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Posts Tagged ‘Baking’

Peaches & Cream Cake

Posted in Cooking, tagged , , , , , on August 8, 2013| 23 Comments »


Lady Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge

Who doesn’t love peaches?  They are one of my favorite fruits and when Lady Behind The Curtain decided to use peaches and cream as the special ingredients for the August edition of her Behind The Curtain Dessert Challenge, I knew I had to participate.  I have an easy peach cobbler recipe that I use a lot, but I had never used both peaches and a creamy ingredient together so I got to experiment a little.

I found this recipe at Mel’s Kitchen Café where you will find all sorts of tasty new treats to try.  I have followed her blog for a long time and always enjoy her recipes and photos.

Peaches&CreamCake

For the cake:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup milk

6 tbsp. butter, melted

29 oz. can sliced peaches in juice

For the topping:

16 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

6 tbsp. reserved peach juice

cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13×9” baking pan.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar & cornstarch.  Make a well in the center and add the vanilla, eggs, milk, and melted butter.  Stir until well combined and spread the batter into the prepared baking pan.

Drain the peaches, reserving the juice.  Chop the peaches into bite sized pieces and sprinkle over the cake batter.

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In a separate bowl, combine the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and reserved peach juice until the mixture is light and creamy.  Carefully spread this over the peaches and cake batter.  If a few peach pieces are showing through, it is okay.  Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the cream cheese layer liberally. 

Bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until the edges of the cake are done.  The center may still jiggle just a little, but it will firm up nicely as it cools. Let the cake cool completely before slicing and eating.  This will let the cream cheese layer “set”.

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Peaches&CreamCake

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HerKentucky Guest Post

Posted in Cooking, Kentucky Proud, tagged , , , , on July 30, 2013| 2 Comments »

Hi, all!  One of my favorite blogs is HerKentucky which is written by an all female team who also have a great love of Kentucky.  The last couple of weeks, they have had guest writers and I got to be included.  It is quite an honor for me and I hope you jump over to their site and read my post, but don’t just stop there.  Read them all!  I hope you enjoy their posts as much as I do.

This link will take you to my post.

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Dessert Challenge: Blueberry Lemon Muffins

Posted in Cooking, tagged , , , , , , , , on July 11, 2013| 23 Comments »


Lady Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge

July’s spotlight ingredients for the Lady Behind The Curtain’s Dessert Challenge is, drumroll please…blueberries & lemon!  I had not used that combination before so off to Pinterest I went in search of a new recipe to try.  I found this delicious muffin recipe on the blog, Silver Boxes and knew I had found the right one.

I love blueberry muffins, but I never made them from scratch.  Instead, I always used a box mix that came with the little can of blueberries.  Well, I can now say that fresh is best!  These are awesome, especially with the melted butter, lemon, and sugar topping.  This makes 12 to 14 muffins depending on the size you want.

blueberrylemonmuffins

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

zest of 1 lemon

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk (I used 4 tbsp. powdered and add 1 cup of water when the recipe calls for buttermilk.)

1 cup butter melted, divided

1 heaping cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Juice of 1 lemon

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Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a muffin pan with non-stick spray.  Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, dried buttermilk and salt together.  Zest the lemon over the dry ingredients and set aside.

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Beat the egg in a medium bowl and then add the water and 1/2 cup melted butter. Add the dry mixture to the egg mixture and stir until just mixed.  The batter will be a little lumpy.  Stir in the blueberries.

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Fill the muffin pans 2/3 full and bake for 20 minutes or until the muffins test done.  Let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove to continue cooling.

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For the topping: Combine 1/2 cup melted butter and the juice from 1 lemon.  Pour 1 cup of sugar in a separate bowl.  Dip the tops of the muffins into the butter then roll them in the sugar.  Now all you have to do is eat them.  Enjoy!

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blueberrylemonmuffins

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Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake

Posted in Cooking, tagged , , , , , on July 6, 2013| 12 Comments »

I really like to use zucchini as an ingredient in baked goods.  It seems to give the items an extra dose of moisture that results in a terrific texture for breads, muffins, or, in this case, cake.  This cake, which I found at Chocolate, Chocolate and More, would be delicious with a fruit or Jell-O salad on the side or just eat it by itself with a big ol’ cold glass of milk.  Mmmm!

chocchocchipzucchinicake

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups packed grated zucchini

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare to loaf pans by spraying them with non-stick spray. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt on a plate and set aside. I prefer using a paper plate for this because it makes it easier to pour into the mixer later.

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In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar until they are light and fluffy.  This takes about 2 minutes.  Add in the oil and vanilla and stir to combine. 

While your mixer is running on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the egg/sugar mixture.  Beat until just blended.  Fold in the shredded zucchini and chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pans and bake for 50 to 60 minutes.  Mine were perfectly done after 50 minutes so be sure and check them at that time.  Allow the loaves to cool for 10 minutes, then turn them out of the pan and cool completely.  Slice and enjoy!

