Lemon Bars

 One of my favorite things about cooking and baking is that each season has something to look forward to in the kitchen. The summer brings overflowing  vegetable from the gardens and juicy stone fruit, the holidays are full of pumpkin and peppermint, and January brings an abundance of citrus to the table.   

We love to have a bowl of tangerines and oranges for snacking and fresh juice, limes are squeezed into fun cocktails, and lemons very quickly turn into these lemon bars. We have been making these for so many years I'm not sure where the original recipe came from, but I do know that they are a staple in January when we are looking for a sweet treat to highlight all the lemons we acquire!

Lemon Bars
Ingredients

2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons flour

½ cup powdered sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, soft or melted

4 eggs slightly beaten

2 cups sugar

6 tablespoons lemon juice

Zest of one lemon

1 teaspoon baking powder

Optional  1/2 -1 teaspoon citric acid 

Pre heat oven 350F.

Crust:

Butter and flour or line with a foil sling a 9x13 pan (quarter sheet pan)

In a food processor combine 2 cups flour, ½ cup powdered sugar, salt and butter. Pulse to mix. Press mixture evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

Filling:

In medium mixing bowl add eggs, beat with electric mixer to combine. Add sugar, lemon juice, zest, remaining 2 tablespoon flour, baking powder and citric acid is using. Beat until thoroughly combined. You can use the food process for the filing.  Pour over baked crust. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, until center is set and edges are golden.

Cool in pan. Sprinkle top with powdered sugar. Cut in desired size and sprinkle with more powdered sugar.

If your lemons are not tart enough add ½- 1 teaspoon citric acid (fruit fresh) to the filling.

For easier cutting line baking pan with a foil sling, (Line pan with 2 sheets of foil - one down the length of the pan extending  over the ends and the other over the width extending over the sides.) spray with PAM. When the bars are cooled, lift the sling out of the pan to a flat surface for cutting.
 printable recipe

Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake

One of my favorite things about the holiday season is all the kitchen traditions we have made over the years. We always have Indian Pudding on Thanksgiving, Mrs. A's meatballs on Christmas Eve, and days upon days of cookie baking and decorating. We've been making this pumpkin coffee cake for many years, and it is the perfect thing to have around for breakfast with a cup of coffee, or as an afternoon snack while decorating our mountains of cookies. 

The basic recipe comes from the Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts and  we have added a few twists to make it our own. The cake is moist and soft, and full of the fall spices that make everything so fragrant and delicious. While we find it pretty much perfect as is, this simple cake is easily adaptable; throw in a handful of chocolate chips or dried cranberries to start your own kitchen tradition.

Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake
adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts
 

1 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans

Topping

3/4 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans

Icing:
1 1/2 cups powder sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt
2-3 tablespoons milk

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray.

Make streusel topping:

In a medium bowl, with your fingers blend the first 5 ingredients together, making a moist crumble. Add the nuts and mix to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of your mixer cream together the butter and sugar, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla and pumpkin puree and continue to beat until thoroughly mixed.  Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves and allspice. Add to the pumpkin mixture and mix until combined then fold in the nuts. Pour batter in prepared pan, smooth top and sprinkle streusel topping evenly over the top
.
Bake in for 40 -50 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool.

When cake has cooled mix together icing ingredients in a small bowl, adding enough milk so that icing drizzles from your spoon. Drizzle the icing over the cooled cake. (I put the icing in a sandwich bag, snip off the corner and drizzle away)
Printable recipe

 

Enjoy!

  
Link:Foodie Friday

Pumpkin Whoopies Pies

In our house we love the flavors of fall, from pumpkin breads and muffins,apple tarts, to cranberry,and our favorite pear pie. While we are lucky enough to have our summer weather last well into September, it does make our fall season seem a little short. It feels like just a quick month before we are already into our Christmas cookies and peppermint treats. We try our best to get in plenty of fall baking, and these pumpkin whoopie pies are a great way to celebrate the cooler days and changing leaves. 

These cake sandwich cookies really deliver on the fall flavors. They are full of pumpkin and warm spices, and the sweet and tangy cream cheese filling makes these almost like an inside out cupcake, that is portable and easy to eat. 

