for two weeks, stirring every other day and adding another spoonful of Brandy. (I have made this just a few days ahead and it is fine, but it will be better if you can give it the full two weeks).

Roll out a two crust pie dough (I like to use old time lard crust for this) and fill with the mincemeat. Bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes, checking after 20 minutes to see if the edges need to be covered with foil. Let it sit for 1-2 hours before serving.

Old-Time Lard Crust

2011-12-27T11:36:00.000-08:00

This is the same as the flaky crust, but it comes out sturdier, less tender, because of the lard. It also has a slightly "meaty" aroma and flavor, making it great for pot pies and mince pie.

2 Cups sifted All-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 Cup chilled Lard
2 Tbsp chilled butter
4 Tbsp Ice Water

*For a sweeter crust (for mince pie), you can take 1/4 cup flour out and replace it with 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Sift together Flour and Salt. Cut half of the shortening into the flour with a pastry blender, until it looks like the texture of cornmeal. Cut in the remaining shortening and butter until the dough is in pea-sized crumbs. Sprinkle on the water and blend in lightly with a fork. If needed to hold the dough together, you can add more water a scant teaspoon at a time. When you can gather up the dough in a ball, stop working it. Divide the dough in half, press circles between two sheets of waxed paper to make a disc. This makes chilling the dough faster and rolling it will be easier later. Put the dough in the fridge to chill for an hour or so before rolling. If not using it right away, put the dough in a large Ziploc bag and freeze it.

Then I just go ahead and roll my dough between the two pieces of waxed paper. You need to keep lifting and repositioning the paper when you do this, but it means that you add little or no extra flour to the dough. It also makes transferring it from the board to the pie tin easier.

Spritz Cookies

2011-12-20T12:08:00.000-08:00

These small butter cookies only seem to come out at Christmas time, and that's a shame. They are buttery, delicious, and such a fun cookie. Maybe people don't make them often because they are what I would call a "high maintenance" cookie - they require specific equipment and several steps to prep/make. But they are worth it, since they are so tasty and so festive! This particular recipe comes from the Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookie book:

3 1/2 Cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups butter
1 Cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
food coloring (optional)
Required tools: Manual or Electric Cookie Press (Spritz Cookie Maker)

Stir together flour and baking powder. In your kitchenaid mixer bowl, beat the butter until softened. Then add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg and extracts and beat well. Gradually add flour mixture until well-combined. DO NOT CHILL THE DOUGH so that it will pass easily through the cookie press. If desired, tint the dough different colors. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray or lay down parchment. Press the dough through the cookie press in whatever shape you desire (follow directions for your particular model). Decorate with sugars and sprinkles if desired (I find it helps to brush them with a little water before sprinkling with decorations so they stick better). Bake at 375 for 6-8 minutes.

Retro Christmas Cookies

2011-12-19T08:42:00.000-08:00

I usually send my family fancy decorated sugar cookies for Christmas, but this year I was short on decorating time. I still wanted to send cookies, though. So I decided to dig through my family's old cookie recipes and see if I could do something faster, yet still conjuring up the nostalgia of Christmases past. I came up with Rolled Oats Icebox cookies, Old fashioned Molasses, Butterscotch Walnut cookies, and Brandied Chocolate Balls. Making these old recipes was like visiting a time before I was born! You can find all of these recipes in the recipe page.

Best Gingerbread Cutouts

2011-12-18T09:44:00.001-08:00

When people say they don't really like gingerbread cookies, it's usually because they haven't had really good gingerbread cookies. Many recipes give you tough, hard cookies that are not very sweet or, in some cases, overly sugary. This recipe gives you a softer cookie that has a delicious balance of sugar and spice.

3 Cups All-purpose Flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 Cup light molasses
1/2 Cup melted butter
1/2 Cup sugar
1 lightly beaten egg

Mix together dry ingredients in your mixer bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the molasses, sugar, and melted butter, then add to the dry mixture. Add the beaten egg last, and beat just until well-combined. Chill the dough at least one hour before rolling. Roll the cookies thick, then bake in a 350 oven for approximately 6-8 minutes, depending on the size of your shapes.

Icing: 1 Cup powdered sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon milk. Add more milk just a few drops at a time until you get the consistency you want. You don't want it too runny.

Gingerbread Houses - Tips and Ideas

2011-12-16T10:07:00.001-08:00

'Tis the season for Gingerbread Houses! I love to build gingerbread houses, and the great thing is that you can make them as simple or as involved as you wish. This week I will posting some tips about building gingerbread houses from simple to complex. I will also include some professional tips for adding details that take it to the next level, for those who would like to take a house from simple to stunning. Here are some tips for success:

Dough:

Use a dough that is specifically for gingerbread houses, not for cookies to eat. Cookie recipes will be softer. Here is a good recipe from UltimateGingerbread.com: Easy Gingerbread Dough

Roll the dough thick, then bake it twice for extra hardness. The bigger the house, the more important it is that the dough be very firm. After initial baking, let the pieces sit for a day or two, then rebake them at 250 degrees for ten minutes to dry the dough out a little more.

Constructing the House:

Build a model out of cardboard first. Tape it all together to see how the house will look. Then use the pieces as a pattern to cut out your dough.
Assemble it with Royal Icing, which dries super-hard like glue: (Royal Icing recipe) Tint half of your Royal Icing the same shade of brown as your dough and use that icing to assemble the house (so that the icing does not show in the cracks):

You will still use white royal icing for the decorating, and for adding "snow."
It is generally easier to decorate your windows and walls before assembling the house, rather than trying to decorate once they are vertical.
Use soup cans to prop up walls while you wait for them to dry.
Allow the assembled house to dry 24 hours before adding the roof on top.

Decorating Tips:

Get creative! Go around your grocery store looking for crackers, candies and cereal that could work as shutters, roof tiles, or accent pieces. Be open to using things other than candy. Remember that what you use for roof tiles will need to be pretty flat because shingles are stacked on top of each other. I have also seen gingerbread houses where the roof pieces are "embossed" or imprinted with a shingle design prior to baking. I have also seen pretty designs drawn on with royal icing. The important thing is to make the house yours, in your own personal style.

Snow makes everything look nicer. You can cover up areas that don't look so good with icicles and snow. Dusting the entire house with a touch of confectioner's sugar when it is complete will give it a "just dusted with snow" look.

Take it to the next level:

Let there be light! It is not hard to add lights to the inside of your house. Buy a strand of battery operated christmas lights at any craft store. Put them inside (I prefer to have the side and front walls on before I place the lights, so I can tape down the strand while making sure I get the bulbs placed beneath the windows.) Make a little notch in the back wall to allow for the cord to go underneath it, then put the battery pack in back of the house. Depending on how opaque your windows are, the lights should give a nice warm glow to your house.

Candy Windows: Just cut the window holes when you are rolling out the dough. After baking, pour crushed candy pieces into the hole and bake at 350 for 5 minutes or so (watch carefully to avoid overcooking). Let them sit until cool. If the house is lighted inside, the light will show through the windows a little, giving the house a warm glow.

See-through windows: Gelatin sheets (aka "leaf gelatin") can be purchased at cake decorating stores or online. You will be able to see completely through the window, so you could place items in the window for viewing.

Landscaping: The area around the house looks nicer if there are trees, bushes, etc. You can use trees, fences, etc. to create visual interest, and bushes close to the house can be strategically placed to cover up areas of the house that may look unsightly.

Glitz it up! Your local Cake Decorating store or craft store will sell edible glitter which can be dusted lightly over the top of the house to give it sparkle and make the snow "glisten."

Old-fashioned Gingerbread

2011-12-10T09:58:00.000-08:00

Gingerbread, the cake variety, is dense and spicy, and best served warm and fresh. I like it with just a dollop of whipped cream, but you could top it with a dusting of powdered sugar or a thin milk-and-sugar glaze. The important thing is not to frost it - that would distract from the cake itself, in all its spicy glory.

2 Cups All-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground Ginger
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground Cloves
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup dark Molasses
1 Cup Vegatable Oil
3 Eggs
1 Cup Boiling Water

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 square pan with parchment.

Mix the flour, spices, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl and set aside. In your KitchenAid mixer, combine the Sugar, eggs, oil, and molasses until well-blended. Add the flour mixture on low until combined. Then add the boiling water last, again mixing on low until well-mixed (the batter will be thin). Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, or until the center is set and springs back when you touch it with your fingertip.

Maple Pecan Pie

2011-11-26T16:33:00.000-08:00

Pecan Pie is something you either love or you hate. But if you love it, adding maple makes it absolutely to die for. What I love about Pecan Pie is that it is one of the easiest pies to make - it is a single-crust pie and you just stir a few ingredients together and bake. Done.

