Category: DESSERTS

HONEY CARAMEL MACADAMIA TART

THE WEATHER IS FINALLY COOLING DOWN ENOUGH TO BAKE AGAIN!!! There is nothing like the aroma of tasty treats baking with roasted nuts and caramelizing sugar and honey – YUM!

HONEY CARAMEL MACADAMIA TART
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2  tablespoons water
1 large egg yolk

1/3 cup fragrant honey
1/4 cup dark molasses
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3 1/2 ounces heavy cream
3 tablespoons dark rum
1/2 cup chopped walnut
1 cup macadamia nuts, breaking half of them into small pieces
1/4 cup fine granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1½ teaspoons ground cloves
6 large egg yolks

  • Add flour and 3/4 cup unsalted butter in a food processor, processing to a sand-like consistency.
  • Add the one large egg yolk and water, processing again quickly.
  • Pour out and quickly bring together to form a disc. Layer it between two pieces of baking paper.
  • Rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven 400°.
  • Roll the pastry out evenly and lay over a 10 inch loose-bottomed tart tin. NOTE: It is important that there are no gaps or breaks in the pastry anywhere or your filling will leak.
  • Chill for 10 minutes.
  • Line the inside of the tart tin with parchment paper.
  • Fill with a baking chain, baking weights or dried beans and bake for about 25 minutes, removing the weights and parchment paper for the last five minutes – the pastry shell needs to pick up a hint of golden color.
  • In a small saucepan whisk together the honey, molasses, stick of butter, cream and rum untill well blended and warm.
  • Set aside to cool.
  • Toss walnut pieces with macadamia nuts and both sugars with the ground cloves.
  • Lightly whisk the 6 egg yolks and then whisk them into the cooled honey mix.
  • Pour this over the nuts and sugar and blend well.
  • Place the tart tin on a lined baking tray to catch any drips and pour the filling into the pastry case.
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until well caramelized.
  • Carefully remove the tart from the oven and cool for 20-30 minutes. NOTE: the filling will be very hot straight from the oven.
  • Once cooled, use a sharp knife to cut into wedges and serve with whipped cream if you like.

APRICOT COFFEE CAKE ala KITCHEN MACGYVER

My neighbor calls me MACGYVER. No, not because of the new remake MacGyver (which BTW I don’t like near as well as the original, but wanted to because I like George Eads) or even because the original MacGyver with Richard Dean Anderson was one of my favorite shows growing up, but because I have this God given ability to look at mundane items or recipes and see what they COULD be.

She recently cut a recipe out of the paper and thought it sounded “interesting”. It didn’t really interest me AS IS, but for what my mind pictured it COULD be. Boy am I glad I took a chance on this remake of what turned out to be excellent when she made it AS IS, but even better with the tweaks I made to it.

It was originally called Date and Cardamom Cake with Coffee Frosting by Meera Sodha.  I kept the basic recipe template, but added a few embellishments and enhanced the flavor a bit. I’ll list the original recipe with my changes in green. I thought the cake was completely cooled, but as you can see the icing started melting just a bit.  Good thing it didn’t change the flavor.

APRICOT COFFEE CAKE – adapted from Date & Cardamom Cake
CAKE
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/4 cups soft dates, pitted (1 1/4 cups soft dried apricots)
1 cup water, (1 cup peach nectar)
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cardamom (1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg)
(1/2 cup dried ground lemon peel)
(1/2 cup small walnut pieces)
(1/2 cup golden raisins)
(1/8 cup cold coffee)
(1/8 cup spiced rum)

  • Chop apricots into small pieces and place in sauce pan covered with the peach nectar.  Cook on low until VERY soft!
  • Pour coffee and rum over raisins and set aside to soak.
  • Grease a loaf pan and line with parchment paper.**
  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • When apricots are soft and most of the nectar absorbed transfer them to a small chopper and pulse until pasty.
  • In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar together until smooth.
  • Add eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition.
  • Sift in flour and spices gradually, mixing until well blended. Batter will be thick like cookie dough.
  • Drain raisins WELL.
  • Fold in apricot paste until evenly distributed.
  • Fold in nuts.
  • Fold in raisins.
  • Pour into prepared pan.
  • Bake 45 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
  • Cool cake COMPLETELY in pan before frosting.

NOTE:** I use a springform loaf pan for a “pretty” cake.

