Everyone has a favorite hot buttered rum batter, ranging from an ice cream mixture that’s kept in the freezer, to a plastic tub of pre-mixed batter found at the grocery store. As much as I love the ice cream version, it goes down awfully easy, and can make you very sorry the next morning. (Or so I’ve been told…)
My recipe is for a batter similar to the store-bought kind, but with a little extra flavor. I’m posting this recipe because my next post will be for a recipe that calls for hot buttered rum batter, and I thought you’d like to be prepared! (By all means, buy a tub of it if you prefer – but this is pretty darn easy.)
Here are the basic ingredients: butter, brown sugar, spices, and salt.
This is all you really need. Well…rum. You need rum!
This makes a delicious batter!
But I jazz it up just a wee bit with my secret (okay, not so secret now) ingredient – Butter Rum Flavoring, purchased at a local craft store in the candy making aisle. You can also find pure butter rum extract online, which I’m sure would be wonderful.
Butter Rum Flavoring! Adds a little “kick”.
I’m never happy unless I’ve experimented a bit. Usually mistakes are given to my chickens to dispose of, but in this case, that didn’t seem like a good idea. You see, I figured I might as well add the rum to the mixture too and save a step when making hot drinks.
In case you’re wondering, no matter how long you beat the batter/rum combination, it doesn’t blend together. Seriously – it looks like cat barf.
I will not, however, waste it. It went into the fridge in a mason jar to be used when company is NOT here to witness this – this – slop. Ugh. But, as my mother would say: “It tastes perfectly fine”.
Kids, do NOT try this at home!
So…one rounded tablespoon of batter and 2 ounces (1/4 cup) of rum in a mug of boiling hot water is just about right. If you don’t like your drinks too sweet, either cut back the sugar in the mixture or use a level tablespoon per mug. Whatever you do, don’t cut back on the rum!
Flaky, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth maple croissants – it just doesn’t get any better than this, right?
Oh, but it really does get better. Add a nutty filling and a drizzle of maple icing to create a perfect combination of flavors and textures…and be prepared for the clamoring for “MORE!” that will occur.
It’s no secret that I’m a maple fiend, and I’ve posted several croissant recipes over the years, like Chocolaty Croissant Puffs, Croissants – ooh, la la!, and Pumpkin Cronuts, but I never thought to combine my two passions until my husband suggested it. I guess he’s a keeper!
I’ve got to give you my standard disclaimer when it comes to croissants: they take some time. Not a crazy amount of work, but time. The dough must be chilled and rolled out several times, and though the rolling doesn’t take more than a few minutes, you have to wait at least 30 minutes between each roll. And then the dough should sit overnight. Once you shape them, they take a while to rise. You can’t try to rush this by putting them in a warm spot, because you do NOT want the butter to melt and puddle around the rolls.
So…ideally these should be started the day before you want to bake them. Or two, since the dough just gets more flavorful as it sits in the fridge. That’s a good thing, because it breaks up the process so you can do other things. A few hours before you need the rolls, fill and shape them and leave them to rise slowly. They only take 10-12 minutes to bake.
You won’t believe the fragrance that will fill your house while these beauties are in the oven!
Layers of flakiness surround that nut filling.
This recipe makes 32 rolls. You could always cut the recipe in half, but you’ll be sorry! Remember, the dough stays good for days in the fridge, and I’m guessing you won’t let it go to waste. But…if that’s too many for you, freeze some of the filled croissants on a cookie sheet before they’ve risen, and then put them into an airtight container for another day. When you want to use them, simply put them on a baking sheet, cover with a clean towel, and let them thaw and rise slowly (approximately 6 hours) before baking.
I know this recipe looks scary, but it’s for the dough, the filling and the icing. And I’m kinda wordy.
Makes a lot - approximately 32 croissants. The recipe can be halved, or you can save some for later by freezing shaped rolls before they rise. To use, simply place frozen rolls on a baking sheet, cover with a towel, and let them rise slowly (about 6 hours) before baking.
Ingredients
CROISSANT DOUGH:
2 packages active dry yeast
2¾ cups warm milk (about 110 degrees)
2 tablespoons Mapleine (maple flavoring)
6½ cups bread flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt (I use Kosher)
2 cups (4 sticks) cold butter, unsalted
egg wash (1 egg + 1 teaspoon water, beaten well)
FILLING:
3 cups walnuts or pecans (raw, NOT toasted)
1 tablespoon softened butter
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon Mapleine
ICING (optional) :
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon Mapleine
⅛ cup water
Instructions
CROISSANT DOUGH:
In a large bowl (a stand mixer works best), mix the yeast and warm milk together. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Using a dough hook, mix in the Mapleine, 2 cups of the flour, the sugar, and the salt. Beat until well combined, then add the remaining flour gradually.The dough should come cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. Cover with a dishtowel or plastic wrap, and let the dough rise for about an hour.
Split the dough in half and on a lightly floured surface, form each half into a ball. Put each half into a heavy plastic bag and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Bring one stick of butter out of the refrigerator at a time and cut lengthwise into 4 equal slices. Place them snugly together with two pieces end to end on top, and two pieces end to end directly below the first two on a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper, forming a rectangle approximately 6-1/2 inches by 3 inches. Cover with plastic wrap and roll gently to make a solid rectangle, 6-1/2 by 4 inches. (If your butter comes in the long, skinny sticks, you'll have to improvise!) Wrap and place it back in the refrigerator while you repeat the process with the other 3 sticks of butter.