The recipe for these came from the Baked Cookbook, and the guys behind the famous bakery explain that cold pumpkin is key to making these whoopie pies. It makes your whoopies easier to scoop and gives them a domed top, so be sure to plan ahead for these. The cookies and filling can both be made ahead and stored separately for a day or two, and will also last a few days assembled in the refrigerator.  I made 1/2 the recipe and using my tablespoon scoop I got 18 whoopies (36 cookies)

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Baked New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

Whoopies pies
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon ginger
1 tablespoon cloves
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups chilled pumpkin purée
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt (my addition)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats

In a large bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, and set aside.

In a separate bowl whisk together the brown sugar and oil, until combined. Add pumpkin purée and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.

Sprinkle flour mixture over the pumpkin and whisk until completely combined.

Use a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism to droop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about one inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are just starting to crack on the top and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cookie comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on the pan while you make the filling.

Make the filling:

Sift powdered sugar into a medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until it is completely smooth, with no visible lumps. Add cream cheese and beat until combined. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and pinch of salt and beat until smooth. Be careful not to over beat the filling or it will loose its structure. (The filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cover the bowl tightly and put it in the refrigerator. Let filling soften at room temperature before using)

Assemble the whoopie pies:
Turn half of the cookies upside down (flat side facing up). Use an ice cream scoop or tablespoon to drop a large dollop of filling onto the flat side of the cookies. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookies. Repeat until all the cookies are used. Put the whoopie pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up before serving. The whoopie pies will keep for up to 3 days, in a tightly covered container, in the refrigerator.
printable recipe

Foodie Friday

Brazilian Chocolate Truffles and A New Cookbook

A new cookbook, Sprinkles! Recipes and Ideas for Rainbowlicious Desserts by Jackie Alpers is is hitting the shelves this week. At Mimi's kitchen we love sprinkles so this book was made for us. You don't have to be an avid baker to enjoy using this book; there are plenty of ideas for food projects that don't require baking. This book is beautifully photographed, full of vibrant colors that making each recipe come to life.

 From martini's to candy Jackie has a sprinkle idea. The best part is that you can customize any sprinkle recipe to your event. Use holiday colors, team colors, favorite shapes... the options are endless! 

We chose to make these Brazilian Chocolate Truffles because they were something completely new to us and sounded delicious. With only 3 pantry ingredients, plus your choice of sprinkles, a recipe can't get any easier or faster. These chewy, chocolatey candies had a flavor reminiscent of homemade stovetop chocolate pudding, which we absolutely loved. They were rich without being too sweet and the coating of sprinkles added a nice bit of texture. We will definitely make these again, maybe with a pinch of espresso powder or cayenne pepper, and change up the sprinkles for a fun festive look this coming holiday season. 

 Brazilian Chocolate Truffles
Sprinkles! Recipes and Ideas for Rainbowlicious Desserts

1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan and hands
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sprinkles.

 1. Coat a large shallow pan or platter with butter or cooking spray (I used an 8 inch square pan). In a large saucepan bring condensed milk, cocoa powder, and butter to a boil, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula (I also added a pinch of salt) . Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. It should have the consistency of thick frosting. 
2. Pour mixture into prepared pan; let cool completely and become firm (you can refrigerate it to speed up the process). 
3. Grease your hands with butter and shape pieces into 1 to 11/2 inch balls. Roll each ball in sprinkles. Place on waxed paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Foodie Friday

Apple Pie Cake

As many cookbooks as I have and love, there is always room for another one on my shelf. A while ago I added the Momofuku Milk Bar bookbook to my collection, and I love the way Christina Tossi takes an innovative approach to desserts. There are so many variations on the same desserts in different cookbooks, but her recipes really take classic flavors and bring them to a whole new level. Because I love to spend time in the kitchen, I enjoy that her recipes are multi-step and more involved than most. However, despite the steps, the recipes are not difficult and can definitely be spread out over a few days before assembling the final product. 
To get into the fall spirit, this Apple Pie Cake recently graced our table after dinner with friends. It combines layers of brown butter cake with cream cheese and apple pie filling, with a bit of pie crust topping. It has all the familiar flavors of the fall favorite, apple pie, but presented in a new way. 