FROSTING
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
6 tablespoons, softened
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon boiling water (boiling  peach nectar)
Apricot pieces for decorating

  • Mix together the nectar and coffee granules until all coffee is dissolved.
  • Add coffee mixture to butter in medium mixing boil and blend well.
  • Add sugar, blending until smooth and creamy.

NOTE: I still had half a can of peach nectar so decided before I made a cocktail with the remains that I would substitute nectar for water in the frosting to enhance the flavor a bit.

TBY’s COOKIES aka MONSTER COOKIES or KITCHEN SINK COOKIES

My cousin who is quite a few years younger and her husband were in town this week with their 4 young children (ALL boys ages 7 months to 10 – God giver her strength) and we had dinner with them, her dad and another cousin I don’t get to see very often so all was good with that night.  My uncle grilled burgers, I made pasta and potato salads and Jenn brought fruit salad and tater tots for the boys.

While we were setting up Suzy was entertaining the boys and started telling them all about the strange words Jenn made up as a kid for foods – like calling hamburgers hinkleburgers LOL.  When Jenn and her sister, Michelle were little they could not say “m”s.  As a result I became better known as Tby for quite a long time, in fact Suzy (we’re the same age) still calls me that.

Jump to today when I made up a new cookie recipe and I asked hubby what I should call them.  He suggested Monster cookies because they are so full of things, but that name has been done so much as has Kitchen Sink so he suggested Tby’s Cookies.

I’ve also incorporated some unusual techniques to infuse the flavors I wanted.  I hope you give them a try and let me know what you think.  When Jenn was little I visited often. I baked a lot of cookies back then.  I liked walnuts in my cookies, but my uncle hated them so I began grinding the peanuts and incorporating the flour into the cookies for flavor.  HE NEVER CAUGHT ON! LOL

TBY’s COOKIES aka MONSTER COOKIES or KITCHEN SINK COOKIES
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons quick oatmeal flour – see note – this is easy
1 tablespoon peanut flour – see note – this is easy
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (high quality)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

  • Sift the above ingredients together and set aside. 
  • Preheat oven to 350°.

2 cups butter (high quality)
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons PURE vanilla

  • Cream butter with sugars until smooth and creamy.
  • Add eggs one at a time, blending until incorporated after each one.
  • Add vanilla, blending well.
  • Add flour mixture gradually, blending well after each addition.

Now on to the good stuff!
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup small walnut pieces
1/3 cup caramel baking balls, cut in half (Kraft)
1/2 cup Heath bar pieces
8 ounces dehydrated pineapple, chopped small
1 cup coconut rum soaked golden raisins**

  • Add the above items while the mixer is running.  I like to add a little of each one in a rotating manner so that the ingredients get well dispersed into the dough and there are no big clumps of any one item. ADD THE RAISINS LAST AND SLOW THE MIXER TO THE SLOWEST SPEED TO NOT BREAK THEM TOO BADLY.
  • Drop by small scoop or small spoonfuls to a baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silpat on it.
  • Bake 11-12 minutes.

NOTE: Using a cuisinart junior blend oatmeal or nuts until they become powdery.

**About an hour before I plan to bake I pour about 1/4 cup of Malibu Coconut Rum over the raisins and then stir them periodically.  I start draining them as I begin to cream the butter.  While you want nice plump raisins you do not want to add a tone of liquid moisture so draining these well  is a key step.

BANANA BEIGNETS & CREAM CHEESE DIPPING SAUCE

BEIGNET is typically a French pastry made of  deep-fried choux pastry but is synonymous in English with the term, fritter, or fried dough.  Choux pastry is a pastry made of only butter, water, flour and eggs and does not use a leavening agent. Instead it uses a high moisture content to create steam during cooking to puff the pastry. Ironically the chef given credit for the original recipe is Chef Pantarelli from Florence Itlay and the original name was pâte à Pantanelli from 1540. He left Italy with Catherine de’ Medici and her court when she married King Henry II and became queen of France.

As with all things over time, the dough recipe evolved, and the name was changed to pâte à popelin, which was used to make popelins, small cakes made in the shape of woman’s breasts. Then, Avice, an 18th century pâtissier created what were then called choux buns with the same recipe and the name of the dough was changed to pâte à choux, as Avice’s buns resembled cabbages.

This recipe however uses a more traditional dough with baking powder.  But, only a true connoisseur can tell the difference though and they disappear just as fast as any French made pastry.