Remove one bag of dough and two butter rectangles from the fridge.
Roll dough out on a floured surface until it is approximately 13 inches by 8 inches, with the long side facing you. You may have to do a little stretching to get a nice rectangular shape.
Place one piece of butter directly in the middle of the dough, with the short side of the butter facing you. Fold the right side of the dough over the butter and press all around it gently to seal the butter in. Put the other piece of butter on top, and fold the left side over it, pinching well to seal. So...your layers at this point are: dough, butter, dough, butter, dough.
The short side should be facing you, and it should be like a book - with the open edge to the right. Now roll it gently, being careful not to squeeze butter out of the dough, until it measures 12 inches by 8 inches. Fold it in thirds again, press edges gently, and put it back in the plastic bag in the refrigerator. Repeat with the other bag of dough and remaining butter.
Let dough rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, then remove dough, turn the open side to your right (like a book) and roll each one to 12 inches by 8 inches, fold into thirds, press edges gently, and return to the refrigerator for 30 more minutes.Oovernight is best.) At this point you can let the dough sit in the refrigerator for several days if you wish. The flavor just gets better.
FILLING:
Process nuts in a food processor or blender until finely ground. Add softened butter and brown sugar, and process briefly. Add Mapleine and process until mixture begins to stick together. Cover and set aside.
FORM CROISSANTS:
To form the croissants, work with one bag of dough at a time, leaving the other bag in the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll it out to about 12 inches wide and 20 inches long, trimming the edges to make them neat and tidy. Cut in half, lengthwise, using a sharp knife or (my favorite) pizza cutter. Working with one half at a time, mark the edges every 5 inches on one long side. Cut into triangles. This will give you 7 full triangles and 2 half triangles on each half of the dough. Press the small halves together for a total of 16 triangles per bag of dough
I find it helps to lightly roll each triangle with a rolling pin so it is thinner and sticks to the counter a bit. It helps with the rolling process. Place approximately 1 tablespoon of filling along the wide bottom of each triangle, pressing the mixture gently onto the dough. Roll each piece up, starting at the wide end, and stretching lightly as you go. Place each croissant on the baking sheet, tip down to hold it in place, curving the ends to the middle. You can make them "hold hands" if you want. They'll come apart when they rise, but it helps them retain their crescent shape. Repeat with the other bag of dough, or save it for later.
Allow the croissants to rise at room temperature. Depending on the temperature of your home, this can be anywhere from 1-1/2 hours to 3 hours. They're ready to bake when they're plump and doubled.
Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Brush the croissants lightly with the egg wash, and bake for approximately 12 minutes.
Remove croissants from the baking sheet and allow them to cool on a rack.
ICING: Combine powdered sugar, Mapleine, and water. Beat until smooth, and drizzle over cooled croissants.
The dough should come cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.
Form dough into 2 balls, bag them and refrigerate.
Combine ground nuts, butter, brown sugar, and maple flavoring.
Filling should hold together when sqeezed.
Cut each stick of butter into four slices. Roll between waxed paper to proper size.
Place one rectangle of butter in the center of rolled dough.
Fold the right side over the butter and press to seal.
Place second rectangle of butter on top. Fold the left side over. The opening will be on the right, like a book. Press edges.
Chill, roll, chill, roll, chill and then…this puffy dough gets rolled thin and cut into triangles.
Add filling to the wide end and roll ‘er up!
So…I can’t promise I’m through with maple recipes, but I can pretty much guarantee that I won’t need another croissant recipe. This is my best friend forever.
I can assure you, though, that even though it looks complicated, it’s just one easy step at a time. You can do it! And because I’m not out to scare you away, my next post will be super easy – I promise!
Imagine a creamy cheesecake swirled with apple butter and adorned with a brown sugar rum topping, and you’ll understand how self-indulgent I felt when I dipped my fork in for that first bite…especially since it was only 9:00 in the morning. Hey – you have to get photos when the lighting is good, and I couldn’t let that slice of heaven go to waste, right?
This is true company fare, guaranteed to get some “oohs” and “ahhs”. I’ll admit right now that I’m not much of a cheesecake lover (this is my first cheesecake blog in 3 years) but I absolutely went crazy over this. The subtle sweetness of the apple butter counteracts the tangy cheese flavor, and the topping? Well, I could just eat it with a spoon.
Scooping leftover topping out of the pan and into my mouth.
If you don’t have any apple butter on hand, you can do what I did and use a jar of applesauce to make your own. Just add sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice to taste, and then cook it down slowly on medium low heat, stirring often. I usually get impatient and crank up the heat after a while; this works well, as long as you have a tall pan and a long spoon (because the mixture will spit) and you’re willing to stir constantly for 5 minutes or so. Cook it until you can run a spatula on the bottom of the pan and the apple mixture doesn’t fill in the space you created.
Fuzzy picture – sorry! But you can see it needs to be pasty, not juicy.
Try some on one of the leftover graham crackers.
The goal of making a cheesecake is to have it chilled and plated without a single crack. I’m not a perfectionist; that’s what toppings are for! This didn’t crack, but the spots where I brought the swirled apple butter to the surface sank just a bit. This isn’t a problem though, because the whole thing is covered with a thick layer of topping. See? No pressure.
Ideally you will want to use a springform pan that is 8-1/2". If you like a thinner cheesecake, use one that is 9-1/2" (as pictured in this post).
Ingredients
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST:
2 cups crushed graham crackers
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons melted butter
CHEESECAKE:
24 ounces cream cheese, softened
¾ cup white sugar
2 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate (thaw, but don't add water!)
