Pecan Pie Cheesecake

There are lots of dessert recipes in which the item is stuffed or filled.  The recipes that are more commonly seen are cookies and cupcakes.  However, it is not all that common to have a stuffed cheesecake.

Upon first reading the title of this recipe, I thought that it would be a complicated task. Surprisingly, it was very easy.  The other thing that crossed my mind is how would an already cooked item do being cooked a second time inside a cheesecake?  The only thing I noticed different in the pie inside the cheesecake rather than outside is that it became more compact, but the same flavor remained.

After tasting one slice of this cheesecake, I wished I had been the one to think of this delectable combination!  Velvety vanilla cheesecake with a center of sweet caramel and crunchy pecans...enough said- it does need a place at the top of your "to make" dessert list.

Pecan Pie Cheesecake
adapted from 2002 Southern Living Cookoff Winning Recipes

Ingredients/Candied Pecans
3 cups pecan halves
2/3 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cup golden syrup or light corn syrup
6 tbs butter

Ingredients/Cheesecake
One 8 or 9 inch pecan pie
1 cup sour cream
3- 8 oz packages of cream cheese
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 tbs butter (melted)
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 tsp cornstarch

For the candied pecans, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cover a baking sheet with foil and place pecans in a single layer on top.  Toast pecans in oven for about 5-7 minutes. Remove baking sheet and transfer pecans to a heat proof bowl and set foiled baking sheet aside.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Then brush the foiled baking sheet surface with some melted butter. Add 6 tbs butter, sugar and syrup to a saucepan. Place saucepan over medium low heat.  Stir the mixture until sugar dissolves.  Increase the temperature to medium and let candy simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and mix in pecans till coated.  Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet and spread evenly.  Bake for 5-7 minutes then transfer and spread out on wax paper to cool.

Start on the cheesecake by heating the oven to 350 degrees.  Fill a 9X13 inch pan with 3/4 cup of water. Also, take and chop up enough candied pecans to fill 1/2 cup and 1 tbs.  Place these items aside.

Wrap the bottom and sides of a 10 inch springform pan with foil.  For the graham crust, mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and 1/3 cup of sugar together until blended.  Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and up 2 1/2 inches along the interior sides of pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese, remaining 1 cup of sugar and vanilla extract on high speed for about 3 minutes or until completely smooth.  Add one egg and beat on low until blended.  Repeat process of beating in the rest of the eggs, one at a time.  Then blend in the sour cream and cornstarch.

Separate out 1 1/2 cups of cream cheese batter and stir in the chopped candied pecans.  Pour this batter into prepared crust.   Take the pecan pie and, if using an 8 inch pie, cut off the top border of the crust.  For a 9 inch pie trim 1/2 inch of the outer edge off.  Cut the pie into 6 pieces and invert each piece on top of the cheesecake batter, (crust side up) in the springform pan.  The pour the rest of the batter into the springform pan, covering the pie. 

Place the 9X13 pan of water on the bottom rack in the oven. Then put the cheesecake pan on the next rack up. Bake until the center of the cheesecake is set.  This should take about 70 minutes.   Once it is baked, turn off oven and leave oven door cracked open about 3-4 inches.  Let cheesecake rest in oven for an hour.

Remove cheesecake from oven and let cool.  Refrigerate overnight.  The next day, warm one cup of candied pecans in the microwave, just so the pecans are pliable and a little sticky.  Place candied pecan halves decoratively around the outer edge of the cheesecake.

Serve cheesecake slices with extra candied pecans. A scoop of whipped cream on top is also an option .

Tips and Notes:

1. To save time you can always purchase a pecan pie.  Usually the purchased ones flip out of their foil pans easily so there is no need to cut the slices to transfer, just flip into the center of the springform pan over the first layer of cream cheese batter.
2. Note that three cups of candied pecans is an abundance.  My pecans remained pliable in the candy coating at room temperature, so there was no need to microwave any to get them to stick to the top of the cheesecake.
3. The cheesecake did not crack, even though the 3/4 cup of water in the pan below evaporated at some time during the baking process.
                              **LAST YEAR: Chocolate Caramel Sandwich Cookies **

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookie Pie

The name "cookie pie" makes me think of those big chocolate chip cookies at the mall that you can have decorated.  However, this particular recipe does not fall into that category.

As you can tell by the picture, it looks to have a closer resemblance to pie rather than cookie.  There is a pie crust layer with melted butterscotch chips, pecans and a brown sugar filling.  As far as the oatmeal, it has enough to give it some chewy texture but is not overwhelming.

I have always considered butterscotch one of the forgotten flavors,  It was a nice change of pace and well liked by the crowd of eaters.

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookie Pie
adapted from Pie by Ken Haedrich

Ingredients
1 basic single crust pie pastry, refrigerated
1/4 cup whole milk or light cream
3 eggs, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup or one stick of butter
1/3 cup cake or regular flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/3 cup rolled oats

Roll the pastry on a floured surface into a 13 inch circle.   Place the pastry evenly into a 9 1/2 inch deep dish pie pan.  Press the pastry into the pan, taking care not to stretch it.  Shape the top edge of the dough as desired.  Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.  In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To make the filling, use a mixer and cream the butter until smooth.  Then add the brown sugar in 1/2 cup increments, beating 30 seconds after each addition.  Then scrape down the sides and add one egg and beat for 30 seconds.  A the rest of the eggs, one at a time, and beat each for 30 seconds or until completely blended.

Beat in the vanilla extract.  Then fold in the flour, oats and salt until no dry streaks remain.  Mix in the milk until blended.  Lastly, add the pecans and butterscotch chips.

Place pie in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.  Then rotate back to front and bake for 30 minutes more.  Once the time is up, the pie should not jiggle when moved and should have a brown filling. Transfer to rack and let cool.  You can either serve warm or refrigerate for 2 hours and then serve cold.

Tips and Notes:
1. Feel free to mix up the type of chips in the batter.  The recipe also suggests 1/2 butterscotch and 1/2 chocolate chips.
2. For people with nut allergies, add an extra 1/2 cup of butterscotch chips and eliminate the pecans.

                                          **LAST YEAR: Jade and Suede Cheesecake**                    

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

I have always thought that bananas were one of those fruits you either really liked or hated.  I think it is because they do have a strong distinctive taste. It seems that a lot of people will eat banana bread yet you will not find them eating a banana.  Recently, someone told me that a convenience store here in Texas makes more money on selling bananas than anything else.  I find that strange because I have yet to see any bananas at the local convenience stores.

Since bananas are a healthy fruit and are not acidic, I decided to bake with them.  The only issue was that I wanted to find something different from banana bread.  I have made banana cookies before but the particular recipe I landed on included oats in the ingredients.  The other unique thing was the banana chip on top.  Even though it gets baked on, it still remains crunchy and makes a good topper.

These cookies were shared yesterday. There was one eater in the group that declared they did not like bananas. However, just like bananas vs banana bread, this person kept asking where the cookie jar was.  These cookies are cake-like and have all the great flavor of banana bread. There are some additional add ins for variations, however, do not skip on the banana chips! This recipe makes about 24-30 cookies 

Banana Oatmeal Cookies
adapted from Crazy About Cookies Cookbook

Ingredients
1/2 cup mashed bananas
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup or 1 stick butter
3/4 cup rolled oats (old fashioned, not instant)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup dried banana chips

For add ins and variations
3/4 cup melted chocolate chips or
3/4 cup chocolate chips or
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Grease or butter the inside of two cookie sheets and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Then stir in the oats.  Set aside.  In a separate bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together.  Once it has a fluffy consistency, beat in the egg, vanilla extract and banana. Fold in the dry oatmeal/flour blend.

