Basic Caramel Frosting

This is a basic recipe that you can find almost anywhere.

It is annoying only insofar as you need to use a thermometer in order to get the recipe right.

Other than that, it’s simple and really is delightfully caramelly good.

So drag out the thermometer and make it.

It will work well with plenty of different cakes, even chocolate if you have some adventure in your heart.

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 c cream
• 1/2 c light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Bring everything but the vanilla to boil in a saucepan (add a pinch of salt), and boil for 12-15 minutes until the temperature reaches 210-212°. Take off heat and add the vanilla Cool for a bit but not until it starts to harden up too much.
2. Pour over the cake and spread around evenly.

SERVES: 1 c

SOURCE: Lottie + Doof

Tasty Non-White Cake

This is not a spice cake, nor a yellow cake, nor a white cake.

It’s just a tasty one.

The good thing is that it mixes up in a bowl and makes a nice sized 10 x 14 sheet cake.

And you can frost it however you may wish, but I like it with a caramel pourable frosting that you can just pour over the top, let it collect at the sides and smooth is around quickly. It makes for a nice dessert without a lot of work.

See how you like it.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 c butter
• 1 c apple juice (or cider)
• 2 c flour
• 2 c sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Melt the butter slowly in the apple juice, just off the boil
2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda and spices together in a large bowl.
3. Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and mix well.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, the sour cream and the vanilla.
5. Mix well.
6. Pour into a greased and floured 10 x 14 baking dish.
7. Place in a pre-heated oven at 350° 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
8. Cool and frost as desired.

SERVES: 16

NOTES: You could use plain water instead of the apple juice. Also consider other juices.

SOURCE: Inspired by Juanita’s Cochina

OVEN: 350°

COOKING TIME: 30 minutes

 

Do It My Way Apple Dumplings

Okay, apple dumplings. Sounds like a lot of work. It is. But you can significantly make the job a lot easier and compromise neither taste nor appeal.

No you don’t have to substitute crescent rolls or puff pastry. But you do change the procedure, and change is good.

So listen up and I am very sure that this will work a lot better than the old-fashioned way of making this delightful comfort food.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 recipe for a 2-crusted pie crust. I have a couple so do look at the index.
• 6 granny smith apple or other crisp tart apple.
• 6 tbsp butter for the apples
• 2/3 c brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 c brown sugar
• 1 c white sugar
• 3 c water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

This is a fairly standard recipe. We are going to make two very major changes. One, we are not going to make individual squares to cover each apple. Two we are going to simplify the preparation of the apples. It is hard to roll out the dough to the correct size and it tends to want to break on you as you try to bring it up around the sides of the apple. Apples are hard to core well with an apple corer, leaving behind pieces usually. We are avoiding both these problems, and speeding things up.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prepare your favorite pie crust and divide the dough 2/3 – 1/3. shape into rectangles and cover with wrap and place in fridge for a good hour.
2. After about 40 minutes begin the rest of the preparation.
3. Peel your apple with a peeler and then cut off the bottom and top. Slice through from top to bottom. Cut out the cores. Place each half in lemon-water to keep from browning while doing them all.
4. When apples are done, prepare your butter into individual 1 tbsp for the apples and mix the spices together.
5. Bring out your larger of the two pie crust doughs and roll out as you normally would into a rectangle that is large enough to come over the edges of a 9 x 13 high sided baking dish.
6. Butter your baking dish and lay in the rolled out dough.
7. Dry 2 pieces of your apple, lay with core side up and place a pat of butter in the center, then a tablespoon of brown sugar. Bring the other half up and squeeze together. Place in the baking dish.
8. Do this with the rest until you have 6 “apples”, three to a side in the pan.
9. Sprinkle with the spices
10. Now roll out the second piece of dough. Roll this to larger that the bottom of the pan. You are going to loosely drape it over the top but between each set of apples to the end. Then bring up the sides of the bottom crust over the top to make the seal.  Slice down the top crust across between apples, then push the dough gently between and around each apple. Your seal will not be perfect, but it will be close enough. It’s important to make sure the top crust is really longer and wider than the 9 x 13 pan, so it will be loose enough to do this.
11. Take the ingredients from 2 tbsp butter down and place in a saucepan, bring to boil and boil for 5 minutes.
12. Pour in and around your dumplings. You may not be able to use it all, depending on your baking dish.
13. Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 50-60 minutes or until pie crust is browned and sauce is thick and bubbly.

