Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies

Posted on February 22, 2010 by Veronica

Today’s “Cookie Monday” yields a special treat–Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies!!!!! Wait, I think I need one more–!

As soon as this recipe from Picky Palate hit my inbox, my heart started pounding. As I scrolled through and the idea settled in, I knew I was a goner. Photo by photo, I watched as Jenny started with a fabulous sugar cookie dough, spread butter over it (!), sprinkled brown sugar & cinnamon over that (!), rolled it up, sliced and baked it, then drizzled the cookies with cream cheese icing (!). This is such a creative use of sugar cookie dough and I couldn’t resist the combination of cookies and cinnamon rolls.

Seriously, I’m having trouble keeping my cool here. The excitement that these cookies evoke in me makes me want to record a video of me screaming to convey it. It’s not only the concept but the taste!!! I’ve eaten over a dozen and if there were any left after Dennis took them to work, I’d be eating them right now. It’s taking a serious effort not to just write 100 lines of “wheeeeee!” as the entire content of this post prior to the recipe. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee! Sorry, I couldn’t contain that one.

You could use any sugar cookie dough to make these cookies, including store-bought, but I do recommend that you try Jenny’s recipe. The dough makes a really excellent sugar cookie–my favorite so far. I intend to use it for all my sugar cookie needs from now on, including, of course, cinnamon roll sugar cookies. :)

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies
recipe by Jenny at Picky Palate

2 Cups sugar
1 Cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
(I added 1/2 teaspoon almond extract)
1 Cup sour cream
6 Cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons softened butter, (slice 2 Tablespoons 6 times totaling 12 tablespoons)
1 1/2 Cups packed light brown sugar, divided into 1/4 Cups
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon, divided

Frosting
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 Cup powdered sugar
2-4 Tablespoons milk, to thin icing

1. In an electric or stand mixer, cream the sugar and butter. Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream until well combined. Slowly add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well combined.

2. In 2 batches, place in plastic wrap in a disc shape and chill for at least 2 hours for best results.

3. Once chilled, cut each disc into thirds and roll into a 1/8 inch thick oval, about 12 inches X 5 inches on a floured surface. Spread each rolled pieces of dough with 2 Tablespoons softened butter, 1/4 Cup packed brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. (I forgot to soften my butter beforehand so I just slightly melted it in the microwave and mixed in the brown sugar and cinnamon, then spread it over the dough in a thin layer.) Start rolling from the long end closest to you, rolling into a log shape. (I wrapped the logs in wax paper and refrigerated for another 2 hours at this point because they were too soft to cut and got all smooshed.) Using a sharp knife, cut 1/2 inch pieces of dough then placing onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet.

4. To prepare frosting, beat the cream cheese until softened and smooth, slowly add powdered sugar and milk until desired consistency. Frost cookies then place in refrigerator until ready to serve. These are 100 times better chilled, trust me!!

Makes at least 6 dozen

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Posted on February 22, 2010 by Veronica

I did it. I actually made an entire cake from scratch. This isn’t an unprecedented feat, but it is a rare one. Those of you who know me are probably aware I prefer to make cakes with a box mix and top them with ridiculously good frosting from scratch to make up for it because that has always yielded me the best results. But the results I got with this one are just stupendous. Tremendous. Incredible.

OK, first about the cake itself (my favorite part, believe it or not). It is not only the easiest scratch cake I ever made (no mixer required!!), but also the BEST. Yes, I like it even better than carrot cake. Better than Clandestine Chocolate Fudge Cake. Better than any of the butter cakes from The Cake Bible. It is unbelievably tender and moist and such a deep dark chocolate that it is almost black. But it isn’t bitter in the slightest. It’s a thing of beauty.

The frosting is wonderful, though I’m accustomed to wonderful frosting so I don’t feel compelled to write a sonnet about it as I do with the cake. I know you might think, “Cream cheese and peanut butter? Ewwwww,” but just shut up and make it. It’s really good.

