Category: Dessert

Baking, Dessert, Sweets

Toffee Shortbread Bites

by Wendi13 Comments on Toffee Shortbread Bites

I find it somewhat ironic that for someone who has a hobby devoted to stringing together words into sentences and stories, I am sometimes completely unable to find the right words to express the thoughts in my head.  Usually, this bit of irony rears its head when I am trying to convey my gratitude to someone.  Too often the words “thank you” just don’t seem enough.  Thank you is what I say when someone holds a door open for me or tells me to have a nice day.  It’s what I say without even thinking.  90% of the time, it’s enough.  But there are moments, the other 10%, when it falls short.

Because expressing my gratitude, especially when someone’s kindness has touched me beyond words, is an affirmation. An affirmation that I am not alone.  An affirmation that I am worthy.  An affirmation that no matter what the challenge may be, there is grace and compassion in the world.  But Hallmark hasn’t come out with that line of cards yet.  So until they do, I fall back on a tried and true trick….I wrap my thanks in butter, sugar, and flour.

In my experience, the language of baked goods is universal.

Toffee Shortbread Bites

Adapted from Desserts 4 Today, Abby Dodge

BAH Note: These shortbready cookies have a crumbly dough that should come together in your hands.  If you go to form the dough and it will not hold together, add more butter 1 tablespoon at a time, until it will.  Because of this diversion from Abby Dodge’s ratio, and some smaller portioning on my part, I squeezed nearly 48 of these beauties out of what should have been a batch of 24 (below).

  • 10 tablespoons room temperature butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 8 ounces chocolate covered toffee candy bar, chopped

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and line a mini muffin pan with paper liners.

On low speed, beat together the butter and sugar in the workbowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for approximately 1 minute or until combined.

Add the flour and mix on low for another minute or just until all the flour is combined with the butter and sugar.  Stir in the chopped candy bar bits on low just until t hey are mixed into the dough.

Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and place into the prepared pan.  Work quickly so that the buttery dough does not start to get soft and melty in your hands.  Bake for 15 – 19 minutes, turning the pan halfway through, until the cookies have puffed and the tops look cracked and just a little dry.

Cool on a rack completely before serving or storing in an airtight container.

{printable recipe}

Baking, Dessert, Sweets

Ruth’s Brownies

by Wendi9 Comments on Ruth’s Brownies

Let’s get the elephant out of the room and state the obvious…clearly this was not my finest moment.  All of my missteps turned incredible brownie possibility into a hot mess of reality.  Let’s review, shall we:

Misstep #1

I forgot to turn the temperature down when I put the pan in the oven.

Misstep #2

When I realized that I hadn’t lowered the temperature and tried to turn it down to 350, I neglected to hit the “start” button so the temp didn’t change and the batter continued to bake at 400 degrees.  In all I’d say it baked at too high a temp for a good 20 minutes which probably explains why the edges puffed up like a souffle.

Misstep #3

After 30 minutes a tester came out clean, despite Ruth’s comment that the normal toothpick test doesn’t really work for these brownies.  Worrying that I had overbaked them, I pulled them out of the oven early.

As you can see from my actual, didn’t add or delete any elements, photo above, the brownies were only about 3/4 set.  It was absolutely impossible to cut them into anything resembling a square.  However….if I would have had a bowl of vanilla ice cream, the partly set/partly molten chocolate lava would have been the perfect topping to spoon in.  Sadly, there was no ice cream to save these brownies from their fate of being tipped into the rubbish bin.

The saddest part of all this is that when I scraped the batter into the pan and then stole a lick or two from the spatula, this was hands down the best brownie batter I had ever tasted.  Don’t let my failure to turn the perfect batter into the perfect brownies keep you from giving this a try.  Learn from my missteps….or at least have a pint of vanilla ice cream ready to go in the freezer just in case.

Ruth’s Brownies

Adapted from Ruth Reichl, Tender at the Bone

BAH Note:  When I need to melt butter and chocolate, I usually do it in the microwave.  I tend to either work in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each, or setting the cook time for 2-3 minutes on 20% power and stirring every 30-45 seconds, repeating as necessary.