At this time, you can mix in the chocolate chips or the pecans, if you decided to include.  Then drop tablespoons of batter onto prepared cookie sheets, placing about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 5 minutes then remove and press one banana chip lightly into the center of each cookie.  Put the pan back in the oven and bake until golden, about 5-6 minutes.

Let cookies cool on pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to rack to finish cooling.

If you opted to drizzle chocolate, do so and let sit for about 30 minutes for chocolate to harden.

Tips and notes:
1. if I were to put chocolate chips in these cookies, I would use mini chips.  That way you do not have any chance of a big pocket of melted chocolate oozing over your banana chip.
2. if you are including the pecans, they will be better if toasted and cooled prior to mixing in the batter.
                          **LAST YEAR:Coconut Custard Bars***

Chocolate Pumpkin Layer Cake

Well I guess my posting schedule has changed, instead of Monday I will now be posting on Tuesday of every week.  Life does seem to be about a long series of changes these days.

Anyhow, I was looking for something with pumpkin and full of spices for the season and I came across this recipe.  For some reason I see a lot of pumpkin bread out there but not much in the way of cakes.

This cake does have a lot of flavor to offer.  The mellow spicy pumpkin batter does make for a great cake, but the wonderful add ins of chocolate and pecans move it up to a tastier rank.  Also, what better to slather it with than a dark cocoa frosting?

Should you decide to make this, please be sure all your guests get their own piece.  Otherwise, you will find out months later someone felt cheated because they shared their piece. I am sure a lot of you have had this experience. However, the fact does remain that if they are still thinking about it months later, the taste must have been well worth remembering.

Please note that I did not use the frosting recipe below, instead I used the recipe on the back of  the Nestle Dark Cocoa can, which eliminated the need to melt unsweetened chocolate.


Chocolate Pumpkin Layer Cake
adapted from John Down at Christopher Norman Chocolates

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/4 cups or 2 1/2 sticks of softened butter (more for greasing pans)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1.2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup semi sweet choc chips
10 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to room temp
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare 2 nine inch round cake pans by brushing the interior with melted butter.  Place a liner of parchment in the bottom and butter the face up side.  Then dust the parchment with flour.

Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and nutmeg into a large bowl.

Using a mixer, cream together 1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter and the granulated sugar until it has a fluffy consistency.  This should take about 3 minutes at medium speed. Add one egg and beat for 30 seconds.  Repeat this process with each of the remaining eggs.

Mix in the pumpkin puree to the batter with a wooden spoon.  It will have a slightly curdled look.  Then fold in the sifted ingredients in half cup intervals.  Once the mixture is smooth and has no dry streaks, stir in the chocolate chips and pecans.

Pour half of the batter into each of the pans.  Place in oven and bake until tester comes out clean, which is about 35 minutes.  Remove and let cakes cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Run a knife around the edges and invert cakes onto rack.  Discard parchment paper and let cakes cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, beat the remaining butter in a medium size bowl until fluffy.  Then add the confectioners sugar a 1/2 cup at a time, beating for 30 seconds.  Repeat that process until all confectioners sugar is blended into the butter.   Pour in the melted chocolate and vanilla extract and  beat until frosting is smooth.

Frost cake by frosting top of bottom layer.  Then stack with other layer and frost top and sides.
                           **LAST YEAR: Hawaiian Zephyr Cupcakes**

Streusel Topped Babka

I am a little late with this post, but this past week has been hectic.  I decided I would rather wait until I could post without being rushed.

Since the last few posts have been very rich and indulgent, I decided I would go with something lighter and more in the cake family for this week.  This particular recipe is for a breakfast or coffee cake.  The bread part made from a wonderful brioche dough.  Brioche loaves are a favorite around here just simply served with butter.

However, I have no aversion to the additions to this bread.  Cocoa, cinnamon, pecans and walnuts swirl through the middle of the dough.  They are actually made like cinnamon rolls but the swirled dough slices are put in a loaf pan and shaped slightly.  The rising and egg wash is what actually brings the dough slices together.  Also, if that was not enough to hold the loaf together, it has been topped with quite a bit streusel.

The slices of this cake went over well at work and actually drew out a few introductions from some of the people.  I am glad the recipe made 3 loaves. Please note that the dough has to rest overnight prior to baking, so plan in advance.

Streusel Topped Babka
adapted from Great Coffeecakes

Ingredients/Babka dough
3/4 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup or 1 stick butter ( in between temp/consistency, not soft and not hard)
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup plus 1 tsp sugar
1 tbs and 1 1/2 tsp or 1 1/2 pkgs yeast
3/4 tsp salt
3 3/4 cup flour

Ingredients/Filling
3/4 cup pecans, chopped and toasted
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup dark brown sugar (lightly packed)
2 tbs plain bread crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbs dutch process cocoa powder
1/2 cup very soft butter
1 large egg beaten with 2 tsp water for egg wash

Ingredients/Streusel
3 tbs finely chopped pecans or walnuts
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
6-7 tbs butter

To make the dough, warm a small bowl by rinsing in warm water.  Then fill with 1 tsp of sugar and warm water.  Sprinkle the yeast on top-do not stir.  Cover the bowl with a saucer and let sit for 2 minutes. After it sets, uncover and swirl the bowl.  Repeat again with the time being 2 minutes. Cover for an additional minute, then uncover and stir.  Cover for one last interval of 3 minutes for yeast to get bubbly and foamy.

Using a stand mixer, blend the flour, sugar and salt.  Once mixed, add the butter and run mixer on low for about 3 minutes.

Take out a separate bowl and blend sour cream, eggs and vanilla.  Then add the dissolved yeast.  Take this mixture and pour it into the butter flour blend in the stand mixer.  Turn the mixer on low and let run for about 3-4 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl.

Place the dough on a floured surface and knead a few times until it is no longer sticky.  Divide into 3 pieces and place each in a small plastic bag and seal.  There should be enough room in the bag to allow for dough to expand and rise.  Refrigerate overnight.

The next day. prepare 3 of the 8X3 3/4 inch loaf pans by brushing the interior with some of the butter.  Then place a strip of parchment 3 inches wide by 15 inches long in each pan, making sure the long length hangs outside of the long sides of each pan.  It should be like a cross. Also line a baking sheet (with a slight lip on it) with parchment paper.

To make the filling, stir together the cinnamon, cocoa, bread crumbs and both type of sugars.  Set aside. 

Take one piece of dough out of refrigerator.  Place on floured surface and knead a few times.  Add 1/3 of the pecans.  Knead them into the dough evenly until the dough is no longer sticky.  Roll the dough into a rectangle.  It should be 12 inches and parallel to the counter with the left and right sides measuring 9 inches.

Spread surface of the dough with 1/3 of the remaining butter, leaving a 1 1/2 border at the top of the 12 inch length.  Sprinkle top with  1//3 cup of the cinnamon cocoa blend, leaving the top border blank.  Sprinkle with 1/3 cup chopped walnuts.  Press filling slightly into the dough.  Brush the 1 1/2 inch border with the egg wash.

Starting with the long edge closest to you, roll the dough up toward the egg wash side.  Once a log has formed, pinch the egg wash edge against the log. After the initial roll up, roll a few more times on a floured board to tighten the dough and keep it sealed.  The log should be the same length as the original dough length of 12 inches.