As for the chocolate peanut butter glaze, well it is the crowning glory that pulls the whole thing together. Imagine ganache (oooooooh), and then imagine it with peanut butter added (ahhhhhhhhh). It’s a marriage made in heaven and makes the whole cake so pretty without any decorating effort.

OK, so are you ready to make this cake? I thought so.

Sour Cream-Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
recipe slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted if from Sky High: Irresistable Triple-Layer Cakes

Makes an 8-inch triple-layer cake; serves 12 to 16

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder (Hershey’s Special Dark will work)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanut brittle (I skipped this)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper. (I used two 9″ pans and sprayed them with Baker’s Joy–I had no problems whatsoever.)

2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. (This was too thick for me to whisk–I had to use a spatula to get it all combined.) Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the prepared cake pans.

3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. I think my 9″ cakes took between 40-45 minutes. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners if you used them, and let cool completely. (Deb’s Smitten Kitchen note: These cakes are very, very soft. I found them a lot easier to work with after firming them up in the freezer for 30 minutes. They’ll defrost quickly once assembled. You’ll be glad you did this, trust me. Veronica’s note: I agree with Deb 100%.)

4. To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. (I used about a cup of frosting as filling since I only had two layers.) (Deb note 1: Making a crumb coat of frosting–a thin layer that binds the dark crumbs to the cake so they don’t show up in the final outer frosting layer–is a great idea for this cake, or any with a dark cake and lighter-colored frosting. Once you “mask” your cake, let it chill for 15 to 30 minutes until firm, then use the remainder of the frosting to create a smooth final coating. Deb note 2: Once the cake is fully frosted, it helps to chill it again and let it firm up. The cooler and more set the peanut butter frosting is, the better drip effect you’ll get from the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze.)

5. To decorate with the Chocolate–Peanut Butter Glaze, put the cake plate on a large baking sheet to catch any drips. Simply pour the glaze over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze and frosting to set completely. Remove at least 2 hours before serving. Decorate the top with chopped peanut brittle.

Peanut Butter Frosting
Makes about 5 cups

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups (1 lb.) confectioners’ sugar
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)

1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half

1. In the top of d double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

2. Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.

Veronica’s note: OK, I had a devil of a time with this glaze. I tried to cheat and melt the chocolate, peanut butter and corn syrup in the microwave and it seized up. Or I thought it did. I discarded the brick-like mass and started over, melting it over the double boiler this time. But the same thing happened. The chocolate softened and I was able to combine everything, sort of, but it was this weird solid mass that wouldn’t liquify. I eventually had to add the the half and half just to get it to liquify and that did the trick. I’m telling you this just in case you have a similar problem so you’ll know how to fix it.

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Posted in Cake & Frosting and tagged chocolate peanut butter cake, sky high cakes. Bookmark the permalink.

Super Bean Burritos

Posted on February 21, 2010 by Veronica

We’ve eaten these burritos three times in the last month and I’m just now getting around to posting the recipe! The picture is from the first time I made them (you’d think I’d have stopped to take a better one on subsequent occasions, but I just couldn’t be bothered b/c I was too busy stuffing my face), but my favorite way to layer the ingredients now is to put a smear of sour cream on the tortilla, dribble on some salsa, sprinkle on some cheese (I like a combo of Monterrey Jack and cheddar), and then put the bean filling over it and fold it up. That way the cheese doesn’t come out of the bottom but melts at the top and I don’t have to put any condiments on the outside. Yumtastic-ness!

SUPER BEAN BURRITOS
recipe from My Kitchen Cafe

1 cup brown or white rice (or 2 cups already cooked rice)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced (can substitute 1 can of green chiles)
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cans (15 oz. each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
1 (10 oz) package frozen corn or 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
6 green onions, white and green parts finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

16 burrito-sized (10-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Cook rice; set aside. Meanwhile, heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and golden, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Add one can of beans and mash gently in the pan (a potato masher or fork works great here). Add the second can of beans and the water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10-12 minutes, being careful not to let the mixture stick to the bottom of the pot. Add corn; cook to heat through, 2-3 minutes. Stir in onion and garlic powders. Remove from heat; stir in green onions and cooked rice.

