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White Texas Sheet Cake

White Texas Sheet Cake

White Texas Sheet Cake

 

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup water

2 cups all-purpose flour

1½ cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon table salt

½ cup sour cream

2 eggs lightly beaten

1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

 

¾ cup unsalted butter cubed

½ cup milk

6 cups confectioners sugar

½ teaspoon almond extract

2 cups walnuts chopped and divided

Fresh berries for garnish optional (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries)

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 18×13” (large jelly roll baking sheet) rimmed ½ sheet pan well with nonstick spray or shortening. a. Note: A large rimmed cookie sheet, or a jelly roll pan works best for this recipe. Using a 9×13 standard cookie sheet is too small. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium/low heat. Once melted, whisk in the water then bring to a low boil for 30 seconds. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let cool for 2 minutes, stirring in intervals. In a large glass mixing bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt with a spoon or spatula and stir to combine. a. Note: Use a glass that can allow some* heat when the butter/water mixture is added. Pour the warmed butter mixture into the flour and mix by hand with a spatula. Once combined, add the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Continue mixing, and make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes until the cake is cooked. While the cake is cooling, make the icing. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Once melted, add the milk and continue whisking until combined. Add 1 cup of confectioner sugar at a time, whisking each time until the sugar is combined. This process will take approximately 5 minutes. Add the almond extract with the final cup of powdered sugar, and then mix until smooth and blended.

Lemon Curd Fluff Bars

Lemon Curd Fluff Bars

Lemon Curd Fluff Bars

 

12.7 -ounces lemon curd

8 -ounces cream cheese at room temperature

8 -ounces Cool Whip

1 and ½ cups vanilla wafers crushed

6 T.  butter melted

 

Spray a 9×9-inch baking pan or glass pan with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper. In a bowl, mix the crushed vanilla wafers and the melted butter. Press the mixture into your prepared pan. Refrigerate while you’re mixing the filling. With a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the lemon curd and mix until it’s well combined. Fold in the Whipped Cream (Cool Whip) carefully. Spoon the filling into your crust. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour before cutting and serving. Cover or store in an airtight container 4 days. The crust starts to get a little soggy after that.

Persimmon Jelly Tarts

Persimmon Jelly Tarts

Persimmon Jelly Tarts

 

Persimmon Jelly

3 Cups Diced Ripe Persimmons

2 Cups Water

½ Cup Sugar

1 T. Lemon Juice

⅛ – ¼ tsp. Ground Cinnamon, to preference

Tart Crust

2½ Cups Flour

1 tsp. Sugar

1 tsp. Salt

¾ Cup (1½ sticks) Chilled Unsalted Butter, cut into small cubes

¼ Cup Ice Water

1 Egg, well beaten, for egg wash

Raw Sugar, for sprinkling (granulated white sugar is fine)

 

Persimmon Jelly: In a large pot on medium-high heat, bring the persimmons & water to a boil. Turn down to medium-low, cover, & simmer until the persimmons are soft. Mash well with a potato masher & simmer a bit longer until the mixture is very soft & pulpy. Strain the mixture very well through a fine mesh strainer or flour sack/cheese cloth. You should have about 1¾ – 2 cups of liquid. Pour the liquid back into the pot & bring to a boil on medium-high. Stir in the sugar, lemon juice, & cinnamon. Cook until the mixture thickens & measures 220ºF on a candy thermometer, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot, & to deter the liquid from bubbling over. Pour the liquid into a shallow, heat resistant dish to help it cool quicker while you work on the crust. Tart Crust: In a large bowl whisk the flour, sugar, & salt. Using your fingers, rub in the cubed butter until the mixture is crumbly. Drizzle in the water & cut it in with the side of a spoon until the mixture just comes together in a shaggy dough. Mound the dough together & then split in half. Wrap each half in a large sheet of plastic wrap, flattening into discs about ½-inch thick. Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Pre-heat your oven to 375ºF. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Remove 1 of the doughs from the fridge & roll to about ⅛-inch thickness (it will be crumbly to begin with but will soften up). Using an overturned bowl that is about 5-inches in diameter or a 5-inch diameter circle template cut from card-stock, cut out 6 discs from the dough & lay on the tray, re-rolling the dough as needed. Building & Baking: Spoon about 1 T. of the persimmon jelly into the center of each dough circle & spread to within ½-inch of the edges. Fold 3 sides of each disc towards the center to create a triangle, overlapping the edges slightly & leaving a triangle opening in the center. Pinch the corners well to close. Brush the tarts lightly with the beaten egg & sprinkle with sugar. Bake on the middle oven rack for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden & the jelly center is bubbling. Remove to a cooling rack. Repeat the process with the rest of the dough & jelly. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 12 tarts.

Blackberry Upside-Down Cake:

Blackberry Upside-Down Cake:

Blackberry Upside-Down Cake:

 

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 egg, room temperature

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 tsp. lemon zest, grated

1 tsp. lemon juice, fresh-squeezed

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Blackberry Topping:

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup firmly-packed brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest (yellow rind), grated

1/4 cup nuts of your choice, chopped

3 cups fresh blackberries

Instructions

Blackberry Upside-Down Cake Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

 

Prepare Blackberry Topping (see below); set aside.

 

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Add egg, milk, and butter; beat 2 minutes.  Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract; beat 2 minutes.  Pour over blackberries in frying pan, spreading evenly. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.   Cake is done when the internal temperature registers approximately 190 to 200 degrees F. on your cooking thermometer. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes on a wire rack. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen; cover with a cake plate and invert.  Serve warm.

Vanilla Rose Scones

Vanilla Rose Scones

Vanilla Rose Scones

 

2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour

1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 stick unsalted butter, frozen

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 T.  heavy cream for brushing scones

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 vanilla bean

1 tsp cardamom

1 T.  rosewater

For vanilla glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar sifted

1-2 T.  heavy cream or half and half

1 vanilla bean

 

Whisk all the dry ingredients in one large bowl.  Grate the frozen butter into the dry ingredients bowl, then incorporate into the dry ingredients until combined (the butter should be in pea-sizes). Place bowl in freezer during the next step. Whisk wet ingredients in a smaller bowl. Pour evenly over butter/flour mixture and mix with a rubber spatula or your hands until just incorporated. Do not over mix! Pour dough onto a lightly floured surface and make into a ball with your hands. Flatten out into an 8-inch circle or one that is about an inch in thickness. You can use a rolling pin to help with this. Cut into 8 triangles then add these to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Pop into freezer and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Once oven is preheated, take scones out of freezer and brush each with heavy cream. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack when done. Make vanilla glaze by whisking together ingredients and drizzle on the scones! Optional: add edible rose petals on top!

