Category: DESSERTS

RED VELVET CAKE/CUPCAKES with ALMOND CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
CAKES
2 cups cake flour
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons almond flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup avocado oil
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
scant 2 cups sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 fluid ounce red food coloring
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1 1/4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Line 2-9 inch rounds with parchment paper or 2 muffin pans with 24 cupcake liners.
• Sift together the flours, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a medium bowl.
• In the bowl of a mixer blend the avocado oil, buttermilk, sugar, eggs, food coloring, applesauce, vinegar, and vanilla on medium speed until incorporated, about 2 minutes.
• Turn the mixer to medium-low speed, and add the dry ingredients a little bit at a time, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Mix until JUST combined.
• Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans or fill the cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 minutes.
• Cool the cupcakes completely.
• Generously frost the top of each cupcake with the Almond Cream Cheese Frosting.

ALMOND CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
3 – 8  ounce cream cheese packages, at room temperature
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 1/2 teaspoons PURE vanilla extract
2 teaspoons almond extract

• In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the butter and cream cheese on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Turn the mixer on medium-low, and slowly add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Once the ingredients are all incorporated, turn the mixer to high, and beat for 1 additional minute.

This tart has crisp crust with a creamy filling topped off with a tangy pomegranate gelatin making it the PERFECT winter/holiday dessert.  WARNING, WARNING, DANGER WILL ROBINSON! 😀  BE forewarned this is A LOT of time consuming work and wait time so be prepared to make it the day before.

POMEGRANATE CHESS TART
CRUST
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup fine yellow cornmeal
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 LARGE egg yolk

• Whisk together flour, cornmeal and salt.
• In a separate bowl beat butter and cream cheese until well blended and creamy.
• Add egg yolk, beating JUST until combined.
• Add flour mixture, beating on low until dough begins to form.
• Shape into a flat disk, wrap in saran and chill at LEAST 2 hours.

 

• Remove dough from refrigerator and let set at room temperature for 30 minutes or until soft to the touch.
• Unwrap and roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-13 inch circle.
• Fit dough into a 10 inch DEEP tart pan with a removable bottom.
• Press into pan and fold over edges.
• Prick bottom of dough with a fork.
• Chill 30 minutes until firm.

 

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Line dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights.
• Bake 15 minutes or until golden along the edges.
• Remove pie weights and parchment paper.
• Return to oven and bake 8-10 minutes more until bottom is set.
• Transfer to a cooling rack and cool COMPLETELY for 30 minutes.

FILLING
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon WONDRA flour
1 tablespoon fine yellow cornmeal
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup WHOLE buttermilk
1 tablespoon orange zest
3 tablespoons orange juice (1 orange)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (1 LARGE lemon)
3 LARGE eggs, beaten

• Reduce oven to 325°.
• Whisk together the sugar, cornmeal, flour, buttermilk, orange juice, lemon juice, orange zest and melted butter until well blended.
• Add eggs, whisking until smooth.
• Pour into prepared tart crust.
• Bake on lowest shelf 35-40 minutes golden AND set.
• Cool COMPLETELY for 2 hours.
• Chill until COLD, about 2 hours.

GELEE’
1 ¼ cup FRESH pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 ½ teaspoons (2-¼ ounce envelopes) KNOX unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier (orange liqueur)
²⁄³ cup pomegranate seeds, for garnish

• In a medium saucepan combine the pomegranate juice and sugar, whisking until sugar is dissolved.
• Whisk gelatin into the mixture quickly and let stand 5 minutes.
• Cook over medium heat, about 5 minutes, JUST until mixture is steaming and gelatin completely dissolves.
• Remove from heat and cool 20 minutes.
• Skim off any foam and whisk in liqueur.
• Strain through a fine mesh sieve.

ASSEMBLY

• Remove tart from the refrigerator.
• Gently pour pomegranate gelatin over chilled tart to just under tart edge. DO NOT OVERFILL! Depending on the depth of your tart pan you will probably have a bit extra.
• Return to refrigerator and chill 1 more hour.
• Sprinkle with seeds just before serving.

CIDER GLAZED CHRISTMAS CAKES
CAKES
¾ cup golden raisins
¾ cup dried cranberries or tart dried cherries
¾ cup candied pineapple
½ cup apple cider
1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine salt
²⁄³ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
²⁄³ cup whole milk

• In a small bowl combine the raisin, cranberries (or cherries) and pineapple pieces.
• Toss with apple cider.
• Let stand 1 hour.

 

• Drain fruit, reserving liquid for making your cider drizzle and reserve 2 tablespoons of fruit to chop as garnish.
• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Line muffin tins with papers or spray well with non-stick cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

 

• In a large mixing bowl beat butter on medium speed until smooth.
• Add sugar, beating until fluffy.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add flour mixture and milk, alternately, beating well after each addition.
• Fold in drained fruit.
• Scoop 3 tablespoons of batter into tins.
• Bake 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.
• Spoon a small amount of drizzle over each cake.
• Garnish with a bit of chopped dried fruit.

CIDER DRIZZLE
Reserved soaking liquid + enough water to equal 1 cup
2 tablespoons coconut pineapple vinegar (apple cider vinegar works also)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch

• Whisk together, cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes.
• Cool 10 minutes before spooning over cakes.

NOTE: Bourbon or Whiskey can be substituted for apple cider.

ALTERNATE DRIZZLE
1/3 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup apple cider

• Whisk together until smooth.
• Glaze cupcakes

ROASTED APPLE PIE
CRUST
3 cups flour, plus dusting
¾ cup COLD unsalted butter, sliced
5 ½ tablespoons COLD crisco
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon FINE sea salt
6-8 tablespoons COLD Vodka or water

• Pulse together the flour, unsalted butter slices, crisco, sugar and sea salt in food processor until you have a coarse crumble.
• Gradually add water or vodka 1 tablespoon at a time while pulsing 5-6 times until dough comes together. Divide dough in half, shape into 2 disks, wrap in saran and chill AT LEAST 2 hours.

FILLING
6 medium Granny Smith Apples
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup WONDRA flour
½ cup PACKED brown sugar
1 + 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
¼ teaspoon FRESH grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon FINE sea salt

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Mix together the granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of the flour and 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin pie.
• Toss apples in sugar mixture.
• Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat.
• Pour apples out onto silicone mat.
• Bake 30 minutes until tender.
• Cool 30 minutes.
• Transfer apples to large mixing bowl.
• Fold in brown sugar, remaining pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, sea salt and remaining flour.
• Chill 1 hour.

ASSEMBLY
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into thin slices.
1 LARGE egg
1 tablespoon water

• Unwrap 1 dough disk and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
• Roll out a 1/8-1/4 inch thick round.
• Fit into a lightly greased 9″ pie plate.
• Repeat with 2nd disk and cut into lattice pieces or shapes, set aside.
• Spoon filling into pie plate.
• Dot with butter slices.
• Arrange top crust or pieces as desired.
• Chill pie 30 minutes.

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Whisk together egg and water.
• Brush crust with egg wash.
• Place on lower rack.
• Bake 1-1 ½ hours. After 30 minutes shield crust edges with foil to prevent burning.
• Cool on rack 2 hours before serving.