Heat tortillas in microwave for about 30-45 seconds or until all are warmed through.

Fill each tortilla with about 2/3 cup bean and rice mixture and 1/4 cup cheese on one side of tortilla. Fold, and hold in sides. Starting from filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll into a bundle. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down, and prepare remaining burritos.

Serve warm immediately, with salsa and sour cream if desired — or, to freeze for later consumption, put the baking sheet of burritos into the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or until very cold so that they don’t come apart in the wrapping process. Remove them from the freezer and wrap each burrito individually in plastic wrap and place all the wrapped burritos in a freezer-safe resealable bag and freeze up to three months.

To reheat from frozen:
Remove plastic wrap from the burrito. Poke holes in the top several times with a fork. Microwave on high for two minutes. Gently poke a few more holes in the burrito and microwave for another minute. Be careful as the burrito will be piping hot!

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Posted in Main Dishes, Mexican, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged bean burritos, super. Bookmark the permalink.

Easy Italian Cream Cake

Posted on February 20, 2010 by Veronica

This recipe was passed onto me by my friend, Marina C., whom I affectionately refer to as my “Foodie Mama,” because she is my biggest baking inspiration. She has won nearly 300 ribbons at county & state fairs for her food, (from burritos to cookies & cakes to entire meals), her recipes & food-related interviews have been published in Bon Appetit, Better Homes & Gardens, Family Circle, Woman’s Day, Taste of Home, Readers Digest, The Blue Ribbon Gazette, several newspapers, and The Wall Street Journal. She has been a finalist in the Pillsbury Bake-Off, has appeared on the Home Show and is currently a field editor for Taste of Home magazine. Whew! What a resume!

She has shared many of her award-winning recipes with me and is very generous, so you can find many of them on this site (click here to see them all) because she never minds me posting them. As far as I know, this one isn’t a literal winner but it really won my family over!

When I asked my mom what kind of cake she wanted for her birthday this year, I expected her to request her favorite Mocha Crunch Cake, but instead she said, “Surprise me!” I guess I’ve been baking cakes long enough that she knows she can trust my judgement. (And if you knew my Mom, you’d know that’s a big compliment. She doesn’t trust anyone’s judgement–lol.) With Marina’s help, I didn’t let her down.

This Italian Cream Cake is a little different from other recipes in that it starts with a mix and it contains maraschino cherries, which is unusual. The combination of nuts, coconut and cherries with the soft, creamy frosting made me feel like I was eating some sort of ice cream sundae in cake form! I made the mistake of serving it cold and while everyone liked it (my Mom could NOT stop gushing over how wonderful it was), I took a piece home and ate it at room temperature the next day and found it to be 100 times better. When cold, the texture is much more dense and the frosting is a little hard. At room temperature, it’s light and the frosting is creamy and it’s divine.

I couldn’t find frozen coconut so I shredded my own, which was a chore but I was able to use the leftover in a Mounds Cake.

EASY ITALIAN CREAM CAKE

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

Cake:
1 (18.25 oz) butter cake mix
5 egg yolks
1 1/4 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. butter, softened
½ c. chopped maraschino cherries
¼ cup maraschino cherry syrup
1 c. fresh frozen coconut, thawed
1 c. chopped pecans

Icing:
1 (8 oz.) block cream cheese
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. Crisco
1 box (1 lb) powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. milk (I omitted)
1 tsp. vanilla
¾ cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8″ or 9″ cake pans and set aside.