2 teaspoons flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup apple butter
TOPPING:
1½ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup milk
6 tablespoons butter
½ cup rum (I used dark, spiced rum)
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Heat oven to 350 F. Place one rack near the bottom and one in the middle or just above middle.
Grease an 8-1/2" springform pan. (You may use a 9-1/2" pan - cheesecake will not be as tall.) Place a strip of parchment around inside ring, trapping it with the bottom of the pan if possible before latching.
Combine graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter until thoroughly combined. With the help of a flat-bottomed glass or measuring cup, press the mixture firmly and evenly into pan.
Place in upper rack of oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove carefully and place on a rack.
Fill a large cake pan with 1 inch of hot water and place on bottom rack to heat while you are mixing the cheesecake.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese well - for at least 2 minutes.
Add the sugar and beat for an additional 2 minutes, scraping the bowl often.
Add the apple juice concentrate, flour, salt, and the sour cream, beating until combined.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating just until each is incorporated. Don't over-mix!
Pour mixture over crust in pan.
Put the apple butter in a pastry bag (or plastic zipper bag with tip cut off) and swirl throughout the cheesecake mixture, bringing the tip from the bottom to the top of the batter several times.
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, WITHOUT OPENING THE OVEN DOOR, lower the heat to 325. Bake for 1 hour. don't remove the cheesecake, but wiggle it gently. It should be just slightly jiggly in the center.
Turn oven off and prop door slightly open (I use a wooden spoon handle) for 1 hour.
Move cheesecake to a rack and cool completely.
Move to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours. (Overnight is better!)
Remove the ring of the pan. Use a long flat spatula to loosen the crust from the bottom pan and slide it onto a serving plate.
Generously pour warm topping over the top. You can serve the cheesecake as soon as the topping is firm, or refrigerate it for later.
TOPPING:
In a tall pan, combine the brown sugar, milk, and butter. Stir over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Cook at a low boil for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and wait a minute for the bubbles to calm down. Stir in the rum.
Add the powdered sugar and cinnamon and whisk briskly until mixture thickens and a spoonful drizzled over the top keeps its shape for 10 seconds. (About 5 minutes.) It should be thick but pourable.
Add booze and powdered sugar, then briskly whisk (I love saying that!) until a drizzle holds its shape for 10 seconds.
Pour topping over chilled cheesecake. Dump it on generously!
Spread gently to the edges, adding more if needed. Let it drip!
It’s okay if it drips over the sides!
Let the icing firm up and cut yourself a big slice. Add a dollop of whipped cream if you’d like…or even a spoonful of vanilla ice cream. It will remind you a lot of apple pie.
Mmmmmm.
And just so you know, the recipe for the topping is very generous. If you have some left over you can:
Eat it with a spoon, directly out of the pan
Reheat it (add a little rum if it’s too thick) and pour it over ice cream.
Stir it into boiling water for an improvised hot buttered rum. (Leave a little space for more rum!)
Stir it into sauteed apples and sprinkle with chopped pecans.
This year I’m greeting Fall with hot coffee in one hand and a Pumpkin Pecan Pinwheel in the other!
These aren’t slam-dunk cookies to make in a hurry, no sirree. These are “impress-your-mother-in-law” cookies, not something to throw together before the kids get home from school in an hour.
It’s not that they’re difficult to make – they’re just a little time consuming because this dough must be chilled thoroughly before baking. You’ll have to mix the two batters and chill them for two hours, roll them up together and freeze for one hour before slicing and baking.
In this case, patience will be rewarded with gorgeous spicy pumpkin cookies with a swirl of chewy pecan…worth the effort, right?
The pecan filling is sort of magical. It gets spread out on the rolled up pumpkin cookie dough, and is – well – sloppy looking. Even after being sent to the freezer for an hour time-out, it oozes a bit when you slice the roll, and it’s hard not to think you’ve really messed up. Trust me! The egg whites in the pecan mixture cause it to puff up just perfectly, holding the cookie together in a most delicious way.
The meringue-like filling puffs and fills the spiral.
I like to put a light glaze on the cookies after they’ve cooled. Simply whisk water into 1/2 cup of powdered sugar until it’s fairly thin, then brush it on each cookie. Allow the glaze to dry completely before you put the cookies into an airtight container.
Here’s something I learned about these cookies: THEY TASTE MUCH BETTER THE SECOND DAY! Seriously, they do. Tuck them into an container or put them on a plate and cover them with foil or plastic wrap. The flavors blend and are more intense on Day 2, and they’re also softer. So now I guess what I’m telling you (I know…bossy, bossy, bossy) is that you not only have to plan on having plenty of time to make the cookies, you should plan ahead and make them a day before you need them.
This recipe makes 18 large cookies, or 24 medium cookies. Make sure you have plenty of time for the chilling process, and remember that they taste even better the second day!
Ingredients
COOKIE DOUGH:
¾ cup butter, softened
¾ cup white sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon allspice
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup solid-pack pumpkin
¼ cup sour cream
PECAN FILLING:
1 large egg and 2 egg whites
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
Pinch salt
2 cups finely chopped, toasted pecans (Toast by stirring in a skillet over low heat for 5 minutes or in the microwave for 90 seconds, stirring several times.)
GLAZE (optional)
1 cup powdered sugar
Water
Instructions
COOKIE DOUGH:
In a large bowl, thoroughly cream the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar.
Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
Sift the dry ingredients together.
