Desserts

Cake, Desserts

Ingredients:
1 15 oz can pear halves in juice pack
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
1 and 1/4 cup flour
1 and 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp grated orange peel
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup molasses

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Drain pears, reserving juice; set both aside. Combine melted butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, corn syrup and 1 Tbsp reserved pear juice. Pour brown sugar mixture into a 10-inch baking pan or skillet.
Cut pears in slices and fan out in a circle, placing on the brown sugar mixture, starting in the center. Continue with remaining slices in an outer circle. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl stir together flour, ginger, orange peel, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, beat together 1/3 cup butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Beat in pumpkin and molasses.
Add flour and 1/3 cup of the reserved pear juice. Carefully spoon mixture over pears in the pan. Spread mixture evenly with the back of a spoon. Bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes. Loosen cake from sides of pan. Carefully invert cake onto a serving plate. Serve warm, garnished with whipped cream.

Cake, Desserts, Uncategorized

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cup whipping cream
1 and 1/2 Tablespoons cold water
1 tsp unflavored gelatin
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:

In a small dish, sprinkle gelatin powder over cold water. Allow 5 minutes for gelatin to “bloom” and be saturated. Melt in microwave for about 20 seconds. Mix in 1 tablespoon cold whipping cream.

Begin to beat remaining whipping cream in a chilled bowl. Once the cream is partially beaten, gradually drizzle gelatin mixture over the top and continue to beat. Slowly add remaining ingredients and whip to stiff peak consistency.

Cake, Desserts

Ingredients:

1 ⅔ cups semisweet chocolate chips
¾ cup unsalted butter, divided
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tbsp rum
5 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh red raspberries and powdered sugar for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter the bottom and the sides of a 9″ springform pan. Open the springform pan and cover the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Lock the springform pan back and butter the parchment paper on the bottom.
Combine 1 and ⅔ cups chocolate morsels with ¾ cup butter in a glass bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds, stir, repeat, until the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the sifted ¼ cup of cocoa powder, rum and vanilla extract, and allow mixture to cool for 10 minutes.

While the chocolate is cooling, combine the 5 eggs with 1 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt and mix on high speed in a KitchenAid or standing mixer until the mixture is very thick, about 6 minutes.
Carefully fold in the melted chocolate mixture into the beaten egg and sugar mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan.

Bake for 42 minutes. The center will fall and this is normal.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 1 hour before using a spatula to press the edges down to the same height as the center. Invert the torte onto a plate or cake stand and remove the parchment paper.
Garnish with fresh raspberries and powdered sugar or granache and raspberries

Cookies, Desserts

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking power
1 Tbsp instant espresso powder
1/2 cup baking cocoa

In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat in eggs. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Gradually combine wet and dry ingredients. Divide dough in half.
Add espresso powder and cocoa to half the mixture.  Finish forming each half of the dough into a somewhat flat disk. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Roll out both disks of dough between waxed paper. lay the cocoa layer on top of the plain layer. Roll jelly-roll style. Slice into 1/4″ slices, bake on parchment paper for 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Rolled dough may also be refrigerated or frozen.

Cake, Desserts

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened in microwave
1 and 1-2/ cups sugar
2 Tbsp lemon zest divided
4 eggs
6 Tbsp lemon juice divided
1 tsp vanilla
1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 lemon, cut in very thin slices
(optional: cook lemon slices in sugar and water on stove in a frying pan)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9″ x 18″ pan with parchment paper. In a medium glass bowl, soften butter in microwave. Mix in sugar, salt and 1 Tbsp lemon zest. Add eggs on at at time. mix in 1 tsp vanilla and 3 Tbsp lemon juice. Mix in flour. Spread in pan, bake for about 25-30 minutes.
Bake until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 30 minutes.
Prepare glaze and lemon slices. Lay out lemon slices and spread glaze over bars. Cool an additional 30 minutes, slice and serve.

Cake, Desserts

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
4 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup maple syrup
Whipped cream or vanilla cream for serving

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, butter and egg. Stir the wet mixture into the dry, the batter will be thick. Heat 9” cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the cream and maple syrup and whisk to combine. Bring to a low simmer and add a pinch of salt. Turn off heat. Use a soup spoon to drop the cake batter onto the maple syrup mixture.

Bake until the cake is set, 40 to 45 minutes.

Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Desserts, Ice Cream

Ingredients for 2 quarts:

1 cup strong *anise hyssop tea made from fresh cuttings (see directions below)
1 and 1/2 cups milk
1 cup plus 2 TBSP Sugar
3 TBSP flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 and 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 cups heavy whipping cream or half and half
1 TBSP anise liqueur or 1 tsp anise extract plus 1 TBSP rum.
(1 TBSP rum will work without additional anise flavor if the hyssop tea is strong enough)

Directions:

Combine blueberries and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Heat until the berries burst and can be easily mashed. Process in a small food processor if desired. I like to leave some visible blueberry chunks. Cool.

Combine sugar, flour and salt in saucepan. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat approximately 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Microwave directions: cook on high for 2 minutes, whisk, cook 2 minutes longer, whisk again, repeat until thickened.

Gradually stir 1 cup of hot mixture into beaten eggs. Add egg mixture into remaining hot mixture. Cook one minute on stove or in microwave (if using microwave method). Add blueberry mixture.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Add cream and liqueur before freezing in ice cream maker.

Anise Hyssop Tea:
Cut about 4 cups of fresh Anise Hyssop leaves and flowers. Remove tougher stems. In a large saucepan, add about 2 cups of water to the Hyssop. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover and allow the mixture to gradually cool. Leave the pan cooling on the stovetop for an addition hour or so for a strong tea. Strain out the leaves and flowers before using in the ice cream recipe.

Desserts, Ice Cream

Ingredients for 2 quarts:

1 cup plus 2 TBSP Sugar
3 TBSP flour
1/2 tsp salt
2-1/2 cups milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 TBSP vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine sugar, flour and salt in saucepan. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat approximately 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Microwave directions: cook on high for 2 minutes, whisk, cook 2 minutes longer, whisk again, repeat until thickened.

Gradually stir 1 cup of hot mixture into beaten eggs. Add egg mixture into remaining hot mixture. Cook one minute on stove or in microwave (if using microwave method).

Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Add cream and vanilla before freezing in ice cream maker.

Desserts, Pies and Tarts

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp sugar
5-6 Tbsp water well chilled

Directions:
Cut butter and shortening into flour. Add remaining ingredients. Combine into dough. Roll out to 1/8″. Cut in roughly 6″ circles. Fill with fruit fillings (raspberry, apple, lemon, sweet potato, blueberry, etc.) Before baking, brush with egg and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Bake at 375 on parchment paper or a non-stick baking sheet for about 25 minutes.

Bread and Bisquits, Cake, Desserts

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients:
Bread:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons coconut extract
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Glaze:
11/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon coconut extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 2 (9-by-5-inch) loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Lightly flour pans. Set aside.
To mix bread: In large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, oil and extract. Gradually add flour, baking powder and baking soda alternately with buttermilk. Stir in coconut and nuts. Pour mixture into prepared pans.
To bake bread: Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool slightly in pans on wire rack.
Remove from pans.

To prepare glaze: In medium saucepan, combine sugar, butter, water and extract. Bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over warm loaves. Let stand for 3 to 4 hours. Store in refrigerator.