Cherry Sheet Cake

Cherry Sheet Cake

Cherry Sheet Cake

 

15.25 ounce box white cake mix

21 ounce can cherry pie filling

4 large eggs

 

½ cup butter at room temperature

8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

4 to 5 cups powdered sugar (aka confectioners) sifted

1 to 2 T.  heavy whipping cream

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract use clear extract to prevent discoloration

 

Spray a 12×17-inch sheet pan or a 9x-13-inch cake pan with nonstick spray. Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Pour the cake mix into a large bowl. Puree the cherry pie filling and pour it into the bowl with the cake mix.

Break your eggs into a separate bowl and whisk. Pour the whisked eggs in with the cake mix and pie filling. Stir to combine. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and spread evenly. For the sheet pan, it will bake 20 to 24 minutes. For the 9×13-inch cake pan, it will take 26 to 29 minutes. After it has cooked, allow the cake to cool completely before frosting. If you use the cream cheese frosting recipe that I provided, you’ll need to store the cake in the refrigerator. It’ll be good for 5 to 7 days in the fridge.

Jell-o Egg Jigglers

Jell-o Egg Jigglers

Jell-o Egg Jigglers

 

JELL-O EGG JIGGLERS Egg Mold

1 ½ C. boiling water

1 (6 oz) pkg Jell-O gelatin, any flavor

 

Spray insides of both sides of egg mold and along rims with cooking spray. Close mold, matching up rims of egg halves. Snap each of the 6 individual egg halves together until each egg is firmly sealed. Inspect each egg to make sure it is closed and sealed. Place mold, fill-side up, on tray. Add boiling water to gelatin mix in large bowl; stir 3 min. until completely dissolved. Pour into measuring C. with pour spout. Immediately pour into mold through fill-holes until each egg is filled just to top of egg shape. (Any remaining gelatin mixture can be poured into custard C..) Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm. Open mold using a dull flat knife to gently pry between the halves of each egg. (Do not pull on the handle.) Turn mold over and shake gently to unmold eggs. Keep refrigerated.

Best Easy Moist Banana Bread

Best Easy Moist Banana Bread

Best Easy Moist Banana Bread

 

3 bananas – mashed

½ cup plain fat free Greek yogurt

½ cup unsweetened applesauce – (see note)

1 cup sugar – (see note)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1 ¾ cup flour

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips – (optional)

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9×5 inch bread pan. In a large bowl mix together mashed banana, Greek yogurt, applesauce, and sugar. Mix in vanilla and eggs. Add flour, salt, baking soda and mix until just combined – DO NOT OVER MIX – just until there are no remaining streaks of flour. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until top is browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before turning bread out of pan and slicing. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

Cinnamon Roll Ups

Cinnamon Roll Ups

Cinnamon Roll Ups

 

2 packages refrigerated crescents

8 T. butter – melted

¼ cup sugar

1 T. cinnamon

 

1 ounce cream cheese – softened

2 T. butter – melted

2 cups powdered sugar

milk – as needed

¼-½ tsp. vanilla extract – or almond extract

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease or line a baking sheet with parchment or a nonstick baking mat. Unroll the crescent dough and gently separate the triangles. Brush the crescent triangles with melted butter. Stir together cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle generously over the crescents. Gently roll up each crescent starting with the wide end of the triangle and rolling toward the skinny pointed end. Place on prepared baking sheet 2-3 inches apart. Bake in preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes until golden brown. While roll ups are baking, prepare the glaze. Cream together cream cheese and butter. Mix in powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk to make it a pourable consistency. Drizzle icing over roll ups. Serve warm.

Nutter Butter Pie

Nutter Butter Pie

Nutter Butter Pie

 

1 pint heavy whipping cream

2 T. s. powdered sugar

1 tsp. cream of tartar

16 oz. peanut butter

16 oz. cream cheese frosting

1 nine-inch pie shell, par-baked

4 T. s. chopped chocolate

Nutter Butter cookies for garnish and snacking

 

Whip cream, powdered sugar, and cream of tartar to stiff peaks. Set aside. In another bowl, combine peanut butter and cream cheese frosting until incorporated. Fold in whipped cream mix. Fill pie shell. Sprinkle chocolate and crumble some of the cookies over top and garnish with whole cookies. Refrigerate until chilled. When ready to serve, slice and plate, and let sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.

Strawberry-Lemon Bars

Strawberry-Lemon Bars

Strawberry-Lemon Bars

 

¾ cup butter, softened to room temperature

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ tsp. salt

 

1 cup fresh lemon juice

3 T. lemon zest

¾ cup chopped fresh strawberries

1 ¾ cups granulated sugar

6 large eggs

 

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

 

Confectioners’ sugar

Chopped strawberries

Pinch of sugar

Fresh mint leaves

 

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch pan lightly with cooking spray. Take a sheet of parchment paper longer than the pan and press it lengthwise onto the bottom. Crumpling the paper and smoothing it out before fitting it into the pan can help. There should be enough parchment hanging over the edges to easily lift the dessert from the pan. Make the crust: Using a stand mixer or a medium bowl and a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add flour and salt, and mix just until the dough comes together. Scoop the mixture into the pan and gently press it into an even layer. (A little flour on your fingers helps.) Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, just until it turns golden brown. Set the crust aside to cool. Reduce oven to 300°F. Make the filling: Combine lemon juice, zest, strawberries, and sugar in a blender and blend until smooth. Add an egg, blend until smooth, then repeat with each egg, making sure each is incorporated before you add the next. Add flour, baking powder, and salt, and blend until smooth. Pour the filling onto the shortbread crust and bake for about 40 minutes or until the center of the filling is set. Cool completely, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. To serve: Use the parchment to lift the dessert onto a cutting board. Using a sharp knife (and a ruler if you really want to be precise), cut into 12 or 24 squares and arrange the bars on a platter. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Toss chopped berries in a small amount of sugar. Garnish each bar with chopped berries and mint leaves.