As much as her concepts are different, so are her methods. Tossi bakes her cakes in a sheet pan, then they are cut into layers. The bottom layer is put together from partial pieces, eliminating some waste. The cake layers are then assembled in a cake ring with the fillings in between. What you need to make this cake is a 6 inch ring mold and 2 3x20 inch strips of acetate. The acetate strips are use to line the inside of the cake ring, similar to the collar on a souffle dish. This make a 6 inch 3 layer cake that easily served 6.  I used a 6 inch spring form pan to assemble the layers and it made unmolding the finished cake fairly easy. I know that I will be flipping through this book any time I want some inspiration and a delicious, but fun to make, dessert!

Barely Brown Butter Cake

4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown butter
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
3 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Heat oven to 350 F.
2.Combine the butters and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream together on medium high for 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and mix on medium high 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Stream in the buttermilk, oil and vanilla on low speed. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for an additional 5 to 6 minutes. The mixture will be practically white, twice the size of your original mixture. DO NOT Under beat.
4. On low speed add the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Mix for 45 to 60 seconds, just until your batter comes together and all dry ingredients have been incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix on low speed for another 45 seconds.
5. Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment or use a silpat. Using a spatula spread the cake batter in an even layer in the pan, bake for 30-35 minutes.  the cake will rise and puff, doubling in size, but will remain buttery and dense.  At 30 minutes, gently poke the edge of the cake with your finger, the cake should bounce back slightly and the center should be set. if not leave in oven 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Take cake out of the oven and cool on a wire rack until cooled. The cooled cake can be stored in the fridge, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 5 days.

Liquid Cheesecake
8 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons milk
1 egg.

1. Heat oven to 300F
2. Put the cream cheese In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix on low speed for 2 minutes. scrape down the sides and add the sugar mix for 2 minutes, until the sugar has been completely incorporated.
3. Whisk together the cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk, then whisk in the egg until completely incorporate.
4. With the mix on medium-low speed, stream in the egg slurry. Mix for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and loose, scrape down the  bowl as necessary.
5. line the bottom and sides of a 6x6 baking pan with plastic wrap.  Pour the cheesecake batter into the pan, put the pan in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes. Gently shake the pan.  the cheesecake should be firmer and more set towards the edges of the pan, but still be jiggly and loose in the center. If jiggly all over bake an additional 5 minutes and check again.
6.Cool the cheesecake completely, to finish the baking process and allow the cheesecake to set. Once cool, the cheesecake can be stored in the fridge for 1 week.

Apple Cider Soak
1/4  cup apple cider
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
pinch cinnamon
Whisk together in a small bowl until sugar completely dissolves.

 Apple Pie Filling
1 lemon
2 medium granny smith apples
1 tablespoon butter
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Fill a medium bowl halfway with cold water. Juice the lemon into it.
2. Peel apples, then half and quarter them. Put each apple quarter on its side and cut a small slice down the length to remove the seeds and core. Cut each quarter length wise into thirds  and crosswise into fourths, transfer the 12 pieces to the lemon water.
3. Drain lemon water from apples, and combine them  in a small sauce pan  with the butter, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Over medium heat bring to a boil, stiring gently so as not to break up the apples. Cook for 3- 5 minutes until soft, but not applesauce.  Remove from heat and cool. Once cooled the filling can be refrigerated in an air tight container for 1 week.

Pie crumb
1 1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons water

1. Heat oven to  350F
2. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix on low speed.  Add the butter and water and paddle on low speed until the mixture starts to come together in small clusters.
4. Spread the clusters on a parchment or silpat lined sheet pan. Bake for 25 minutes, breaking them up occasionally. the crumbs should be golden brown and still slightly moist to the touch.
5. .Let the crumbs cool completely before using in a recipe. Crumbs can be stored in an air tight container for 1 week or a month in the fridge or freezer

Pie crumb frosting
1/2 recipe pie crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1. Combine pie crumbs, milk and salt in a blender, puree on medium high until smooth and homogeneous.
2. Combine butter and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a sand mixer with paddle attachment and cream on medium high for 2-3 minutes, until fluffy and pale yellow. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. On low speed and the contents of the blender. Beat for 1 minute. Increase speed to medium high and beat for 2 minutes. Mixture should be uniform, very pale,barely tan color, if not beat another minute or 2. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 week.

1  six inch cake ring
2-  3 inch wide and 20 inches long strips of acetate

Assembly:
1. Invert cooled cake on parchment line counter and peel off the parchment from he bottom of the cake.  Use the cake ring to cut out 2 circles from the cake,  these will be your top 2 layers.  The remaining cake scrap will come together to make the bottom layer of the cake.

