apple crisp (another one)

I loved this.  Loved the simplicity of this crisp.  Probably my favorite.  Cored and sliced apples, skin intact, simple simple streusel topping – done.  Yes, no need to peel these apples, the skin enhances the flavor of the crisp and the colors that follow are awesome.  Like Autumn in a dish.  I served this with freshly whipped cream and it was delightful.  Truly.  I made this with a variety of apples…honeycrisp, tango, fugi, and jazz.  Have fun with it – just be sure that your apples are firm and hard so they don’t break down to applesauce while they cook.  Enjoy –

Oh, this is from Ruth Reichl’s new book My Kitchen Year and it is great!

5 heirloom apples
lemon
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Core, slice and layer the apples in a buttered pie plate or baking dish.  Toss them with the juice of one lemon.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon.  Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the bowl.  Using your hands, rub ingredients together until the butter is incorporated and the streusel is of even color.

Place streusel on top of the apples and bake for about 45 minutes – and up to an hour or so.  The juices should be bubbling a bit at the edges and the top should be crisp, golden and fragrant.

Serve with whipped cream, ice cream, or just drizzled cream as Ruth suggests.

new banana pancakes

Delicious.  Banana.  Chocolate.  Fluffy.  Yeah, ok, I made a new kind of pancake AGAIN.  What’s wrong with me?  I’m not sure but I seem to be obsessed with pancakes, brownies and chocolate chip cookies and my dog.  Oh well, there are worse things.  We all love these.  Andy and Sylvie of course as they are somewhat easy to please, although both would protest and exclaim that these truly are the best banana pancakes to date.  Greg though – big fan which is a bit more exciting.  And Rob and I tend to eat the leftovers every morning after our own breakfast.  Instead of buttermilk, this recipe calls for milk and white vinegar which is nice because I always have these ingredients in the house.  I used my new griddle to make these and I love the ease and non burn and easy flip factor.  My first griddle which is exciting too!  Enjoy another breakfast from me!

banana pancakes (slightly adapted from Little B Cooks):

1 cup milk
2 tablespoons white vinegar (not white wine!)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose, or half wheat, half white)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 small mashed bananas

optional

chocolate chips
blueberries
maple syrup (the original recipe says to heat and add a dash of nutmeg! I’d add a dash of sea salt too)

Add the vinegar to the milk and let sit for 5 minutes.  Heat your griddle (if you are using).

Mix together the dry ingredients.

Mix together the milk/vinegar, vanilla, egg, butter and bananas.

Gently fold into dry ingredients.  Add more milk if seems too thick.

Stir in chocolate chips if desired 0r sliced bananas, or blueberries.  Heat syrup with nutmeg and salt.  We tend to eat these plain but when splurging add the syrup.

Yum.

 

coconut pecan torte

So this was really good.  Addictive, interesting (and I mean that in a good way!) and unlike anything I have made before (I guess that is synonymous with interesting…)  Rob and I kept taking turns coming back to nibble at it all weekend long.  He mumbling “this is good!”  And me mumbling “I don’t even like coconut I must stop!”  That’s pretty much all I remember to be honest as it was about a month ago.  I don’t remember if guests liked it and I know the kids wouldn’t even try it.  Silly of them.

I think I will likely get to each and every dessert from Alice Medrich’s Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts and likely write about each one (which I probably could get sued for).  But if I can recommend one new book for you, this would be it.  She is so creative, exact, and super informative.  I read the baker’s notes on every one of her books and I always learn something new.  That’s my plug (and I don’t get anything if you buy it btw!)

coconut pecan torte (Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts by Alice Medrich):

1 2/3 pecan halves ((6 oz)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded dried coconut (4.5 oz)
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar (6.125 ounces)
8 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pre heat oven to 325 and place rack in the lower third of the oven.  Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan.

Place the pecans on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 7-10 m – until fragrant and start to look toasted.  Place the nuts on a plate to let cool.

Turn oven temp up to 350.  Pulse the coconut and pecans in a food processor with just 1/4 cup of the sugar.  Pulse until it is the consistency of crumbs.

With the whisk attachment of the mixer, beat the egg whites, vanilla, salt and cream of tarter  – on medium high speed until the whites hold a soft shape.  Gradually add the rest of the sugar and continue to whip until the egg whites are glossy and stiff, but not dry.

Pour half of the coconut mixture into the whites and fold in with a large spatula – then add the rest of the coconut mixture and fold until just incorporated.