SERVES: 12 (1/2 per person is more than enough I promise)

NOTES: Wonderful served with whipped cream or ice cream.

SOURCE: Sherry Peyton

OVEN: 400°

COOKING TIME: 50-60 minutes

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Gooey, Gorgeous Brownies

I’ve given a couple of brownie recipes. To brownie aficionados, this is necessary since different types are required for different things.

You knew that right?

Okay, so this recipe makes a ton of brownies. I mean like a 9 x 13. Given that they are so rich, you can cut them very small, so it works well for a crowd.

It especially works wonderfully  with ice cream.

The top will be dry and crackley, but underneath, oh my goodness is it gooey.

So don’t miss this chocolaty delight.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (8-oz.) package unsweetened chocolate baking squares, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups butter, cut up $
• 4 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13- x 9-inch pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.
2. 2. Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in bottom of a double boiler. Place chocolate and butter in top of double boiler. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes or until melted. Cool 10 minutes; transfer to a large bowl. Stir in sugar until blended. Stir in flour and next 3 ingredients just until blended. Pour batter into pan.
3. 3. Bake at 350° for 32 to 35 minutes or until set. Cool in pan, for an hour, and then in fridge until chilled. Can be served at room temperature, but it will cut easier when cold.

SERVES: 20

NOTES: You can add nuts if you wish, but I would put them on top of the batter. Nuts tend to soften when baked in.

SOURCE: My Recipes

OVEN: 350°

BAKING TIME: 35 min. Another five will give a more cake-like consistency.

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A Peach of a Pie

Nothing says summer like peach pie.

And that’s getting harder to say because peaches aren’t at all what they used to be when I was a kid.

When I was young, a peach was heaven. It was a fragrant dark soft thing. The first bite caused a juice explosion and you worked hard to suck it all in. You glorified in every bite, sorry when you were down to the pit which you pulled free of every last strand of peach meat.

Now?

Peaches tend to be quite beautiful to look at and usually juiceless, or hard as rocks. They smell good and look good, but taste of nothing. They are probably excellent for packing and storage and that is how they are now bred.

The only ones that I have found that are good are the new white-fleshed variety. I find them with all the qualities of my childhood. I used them for this pie and I can say that I was quite satisfied.

INGREDIENTS:

• One recipe for a double crusted pie dough. I have two you can find here and here.
• 2 1/2 lbs of peaches, peeled, sliced (I used about 6)
• 1 c sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• A pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg and salt
• 1 lg egg beaten
• sugar for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Make the pie crust. Divide in two. Roll out the first and place in the pie plate (deep dish). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to fill.
2. Roll out the second and then cut into 8 strips for the lattice (don’t omit this since this is part of why this pie works). (I found that I had nearly half of the 1/2 left after this so I wrapped it and threw it in the freezer for a rustic something or other later). Place the strips on some dusted parchment on a cookie sheet, cover with plastic and put in the fridge as well.
3. Place all your peach slices in a large bowl with the cup of sugar. Set aside on the counter for 1 HOUR stirring occasionally to let the juices release.
4. Drain the peaches in a colander, reserving 1/4 c of the juices. Place the peaches back in the bowl, with the saved juice, add the rest of the ingredients up to the egg, and mix until the spices and so on are thoroughly distributed.
5. Take the cookie sheet with the lattice strips out about 5 minutes before using to let them warm a bit.
6. Take the pie plate out and load in the peaches.
7. Arrange the lattice atop, weaving 4 strips with 4 strips.
8. Paint the lattice with the beaten egg and dust with sugar.
9. Place a rimmed cookie sheet on the bottom shelf of the oven and pre-heat to 425°. Place the pie on the cookie sheet and bake about 25 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375° and continue for another 25-35 minutes until nice and bubbly.
10. Place on a rack to cool.