Layer 1
place cake ring on parchment lined sheet pan, line the inside of the ring with one strip of the acetate.  Put the cake scrapes inside the ring and use the backs of your hand to tamp the scraps together into a flat even layer.
Dunk a pastry brush in the apple cider soak and give the layer of cake a good healthy soak with half the cider soak mix. Spread 1/2 of liquid cheesecake over the cake in an even layer. Sprinkle 1/3 of the pie crumbs evenly over the cheesecake layer. Pat in place. spread 1/2 of the apple pie filling evenly over the pie crumbs.

Layer 2
Tuck the second acetate strip between the cake ring and the top 1/4 inch of the first acetate strip, so now you have a clear ring of acetate that is 5-6 inches tall, it will support your cake.
Set a second layer of cake on top of the filing and repeat the process for layer one.

Layer 3
Top filling with remaining cake layer. Cover the top of the cake with 1/2 of the frosting and garnish with remaining pie crumbs.
Transfer the sheet pan to the freezer and freeze for 12 hours to set the cake and filling.
Three hour before serving remove the cake from the freezer. Pop the cake out of the cake ring and gently peel off the acetate. At this point I used the remaining frosting to frost the sides of the cake. Transfer cake to cake plate and defrost in the fridge until serving time.

Foodie Friday

Peanut Butter Torte

In our house, anything chocolate/peanut butter is pretty much guaranteed to be a winner, and this torte is no exception. It is the perfect dessert for summer as it is entirely make-ahead, and provides cool, creamy ending to a deliciously smokey and spicy barbecue meal.  

The recipe comes from my well used copy of  "Baking: From My Home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan. Since joining the Tuesdays with Dorie group, this book has become a family favorite. The book has everything from simple pound cakes to our favorite chocolate ice cream, and you can be sure that Dorie knows how to put together a chocolate peanut butter torte. While the recipe may look long and complicated, it's not difficult, and most definitely worth all the steps!

Peanut Butter Torte

Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dori Greenspan

1 1/4 cups chopped salted peanuts
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
24 Oreo cookies, finely crushed
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla (My addition)
2 tablespoons milk (I used 4 tablespoons) 
4 ounces bitter sweet chocolate, finely chopped

Pre heat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9 inch spring-form pan and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment.

Toss 1/2 cup of the chopped peanuts with the granulated sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and chocolate chips in a small bowl. Set aside.

Put Oreo crumbs, melted butter and salt in another small bowl and stir with a fork until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides (about 2 inches up the side) of the springform pan. Freeze crust for 10 minutes. Bake crust for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a rack and let it cool completely before filling.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, whip 2 cups of the cream until it holds medium peaks. Beat in 1/4 cup of the confectioners sugar and whip until the cream holds medium firm peaks. Scrape the cream into a bowl and refrigerate until needed.

In the same mixer bowl, using the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and remaining cup of confectioner's sugar on medium speed until cream cheese is satiny smooth. Beat in the peanut butter, 1/4 cup of the chopped peanuts, the milk and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula gently stir in about 1/4 of the whipped cream, just to lighten the mixture. Still working with the spatula, stir in the crunchy peanut mixture, then gingerly fold in the remaining whipped cream. Pour into the cooled crust, smooth the top. Refrigerate for at least four hours or overnight. 

To finish: Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a sauce pan of simmering water just until the chocolate softens and starts to melt, about 3 minutes ( or zap in the microwave for 30 seconds). Remove the bowl from the sauce pan and set aside. Bring remaining 1/2 cup cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and, working with a rubber spatula, very gently stir together until the ganache is completely blended and glossy. Pour the ganache over the torte, smoothing it with a metal icing spatula. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup chopped peanuts over the top and chill to set the topping about 20 minutes. Remove the sides of the springform pan (you may need to use warm towels wrapped around the pan to help loosen it), refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Link:Foodie Friday

Goat Cheese Nasturtium Ice Cream

I can never resist adding a new cookbook to my collection and I was lucky enough to be offered a copy of Cooking with Flowers by Miche Bacher of Mali B Sweets in New York. We live on a 1/2 acre with lots of fruit trees and a big vegetable garden, as well as lot of herbs and flowers. I love being able to grow some of our favorite fruits and veggies, and I was excited to be able to get some more use out of my garden, this time by using flowers as a fun new ingredient in my kitchen. 