Pour into prepped pan and spread evenly.  Bake for about 25-30 m until the torte is puffed and golden and the edges are starting to shrink from the sides of the pan.

Set to cool.  To unfold, run a knife around the pan – remove cake and transfer to a platter.

This keeps really well under a cake dome for 3-4 days.

Serve with lightly fresh whipped cream.

Enjoy –

 

 

 

chocolate chip sour cream coffee cake

Oh jeez.  This is not the kind of thing that I can have lying around.  Big chocolate chips, moist cake, cinnamon and sugar laced throughout – can’t blame me.  Luckily I was baking for a charity so I quickly sent most of it away.  Also gave some to Leslie at Andy’s school since she is always on the receiving end of my absence calls.  She gave me a play by play via email…I WILL GLADLY BE YOUR TASTE-TESTER!  Hang on – let me try it . . . OMG!!!  FABULOUS!!!!!  Her enthusiasm and quick feed back will be rewarded 🙂

Anyway, this is super easy to make and really good almost any time of day.

This recipe is from SmittenKitchen which I love.  Because Deb Perelman writes this recipe up so eloquently and because I’m way backed up with posts to write I’m just going to give you the link to her recipe.

sour cream chocolate chip coffee cake

The only change I made was to exchange 1 teaspoon of kosher salt for her 3/4 teaspoon of table salt.

You know I love that kosher salt!

 

 

grapefruit cake

More citrus tasting that grapefruit so please don’t shy away.

DELICIOUS!  Moist, flavorful, sweet and yummy.   So good.  Soo good.  Really.  Equally loved by me, Andy, Sylvie, Charlotte, and Danika.  Rave reviews from all and oh, Will and Jason too!  Melissa found them wrestling over what they thought was the last piece and became very popular when she pulled another bite out of her bag.  This cake has three little parts – but each part is easy so don’t get scared off.  And you do have to squeeze some grapefruits (or do you say grapefruit) but I imagine that isn’t a surprise!  It is such a great cake to serve now – as the sun is starting to shine, the snow is melting, the temp is rising (kind of)…and this bright little cake kind of says all of that.  It does.

I found this from the blog Unwritten Recipes and her photos are BEAUTIFUL.

cake
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated grapefruit zest
2 grapefruits
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temp
2 eggs, room temp
2 teaspoons grapfruit juice
1 1/3 allpurpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup buttermilk well shaken

syrup

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

glaze

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed grapefruit joice
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
pinch of salt

Prepare pans – grease then line the bottom of a 9×5 pan (other sizes will work, just adjust baking time) with parchment and grease again.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Zest the grapefruit (rem to wash and dry first) and just take the outside part of the skin.  The inner white layer is bitter.  Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers to incorporate the flavor.

With paddle attachment, beat butter and the zested sugar on medium high for 3-5 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time.  Scrape down the bowl, mix in the vanilla and scrape again.

Combine whisk the dry ingredients.

With mixer running on lowest speed, add the 1/3rd of the flour mixture, follow it with half of the buttermilk.  And repeat, ending with the flour.  Do not over mix.  Remove from mixer and fold 2 or 3 times to make sure all butter is incorporated.

Pour into prepped pan.  Bake until toothpick comes out clean and the cake is nice and golden.

Let sit 10 minutes.  While it sits, make the syrup.  Bring grapefruit and sugar to a boil (mix to incorporate first) – boil for one minute.  Be careful as it is hot!

Poke many holes in the cake with a toothpick.  Brush the syrup all over the cake and continue as it gets absorbed.  Yum.

Let cool completely.  Invert and remove from pan.

Make the glaze by mixing the confectioners’ sugar and juice – and the tad of kosher salt.  Spread over the syrup soaked cake.  Delish.

 

 

vanilla layer cake…easy easy and yes, a little lopsided

So good.  So so good and full of warm vanilla flavor.  This was perfect in the middle of January and the freezing cold.  Coming home to a piece of pretty cake, light and airy and bright.  Made me think of Spring (until I put all the white snowflakes on it!)  Anyway, I love, love, love vanilla.  I really do.  I’m aware that some people think bland or boring, but really, it isn’t those things.  So try again.  Not much else to say to be honest.   Oh, this is a quickie.  Just plop most ingredients into into a food processor and you are all set.

The icing recipe is at the bottom of the recipe.  You can frost, or simply sprinkle on some confectioners’ sugar.

I do like to double this and make two rounds (freeze one for later!)

very vanilla cake (from Alice Medrich’s Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts):

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (6.125 ounces) sugar
1 cup (4.5 ounces) flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon table salt)
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and hot
3 large eggs (room temp)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8 x 2 inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment.  Grease that too.