BANANA BEIGNETS & CREAM CHEESE DIPPING SAUCE
makes 2 dozen
BEIGNETS
2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 JUMBO egg
1 cup mashed bananas (2 large)
1/2 cup WHOLE milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 CRISCO stick for frying

  • In a small bowl whisk together the FINISH sugar ingredients ans set aside. You will be using this last.
  • In a large bowl mix sift together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt. Set aside.
  • In medium bowl whisk egg and milk until well blended. 
  • Add oil and mashed banana blending well.
  • Fold egg mixture into flour mixture until just blended.
  • Drop by small spoonfuls into HOT oil.  DO NOT CROWD PAN!!!!! Fry about 1 minute each side until golden brown. 
  • Drain on paper towels.
  • Roll warm beignets in Finish sugar an cool on rack.
  • Serve with Cream Cheese dipping sauce.

FINISH SUGAR
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup PACKED brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

CREAM CHEESE DIPPING SAUCE
4 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup Powdered Sugar
½ tsp PURE vanilla
5-6 teaspoons whole milk

  • Mix together softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. 
  • Add vanilla and 5 teaspoons of milk, stirring until incorporated and smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add an additional teaspoon or two of milk, until you reach desired consistency.

CINNAMON PECAN BRITTLE

When I saw this recipe I thought I was going to fall in love.  Then I made a couple changes and KNEW I was in love! IT IS LIKE EATING A HEATH BAR WITH THE BONUS OF A HINT OF CINNAMON!


CINNAMON PECAN BRITTLE
Parchment paper
Vegetable cooking spray
1 1/4 cups butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon instant espresso (Yuban instant coffee)
1 tablespoon dark unsulphured molasses
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 cups Fisher cinnamon pecans
2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels

  • Line a 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan with parchment paper, and lightly coat with cooking spray.
  • Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat.
  • Stir in granulated sugar, brown sugar, espresso, molasses, salt and 1/3 cup water. 
  • Cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 290° (soft crack stage), about 17 to 20 minutes. 
  • Remove pan from heat, and stir in pecans. 
  • Immediately pour mixture into prepared pan spreading in an even layer, and sprinkle bittersweet and semisweet chocolate morsels over top. 
  • Let stand 5 minutes and then spread and swirl the chocolate pieces using an offset spatula. 
  • Chill 1 hour or until firm. 
  • Break toffee into pieces. 
  • Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 7 days. 
  • Serve cold or at room temperature.

ROYAL CHOCOLATE CAKE

    This recipe is the perfect moist chocolate cake that is great with a simple fruit topping or a simple cream cheese frosting or better yet a decadent chocolate frosting – your choice.

    CAKE
    6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
    3 cups all purpose flour
    1 tablespoon baking soda
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1 1/2 cups sugar
    1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
    1 1/2 teaspoon PURE Vanilla Extract
    1 1/2 cups cold water

    • Preheat oven to 350°.
      Grease and flour two 8-inch or one 13×9 cake pans.
    • Sift cocoa, flour, baking soda, salt and sugar into a medium bowl, mix well. 
    • Combine mayonnaise, vanilla and water in an electric mixer at low speed until smooth. 
    • Slowly sift in dry mixture until just incorporated (do not over beat). 
    • Pour batter into cake pans and bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 
    • Cool on wire racks and frost with your favorite chocolate frosting.

    CHOCOLATE ICING
    1 cup butter. softened
    1 cup cocoa
    1 tsp. vanilla extract
    5-6 cups confectioners’ sugar
    6 or more tablespoons milk

    • In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and cocoa with whisk attachment until smooth. 
    • Add vanilla. 
    • Add confectioners’ sugar alternately with milk until icing reaches a spreadable consistency. 

     NOTES:

    • You may not need all 6 cups of sugar 
    • You may need more than 6 tablespoons of milk

    CREAM CHEESE CHOCOLATE ICING
    8-ounces cream cheese, room temperature

    1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
    2 tablespoons cocoa
    3 3/4 cups confectioners sugar
    1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
      • In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese and butter until creamy.
      • With the mixer on low, slowly add sugar and cocoa, scraping down the sides of the bowls as necessary.
      • Add vanilla and increase mixer speed to medium. Blend until frosting is fluffy, about 1 minute.