  • 2/3 cup butter
  • 5 ounces unsweetened chocolate (not cocoa powder)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup sifted flour

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Butter and flour an 8 or 9 inch square baking pan and set aside.

Melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave or on top of the stove in a double boiler.  When they have completely melted, stir in the vanilla and set the bowl aside.

Beat the eggs and salt in the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Add the sugar and beat for 3-5 minutes on medium until the mixture becomes almost white in color.

Reduce the mixer to low and stir in the melted chocolate until it is just combined.  Add the flour and continue to mix on low just until there are no white steaks of flour remaining.  Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.  Place the pan on a baking sheet and put it in the oven.

IMMEDIATELY REDUCE THE OVEN TO 350 DEGREES.

Bake for 40 minutes, rotating the pan half way through the cooking time.

Let the brownies cool completely before cutting into 12 servings.

{printable recipe}

Dessert, Sweets

Flashback Friday – Choco Lot

by Wendi1 Comment on Flashback Friday – Choco Lot

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 2/25/09 at Exit 51.

Choco Lot

What’s that?  You say that you want more chocolate?

If that Chocolate Souffle didn’t satisfy your dark cravings, try this Molten Chocolate Magic.  Personally, I’m looking for an excuse to make this.  Does Saturday count as a special occasion?

chocolate

Molten Chocolate Magic

Adapted from “Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef” by Mark Bittman and Jean-Georges Vongerichten

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus more to butter the molds
  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons flour, plus more for dusting

In the top of a double boiler set over simmering water, heat the butter and chocolate together until the chocolate is almost completely melted. While that’s heating, beat together the eggs, yolks, and sugar with a whisk or electric beater until light and thick.

Beat together the melted chocolate and butter; it should be quite warm. Pour in the egg mixture, then quickly beat in the flour, just until combined.

Butter and lightly flour four 4-ounce molds, custard cups, or ramekins. Tap out the excess flour, then butter and flour them again. Divide the batter among the molds. (At this point you can refrigerate the desserts until you are ready to eat, for up to several hours; bring them back to room temperature before baking.)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Bake the molds on a tray for 6 to 7 minutes; the center will still be quite soft, but the sides will be set.

Invert each mold onto a plate and let sit for about 10 seconds. Unmold by lifting up one corner of the mold; the cake will fall out onto the plate. Serve immediately.

Dessert, Sweets

Flashback Friday – HVD

by WendiLeave a Comment on Flashback Friday – HVD

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 2/12/09 at Exit 51.

HVD

The ultimate Hallmark Holiday is nearly upon us.  Why not whip up a little happiness courtesy of The Minimalist’s Chocolate Souffle?  The souffle doesn’t care if you are alone on Valentine’s Day and savoring its chocolaty goodness all by yourself or if you’re sharing it with someone special.  C’mon, desserts don’t discriminate.  Remember the black and white cookie from Seinfeld?  “Look to the cookie”.

valentine-hearts-3

Me, I like to look AT the cookies, and souffles, and tarts, and all sorts of treats.  And I especially like to gobble them down.  But if you happen to be around when I make this, I will most likely share some with you.  You might have to shoot me with one of Cupid’s arrows to get my hands off the spoon though…just so you know what you’re getting yourself into.

Oh, and if chocolate doesn’t happen to be your thing (as if), Mr. Bittman has kindly shared a non chocolate, Simple Souffle.

Chocolate Souffle

Mark Bittman – The New York Times

About 1 tablespoon butter for dish
1/3 cup sugar, plus some for dish
3 eggs, separated
2 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, melted
Pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 2-cup or one 4-cup soufflé or other deep baking dish(es). Sprinkle each with sugar, invert it and tap to remove excess sugar.

Beat egg yolks with all but 1 tablespoon sugar until very light and very thick; mixture will fall in a ribbon from beaters when it is ready. Mix in the melted chocolate until well combined; set aside.