Stir the pumpkin and sour cream together.
Beginning with the dry ingredients and ending with the wet, add alternately, scraping bowl each time.
Dough will be very soft and sticky. Place in a small bowl, cover, and chill for at least 2 hours.
PECAN FILLING:
Beat egg and egg whites until frothy.
Gradually add sugar, beating constantly. Beat for 3 minutes. (Important - don't skip this step!)
Add vanilla, salt, and pecans and stir well.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
On generously floured parchment, roll dough into 10-inch by 13-inch rectangle.
Stir pecan mixture and spread over the dough, almost to the edges.
For large cookies, begin rolling from the short end. For smaller cookies, begin rolling from the long end, brushing excess flour from the roll as you proceed.
Roll up in the parchment and place the roll on a baking sheet. Put in the freezer for 1 hour.
Heat oven to 375 F.
With a sharp knife, cut into slices approximately ¼-inch to ⅓-inch thick and place on parchment covered baking sheet. Gently coax any flat sides into a round shape!
Bake for approximately 14 minutes, or until light golden brown.
Cool on baking rack.
When cool, combine enough water with the powdered sugar to make a thin glaze. Brush onto cookie with a pastry brush. Allow cookies to dry completely before sealing in container.
Make sure you toast the pecans; then chop them finely.
Spread the pecan mixture on the rolled dough.
Roll, roll, roll!
Baked to a delicate golden brown.
See? Not hard at all. I’m thinking they’d be wonderful dunked in hot cocoa; I may have to give that a try.
Happy Fall! Hang around, because I’ve had one of those middle of the night brainstorms that may come together soon. Hope so, because it involves apples. And pastry. And caramel. And, hint: it’s not a pie.
This relentless sweet tooth of mine has discovered the thrill of a snack that’s actually pretty healthy! I love Kind bars, but find it hard to fork over the money for them, so of course I had to try to make my own.
I tried lots of different methods, but ultimately (of course) went with the one that had the most steps. It just turned out so much better it was worth the extra time. By tossing my nuts and cereal in boiled syrup and then baking it like caramel corn, the bars glued together perfectly and didn’t have a pool of crunchy sugar on the bottom.
Not that I have anything against a layer of crunchy sugar…but you might.
I used honey and pure organic maple syrup when making these, since both are a little lower on the glycemic index than processed sugar. If you’re watching your sugar intake and want to go lower, you can substitute brown rice syrup for the maple syrup. I’ll be making them with maple sugar soon, but realize that not everyone has easy access to that – so this was my compromise.
Nuts, raisins, and puffed rice are held together with just enough sweet syrup to do the job. That’s it! I think these are perfect for those moments when you are in a rush and have to grab and go; you’ll be amazed by how satisfying and filling they are.
Oh, and in case you make these and think that hiding them in the freezer will keep you from munching uncontrollably, fuhgeddaboudit. They’re delicious frozen. I know this.
This particular recipe is for maple Kinda bars. If you are using a maple flavoring like Mapleine, you may be able to cut the amount of flavoring back to one tablespoon, but I used pure maple extract, which doesn’t seem to be as strong, so it took two tablespoons for a mild maple flavor.
Adjust these any way you like, as long as you keep the basic ratio of four cups of nuts to two cups of cereal. Cashews are very good, as are hazelnuts (if you like them.) I’m not a fan.
Hints:
If you don’t love maple, use vanilla instead. A dash of cinnamon is nice, too.
I have a distrust of parchment, so I butter mine before pressing the mixture into the pan, just for insurance. If you have more faith than I, you can skip that step.
Press the mixture into the pan firmly. One way is to place a piece of parchment over the top and press with your hand. If you aren’t willing to risk pain, you might want to wait a few minutes for it to cool down.
Cut when the bars are solid but still slightly warm. This will keep them from crumbling at the edges.
1 tablespoon coconut oil (more for greasing baking pan)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons pure maple extract (or 1-2 tablespoons maple flavoring like Mapleine.)
¼ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
Heat oven to 250 F.
Prepare a large rimmed baking pan or cake pan by greasing with coconut oil. Prepare a 9X13 baking pan by lining with buttered (or you may use coconut oil) parchment.
In a large bowl, combine the nuts, raisins, and cereal.
In a medium pan on medium heat, bring the honey, maple syrup, coconut oil, and salt to a boil. Turn down slightly to maintain a gentle boil and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and stir until the bubbles are gone. Add the flavoring and baking soda and stir briskly.
Pour hot mixture over nuts and cereal in the bowl and stir until combined.
Pour into the large greased pan and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
Spread baked mixture into parchment-lined pan and press firmly. You may want to cover with a sheet of parchment and press again with your hands.
Cool until solid but still slightly warm. Lift out, using parchment, and cut into strips.
Store in an airtight container, layered with waxed paper or parchment. These freeze well, too!
Who doesn’t remember those wonderful slices of jelly-like citrus candies coated in sparkling sugar? I loved them then, and I love them now!
My daughter and her family was here visiting last week, and it was my son-in-law’s birthday. He fondly remembers a spice cake his grandma used to make, covered with lemon icing. We happily obliged, and created this cake:
I neglected to take photos during the creation of the cake, and there was a thing or two I wanted to do differently, so today I baked another version…and am thrilled with this recipe. Lemon added to the cake batter gave a subtle but pleasing flavor, and doubling the cinnamon was the right thing to do.