        GRAN’S POUND CAKE

        2 sticks butter, room temperature
        1/2 cup crisco
        3 cups sugar
        5 large  eggs
        3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
        1/2 teaspoon sea salt
        1/2 teaspoon baking powder
        1 cup whole milk
        1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
        1 teaspoon lemon juice

        • Preheat oven to 350 degrees°. 
        • Using a stand mixer cream the butter and shortening together until creamy. 
        • Add sugar, one cup at a time. It may be a little grainy, but don’t worry it won’t stay that way.
        • Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.  I break each egg into a small bowl and whisk it before adding it. Grams always thought this was best.
        • Sift dry ingredients together into a bowl.
        • Alternately add milk and flour mixture, starting with the flour and ending with the flour until creamy and smooth. 
        • Mix in lemon juice and vanilla.  Batter will be a bit thick.
        • Use a spatula to move batter into a greased and floured tube pan.
        • Bounce the pan on the counter top several times to remove the air bubbles and level it out for an evenly baked top.
        • Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. I start my timer at 1 hour and then check every 10-15 minutes after that.
        • Cool for 15 minutes.
        • Invert onto a plate and cool for 15 minutes more and then invert again so the pretty side is up.
        • Serve with your favorite topping.

        LUSCIOUS LEMON LAYER CAKE

        LUSCIOUS LEMON LAYER CAKE
        CAKE
        3 cups sifted cake flour
        1 tablespoon baking powder
        1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
        1⁄2 teaspoon salt
        1 cup unsalted butter, softened
        2 cups sugar
        1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
        4 eggs, room temperature
        1 1⁄2 cups buttermilk
        1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla

        2 cups lemon curd
        3 cups buttercream icing (recipe below)

        • Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside.
        • Cream butter, sugar, and grated lemon zest with an electric mixer in separate mixing bowl until pale and fluffy.
        • Beat eggs in 1 at a time, thoroughly.
        • With electric mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk.
        • Add vanilla and beat until smooth.
        • Divide batter evenly between two buttered and floured 9 inch cake pans.
        • Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cakes are golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
        • Cool cakes in pans for 10-15 minutes.
        • Remove cooled layers from pans.
        • Cut layers in half horizontally with a serrated knife.
        • Spread a thin layer of buttercream icing followed by a thin layer of lemon curd evenly between the layers and stack on serving plate.

        ICING
        1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
        1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine (softened)
        1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
        4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
        1 tablespoon lemon zest
        2 tablespoons milk

        • In large bowl, beat shortening and butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy.
        • Beat in vanilla and lemon zest.
        • Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed.
        • Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry.
        • Gradually add milk; beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

        BAKING PARTNERS – RIGO JANCSI

        This month challenge (since this is the month of Valentine’s Day and love) is to make a Hungarian pastry called Rigo Jancsi.  A popular Austria-Hungary dessert is named after Rigó Jancsi (1858–1927), a famous Hungarian Gypsy violinist who seduced and married Clara Ward, Princess de Caraman-Chimay, the only daughter of American millionaire E. B. Ward and the wife of Belgian Prince de Caraman-Chimay. Their love story never ended happily ever after though. This is actually a chocolate sponge cake filled with chocolate mousse, and topped with chocolate ganache.  I added some fresh raspberries and and a raspberry coulee.

        This really is a time taking effort, you need at a least a day to make it but it worth all effort. This recipe is adapted from Joe pastry and stabilized chocolate mousse inspired  from here. This recipe makes about six 2 ½ inch pieces.