Wash beaters well, then beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar until whites hold soft peaks; continue to beat, gradually adding remaining tablespoon sugar, until they are very stiff and glossy. Stir a good spoonful of whites thoroughly into egg yolk mixture to lighten it; then fold in remaining whites, using a rubber spatula. Transfer to prepared soufflé dish(es); at this point you can cover and refrigerate until you are ready to bake.

Bake until center is nearly set, 20 minutes for individual soufflés and 25 to 35 minutes for a single large soufflé. Serve immediately.

Baking, Dessert, Sweets

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

by Wendi3 Comments on Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

2011.  The year I turned 40.  Oh my.  The funny thing is that I’m writing this about a week before the actual birthday and it won’t post until well after the day has come and gone and I take my first few steps down the road towards that next big number.

40.  In my mind it doesn’t feel much different than 20 or 30.  Except maybe for the morning after a night with the box of wine.  Then I definitely feel it….damn liver ain’t what it used to be.  But then I start to think about other people I know and what marked their lives at the same age.

For instance, at age 40 my parents had children that were teenagers…closer to college age than the middle school years.  At 40, my grandparents had raised one child and were less than a decade away from beginning to raise two grandchildren.  At age 40, my father and both of my grandfathers had been to war and back.  I tell myself those were different times with different opportunities and expectations.

Could I see myself as the quintessential housewife as personified by Harriett Nelson?  Unlikely.  I’d more likely have been Lucy Ricardo on a good day or Betty Draper on a bad one.  Although I say that from the perspective of living in, and being shaped by, one age and wondering if that version of me would have fit in another age.

I can’t really imagine my life being different than what it is.  Sure, there are hopes that may never be realized but there are also things I never thought to hope for that have been part of my world.  I am not one to believe that the absence of something unknown is greater than the actual presence of something else.

So what is it exactly about the age 40 that strikes fear into the hearts of countless 39 year olds?  What is it that sends people into the first stages of mid life crisis and what symptoms should I be on the watch for to indicate that I’ve stepped into the danger zone?

While you ponder those mysteries of life, I’m going to make myself a batch of peanut butter and jelly bars.  It may not be a traditional treat to celebrate ones birthday but I think I’ve pretty much established over the last 40 years that I’m not exactly traditional.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Adapted from Bon Appetit, March 2011

BAH Note: If it weren’t for the prevalence of peanut allergies, I would say these should be mandatory at all bake sales.  Imagine the best parts of a pb&j (without the pesky crusts) in one bite sized morsel.  If you ask The Googley about peanut butter and jelly bars, you’ll see that all the cool kids are making them.  Not that that’s a reason that you should. But you really should make them…you know you want to.

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 stick of butter, softened
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup jelly

Heat your oven to 350 degrees and completely line an 8″ square baking dish with aluminum foil, leaving an inch or two overhang around the edges.  Lightly spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In the workbowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the peanut butter, brown sugar, and butter until smooth.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.  Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined.

Transfer half of the dough to the prepared baking pan and press it into an even layer.  Place the pan in the refrigerator.  Put the remaining dough in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the refrigerator and spread the jelly over the base in an even layer.  Remove the dough from the freezer and use your fingers to crumble the dough over the jelly layer.

Bake for 30 minutes until the top is golden brown.  Cool the bars completely in the pan before using the foil handles to remove the bars from the pan.  Peel the foil from the edges and cut into bars.

Store leftovers in an airtight container.

{printable recipe}

Baking, Dessert, Sweets

Chocolate Sponge Puddings

by Wendi14 Comments on Chocolate Sponge Puddings

My house has been taken over by canning jars.  They are everywhere.  My kitchen, my dining room, inside my refrigerator, and down in my basement.  Some are full of obvious things, like jam and marmalade, and not so obvious things, like salad dressing and bacon grease.  Others hold dry goods like rice, dehydrated mushrooms, and pasta.  But it’s the ones that sit empty, waiting to fulfill their destiny as a vessel, that taunt me.