SERVES: 8

NOTES: The point of the lattice and the removing some of the liquid is to avoid using a ton of cornstarch to thicken it, which allows more peach flavor. Use the reserved juice to drink or reduce and use for topping on ice cream. The lattice also lets some of the liquid steam away in the oven. While there was some initial liquid when first sliced, what there was, was little more than an 1/8th of a cup.

SOURCE: Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

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Pretty in Pink Lemonade Cake

Let’s just say when I saw this recipe, I wanted to make it, but I was pretty sure it was going to taste pretty much like a lemon cake.

So, I decided that it would be a nice cake anyway, but I could doll it up just a bit.

So I used pink lemonade instead of the usual, and I added just a tinge of red food coloring in the cake batter. You could do the same to the frosting, but I didn’t want it to look pink pink if you get my drift. I think that kind of PINK doesn’t look attractive and the cake just had a tinge as I said.

So do as you wish of course, but I think it turned out rather nicely.  You can split the layers and make it 4, but it works just as well as a two.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
• 3 tablespoons thawed lemonade concentrate
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups fat-free buttermilk
• Cooking spray
• Frosting:
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 2 teaspoons thawed lemonade concentrate
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

 

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare cake, place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat well after each addition. Add a drop or two of red coloring and stir in well.
3. Pour batter into 2 (9-inch) round cake pans coated with cooking spray; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.
4. To prepare frosting, place 2 tablespoons butter and the next 4 ingredients (2 tablespoons butter through cream cheese) in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, and beat at low speed just until blended (do not overbeat). Chill 1 hour.
5. Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Store cake loosely covered in the refrigerator.

SERVES: 12

NOTES: decorate the top with sugared very thin slices of lemon if you like for a party.

SOURCE: My Recipes

OVEN: 350°

COOKING TIME: 25 minutes

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Baked Chocolate Mousse Cake

This is sort of weird.

Good weird.

It’s sort of like a cake, and sort of  like a mousse.

It’s dense, kind of dry, but not really?

Weird.

Slap some powdered sugar on top or whipped cream and this sails off to bliss land.

It’s also fairly simple to make up as well.

INGREDIENTS:

 

• 14 tablespoons (7 ounces) unsalted butter
• 16 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 10 large eggs, separated
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

 

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan and dust with cocoa. Set pan on baking sheet.

• Place butter, chocolate, and salt in very large heatproof bowl. Heat over saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. (Or use the microwave)

• In mixer fitted with whip attachment, beat whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until frothy. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until whites have turned opaque. While whites are beating, slowly add 2 tablespoons sugar and continue to beat to stiff but not dry peak. Transfer beaten whites to a bowl.

• Using same unwashed mixing bowl and whip, beat yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar on medium-high speed until light lemon color, 3 to 5 minutes.

• Gently whisk yolks into chocolate mixture until combined (trying not to deflate yolks). Gently fold whites into chocolate mixture in three batches, until just combined and no streaks of white remain.

• Pour batter into pan and bake until cake is puffed, edges feel set, center is jiggly set, and temperature in center reads 150°F, about 40 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool 1 hour. Chill until set, about 3 hours. Run knife along inside edge of pan to release cake. Let cake come to almost room temperature before serving, about 30 minutes

   

  SERVES: 8

  NOTES: You could also serve this with some fresh berries cooked down to a sauce, or even just sliced strawberries.

  SOURCE: Serious Eats

  OVEN: 350°

  COOKING TIME: 40 minutes