Happy Paczki Day!
Archive for the ‘Desserts’ Category
Carrot Cake
February 20, 2012
I must confess that before this weekend, I had never made carrot cake. Oh, I like it. It’s a great cake when made right. But I think that one of the reasons I’ve never made it is because of the frosting. Many times the cream cheese frosting is too sweet. Oh, and there is a restaurant in town that makes the best carrot cake ever. When I’m in the mood for carrot cake, I just drive over there and order a slice to go. That is, until now.
I found this Southern Living recipe after Chefs Catalog sent me a link about carrot cake. It made me want to make carrot cake. I searched and decided on the Southern Living recipe because the frosting didn’t seem overly sweet. I was right. Everyone thought this recipe was awesome. This cake is so moist, it’s the buttermilk glaze. The hardest part was grating the carrots, which I made sure to overgrate and freeze for the next time I make this cake. I was pleased at how pretty it looked with little effort.
Oh, don’t let the coconut and pineapple throw you. I was confused by these ingredients myself, but was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. And by that I mean if you don’t like coconut (and I usually don’t), you won’t know it’s there. The pineapple is there to add moisture and allow the carrot flavor to pop. I added raisins to the cake because I like raisins in my carrot cake. Also, you can use walnuts, but I don’t like them so never buy them.
I served each slice with a drizzle of caramel, just like the restaurant.
Carrot Cake
- 2 C Flour
- 2 t Baking Soda
- 1/2 t Salt
- 2 t Cinnamon
- 3 Eggs
- 2 C Sugar
- 3/4 C Vegetable Oil
- 3/4 C Buttermilk
- 2 t Vanilla
- 2 C Carrot, grated
- 1-8 oz crushed pineapple, drained
- 1/3 C Coconut
- 1/2 C Raisins, soaked in hot water for at least 20 minutes
- 1 C Chopped Pecans, plus more for garnish
Buttermilk Glaze
- 1 C Sugar
- 1 1/2 t Baking Soda
- 1/2 C Buttermilk
- 1/2 C Butter
- 1 T Corn Syrup
- 1 t Vanilla
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3/4 C Butter, softened
- 8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
- 3 C Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 2 t Vanilla
For the cake:
Line 2 (or 3) 9 inch round cake pans with parchment paper and lightly grease the pans, set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, soda, salt and cinnamon, set aside. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Add the sugar, oil, buttermilk and vanilla to the eggs. Beat until smooth. Add the flour mixture, beat until well blended. Fold in the carrots and drained raisins. Add the pineapple, coconut and nuts. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
For the glaze:
Place the sugar, baking soda, buttermilk, butter and corn syrup in a medium-sized sauce pan. Over medium heat, bring mixture to boil, stirring often, for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Remove the cake from the oven and drizzle the glaze evenly over each layer. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before removing from the pans. Once removed from the pans, cool the cake completely on a wire rack.
For the frosting:
Cream the butter and cream cheese together until creamy. Add the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Spread the frosting on each cake layer. Garnish the sides with crushed nuts, if desired.
Something Fun
February 11, 2012
Last night Meeshie’s girl scout troop got together to work on a badge. That work involved fondue. And baking. How could that be better? Spending that time with some of the best moms. I only wish I had remembered my camera. Thanks Krista, for letting me help out.
Now, we are lovers of fondue at our house. We have it every New Year’s Eve. But, I must confess that we stick to beef broth or cheese fondue. The girls wanted chocolate.
Chocolate fondue, perfect timing for Valentine’s Day. It’s so easy to make. The girls had a blast prepping all the food. And there was tons of it. That’s the thing about fondue. It never looks like enough food, but there is. We had pound cake. Which the girls also made. We had them put them in mini paper loaf pans for easy take home. We had bananas, pineapples, strawberries, rice crispy treats, oranges, pretzel rods, apples, graham crackers and two kinds of marshmallows.
For the cheese fondue, we had bread, tatter tots, apples, pretzel rods, and veggies. We altered the cheese recipe to include chicken broth instead of the wine.
Let me say that 12 girls may be loud, but they work well together. They chip in. They pick up each others slack. They were split up into two groups to make the pound cake. They went through the recipe and decided who would do what. Since Meeshie helps me at home, she designated herself the bartender asking each girl what they wanted to drink.
It was such a great night, that we are already talking about how we can make it even better next year.
Chocolate Fondue
- 2-10 oz bags of Bittersweet Chocolate (I used Ghirardelli 60% cacao)
- 2 C Whipping Cream
- 2 T Vanilla
- 2 T Frangelico, Amaretto or Bailey’s (optional)
Pour the whipping cream in an electric fondue pot on low. Bring the cream to a simmer and add the chocolate. Stir until melted. Add the vanilla and liqueur (if using). Dip in! If the fondue becomes too thick, add more whipping cream to thin.