So I try and find creative ways to use them.  Did you know that an 8 ounce canning jar holds one serving of soup perfectly?  It does and so I use them when I pack soup in my lunch.  It’s this creative use of jars that, to me, explains the explosion of the “in a jar” phenomenon.  Pie in a jar?  Yep.  Cupcake in a jar?  Absolutely.  I’ve also seen fruit cobbler in a jar, cookie mix in a jar, and of course cocktails in a jar.

What you don’t realize when you start canning is that the empty jars will take up a lot of freaking space.  So it’s better to actively use them for something, anything, than to find room to store them all.  Besides, everything looks absolutely adorable when served in a jar.  Hence, “in a jar” trends.

This of course is only my opinion and is not backed up by any scientific research or independent measurements.  Basically, it’s just me:

A) Trying to justify my continued acquisition of jars

B) Finding an way to transition to a recipe for Chocolate Sponge Pudding….baked in a jar.

C) All of the above.

Chocolate Sponge Puddings

Adapted from Melissa d’Arabian

BAH Note: Despite the simplicity of the recipe, I struggled a fair bit.  My egg whites fought being incorporated into the batter.  And I had to nearly double Melissa’s recommended cooking time in order to get the puddings to set.  Of course, I didn’t find out that they needed more cooking until I had a spoonful ready to pop in my mouth…so that one didn’t make it back into the oven and we’ll write that serving off as quality control.  After some additional time in the oven, the bottom of the pudding was rich and thick while the top was spongelike and cakey.  You can make these in ramekins but I used small (4 ounce) canning jars.  So where I say “jars” below, you can pretend it says ramekins if that’s what you have.

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (I used vanilla salt, because I had some)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup whole milk

Heat the oven to 325 degrees and spray the insides of 4 small canning jars with nonstick spray.  Divide 1 tablespoon of sugar among the jars and completely coat the inside with the sugar.

Combine the cocoa, flour, and salt in a small bowl.  In another bowl, or mixing cup, combine the milk and vanilla.  In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar with a hand mixer until the sugar dissolves and the yolks are very pale yellow.  Add the half of the cocoa mixture and then half of the milk to the eggs in two additions, beat until smooth and then add the remaining cocoa and milk and thoroughly combine.

In a separate bowl, using clean beaters, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold the egg whites into the batter until incorporated, being careful not to overmix the batter, and divide the batter among the jars.

Fill a baking pan or dutch oven large enough to hold the jars with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the jars.  Carefully place the jars in the water bath and bake for 15 to 30 minutes or until the sides of the cakes begin to pull away from the jar and the top of the cake springs back when lightly touched.

Carefully remove the jars from the water bath (if you have canning tongs, they would be perfect) and serve immediately.  Leftovers can be refrigerated…but I can’t really imagine there being any leftovers.

{printable recipe}

Baking, Dessert, Sweets

Deb’s Snickerdoodles

by Wendi14 Comments on Deb’s Snickerdoodles


I used to be a fantastic English student in my day.  I had stellar powers of comprehension and understanding…although I couldn’t diagram a sentence to save my life.  {tangent} Do kids today still learn that? {end tangent}  I could expound upon a theme with ease and fair amount of SAT appropriate words.  And I could compare and contrast.  Yes I could.  Although 20+ years later, I can’t exactly recall the kinds of things I was comparing and contrasting, but I know I did it well.

In my present day, non classroom based life, I don’t often find myself handed many opportunities to go all comparey and contrasty.  Sure there are moments of do I like x better than y, but there’s no requirement to dig deeper and go below the obvious.  And as a result, my powers of compare and contrast have diminished.  What was once an automatic response that kicked in and stimulated my rational thinking skills is now more likely to elicit a response of “huh? you want to know what, can’t you see i am in the middle of {insert trashy reality television show here}” rather than a well thought out analysis.