        For the sponge cake:
        2 ½ tablespoon (24g)  all-purpose flour
        1 tablespoons (6g)  cocoa powder
        5 tablespoon (71g) butter
        2 ounces  (57g) semisweet chocolate, chopped fine
        3 eggs, room temperature and separated
        3 tablespoon (45g)  sugar
        1/8 teaspoon salt
        For the chocolate glaze:
        3 ounces (84g)bittersweet chocolate, chopped
        1 tablespoon(26g)  butter
        1 tablespoon (27g)  light corn syrup
        1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
        For the filling:
        3/4 tablespoons (5g)  cocoa powder
        3 tablespoon  powdered sugar
        3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped fine
        ¾ cup heavy cream + 1 tablespoon
        ¼ teaspoon rum extract( other wise use 3/4 tablespoon  rum)
        ¾ teaspoon gelatin
        1 tablespoon cold water
        1 tablespoon boiling water
        1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
        For the assembly:
        Apricot glaze
        1 tablespoon apricot jam
        ¼ cup water
        • Preheat your oven to 350. Line a 8  inch square pan with parchment paper and brush it with melted butter.
        • For the cake: Whisk together the cocoa powder and flour. 
        • Add the chocolate pieces and butter in a bowl and stir to melt, apply ten-second bursts of heat as necessary. When the mixture is smooth, set it aside to cool. 
        • In a mixer fitted with a whip, beat the egg yolks on high until pale and thick, about five minutes, then with the machine running add half the sugar in a stream. 
        • Continue whipping until the yolks and sugar fall from the whip in a ribbon. 
        • Transfer the yolk mixture to a medium bowl and fold in chocolate mixture. Set the bowl aside while you prepare the whites. 
        • Rinse and dry the mixer bowl and whip (If you have a second bowl like I do place it in the freezer while you do the above steps). Put the whites in the bowl and whip to soft peaks, add the salt, then add the remaining sugar in a stream. 
        • Continue to whip to the stiff peak stage, the foam should be very glossy. Stir 1/3 of the whites into the yolk mixture to lighten the batter, then fold in the rest in two additions. Lastly, fold in the flour and cocoa. 
        • Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and level it with an icing spatula. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
        • Remove the cake from the oven and loosen the edges with a knife. 
        • Lay a second sheet of parchment and a wire rack over the layer, then invert the pan. Remove the pan and — carefully — the top sheet of parchment. 
        • Cover the cake with a clean kitchen towel and another wire rack and invert the cake again. Remove the parchment from the top and allow the cake to cool.
        • When the cake is cool, cut the sheet in half. 
        • Prepare the glaze by combining all the ingredients except for the vanilla in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the bowl for 20 seconds on full power, then apply as many ten-second bursts as needed to melt the chocolate completely, stirring in between to allow the residual heat to do most of the work. 
        • Stir in the vanilla and pour the glaze over the cake, spreading it promptly with an icing spatula. Allow the glaze to set, about 45 minutes to an hour. 
        • Divide into two equal halves, cut one half into 2 ½ inch 6 pieces. .Set the pieces aside or store in the refrigerator.
        • For the filling: melt the chocolate pieces with 1 tablespoon heavy cream in the microwave, using a 20-second burst, then as many ten-second bursts as needed until it’s completely smooth. Cool it until it’s just barely warm to the touch. 
        • Add ¾ teaspoon gelatin in 1 tablespoon cold water and set aside for 5 minutes.
        • Then add 1 tablespoon of boiling water into the gelatin. 
        • Add this liquid gelatin to  3/4 cup heavy cream along with rum extract, vanilla and whip very well. 
        • Stir together the cocoa and powdered sugar. 
        • Whip the cream mixture to just shy of soft peaks. Then, with the machine on, whip in the cocoa and sugar mixture. 
        • Add the melted chocolate all at once and quickly whip or whisk it in, whichever works better for you. 
        • Set the second cake layer on sheet of parchment paper and trim up the sides. Brush apricot glaze over it, then apply the filling, being careful to apply it evenly. 
        • Square up the corners. 
        • Gently lay the glazed top pieces on the top, then refrigerate the entire cake for at least an hour. 
        • When ready to serve, cut the cake into pieces using a sharp knife heated under hot top water. 
        • Enjoy

        PROPOSED EASTER MENU

        Things are moving along well, so well that we decided to host Easter. I’m really excited about being far enough along host Easter and being able to really bake and cook again. This is my proposed menu. Any other ideas?

        TROPICAL GLAZED PORK TENDERLOIN

        2-3 pound pork tenderloin
        1 cup apricot pineapple preserves
        1 1/2 cup brown sugar
        1/2 cup pineapple juice

        • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
        • Whisk together brown sugar and pineapple juice.
        • Blend in preserves.
        • generously salt and pepper the pork loin.
        • Spread a small layer of the glaze on the bottom of the roasting pan.
        • Lay the pork loin on top and spread the remaining glaze on top and along the sides.
        • Baste as necessary
        • Bake 45-60 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 170 degrees.
        DEVILED EGGS

        8 hard boiled Eggs
        1 tablespoon mustard
        1 teaspoon vinegar

        1 teaspoon creamy horseradish
        1/4 cup mayonnaise
        2 tablespoons sour cream
        1/2 teaspoon salt
        1/2 teaspoon white pepper
        1/4 teaspoon celery salt
        paprika

        • Cut eggs in half and scoop out yolks. 
        • In a mixing bowl mash the yolks to a fine consistency. 
        • Add the remaining ingredients except the paprika and mix well until smooth and creamy. 
        •  Fill egg whites and sprinkle with paprika. I have a Tupperware egg keeper that fits 8 eggs perfectly. I like to do these a day before serving also to allow the flavors to meld.