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chocchocchipzucchinicake

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Southern Plate’s Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Posted in Cooking, tagged , , , , , on June 29, 2013| 12 Comments »

I have a confession to make…as much of a chocoholic as I am, pineapple upside down may be my favorite cake.  I know, I know…the sacrilege of it is obvious.  How can this little semi-homemade cake be a chocolate lover’s favorite?  I am afraid I can’t answer that question except to say that it just is. 

This is also a dessert that my Nanny has made and still makes a lot so maybe that is why it is so special to me.  In fact, I had never made one myself until just a few weeks ago.  I guess I just always left it up to her.  Hopefully now it won’t be her sole responsibility to be the upside down cake maker all the time even though I don’t think she minds it too much.

I used Southern Plate’s recipe for this one and it is a good one just like all of Christy’s recipes.

PineappleUpsideDownCake

1 box yellow cake mix

1 large can pineapple slices

1 stick butter

1 cup brown sugar

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In a 9×13 inch baking dish, melt the butter while the oven preheats to 350 degrees.  Once the butter is melted, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the brown sugar over the entire pan.  Place the pineapple slices on top of the brown sugar, reserving the juice.

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Prepare the cake mix according to package directions, substituting the pineapple juice for the water.  If you don’t have enough juice just finish up the amount you need with water.  Slowly pour the cake batter over the pineapple slices.  Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and then turn it out onto a cake plate or platter.  Oh, this is so so good!  I could eat some right now.

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PineappleUpsideDownCake

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Dessert Challenge: Double Berry Turnovers

Posted in Cooking, tagged , , , , , on June 13, 2013| 26 Comments »


Lady Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge

 

Welcome to the June edition of the Behind The Curtain Dessert Challenge hosted by Lady Behind The Curtain where every month we are given two ingredients to shine a spotlight on.  This month we are using strawberries and raspberries which are two of my favorite flavors.  Here is my very own recipe for Double Berry Turnovers.

Double Berry Turnovers

1 pkg. (2 sheets) puff pastry, thawed

3 cups sliced strawberries

4 tbsp. granulated sugar, divided

flour for dusting

4 tbsp. raspberry fruit spread, divided

1 egg

water

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp. milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

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Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line two baking sheets with foil then spray the foil with non-stick spray.  Slice the strawberries and stir in 3 tbsp. of sugar.  Set aside while you prepare your dough.

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On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry dough 1 sheet at a time.  Use a pizza cutter to trim the edges and cut into 4 squares.

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Prepare the egg wash by whisking the egg with a tablespoon of water and set aside.  In the center of each dough square, place 1/2 tbsp. of the raspberry spread and a scant 1/4 cup of strawberry slices.  Drain as much of the juice from the strawberries as possible.  Coat 2 edges of the square with the egg wash.  Fold the dough to form a triangle and crimp the edges with a fork.  Poke two holes in the top of the turnover with the fork to let steam escape.  Brush the entire pastry with a little of the egg wash and sprinkle granulated sugar on top.

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Bake for 20 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.  When cooled, prepare the frosting by combining the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla.  Pour this into a small zip top bag and cut a small hole in one corner of the bag.  Drizzle the icing onto the cooled turnovers and then eat up!

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Butter Dips

Posted in Cooking, tagged , , , , on May 4, 2013| 6 Comments »

Ever since I found the blog, Plain Chicken, I have pinned their recipes like crazy.  This is one of those recipes and I made them to go with the Simple Pasta Soup I posted a few weeks ago.  Butter Dips are just a simple homemade buttermilk biscuit recipe, but the taste magic happens when you bake them in a pan with melted butter instead of just on a baking sheet.  I could have eaten the whole pan by myself.

ButterDips

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup flour
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2/3 – 1 cup buttermilk or milk (I used 4 tbsp. dried buttermilk and 1 cup water.)

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Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  Cut the butter into pieces and melt it in a 8×8 inch baking dish using the microwave.

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Combine all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl then add the water (or buttermilk).  Stir until combined.  The dough will be a little sticky.  Put the dough into the pan with the melted butter and press it out to cover the pan. You may want to flour your fingers to keep the dough from sticking to them. Using a sharp knife, slice through the dough to form 12 biscuits.

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Bake for 15-18 minutes until the tops are browned just a little.  My oven cooks a little slow, so check them at 15 minutes so they don’t burn.

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Sweet Almond Pastry

Posted in Cooking, tagged , , , , , , , on March 14, 2013| 11 Comments »


Lady Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge

Today’s post is this month’s entry for the Dessert Challenge hosted by Lady Behind The Curtain.  Every month she gives us bloggers two ingredients to use and post about then we all link up together on the second Thursday of that month.  The spotlighted ingredients for March are almond paste and pastry.  When I first saw those two listed, I felt a little nervous about finding the almond paste to buy, much less finding a recipe.