I suppose I should have kept my nose in the books.  If I had, perhaps I could present you with a concise, articulate summary of a tale of two snickerdoodles.  But instead, I chose to rot my brain with trivia and television after college.  So the best I can do is to tell you that if you’re looking for a classic snickerdoodle, this is the recipe you want to try.  The cookies are crisp and delightfully buttery.  They make me override any sense of reason I may have and compel me to keep shoving them in my mouth.  That being said, they are not the only snickerdoodles around.  You want a softer, domed cookie?  Then click here and give these cream cheese snickerdoodles a go.  The cakier cookies are perfect as is or you could layer some ice cream or frosting between two and make a snickerdoodle sammich.

I don’t think that paragraph above would have necessarily gotten me a good mark in English class.  So maybe we can forget about the comparing and contrasting and just get to the baking?  What do you say?

Deb’s Snickerdoodles

Adapted from Martha Stewart, as seen on Smitten Kitchen

BAH Note: I suggest that you make the dough the night before you want to bake the cookies.  Yes, it’s a pain to remember to plan these things but this dough will not go from bowl to oven with a good long time out in the Fridigaire.  If you don’t have that kind of time, give it at least an hour or two in the fridge before rolling and baking.

  • 2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks butter, at room temperature
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 large eggs

Whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.  In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.

Add the eggs and beat until thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  Add the flour mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.  Cover the top of the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

15 minutes before you are ready to bake, heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment.  Mix the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the ground cinnamon in a small bowl.  Using a small ice cream disher, scoop out two tablespoons of dough for each cookie, roll the dough into a ball which is then rolled in the cinnamon sugar, and place about two inches apart on the baking sheet.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until the center is just set and starting to crack.  Cool on the sheet pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Leftovers, if there are such things, can be stored in an airtight container.

{printable recipe}

Dessert, Sweets

Flashback Friday – Nobody Bakes A Cake As Tasty

by Wendi1 Comment on Flashback Friday – Nobody Bakes A Cake As Tasty

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 11/28/08 at Exit 51.

Nobody Bakes A Cake As Tasty

Preparing Thanksgiving dinner is a lot of pressure.  Expectations are high and people come to the table HUNGRY.  So when dishes don’t quite hit the mark, it can be disappointing.  I’ll give you an example.  Actually, I’ll give you three.

That Mushroom and Barley Pie that I snagged from Smitten Kitchen – everything about it said winner.  Simple flavors, minimal ingredients, and make ahead preparation; these are all good things in the kitchen.  When I pulled it from the oven, the puff pastry had risen to golden brown heights and the smell of mushrooms and bacon filled the kitchen.  At least it looked good.  The taste was not what I had hoped for.  The filling was dry and overwhelmed by the shiitake broth that I used to cook the barley.  Note to self, next time don’t use rehydrated dried shiitake in the mushroom mix.  Stick with fresh portobello or crimini and use beef stock for cooking the barley.  I think I’ll be much happier with those flavors.  And what about the flavor of the red onions that I painstakingly caramelized for the better part of an hour?  They completely disappeared.  Terribly disappointing.  Especially when the smell of buttery cooked onion lingers for days in the house.  Ahhh, what could have been.

And what about the stuffing, you ask.   It’s definitely got potential but I wouldn’t say it lived up to it yesterday.  I have very fond memories of stuffing…moist but not gummy, firm but not dense.  Mine wasn’t bad, but it’s got room for improvement.  I’m going to have to quiz The Grandma this weekend on how she got hers just right.  How do you  know when you’ve added enough liquid to make it moist but not soggy?  Clearly, I should have paid more attention to what went on in her kitchen.

Maybe most frustrating was the roasted butternut squash.  I say maybe most frustrating because I KNOW how to make this.  But I decided to get a little fancy and try Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics version.   This one incorporates maple syrup.  Yes, it should have occurred to me that maple syrup in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes may have a tendency to go beyond caramelized and straight to burnt.  Nothing says Happy Thanksgiving like the wail of a smoke detector.  Fortunately, we were able to salvage most of the squash and the grated parmasean cheese added at the table gave it a nice touch of flavor.