Fancy Sugar Cubes

Fancy Sugar Cubes

Fancy Sugar Cubes

 

plastic candy or bon bon mold

 

plain sugar cubes

 

1/2 cup plain granulated table sugar

1/2 tsp water

 

lemon sugar cubes

 

1/2 cup plain granulated table sugar

rind from 1/2 lemon, I use a serrated vegetable peeler to thinly peel the rid off, just the yellow, not the bitter white part

 

rose sugar cubes

 

1/2 cup plain granulated table sugar

1/2 tsp rosewater

touch of gel paste food coloring, optional

 

For the plain sugar cubes, put the sugar into the bowl of a small food processor and add the water. Process until the sugar is uniformly moist, this will just take about 30 seconds. For the lemon sugar, put the sugar into your processor. Add the lemon rind and process until the rind is completely incorporated into the sugar and it is a pale yellow. I give the small machine a little shake now and then to redistribute everything. You don’t need the water for this one because the rind adds the moisture. For the rose sugar cubes, process the sugar with the rose water. Spoon the moist sugar into plastic molds and press in firmly. Use the pads of your fingers to really make sure you’ve packed it in. The processor will have ‘fluffed up’ the sugar which is why you need to pack it down. To invert the mold you can either do it directly onto a flat surface like your counter top, or you can place something firm and flat over the mold, and invert the mold and the surface together, Gently lift the mold so you don’t disturb the delicate impressions. Let them sit for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour. They will be firm enough to handle and even stack, carefully.  Plain sugar cubes will last indefinitely. Flavored sugar cubes should be used asap. Check the post for further details, photos, and tips. Notes: If you are having trouble with your sugar cubes not holding together when you un-mold them you can increase the moisture by a small amount. Make sure you have packed them into the mold firmly.

Blueberry Buttermilk Pie

Blueberry Buttermilk Pie

Blueberry Buttermilk Pie

 

1 cup blueberries, frozen and thawed

Pie shell

4 T. butter, softened

1/2 cup buttermilk

3/4 tsp. vanilla

3 large eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/8 tsp. salt

2 cups sugar

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Pour blueberries into the prepared pie shell. Then, combine butter, buttermilk, vanilla, and eggs in a stand mixer or by hand until the butter is broken into nickel-sized chunks. Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a separate bowl, and then add to the wet ingredients. Stir the mixture and pour it over the blueberries. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Vanilla Lemon Swirl Bars

Vanilla Lemon Swirl Bars

Vanilla Lemon Swirl Bars

 

10 ounces white chocolate chopped (or chips) and divided

6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into cubes

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

1 cup all-purpose flour sifted

1/2 cup lemon curd homemade or store-bought

 

Preheat your oven to 350℉. Coat the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper so that you have overhang on two sides, about 8 by 14 inches. Melt the butter and 8 ounces of white chocolate in the microwave or using a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Once melted, take the bowl away from the heat (if you used the stovetop method) and stir in the sugar and salt. Whisk in the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla extract and paste. Gently fold in the flour and when you have just a little bit left of the flour still unincorporated, add the remaining 2 ounces white chocolate. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan. Distribute the lemon curd in about 5 or 6 equal portions with a spoon over the batter and swirl using a fork to partially incorporate into the batter. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set the baking pan on a cooling rack and let the cake cool completely then lift the entire block out using the parchment paper and divide into small squares. This cake is better the next day. If you have time, refrigerate the cake overnight and serve it at room temperature the next day.

Spicy Orange Sugar

Spicy Orange Sugar

Orange Sugar with Szechuan Peppers

 

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon Szechuan peppers

1 tablespoon orange zest

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Pour 2 cups of refined white sugar into a 6×10-inch glass baking dish and roast for 2 hours, stirring every 10 minutes. It should be a sandy tan color and coarse, like turbinado sugar. Let the sugar cool completely before moving to the next step. Grind the Szechuan pepper in a mortar and pestle until it is crushed and the smell is starting to release. Add the crushed pepper to a spice grinder along with 1 tablespoon of the roasted sugar. Pulse until the Szechuan pepper is even smaller in size and equally distributed throughout the sugar. Pour into a food processor with the rest of the sugar and orange zest. Pulse until equally distributed and lay the sugar out on a baking sheet to dry.

Honey Caramel Sauce

Honey Caramel Sauce

Honey Caramel Sauce

 

1 cup honey, I used orange blossom honey

4 Tbsp salted butter, room temperature, cut in pieces

1/2 cup cream, best if not cold

splash of vanilla, optional

 

Put the 1 cup honey in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil gently for 2-3 minutes. Water will evaporate and the honey will darken slightly and begin to caramelize. Remove from the heat and whisk in the 4 Tbsp salted butter. Be careful, the mixture is hot and can sputter. When the butter has melted, add the 1/2 cup cream and stir to combine. Put the pan back on the heat and let cook for a bit more until it reaches 220F on an instant read thermometer. Add the splash of vanilla at this point, if using. Pour into a jar or jars and let cool, undisturbed, at room temperature. When the honey caramel has cooled, cap and refrigerate it until chilled. It will thicken further as it chills. Use your honey caramel within a week.

French Chocolate Cake

French Chocolate Cake

French Chocolate Cake

 

½ cup granulated white sugar, divided

4 ounce bittersweet chocolate baking bar

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

¾ cup unsalted butter, cubed

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

5 large eggs, at room temperature, separated

¼ cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

dash of salt

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9-inch springform cake pan with parchment paper and spray the paper and the sides of the pan generously with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside 3 tablespoons of the granulated sugar. Break the chocolate into pieces and place them in a large, heavy-bottomed pan along with the cubed butter and remaining sugar. Cook over LOW to MEDIUM-LOW heat until the chocolate and butter have melted, and the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla, and leave the mixture to cool slightly. While chocolate mixture is cooling, beat the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer until foamy. Add the salt and beat until the mixture becomes puffy and white and you can see peaks when you pull the beaters out. Sprinkle reserved sugar over egg whites, and beat until stiff and glossy. Set aside. Beat the egg yolks into the slightly cooled chocolate mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the flour just until combined. Beat ⅓ of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then carefully fold in the remaining whites with a spoon or rubber spatula. Carefully pour the batter into the prepared pan, and tap the pan gently to release any air bubbles. Place the pan on a baking sheet. Bake for about 35 minutes to 45 minutes, until well risen and the center feels almost set, but not completely. If the cake appears to rise unevenly, rotate after 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, set the pan on a wire cooling rack, and remove the sides only. Do not attempt to remove the cake from the base before it’s completely cooled as this cake is very fragile. Sprinkle the completely cooled cake with confectioners’ sugar. Remove from base, carefully peel off parchment paper and move to a serving platter.