I was right about finding the paste…I couldn’t find it locally and it was going to be too pricey to ship so I just found a recipe for it and made my own.  This is really going to be two recipes in one post so it is long: one for the almond paste and one for the sweet almond pastry using that paste.  The almond paste recipe was from Two Tarts and the pastry recipe was from the Pepperidge Farm website.  Enjoy!

SweetAlmondPastry

For the almond paste:

3 cups raw almonds

3 cups powdered sugar

2 egg whites

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*This recipe makes a lot more than you need for the recipe, but it will keep in the freezer for up to six months.*

Heat a big pot of water to boiling.  Pour 3 cups of almonds into the water and boil for one minute.  Drain immediately and let cool for a few minutes before peeling their loose brown skins off.  The skins will just peel right off with very little effort.

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Put the almonds in a food processor and let it run until the almonds are in very tiny pieces.  This will take 2 to 3 minutes.

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Add the powdered sugar and process until the mixture is very finely ground, another 2 or 3 minutes.  I had to stop a few times and shake the bowl so it would evenly process.  Add the egg whites and process until thoroughly combined and it will look like this:

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Now on to the final product:

Vegetable cooking spray

2 eggs

1 tbsp. water

6 oz. almond paste

3 tbsp. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions

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Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray. Combine 1 egg with the water for an egg wash.  Set aside.

Place the almond paste, granulated sugar, 1 egg and vanilla in a food processor. Cover and process until the mixture is smooth.

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On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rough 12×10” rectangle.

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With the short side toward you, spread the almond mixture on the lower half of the dough.  With a sharp knife, cut small slits in the other half.  Then fold the half with the slits over the half with the almond mix and seal around the edges using a fork.  Place this on the baking sheet and brush with the egg wash.

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Bake for 12 minutes then reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for 20 more minutes.  Cool for about 15 minutes and enjoy!

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SweetAlmondPastry

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Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Posted in Cooking, tagged , , , , , on March 2, 2013| 13 Comments »

If you are a chocoholic like I am, I have the perfect cookie for you!  I found this delectable little treat over at Tracy’s Culinary Adventures and it is a winner.  With this much chocolate and butter, you just can’t go wrong.  One little word of warning…this recipe makes a LOT of cookies so you may want to find some people to share these with.  Trust me.

choctrufflecookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
20 oz. (567 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/4 cups sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups mini chocolate chips

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two cookie sheets.  Sift the first 4 ingredients together and set aside.  Melt the semi-sweet chips in the microwave at 50% percent power for 45 second increments until the chips are soft enough to melt when stirred.

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Look at that beautiful chocolate goodness.  Mmmm.

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Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until well combined, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate before adding the next. Increase the mixer to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla and beat just until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and the mini chocolate chips. 

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Using a small cookie scoop, portion out the dough on the cookie sheets.  I put about 14 cookies on each sheet.  Cook one at a time for 12-14 minutes. I let the first sheet cool for a few minutes while the second sheet cooks.  Then just reload and put the sheet back in the oven.

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Exquisite Chocolate Cherry Cake

Posted in Cooking, tagged , , , , , on February 13, 2013| 19 Comments »

Lady Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge

I usually post a new recipe every Saturday, but this week’s recipe is part of new special link party hosted by The Lady Behind The Curtain.  It is the first edition of her “Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge”!  She will give all of us participating bloggers two ingredients to use and we will either find or create a recipe using those.  This month’s ingredients are chocolate and cherry and this is my contribution…The Southern Lady Cooks’ Exquisite Chocolate Cherry Cake.

I had never used chocolate and cherries together so I went on an online hunt for a recipe to try .  The Southern Lady Cooks is one of my favorite food blogs and when I saw she had this cake on her site, I knew it would be good.  I wasn’t wrong…this cake is so moist and flavorful.  Most of the other chocolate cherry cake recipes I found were made with a cake mix and there isn’t anything wrong with that, but I had a feeling that Southern Lady’s would be better since it was from scratch.  This would be a great special occasion cake especially for Valentine’s Day.

choccherrycake

For the cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup baking cocoa

1 1/4 cups white sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup buttermilk (I used 4 tbsp. dried buttermilk & 1 cup water.)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling

For the frosting:

3/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

3 tablespoons butter

3 tbsp. milk

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa, sugar, and dried buttermilk.  Mix well with whisk. Add eggs, melted butter, water (for dried buttermilk), vanilla extract and cherry pie filling mixing well each time with a spoon.

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Prepare a Bundt pan by spraying with non-stick spray and sprinkle in cocoa to coat. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 55 to 60 minutes until center is cooked. Let cake cool for 20 minutes before removing from Bundt pan.

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Combine sugar, sweetened condensed milk and butter in pan on top of stove. Bring to boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add regular milk, vanilla and chocolate chips. Stir with spoon or whisk until chips are melted. Pour over the cooled cake.

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