But the saving grace of the day was dessert.  I won’t lie,  the Caramelized Apple Crumb Cake is not a quick recipe.  Don’t think you can leave this till last and just knock it out in a jiffy.  It’s going to take you some time.  Although you could probably make the cooked apples and topping a day or so in advance and then only have the batter and baking to do.  Even then, it’s a needy recipe.  Bake for 15 minutes, add apples and a portion of topping, bake 15 minutes more, reduce heat and add remaining topping, bake till done.  Not exactly an Easy Bake Oven recipe.  But I promise you this, it will be worth it.  And yes, it may just remind you ever so slightly of a TastyKake Coffee Cake.  But it will be way better than that.

Now if you will excuse me, there is some leftover stuffing that I need to take care of.

Caramelized Apple Crumb Cake

Juliet Mackay-Smith’s Recipe posted on Washington Post

  • 4 to 5 medium cooking apples, such as Honeycrisp, York, Ida Red or Granny Smith (about 2 pounds)
  • Juice of half a medium lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the topping

  • 1 cup flour
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

For the cake

  • 18 tablespoons (2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the baking dish
  • 1 1/2 cups plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup low-fat or whole buttermilk, at room temperature

Peel and core the apples and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Toss them in a large bowl with the lemon juice and orange juice concentrate until they are evenly coated, then add the cinnamon and sugar, tossing until well incorporated.

Melt the butter in a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the apple mixture; increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the apples begin to caramelize yet are not too soft. Remove them from the heat and let them cool. (If the apples have released a lot of liquid, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a bowl, then boil the pan juices to reduce them until they are thick and syrupy. Combine with the apples to cool.)

Combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Use 2 forks, a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut the butter into the dry mixture, forming a crumbly topping. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with a little butter.  Combine the butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium-high speed and beat for 2 minutes, until well incorporated. Reduce the speed to add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar in a separate bowl or on a sheet of wax paper. Reduce the mixer speed to low and alternate additions of the flour mixture and buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry mixture. Mix just until combined, being careful not to overmix. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and spread the caramelized apple mixture in a single layer over the entire cake layer. Then sprinkle half of the topping over the apples. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees.

Remove the cake from the oven and sprinkle the remaining topping evenly over the cake. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool before slicing.

Baking, Dessert, Sweets

Coconut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

by Wendi21 Comments on Coconut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I’m calling this Coconut Cake a happy accident.  Although, in the moment there was very little I was happy about.  I started out to make a batch of Ina’s Coconut Cupcakes for a coworker’s birthday.  And I failed spectacularly.  Instead of the batter rising nicely to form perfect cupcake tops, it spread all over the top of the ungreased muffin tin.  The result of which was two dozen decapitated cupcakes.

It was not a pretty picture.

But it was a pretty funny picture and when I posted it on Twitter I got some great comments.  @breadandputter asked “who came along and chewed off all the tops?”  And @creativculinary said “Oh no…not Ina. Not coconut. Not cupcakes?”   She also suggested that I use a “high altitude” explanation to account for the carnage.  If my house even sat on top of a hill I’d run with that idea.  Sadly, the fault was squarely on me.

And I still had nothing to take to work for the birthday celebration.  Despite the fact that I was pretty steamed about the three sticks of butter that got sacrificed in the name of cupcake mutilation, I laid another two sticks out to soften while I washed the bowls and beaters and grody muffin tin with the caked on remnants of my failure.  By the time Coconut Cake was mixed, baked, and cooled I may have had a little bit of an attitude.

But there was still frosting to make.  In spite of my crankiness towards the cake, the frosting and I were on great terms.  It whipped up in no time and spread beautifully onto the layers.  Once the final bit of cream cheese goodness had been applied, I mentally moved on from Coconut Cake.  I even put the recipe in the recycling bin without transcribing it for the blog.  I was ambivalent about its very existence after a day that involved 6 sticks of butter, 10 eggs, and 5 cups of sugar.

At work the next day, we cut into Coconut Cake.  And I came home and dug that recipe out of the recycling.