Cut the log into eight pieces.  Then brush egg wash on the uncut outside dough of each piece, leaving one side without the egg wash to put up against the pan.  Place the pieces ,with the cut side down, in two rows of four going down the length of the pan.  Then push down slightly.  Also push from the sides inward to make it into a loaf mound.  Repeat the steps in this is paragraph as well as the 3 prior for the other two mounds of dough in the refrigerator. Once completed, cover each loaf with a clean towel and place in a warm area to rise.  Rising time should be about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

To make the streusel place the butter in a small sauce pan over low heat until almost all is melted. Remove and let cool.   In another bowl, mix together all the rest of the ingredients.  Stir dry ingredients into melted butter.  Stir until mixture has coarse crumbs and can clump in your hand.

Let the mixture sit for about 10-15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Brush the tops of the loaves (that have completed rising) with egg wash and sprinkle the streusel on top. Place the loaf pans evenly on the parchment lined baking sheet and bake until done about 30-35 minutes.  Check at the mid point to make sure loaves are not browning to fast.  You can slow down browning process by placing foil over the areas that  are toasting too fast.

Remove pans and let loaves cool.  When cooled, lift out by using the parchment paper in pans.  Slice and serve.
                      **LAST YEAR: Renegade Cookies***

Delicious Recall #3::Chocolate Italian Wedding Cupcakes

This is another item which has that wonderful trio of flavors that I find hard to resist.  There is one method in this recipe that I will be using more than once.  It is the toasting of the pecans with the coconut.  I always have issues when toasting coconut, having some pieces remain white while others burn.  I am not sure if it is the mixture of the nuts or the measurement that causes the toasting to be more even.

The cupcakes do offer a lot of texture to the bite with having both pecans and coconut in them.  Also, the frosting has an unusual tang to it since it is made with sour cream.  The tang goes well with the dark chocolate..

This particular recipe had some additional suggestions for preparation, so be sure to read the tips at the end. This recipe makes 2 dz cupcakes.

Chocolate Italian Wedding Cakes
adapted from Evil Shenanigans

Ingredients/Cake
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter
1.5 oz unsweetened chocolate (melted & cooled)
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs (yolks separated from whites)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder

1 2/3 cup flour
3 tbs dutch processed cocoa
2 tbs crushed cocoa nibs
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)

Ingredients/Frosting
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet choc chips
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
3 cups powdered sugar

For the cupcakes, grease the top edge of the cavities of two 1 dozen cupcake pans.  Line with paper liners and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together the butter and both sugars until smooth.  Then add the melted chocolate along with the egg yolks.  Stir until all is smooth. Set aside.

In another bowl, sift together the five dry ingredients listed after the eggs on the ingredient list. Using a wooden spoon, fold 1/3 of the sifted ingredients into the batter.  Then stir in 1/4 cup of buttermilk.
Repeat that process and add the last 1/3 of the flour mixture, stirring until no dry streaks remain.

Add the cocoa nibs, vanilla, coconut and pecans and mix until evenly distributed.

Pour the egg whites into a medium size bowl and beat with mixer until stiff peaks form.  Fold in 1/2 of the egg whites to the chocolate batter, mixing so no white streaks show.  Repeat that process.

Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, fill the cupcake cavities with the batter.  All 24 should be filled equally.  Also make sure that the batter is even so they will bake even. Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating pans at the halfway mark.  Doneness is indicated by the cupcake springing back when lightly pressed in the center.  Cool cupcakes in pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to rack to finish cooling.

As the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the frosting.  The oven will be left on 350 for the frosting as well.  Mix the coconut and pecans together.  Then spread evenly on a baking sheet.  Place in oven and bake for 5 minutes.  Remove, stir and place pan back in oven for an additional 5 minutes.  The mixture should be a golden brown when done.  Let coconut mixuture cool to room temperature before using.  Take 1/3 cup of the  mixture and set aside.

Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.  Slice butter into 1/4 inch thickness and place slices on top of the chocolate chips.  Microwave for 30 seconds and stir.  Then microwave at 15 second intervals, stirring after each internal until it is all melted and blended smoothly.  Let cool for 5 minutes before using. Transfer the mixture to a larger bowl.

Stir in the sour cream and vanilla until smooth.  Then sift 1 cup of powdered sugar into the chocolate frosting and stir.  Repeat with another cup of the powdered sugar.  There is now 1 cup of powdered sugar left, but you will gradually add and mix it into the frosting until you reach the desired consistency.  Keep in mind that the frosting will thicken upon standing, so gauge the amount of powdered sugar according to preference.  Stir in all but the 1/3 reserved mixture of coconut and pecans.

Put the frosting on the cupcakes, either with a knife or piping method.  Then sprinkle with the reserved coconut/pecan mixture. 

Tips and Notes:
1. since the frosting has coconut and nuts in it,  should you chose to pipe it make sure it is a large tip.
2. In addition to the 1/3 reserved coconut/nut mixture for sprinkling on top, I made another half batch because I found that pressing the cupcake upside down into the topping had better adhesion.
3. you can make this into a cake with two 8 inch round pans, just double the frosting amount.
4. For extra flavor, you can soak the cupcakes lightly with white rum.  2 or 3 tbs should be enough.
              **LAST YEAR: Tequila Sunrise Bars**
 

M & R Pie

Well I have been looking all over the net concerning pies trying to come up with a name for this one.   Interestingly enough, I came across a site called Pies Across America.  It is actually a program set up by two people, Micah and Rick with the idea of sending pies out to people that are in need of some uplifting, such as those affected by natural disasters.  Their base site is in Facebook which I am not a member of, so I am not sure how active the site is.

I have really been on a peach kick lately, I think it was all started with a mixed drink called a Peach Freeze.  Frozen pureed peaches was the base of the drink and it was heavenly.  This particular pie is full of spices and sliced ripe peaches.  In addition, for a little extra zing, I have added some peach schnapps as well.  Also, pecan pieces were lightly pressed into the bottom of the pie crust before filling.  One slice topped with a scoop of vanilla really makes for a great summer dessert.

M&R Pie
by flourtrader

Ingredients
Pie crust for 9 inch double crust pie
1/4 cup chopped pecans
8-10 peaches, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbs flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3 tbs peach schnapps
3 tbs cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
sugar for sprinkling

Prepare pie crust dough as directed and cover and place dough disks in the fridge to chill prior to rolling.  Place a sheet of wax paper on a flat surface and lightly dust with flour.  Using a rolling pin, roll dough out to a 13 inch circle.  Then invert and center dough over pie pan and peel off wax paper and tuck the pastry into the pan.  Do not stretch the pastry, but flatten against the pan.  Then lightly press the pecan pieces into the bottom of the dough.  Leave overhang and place back in fridge for 15 minutes.

Then fold the peaches, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, sugar and flour together in a separate bowl.  Stir in the peach schnapps.  Take the pie pan out of the fridge and fill the pie pan with the mixture, making sure it is all even.  Then drop the small pieces of butter in places on top of the filling.

Take out the the second piece of dough and place on floured wax paper. Roll into an 11 inch circle.  Moisten the top edge of the dough in the pie pan and invert 2 piece of dough over the top.  Press to seal.  Make a decorative top edge according to your personal preference.

Sprinkle sugar over the top of the dough.  Then make steam vents in the top of the pie with a paring knife.  Place in oven and let bake for 30 minutes.  Then lower heat to 350 degrees and rotate pie 180 degrees and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Remove and place on rack to completely cool.
                       
Tips and Notes:
1. amount of filling will vary, depending on the size of your peaches.  Mine were fairly small
2. Peach flavors develop more within time, so waiting a day before serving would be better
                        **LAST YEAR: Aztec Treasure Cookies**
 

German Carmelite Sister Cookies

These particular cookies get their name from 2 Carmelite sisters or nuns that were in hiding during the French revolution.  They actually made these cookies for money to support themselves.  In time, these women were called the "Macaroon sisters" and then later on the recipe was passed onto the Jewish community.