I like to toast and grate/grind my own spices for more intense flavor. You’ll find simple instructions in my post for Extra Spicy Gingersnaps, though you won’t need the cloves. About five whole allspice, a nutmeg (you won’t use it all…just grate 1/4 teaspoon and save the rest for another time), and two 3-inch cinnamon sticks should be just about right for this recipe. If this doesn’t appeal to you, by all means use store-bought spices!
I didn’t have yellow sugar for the first cake, but regular sugar colored with yellow food coloring worked well. This time I bought the real stuff. It’s a little challenging to apply to the cake (hahahahaha….just wait), but jump in there and use your hand to pat it on the icing…and figure on a lot of spillage! If the cake is on a large piece of parchment or foil you will be able to easily collect the extra sugar and re-use it.
The nice thing is, the sugar coating makes the frosting kind of…well…touchable. You can pat and even up edges and corners if necessary.
You will need a 12-inch round cake pan for this recipe. Or...you COULD use two standard round pans and make a full lemon slice.
Ingredients
CAKE:
½ cup vegetable oil (I used peanut oil)
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
6 eggs, separated
1 small lemon, juice and zest
1½ cup cake flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon allspice
½ cup greek yogurt
¾ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
FROSTING:
1½ cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 small lemon (juice and zest)
½ teaspoon lemon flavoring (optional)
2 pounds powdered sugar
¼ cup heavy cream
Yellow sugar for decorating
Lemon slice candies for decorating, if desired
Instructions
Heat oven to 350 F.
CAKE:
Prepare a 12-inch cake pan (approximately 2 inches high) by lining bottom with a circle of parchment and spraying the sides with a flour and oil spray (like Baker's Joy). Alternatively, you can generously grease and flour pan.
In a large bowl, preferably using a stand mixer, mix together the butter, oil, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat for at least 2 minutes, until the mixture lightens in color.
Add egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well and scraping the sides of the bowl between each addition.
Add lemon juice and zest and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
In a small bowl combine the Greek yogurt, milk, and vanilla.
Beginning with the dry ingredients and ending with the wet ingredients, add alternately - one third of each at a time, scraping down the side of the bowl between each addition.
In a small bowl, whip the egg whites until fairly stiff peaks form, but don't let the egg whites get too dry. Fold gently into the cake batter.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until cake comes away from the side of the pan and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out on a large cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting the cake.
FROSTING:
In a large bowl, beat the butter until soft and creamy. Add the vanilla, lemon juice, zest, and flavoring (if using) and mix until combined.
Mix in the powdered sugar and beat well.
Add heavy cream and beat for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
ASSEMBLY:
Cut the cool cake in half. Generously cover one half with frosting and set the other half on top to create a half-slice appearance. Place on a cake board or flat plate.
Cover the cake with a thin coat of icing and place the cake in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Remove cake from freezer and cover completely with icing, reserving ½ cup of icing for piping/decorating.
Place cake on large pan or piece of parchment and, using your hand, pat yellow sugar over entire cake.
Place reserved frosting in a plastic zipper-type bag and snip off the tip. Pipe around bottom edge of cake and approximately one inch inside the top curve of the cake. (If frosting won't stick because of the sugar, use a small spoon or knife...or your finger....to scoop away a little of the sugar and icing, and then pipe.)
Adding yolks one by one. Batter should be light colored.
Beaten egg whites. See those soft, straight peaks?
GENTLY fold egg whites into batter.
Cooling. Then cut right down the middle and stack with icing between layers.
Adding a thin crumb coat of icing.
…and into the freezer for 30 minutes.
Frost cake and then patiently (!) add sugar.
Use your hand to press against frosting.
Use a pastry brush to “sweep” sugar onto paper and re-use.
Use your finger or a wooden spoon handle to mark a white line. Pipe icing if you wish.
I never would have thought to combine lemon with a spice cake, so I’m grateful to Chris’s grandma for giving him this wonderful memory. It’s now a favorite of mine…and I hope you will enjoy it too!
Huckleberry season came early this year in Eastern Washington, taking us a little bit by surprise. We missed the best picking but still came away with a couple of gallons of these precious gems.
If you’ve ever gone huckleberry picking, you’ll understand why I’m a sort of stingy with them. The three “B”s (bending, bees, and bears) make huckleberry picking a real labor of love. I make a small batch of jam each year, then usually just throw a handful into pancakes, muffins, cakes and breads.
As much as I love huckleberry pie, it’s hard for me to part with that many berries in one fell swoop. I like pie, but seriously? I’d rather turn those berries into margaritas! Mmmm….margaritas. Ahem. ‘Scuse me…I’ll be right back.
*Hic*
With just one cup of frozen huckleberries, you can make eight large (or twelve small) light, fluffy, buttermilk scones. Add a little huckleberry icing to drizzle over the top, and you’ll have all the wonderful huckleberry flavor you could want.
Makes 8 large or 12 regular scones. Blueberries may be substituted for huckleberries if you wish. Make sure to use frozen berries!
Ingredients
2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter, increase salt to ¼ teaspoon)
½ cup (1 stick) cold butter
¾ cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
juice and zest of one small lemon (approximately 1 tablespoon juice)
1 cup frozen huckleberries
Instructions
Heat oven to 425 F.
Place a piece of parchment on baking sheet. (Or lightly grease)
In a large bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Grate the cold butter using a large-holed grater, and work the butter into the dry ingredients, using a pastry blender or your fingers. Make sure there are no large lumps of butter.
Toss the frozen huckleberries in the flour mixture and set aside.