Mix cake mix with rest of ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare the Cream Cheese Icing. Beat the cream cheese, butter and vegetable shortening until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar, milk & vanilla until well blended. When the cake is completely cool, spread 1/3 of the icing over one cake layer, place the other on top and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. Sprinkle top of cake with the ¾ cup of pecans (I opted to press them into the sides and use drained cherries to decorate the top.) Cover cake in air-tight container and refrigerate overnight, or longer, to allow the flavors to meld. Remove from fridge at least two hours before serving; serve at room temperature. It will keep several days at room temperature and probably up to five in the fridge.

Recipe courtesy of Marina C.

Mom with her beloved cake!

34 Comments

Posted in Cake & Frosting and tagged easy, italian cream cake, italian creme cake, maraschino cherries. Bookmark the permalink.

Shrimp & Bacon Ranch Pizza

Posted on February 16, 2010 by Veronica

I was scrolling through my blog and came to realize out of the last 12 postings, only two recipes have been for non-sweets. Sweets are my forte, but I figured a dinner recipe was long over-due, and have I got a doozy for you!

A couple MySpace friends inspired this one. Through MySpace, I’m connected to a great network of women who love to cook and are so supportive and fun. Kim, the one responsible for hooking me up with most of my foodie friends, posted a recipe for Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza yesterday that had me drooling over my keyboard. I’d been wanting to make a pizza that my friend Suzie posted on her blog that had shrimp on it, so I decided to meld the two recipes into one. So here it is, the final masterpiece. And it would be just as good with chicken, which I plan to make next.

Shrimp and Bacon Ranch Pizza
I made this in a large 14” pan so if you’re making a smaller pizza, adjust the ingredients accordingly.

Ingredients
Your favorite pizza dough (I used an entire recipe of Wolfgang Puck’s dough)
¾ c ranch dressing, divided (I used homemade—the bomb!)
½ t dill (dried)
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
6 oz. frozen cooked salad shrimp, thawed
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used turkey bacon)
½ cup chopped grape tomatoes

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Fit dough onto a pizza pan sprayed with cooking oil and bake for 7 minutes. While it’s baking, stir the dill into the dressing. Remove the crust and set oven temperature to 450 degrees. Spread ½ cup dressing over the crust, then sprinkle the mozzarella over it. No need to wait until the oven has preheated, just pop it in for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. While it’s baking, mix the shrimp with olive oil and garlic until coated.

Remove pizza from oven. Top pizza evenly with shrimp, bacon and tomato, then drizzle the remaining dressing over everything. Return to oven; bake an additional 5-7 minutes or until shrimp is thoroughly heated. Cut & serve warm.

Nutritional Info per 1/8 of recipe (based on the same ingredients I used. You can lighten it up by using less cheese & light mayo in the dressing.): 440 cal, 23g fat, 38g carb, 18g protein.

Recipe inspired by Kim and Suzie

This recipe is entered in the Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook contest. Click on the box to vote! :)

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Posted in Main Dishes, Pizza and tagged bacon, Pizza, ranch, shrimp, tomatoes. Bookmark the permalink.

Cookie Mondays: Peanut Butter Blossoms

Posted on February 15, 2010 by Veronica

I can’t help it–every time I go to choose a cookie recipe, I go for something unusual that I’ve never tried before. Same thing with most recipes, actually. I’ve never been even slightly tempted to make this classic cookie, simply because everybody and their mother makes them and they seem so common. That, and I hate Hershey’s Kisses because I ate an entire bag before Church as a child and threw them up all over my sister and I in the front pew. We had to walk to the bathrooms in the back, dripping puke, and left Church naked, wrapped in blankets that had been left in the lost and found. I never liked them after that.

Well, remember that nasty little habit of mine of not being able to resist a sale? Despite my aversion to Hershey’s Kisses, I couldn’t resist buying a bag after Christmas because they were on sale for less than $1. In fact, I had to forcefully push my cart away from them after grabbing a single bag so that I didn’t just scoop the whole pile into my cart.

And of course they sat in the cupboard for two months, despairing that some unappreciative soul had purchased them. Thankfully, however, there exists a wonderful, if common, thing called a peanut butter blossom (so named because it looks kind of like a flower) and I was able to use the forlorn bag for this week’s Cookie Monday. Yipee!