1 recipe Flaky Pie Crust (use bottom crust only; you can freeze the other half of the dough)
3 Eggs
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1 Cup REAL maple syrup (Dark or Grade B if possible)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 Cups chopped Pecans (you can use halves for a prettier look, but it slices nicer with chopped nuts)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Pat the pie dough into the pan and crimp the edges. Dust with a touch of flour to keep the bottom crust from getting soggy. Do not prebake the crust.

In a large bowl, mix eggs, Sugar, salt, butter, vanilla and maple syrup together. Add pecans and stir to coat. Pour into the pie shell and Bake 40-50 minutes until the center is set and not jiggly.

Bourbon Pecan Pie

2011-11-22T11:47:00.000-08:00

Bourbon makes this southern favorite even more southern. I don't like to drink bourbon, but just a touch of it sure is delightful in desserts. What I love about Pecan Pie is that it is one of the easiest pies to make - it is a single-crust pie and you just stir a few ingredients together and bake. Done.

1 recipe Flaky Pie Crust (use bottom crust only; you can freeze the other half of the dough)
3 Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1 Cup Dark Karo Syrup
1 Tablespoon Bourbon, plus a touch more to drizzle on the hot pie when it's done
1 1/2 Cups chopped Pecans (you can use halves for a prettier look, but it slices nicer with chopped nuts)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Pat the pie dough into the pan and crimp the edges. Dust with a touch of flour to keep the bottom crust from getting soggy. Do not prebake the crust.

In a large bowl, mix eggs, Sugar, salt, butter, Bourbon and Karo syrup together. Add pecans and stir to coat. Pour into the pie shell and Bake 40-50 minutes until the center is set and not jiggly. Drizzle a touch of Bourbon on top of the pie when it comes out of the oven (not too much - you don't want to lose that carmelized crust and make it soggy!) The alcohol will evaporate with the heat, but the flavor will stay.

Eggnog Pie

2011-11-22T11:06:00.000-08:00

This is one of the recipes I came up with after tinkering with cream pie recipes to enter in the 2011 Hood Dairy Cook-Off. The eggnog really works well in a cream pie, and it is something new and different for those festive holiday parties.

1 recipe Graham Cracker Crust (refrigerated, not baked)
2 Cups good quality Eggnog (I like Hood brand)
1/2 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Brandy or Dark Rum (for a no-alcohol version, use 2-3 teaspoons of artificial Rum Extract)
Whipped cream and nutmeg for topping (homemade whipped cream is best for this pie)

Put the Flour, Sugar, Salt and Eggnog into the top of a double boiler. Stir over boiling water about ten minutes until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks lightly. Add just a teaspoon of the hot mixture to the yolks, stirring well to temper the eggs. Add another spoonful, stir, then spoon the eggs into the hot mixture. Return to heat and cook until it thickens a little more (about three more minutes). Remove from the heat and add the butter and Rum/Brandy. (If using rum extract, use 2 teaspoons to start and then taste it to see if you prefer more). Cool this mixture to room temp, stirring occasionally to avoid getting a skin on it. Spoon it into the refrigerated pie shell and chill for two hours or overnight. Serve with whipped cream and a dusting of nutmeg on top.

'Tis the season for GINGERBREAD!

2011-11-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like gingerbread this time of year, and I absolutely love it in all its forms. Gingerbread cake served warm with a dollop of whipped cream is pure heaven. Gingerbread cookies served with hot cocoa are a delight to kids and grown-ups alike, and gingerbread houses are a fun challenge to undertake. This month, as I make all three (Including entering two local gingerbread house contests) I will share recipes and tips for all things GINGERBREAD!

Maple Spice Cake

2011-10-22T11:39:00.000-07:00

Nutmeg, Cinnamon and Clove mix with a touch of maple in this surprisingly light cake. Spice cakes are often dense, so this one makes a nice change. Top it with a simple maple buttercream and a dusting of freshly ground nutmeg.

2 Cups All-purpose Flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1/2 Cup Maple Sugar * (See note below)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
3/4 cup shortening
1 1/4 Cups Buttermilk
3 Eggs
1/2 teaspoon maple extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan and line with parchment (or you could use two 8" round pans for a layer cake.)

Mix dry ingredients in a kitchenaid mixer on low, until well blended. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the maple extract. Set aside. Add shortening and Buttermilk, on low, until moistened. Turn mixer up to medium and mix for one-and-a-half minutes to aerate the batter. Scrape the bowl down and add eggs in three small batches, mixing after each addition just enough to incorporate them. Scrape down the bowl again to make sure all the batter is mixed well, then pour into pan. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

Maple Buttercream:
1 Stick Butter
2 Cups Confectioner's Sugar
1 Tbsp milk
1/2 teaspoon maple extract (can use more for stronger flavor)

Beat all ingredients in kitchenaid mixer with paddle attachment for two minutes. Add more milk, a couple of drops at a time, for a softer icing.

*Note: Maple sugar is available at specialty stores or online. The granules are a large grain, so you will need to put it through a food processor to get it finer before measuring. If you can't get maple sugar, no worries - just use all white sugar and then increase the maple extract to a whole teaspoon.

Spiced Pumpkin Squares

2011-10-20T07:47:00.000-07:00

These squares taste like pumpkin pie, but with a streusel topping and a gingersnap crust. Although they look like a bar cookie, you will need to serve them on a plate with a fork - the pumpkin pie filling makes them too soft to eat with your fingers.

1 recipe cracker crumb crust (use gingersnap cookies instead of crackers)
Line a 9x13 pan with parchment and then press the gingersnap crust mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for ten minutes, then cool.

1 1/2 Cups cooked pumpkin (or one 15 oz can of cooked pumpkin - make sure you get canned pumpkin, NOT the canned pumpkin pie filling).
1 twelve ounce can of Evaporated Milk
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of cloves (about 1/8 tsp)
1 tsp cornstarch
1/8 Cup Molasses
2 eggs

Streusel topping:
1/4 cup cold butter
1/4 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Combine in a food processor or by hand with a pastry blender. Set aside.

Turn oven up to 425 degrees.
Mix all dry ingredients together in a small bowl. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs lightly. Add the pumpkin to the eggs, then mix in the spiced sugar mixture and the molasses. When it is mixed well, slowly pour the evaporated milk in, stirring to incorporate in gradually (The mixture will be thin). Pour over the cooled
crust and bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Take out and top with streusel topping. Turn the oven down to 350 and put the pan back in the oven (you don't have to wait for it to go back down to 350). Bake an additional 20 minutes or so, until the filling is set in the middle (check it at 15 minutes). Cool to room temperature before slicing into squares with a sharp knife dipped in hot water.

Spiced Pumpkin Pie

2011-10-20T07:43:00.000-07:00

Some people like their pumpkin pie to have only a modest amount of sugar and spices, letting the pumpkin flavor really shine through. I, on the other hand, absolutely adore the autumn spice mixture of nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and clove. To me, a pumpkin pie that really spices things up is sublime. I even throw in a little molasses to give it a real New England flavor. This recipe is something I developed after taking elements of different pumpkin pie recipes I have loved over the years.

1 recipe flaky pie crust (you will use the bottom crust only - you can freeze the other half of the dough, or double this filling recipe and make two pies at once)

1 1/2 Cups cooked pumpkin (or one 15 oz can of cooked pumpkin - make sure you get canned pumpkin, NOT the canned pumpkin pie filling).
1 twelve ounce can of Evaporated Milk
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of cloves (about 1/8 tsp)
1 tsp cornstarch
1/8 Cup Molasses
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix all dry ingredients together in a small bowl. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs lightly. Add the pumpkin to the eggs, then mix in the spiced sugar mixture and the molasses. When it is mixed well, slowly pour the evaporated milk in, stirring to incorporate in gradually (The mixture will be thin). Pour into the pie shell and bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 and bake an additional 35-40 minutes, until the filling is set in the middle. (Put foil over the crust if it is getting too brown before the filling is set. Cool to room temperature before slicing with a sharp knife dipped in hot water. Serve with whipped cream.

Grandma B's Molasses cookies

2011-10-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

My Great-Grandmother, known in our family as "Grandma B," was not a professional baker, but a home baker of ledgendary ability. Many recipes that were handed down to me came from her, including these old-fashioned molasses cookies.

These chewy, spicy cookies are perfect for this time of year - a great comfort food that smells and tastes like clove, ginger, molasses and cinnamon. They are wonderful for a crisp Autumn day, and an ideal addition to those holiday cookie platters that everyone will be putting out in a couple of months. The dough can be made way ahead and frozen. You can even roll it into balls and freeze the balls, then all you have to do is thaw, roll in sugar, and bake.

1 1/2 Cups Shortening
2 Cups Sugar
1/2 Cup Molasses (dark or light - it's up to you)
2 eggs
4 Cups Flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon

Melt shortening in a medium saucepan on low heat. Cool a little. Add Sugar, Molasses, and Eggs (it is important to let the molasses cool a little so it doesn't curdle the eggs). Beat good. Have all dry ingredients mixed together in a separate bowl, then mix into the wet ingredients and stir until well blended (you can transfer it into a kitchenaid mixer to do this part if you'd like). Chill the dough for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Roll into balls about the size of a ping-pong ball. Roll the balls in sugar and bake at 350 degrees for about ten minutes, or until crackled on top and golden brown at the edges.