        HOLIDAY APRICOT CARROT CASSEROLE

        2 pounds carrots**
        1/2 cup golden raisins
        1/4 cup butter, melted
        2 cans apricot pineapple nectar
        1 pound dried apricots
        1 cup packed brown sugar
        1/4 cup crushed walnuts

        • Clean and bake carrots until slightly mushy.
        • Cool, Slice lengthwise and set aside.
        • While carrots are baking, put dried apricots in a dutch oven and cover with nectar.
        • Simmer apricots until mushy – about an hour.
        • Add butter, brown sugar and walnuts to apricot mixture.
        • In a 13×9 greased baking dish layer carrots and apricot mixture twice.
        • Bake 30-45 minutes at 350°.

        **Yams or sweet potatoes or a combination of can be substituted easily.

        CHEESY AU GRATIN POTATOES
        1/2 cup butter
        16 oz. whipping cream
        5 large russet potatoes
        1 teaspoon salt
        1/2 teaspoon paprika
        1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
        1/2 teaspoon white pepper
        1 clove garlic, minced
        2 cups grated 4 white cheese mix (Gruyere, Muenster, etc…)
        2 cups grated sharp cheddar
        Wondra Flour

        • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
        • Peel and thinly slice potatoes.
        • Grease 9×13 baking dish.
        • In a large sauce pan, melt the butter.
        • Gradually add the whipping cream and spices. Blend well.
        • Gradually add the flour until the mixture thickens, but it is still pourable!
        • Mix the cheeses all together.
        • Layer the potatoes, cheese and cream mixture ending with cheese on top.
        • Bake 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown.

        CHOCOLATE BERRY BASKETS 
        Chocolate 
        Strawberries
        Blackberries
        Blueberries 

        ROLLS OF SHARON aka CINNAMON RAISIN BUNS
        ROLLS
        2 packages Fleischman’s Rapid Rise Yeast
        1/2 cup + 2 teaspoons sugar
        1/2 cup WARM water
        1 cup scalded milk (2 minutes in the microwave)
        1/2 cup Crisco stick
        5 cups flour, divided
        2 large eggs, well beaten
        1 teaspoon salt

        • In a small bowl combine the warm water, 2 teaspoons of sugar and both packages of yeast until well blended. Set aside.
        • In a mixing bowl combine the scalded milk, Crisco stick, 1/2 cup sugar and salt. Blend well.
        • Add yeast mixture and blend well.
        • Add the well beaten eggs and half the flour. Mix until well blended.
        • Add the remaining flour (a little more if too sticky) and mix well until dough leaves the sides of the bowl and is elastic.
        • With vegetable oil, wipe the inside of another bowl.
        • Place dough in bowl and turn once.
        • Cover with wax paper and a towel.
        • Let rest in a warm place until double in size.

         

        • Punch down and divide into 2 balls.
        • Put one on the pastry board and one back in the bowl.
        • Let rest 10 minutes.
        • While resting prepare the filling ingredients.

         

        • Roll the dough to 1/8 inch thickness in a rectangle about 18×24 inches.
        • Spread half the melted butter over the dough and sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar.
        • Spread half the raisins over that.
        • Roll tightly jelly roll style and cut into 18 rolls.
        • Place rolls in greased pans 1/4 to 1/2 inches apart.
        • Cover with wax paper and a towel.
        • Let rise again until double in size.
        • Bake 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.
        • While baking prepare the icing.

         

        • When rolls come out the oven, put globs of icing on each one. Return to the oven for a minute or two to melt icing all over the rolls.

        FILLING
        1 stick melted butter
        1 cup sugar
        2 tablespoons cinnamon
        1 cup golden raisins

        • Whisk together the sugar and cinnamon until well blended.

        ICING
        1 stick butter, softened
        3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
        1 tablespoon powdered vanilla
        4-6 tablespoons milk

        • Mix all together until smooth.

        When re-heating rolls, put a pad of butter on top of roll before microwaving.
        These freeze really well. 