In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, beat the buttermilk, egg, vanilla, lemon juice, and zest until well combined and frothy.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquid ingredients. Stir just until combined. Don't over stir.
Spoon dough onto a floured surface and turn to coat. Don't knead the dough - just gather it into a ball and make sure the outside is covered with flour.
*For 8 large scones: Pat into a flat circle about the size of your hand. Move to the parchment covered baking sheet. Gently flatten into a circle approximately 1-inch thick. Brush lightly with buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar, if desired.With a sharp, floured knife, cut into 8 wedges, lifting the knife straight up with each cut. Using a metal spatula, pull each wedge out slightly to leave a little space between each one. Bake for approximately 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
*For 12 regular scones: Divide the dough into two pieces. Gently form each half into a ball and pat into 4-inch circles. Place on parchment covered baking sheet and gently flatten into circles about ¾-inch thick. Brush lightly with buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar, if desired. With a sharp, floured knife, cut each circle into 6 wedges, lifting the knife straight up with each cut. Using a metal spatula, pull each wedge out slightly to leave a little space between each one. Bake for approximately 16-18 minutes, or until golden brown.
Move pan to a cooling rack and allow the scones to cool on the pan.
Drizzle slightly warm scones with confectioners glaze. (Or add a little huckleberry jam or lemon juice to the glaze for more flavor.)
Mix liquids and dry ingredients. Easy, Tiger. Just barely combine them.
Coat dough with flour.
Flatten on baking sheet. Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar.
Cut into wedges. Separate slightly. Bake!
You can leave these plain or drizzle them with confectioners icing. I added a little huckleberry jam to mine to give it even more of a burst of flavor. If you don’t have jam, try this:
Slowly bring 1/2 cup huckleberries and 2 tablespoons sugar to a boil in a small pan. Whisk in 1 teaspoon cornstarch and let the mixture simmer on low for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Allow mixture to cool. Combine 1 tablespoon of this sauce with 2 tablespoons milk then whisk in enough powdered sugar to make a thick glaze. Use a ziploc bag with the tip snipped off to decorate the scones.
Making a tasty icing.
I know what you’re going to ask. I do! Yes, you can substitute blueberries for huckleberries. I’d recommend the frozen wild blueberries though, because they are so flavorful.
If I didn’t love huckleberries so much, I’d cave in and use blueberries – but I am willing to ignore my fear of bears (I carry bear spray), my problematic ankle (I destroyed it huckleberry picking two years ago and have to wear a brace and be very, very careful) my hatred of yellow jackets (I wear unscented everything and dress in neutral colors) and the back breaking bending and squatting that goes with the experience, because there is just nothing like a wild huckleberry!
When my blogging group decided to go with a traditional red, white, and blue theme for our recipes this month, the thought of turning on the oven made me break into a sweat, so I opted for frozen fruit bars for the 4th of July, and for the hot days ahead. Easy instructions are below, and you’ll also find the links to the other bloggers’ posts. Hope you’ll check each one out!
Blended strawberries, lemon, and blueberries are layered in molds for a red, white, and (mostly) blue ice pop. Lightly sweetened, these are a healthy alternative to store bought frozen treats.
Before I give you instructions, I have a few tips:
I originally wanted to use pineapple and coconut milk for the white layer, but it took too much pineapple to achieve a flavorful mixture, which made it yellow…and I really wanted white. So, lemon and coconut were my Plan B, which worked beautifully. You could also add a bit of Greek Yogurt if you’d like. Heavy cream will curdle. (Ask me how I know.)
You can make these without the gelatin, but they will be a little bit icier. Your call!
The blueberry layer is blended, and has a bit of a pulpy texture. I don’t mind it at all, but if you do you can try straining it before adding the gelatin mixture – and then add a little juice or water to make at least 6 ounces.
Speaking of blueberries, I used my favorite frozen Wild blueberries, which were a lot more burgundy than blue…more the color of huckleberries. Try using regular blueberries for a truer blue color.
Make sure you give each color adequate freezer time before adding the next layer, and keep the molds level. That will give you nice, crisp lines between each layer.
This recipe makes six 3-ounce frozen pops. There may be a little of each flavor left over. If so, pour it into a paper cup or ice cube tray and freeze just as you would the pops. These are great to drop into a glass of sparkling water! You will need less than 1 package of gelatin for all three flavors. Gelatin may be omitted, but the frozen treats will have a slightly icier texture.
Ingredients
RED:
1 tablespoon cold water
¼ teaspoon powdered gelatin (like Knox)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons hot water
1 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
WHITE:
1 tablespoon cold water
¼ teaspoon powdered gelatin (like Knox)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon hot water
Juice of 1 large lemon
coconut milk added to lemon to equal ¾ cup
BLUE:
1 tablespoon cold water
¼ teaspoon powdered gelatin (like Knox)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons hot water
1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
Instructions
RED:
In a small bowl or ramekin, sprinkle ¼ teaspoon gelatin over 1 tablespoon cold water. Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes.
Add sugar and hot water and stir thoroughly. Microwave on high for 10 seconds. Stir and set aside.
In a blender or food processor, blend the strawberries until smooth. Add the warm gelatin mixture and blend briefly. If mixture is too thick to pour or spoon into molds, add 1 tablespoon water and blend.
Fill molds ⅓ full and freeze for 2 hours, or until firm.
WHITE:
In a small bowl or ramekin, sprinkle ¼ teaspoon gelatin over 1 tablespoon cold water. Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes.
Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon hot water and stir thoroughly. Microwave on high for 10 seconds. Stir and set aside.