The cake was moist without being wet or soggy.  And the coconut in the batter gave it an unexpected texture but didn’t overwhelm the cake with a coconutty flavor.  As a vehicle to move frosting into my mouth, it was excellent.  Once everything came up to room temperature after spending the night in the refrigerator, the frosting was smooth and creamy; not overly buttery and not overly cream cheesey.  There was the added bonus of apricot jam mixed into the frosting between the layers.  It worked perfectly with the rest of the flavors.

So yes, Coconut Cake was a happy accident.  Coworkers were happy.  I was happy.  The only person not happy in this whole thing was The Mistah.  He didn’t get to sample the cake.  But don’t feel sorry for him.  He’s got two dozen mangled coconut cupcake bottoms to tide him over until I pull the next treat out of the oven.

PS – Don’t be fooled by that less than sexy picture above.  That’s what happened when I didn’t get a shot of the cake at home and had to use the office’s aged digital camera to document its existence.

Coconut Cake

Adapted from Bon Appetit, March 2011

BAH Note: Make sure you use a container that will hold at least two cups when you mix the baking soda into the buttermilk.  The buttermilk will react with the baking soda and the mixture will double in volume.

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/3 cups sweetened flaked coconut
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups sugar or 1 cup sugar and 1 cup vanilla sugar
  • 2 sticks butter at room temperature
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 4 large egg whites at room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (vanilla salt if you have some)

Heat your oven to 350 degrees.  Line two 9″ round cake pans with parchment rounds and spray the prepared pans with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix the flour and coconut in a medium bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk and baking soda.

In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar for approximately 2 minutes until light and fluffy.  Add the egg yolks and beat to combine.  Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately, beginning and ending with the flour.  After the last of the flour is added, stop mixing once the batter is just combined.

In a separate bowl with clean beaters, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form.  Mix 1/3 of the whites into the batter and then fold in the remaining whites until just blended.

Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and bake for approximately 35 minutes or until the cakes are set and a tested inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a crumb or two.  Cool the cakes in the pan for 10 minutes before turning them out onto racks to cool completely.

{printable recipe}

Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from Bon Appetit, March 2011

BAH Note: My butter wasn’t exactly at room temperature when I made the frosting.  But after a few moments in the mixer, everything was just fine.  Be sure to start the mixer out on LOW speed or you will have powdered sugar all over your kitchen.

  • 3 1/3 cups powdered sugar
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 stick butter, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 to 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons jelly, jam, or preserves (optional)

Combine the sugar, butter, cream cheese, and vanilla in the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on low speed until the sugar starts to work into the butter and cream cheese then increase the speed to medium high until completely smooth.

If adding a fruit filling in the frosting between the layers, transfer about 1 cup of the frosting into a separate bowl.  Mix in the fruit filling to taste before spreading it onto the top of the bottom cake layer.  Top this with the top cake layer and use the remaining plain frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake.  Sprinkle coconut over the top of the cake and press some into the sides as well.

Let the frosted cake set in the refrigerator.  Allow it to come just to room temperature before serving and store leftovers in the fridge.

{printable recipe}

Dessert, Sweets

Luscious Lemon Sauce

by Wendi17 Comments on Luscious Lemon Sauce

When I served that divine Kerrygold Shortbread, I topped it with a lemon/blueberry sauce.  Here’s the lemon half of that combo.  I’ve never made lemon curd before but my guess is that this is a simpler sauce that gives a similar end result.  Straight from the refrigerator, it is firm but quickly melts into hot dishes like my morning oatmeal.  More often than not, it goes straight from the jar into my mouth.  I try not to judge…you really shouldn’t either.  At least not until you’ve tasted this sauce.

Lemon Sauce

Adapted from One Perfect Bite

  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/4 cup cold water
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter

Whisk together the egg, water, lemon juice, and zest in a small saucepan.  Place over medium heat and whisk in the sugar.  Add the butter and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.  The sauce can be served warm or at room temperature.  Store leftover sauce in the refrigerator.

{printable recipe}