        MOSCATO STRAWBERRY LEMONADE
        1 bottle pink moscato
        6 cups lemonade
        1/4 cup strawberry vodka
        Frozen Strawberry Slices
        Lemon slices

        • Blend together well.
        • Enjoy!   

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        BAKING PARTNERS – APRICOT CHERRY GALETTE

        OUR Baking partner’s challenge this month is a Galette, an open pie pastry. It was suggested by Suja of Kitchen Corner try it.  Galettes make a wonderful rustic fall fruit dessert.

        APRICOT CHERRY GALETTE

        1 cup All purpose flour
        1/2 cup Cake Flour
        1/2 cup Chilled Unsalted Butter, chopped
        2 tablespoons Sugar
        1/4 teaspoon Salt
        4 tablespoons Ice water
        3 apricots, sliced
        1 cup cherries, pitted
        Juice of 1 Lemon
        4 tablespoons sugar
        1 teaspoon vanilla
        1 teaspoon cornstarch
        • In a bowl mix flour, salt and sugar. 
        • Add butter pieces to the flour. Using a pastry blender cut in through the flour, rapidly till the mixture becomes coarse. The flour will look like large flakes and the butter in the size of peas. If you are using a food processor, first pulse the flour, sugar and butter. Then add the butter and pulse for 7- 8 times till the dough attains the above mentioned texture.
        • Slowly add ice cold water, 2 tablespoons at a time and mix until the dough starts coming together, making sure that the dough masses together roughly but the butter pieces remain about the same size.
        • Transfer this onto a lightly floured work surface.
        • Flatten into a rectangle rapidly with heel of your palm. 
        • Rapidly pat and smooth the top. 
        • Lift the dough off work surface using a pastry sheet. 
        • Flip the bottom of the rectangle to the middle and the top down to cover it like an envelope.
        • Tuck the two sides towards the bottom. 
        • Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for half an hour to relax the gluten.

        • Meanwhile make the filling. 
        • Toss together the apricots and cherries.
        • Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and lemon juice.
        • Toss fruit with lemon juice mixture. Set Aside.
        • Preheat oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
        • Remove dough from the fridge and place on a lightly floured surface. 
        • Roll into 1/8 inch thick circles. You can use a plate to cut into the desired size. Fold the disk into half and gently transfer into the baking sheet. Unfold it and sprinkle a mixture of flour and sugar. You will need around two tablespoons. 
        • Arrange the fruit mixture in a single layer in the center of the disc leaving 3 inches border. 
        • Fold the edge up over the filling forming loose pleats. Gently press the pleats so that it stick together. 
        • Sprinkle with coarse sugar. 
        • Bake for 20 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the pastry is golden brown. 
        • Remove from the oven and allow it to cool down a bit in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack.

        HUMMINGBIRD CAKE with CARAMEL FROSTING

        WHEN I FIRST READ ABOUT THIS RECIPE I EXPECTED A LIGHTER FLUFFIER CAKE. IT WAS GOOD, BUT IT WAS MORE BREAD LIKE THAN CAKE LIKE.

        HUMMINGBIRD CAKE
        3 cups flour
        2 cups sugar
        2 teaspoon baking powder
        1 teaspoon salt
        1/2 teaspoon baking soda
        1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
        2 cups mashed ripe bananas (5-6 small bananas)
        8 ounce can crushed pineapple
        1/2 cup golden raisins
        1 cup vegetable oil
        3 eggs, lightly beaten
        1/2 cup flaked coconut
        1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
        1 recipe Salted Caramel Frosting

        • Preheat oven to 350°.
        • Spray 13 x 9 cake pan with non-stick spray and flour it with cocoa.
        • In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, sugar baking powder, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.
        • Add the bananas, pineapple, oil, eggs, coconut and vanilla stirring together JUST until combined.
        • Spread batter into prepared pan.
        • Bake 40-45 minutes until cake tester comes out clean.
        • Cool in pan on wire rack.
        • Frost with Salted Caramel Frosting.

        Salted Caramel Frosting
        4 ounces cream cheese, softened
        4 tablespoons butter, softened
        1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping*
        1 teaspoon vanilla
        1/4 teaspoon textured sea salt
        2 3/4 – 3 cups powdered sugar

        • In a large mixing bowl beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
        • Add caramel sauce and vanilla, blending well with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.
        • Add powdered sugar until desired consistency reached.

        *I usually have a batch of Caramel sauce on hand and prefer the homemade.