Cranberry Chess Pie

Cranberry Chess Pie

Cranberry Chess Pie

 

Single pie crust

1 1/4 C. granulated sugar
1/2 C. (1 stick) unsalted butter
Zest of 1 orange
3 large eggs
7 T. all-purpose flour
1 T. cornmeal
Pinch kosher salt
1 C. buttermilk
1 T. vanilla paste (can substitute vanilla extract)
2 C. fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped

Prepare single pie crust. Chill dough at least one hour before rolling and fitting into a greased and floured 9-inch pie pan. Let chill for 15 more minutes in the fridge. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar and butter. Zest the orange into the bowl and cream together the ingredients until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, and salt. In a separate small bowl or pitcher, stir together the buttermilk and vanilla paste. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix just until combined. With the stand mixer set to low, add half of the buttermilk mixture and mix to combine. Add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Add the rest of the buttermilk mixture, mixing to combine, and then the final third of the dry ingredients. Mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate any unmixed ingredients and gently fold in the cranberries. Pour the batter into the prepared pie shell, smoothing the filling with a rubber spatula. Bake for 40-45 minutes, rotating 180 degrees half-way through. The pie is done when the top is golden brown and slightly puffed. Cool to room temperature. Serve pie at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Coffee-Glazed Apple Bacon Fritters

Coffee-Glazed Apple Bacon Fritters

Coffee-Glazed Apple Bacon Fritters

 

1 T. salted butter

3 tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch chunks

12 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and cooled

11/4 cups all-purpose flour

11/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

1/2 tsp. ground anise

1 large egg

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup sparkling apple juice

2 cups icing sugar

1/4 cup extra-strong coffee or espresso, cooled

Vegetable oil, for frying

 

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and let it cook until it is light golden. Add the apples and cook, turning frequently, until they just begin to soften and deepen in color, 7– 8 minutes. Do not let them cook all the way through— you want them soft but with a bit of crunch. Remove from the heat and transfer to a mixing bowl. Crumble the bacon into the apples, stir to combine, and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, sieve the flour with the baking powder, salt, and ground anise. Set it aside. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk the egg with the sugar until they turn a light golden color. Add the apples and bacon to the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and, using a spatula or wooden spoon, stir slightly until just combined. Add the sparkling apple juice and give it all a final stir to combine. In another mixing bowl, whisk the icing sugar with the coffee to make a glaze. Set it aside. Place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Line another baking sheet with paper towel. Add 3– 4 inches of vegetable oil to a Dutch oven over medium heat. Warm the oil to 350°F. Working quickly, use two tablespoons to scoop up some batter and carefully drop it into the oil. Cook three to four fritters at a time. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until deeply golden on one side. Flip over and cook the other side for another minute or two, until each side is evenly colored. Remove from the oil and let drain on the paper towel. While the fritters are still warm, dip them into the coffee glaze, let the excess drain off, and place on the wire rack to set. These will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To get them crispy again, preheat the oven to 350°F, place the fritters on a parchment-lined baking tray, and place in the oven for 10– 12 minutes.

Marshmallow Flower Cookies

Marshmallow Flower Cookies

Marshmallow Flower Cookies

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/235313149272997867/

 

6 marshmallows

6 hazelnuts

Ground cinnamon optional

 

Preheat oven to 250°F.  At a temperature below 225°F, marshmallows won’t puff up enough, resulting in less crispy cookies. If the temperature exceeds 250°F, a marshmallow tends to puff up too much, resulting in one giant disk of a marshmallow. Therefore, make sure your oven never goes above 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape: Give 4 crosswise cuts to each marshmallow, while keeping slices connected on one side. Shape into flowers. Lightly wet the scissors if the marshmallow sticks. Place them on the prepared baking sheet with sticky sides down. Stretch out the petals. Lightly wet your fingers to gently press down the flowers to flatten.

Bake: Check the internal temperature is 250°F but not above(between 225°F to 250°F). Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place hazelnuts in the center of the marshmallows. Bake for another 45 minutes. Let cool completely, for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle some cinnamon powder if desired.

Strawberry & Honey Sorbet

Strawberry & Honey Sorbet

Strawberry & Honey Sorbet

With just four ingredients, you can have homemade sorbet. Here is a recipe that uses strawberries and honey, but once you master the technique (in other words, in about five minutes) you can start fooling around with other flavor combinations. One of our favorites is peach and maple. Just aim for about a pound of fruit, start slow with the sweetener, and taste the puree. And if you’re wondering about the vodka, it’s not an effort to slip in a shot of booze; it actually helps lower the freezing point of the sorbet, giving it a softer texture and preventing it from getting too hard.

 

1 pint (1 pound) strawberries, hulled and quartered

¼ cup honey

1 T. vodka, or flavored liqueur of choice, (optional)

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1½ lemons)

Place the strawberries in a blender and puree until very smooth. Push the puree through a fine-mesh sieve to remove some of the seeds. Whisk in the honey, vodka (if you’re using it), and lemon juice. (You’ll want the puree to be on the sweet side, since freezing will dull the flavor.) Cover and chill the mixture. Once the strawberry puree is completely chilled, pour it into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Return the sorbet to the freezer for a couple more hours so it can continue to firm up. The sorbet can be stored in a lidded container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Dark Chocolate Cake

Dark Chocolate Cake

Dark Chocolate Cake

 

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

¾ cup unsweetened baking cocoa

2¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream

½ cup vegetable oil

1 T. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 cup hot water

2 tsp instant coffee powder

 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 13- x- 9-inch pan. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Beat sour cream, oil, vanilla, and eggs using a handheld mixer or an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Combine water and instant coffee in a separate bowl. Alternately beat dry ingredients and coffee mixture into egg mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients until just blended, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool. Frost with Chocolate Buttercream recipe.