Put lemon juice in a measuring cup and add gelatin mixture. Add coconut milk to equal ¾ cups liquid.
Remove molds from freezer and add about the same amount of lemon mixture as the strawberry. This should fill the molds approximately ⅔ full.
Freeze for approximately 1 hour. The object is to have it firm but not totally solid, so the handle or stick will be able to penetrate the second layer if necessary.
BLUE:
In a small bowl or ramekin, sprinkle ¼ teaspoon gelatin over 1 tablespoon cold water. Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes.
Add sugar and hot water and stir thoroughly. Microwave on high for 10 seconds. If you are using lemon juice, add now. Stir and set aside.
In a blender or food processor, blend the blueberries until smooth. Add the warm gelatin mixture and blend briefly. If mixture is too thick to pour or spoon into molds, add 1 tablespoon water and blend.
Remove molds from the freezer and add blueberry mixture to the "fill" line. Add handles or sticks.
Freeze until totally firm - overnight if possible.
Remove pops from molds, running molds under warm water if necessary to release the treats.
A trip to Alaska is sounding awfully good right now! It is only June 1st, but it feels like July here in Eastern Washington. Whooeeee.
As the temperature rises, I get a craving for cold, bright desserts…and popsicles don’t count! When my favorite group of bloggers decided to put together a group of ice cream desserts, Baked Alaska was the first thing I thought of. You can make it with any flavor of ice cream or cake you desire, and you can make it a couple of days ahead, pop it back in the freezer, and then appear to produce it effortlessly after just a few minutes in the oven, impressing friends and family with your mad skills.
Here are the other delicious goodies you’ll find in the links at the end of the post!
If you’ve read my blogs before, you’ll be familiar with this disclaimer: You’ll find my recipes for cake and ice cream below, but feel free to simplify things by using (gasp!) store bought ice cream and a cake mix. I understand – I do!
I made small, individual desserts the first time, to great enthusiasm here on the home front. Next I made a large dessert using a half gallon (though we all know – even if the bastards at the ice cream companies think they’ve pulled one over on us – that they aren’t actually half gallons anymore) of store bought ice cream and it was perfect for the large dessert. My ice cream recipe yields a little less (I have a small, wimpy ice cream maker) so if you’re making the large dessert using my ice cream recipe, it will change the ice cream to cake ratio a bit, but it will still be beautiful.
For best results, start your Baked Alaska-licious a couple of days before you plan to serve it. It takes a while to freeze the ice cream into a bowl shape, and will be much easier to “frost” with meringue if the ice cream is rock hard.
I made a lemon-blueberry ice cream that was killer good, and used my Luscious Yellow Cake recipe for the base of the dessert. (It makes two large 9-inch round cakes, so you’ll want to cut the recipe in half or eat/freeze the other half.)
In a large saucepan on medium heat, stir together the berries, sugar, and lemon. Bring to a low boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool until lukewarm.
Add the cream, milk, and vanilla, stirring well. Chill in the refrigerator overnight.
Make ice cream according to your machine's instructions. (If you have a small ice cream maker, you may need to make this in 2 batches.) While the ice cream is churning, prepare molds:
To make single serving desserts, use a jumbo cupcake pan, lining 6 cavities with plastic wrap.
To make a large dessert (using a double batch of ice cream (or a 1-3/4 quart container of store bought ice cream) line a medium bowl (about 8 inches across) with foil or plastic wrap, smoothing the liner as much as possible.
Scoop churned ice cream into mold(s) and freeze until solid - at least 3 hours.
MAKE MERINGUE:
Using a squeaky clean bowl and beaters, beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Sprinkle the cream of tartar over the egg whites and beat until soft peaks form. With mixer on medium, slowly drizzle the sugar into the egg whites, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides. Don't rush this! When all of the sugar has been added, turn up speed to medium high and beat until firm peaks form. The meringue needs to be firm; sloppy meringue will just slide off the ice cream. But don't go past firm peak stage or the egg whites might collapse.
For single serving desserts, cut 3 circles of cake the same size as the jumbo cupcake cavities. Slice each horizontally to make four thinner rounds. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Turn 1 molded ice cream onto each cake round and peel off the plastic.
For a large dessert, place the 9 inch cake onto a round of parchment on a baking sheet. Flip the ice cream out onto the cake and remove the plastic or foil. Cut away any excess cake around the bottom with a sharp knife.
Spread meringue over dessert(s), covering completely, and swirl with a knife.
Return to freezer until ready to serve, up to 2 days.
Heat oven to 450 F.
Place baked Alaska(s) in the oven and bake for approximately 5 minutes, turning once for even browning. Watch them closely - oven temperatures vary. You want the meringue to turn golden with dark brown peaks.
Serve! Slide a large dessert (on its parchment round) onto a serving platter. Lift small desserts with a spatula and serve on dessert plates. The large dessert may need to sit for a few minutes to soften before serving, but the individual size desserts will be ready to go. Expect the meringue to be crusty on the outside and a little creamy on the inside.
Combine berries, sugar, and lemon to make ice cream.
Add cream and milk to cooled berry mixture.
Glop on the meringue!
Ready for the oven.
Individual serving Baked Alaska-licious.
Large size Baked Alaska-licious.
Go ahead, have a bite!
I’ve given you a generous amount of meringue. Nothing is worse than trying to make pretty swirls in thinly spread meringue.