Dip with:
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Pound Cake
- Graham Crackers
- Oranges
- Pineapples
- Pretzel Rods
- Marshmallows
Spiced Up Cookies
January 25, 2012
I love a good bargain. That’s why when I was shopping at Target after Christmas, I came across some cinnamon m&m’s in the sale aisle. I wasn’t even aware that there were such a thing as cinnamon flavored m&m’s. Did you? I bought two bags for the price of one. I knew exactly what I was going to do with the bag once I had a spare minute.
Make cookies, of course. Who doesn’t like cookies made with m&m’s? I finally got around to make these cookies the other day. I used the basic recipe on the back of a bag of chocolate morsels. I prefer to use a certain brand of morsels, but use whatever you like. I chose to add milk chocolate morsels. I thought they would complement the cinnamon flavor of the m&m’s. I also thought that adding nutmeg would counteract any artificial flavor from the m&m’s.
I like my cookies chewy, and tend to slightly under cook them. That way they are still chewy a few days after I’ve backed them, that is if there are any left.
Cinnamon M&M Cookies
- 1 C Butter
- 3/4 C Sugar
- 3/4 C Brown Sugar, packed
- 1 t Vanilla
- 2 Eggs
- 2 1/4 C Flour
- 1 t Baking Soda
- 1/2 t Salt
- 1/4 t Nutmeg
- 1 C Milk Chocolate Chips
- 1-9.9 oz bag of Cinnamon M & M’s
Combine the flour, salt, baking soda and nutmeg in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
Beat the butter and sugars together. Add the vanilla and eggs to the butter mixture. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Stir in the milk chocolate chips and m&m’s. Drop the batter onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
Happy New Year!
January 11, 2012It’s not to late to say Happy New Year, is it? This month, New Year’s Day actually, commemorates my second year of blogging. This post is actually my 275th. I can’t believe it. It really doesn’t seem like two years since I started sharing my thoughts and recipes with all of you.
To celebrate my second anniversary, I’m sharing my top five most viewed posts. Funny thing is that these posts were most viewed last year, but were all written in 2010. Makes me wonder what things will be looked at in 2012.
At the top of the list is one of my favorite coffee cakes. It’s a blueberry raspberry coffee cake, but don’t be fooled. I’ve made it with blackberries, too. This cake is moist and so easy to make.
Next, is oreo cupcakes with oreo frosting. These are so moist and yummy. I’ve actually made cake pops with some leftover cupcakes and frosting. These have been my go to cupcake for Meeshie’s birthday for the last two years.
How about a great yellow cake recipe? Everyone should have one. This is absolutely the best yellow cake recipe I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a lot of yellow cake.
Speaking of cake pops, my reindeer ones were a big hit last year. I’m not sure why. I’ve shared quite a few cake pops and I’m not sure why this one has risen to the top…
Last, is a cake from my husband’s childhood, bobovka. It’s a moist cake made with yeast and poppy seed filling. This is a great cake warm and equally great the next day.
Happy blogging and thanks for sharing your comments and encouragement!
Coffee Cake
January 10, 2012
I love a good coffee cake. I especially love one that’s easy and uses things from my pantry. I have a very similar recipe for a coffee cake that I make with butterscotch morsels. This one has an icing and is only limited by your imagination or what you have on hand. This could be made with white chocolate and cranberries, or how about some of those yummy caramel bits? I’ve made other suggestions within the recipe too, but again the possibilities are limitless.
Because you use a box mix, it’s also very moist. It’s so moist that it’s too difficult to remove from the 9×13 pan it bakes into to give a true coffee cake presence. But, I’ve just come across a 9×13 springform pan that would be perfect for this. Too bad my birthday is a few months away.
Meeshie and my husband have devoured this in just a few days. My husband has actually asked when I plan to make it again.
Coffee Cake
- 1/2 C Brown Sugar, packed
- 1 1/2 t Cinnamon
- 1/2 C Pecans, chopped (optional)
- 1-18.5 oz Yellow Cake Mix
- 1-6 oz Vanilla Pudding package
- 1 C Sour Cream
- 3/4 C Hot Water
- 4 Eggs
- 1/4 C Vegetable Oil
- 2 t Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 C Chocolate Chips (or dried fruit, or more nuts, or your favorite jam, or butterscotch morsels, or you get the idea)
- Icing:
- 1/3 C Brown Sugar, packed
- 1 1/2 T Flour
- 1/4 C Butter
- 1/2 C Milk
- 1/2 t Vanilla
- Splash of Whiskey (optional and I actually used Bailey’s)
Grease and flour a 9×13 in pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts (if using). Mix well and set aside. In a separate bowl, measure your filling: chocolate chips, etc, and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream and hot water. Mix well, the batter will be thick. Add the eggs, oil and extract and mix until very few lumps remain. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the cake batter. Sprinkle the filling over the brown sugar. Carefully spread the remaining batter over the filling and brown sugar. Spread and swirl the cake batter and brown sugar mixture.