No-Bake Coconut Mango Cheesecake Bites

No-Bake Coconut Mango Cheesecake Bites

No-Bake Coconut Mango Cheesecake Bites

 

1 8 ounce package full fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1 5.4 ounce can unsweetened coconut cream

1/3 cup + 1 T. powdered sugar

2 T. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla bean paste

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 ripe mango flesh scooped out

 

40 grams 1/2 cup almond flour

85 grams soft pitted dates

50 grams 1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1 1/2 T. melted coconut oil

1/4 tsp. sea salt

 

When you set your cream cheese out, put your can of coconut cream into the refrigerator. You want it to get a bit cold, so the cream separates from the liquid in the can. When it’s cold, open one side of the can and gently scoop all of the coconut cream from the top, avoiding the water that has sunk to the bottom. Add your softened cream cheese and the coconut cream to a food processor. Process for 20 seconds. Add powdered sugar, lemon juice, vanilla bean paste, and salt. Process until completely smooth. To make crust, pulse almond flour and dates in a clean food processor, 20 times. Add oats, coconut oil, and salt. Continue to pulse and process, until mixture starts sticking together. Press 1 T. of mixture into the bottom of each of the nine muffin liners. If it is sticking to your finger, lightly wet it. Divide filling evenly into all cups. Refrigerate for at least four hours. Before serving, puree the mango and spoon some on top of each cheesecake. Serve or refrigerate until ready to eat

Pear and Cardamom Cobbler

Pear and Cardamom Cobbler

PNW Pear and Cardamom Cobbler

For the Biscuit Dough 1½ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup coconut sugar (or granulated) 2 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. salt 1 tsp. ground cardamom 8 T. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced 1 egg, cold ¾ to 1 cup heavy cream, cold For the Cobbler ¼ cup brown sugar 2 tsp. ground cardamom 2 to 3 ripe pears, cored and sliced 1 T. cold unsalted butter, diced Powdered sugar, for garnish, or serve with vanilla bean ice cream

Preheat the oven to 35O°F. To prepare the dough, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cardamom in a large bowl. Cut in the diced butter with a pastry cutter or fork or even your fingers until the flour mixture is crumbly. Once the butter is cut into the flour mixture, stir in the egg and ¾ cup heavy cream, just until nicely blended. Add the additional ¼ cup cream if your mixture hasn’t reached dough consistency. Press the dough into the bottom of a greased 9-by-l 3-inch baking dish or a 9-inch round cake pan. To prepare the cobbler, mix together the brown sugar and cardamom in a small bowl. Place the pear slices over the dough in the baking dish or cake pan and sprinkle the brown sugar and cardamom evenly over the top. Place the butter over the pears. Bake for 2 5 to 3 0 minutes, or until the cobbler is golden brown. Remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly before serving. Garnish with powdered sugar or serve with vanilla bean ice cream.  Note: I used Bose pears for my cobbler, but you can use any type of pear you’ve got on hand or find at your farmers’ market. Cardamom is most fragrant and flavorful when it’s fresh. If your cardamom has been in your pantry longer than 6 months, you may want to use a tsp. more in the cobbler or purchase a fresh bottle of cardamom. There is nothing like fresh cardamom in a baked recipe

Lemon Stinging Nettle Cake

Lemon Stinging Nettle Cake

Lemon Stinging Nettle Cake

 

2 cups (100g) packed raw young nettle leaves (use the top 4-6 leaves)

¾ cup (200g) butter at room temperature

¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

zest and juice of ½ lemon

2 cups (250g) all-purpose (plain) flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

FOR THE LEMON BUTTERCREAM:

⅔ cup (150g) butter at room temperature

2 ½ cups (300g) powdered icing sugar

Zest and juice of ½ a lemon

 

Preheat oven to 325°F / 170°C. Grease and line two 7” (18cm) round cake tins. Using rubber gloves, carefully wash the stinging nettle leaves and remove any stems. Place in a pan of boiling water and boil for 3-4 minutes. The sting will be removed with the boiling. Rinse under cold water, drain and puree with a stick blender (note: if you’re struggling to puree it, add the lemon juice at this stage). Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the pureed nettles, vanilla, zest and lemon juice. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and stir to gently combine. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins, push to the edges and level, then bake for 25 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the tins and then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely before icing. For the Lemon Frosting: In a large bowl, cream the butter until fluffy. Add in the icing sugar and beat. Beat in the zest and a little of the lemon juice. Add more lemon juice to make it a frosting consistency and beat again. Store in the fridge until ready to use.  Spread a little of the buttercream between the layers of the completely cooled cakes and sandwich together. Cover the cake in the remaining buttercream and decorate with blackberries and lemon zest.

Magic Custard Cake

Magic Custard Cake

Magic Custard Cake

 

1/2 cup (113g) unsalted Butter

2 cups (480ml) Milk

4 Eggs , separated

4 drops White Vinegar

1 1/4 cups (150g) Confectioner’s Sugar

1 T. (15ml) Water

1 cup (125g) Flour

1 tsp. (5ml) Vanilla Extract

extra confectioner’s sugar for dusting

 

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly butter or grease a 8″x8″ baking dish. Melt the butter and set aside to slightly cool. Warm the milk to lukewarm and set aside. Whip the egg whites and vinegar to stiff peaks. Set aside. Beat the egg yolks and sugar until light. Mix in the melted butter and the T. of water for about 2 minutes or until evenly incorporated. Mix in the flour until evenly incorporated. Slowly beat in the milk and vanilla extract until everything is well mixed. Fold in the egg whites, 1/3 at a time. Repeat until all of the egg whites are folded in. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-60 minutes or until the cake is barely jiggly in the center. If the top browns too quick before the minimum of 45 minutes, then cover the cake with aluminum foil and cook for remainder of time needed. Allow cake to completely cool before cutting and then dust with confectioner’s sugar. For faster cooling you can place the cake in the fridge. Even after fully cooled, it will still be slightly jiggly because it’s a custard layer cake.