New England Apple Pie

2011-09-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

Well, after several years of pie-making and much tinkering, I think I have found my own personal ideal apple pie. My father-in-law raved about it and my Mother-in-law had TWO slices, so I think this recipe's a keeper!

The only thing that makes it a "New England" Apple pie is using local New England varieties of apples - three different kinds. As I am discovering, the kind of apples you use can make a HUGE difference in the end result, and using a few different kinds of apples makes for a more complex taste.

For this one, I used some Gingergold and Honeycrisp (which usually don't top the list for baking apples, but it was early season at the orchard, so I made do with delicious results). I also used a couple of firm Macintosh apples. (I wouldn't use many Macintosh because they mush up a lot, but one or two to add some variety of flavor is nice.) Basically, I think a good mix is some tart, firm apples and some sweeter, less firm apples. Cortland is a regular choice of mine for firm apples, especially since they are readily available at the store as well as the orchards. Other good choices for pies are Jonathan, Baldwin, Empire, Rome Beauty, Gravenstein, Braeburn, and Pink Lady. Mix them up - I like to use three different varieties in a pie. Red delicious is terrible for baking (and I personally don't think they're good for eating, either). I have also heard that Galas and Fujis aren't good for baking either, though I've never tried them myself. I do like Granny Smith, but again, I like to mix tart apples like those with some sweeter ones. Mix 'em up - it creates a more interesting flavor, and you don't get too much tart or too sweet.

1 recipe Flaky Pie Crust

8 Cups mixed baking apples* peeled and sliced thin

(2-3 different kinds of apples)

1/4 Cup White sugar

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

(if you use really tart apples, increase your sugar by 1/4 cup)

1 1/2 Tablespoons Cornstarch

1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon (half ceylon, half spicy if possible)

1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

Put the apples, cornstarch, sugar and spices into a bowl and let it macerate for 20-30 minutes. Roll out the pie crust, fitting the bottom crust into a pie plate. Dust the bottom of the pie crust with a little flour to help absorb juices. Spoon the apples into the crust, making sure to pat the slices down into the corners, so you are not leaving big gaps of air. Cover with the top crust and crimp the edges together. Brush top with milk and a little cinnamon sugar. Cut air vents into the top crust.

Bake at 400 degrees for 40-50 minutes, checking it after 20 minutes to see if the crust edge is getting too brown. If so, it needs to be covered in foil. After the pie is baked, let it sit for at least two hours to let it "set up." Depending on the juiciness of the apples, the pie may be a little runny. But letting it sit for two or more hours will help this.

Brown Sugar Apple Pie

2011-09-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

I don't stray too far from traditional recipes when it comes to apple pie. The only thing a little bit different about this one is that instead of a top crust, it has a thin layer of toasted brown sugar. It is not a streusel topping, which stays crumbly (and which I adore), but this topping melts a bit so that only a thin layer of brown sugar clings to the top. It is juicy and very fresh tasting, and begs for a scoop of good vanilla ice cream on top. Simply omit the topping and replace it with a top crust for an excellent regular apple pie.

1 recipe Flaky Pie Crust

6 Cups mixed baking apples* sliced thin

(it is good to use more than one apple variety)

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

1 tsp Cinnamon (half ceylon, half spicy if possible)

1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

dash cloves

Topping:

2 Tablespoons Brown sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

2 Tablespoons butter

Roll the crust and lay the bottom crust in the pie pan, crimping the edges. Put the pie crust in the freezer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, put the apples, cornstarch, sugar and spices into a bowl and let it macerate for at least 20 minutes. Take the crust out of the freezer and dust the bottom with a little flour. Spoon the apples into the crust, making sure to fill in the whole crust, not leaving big gaps of air.

Mix topping together in a small bowl, then sprinkle over the top. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temp to 375 and bake an additional 30-35 minutes. Let the pie sit for at least two hours to let it "set up." Depending on the juiciness of the apples, the pie may be a little runny. But letting it sit for two or more hours will help this.

*You can use many varieties of apple for baking. Granny Smith and Cortland are common choices since both are firm. I like the local GingerGold variety available in my area of New England. I have also heard that Rome Beauty and Baldwin are good pie apples, but I have not tried those. MacIntosh and Gala apples are great for eating but not good for baking. However, MacIntosh apples do lend a nice flavor if you use just a little bit of them (one or two apples out of your whole 6 cups). You don't want to use too much since they tend to turn mushy (they are great applesauce apples). Golden Delicious are often used in mass-produced pies, but I find their flavor bland unless you take care to get the firm green ones.

Baking with Bourbon

2011-09-16T07:50:00.000-07:00

This week is the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. While I don't like to drink Bourbon, I love to use it in Baking! Two great recipes that contain Bourbon are especially good in the Fall and Winter: Get ready to put Bourbon Pecan Pie on your Thanksgiving dessert table, or make Bourbon Balls for your Christmas party. Both of these recipes add the bourbon at the end, so it does not cook off and you really taste it. The bourbon is a surprising zing when you first take a bite, then after a moment it mellows and warms your tastebuds. See the recipe section to try these out, or send me your own ideas!

Mayan Chocolate Cake

2011-08-18T07:16:00.000-07:00

I LOVE the flavor combination of bittersweet chocolate with cinnamon and a touch of chili pepper. Although it is gaining popularity in recent years, this taste is actually not new at all. When the Mayans and the Aztecs made chocolate into a drink, it was spicy, not sweet.

I have seen spicy dark chocolate in the form of chocolate bars and fudge, and even ice cream. That got me thinking, Could it work as a cake? So I took my favorite chocolate layer cake recipe and tinkered a bit. Fair warning: this is not a cake for your typical chocolate lover (as my husband pointed out), this is for people who like to spice things up. The spices are noticable but not overwhelming, so adjust them to your own taste.

Cake:
1 3/4 Cups All-purpose Flour
3/4 Cup Cocoa Powder (if the special dark cocoa powder is available in your area, use that)
1 Cup Sugar
2/3 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon (I use Penzey's Vietnamese Cinnamon, which is strong. If using a grocery store brand, use 2 teaspoons)
dash of Cayenne pepper (or freshly ground black pepper will work, with a slightly different taste)
1 Cup Milk
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
2 Eggs
1 Cup of very strong, hot, freshly brewed coffee
2 oz chopped chocolate, the darker the better (go for a bar that is at least 60% cocoa or more)
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9" round pans and use parchment circles on the bottom of the pans. Put the chopped chocolate into the hot coffee and stir, letting it melt. Combine Milk and eggs in a small bowl with vanilla and beat lightly. Now in your mixer, combine the flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices and mix on low speed until well-combined. Add the oil, mixing for about 30 seconds. Then add the milk/egg mixture and mix on low speed until moistened. Add the coffee/chocolate mixture on low speed beating just until it makes a consistent batter (it will be a little thin).
Bake for about 35-40 minutes, testing with a toothpick to make sure it is done in the middle.

Frosting:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
3 oz chopped extra dark chocolate
1 Tablespoon dark corn syrup
3 Cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon (depending on your taste)
dash of freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons fresh coffee

Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave (heat it in 20 second intervals, stirring in between, so you don't burn it). In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, cocoa powder, sugar, and spices until well mixed. Add the melted chocolate, corn syrup, vanilla, and coffee. Beat on medium low until fluffy, adding more coffee or powdered sugar to get the consistency you desire.

Authentic Key Lime Pie

2011-08-15T09:27:00.000-07:00

I love key lime pie, and the best thing about it is that it is one of the easiest pies to make. My friends in south Florida tell me that a truly authentic Key Lime Pie consists of three elements:

1) A graham cracker crust
2) Filling made only of egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, key lime juice, a little bit of sugar
3) Fresh Whipped cream (not meringue) as a topping

I am sure that there is a great Key Lime Pie debate raging somewhere amongst the Floridians about meringue vs. whipped cream or whatever. But since I live in New England, I am just going to take my friends' word for it that this is the real thing. The fantastic recipe below comes from the Nellie & Joe's company, and it is super easy to make. When people ask me for the recipe, I tell them to just buy a bottle of Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Juice and follow the recipe on the bottle - it's the best I've ever made. Bottled key lime juice is usually found in the juice aisle, the baking aisle, or sometimes even the drink mix section of your store. If you can't find it, check specialty stores.