Despite my aversion to Hershey’s Kisses, and therefore these cookies, I found them irresistable once they had cooled but while the chocolate was still soft. That oozing chocolate combined with the soft peanut butter cookie was just heaven. I even had one after the kisses had hardened completely and miraculously enjoyed it as well. Perhaps these peanut butter blossoms have finally cured me of my 22-year aversion to Hershey’s Kisses.

Nope. I still hate them. Unless they’re in peanut butter blossoms.

Peanut Butter Blossoms
recipe from Hershey’s Kitchens

Ingredients:
48 HERSHEY’S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup REESE’S Creamy Peanut Butter (I used generic)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Total Calories: 100

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Peppermint Patties

Posted on February 14, 2010 by Veronica

This is another of my hubby’s favorites but ironically, I made them for another man! I gift every member of our church with homemade treats on their birthday (we’re small so this is only slightly overwhelming but I love every minute of it), and these were for a guy who likes peppermint as well. Dennis did, however, eat the ones that weren’t pretty enough to be included in the candy box. I’m such a great wife, aren’t I? ;)

Though I’m not a huge fan of peppermint, I thought these were fantastic (so did Dennis) and ate several myself. The dark chocolate and cool peppermint is perfectly balanced. They are pretty simple to make as well and are a great winter (or any time) treat!

Peppermint Patties
adapted from Gourmet magazine via Sweet Cheeks
Yield: 3-4 dozen

filling:
2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
1 T shortening

chocolate coating:
12 ounces 70%-cacao bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 T shortening

Make filling:
Beat 2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar with corn syrup, water, peppermint extract, shortening, and a pinch of salt using an electric mixer (with paddle attachment if using a stand mixer) at medium speed until just combined. Knead on a work surface dusted with remaining 1/4 cup confectioners sugar until smooth. Roll out between sheets of parchment paper on a large baking sheet into a 7- to 8-inch round (less than 1/4 inch thick). Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Remove top sheet of paper and sprinkle round with confectioners sugar. Replace top sheet, then flip round over and repeat sprinkling on other side.

Cut out as many rounds as possible with cutter, transferring to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until firm, at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, gather scraps, re-roll, and freeze, then cut out more rounds, freezing them.

Make chocolate coating:
Melt the chocolate and shortening together in a double boiler or in the microwave, being careful not to overheat.

Balance 1 peppermint round on a fork and submerge in melted chocolate, letting excess drip off and scraping back of fork against rim of bowl if necessary, then return patty to sheet (to make decorative ridges on patty, immediately set bottom of fork briefly on top of patty, then lift fork straight up). Coat remaining rounds, rewarming chocolate as necessary. Let patties stand until chocolate is set, about 1 hour. (I placed the sheet in the fridge for fifteen minutes to speed this process up.)

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Posted in Candy and tagged peppermint patties. Bookmark the permalink.

French Silk Pie with Stabilized Whipped Cream

Posted on February 13, 2010 by Veronica

Every time my husband sees a French Silk Pie, or a picture of one, or even the name of it listed on a menu, he says, “oooooh, French Silk.” After ten years of this, I finally decided it was time to make him one–and what better day than Valentine’s Day? It is, after all, considered the most romantic pie to share by 27% of Americans. (I acquired this tidbit of trivia from Village Inn restaurant, where it was noted in a bubble beside a picture of the pie…which I noticed after Dennis said “oooooooh, French Silk.”)

Both Dennis and I agree that this one was the best French Silk either of us has ever had. Some I’ve had in the past had fillings that were thicker, more like pudding, but this one, although rich, is light and velvety and very chocolatey. The crunchy crust is nutty and a bit salty, which really complimented the sweet filling & whipped cream perfectly! My husband doesn’t like crust but actually enjoyed it for the first time in his life with this pie. I chose to top the pie with stabilized whipped cream since I needed to make it in advance and didn’t want the whipped cream to water out before we dug in. This particular whipped cream can be made 24 hours in advance without watering out, so it is a nice recipe to keep handy if you need to make your whipped cream the day before serving your dessert.