Funny Face Decorated Cookies

Funny Face Decorated Cookies

Funny Face Decorated Cookies

 

Chocolate cookie dough

Sugar cookie dough

Gingerbread dough

Royal icing

Gel food coloring

Free downloadable cookie template

Scissors

Rolling pin

Paring knife

12″ pastry bags

#1 or #2 round tip

Toothpicks

Paper plates or parchment (for experimenting)

 

We used three kinds of cookie dough created by cookie expert Bernard S.: chocolate cookie dough, sugar cookie dough and gingerbread dough. You can use your favorite versions—the ones passed down through your family or the ones that come refrigerated from your grocery store. If you’re making your dough, once it’s mixed up, put it in the fridge to chill for at least an hour. Then print the free downloadable cookie templates and cut the faces out with scissors. First, sprinkle a little flour on a sheet of parchment paper. This will help make sure your dough doesn’t stick. Roll all of your chilled cookie dough out onto the parchment — it should be a scant 1/4 inch thick. Then transfer the whole dough-covered sheet of parchment to a large baking sheet and pop it in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Remove the dough from the freezer and place the templates on the dough. Trace them with the tip of your paring knife, then cut them out. Remove the extra dough and put the cookie faces back in the freezer to keep those edges nice and sharp when they bake. Then just follow the baking instructions for each recipe and let your cookie faces cool completely. (This is really important!) Pro tip: We’re all about the cookie decorating here, but great cookies start with great dough. Check out our best tips and tricks for rolling your dough. Now for the fun part—decorating! Your cookies must be completely cool before you start decorating. Otherwise, the icing will break down. If you have to bake and decorate on the same day, let the cookies cool to the touch on the rack, then give them a quick chill in the freezer (about 10 minutes). Pro tip: Bake your cookie faces a week ahead and freeze them in a zipper bag ’til you’re ready to decorate. Start with the basic royal icing recipe mixed in a super-clean glass or metal bowl. (Fats can break down the icing, so you want your bowl completely free of oil or butter residue.) Mix the royal icing to the consistency of cake frosting and set it aside.  Next, separate the royal icing into as many smaller (and clean!) bowls as you want colors. You’re going to thin it down by mixing in the tiniest bit of water. To test the consistency, run a knife or spatula through the icing.  When it takes a good 20 seconds to fill back in, it’s the right consistency. If it’s too thick, add a tiny bit more water and mix again. Too thin? Add a little more powdered sugar. Pro tip: Adding too much water will make your icing runny. A spray bottle will allow you to control the amount of water so you can get the right consistency. We used plain white royal icing and added tiny dabs of gel food coloring to create different shades of brown. You’ll notice we kept our color palette super simple because #aesthetic. If you want a wider range of options, check out this post about food coloring ratios for different skin tones. We’ve provided our sketches to show different ways to try hair and noses and textures. But we don’t know your fam—you do. Play around! Fill your pastry bag with icing and pop on a no. 1 tip. For the larger areas, like hair and beards, start by outlining with royal icing then fill it in. If there are any open spaces, you can use a toothpick to move the icing around before it starts to dry. For a little dimension, let your first color dry completely (about 2 hours) before adding another on top in a slightly thinned down icing. (If you add icing to wet icing, it’ll all smooth out in one layer.)

Cake Mix Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Cake Mix Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Cake Mix Lemon Cheesecake Bars

 

1 box Yellow Cake

¼ cup butter or margarine, softened

3 eggs

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

2 tablespoons lemon juice

 

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). In large bowl, beat dry cake mix, butter and 1 of the eggs with electric mixer on low speed until crumbly. Press in bottom of ungreased 13×9-inch pan. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar on low speed. Stir in lemon peel and lemon juice until smooth. Reserve 1/2 cup; refrigerate. Beat remaining 2 eggs into remaining cream cheese mixture on medium speed until blended. Spread over cake mixture. Bake bars 23 to 28 minutes or until set. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Spread with reserved cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate about 3 hours or until firm. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Cape Cod Cranberry Scones with a Summery Lemon Glaze

Cape Cod Cranberry Scones with a Summery Lemon Glaze

Cape Cod Cranberry Scones with a Summery Lemon Glaze

 

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

4 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

zest of one orange

5 tbsp butter

1/2 cup dried craisins

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup sour cream

1  medium egg

1 tbsp milk or heavy cream

1 tbsp sugar

Lemon Glaze

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

2 cups powdered sugar sifted

1 tbsp butter

zest of one lemon

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large bowl, add zest of one orange. Cut in butter using a pastry blender until it resembles small peas. Stir in the craisins. Mix together 1/2 cup milk and sour cream in a measuring cup. Pour all at once into the dry ingredients, and stir gently until well blended. Do not overwork the dough or they will be tough. With floured hands, pat the dough into one large disk about 1″ tall. Place the disk on a cookie sheet lined with parchment and with a sharp knife or bench knife, score into 8 triangles cutting almost all the way through the dough. (If not baking until the next day, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at this point.) Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of milk or heavy cream. Brush the top of the scone with the egg wash and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. sugar. Let them rest for about 10 minutes. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown, but not deep brown and the scone is cooked through. Cool for about 10 min. while preparing the glaze. Mix the lemon juice with the powdered sugar until dissolved in a microwave-safe bowl. Whisk in the butter and lemon zest. Microwave for 30 seconds and whisk until the glaze is smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Let it set a minute before serving. Enjoy!

Vanilla & Thyme Maple Roasted Strawberries

Vanilla & Thyme Maple Roasted Strawberries

Vanilla & Thyme Maple Roasted Strawberries

 

4 x 250g punnet of strawberries

Pure maple syrup

Vanilla bean or vanilla paste

A few fresh thyme sprigs

 

Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Slice a heap of strawberries and add to the baking tray (I’ve used about 4 x 250g punnets). Add a tbs or two of pure maple syrup (or sweetener of choice). Add 1 vanilla bean or 1 tbs vanilla paste. Add a few fresh thyme sprigs. Bake at 180°C / 350°F for 15-20 minutes. Serve as is -OR- on porridge, thick yoghurt and granola, pancakes, ice cream, toast with fresh ricotta or cream cheese (pictured), etc.