1 Homemade Graham Cracker Crust (I use the max amount of sugar because the filling is so tart)

3 Egg Yolks
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk (I prefer Carnation brand - some others can be slightly chalky)
1/2 Cup Key Lime Juice
6 Tablespoons sugar

1 pint Heavy Cream
Extra sugar for sweetening the whipped cream (I usually use 2 Tablespoons)

Prepare the graham cracker crust and bake it at 350 for 10 minutes. Allow to cool to room temp (leave the oven on). Beat the egg yolks, Key Lime juice, sweetened condensed milk and sugar together until well blended. Pour into the pie shell and bake for 15 minutes more. Allow to cool to room temp and then refrigerate. Before serving, top it with homemade whipped cream (see below). If you have limes on hand, adding a little lime zest or lime twists as a garnish is nice.

To make whipped cream: Chill your cream along with the mixing bowl and whisk in the freezer for at least 25 minutes before you start. Pour the cream into the bowl and whip the cream with a balloon whisk until slightly thickened. Add desired amount of sugar, then whip some more until it is a forms thick peaks, being careful not to overwhip until it becomes clotty.

American Buttercream

2011-08-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

This simple recipe is the frosting that most Americans are familiar with. Pastry chefs might call it a "Faux Buttercream" because it is not cooked like European buttercreams. But it is this good old-fashioned frosting that most Americans know and love, one that tastes deliciously retro now. It is the same frosting that most home bakers have used for generations. It is infinitely changeable - you can add chocolate, instant coffee powder, or various extracts to get different flavored frosting, so feel free to experiment!

1 lb Confectioner's Sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) Butter (good quality butter is ideal because the butter is the main flavor of this recipe)
1 tsp Vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons milk (have more on hand to add as necessary for the right consistency)

Place the butter and sugar in a mixer and beat on low speed until combined. Add vanilla and milk, then beat on medium speed until fluffy. If needed, add additional milk one teaspoon at a time until you get the consistency you want.

Traditional Cream Scones

2011-08-02T07:33:00.000-07:00

These are traditional old-fashioned tea scones, not the new-fangled giant things that are so laden with flavors and chunks that you can barely taste the biscuit part. The bonus is that they are SO easy to make. I prefer them with no raisins or other fruit, because I like a plain scone slathered with jam. If you have access to imported Devon cream, use that in place of butter on these. This recipe comes from one of my all-time favorite books, The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham.

2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
Optional: 1/2 cup dried fruit (raisins, currants, cranberries, chopped apricots)

Glaze:
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 Tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Use an ungreased cookie sheet.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a fork. Add dried fruit if using. With your fork, stir in the cream and mix until the dough holds together in a sticky mass.

Lightly flour a board and transfer the dough to it. Knead the dough eight or nine times. Pat it into a circle about ten inches round (you want the dough to be kind of thick). For the glaze, spread the butter over the top of the dough then sprinkle sugar on top. Cut the circle into 12 wedges (I prefer circles, so I use a biscuit cutter or a 3" circle cookie cutter with fluted edge).

Place on the cookie sheet an inch apart, and bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown. These are best served shortly after baking, or at least the same day. These are not something you want to make a day ahead.

Serve with butter (or Devon Cream) and strawberry jam. For a "proper pot of tea" to go with them, see the recipe section.

Blueberry Custard Pie

2011-07-25T12:04:00.000-07:00

This isn't a true custard pie (It does not contain eggs), but it has a layer of blueberries mixed with a dense layer of lightly sweetened cooked cream. It is not really creamy enough to be called a cream pie, hence the name. If you like blueberry pie but want to try something a little different, this might be just your thing. It is very easy to make, but you have to use good fresh blueberries; frozen will not work well for this pie.

1 recipe Pat-in-Pan pie crust
(You could also use a baked graham cracker or vanilla wafer crust for this)
3 cups fresh blueberries
2/3 Cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of salt
1/3 Cup milk
2/3 Cup heavy cream

Preheat Oven to 400.F

Wash and pick over the blueberries, removing stems and any mushy berries. Spread on a paper towel to dry, then pour them into the pie shell.

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt. Add the milk and cream, whisking until smooth. Pour the mixture over the berries.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until set in the center. (You may want to check the pie after 25 minutes or so to see if the crust edge needs to be covered with foil).

Let cool on a wire rack until room temperature, then refrigerate for two hours or until well chilled.

Serve with whipped cream on top.

Double Berry Pancakes

2011-07-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

These pancakes are so easy and so delicious! The name "Double Berry" comes from the fact that they are blueberry pancakes with homemade berry syrup. The syrup can be made ahead and stored in the fridge, just warm it slightly before serving.

1 recipe of batter for Homemade Pancakes
1 1/2 cups Blueberries
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar

Set aside 1/2 cup of blueberries to use in the pancakes. Put the other 1 cup of blueberries, the raspberries, water and sugar in a small saucepan. Simmer over low heat until the fruit breaks down and the mixture turns syrupy, about 15 minutes. Put the mixture through a strainer to get rid of seeds and large berry clumps. Set aside.

Heat a cast iron griddle over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles on the surface. Pour batter onto the griddle, spacing pancakes about an inch apart. Drop about five blueberries onto each pancake. When you see bubbles AND the edges are drying slightly, it is time to flip. Serve hot with a dusting of powdered sugar and the berry syrup on the side.

Pat-in-Pan crust

2011-07-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

This pie crust is a real time-saver! It only works for single-crust pies; ones that will have a topping on them instead of a top crust. It is sturdy and less flaky, so it is ideal for pies that need a sturdier crust, such as apple or berry crumb pie.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
3 1/2 Tablespoons milk

In a 9-inch pie pan, combine all ingredients and stir with a fork until well blended. Then use your fingers to pat the dough into the pan firmly, working until you have covered the bottom and sides of the pan. Use your fingers to press it smooth and make an even rim along the edge. With a fork, prick the bottom of the crust to prevent bubbling. Bake as directed according to the recipe for whichever filling you are using.

Butter vs. Shortening - The Great Pie Crust Debate

2011-07-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

If you look at a lot of cookbooks like I do, you'll see that cooking, like anything else, is all about trends. In my adult life I have been surprised to realize that even things you would never think of as "trendy" DO in fact follow waves of what is "in" or "out." Politics, parenting styles, and yes, Cooking.

And so we come to the trends of Pie Crust. Lard used to be the chief ingredient in American pie crusts, (those recipes now exchange lard for shortening in most cases). Then somewhere along the way we decided that the French way of making pie crust was superior - all butter crust (i.e. Pate Brise).

Nowadays there is a great debate among bakers, pastry chefs, and pie lovers about what makes the best crust. All-butter, shortening, or a combination of both? Lately the trend is definitely leaning in the direction of all-butter crusts. Pastry chefs and home bakers alike will proudly proclaim that their pies are made with nothing but butter in the crust. When did shortening get a bad rap? Was it Martha Stewart, with her 1985 book Pies & Tarts (to which I often refer for recipe ideas) that made people want to go all-butter, all the time? Was it even earlier? Or is it due to the recent findings that shortening, which contains trans-fat, is actually unhealthier than butter?

I don't know what has made the pendulum swing so far in favor of butter, but I'll make a confession: I like a shortening crust better. I know, I know, I am probably in the minority here. But although I have tasted many a delicious pie with an all-butter crust, my personal preference is for the lighter, flakier shortening crusts. I can hear the pastry chefs wailing that butter crust can be flaky when it is done right. True. But light? Not as far as I have tasted. Butter crusts are usually denser and richer in flavor, which to most people is a good thing. But not to me. I also find that butter crusts usually shrink more in cooking than shortening crusts do (but of course that can be helped by chilling the pie before baking).

Actually, my go-to crust recipe calls for both, but the ratio is about 3 parts shortening to 1 part butter. It is unbelievably light and flaky. The flavor, which butter lovers may consider a little bit bland, does not overshadow whatever filling I put in it. My husband, who always used to leave the ends of his crust abandoned on the plate, enjoys every crumb of this crust. And I always get a ton of compliments on the crust when I bring a pie to an event. The recipe is pretty retro, coming from an early edition of my kitchen bible, The Joy of Cooking. Flaky Pie Crust

Foolproof Pie Crust Tips

2011-07-17T12:01:00.003-07:00

I used to be literally in tears over pie crusts. That old saying "Easy as Pie" seemed to be completely untrue! But after the advice of several family bakers and years of trial and error, I now feel like I have some (almost) Foolproof pie crust tips to share:

Have your butter or shortening chilled
Use ICE water instead of room temperature water. If you need to add extra water to get the dough to come together, use only a few drops at a time.
Chill the dough before rolling it out. I put a ball of dough between two sheets of waxed paper and then flatten in a bit. I store it in the fridge or freezer until I am ready to use it. If I am freezing it for later use, I always put the dough (still in the waxed paper) in a ziploc bag and squeeze the air out.

Roll the dough between two sheets of waxed paper (or plastic wrap). You have to reposition the waxed paper a few times, but it doesn't stick to the rolling pin or the board this way. It also allows you to add little or no flour during rolling, which keeps the dough from getting tough.