This book is full of both sweet and savory recipes, and beautifully photographed. The recipes use a wide variety of flower, from your typical rose, all the way to violets, sunflowers, tulips and hollyhocks. Using flowers as food is the epitome of seasonal eating, as I had to choose my recipe based on what was in bloom, and that happened to be nasturtiums.

Nasturtiums have a peppery taste and I have used them in salads, but nothing more. We wanted to try the flowers in a way that was completely new to us, so we made the Goat Cheese Nasturtiums Ice Cream and the Nasturtiums Thumbprint Cookies.

 Both recipes were straightforward and easy to make. The thumbprint cookies used a nasturtium jam, but I didn't have time to make my own so I embellished some red currant jelly with nasturtium petals and white pepper. It added just the right bit of sweetness to the buttery, peppery shortbread cookie.

The goat cheese ice cream was smooth and creamy, with the distinct tang of goat cheese, but was still sweet enough to be called ice cream. It had a very light and refreshing feel, making it the prefect dessert for the upcoming hot summer nights. I know we will continue to flip through this book, and try new recipes based on what is blooming in my garden, and maybe even plant some new varieties of flowers to use in the kitchen.

Goat Cheese Nasturtium Ice Cream
Cooking With Flowers- Miche Bacher

8 ounces soft goat cheese
1 1/2 cups milk
2/3 cup sugar, divided
6 egg yolks
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup nasturtium petals, finely chopped.

1. Crumble goat cheese in a heat proof bowl.

2. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, warm the milk and half the sugar. Summer until sugar dissolves. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar and salt in a heat proof bowl. When the milk has absorbed the sugar but before it comes to a boil begin to temper your eggs by slowly pouring half the hot milk mixture over the yolk mixture, while whisking vigorously. Then slowly pour the egg- milk mixture back into saucepan, whisking vigorously. Heat the mixture until it coats the back of a spoon and the temperature reaches 160 F.

3. Slowly pour mixture over the goat cheese, whisking to fully dissolve and incorporate it. Fold in chopped flowers and chill mixture for at least 4  hours and up to overnight. (The flowers will release their essential oils when they absorb some of the residual heat from the cream.) Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer safe container and let harden in freezer until firm. Let ice cream sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.

 

Link: Foodie Friday
G'Day Saturday
 

Angel Food Cake

Angel food cake has long been a birthday favorite of Mr. Mimi. Conveniently, his birthday is in the summer when we always have plenty of egg whites left from using just the yolks in our ice cream making. As much as we like spending time on involved recipes, you just can't beat the simplicity of this cake. A few pantry staple transform into a soft and delicate cake, with flavors of vanilla and almond. It is perfect with juicy berries, ice cream, or fresh whipped cream. Our friend Mrs. A makes this cake every year at her 4th of July party since she knows how much Mr. Mimi enjoys it, but she covers her cake with a very decadent boiled chocolate fudge frosting that we all love, almost more than the cake itself.

Although there are minimal ingredients and just a few steps, angel food cake can be difficult to get right. I have tasted my fair share of tough, dry, bland cakes, but this recipe is the only one I use and it has never let me down. It comes from my well used 1950's Betty Crocker Cookbook. The pages are yellowed and filled with hand written notes from when I was a child I learning to cook with this cookbook. My copy was passed on to me from my mother and I will pass it along to Mimi Jr. someday, and I know she will continue making our favorite angel food cake for years to come. 

Angel Food Cake
Betty Crocker 

1 cup cake flour
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered (confectioner's) sugar *sift before measuring*
1 1/2 cups egg whites about 12
1 1/2 tsp. cream of tarter
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
3/4 cups granulated sugar

1. Pre heat oven to 375. Sift together the flour and powdered sugar, three times.
2. In a large bowl combine egg whites, cream of tarter, salt, vanilla and almond extract. Beat with an electric mixer using whisk attachment until foamy. Add granulated sugar one tablespoon at a time beating until meringue holds stiff peaks.
3. Sift the flour/sugar mixture over the meringue in 3 or 4 additions, gently folding it into the egg whites until flour just disappears before adding more flour.
4. Push the batter into an ungreased 10 inch tube pan. Gently cut the batter with a knife to release air pockets. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown and cake tests done, (tooth pick inserted in cake comes out clean). Remove from oven. Invert cake in pan and cool. When completely cool remove from pan and dust with powdered sugar or frost as desired.
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Link:Foodie Friday