These particular cookies are a macaroon base, however, they have a twist that is reminiscent of the frosting on a German chocolate cake.  They have a chewy pecan filling and are dipped in German chocolate.  They are quite moist and remind me more of a candy than the typical dry macaroons that you often find at the store.  With the humid weather in Texas, I found them to be particularly tasty after refrigeration or even freezing.

If you are like me and love the icing on German chocolate cake, then you will enjoy these.  This recipe makes about 1 1/2 dz macaroons about 2 inches in width.

German Carmelite Sister Cookies
by flourtrader

Ingredients/Filling
2 tbs butter
1 tbs bourbon
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 egg
1/8 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients/Cookies
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Ingredients/Topping
1 cup chopped German chocolate
4 tsp butter

To make the filling, melt butter in a small saucepan on medium heat.  Then stir in corn syrup and
sugar.  Cook the mixture, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved.  There will no longer be a grittiness at the bottom of the pan when scraped with a spoon.  Remove from heat and let cool for about 15 minutes or to lukewarm temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Fill a bowl with egg and beat it with a fork.  Stir in the vanilla extract and bourbon.  Then mix in the pecans and corn syrup mixture.

Line the bottom of a pie pan or 9 inch cake pan with parchment.  Pour pecan batter into pan and place in the oven to bake for 10-15 minutes.  Mixture is done when it has turned foamy on top, much like the top of a pecan pie.  The mixture should be able to be scooped up with a spoon and fairly solid. Set aside and let cool.

To make macaroon batter, turn the oven down to 325 degrees.  Line two baking pans with silpat liners.  Beat together egg whites until foamy.  Sprinkle in the cream of tartar and beat again until soft peaks form.  Continue to beat and add one tablespoon of sugar.  Continue with this process until all sugar has been incorporated into batter.  Beat until mixture is shiny and very stiff.

Then carefully fold the vanilla and coconut into the batter, making sure that the egg whites keep their consistency.

Pipe or spoon the coconut mixture into mounds on the silpat.  Then place about 1/2 tsp of pecan mixture on the center of each mound.  Pipe or spoon more of the coconut batter on top of the mound, smoothing to make sure that the pecan center is completely covered.

Bake macaroons for 18-22 minutes, keeping a careful eye out during the time beyond 18 minutes.  You want them to be golden brown but not over baked.  Remove pan and let cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer to rack to finish cooling.

For the topping, melt chocolate and butter together in a double boiler.  Lay out 2 sheets of wax paper.  Dip cooled cookies halfway into chocolate and then place on wax paper and let set.

Tips and Notes
1. I used parchment as well as a silpat and found that the silpat worked better.  If you have the patience for peeling these carefully off the parchment, it will work.
2. Make sure that your coconut mound is at least 1/2 inch high before adding the filling because the pecan mixture does sink.
3.  You will have some excess of the filling, but you can always top ice cream with it or double the macaroon cookie recipe.
                          **LAST YEAR: Alpine Easter Bread**

Lemon Butter Fudge

I have been wanting to make some fudge for awhile but I have always thought it to be a difficult task.  Remembering my childhood days of having to assist in the hand beating of the batter was not something I relished.  Then my thermometer was nowhere to be found (perhaps a subconscious means of fudge aversion).  However, I finally broke down and bought a new digital thermometer with the intention of making fudge.

When thumbing through a recipe book, there was a section on "exotics fudges", which did catch my interest.  Most of the recipes were not unique flavors, but had a unique ingredient-goat's milk.   Then I found the lemon butter fudge recipe, unique in flavor but no goat's milk.

Since I liked lemon cream filled candy, I thought this would be an unusual treat that would be enjoyed by many people. Also the recipe had a option of including nuts which made it even better.

Now with technology and good equipment like a food processor, that wretched task of beating by hand was out of the picture!  For my first time making fudge, I was pleasantly surprised at the results. My biggest fear was graininess or that it would not set up.  However, in the end my hesitation was just delaying something that was actually a fun project with delicious results. I am a fan of lemon and citrusy things so the tart flavor and creamy texture definitely scored in my book.  Also, I included pecans which added another tasty layer of flavor and crunch. This recipe makes 1 pound of fudge.

Needless to say I am gifting these up for a few special people. Giving gifts for no special reason is always fun!

Lemon Butter Fudge
adapted from Oh Fudge by Lee Benning

Ingredients
4 tbs butter (do not use margarine)
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tbs 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 inch by 2 inch piece lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup evaporated milk

Optional Ingredients
1/2 to 1 tsp lemon extract
1/2 cup chopped nuts
4 drops yellow food coloring

Prepare your thermometer by placing it in a glass of hot water so it will be pre-warmed.  Take a 2 quart sauce pan and butter the upper 2/3 of the sides of the inside of the pan.  Fill a glass with water and ice.  Also, fill the sink full of cold water to a depth of 1 1/2 inches.

Grease the inside of a 5X10 inch pan and line with parchment paper in bottom and two opposite sides with overhang.  Place the butter in the freezer.

Place all ingredients in the saucepan with the exception of butter and the list of optional ingredients. Put saucepan over low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the sugar is dissolved.  The spoon should glide smoothly over the inside bottom of pan with no grittiness.

Increase the heat and let mixture come to a boil.  Use a pastry brush dipping in hot water to wash down the sugar crystals on the inside edges that precede the batter.  Place pre-warmed thermometer in candy and reduce heat but maintain boil.  Once thermometer registers between 236 to 244 degrees Fahrenheit, test by placing a drop in ice water.  It should hold shape until the heat from your fingers start to flatten it and it has a slightly chewy texture.

Once it is at the correct consistency, take saucepan and place in the sink of cold water.  Then drop in frozen butter. Do not stir.  Leave thermometer in candy and wait until it cools down to a temperature of 110 degrees and develops a skin on top.

Pour mixture into food processor, take out zest and add two optional ingredients-the food coloring and lemon extract.  Place the cover over the food processor and leave the feed tube uncovered so steam can escape.   Turn on food processor and run for 3 minutes and let rest for 1 minute.  Repeat this process until the fudge thickens and loses it sheen.  It will become lighter in shade and then stiffen.  For me the true indicator was when the batter did not flow back to the center when the machine was shut off.  It left about a 3/4 inch gap.  This process took about 12 minutes.

Once the right consistency is achieved, mix in the nuts.  Then pour into the prepared pan and let cool.  Once cool, pull on parchment paper to take out of pan and cut into desired shapes.  Then it is ready to serve.  Cover tightly and refrigerate to store.

Tips and Notes:

1. This does give your food processor a work out, it did get very warm.
2. My mom used to serve 1 inch by 1 inch pieces of fudge, these pieces are between 1/2 to 3/4 an inch thick
3. You can use a towel dampened with cold water to place around the outside of the processor bowl to speed up the thickening process of the candy.
4.  I did not take out the zest and let the food processor grind it up to blend into the fudge
5.  Taste batter before opting for the lemon extract, for strength of flavor is a personal preference
6.   I monitored the progression of the candy changes in the consistency by periodically stopping and watching the movement of the batter when machine was of as well as tasting and getting a "mouthfeel" of the texture.
7. Once batter is in pan, it sets up fast, so do not delay in spreading it out.
8. Statement from recipe says"not easily doubled but can be frozen"
                      LAST YEAR:Jalapeno Cheese Squares**

    

Bleeding Heart Cakes

Well it has been some time since I used my spike pan, so I decided to pull it out for another go round.  This particular recipe has a little bit more work to it than just regular cupcakes, but I think it is well worth it.