Measure how big your circle of dough is before transferring it into the pan. Seems like common sense of course, but it is easy to think you have made it large enough when you haven't. You can measure by simply holding the pie tin, upside down, over your circle of dough. Make sure it is a couple of inches larger than the pie pan. I also love those Pastry boards that have pie circles on them so that you can measure while rolling, like this one: Pastry Board
Transfer the dough into the pie pan using the waxed paper - peel off one side, then place that side into the pan, position it where you want it, then peel off the top layer of waxed paper and ease the dough into the bottom of the pan.

Fill the pie crust with your favorite filling. For Blind Baking instructions (for certain fillings) see below.

Assembling a two-crust pie:

You can cover your pie with a top crust using the same wax paper technique - peel one layer of the wax paper off, lay the exposed crust over the filled pie, then peel off the waxed paper from the top. This allows for easy repositioning if necessary. Seal the top crust to the bottom crust by brushing a little milk on the bottom crust and gently pressing the top and bottom crust edges together. (If it is a fruit pie, I like to use the little bit of leftover fruit juice that is in the bowl after macerating the fruit to brush on the crust instead of milk). Then follow crimping instructions (same as for a single crust pie) below:

For a single crust pie:

Cut off the excess dough (or for a thicker edge, you can just tuck the excess under the edge and pinch it together). Crimp the edges by lifting a bit of dough onto your index finger then using the index finger and thumb of your other hand to pinch the dough into a "fluted" shape. Alternately, you can press the tines of a fork into the edges to crimp them together. As you make more pies, you can experiment with fancy edges, but I like a simple fluted edge myself.

For Lattice Crust:

Lay your bottom crust into the pan and fill it as desired. Dot with butter (if desired) before starting your lattice. Roll out your top crust and cut it into strips 1/2" to 1" wide (this is a personal preference. I like mine on the wide side so I have fewer strips to work with). Lay strips across the pie in vertical lines, spaced evenly. Then fold back every other strip halfway (see picture below). Add a strip going in the horizontal direction across the unfolded strips, then place the strips back into place. Fold back the alternate strips and repeat the process. When you are done, press your strips into the edge to seal before crimping the edges.

Most Pie crusts benefit from being brushed with milk or egg and then dusted with sugar before baking. For Shaker Lemon (or Meyer Lemon) Pies, I like to use a dusting of course sanding sugar, the kind with very large granules. For Apple pie, I like to use cinnamon sugar. Check your pies about halfway thorugh baking to see if the edges are getting too brown. If they are, you can gently place strips of tin foil around the edges and press them lightly to "hug" the crust edge. You can also use a pie shield, which is sold in most cooking stores. But pie shields are a set size, and crusts don't always conform to that specified size.

Bake according to your recipe's instructions, and then...Voila!

Blind Baking:

Blind baking is where you bake the crust before filling it. This is a requirement for certain types of liquidy pie fillings, otherwise the bottom crust will not bake and will turn out soggy. To blind bake a crust, roll it out and transfer it into a pie pan as instructed above. Then prick it all over with the tines of a fork. Then line the crust with tin foil and fill it with pie weights or dried beans (see picture below).

Bake the crust in a 450 degree oven for about ten minutes. (Time will vary a little based on crust ingredients and type of pie pan used, so watch carefully the first time you do it to make sure yours does not over brown.)

Homemade Ice Cream Cake

2011-07-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

Homemade Ice cream cake is pretty easy to make. Take your favorite cake recipe(I used Sour Cream Yellow cake for this) and make a 6" or 9" round layer of it. You can use the leftover batter to make a few cupcakes, or make two layers and freeze one of them for later use. Line another round pan of the same size with plastic wrap. Take your favorite Ice cream flavor (Store-bought or homemade) and let it soften a bit. Then scoop it into the pan lined with plastic wrap, making sure to push the ice cream well into the corners. Put the pan into the freezer for a couple of hours to freeze again. Then unmold the ice cream, set it on top of the cooled cake layer, and re-cover the whole thing with plastic wrap. Let it sit in the freezer until you are ready to frost and decorate it. I used lightly sweetened homemade whipped cream to decorate this one, because the ice cream is so sweet that you don't need a heavy sweet frosting on top.

Icebox Cakes - cool summertime desserts

2011-07-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

Well, this blog is called "Baking Outside the Box," so I am torn about posting recipes for Icebox "cakes". They are not baking, and they are not really from scratch, (or "outside the box") as this blog is supposed to be about. But they are SOOO good, and a nice alternative when you want to make a dessert but don't want to turn on your oven.

Although I had heard of Icebox cakes and pies, I had never made one. But my sister-in-law recently turned me on to this retro craze with her fantastic Eclair Cake, which was the simplest, yet most popular, dessert brought to a recent potluck party at my house. Yes, that cherry pie that took me hours to make? It was totally trumped by pudding and graham crackers! Ya gotta laugh.

Icebox "cakes" are usually made from some kind of cookie or cracker (i.e. graham crackers, Nilla wafers or chocolate wafers) layered with whipped cream, pudding, or both and then refrigerated overnight. The cream and the crackers meld together, turning the crackers soft and cake-like. Viola! A cool summer dessert with no baking required!

The most famous of these recipes is Nabisco's Chocolate Refrigerator Roll, with its iconic picture on the box of chocolate wafers (found in the cookie section of your local store). And if my sister-in-law agrees to let me post her Eclair Cake recipe here, you will find it in the recipe section.

Fourth of July Cherry Pie

2011-07-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

I cannot tell a lie. I was forced to use canned, not fresh, cherries for this pie. Not pie filling, but canned-in-water sour cherries. Because I could not find fresh or even frozen sour cherries anywhere in my area. So rather than use fresh sweet cherries (which I know from experience don't make a great pie), I used Oregon brand canned sour cherries, which still allowed me to make my own filling. It came out great! You can find the recipe in the recipe section.

Summer Strawberry Shortcake

2011-06-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

When strawberries are in season and they can be had at local farmers' markets or pick-your-own farms, they are nothing short of amazing. These smaller, sweeter fruits almost bare no resemblance to their out-of-season grocery store counterparts. THIS is the time to make strawberry shortcake, and those beautiful berries demand that you don't skimp on the other ingredients - use REAL whipped cream and homemade cake (or a sweet biscuit, if you prefer) and LOAD IT UP! It took a quart of strawberries to make this cake, but boy, was it worth it. If you want to make this cake, here is the recipe: Summer Strawberry Shortcake It comes from my favorite cake book, Sky High by Alisa Huntsman. If you love baking cakes, you've got to get your hands on this book!

Summer Strawberry Shortcake

2011-06-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

This fantastic recipe comes from the book Sky High - Irresistable Triple-Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman.
For cake:
5 TB unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 c cake flour
2 1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp of salt
2/3 c buttermilk

For Strawberry Filling
2 pints strawberries (save a few whole ones for garnish)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c sugar

For the whipped cream:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

Wash, hull and cut up the strawberries. Put them in a bowl with the sugar and vanilla. Let them macerate in the fridge for at least one hour, stirring occcasionally.

In the meantime, make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottoms and sides of three 6-inch round cake pans. (Line the bottom of each with a round of parchment for best results).

In a large mixer bowl, cream the butter, 3/4 c of sugar, and the vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the batter, alternating with the buttermilk. (Start with the dry ingredients and end with the dry ingredients). Divide the batter amoung the three prepared pans/put in the pan.

Bake the cake layers for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for ten minutes before inverting onto wire racks. Let the cake cool completely.

While the cake is cooling, place a mixing bowl and beater or wire whisk in the freezer. After they have chilled for a little while, take them out and whip the cream until it is thick enough to spread.

Assemble the layers like this: Cake, strawberries with juice, whipped cream. Repeat. Garnish with a few whole strawberries.

Fourth of July Desserts

2011-06-24T13:40:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more fun than a Fourth of July cookout. For me, the hardest part is deciding which desserts to make! A red velvet cake? A flakey pie filled with locally-grown summer berries? A cool and summery icebox pie? A batch of patriotic sugar cookies? It's so hard to decide! Here are some ideas that can be made a day or more ahead. I will post recipes in the recipe section if you'd like to try them out. If you're having a potluck party like I am, maybe the best idea is to choose one dessert, and ask others to make something else.

PIES

Berry and cherry pie can be made with locally grown fruits this time of year, so they are the best choice. Because it is "All-American," Apple pie is always a favorite for July 4th, but since apples are not in season, you'd be forced to use imported (and likely bland) fruit. Resist the urge!

COOKIES

Cookies are festive and a great choice to make ahead. The best thing about them is that they are so portable - guests don't need a plate and a fork to eat them, leaving the other hand free to hold a beer, or play horseshoes.

CAKES

There is something about a cake that shouts "celebration!" To quote a line from a kids' song I recently heard, "How can it be a party when there isn't a cake?!" A red velvet cake is perfect for July Fourth. I love the idea of using fresh strawberries and blueberries to add red and blue color. A perennial favorite of cake decorators is a sheet cake made to look like a flag, with blueberries as the stars and strawberries as the stripes.