Phyllo Dough Crinkle Cake

Phyllo Dough Crinkle Cake

Phyllo Dough Crinkle Cake

 

1 box phyllo dough

2 sticks butter melted

 

1 C. milk

¾ C. sugar

1 tsp. rose essence

1 tsp. ground cardamom

2 eggs

“1 string” Sugar Syrup (Chasni)

1 C. sugar

½ C. water

½ tsp. rose essence /rosewater / vanilla

Garnish

½ C. chopped pistachios

1 T. rose petals

 

Defrost the phyllo dough as per the package instructions. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Take 2 layers of phyllo dough together at a time holding the sheets together at the top and let them hang from your fingers. Using your fingers to “crinkle” the sheets, gently fold back and forth in an accordion-style drawing the bottom up to the top.

Lay the folded dough into an ungreased rectangular baking dish starting at the shorter side and continue filling in the folded sheets down the length of the pan. *See video for my demonstration! Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Melt butter in a small sauce pan. Remove the pan and evenly pour melted butter over the dough. Return to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes. Combine milk, sugar, cardamom, rose essence, and eggs with a whisk to form the custard. Remove pan from oven and evenly pour the custard over phyllo dough. Return pan to oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown. Combine water, sugar, and rose essence in a saucepan. Bring it to a gentle boil and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes as the syrup forms a one-string consistency. Drizzle over the cake after removing it from the oven. Cut into 3-inch squares.

Queijadas (Portuguese Custard Cupcakes)

Queijadas (Portuguese Custard Cupcakes)

Queijadas (Portuguese Custard Cupcakes)

 

1 stick (8 tbsp.) butter, cut into chunks

3 1/2 C. whole milk

1 1/2 C. flour

1/4 tsp. baking powder

4 eggs

3 1/4 C. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Zest of 2 lemons

 

Note: These queijadas are meant to be very sweet. If you choose to make them less sweet, you can reduce up to a C. of sugar. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray standard size muffin pans with cooking spray (enough for 30-count). Melt butter in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add milk, stirring occasionally, until it is warm. Turn off and remove from heat. Whisk flour and baking powder in a small bowl. Set aside. In a deep mixing bowl, beat eggs for 1 minute. Slowly add sugar, 1 C. at a time. Continue beating for 1 minute after the last addition. Add vanilla extract and lemon zest. Blend. On medium speed, gradually add in 1 C. of the milk and melted butter mixture. Beat for 30 seconds. Slowly add half of the flour mixture, followed by 1 C. of the milk mixture, beating for  30 seconds after the milk addition. Slowly add the rest of the flour, then 1/2 of the remaining milk. Beat for 1 minute. The batter will be watery and will splash. Reduce speed to medium low, if needed. Angling a large paper plate over the bowl with help contain the splashing. Add the rest of the milk. Beat for 30 seconds. Fill muffin pans 3/4 full. Bake for 35–38 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the center is set. Cupcakes will sink slightly in center upon standing. Store refrigerated and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Sfenj Donuts

Sfenj Donuts

Sfenj Donuts

 

4 C. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. instant yeast

1 tsp. fine sea salt

1 T. sugar

2 large egg yolks

1 ½ C. lukewarm water 90°

Avocado oil as needed

Powdered sugar or honey for topping

 

Place flour, yeast, salt, and sugar in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add egg yolks and slowly drizzle in water while mixing. Knead until the mixture comes together as a sticky, smooth, and soft dough. Spray dough with cooking spray and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise at room temperature for 2 hours. Coat a large baking sheet with avocado oil. Divide dough into 15 parts, roll each piece into a ball, and place them on prepared baking sheet. Cover balls of dough with a slightly damp linen towel and let them rise for 30 minutes. Pour avocado oil into a large, deep skillet until it is one-third to halfway full and warm it to 375°. Using your forefinger and thumb, make a hole in the center of each dough ball and gently slip them into the hot oil. Fry until lightly golden brown all over, turning as necessary. Drain on a paper bag. Top sfenj with powdered sugar or honey and enjoy immediately.

Local Honey Taffy

Local Honey Taffy

Local Honey Taffy

 

Unsalted butter

1 C. local honey, raw is best

½ C. heavy cream

¼ tsp. baking soda

Flaky sea salt

 

Cut wax paper into 30 (3- by 3-inch) pieces and set aside. Generously grease the bottom and sides of a baking dish with butter. Combine honey and cream in a heavy-bottom pot, place pot over medium-high heat, and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the mixture comes to a boil, stop stirring. Place a candy thermometer in the pot and cook the mixture to 275°. Turn off heat, add the baking soda, and stir to combine. Pour the hot taffy into the buttered baking dish and let it rest until it is cool enough to handle with your bare hands, about 20 minutes. Butter a cutting board and your hands. Start pulling the taffy until it is light in color and completely cool. Lay the taffy on a buttered cutting board. Using scissors (buttered, of course), cut the taffy into 1-inch squares, sprinkle each with salt, and wrap in a piece of wax paper, twisting the ends.

Strawberry Oat Squares

Strawberry Oat Squares

Strawberry Oat Squares

1 C. cooked steel-cut oats

3/4 stick of softened butter

1 egg

1/2 C. sugar

1 C. flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 C. strawberry or other fruit jam

2 T. brown sugar

 

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Combine butter, sugar and egg and mix until combined. I use an electric mixer, but you can do this by hand. Add in the cooked oats, being sure to fully incorporate it into the mix. Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl and then add to the oat and butter mixture. Spread half the batter into a greased 8 x 8 pan. Top with the jam, spreading it evenly over the batter. Spread the remaining batter over the jam. Sprinkle brown sugar on top. Bake for 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool and serve.