Baileys Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Food is a fun way to celebrate pretty much every holiday, from bountiful Thanksgiving feasts to smoky ribs and juicy burgers on the 4th of July, and St. Patrick's Day is no exception in our house. We have made the classic corned beef dinner, roasted salmon, colcannon, Guinness braised meats, and multiple loaves of Irish soda bread, all in the spirit of creating a fun St. Patty's Day meal. As we are not a family to leave out dessert, many years ago I tried this Bailey's Chocolate Chip Cheesecake to complete our holiday meal and it was an instant hit. It is smooth and creamy with nice chocolaty chunks and just a hint of coffee and Bailey's. It is the perfect way to finish your culinary salute to the Irish.

Baileys Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Bon Appetit March 1989

Crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter

Filling
2 1/4 lbs cream cheese, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar 
5 eggs 
1 cup Bailey's Irish Cream 
1 tablespoon vanilla 
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Coffee Cream
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons suagr
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

Crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 9 inch spring form pan with non stick spray. Combine crumbs and sugar in the pan, stir in the butter. Press mixture into bottom and 1 inch up sides of pan. Bake until lightly brown, about 7 minutes.

Filling: Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually mix in sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in Bailey's and vanilla.
Sprinkle half of the chocolate chips over crust. Spoon in filling and sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over top of the filling. Bake cake until puffed in center and golden brown, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cool cake completely.

Coffee Cream : Beat cream, sugar and coffee powder until peak form. Spread over cooled cake or dollop over individual slices. Garnish with chocolate curls.

To serve a group, I made mini cheese cakes using a 12-well tin with removable bottom pieces. I ran the tip of a knife around the top of the baked cakes and using the hole in the bottom of the pan pushed up on the bottom piece to remove the cake from the tin. I also used mini chocolate chips in the mini version. I baked the minis for about 20 minutes.
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link:Foodie Friday

Apple Pie Ice Cream

It continues to be pretty hot here in Southern California, but that doesn't diminish our desire for Fall treats. We had some friends over for dinner in the middle of October, but instead of a bowl of soup or a cozy fall meal, we ended up grilling outside because it still felt like summer. For dessert I decided to combine the best of both summer and fall in an apple pie ice cream. This ice cream is cool and creamy, but filled with chunks of warmly spiced apples and topped with a crunchy pie crust crumble. If you want to go all out, a nice drizzle of homemade caramel sauce is pretty good on here too.

Even though we are in November, if it continues to stay so warm, we are going to have to experiment with transforming many of our favorite  fall flavors into frozen desserts!

Apple Pie Ice Cream

Apples:
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
4 medium apples, peeled core and cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 cup apple cider
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine the all the ingredient in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat until apples are soft and liquid has evaporated. remove from heat and cool. Pour into a food processor and plus a few times to chop apples. Remove 1/2 of apples and reserve. Plus remaing apples to a smooth puree.

Ice Cream Base
5 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon corn syrup

 In a medium bowl whisk egg yolks, cornstarch and 1/2 the sugar.

In a sauce pan heat the cream, milk, salt, corn syrup and remaining sugar to a simmer. Carefully add 1 cup of the hot liquid into the egg yolk, whisking the eggs constantly. With a wooden spoon stir the hot egg mixture back into the sauce pan with the remaining cream/milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly unit the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean container. Cool for at least 2 hours.

Add custard to the pureed apples in the food processor, puree until smooth.

Process in your ice cream machine according to manufacturer's directions.

When your ice cream is churned swril in the reserved apple chunks in big streaks. Freeze until firm.

Pie Crust Crumble
Momofuku Milk Bar

1 1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick butter melted
1 1/2 tablespoons water

Heat oven to 350 F.

Combine flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and paddle on low speed until well mixed.  Add the butter and water and paddle on low speed until mixture starts to come together in small clumps.

Spread the clumps on a parchment/silpat lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, breaking up the clumps occasionally.  The crumbs should be golden brown and still slightly moist to the touch at that point; they will dry and harden as they cool.

Let crumbs cool completely before using .

When serving ice cream sprinkle each bowl with the pie crust crumble.

printable recipe

Link:Foodie Friday