The batter comes together with a mix of blood orange juice and zest, ground pecans, cinnamon and orange liqueur.  The inside heart is a blood orange segment that is coated in a mix of cinnamon sugar and pecans.  On top is a dusting of confectioners sugar and piped lattice icing with the flavor of blood oranges and cinnamon.

I really do like the distinctive taste of blood oranges. These little cakes definitely give you a pop of that great flavor with the orange segment cooked inside. This recipe makes a little over 1 1/2 dozen.

Bleeding Heart Cakes
by flourtrader

Ingredients/Filling
13 blood orange segments, pith and membrane removed
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup ground pecans (I used a blender to grind mine)
1/4 cup sugar

To prepare your filling, line a baking sheet with waxed paper.  In a shallow bowl, mix together cinnamon, pecans and sugar.  Cut each segment in half, cutting the width.  Then roll each piece in the cinnamon mixture and place on the baking sheet.  Place in fridge while the rest is prepared.

Ingredients/ Cake batter
1/2 cup orange liqueur ( I used Grand Marnier)
1/2 cup blood orange juice
2 tbs blood orange zest
1/2 cup ground pecans
3/4 cup butter, room temp
3 eggs, whites and yolks separated
2 cups sugar
4 tsp baking powder
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare spike pans by greasing top edges of cavities and putting in cupcake liners, letting the spike poke through the center.

 In a medium size bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir in the ground nuts.  Set aside.  In another bowl, cream together the sugar, orange zest and butter.  Then beat in the egg yolks one by one.

In a small bowl stir together the orange liqueur and the orange juice.

Then fold in 1/3 of the sifted ingredients into the sugar mixture.  Mix in 1/2 of the orange liqueur and juice mixture.  Continue with the same mixing process, ending with the last third of the sifted ingredients.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Then fold the whites into the batter.  Using a scoop, fill each of the cupcake cavities with a heaping tablespoon of batter.  Then take the orange segments from the fridge and slide a piece onto the spike so it just touches the top of the batter.  Segment should be on its side rather than upright.  After all the segments are spiked, place another scoop of batter on top.  Cavity should be about 3/4 full.

Place pan in oven and bake for 12-18 minutes or until tester (poked outside of the orange segment in the center) comes out clean.  Mine took exactly 15 minutes.  Remove pan and let cool for 1 minute and then transfer to rack to finish cooling.

Ingredients/Lattice Icing
2-3 tbs blood orange juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbs grated zest
1 cup powdered sugar (more for dusting)
3-4 drops of red food coloring
Stir together cinnamon and zest in a small bowl.  Sift in the confectioners sugar, then add 1 tbs orange juice and stir.  Add red food coloring and more orange juice until it reaches the desired consistency and color.  I used a squirt bottle to make the lattice, so my icing was not as thick as you would need if you piped it.

Once cupcakes are cool, dust with powdered sugar and frost, making a design on top of the cupcake with the icing.

             LAST YEAR: Boardwalk Cinnamon Rolls

Banana Nut and Dulce De Leche Coffeecake

I know, there is nothing here that says Valentines.  However in my defense, I have to say I had a few festive posts last week. Also me and the hubs already had a nice intimate celebration on Saturday, so even though it has not passed by on the calendar, Valentine's day has already ended for me.

This particular recipe I am very pleased with.  The cake part is fluffy and moist, bursting with banana flavor.  To add to that, there is crunchy pecan streusel on top that is finalized with a drizzling of dulce de leche.  The best way to enjoy this is served slightly warm. Cold or cool Dulce de Leche just does not have the save flavor effect on the cake as it does warmed.

Also, I wanted to give a shout out of thanks to The Purple Spoon for recently passing on the Liebster award to me.  I have been given this award a time or two but it always gives me a feeling of honor as well as happiness.  This particular blogger is involved in catering wedding events and is a specialty dessert wholesaler.  All of her talent is definitely reflected in her blogging as well.  A few of the treasures I found on her site are the Butterfinger Brownie Bars and the Lime Blackberry Meringue Cupcakes.  I am sure you are bound to find something inspiring on her site, so stop on over and meet The Purple Spoon.

Banana Nut and Dulce De Leche Coffee Cake
adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbs vanilla extract
3/4 cup butter, softened and cut into cubes
1/4 cup of butter, softened and cut into cubes
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 3/4 cup of flour
1 cup toasted chopped pecans
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 (13.4 oz) can of Dulce de Leche

Prepare a 9X13 inch pan by greasing and lining the bottom and two long sides (with overhang) with parchment paper.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together 2 1/4 cups of the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Then stir in the granulated sugar until evenly distributed.   Using a pastry cutter, blend 3/4 cup of the cubed butter into the flour mixture.  Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together eggs, mashed banana, vanilla extract and sour cream together.  Then fold into flour mixture, making sure no dry streaks remain.  Do not over mix.  Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth it out so the batter is even.

In a small bowl, stir together remaining 1/2 cup of flour with the brown sugar.  Then cut in the last of the butter chunks (1/4 cup) with a pastry cutter until no dry ingredients remain.  Then blend in pecans, using clean hands or a fork.  Your mixture should resemble large clumps. Sprinkle streusel mixture evenly over batter.

Place Dulce de Leche in a microwave safe bowl.  Heat in microwave for about a minute, stopping and stirring about every 30 seconds.  Continue with that process until it reaches drizzling consistency.  I had a hard time getting it to that stage, so after about 2 minutes I just put it into a squirt bottle.  Drizzle or squirt warmed mixture on top of the streusel.

Place in oven and bake until a tester (poked into section that has no Dulce de Leche on top) comes out clean. Streusel topping should have just started to brown  Baking time is about 35-38 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool in pan 5 minutes.  Then pull cake out of pan with overlapping parchment paper and place on flat surface.  Cut quickly with a sharp knife dipped in hot water.  Knife should be cleaned and re-dipped at cutting intervals because of the sticky topping.  Serve warm. 
                 **LAST YEAR: Loca Luna's Turtle Cake**

Mudslide Brownies

I know that these brownies look kind of like layered fudge, but do not let that fool you.  Between the espresso, vodka, coffee liqueur and chocolate covered coffee beans-they are far from that!

Let me tell you now, this is ultra rich and fudgey, so dieters beware.  Also, if you are an insomniac, this will only promote your problem.  The coffee and chocolate is sure to keep you up for hours.

Overall I was well pleased with the recipe.  The only issue I had was that the chocolate covered coffee beans were not that easy to grind and then they did not stick to the frosting, even though I did press down on the top after sprinkling.

Mudslide Brownies
adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients/Brownie Layer
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
2 tsp espresso powder
2 tbs coffee liqueur
4 (1 ounce) unsweetened chocolate baking squares
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/2 tsp salt

Ingredients/Topping-Frosting
2  1 ounce squares of unsweetened baking chocolate
2 tbs butter
2 tsp espresso powder
2 tbs vodka
2 tbs whipping cream or half and half
2 tbs coffee liqueur
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup of chopped chocolate covered coffee beans (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9X13 inch pan.  Then line pan with aluminum foil and grease the face up side of the foil inside the pan.

Sift together the flour and salt and set aside.  In another bowl beat eggs and then add both sugars, stirring until blended.

Take a small saucepan and place over low heat.  Add butter and chocolate squares, stirring until all is melted and blended.  Remove from heat and stir into the sugar/egg mixture.  Once that has been blended, mix in the coffee liqueur and the espresso powder.

Fold in the sifted ingredients until no dry streaks remain and then stir in the pecans.  Fill prepared pan with batter and smooth the top, making sure that it is all even.  Place pan in oven and bake until brownies are set on top, about 20-25 minutes.  Remove pan and place on rack, brownies should remain in pan to completely cool.