Royal Icing

2011-06-24T07:30:00.001-07:00

Royal Icing was traditionally made with egg whites, but many people are fearful of salmonella nowadays. I don't worry as much about salmonella as I do about the raw egg whites spoiling when left at room temperature for long periods of time. So I use Meringue Powder royal icing.
Royal icing is a common icing for sugar cookies because it dries hard and can be thinned to have a smooth consistency. It isn't necessarily the best tasting icing, but for decorating it is the most versatile. It also dries quickly, which is a plus if you need to stack them.

5 Tablespoons Meringue Powder
3/4 Cup warm water
1 tsp cream of tartar
2 lbs Confectioner's Sugar, sifted

In a mixing bowl, combine the water and meringue powder together. Whisk by hand for 30 seconds until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and whisk again for 10 seconds, then add the sugar and attach the paddle attachment of your electric mixer. At medium-low speed (I use #2 on the KitchenAid) beat for TEN minutes until thick, creamy, and it forms stiff peaks. This stiff icing is the ideal consistency for constructing Gingerbread Houses. You can thin it by adding small amounts of water to achieve a flow consistency for cookies and such. Flow consistency should be when you drag a knife through the frosting and it takes a few seconds for the icing to smooth out and the knife mark to disappear.

Blueberry Pie

2011-06-24T07:02:00.000-07:00

Blueberry pie is one of the easiest to make, since you don't have to slice, dice and pit the fruit. During the summer, going to a local blueberry farm to pick your own berries will give you the best berries and is often cheaper than buying them in the store. You can use frozen berries in the off season with a pretty good result.

1 recipe Flakey Pie Crust
4 Cups fresh Blueberries
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup Minute Tapioca
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

Rinse the blueberries and pick them over to remove stems. Put the berries, sugar, tapioca and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir the berries roughly - you actually want to break some and release the juices. (Unlike other berries, blueberries have an outer skin which prevents them from making their own juice in the sugar unless some of them are broken. Alternately, you can take aside 1/2 cup of the berries and smash them seperately, then mix them into the whole berries.)

Spoon berries into the pie shell and dot with butter. Cover with top crust and cut a few slits in the top to vent. Bake at 400 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

Cherry Pie

2011-06-24T06:47:00.000-07:00

1 recipe for Flakey pie crust
6 Cups Cherries, washed and pitted (see note at bottom about cherries)
3 Tablespoons Minute tapioca
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1 to 1-1/2 cups sugar, depending on the tartness of the cherries
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon butter, cut into little pieces

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Allow to mascerate for 20 minutes. Spoon the cherries and juice into the pie crust, dot the cherries with the butter, then cover with the top crust or a lattice crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

A note about cherries:
When I first started making homemade cherry pies, I did not know there was a difference between cherries. I bought Bing cherries in the grocery store and wondered why my pies, while tasty, didn't have that tartness that a cherry pie should. Then I realized it was because I had not been using sour cherries a.k.a. "tart cherries." Why hadn't I seen them in the stores like the other cherries? Well, they can be very hard to find. These elusive cherries are only available for a short time in the summer, and you rarely see them at your local grocery store. (In fact, I read in Martha Stewart's pie book that she grows her own cherry trees just for this reason.) Look at Farmer's Markets or specialty stores like Whole Foods. If you still can't find them, you have two choices: You can look for frozen sour cherries, or use Oregon brand canned sour cherries in water. It is not a pie filling, just the cherries, so you still make your own filling. The last option is to use fresh sweet cherries and realize that your pie will be sweet, lacking that tart "true cherry pie" flavor.You can always try adding a bit of lemon juice to add tartness if you'd like.

Strawberry Butter Cake

2011-06-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

From the book Sky High by Alisa Huntsman, this recipe adds strawberry puree to butter cake to give it a subtle berry flavor and pale pink color. Delicious and not too sweet. The strawberry flavor does not overwhelm it. This would be wonderful for a pretty princess birthday cake, but equally as lovely for an adult occasion.

Strawberry Butter Cake

4 1/2 cups cake flour
3 cups sugar
5 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups pureed frozen strawberries*
8 egg whites
2/3 cup milk
Optional - 1 to 2 drops red food dye, if using (to make the pink color pop more)

1. Preheat the oven to 350»F. Butter three 9-inch round or 8-inch square cake pans. Line with parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

2. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixer bowl. With the electric mixer on low speed, blend for 30 seconds. Add the butter and strawberry puree and mix to blend the ingredients. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes; the batter will resemble strawberry ice cream at this point.

3. In another large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, milk and red food dye, if using, to blend. Add the whites to the batter in two or three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl well and mixing only to incorporate after each addition. Divide the batter among the three prepared pans.

4. Bake the cakes for 30 to 34 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the layers to cool in the pans for 10 to 15 minutes. Invert and turn out onto wire racks and peel off the paper liners. Let stand until completely cooled before assembling the cake, at least an hour

*When fresh strawberries are truly in season, by all means use them instead of frozen.

FYI - The book recommends a Swiss Meringue Buttercream, but I used an American buttercream for this picture, just because I was pressed for time.

Cake Trends: Back to Buttercream?

2011-06-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

As a cake decorator, I love to see elaborate cakes decorated with fondant, gum paste, royal icing stringwork, and sculpted adornments. But as a baker, I have to say that there is something lost when one puts all their energy into making a visual piece of art - it often tastes more like art than food. I always used to take it as a compliment when someone would say my cookies were "too pretty to eat," but now I'm not so sure. When I see elaborate cakes on shows like "Cake Boss" and "Ace of Cakes" I am stunned by their appearance, but more often than not, I wouldn't want to eat them. The simple fact is that in order to build a cake that looks like a sculpture, you have to sacrifice some of the elements that make it tasty. The cake is heavy and dense; there is a lot of non-edible support inside; some of the decorations are often made from rice krispy treats (edible, yes, but let's face it - it's not cake). Finally, the cake is covered with fondant. Personally, I think fondant tastes fine when it is homemade. But more and more, I am hearing people say that they love the look but hate the taste of fondant. I often see it scraped off slices of cake and left sitting on the plate while the rest is eaten. Some people are asking for cakes decorated with buttercream instead. Is this the beginning of a new cake trend - forsaking fondant and getting back to buttercream? I don't know, but I guess I'd better brush up my piping skills!

Wedding Cake with Buttercream

(Birds, twigs etc are non-edible craft items)

Birthday cake covered with fondant

(Mushrooms are rice krispies covered in fondant)

Red Velvet Cake

2011-05-20T13:40:00.000-07:00

Some people think that Red Velvet Cake is just chocolate cake with red food coloring, but that isn't quite true. It is a tangy buttermilk cake with just enough cocoa to give it a mildly chocolate flavor. This southern favorite seems mysterious, but really it is just as easy to make as any other scratch cake. The stunning red color and interesting flavor make this a very popular cake. It looks lovely on the Fourth of July when garnished with blueberries and strawberries.

2 cups sifted cake flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp (or more) of professional concentrated red food coloring (or use 1 Tbsp of regular food color)

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use the "reverse creaming" method: Mix flour, cocoa, salt, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in a kitchenaid mixer on low for about 30 seconds. Add butter and mix for about 30 seconds on low, then turn on medium and mix for about a minute to aerate. Scrape the bowl down. In a separate bowl, mix the buttermilk, food color, vinegar, vanilla, and eggs until well blended. Add to the flour/butter mixture in 3 segments, mixing for about 20 seconds after each addition. Scrape the bowl down.

Pour batter into two 9" pans and bake about 30 minutes. When cool, frost with American Buttercream or Cream Cheese Frosting.

The Undying Cupcake Trend

2011-05-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

A new cupcake shop just opened up near me, the second one in my small suburb of Boston that sells just cupcakes. Wait a minute, didn't I read an article recently in which several noteworthy food writers proclaimed that, after a long run, the cupcake craze is on its way out? In Boston as a whole, there are at least eight cupcake shops. The one in my area has delicious cupcakes, but they don't come cheap. A bite-sized mini will set you back $1.50, and the regular ones are $3.00 and up, depending on whether you want basic or exotic flavors. They are also filled with various fillings, which seems to be the latest thing in the ongoing cupcake trend. Everything else had been done by now, I guess. After all, we are at least ten years into the whole "resurgence of the cupcake."

Don't get me wrong, I love cupcakes too. What's not to love? They are cute, and unlike a slice of cake that you need a plate and a fork to eat, cupcakes are portable. Maybe the biggest draw is the nostalgia factor. Because they used to be considered a "kid food," cupcakes make us think back to childhood, with its long carefree summers, birthday parties, and those old days when we could eat sweets with no guilt whatsoever. I get the appeal; I'm just baffled that there are SO many stores in SO many towns that JUST sell cupcakes.