Bake for 35-40 minutes in a 350 degree oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
When the cake is almost finished, prepare the icing. Combine the sugar and the flour in a small bowl and set aside. In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter until browned. Whisk in the flour mixture. Decrease the heat to low and keep stirring until the mixture comes together. Stir in the milk and cook until the mixture becomes thick and smooth, like a gravy. Remove from the heat and add the optional liquor and vanilla. Let cool slightly and drizzle over the warm coffee cake.
Here’s the original. Thanks again to Joy the Baker!
Happy Holidays!
December 29, 2011
First, I would like to apologize. I’ve not been able to post as often as I would like to lately. I’ve been off of work all week and I think I may be looking forward to returning next week. That’s how much activity I’ve been cramming into each day.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying all the activity. Who doesn’t enjoy spending time with family and friends, especially this time of year? We’ve entertained people three nights this week,and they’re some of the best people I know. Yesterday, we spent part of the morning scooping up some wonderful sales. I love kitchen gadgets and a great sale. Two of my favorite stores have the best after Christmas sales: Crate and Barrel and Sur La Table. During the month of December, I’ve gotten into the habit of writing down little things that I need to replace or find for my kitchen. A new shaker for my powdered sugar? Check. Some new cutting boards? Check. Cute holiday cocktail napkins for my bar? Check.
We also hit Trader Joe’s for some yummy Cookie Butter. Thanks Denise for steering me in that direction! The possibilities with this product… The cashier told me that this may become a permanent item in the store!
After all this activity, I’m glad that we keep our New Year’s quiet. It’s all about the fondue in our house. We’ve never made it to midnight, but that’s okay. New Year’s morning is all about the panettone french toast.
Okay, let’s talk about some cookies. I found this recipe in the December issue of Better Homes and Gardens. They looked too simple not to try. The spice from the cookie and the creaminess from the melted white chocolate really compliment each other.
My only complaint was they looked too bland. They didn’t have that wow factor on the plate. Do you know what I mean? When I get my cookie plate together, I want people to struggle with the decision of which cookies to try. I want them to take more than one. I don’t want them to pass up a cookie because it doesn’t look amazing. Maybe it’s because I was always picked near the end in gym class… Anyhow, I added a little drizzle of caramel to the top of the cookie to seal the deal.
Vanilla Allspice Thumbprints
- 1 1/4 C Flour
- 1/2 t Allspice
- 1/4 t Baking Powder
- 1/4 t Salt
- 1/2 C Butter, softened
- 1/4 C Sugar
- 1 Egg Yolk, room temperature
- 3/4 t Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 C White Chocolate Chips
- Caramel for garnish (I used the jar kind used on sundaes)
In a small bowl, whisk the flour, allspice, baking powder and salt. Set aside, In a large bowl, beat the butter. Add the sugar and continue to beat for 2 minutes. Add the egg yolk and beat for another minute. Add the vanilla extract and beat until mixed. Slowly add the flour mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl and making sure the dry ingredients are well incorporated. Shape the dough into balls and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Make an indentation in the center of each ball with your thumb or a handle end of a wooden spoon.
Bake for 9 to 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven until the cookies are dry and firm to touch. Rotate the cookies if necessary. Let the cookies cool on wire racks. While the cookies cool, place the chocolate pieces in a small microwave safe bowl and cook the pieces until melted, 30 to 60 seconds. Us a small spoon to fill each cookie and let the chocolate set. Drizzle with caramel.
Makes 2 1/2 – 3 dozen cookies.
Browned Butter Oatmeal Cookies
December 14, 2011
I don’t know about you, but this time of year really brings out the baker in me. Not to say that I don’t bake a ton during the year, because I do. This time of year, however, I really give both of my ovens a work out. This past Sunday I made five different cookies and some pumpkin bread in mini paper loaf pans.
Even though I’ve made quite a few cookies so far, I’m not done. I’ll be finishing off my baking this weekend. I store my treats in the freezer and give them out as gifts. If I stick them in the freezer, I’m still enjoying all my hard work after the new year. Not to mention I’m helping myself by not gorging on all the cookies in the pantry.