To make the frosting, place chocolate squares and butter in small saucepan over low heat.  Stir periodically until the mixture is completely melted.  Pour mixture into a medium size bowl.  Add all vodka.,whipping cream, chocolate liqueur and espresso powder, stir until all is blended.  Lastly, place a sifter over the bowl and sift in powdered sugar in 1/4 cup increments, beating mixture after each addition.

Once you have come to the desired consistency of your frosting, spread evenly over the cooled brownies. If desired, sprinkle chopped chocolate covered espresso beans over the top and press lightly to adhere to frosting.  Once frosting is set, remove brownies from pan using the aluminum foil lining.  Then cut with a sharp knife to serve.
.

Cinnamon Topped Immortality Bars

The name of these particular bars are based on Chinese mythology that the consumption of peaches will give you longevity.  The legendary effects were depicted in a novel called "The Journey to the West" in which the protector of the peaches learned that a single peach would add 1000 years to your life.  1000 years is a long time...makes you wonder what a thousand year old person would even look like.  The youthful thing would have be included with the 1000 years to make it even worth while to me!

These particular bars are a cakey bar.  The base is made of a blend of peaches and peach schnapps.  Toasted pecans were included to add texture as well as another level of taste.  It is all topped off with cinnamon powdered sugar.  The peach flavor is more evident if eaten the second day.

Cinnamon Topped Immortality Bars
by flourtrader

Ingredients
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen peaches (thawed)
1/4 cup peach schnapps
1 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease the inside of a 10 inch springform pan.

Sift together flour, salt and baking powder.  Set aside.  In a food processor, add peaches and peach schnapps and puree together.

In a separate bowl, cream together shortening and brown sugar.  Stir in peach puree mix and vanilla extract, beating until all is blended well.  Then fold in sifted ingredients until no dry streaks remain.  Then fold in nuts.

Spoon batter into springform pan.  Using a spatula, smooth the batter evenly on top.  Then place pan in oven.  My pan was dark so baking time was 20 minutes, if you use a clear or light pan the baking time may be more.  Bars are done when tester comes out clean.

While bars are baking, put powdered sugar and cinnamon in a zip lock bag and seal.  Shake well to mix.  Set aside.

Once the bars are done, remove the pan and let cool about 10 minutes.  Then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture over the top and remove ring.  Let bars cool completely and then cut to serve.

Just a note to say that I will be away tomorrow taking care of some business that I have been putting off for some time now.  I should be back sometime on Wednesday to post, hopefully before noon.  I will be positive and say things should be back to normal by Thursday.

Double Nut Drenched Chocolate Cake

I am so excited about this layer cake.  This is actually the first one I have made in a long time and I was able to cut the recipe down to make a 6 inch round cake.  The size is just perfect for small gatherings.

I found the taste of this cake to be unforgettably delicious!  Between the Frangelico liqueur, hazelnuts, two flavor layers and the fudgy pecan topping, I decided that this is one of my favorites.  While I usually prefer the Bundt style cakes, the cake layers in this one are so flavorful it has changed my general thoughts in  regards to layer cakes.  This is one I will be making again.

The recipe below is as originally stated for 3 round 8 inch cake layers.  While the cake is not supposed to be frosted on the sides, but 1/3 of the topping between the layers were to much in my opinion.  I cut it back and had extra to frost the sides.  Also, the cooling time in the pan of 10 minutes was not enough.  It released better after it cooled for about 17 minutes, but my cakes were only 6 inches instead of 8.  Cooling time in the pan on an 8 inch layer cake may take more time.

Double Nut Drenched Chocolate Cake
adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients
1/4 cup of vinegar
3/4 cup water
1 tbs vanilla extract
1/2 cup hazelnut liqueur (I used frangelico)
2 eggs
3/4 cup butter
2 cups light brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cup cocoa (I used Dutch)
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts

Ingredients/Chocolate Topping
1 lb of butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 four ounce dark chocolate bars, chopped or 3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans


Prepare 3 eight inch cake pans by greasing all the inside and line the bottom with wax paper.  Grease top side of paper and dust all of the inside with flour.  Set aside.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In one bowl, sift together baking soda, flour and salt.  In a second bowl, mix water and vinegar.  Place the butter in a third bowl and beat with a mixer until smooth and creamy.  Add the brown sugar to the butter in three increments, beating  30 seconds after each addition.  Beat in 1 egg until evenly distributed and add the last egg, beating again.

Fold 1/3 of the sifted ingredients into the butter batter.  Pour in half of the vinegar water mixture and stir until all is blended into the batter.  Continue with the same process, ending with the sifted mixture.  Lastly, stir in the vanilla and hazelnuts.

Measure out batter and divide into thirds.  This process will insure that your layers will be even.  Fill 1 pan with 1/3 of the batter and smooth the top.  Fill another one, smoothing the top also.  On the last of the batter, fold in the cocoa until evenly distributed.  Then fill the last prepared cake pan with the cocoa batter and smooth the top..

Bake until tester comes out clean, which should be about 19-21 minutes.  Remove pans from the oven and let cool on rack for 15-20 minutes.  Then invert onto rack and peel wax paper off of the layers.  Let layers cool completely.

Brush the top surface of all layers with hazelnut liqueur.

To make the topping, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Then stir in chocolate until all is melted and smooth.  Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.  Blend in the nuts and extract until evenly distributed.  Let mixture cool and set up to frosting consistency.  This should take about 45-60 minutes.  I placed mine in the fridge and it went from runny to thick in about 20 minutes. If you do refrigerate, keep a close eye on it because you do not want it too thick for you will tear the cake while trying to frost.

To assemble, one white cake layer should be placed face down on cake round or surface.  Then frost only the center,not the sides, with 1/3 of the topping. If you find that 1/3 is too thick for your preference, cut it back some and then after you do the layers you can frost the sides with the remaining topping.  Place the chocolate layer on top and frost the surface with another 1/3 of the topping.  Then place the last layer on top and frost the surface with the last third of the topping.

Let cake set for about 3-4 hours before slicing. 

Alex's Labyrinth Coffeecake

History indicates that it was Alexander the Great that discovered plantains.  Since this cake is filled with a maze or labyrinth of plantain puree, I felt the above name of this coffeecake to be very fitting.

Now, to describe the components of this coffeecake.  The cake part is airy and sweet, pretty much typical for most yeasted coffeecakes. The filling, however, is what usually makes a cake like this stand out.  To create the filling, plantains are cooked in a pan of butter, brown sugar and brandy.  Then they are pureed with all the syrup from the pan along with some ground cinnamon and vanilla extract.  The filling is smoothed onto the dough and then topped with toasted pecans and rolled up.  The top of the coffeecake laden with powdered sugar streusel.

The cake part has that light and airy texture with a touch of sweetness. You can taste the plantain filling along with the kick of brandy.  The filling is not too sweet because I wanted to retain a stronger, more natural taste of the plantains.  Should you want more sweetness, you can sprinkle more brown sugar onto the filling prior to rolling it up.

Alex's Labyrinth Coffeecake
by flourtrader

Ingredients/Filling
3 ripe plantains
1/4 cup plus 2 tbs butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups of chopped toasted pecans for sprinkling
extra brown sugar for sprinkling (optional)

To make filling:
 Place a saucepan over medium high heat and melt butter and add peeled plantains.  Lightly brown plantains, turning once.  Remove from heat and turn heat to low.   In a separate bowl, mix together the brandy, vanilla and cinnamon.  Place the saucepan over the low heat and add sugar.  Then pour in the brandy spice mixture. Turn heat to medium and cover plantains.  Cook for 30 minutes, turning and shifting plantains from time to time until the syrup gets thicker.  Remove from heat and let cool.