The bakery that is usually credited with starting the modern cupcake craze is Magnolia Bakery in New York City. Even before they were featured on Sex and the City, The Magnolia bakery was known for their cupcakes. When I lived in NYC I used to go there sometimes. The store is adorable, and so are the cupcakes. But the taste of their cupcakes was nothing special, in fact, the ones I got were usually dry. And cupcakes were never their only offering. As the story goes, they were kind of an afterthought on the menu.

The first time I saw a specialty cupcake shop, I thought it was a clever novelty idea. They offered many flavors beyond the standard chocolate and vanilla with buttercream frosting, which made it a neat experience. But then more and more cupcake shops opened up to cash in on the craze, beginning in NYC where I lived, then spreading out from there. People started having cupcakes as their wedding cake. Years passed, I moved to Boston, and yet I am still seeing new cupcake shops open.

Maybe I am just one of these people that starts to dislike something when it becomes really trendy. But I feel like this one is getting old. Can't we just go back to loving cupcakes because they are tasty and nostalgic, not gobbling them up because they are "in"?

Margarita Pie

2011-05-08T07:36:00.000-07:00

This pie is a fantastic choice for Cinco de Mayo. It is a chiffon pie, which means it is light and airy, kind of like a mousse. The flavor is lime with a dash of tequila, so it really does taste like a Margarita! A sweet graham cracker crust evens out the tartness. To make a lime chiffon pie with no alcohol, just omit the alcohol in this recipe - the filling will be slightly thicker without the added liquid, but that's fine.

1 homemade Graham Cracker Crust (add a little extra sugar since this filling is tart)
1 Packet of unflavored gelatin
1/2 Cup Lime juice
1/4 Cup Tequila
1/4 Cup Triple Sec
1 Pint Heavy Cream
1 Cup Confectioner's Sugar
a few drops of green food color

Sprinkle gelatin over lime juice and dissolve it over hot water. When gelatin is thoroughly dissolved, add tequila and Triple Sec. Refrigerate. Meanwhile, Whip the cream in a chilled mixer bowl until it thickens a bit. Add the sugar, and continue beating until soft peaks form. Refrigerate. When gelatin mixture begins to thicken and take on a syrupy quality, fold it into the cream while adding the food coloring. Spoon the mixture into the pie shell and garnish with lime slices. Chill the pie in the refrigerator for another hour before serving. The filling will "set up" more as it chills.

Homemade Pancakes

2011-05-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

You will never make pancakes from a box again after you've tried this easy and delicious recipe - it is SO good! The recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham.

2 Eggs
5 Tbsp butter
1 Cup Milk
1 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Sugar
4 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 tsp salt

Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl until blended. Put the butter and milk in a large microwave-safe measuring cup or a glass bowl, and microwave until butter is melted. Set aside the milk/butter mixture and allow it to cool a little. Gradually add the milk mixture into the eggs, adding just a tiny amount at first (this is to temper the eggs, so if the liquid is still too hot, it does not cook the eggs). Stir the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together until well mixed. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir only until the dry ingredients are moistened. Don't overmix (If you've been using a KitchenAid mixer for the first part of this, STOP now and mix this last part by hand).

Heat Griddle until a few drops of water "dance" on it (I really prefer a cast iron griddle for pancakes). Lightly film the surface with grease or Pam. Drop about 1/4 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until bubbles break the surface and the pancakes are just starting to dry slightly at the edges. If bubbles form immediately, your griddle is probably too hot. Turn pancakes and cook about 30 seconds more on the second side.

You can add fresh fruit such as berries by dropping the pieces of fruit onto each pancake on the griddle before turning it. (Fruit that is mixed into the batter often gets smashed up).

Buttermilk Cake with Strawberry Whipped Cream

2011-04-26T07:32:00.000-07:00

Shaker Lemon Pie

2011-04-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

Shaker Lemon Pie is unusual as lemon pies go. Lemon Meringue Pie, Lemon Tart, and Lemon Chiffon pie all call for just the juice or the juice and zest to be made into a curd or a fluffy filling. Then the filling is topped with meringue, whipped cream, or nothing at all. But Shaker Lemon pie is actual slices of lemon baked with egg so it forms a kind of a custard, and topped with a pastry crust. Interesting. I found two recipes for this and the one I prefer is from the Joy of Cooking (Sorry, Martha Stewart, I tried yours and liked this other one better). IMPORTANT: The lemons have to macerate in the sugar for several hours, so plan ahead.

This will make an 8 or 9 inch pie. For larger pies or for deep dish, double the recipe:

1 dough recipe for a two-crust pie (see recipe section)
2 large Lemons
2 Cups Sugar
1 tsp salt
4 well-beaten eggs

Grate the zest from the lemons. With a very sharp knife, cut the white inner peel from the lemons and then slice them into paper-thin slices. Don't worry if the slices fall apart a bit - they won't stay in neat slices when mixed with the eggs anyhow. Remove all seeds. Combine the lemon slices with the sugar and let stand 2-24 hours (the longer the better). After letting the lemons sit several hours (or overnight) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a pie pan with the bottom crust of the dough. Add the beaten eggs to the lemons and stir well. Pour it into the pie crust. Cover with top crust and crimp the edges. Brush the top crust with milk and sprinkle a little sugar on top. Bake at 425 for ten minutes, then reduce heat to 325 and bake 45 minutes longer. (Cover the edges with tin foil if they start browning too much). Cool pie completely before slicing.

Banana Cream Pie

2011-04-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

1 Graham Cracker Crust (see recipe section)

Filling:
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 Cups milk
3 egg yolks
2 bananas
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In the top of a double boiler combine the sugar, flour, salt, and milk. Stir the mixture in the bowl while the water boils beneath it, cooking for about 10 minutes until the mixture thickens (stir it frequently). Remove from the heat. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks. Take a small amount of the hot milk/flour mixture (about a tablespoon) and stir it into the eggs. Add another spoonful and stir it in (you are "tempering" the eggs so they don't cook and curdle). Now pour the egg mixture into the rest of the hot milk mix. Return it to the double boiler and cook until thickened some more (about 3-5 minutes) stirring constantly. Take it off the heat and let it rest. Cut one of the bananas in half. Mash half of the banana in a separate bowl. Add the mashed banana and vanilla extract to the filling mixture. Now let it cool a bit. (You can stick the filling in the fridge or freezer to help it chill faster, just remember to take it out and stir it occasionally). In the meantime, cut the remaining 1 1/2 bananas into thin slices and line the graham cracker crust with the slices. When the filling has cooled (it can be a little warm, but not HOT), pour it slowly into the pie shell, being careful not to mess up the banana slices. Top with fresh whipped cream (or canned). Refrigerate for an hour or more before serving.

Fresh Whipped Cream Topping:
1 pint heavy cream
1/4 - 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, depending on how sweet you want it

Make sure the cream is well-chilled, (I even chill the mixing bowl and beaters when I make whipped cream). Beat on high speed with mixer until it is thickened. Spread it over the chilled pie and then put the pie back in the fridge until serving.

1922 Devil's Food Cake

2011-04-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

This was one of my Great-Grandmother's recipes. When I came across it, there was something so intriguing about trying a cake recipe from 1922. The original recipe calls for lard, as you can see here, but I use shortening instead. Before you bake this, see my notes below on other possible adjustments that you might choose to make.

2 C Brown Sugar
1 C Lard (you can use shortening instead)
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup sour milk (instructions below)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 C fresh hot coffee
2 C flour
1/2 C cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two round 9" pans or one 9x13" pan.

For sour milk: Put 1-1/2 tsp white vinegar in a measuring cup then add milk to equal 1/2 cup. Let sit for five minutes.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in a large bowl and set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream the crisco and sugar together, then add eggs and mix well. Dissolve the baking soda in the sour milk and beat until frothy. Add the sour milk mixture to the sugar/egg mixture and beat to combine. Add the hot coffee a little at a time with mixer running on low. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in three shifts, mixing well after each addition of flour.

Note: I wanted to print this recipe as my great-grandmother made it, since I am a fan of retro recipes and I believe in preserving family recipes in their original form. However, while I love the flavor of this cake, I find it slightly dry, so I make a couple of minor adjustments to the recipe when I bake it: I use 3 eggs instead of two, and I increase the coffee to 3/4 Cup (instead of the 1/2 cup listed).

Simple Chocolate Layer Cake

2011-04-18T06:20:00.000-07:00

2 cups sugar

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Cocoa Powder

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup hot fresh coffee

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans, or three 6-inch round pans.

Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs lightly then add the milk, oil and vanilla; mix on medium speed for two minutes. Stir in the coffee (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, or until the surface springs back when pressed lighly with a fingertip. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with chocolate or vanilla buttercream.