Add the sugar, flour, salt and baking powder to the food processor and pulse to mix.

Add the cream and melted butter and pulse quickly – just 8-10 times until the ingredients blend together.  Add the eggs and vanilla and pulst 5-6 more times until incorporated.

Scrape down the sides of the food processor – and pulse again so that the ingredients are all blended and smooth (but no more after that).

Pour batter into prepped pans and bake 30-35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out just clean.  Remember all ovens are different and many are not accurate, so bake until your cake is done.  Not what the recipe says.

Let cool.

frosing–

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (less if using table salt)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, slightly softened, cut into chunks

Mix together the cream, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and mix a bit to incorporate the sugar.  Cover the pan – and set on medium heat – heat until mixture is bubbling all over.  Uncover and and adjust the heat so that the mixture boils actively (but not crazy).  Cook, without stirring for a minute.  Then pour mixture into a stainless steel bowl and let cool – until barely luke warm – about 45m.

Place the cooled mixture into another (bigger) bowl filled with lots of ice and a some water.  Add the vanilla to the icing.  Then, pour all ingredients into electric mixer bowl and with beater attachment on med high, add the butter slowly and in chunks.

Beat until smooth and fluffy.

If it is not thick or stiff enough – place in fridge for 10-15 min and beat again.

Alternately, if the icing is too stiff or cold, place the bowl in a larger bowl of hot water – until the frosting starts to meld around the bottom…then beat or stir briskly to reach desired consistency.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

chocolate pecan (ground up) torte

Oh, so scrumptious and rich and chocolaty and a new love affair with my ice cream!  This torte is worth every calorie.  Dense and moist with it’s curious texture (ground pecans), this one surprised me.  Rob loved it and so did friends.  This, with his chocolate sorbet turns his lips brown and smiling.  And me too – but with vanilla ice cream and jimmies.  We were both very happy with our leftovers and this cake stayed fresh and tasty for several days under a cake dome.  I topped it with ganache – but you can also skip that and just dust with powdered sugar.  Enjoy-

chocolate pecan torte (from Alice Medrich’s Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts):

IMG_51701 cup (3.5 ounces) pecan halves (toast them now)
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (66-72 percent), coarsely chopped
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened but still cool – cut into chunks
3/4 cup (5.25 ounces) sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cold large eggs
powdered sugar
freshly whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease the bottom and sides of springform pan. Toast the pecans by baking them for 7-10 minutes.  Stir once or twice as they bake for even toasting.  They should be fragrant and golden (but don’t burn or they will become bitter).  Let cool completely.

Turn the oven up to 375 degrees.

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and place over a pot with an inch of simmering water.  Melt the chocolate.  Do not cook it.  The simmering water should not touch the bowl with the chocolate in it.

Place the cooled pecans and flour in a food processor and plus until finely ground.

Place the melted chocolate, softened butter, sugar and salt in a bowl fitted with the paddle attachment of your mixer and beat on medium speed until the butter is completely melted and the mixture thickens and gets a little lighter in color.

Add the eggs, one at a time and mix on med/high speed until the is fluffier and even lighter in color.  2-3 minutes.

Stir in the pecan mixture and pour into prepared pan.

Bake for about 30-35 m.  A toothpick inserted in the outer edges of the pan should come out clean, but the inner area of the cake should still be gooey.

Place the cake on a cooling rack and carefully run a thin knife along the inside of the pan to loosen the cake and allow the think crust to sink a little.

Let cool completely.  Remove from pan.

Serve with confectioners sugar and a little whipped cream makes it extra special.

Enjoy-

 

 

 

 

 

 

marvelous marble cake

Terrible photo I’m aware.  But don’t let it deter you.  This cake is tasty and although simple, has an elegance to it.  Dress it up with whipped cream and berries and you have an even prettier dessert.  This is also a good cake to nibble on throughout the day (as we all did!)

Enjoy –

marble pound cake (from xxx by Lauren Chattman):

3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 large eggs, room temp, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (use half if using table salt)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar

Preaheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9×5 loaf pan (other sizes fine too just adjust baking time).  Alternatively, grease the pan and line the bottom with parchment.

Place an inch of hot water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Then reduce to a simmer.  Place chocolate in a stainless bowl big enough to rest on top of the saucepan.  Please make sure the bowl does not tough the water.  (Or use a double boiler if you prefer.)  Don’t burn the chocolate, just melt it.  Once melted, remove from heat to cool.