After plantains have cooled, place in food processor and pour in the pan syrup.  Pulse for about 2 minutes or until the mixture becomes a smooth paste.  Empty paste into a bowl and cover.  Place bowl in fridge while preparing bread dough for coffeecake.

Ingredients/Bread
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tbs rapid rise yeast
1 cup or 2 sticks of butter, softened and cubed
1/3 cup non fat dry milk
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup of sugar
2 1/2-3 cups of  regular flour
2 1/2 cups bread flour

Ingredients/Topping
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup flour
4 tbs butter

Generously grease a 10 inch tube pan and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the warm water and the yeast.  Let sit for about 2-3 minutes to dissolve and foam up.  Then whisk in eggs, sugar, salt, dry milk, vanilla extract and lemon juice.  Add the butter pieces and all of both types of flour.  Using a paddle attachment, beat the ingredients on low speed  for about 3 minutes or until combined.  You will have a sticky clump. Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes.

Change the batter blade in the mixer to a dough hook and knead the dough for 12 minutes on low speed.  You will need to periodically add some flour during this time to help create a smooth dough.  The dough will get to the point where it is no longer sticking to the side of the bowl.

Preheat the oven to 100 degrees and turn it off once it reaches that temperature. Place the dough in a well greased bowl and dot the outside of the bowl with a piece of the dough, marking where the dough level is inside the bowl. Cover with a towel and place inside the oven.  Let rise until dough has doubled in size, which should take about 45-60 minutes.

After the first rise, remove the dough from the bowl, punch down and place on a smooth, floured surface.  Cover with a towel and let rest for 10 minutes. While that is resting, remove plantain puree from fridge.

Then roll out dough into a 20 inch square.  Using a knife, or clean hands, smooth plantain puree on the surface of the dough.  Then sprinkle with toasted pecans and lightly press down so they stick onto the filling.  Should you want your filling to be sweeter, sprinkle a layer of brown sugar over the layer of nuts and press down lightly again.  Then roll up dough in jelly roll fashion.  Place dough in tube pan, arranging so it is fairly even, without a large overlap.

Now it is time to make the topping.  Whisk together flour and powdered sugar and cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Preheat oven again to 100 degrees and turn off when temperature is met.  Brush the top of the dough with the beaten egg and then sprinkle with the topping. Lightly press down crumbs so they adhere to the dough. Then tear open one side of a gallon zip lock bag and place over the bowl of dough.  Put pan in oven and let dough rise until it is 1 inch over the top of the pan.  This should take about 45-60 minutes.

Once the second rise is completed, remove pan of dough from oven.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place pan of dough on top.  Put in preheated oven and let bake 50-70 minutes or until golden brown.  Mine took about 60 minutes.  Remove baked coffeecake from oven and let cool on pan about 20 minutes.  Then invert cake onto baking sheet and then invert again onto serving platter. Slice and serve warm or cold.
                                       **LAST YEAR: Key Lime Bars**

Hawaiian Zephyr Cupcakes

These cupcakes get their name because of two things.  The first thing-pineapple, it makes me think of Hawaii.  I remember staying on the island of Kauai and the place had no air conditioning, just these big windows with shutters.  You could open the shutters and get a nice cool breeze.  The gentle breeze, or zephyr, is the second thing.

This cupcake is very moist and gets its pineapple flavor from pineapple soda in the batter as well as pineapple juice that it brushed on over the top while the cupcake is still warm.  The top has a honey rum glaze sprinkled with toasted pecans.  Also, the crowning touch is a dollup of cinnamon whipped cream with fresh pineapple bits on top.

I am very happy with the results and I will definitely be making these again! The recipe makes about 1 dz cupcakes.

Also, thanks to all of you that voted me in to Top 9 yesterday, it made my day!
Hawaiian Zephyr Cupcakes
by flourtrader

Ingredients/Cupcakes
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 cup pineapple soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 tbs butter, cubed
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
pineapple juice (drained from 8 oz can of pineapple tidbits)

Ingredients/Glaze
3 tbs honey
2 tbs rum
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup toasted ground pecans

Ingredients/topper
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tbs sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
8 oz can of drained pineapple tidbits

For cupcakes, grease the top edge of muffin cavities and fill with paper liners.

Sift together baking soda, salt, baking powder and flour.  Whisk in sugar and set aside.   Take out a small saucepan and fill with butter cubes and soda.  Place over medium heat and cook until the butter is melted and mixture starts to boil.  Remove from heat and let cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Also place a cooling rack over a sheet of wax paper, making sure all the space below the rack is covered.

In a small bowl, beat together egg, buttermilk and the vanilla extract.  Set aside.  Then pour the cooled pineapple butter into the flour blend.  Stir with a wooden spoon until no dry streaks remain.  Lastly, blend the buttermilk/egg mixture into the batter.

Pour the batter evenly into the 12 liners.  Each liner should be about 2/3 full.  Place in oven and bake until tester comes out clean, which is about 15-20 minutes. Once baked, let cool in pan for about 2 minutes then remove and place on cooling rack.

Using a pastry brush, brush the pineapple juice over the tops of the warm muffins.  Let soak in and then brush a second layer over the top.  Let cupcakes cool completely before glazing.

To prepare the glaze, fill a small sauce pan with honey and rum.  Place over medium heat and let come to a simmer.  Remove and add powdered sugar.  Stir with a wooden spoon until no dry streaks remain and then beat for 2 minutes to make sure all the powdered sugar lumps are dissolved.

Then dip the tops of the cooled cupcakes in the glaze, making sure the excess drips off before placing upright on cooling rack. You may have to tip the saucepan to get complete coverage.  Also, when you get down to the last one or two, you may have to pour the glaze onto the cupcakes because there is not enough to dip the cupcake into.

After they all are glazed, sprinkle with the toasted pecans. It will take a few hours for the glaze to set.

The topper is something you will want to do right before serving.  Fresh fruit as well as whipped cream is better when eaten right away than stored in the fridge for hours.

In a small bowl beat cream, sugar and cinnamon together until soft peaks form.  Place a dollup or pipe the cream onto the center of the top of the cupcake.  Then place a few pieces of pineapple tidbits on top.  Now they are ready to serve!
                                          **LAST YEAR: Chinese Chews**            

Avocado Bread

This is one of those recipes that has a hidden ingredient with health benefits..  This is a recipe for a sweet bread that contains avocados and pecans.  You would never know by the taste that an avocado is in there.  I enjoy avocados, but I am sure I would benefit more by having them more often.  However, there are a number of people that do not like avocados.   Those that do not, will enjoy this bread and you can be happy that you slipped them some healthy avocado!

For those that do not know the benefits of avocados, below is a list of a few:
-aids in preventing breast cancer
-contains cataract preventing substance
-rich in folic acid which protects the heart
-helps prevent hypertension

This recipe makes one loaf.  The author suggest cutting the bread thin and serving with cream cheese spread.  The cream cheese spread is made with soft cream cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice. You can add as much or as little of the lemon ingredients, according to your own taste preference. This is a great item for afternoon tea or paired with a fruit salad.

Before I get into the recipe, this is a reminder that it is Veterans Day.  Please take a moment and think about all the sacrifices of our troops have made in the past and present. We currently have troops deployed in four countries: Bahrain, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.  

Avocado Bread
adapted from Judy Gorman's Vegetable Cookbook

Ingredients
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg (room temp)
1 mashed avocado
1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar

Grease the inside of a 9X5 inch loaf pan and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Sift together the flour, salt , baking soda and baking powder.  Then stir in the sugar and set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat together the avocado and the egg until smooth.  Add the buttermilk and blend with a wooden spoon.  Fold this batter into the flour mixture until no dry streaks remain.  Fold in the pecans.