Guinness Cake

2011-04-16T08:31:00.000-07:00

After tinkering with a few different recipes for chocolate stout cake, this is what I came up with. It is delicious and versatile. You can leave off the icing and it will taste like a rich chocolate pound cake. Or bake it as a small layer cake instead of the bundt, frosting it with chocolate or vanilla buttercream. For a different flavor, I have substituted Coffee or Coca-Cola for the Guinness. Whenever I need a dense chocolate cake, this is my go-to recipe. It also works great for "sculpted" cakes.

Cake

1 cup Guinness

1 cup butter

3/4 cup Cocoa powder

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 teaspoons salt

2 eggs

2/3 cups sour cream

1/2 tsp vanilla

Icing
1 pound confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 Tbsp Guinness

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a bundt pan with baking spray.

Bring Guinness and butter to simmer in a pan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to blend. Set aside. In a KitchenAid mixer, beat the eggs and sour cream to blend. Add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. With a spatula, fold in the last of the batter by hand until completely combined. Pour into bundt pan. Bake cake until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let it cool 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a rack to cool completely.

For icing, combine the sugar, cocoa, and butter in a mixer to blend well. Put into a microwave safe bowl and heat the icing to melt the butter, cooking for about 20 seconds at a time and stirring in between. When the icing is a flowing consistency, Place the cooled cake on a rack and pour the icing over the bundt cake. You can use as much or little as your taste desires.

Sugar 'N' Spice Muffins

2011-04-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

These muffins are easy to make and so nice on a cold winter morning. They are a great item to bring to a potluck brunch party.

1/3 Cup Shortening
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg (freshly ground if possible)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash of cloves
1/2 Cup Milk

Topping:
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 Cup sugar combined with 1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Grease the muffin tins.
Beat the shortening, sugar, and egg in a mixing bowl. Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices, then add to the shortening mixture. Pour in the milk and beat until blended and smooth. Fill the muffin tins about 2/3 full. I usually only get 10 out of this recipe, but you can fill the cups less for a full dozen if you wish. Bake about 20 minutes, until slightly browned.

For the topping, have the butter melted in a bowl and the cinnamon sugar in a separate bowl. When the muffins have cooled enough to remove them from the tins, dip the tops of each muffin in the butter then the cinnamon sugar. Place on a rack to dry. These are best served fresh, but they will still be okay the next day (though slightly drier).

Easy Cracker-Crumb Crust

2011-04-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

Try different varieties of crackers and cookies to make your pie interesting. Graham cracker crusts are always a favorite, but for some very sweet pies (i.e. Butterscotch) you may want a Ritz cracker crust to give a touch of saltiness. You can also match the flavor of the crust to the pie (i.e. chocolate cookie crust for chocolate cream pie, vanilla wafer crust for vanilla cream pie).

1 1/2 Cups Cracker or cookie crumbs (use a food processor to get the finest crumb)
1/4 to 1/2 Cup confectioner's sugar, depending on the sweetness or tartness of the filling
6 tablespoons melted butter

Stir ingredients together until well blended. Pat into the pie pan gently at first, to position the crumbs as evenly as possible. Then go over it, pressing more firmly to really set the crumbs in place.

Crumb crusts can either be chilled (as for cream pies) or baked (for any kind of filling that will need to go back in the oven, like something with meringue topping). If chilling the crust to set it, just make sure you give it at least an hour in the fridge. For baking, bake at 350 for about ten minutes, then allow it to cool before filling.

Flaky Pie Crust

2011-04-16T06:57:00.000-07:00

Many people prefer an all-butter crust for pies, but I find crusts made with Crisco to be lighter and flakier, as well as shrinking less in the baking process. My husband, who is not a big fan of the crust of the pie, always eats all of the crust when it is this recipe, because it is lighter and flakier than other pie crusts. This recipe has a touch of butter for flavor, and you could always use butter-flavored Crisco for even more butter flavor. The recipe makes a two-crust 9" pie:
2 Cups sifted All-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 Cup chilled Crisco
2 Tbsp chilled butter
4 Tbsp Ice Water

Sift together Flour and Salt. Cut half of the shortening into the flour with a pastry blender, until it looks like the texture of cornmeal. Cut in the remaining shortening and butter until the dough is in pea-sized crumbs. Sprinkle on the water and blend in lightly with a fork. If needed to hold the dough together, you can add more water a scant teaspoon at a time. When you can gather up the dough in a ball, stop working it. Divide the dough in half, press circles between two sheets of waxed paper to make a disc. This makes chilling the dough faster and rolling it will be easier later. Put the dough in the fridge to chill for an hour or so before rolling. If not using it right away, put the dough in a large Ziploc bag and freeze it.

Then I just go ahead and roll my dough between the two pieces of waxed paper. You need to keep lifting and repositioning the paper when you do this, but it means that you add little or no extra flour to the dough. It also makes transferring it from the board to the pie tin easier.

Spring is here!

2011-04-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

These Easter/Spring cookies will be wrapped (with about four dozen others) and donated to our local library to be sold at their April fundraiser. The cookies are a standard rolled Butter Cookie with Royal Icing.

Crazy for Butterscotch

2011-04-12T08:28:00.000-07:00

Butterscotch Bars

Butterscotch Pie with cracker-crumb crust

I LOVE butterscotch desserts. The rich flavor of brown sugar and butter together is heavenly, but for some reason this retro flavor just isn't around much anymore. I have several recipes for great Butterscotch desserts, which I will post in the recipe section. Butterscotch Bars are a variation on shortbread bars - they are crumbly and addictive, yet sooo easy to make! Butterscotch Pie is a rich, creamy pie that is dense with butterscotch flavor, and the slightly salty cracker crust is a perfect foil for its over-the-top sweetness.

Simple Shortbread

2011-04-12T08:03:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from The Joy of Cooking. It is so simple to make and deliciously buttery. It is also very versatile - you can spread raspberry jam and crumb topping on top to make raspberry bars, or add lemon zest to the dough then drizzle a lemon glaze on top for lemon bars.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Bars:
1 Cup Butter (at room temperature)
2 Cups sifted all-purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream the butter and vanilla just until soft. Sift together the Flour, Sugar, Salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter just until well combined. It will be crumbly. Pat into a 9x9 pan and press down. Pierce with a fork through the dough in several places. Bake 25-30 minutes. Cut into squares while warm.

Butterscotch Bars

2011-04-12T07:41:00.000-07:00

These shortbread bars are rich with the flavors of brown sugar and butter. The best part is they are quick and easy to make!

Bars:
1 Cup Butter (at room temperature)
2 Cups sifted all-purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Crumb topping:
2 Tablespoons Flour
2 Tablespoons butter
5 Tablespoons brown sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cream the butter and vanilla just until soft. Sift together the Flour, Sugar, Salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter just until well combined. It will be crumbly. Pat into a 9x9 pan and press down. Pierce with a fork through the dough in several places. Sprinkle with crumb topping (use as little or as much topping as you'd like). Bake 25-30 minutes. Cut into squares while warm.

Seven-Minute Icing

2011-04-05T06:34:00.000-07:00

Seven-Minute Icing, a.k.a "Boiled Icing" is so simple and really fantastic. It used to be one of the most common cake frostings, so why did it fall off the radar? If you have never tasted it, I can only describe it as having a taste and consistency like whipped marshmallows. The appearance is super-fluffy with a glossy sheen. It is quick and easy to make, tastes divine, and can be dyed any color you choose. The caveat is that it is best eaten the same day it is made, because it will stiffen after the first day. (It will still look and taste good, but cutting into it is tougher after it has dried a bit, making slices of cake a bit less attractive.) FYI - this is not an icing to use for piping or other decorating techniques. But if you love the fluffy, glossy, yummy appearance, give it a try!

Seven-Minute Icing

There are so many recipes for this, but here is one I like.

1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 Cup water
1 1/2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
2 Egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Put sugar, cream of tartar, salt, water, and corn syrup in a saucepan. Cook, while stirring, over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.

Put egg whites in a mixing bowl. Whip on high speed about 45 seconds, or until egg whites begin to hold their shape. With the mixer on high, slowly pour the hot sugar syrup in a stream into the egg whites and continue to whip for another minute to a minute and a half. Add vanilla and whip about five more minutes, until the frosting can stand in stiff peaks. Frost cake right away.

Welcome!

2011-04-02T06:47:00.000-07:00

These days, everything you could want to bake comes in a box, can, or refrigerated tube. Cakes, muffins, breads, cinnamon rolls, you name it. The "semi-homemade" trend is big because people want to make something, but don't have a lot of time or they are intimidated by baking from scratch. But for me, baking is like therapy. I love to try out new recipes and tweak them until I get something wonderful.

When I first put away the mixes and started doing everything from scratch, I was surprised to learn that it isn't really that intimidating at all. And there are many recipes out there that don't take much longer (but taste much better) than using a mix. I often try out some recipe or technique that intimidates me, only to learn that it is actually pretty simple.

I would love to have other bakers share their comments, tips and recipes too. If you have a great recipe or a fantastic tip that I could try out and post here, let me know!