Combine the eggs and vanilla and lightly beat.  In a small bowl, place the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.

With the paddle attachment of the mixer, bet the butter and sugar on medium high heat until lighter and fluffy.  5 m or so.  Scrape down sides and beat again to incorporate.

Turn speed to medium low and slowly pour the egg/vanilla mixture into the butter.  Scrape down the bowl and beat again.

On the lowest speed, add the flour mixture and mix until incorporated.

Scoop out half of the batter into another bowl and add the melted chocolate.  Stir until combined.

Scrape half of the yellow batter into the pan.  Then scrape half of the chocolate batter on top.  Repeat with other halves.

Run a knife through the batter to create marbling (if you like).

Bake until cake is golden and a toothpick comes out just clean.  Recipe says and hour and 15 m – but check before and after.  I recently learned that my oven temp is off – and many are, so follow your instincts and bake until your cake is done.  This will take practice but it is one of the most important factors in baking.

Let cake cool in pan for 10 m or so.  Then gently invert on rack to cool completely.

Yum.

 

cranberry cookies

Greg’s friend from school joined us for Thanksgiving.  We urged him to come having found out that he was on campus with out a turkey plan.  We had a terrific meal and a great variety of desserts.  I made these little gems, but I don’t think anyone in Rob’s family tried them.  So they sat there and I thought that I would still post them, because I loved them…and that was enough.  But lucky for me, I found another white chocolate cranberry cookie lover in Jay!  When asked what his favorite dessert was for a goody bag he quickly replied with “those cranberry cookies!”  Well, I was delighted (seems too strong of a word, but I was).  When home and a box of cookies went to Ali’s house…she texted saying “cranberry cookie one of my new faves.”   Make them if you are willing!

cranberry cookies (slightly adapted from A Taste Of Home)

1  cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
8-10 ounces good quality white chocolate chunks or chips
pecans would be nice in here too if you like

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

With paddle attachment of your mixer (or with hand held beaters) cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy.  About 5 minutes.

Continue on medium speed, and add the eggs one at a time and then the vanilla.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and oats and add to the mixture.  Mix on the lowest speed until just combined.

Remove from mixer and mix in raisins, cranberries, zest and white chocolate.  (I used my clean hands).

Line baking sheet with parchment.  Bake from 8-14 minutes depending on the size of your cookies.  I made big ones…you do what you like!

Enjoy-

 

almond torte

So moist, so flavorful.  This is so unexpectedly good!  I forget who was really delighted with this cake the other night.  But I do remember that person urging others to “try that cake!”  With a delicate crumb, a buttery feel, and deep almond flavor, this cake seems decadent and fancy.  In reality it is quite simple to make.  I was told by Alice (in the recipe!) that the flavor and texture are best if you make the cake at least one day in advance.  So like a good little lamb, I did just that.  The cake was spectacular on day 2, but equally delicious on day 3, 4 and 5.  I’m not exaggerating.  I’m really not.  I kept it in a cake dome and that seeIMG_5165med to really help.  Try this with freshly whipped cream and berries.  Or fresh apples  and pears.  Or drizzle with chocolate sauce and serve with ice cream.  Or simply serve on it’s own with some really good coffee.  The possibilities are endless.  Enjoy-

Alice gives us weighted measurements to, so if you have a scale, use it.  Much more precise.

almond torte (from Alice Medrich’s Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts):

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons blanched or unblanched almonds (or 4.375 ounces)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar (or 7.875 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 stick (8 tablespoons, or 4 oz) butter – cut into chunks and slightly softened
1 tablespoon kirsch (optional)
3 large eggs
1/3 cup flour (or 1.5 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place rack in the lower third of the oven.  Butter the sides and bottom of an 8×2 round cake pan (I used 9 inch – and mine was flatter and took less time to cook…)  Line the bottom with parchment.  Butter that.

Place the almonds, sugar, salt and almond extract into a food processor and process until the nuts are pulverized.  Add the butter and kirsch (if using) and pulse until blended.

Add the eggs and process until thoroughly blended.  Add the flower, baking powder and salt and plus until just combined.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and place in the oven.  Cook until the cake is a lovely golden brown and a toothpick comes out just clean.  Let cool in the pan.

Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan and invert onto a cake platter.  Peel off the parchment and turn right side up.  Serve with simple powdered sugar – or any of the ideas above…and I’m sure many more.

Enjoy-

Wrap this and it will last nicely for several days.  It also freezes well.