Spoon mixture into prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top so it is all even.  Place in oven and bake until tester comes out clean, about 50 minutes to 1 hour.   Remove from oven, invert onto a rack and invert again.  Let cool completely before cutting and serving.
                               **LAST YEAR: Miss Grace Lemon Bundt Cake**

Penguin Eggs

I have had the idea of this frosty treat floating around in my head for awhile.  The whole thing that was causing the delay was how to assemble these.  I first tried to do them on cones which ended up kind of a mess.  In the end I did them as scoops. However, next time around I will try using a mini ball pan for a better shaped dessert.

You are probably wondering exactly what these are.  They are a scoop of vanilla cream cheese ice cream with a lemon curd center.  The shell is a mixture of dark chocolate and pecans.  The ice cream is not that far from cream cheese, so it does have a smoother consistency than regular ice cream.  I really like how well the flavors go together in this dish.  The creamy inside with a burst of tart lemon is wonderful enough, but add the rich nut studded chocolate coating and you really have the makings of an awesome treat.  This recipe makes 10 servings or half "eggs".

Penguin Eggs
by fhourtrader

Ingredients/Ice Cream
8 oz softened cream cheese
2 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbs vanilla extract or 1 1/2 tsp ground vanilla beans
3/4 cup lemon curd

Ingredients/Coating
1 12 oz bag semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tbs shortening
3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

 For ice cream, prepare a baking sheet by lining with wax paper and placing in freezer.
Pour the heavy cream into  a medium size bowl and whip until soft peaks form and set aside.  In another bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar together.  Then add the cream cheese and vanilla extract, beating until all is blended.  Lastly, fold in the heavy cream until evenly distributed.  Place in ice cream machine and follow manufacturer's instructions.

Once the ice cream is thick enough to scoop (I did not have to freeze after using my machine, it set up pretty fast), take the baking sheet out of the freezer.  Then use an ice cream scoop and scoop the ice cream and smooth the top level with the edges of the scoop.  Take the end of a wooden spoon and make a big hole in the center of the ice cream, about 1/2 the depth of the scoop.  Then fill with the lemon curd.

Invert the scoop and place the mound of ice cream onto the baking sheet.  Continue with this process until all the ice cream has been placed in mounds.  Then put baking sheet back in freezer.

After the scoops have been in the freezer for an hour, you can make your topping. Place all topping ingredients in the top of double boiler and stir until all the chocolate is melted. Remove top pan from boiler.

Then remove baking sheet from the freezer and spoon chocolate topping on the mounds, covering completely.  Place back in the freezer for at least 3 hours.  To serve, peel mound off of wax paper and place on chilled plates.
                                    **LAST YEAR: Sugar Shuttle Cookies**

Tribal Spirit Squares

One of the main ingredients in these squares is pecans.  In reading about the history on this nut,  I found out that Native American Indian tribes thrived on these, sometimes eating nothing but pecans for a solid two months. They also believed the pecan to have spiritual value.

Now that you know the origin of the name, the start of this recipe was an intention to make a breakfast type of dish. I came upon some butter pecan syrup in the store and  I could not resist, so I purchased it. Syrup on pancakes is not really that creative, so I went to work on trying to incorporate the syrup in a baked good and that is the starting point of the recipe.

In addition to syrup, there is ground toasted pecans as an ingredient.  The squares are baked in an 8x8 pan.  Due to the high amount of liquid, it sunk slightly in the middle.  That was ok, because it created a variety in the texture.  The servings cut from the edge were more fluffy while the inner ones turned out to be more moist, almost like a bar type of baked good. It is a cross between a cake and a bar.  If you like all things pecan, then I am sure that you will enjoy these squares.

Should you have another favorite nut in mind, feel free to substitute it along with the matching flavor syrup.  These syrups are the ones marketed for flavoring coffee, but I am sure they will do fine in this recipe.

Tribal Spirit Squares
by flourtrader

Ingredients
1 cup ground toasted pecans
1 cup of butter pecan syrup
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbs sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
confectioners sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Grease the inside of an 8X8 pan, line the bottom with parchment paper and grease face up side of parchment.

Cream together butter and both sugars.  Then add the syrup, vanilla  and egg and beat until well blended and smooth. Set aside.

In another bowl, sift together the flour and the baking soda.  Then fold the flour mixture and pecans into the batter until just combined.  Pour batter into pan and smooth the top, so the batter is even.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or tester comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan for 45 minutes.  Then invert onto a platter, peel off parchment paper and flip cake back over onto a rack to finish cooling.  Once completely cool, dust with confectioners sugar.  Now it is ready to cut into squares and serve. 
                           **LAST YEAR:Steakhouse Beer Bread**

Lucid Dream Bars

Have you ever had a dream and in the dream you realize it is a dream?  Experts on the subject will tell you that if this happens very often you can start to control exactly what happens in your dream.  I am not aware that I have had a lucid dream, but sometimes my thoughts prior to going to sleep may have had some influence.

The other night I was toying around with the idea of creating a recipe that had strawberry in it that had a strong enough flavor to work well with white chocolate. I did not want to use extract. As you know, white chocolate is quite sweet.   Anyhow, after falling asleep, waking up and then falling asleep again it came to me-canned strawberries in light syrup.

That is how this recipe came about.  It is very rich, having both white chocolate and cream cheese layers in it. Then to make it even better, it is filled with crushed canned strawberries and nuts.  Without the strawberries and nuts, the texture can best be described as a cross between white chocolate blondies and cheesecake.  The filling just adds another dimension of flavor.

You know some people say that dreamers are just people that can't face reality. To make sure you are not labeled as such, I have provided the recipe below so you can make these bars a reality in your own kitchen! :)

Lucid Dream Bars
by flourtrader

Ingredients
1 15 oz can of strawberries in light syrup
1 cup roasted chopped pecans
1 8 oz package of cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter
5 eggs
3 tsp vanilla extract
12 oz chopped white chocolate
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups flour

First, drain the can of strawberries and reserve 2 tbs of juice in a small bowl.  Using a fork or your fingers, crush the strawberries into smaller pieces and place pieces in a measuring cup of 1 cup capacity.  All you will need is one cup, if there is any strawberries left in the can, use them up as an ice cream topping. Cover both the strawberries and juice.  Place in fridge until needed.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a 9X13 cake pan by greasing the bottom. Then line with parchment paper, covering the bottom and leaving some to overhang on the long sides.  Grease the face up side of the parchment on the bottom of the pan.

Set up a double boiler and melt white chocolate chips together with the butter.  Once all is melted, pour into a large heat proof bowl. Beat in the additional ingredients of 1 1/2 cups sugar, 4 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract. 

In a smaller bowl, sift together baking powder, salt and flour.  Then fold into chocolate mixture and set aside.

Place the softened cream cheese, remaining 2 tsp of vanilla, remaining egg and remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in another bowl.  Beat until smooth.

To make the layers, pour half of the chocolate batter into the prepared pan.  Then sprinkle half of the pecans over the layer and drop 1/2 cup of  strawberry chunks evenly over layer.  Then drop the cream cheese on top by spoonfuls and use a knife to smooth it out evenly as best you can.  The cream cheese should cover the strawberries.

For the last layer, mix the nuts, strawberries and reserved 2 tbs of juice into the chocolate batter and pour it over the top.

Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes or until done. When done, you will see the toasted edges are starting to pull away from the pan and the whole surface should have a light crust.  Remove pan and place on rack to cool.  Once completely cool, lift out of pan and cut into squares.