My husband is a fan of oatmeal cookies and I decided to try something different this year. Since I’m such a fan of browned butter, I knew I had to give this a try. This is a recipe I found on the Food Network website. It’s a perfect twist to an old classic. The browned butter adds a great flavor to these already wonderful cookies.
Browned Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- 1 C Butter
- 3/4 C Brown Sugar
- 3/4 C Sugar
- 1 t Vanilla
- 2 Eggs
- 2 C Flour
- 3/4 C Oats
- 3/4 t Baking Soda
- 1 t Salt
- 1 t Cinnamon
- 1/4 t Nutmeg
- 1 C Raisins (soaked in warm water, for at least 15 minutes)
Brown the butter in a saucepan, set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugars and vanilla. In a separate bowl, add the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture. Add the browned butter to the batter, mix well. Add the raisins and mix by hand.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.
Makes 4 dozen cookies.
Thanks for Pie
November 23, 2011Do you make pie for Thanksgiving? Do you go traditional?
My husband asked that I make pecan pie this year for Thanksgiving. I’ve never made one before. I’m not a fan of pecan pie. I love pecans, but usually pecan pie tastes to eggy for me. I want to taste pecan when I eat pecan pie and I don’t think I’m alone.
When my husband made the request, I remembered that my friend Cathy made pecan pie last year for Thanksgiving and we had a similar conversation regarding the over powering flavor of egg. She found a recipe that had only three eggs and a little bit of chocolate. I sampled it and loved it. So when my husband made his request, I knew that I would be making that pie.
I’ve been off all week, prepping for Thursday. This morning, I made the pecan pie. Right now, I’m making pumpkin butter pie. This will free me up to make kolaczky tomorrow morning. I think I make the whole spread with the turkey and sides just to eat all of these great treats.
Pecan Chocolate Bourbon Pie
- 1 Pie Crust
- 1 1/2 C Pecan halves
- 1/2 C Semisweet Chocolate Chips
- 1 1/2 T Flour, divided
- 3 Eggs, beaten
- 1 C Brown Sugar, packed
- 1 C Light Corn Syrup
- 1 t Vanilla extract
- 1/4 C Butter, melted
- 3 T Bourbon
Spread pecans on the crust. In a small bowl, toss chocolate chips in 1/2 T of flour to coat. Spread the coated chocolate chips over the pecans. In a medium bowl, stir together eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, butter, bourbon, and flour until well combined. Pour the filling over the chocolate and pecans.
Bake until filling is set and crust is brown, about 70 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Keep on eye on the pie and if the crust browns too quickly, tent it loosely with foil.
Remove from oven and let cool for at least 1 hour.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
linked: Ekat’s Kitchen
Gingerbread Donuts
November 21, 2011
I came across a donut recipe last week that I knew I would make this week. I made them this morning. There’s nothing like fresh donuts in the morning. The orignal recipe calls for a donut pan, but I used my mini muffin tin just like the pumpkin donut muffins.
I used a spoon to transfer the glaze to the top of the donuts because it was so hot. The glaze sets very quickly and if you have a better trick to transfer them onto the donuts, I’m all ears.
Although they are called gingerbread donuts, don’t let that prevent you from making them if you aren’t a gingerbread fan. I would compare them more to a spice donut.
Gingerbread Donuts
- 1 C Flour
- 3/4 t Baking Powder
- 1/4 t Baking Soda
- 1 t Cinnamon
- 1/2 t Ground Ginger
- 1/8 t Allspice
- 1 t Ground Cloves
- 1/4 t Salt
- 1/4 C Brown Sugar, divided
- 1 Egg
- 1/4 C Applesauce
- 2 T Maple Syrup
- 1 T Milk
- 2 T Butter, melted
- Glaze:
- 2 T Butter
- 1/4 C Brown Sugar
- 2 T Milk
- 1/2 C Powdered Sugar
In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, salt and brown sugar. Set aside.
Whisk the eggs, applesauce, syrup, milk and butter together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Pour the batter into a greased mini-muffin pan, filling them about 3/4 full.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 7-8 minutes. Remove from the oven. Remove the donuts from the pan and allow to cool on a cooling rack.
While the donuts cool, melt the butter with the brown sugar in a sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Add 1 T of milk and bring back to a boil. Add the powdered sugar and use the remaining tablespoon of milk to help thin out the glaze, if needed. Keep over low heat and dunk each donut into the frosting. (I used a spoon to transfer the glaze because I kept burning my fingers, so if you have a tip-please share.) Glaze will set quickly.
Makes 24 mini donuts.
Here’s the original.