Jean Webster’s French Silk Pie
from marthastewart.com
Makes 1 nine-inch pie

FOR THE CRUST
8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled salted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan *
1/3 cup pecan halves
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

FOR THE FILLING
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
Whipped cream, for serving (Stabilized Whipped Cream recipe follows)
Chocolate curls, for serving

Make the crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch pie plate; set aside. (I recommend using a deep dish plate–I used a regular one and had enough leftover crust & filling to make a second miniature pie.) Grind pecans in a food processor, or chop very finely with a knife. In a medium bowl, combine flour, pecans, sugar, and salt. Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press firmly into prepared pie plate. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. (Mine took 25 minutes to cool completely.)

Make the filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. With machine running, gradually add melted chocolate and the vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating at medium speed for five minutes after each addition. Pour filling into cooled pie crust. Cover with plastic wrap, and transfer to the refrigerator to cool for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Just before serving, top pie with whipped cream, and decorate with chocolate curls.

*I only had unsalted butter, so I added 1/4 teaspoon salt to the recipe, for a total of 1/2 teaspoon.

Stabilized Whipped Cream
from THE CAKE BIBLE by Rose Levy Beranbaum

2 T powdered sugar
1 t cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 t vanilla

Refrigerate your mixing bowl and beaters for at least 15 minutes. (I always place mine in the freezer.)

In a small saucepan place powdered sugar and cornstarch and gradually stir in 1/4 c of the cream. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and simmer for just a few seconds (until liquid is thickened). (Mine thickened before it ever came to a boil.) Scrape into a small bowl and cool to room temperature. (I placed mine in the freezer, stirring every few minutes, to speed the process.) Add vanilla.

Beat the remaining 3/4 cup cream just until traces of beater marks begin to show distinctly. Add the cornstarch mixture in a steady stream, beating constantly. Beat just until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised.

Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

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Posted in Pie and tagged french silk, jean webster, martha stewart, Pie. Bookmark the permalink.

Butter Pecan-Rum Cake

Posted on February 13, 2010 by Veronica

Living with our parents for eighteen years or more, we’re bound to take on some of their characteristics and qualities during that impressionable time, whether good or bad, and whether we’d like to admit it or not. For the past decade, I have been working on undoing many of those that I deem unacceptable, such as being overly critical and dramatic, and have been moderately successful. One of the many bad habits that I haven’t been able to completely shake is the tendency to buy things that I really don’t need, simply because they are on sale.

Yes, I was raised by a woman who can’t resist a sale. I believe this may be a common thing among women(?), but perhaps not to the degree that my mother takes it.

My parents (now empty-nesters) have three refrigerators and two freezers, and Mom has stocked enough canned & frozen foods (purchased on sale, of course) to last them at least six months without making a trip to the grocery store. Ironically, she does the same thing with produce, of which at least half goes bad before they can eat it so she ends up wasting money rather than saving it, at least in that area. I often see an entire crisper drawer full of avocados, tomatoes, onions, etc, and many are still there two months later in a much sadder state.

Though I have never shopped sales to this degree, I have purchased my fair share of unneccessary items simply because they were a good price. A butter pecan cake mix, for example. Not an item I needed or was very interested in, but it was on sale so I had to have it.

For two months, I glanced guiltily over at that mix each time I opened my cupboard where I keep most of my baking supplies. I finally, finally took the cake mix down and found a recipe on the back for butter pecan-rum cake…and that’s all she wrote. I made it immediately and after Dennis and I ate 1/3 of the cake ourselves, I brought the remainder to work where it was promptly devoured.

The butter & sour cream really make the cake super-moist–even the next day after storing it with a big hunk missing. And the addition of rum is just perfection with the butter pecan flavor.

