Apple Walnut Cake with an optional Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting July 17, 2011

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

¾ tsp salt

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

¾ cup vegetable oil

½ cup sour cream

½ cup applesauce

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

3 large apples diced in one-inch pieces

1 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix wet ingredients together. Add in the dry ingredients. Cut the apples right before adding them to the mix so they don’t turn brown while you wait. Mix in apples and walnuts then divide into two round 9-inch cake pans or 3 loaf pans. Bake for 40-45 min. or until the center sets. Let cool before frosting.

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

2 8oz packages cream cheese (room temperature)

½ cup (1 stick) butter (room temperature)

1 cup caramel

With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together. Then slowly add the caramel.

Cheesecake January 18, 2011

slightly adapted from Tyler Florence’s Ultimate cheescake http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/the-ultimate-cheesecake-recipe2/index.html

Ingredients

Crust:

• 2 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 30 squares)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

• 1 pound cream cheese, 2 (8-ounce) blocks, softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 pint sour cream (2 cups)
• 1 lemon, zested
• ½ orange, zested
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, combine the crust ingredients with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the crumbs into the pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup or the smooth bottom of a glass, press the crumbs down into the base and 1-inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.

For the Filling:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add sour cream, lemon and orange zest, and vanilla. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. The batter should be well mixed but not over-beaten. Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula

Set the cheesecake pan on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan; the foil will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake for 45 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle (it will firm up after chilling), so be careful not to overcook. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim.  Unmold and transfer to a cake plate.

White Chocolate Macadamia nut cookies December 29, 2010

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
• 1 cup coarsely chopped white chocolate

Bake 350F. 10-12 min.

Blueberry crumb bars December 29, 2010

Ingredients

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup butter- softened

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 pinch ground cinnamon

4 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup white sugar

3 teaspoons cornstarch

 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and cinnamon, if desired. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the shortening and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

In another bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

 

Adapted from: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/blueberry-crumb-bars/Detail.aspx

Chocolate Cake 2 December 23, 2010

Cake

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups good cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup hot coffee– I used a cup of hot water and 1tbsp instant coffee

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 2 8-inch round cake pans. Combine the cream cheese, eggs, oil and sugar in an electric mixer.  Then add vanilla and slowly pour in the coffee.  Then add the dry ingredients.  Pour into cake pans and bake for 35 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

6oz semisweet chocolate

1 stick of butter, room temperature

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 egg yolk, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 ¼ cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp instant coffee powder

Melt the chocolate in a microwave, heating in 30 second intervals until melted. Let cool.  In an electric mixer combine the butter and cream cheese. Add the egg yolk and vanilla.  Gradually add in the powdered sugar. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 tsps. hot water and add to the chocolate mixture.  Mix the chocolate mixture with the butter mixture.

Adapted from Ina Garten’s chocolate cake recipe.

Pie crust December 23, 2010

Single crust

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 stick of butter, cut into pieces

1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into pieces

1/4 cup cold water

 

Double crust

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 stick butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cold vegetable shortening, cut into pieces

1/2 cup cold water

Put the flour, sugar and slat in a food processor. Pulse a few times then add the butter. Pulse. Add the shortening and pulse. Drizzle half of the water then pulse and add the rest of the water. Knead the dough into two balls and flatten into disks. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Recipe from Pie by Ken Haederich.

 

Maple Pecan Pie December 23, 2010

½ cup brown sugar

½ stick melted butter (1/4 cup)

3 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

¾ cup maple syrup

¾ cup dark corn syrup

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp salt

2 ½ cups pecan halves

Frozen pie crust or home-made pie crust see pie crust post.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake crust for 20 minutes with something to weigh the center down.  Melt the butter, add sugar and corn syrup.  Then add eggs one by one. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Pour onto pie crust. Cover the edges with aluminum foil and place on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes, then remove aluminum foil and let bake for 25 minutes or until center does not move.

Rich Brownies December 22, 2010

Triple Chocolate Brownies - adapted from Anna Olson and from the Brownie Project blog http://thebrownieproject.wordpress.com/2009/06/20/triple-chocolate-brownies/

10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup  sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp  salt
3 ounces milk chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 325 F. Use an 8 by 8 square pan. Place butter and semisweet chocolate in a bowl and microwave until melted.  add the sugar and vanilla.  Stir in eggs. Add flour, salt and then the milk chocolate chips. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Cookie Cupcakes December 22, 2010

Cookies

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 cup + 2 tbsps. bread flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Mix all the ingredients together.  Make little balls and freeze them for at least an hour.

Cake

• 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
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Mix the ingredients together. Place cookie dough balls in cupcake cups then pour cake batter on top.  Make sure to cover the top of the cookie dough. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes.

Let cool completely then frost with a chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache

9 oz chocolate chips

1 cup heavy cream

Microwave heavy cream and chocolate for 30 seconds then beat and place in the microwave again in 30 second increments until completely melted.

Fresh Pasta December 22, 2010

3 1/2 cups flour- more for kneading

5 large eggs

1/2 cup water

pinch of salt

 

Mix ingredients in a food processor then knead by hand.   Shape into a ball and let rest for 30 min. Then use a pasta machine to make the type of pasta you want.

Form a Mario Batali recipe

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/fresh-pasta-recipe/index.html