When baked, the meringue will be crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. If you are concerned about eating or serving egg whites that aren’t thoroughly cooked, I recommend making a cooked Italian Meringue; there are lots of recipes for it on the Internet. It’s a little more work, but it will remove any worries about egg safety that you might have. I know where my eggs come from (my front yard…thank you, girls!) so I’m comfortable with regular meringue.
That’s it – a fancy dessert that is impressive but not that hard to make. Go wow ’em!
And don’t forget to check out the links below for some drool-worthy cold treats.
Lorinda
This idea has been simmering in my brain for a couple of weeks, refusing to be ignored, so I finally pulled out all the stops and made my dream cupcakes. Surprisingly, they turned out exactly as I had imagined! That almost never happens; usually I just adjust my expectations to meet the reality I’ve created.
You could probably see the big smile on my face right now if it wasn’t covered with melted chocolate.
I started with a Neapolitan cupcake, topped it with a cherry surrounded by fresh banana whipped icing, and dipped the top in a simple chocolate shell. Of course I had to sample one. And then there were the ones that I cut in half for photos…couldn’t let those go to waste! I put the uneaten cupcakes in the freezer because I found that they’re even better frozen to remove further temptation.
Doing the happy dance, and sharing these Banana Split Cupcakes (aka: HolyCrapWhatHaveIDoneI’mGonnaGain15PoundsThisWeekForSure Cupcakes) with you.
I made two batches, one from scratch and one using a boxed mix. Although my recipe is a little more generous, I have to admit the boxed cake worked perfectly, so I’ll leave that decision up to you. If you want to try it from scratch, I used half of a batch of my homemade white cake mix. Otherwise, just use your favorite white cake mix – the kind that uses only egg whites.
Makes approximately 20 cupcakes if you're using a boxed mix (I know the box says 24, but those are pretty wimpy)...more if you use my scratch mix.
Ingredients
One batch prepared white cake mix
2 tablespoons strawberry jam
red food coloring (if desired)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon strong coffee (or substitute water)
ICING:
½ cup (1 stick) softened butter
4 ounces softened cream cheese
2 medium bananas, ripe but not spotty. Cut out any dark spots and mash well.
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 pounds powdered sugar
⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
CHOCOLATE SHELL:
10 ounces good quality dark chocolate (I use 70% cocoa)
2 level tablespoons coconut oil
Maraschino cherries.
Sprinkles, if desired
Instructions
Heat oven to 350 F.
Line two cupcake pans with paper or foil liners
Separate cake mix evenly into 3 small bowls
In the first bowl, add the strawberry jam and a couple of drops of food coloring and stir until mixed.
In the second bowl, add the cocoa and coffee (or water) and stir until mixed.
Add nothing to the third bowl.
Using a separate teaspoon for each color, work with one cupcake at a time, dropping a spoonful of each color in the bottom of the cup, and then repeating for a second layer, varying the color (so vanilla goes on top of strawberry or chocolate). Fill each about ⅔ full. (Don't try to put all of one color in the cups at a time or the batter will level before the next color is added.)
Bake 20 minutes. If toothpick comes out clean when inserted into a cupcake, remove from oven and cool completely on rack.
ICING:
In a large bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese, mashed banana, and vanilla until well mixed - at least 1 minute.
Slowly beat in 2 pounds of powdered sugar. When combined, turn speed to medium and beat for 1 minute.
Add whipping cream and remaining powdered sugar and beat on medium for 2 minutes, or until thick and fluffy.
Pipe a spiral of icing, beginning a little inside the edge of each cupcake top, and ending in the middle. Place cherry in the center of each cupcake. Working from the top, looking straight down at the cupcake, repeat the spiral, this time generously working around the cherry and ending in a peak, completely enclosing the cherry in icing. As each cupcake is done, place it on a baking sheet.
Immediately place cupcakes in freezer for 1 hour.
CHOCOLATE COATING:
Break chocolate into small pieces. In a cup or small bowl in the microwave (or in small pan on the stove) slowly melt chocolate and coconut oil together. It's important to melt it very slowly at low heat.
Stir very well.
Remove cupcakes from the freezer and dip each into chocolate, bringing the chocolate all the way to the paper liner. Hold upside down until it quits dripping. Set on serving platter. (If you are using sprinkles, add them quickly before the chocolate hardens.)
Serve immediately or keep chilled for best results.
If you get overly generous with the batter and your cupcakes have a “pillow top”, just use a sharp knife to trim the excess. It will get covered with chocolate and no one will know.
If the icing is too soft to work with, add a little extra powdered sugar or chill briefly. If it’s too thick, add a little more cream.
There is a generous amount of icing, so if you want to you can poke the piping tip into the cupcake before you begin icing, and add a little bit of filling. Don’t add too much or your cupcake will blow up – not a pretty look 😉
Dry the cherries in a couple of layers of paper towel before using.
First layer. Do it again, varying the color combination.
Baked and cooled
Trim if necessary.
Beginning the second spiral.
Pipe up and over cherry. Freeze for 1 hour.
Melting the chocolate. Go slow!
Dip. More than this…all the way to the liner!
Drying on the rack. Now’s the time to add sprinkles if you’d like.
So. How am I going to top these babies? I honestly don’t think I can. Oh oh – I think I just challenged myself! We’ll see….after gardening season!
Everyone has a favorite hot buttered rum batter, ranging from an ice cream mixture that’s kept in the freezer, to a plastic tub of pre-mixed batter found at the grocery store. As much as I love the ice cream version, it goes down awfully easy, and can make you very sorry the next morning. (Or so I’ve been told…)