The moral of the story? Next time your husband complains that “you’re just like your mother,” make him this cake to show him that’s not always such a bad thing.

Butter Pecan Rum Cake

1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist butter pecan cake mix
1 box (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup dark rum or 2 teaspoons rum extract
4 eggs
1/2 cup Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting
2 teaspoons dark rum or 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube (bundt cake) pan. In large bowl, beat dry cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, sour cream, butter, 1/4 cup rum and the eggs on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes (it will turn into liquid velvet!!!). Spread in pan.

2. Bake 46-52 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely, about 2 hours. (My cake rose up very high above the pan but by the time it was time to remove it from the pan, it had settled back down even with the top of the pan.)

3. In small microwavable bowl, microwave frosting uncovered on Medium (50%) 15 seconds. Stir in 2 teaspoons rum. Pour over top of cake, allowing some to drizzle down sides. Sprinkle pecans over frosting. Store loosely covered.

Makes 16 servings.
High altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 52-58 min.

Recipe source: Betty Crocker

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Posted in Cake & Frosting and tagged butter pecan, cake, rum. Bookmark the permalink.

Cherry Cordials (Chocolate Covered Cherries)

Posted on February 11, 2010 by Veronica

Ninety percent of the gifts I give are food gifts, so it should come as no surprise that this Valentine’s Day, my hubby will be getting some homemade treats. He is a huge cherry cordials fanatic, his favorite being Cellas, and I decided to try my hand at making them for him myself.

I made these exactly two weeks to the day before Valentine’s Day, but would have made them a month in advance if I had planned it better. The centers should liquefy after two weeks of storage, but I would have liked to give them extra time just to make sure. The picture below was taken after a week of storage and I’m not sure they will liquefy in time but I have to say they are just as good, if not better, than store-bought in their current state.

Cherry Cordials

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

2 (10-oz) jars maraschino cherries (you’ll need 40-50)
¼ cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons reserved cherry juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1 (12-oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
¼ cake paraffin wax, shredded OR 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

Reserve two tablespoons of juice from one of the jars of cherries, then empty them into a colander set over the sink and allow them to drain while you prepare the fondant.

Cream the butter with 1 cup of the powdered sugar, then add 1 tablespoon of the reserved cherry juice, the extracts and beat until mixed. Add the remaining sugar and, using your hands, knead it into the butter mixture until a smooth, soft dough forms. If your dough is too firm, add additional cherry juice (or milk if you don’t want the mixture too pink) and knead it in until it’s a soft dough. Place inside a Ziploc bag to keep it from drying out.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Take small pieces of fondant, about 1 or 2 teaspoons, and press them flat on your palm. Wrap around the cherries, pinching off the excess before rolling them smooth and placing on the wax paper. Repeat until all the fondant is used up. Set fondant-covered cherries in the freezer until well chilled, at least one hour and up to overnight.

Melt the chocolate chips and shredded paraffin or shortening until smooth. Dip each cherry in the chocolate using a fork, drawing fork across rim of pan to remove excess coating. Drop coated cherry upside down onto waxed paper, swirling a thread of coating from fork across top for a decorative touch (after a while, I used my finger instead to swirl the chocolate on top). Once all are coated, place in the refrigerator until the chocolate is set; check bottoms and reseal with additional melted coating, if necessary. You want every part of the center covered or it will start to leak out as it liquefies. Store in a cool place (do not refrigerate) for 2 weeks to form cordial.

Notes: Using the cherry juice makes a pink center. If you want it to be white, just use milk instead of the juice. If you like, you can soak the cherries in alcohol, such as rum, brandy, Kirsch, port, cognac, amaretto etc., to give them an extra flavor kick! Just drain the cherries and soak them overnight , then drain them again before proceeding with the recipe. I recommend leaving your tray of fondant-covered cherries in the freezer and taking them out one by one to dip them. The longer they are at room temperature, the softer the fondant will become and the more it will stick to your fork.

Recipe source: adapted from cooks.com and this recipe