Mini Cherry Crumbles

Mini Cherry Crumbles

Mini Cherry Crumbles

 

4 C. sliced, pitted sweet cherries

1 T. fresh lemon juice

¾ C. lightly packed brown sugar

½ C. flour

4 T. cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

¾ C. old fashioned oats

¼ tsp. salt

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray four individual 8oz ramekins with cooking spray. Set aside. In a large bowl, toss the cherries with the lemon juice. Spoon about 1 C. cherries into each ramekin (you should be filling each ramekin to the top with cherries). In another bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, oats and salt. Using your fingers, mix in the butter until well incorporated. Spoon about ¼ C. topping onto each ramekin—don’t be shy here! The more streusel the better. (You should have some leftover streusel topping) Bake cherry crumbles for about 25-30 minutes until topping is golden brown. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream! You can also make this in an 8” casserole dish if you don’t have individual 8oz dishes.

Rhubarb Cardamom Rose Upside-Down Cake

Rhubarb Cardamom Rose Upside-Down Cake

Rhubarb Cardamom Rose Upside-Down Cake

 

For the bottom:

4 T. butter, melted

Around 1 1/2 pound of fresh rhubarb stalks (preferably bright red)

1/2 C. cane sugar

For the batter:

2 C. whole wheat flour (or 1 C. all-purpose + 1 C. whole wheat for a lighter cake)

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 C. cane sugar

1 C. extra-virgin olive oil

1 C. milk (can be plant-based)

3 large beaten eggs

2 tsp. ground cardamom

1/4 C. orange juice

2 T. rose water

 

Preheat your oven to 350F. Line bottom of a round 8 inch baking pan (3 inches deep) with parchment paper. Cut your rhubarb stalks to fit snugly at the bottom of the pan in an attractive arrangement, flat side down. (If you wish to make the geometric pattern I show in the video, you’ll need to cut the stalks on an angle with the cut side as close to the same length as the uncut side as possible. (Using rhubarb stalks that are uniform in width will make this easier). Once your rhubarb pieces are all snuggly packed like sardines at the bottom of the pan, sprinkle 1/2 C. of sugar on top of the rhubarb, aiming for even distribution. Pour 4 T. melted butter all over, as evenly spread out as you can. With a spatula, gently nudge the sugar and butter around to try to ensure coverage of all the rhubarb, but don’t worry, it doesn’t need to be perfect since it will all melt into a caramel in the oven. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cardamom, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In another bowl or stand mixer, beat together the olive oil, sugar, beaten eggs, milk, orange juice and rose water. Once the liquid mixture is silky and uniform, add the dry ingredients and mix everything together until just combined (small lumps are ok but try to avoid large lumps). As with any cake batter, don’t overmix it. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, to cover the rhubarb. Bake for about 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and let it cool in the pan for about 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, invert the cake onto the rack, carefully peel away the parchment paper, and let the cake cool, about 2 hours. (If the cake has risen and domed out a lot while baking, you may want to slice off the top rounded part before inverting it, so the cake sits on a flat base – it’s also a great way to get a sneak taste of the cake and no one will ever know! 😉

Rhubarb Syrup

Rhubarb Syrup

Rhubarb Syrup

 

2 pounds rhubarb stalks, trimmed, sliced thin

1 C. maple syrup

½ tsp. vanilla

 

Heat rhubarb and maple syrup over low heat, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb begins to release its water. Turn heat up to medium and bring to a boil. Reduce heat until liquid maintains a nice simmer.  Let it bubble away, stirring frequently, until rhubarb is very soft and some water evaporates—about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and pour through a fine-mesh sieve. You will need to scrape and squash the pulp to extract all of the rosy liquid.  Stir vanilla into syrup. Use the syrup as-is to flavor drinks and yogurt. If you’d like it thicker for drizzling, put it back on the heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce until desired thickness is reached.  Notes:  Wait! Don’t compost that rhubarb pulp! Spread it thin on a lined cookie sheet and bake in a 200 degree oven for 2-3 hours for homemade rhubarb fruit leather. (Find additional details at www.tallgrasskitchen.com, search for “rhubarb fruit leather.” You’ll also find a handful of other rhubarb recipes, including custard, crisp, cookies and ice pops.)

Pink Pepper & Strawberry Ice Cream from Honeychild’s Sweet Creams

Pink Pepper & Strawberry Ice Cream from Honeychild’s Sweet Creams

Pink Pepper & Strawberry Ice Cream from Honeychild’s Sweet Creams

 

1 pound strawberries, leaves and stems removed, sugared with ¼ C. sugar

1 C. heavy whipping cream

2 C. whole milk

¾ C. sugar

8 egg yolks

2 tsp. fresh ground pink pepper

½ tsp. salt

1 pinch lemon zest

 

Purée the sugared strawberries and set aside. Heat milk, cream and sugar at low temperature until sugar dissolves. Add yolks to milk and pulse with immersion blender. Heat custard to 170°F, then immediately remove from heat and strain. Use an immersion blender to mix in strawberry, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Chill for 1 hour, or until cool to the touch. Transfer to an ice cream machine and churn until semi-solid. Once finished churning, immediately remove from machine and serve or scoop into freezer-safe container then place in freezer.

Patriotic Gelatin Salad

Patriotic Gelatin Salad

Patriotic Gelatin Salad

 

2 packages (3 ounces each) berry blue gelatin

2 packages (3 ounces each) strawberry gelatin

4 C. boiling water, divided

2-1/2 C. cold water, divided

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

2 C. 2% milk

1 C. sugar

2 C. (16 ounces) sour cream

2 tsp. vanilla extract

 

In 4 separate bowls, dissolve each package of gelatin in 1 C. boiling water. Add 1/2 C. cold water to each and stir. Pour 1 bowl of blue gelatin into a 10-in. fluted tube pan coated with cooking spray; chill until almost set, about 30 minutes. Set the other 3 bowls of gelatin aside at room temperature. Soften unflavored gelatin in remaining cold water; let stand 5 minutes. Heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat just below boiling. Stir in softened gelatin and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and vanilla until smooth. When blue gelatin in pan is almost set, carefully spoon 1-1/2 C. sour cream mixture over it. Chill until almost set, about 30 minutes. Carefully spoon 1 bowl of strawberry gelatin over cream layer. Chill until almost set. Carefully spoon 1-1/2 C. cream mixture over the strawberry layer. Chill until almost set. Repeat, adding layers of blue gelatin, cream mixture and strawberry gelatin, chilling in between each. Chill several hours or overnight.