Carrot Zucchini Cake
Posted: 04/12/2013 Filed under: cakes, desserts, recipes, Vegetables | Tags: baking, cake, carrot, carrot zucchini cake, dessert, recipes, zucchini 37 Comments
Carrot Zucchini Cake
I bet you’ve been thinking all this time, all this lady ever seems to post about is chocolate. And that would be a pretty accurate assumption. I really do have some kind of a sick obsession with it, but every now and then I love to mix it up a bit and do something crazy like add vegetables to my baked goods. I know, it sounds nuts. Oh, and speaking of nuts, this Carrot Zucchini Cake is not only chock full of vegetables, but bursting with chopped nuts and raisins. I would almost go so far as too call this health food if it were not for the cream cheese frosting that is slathered all over the top of the cake.
Today I’m packing this cake and other necessary rations for a little picnic at a location I call my “happy place”. It’s where I like to go when I need to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It’s a one hour hike into the Santa Monica mountains to an area they call The Rock Pool. Once there you become acutely aware of how quiet it is. No cell phones ringing, no traffic sounds, just the chirping of birds and the rustling of the wind through the trees, and sometimes the splashing of a few ducks that have taken up residence there.
Right at the edge of this tranquil pool is a battered, old picnic table where my group and I will enjoy our lunch. I figure I will have worked off at least 125 calories making this trek so I won’t feel guilty enjoying a generous portion of the cake. I’m glad I found my happy place. I would love to hear where your is. Let me know.
Carrot Zucchini Cake
Carrot and Zucchini Cake
From Better Homes & Gardens
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots (3 medium)
- 1 cup shredded zucchini
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
- 1/2 cup raisins (I mixed regular & golden together)
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 recipe Citrus-Cream Cheese Frosting
Directions
- This cake is made in a 13 x 9 pan, ungreased. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, you will sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, place the carrots, zucchini, brown sugar, eggs, raisins, walnuts, oil, honey and vanilla. Using a spatula, gently mix the ingredients together. Add the carrot mixture to the flour mixture and combine until all the ingredients are incorporated. Spread the batter into your baking pan.
- Bake for 24-26 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake completely in the pan on a wire rack before you frost it.
Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 – 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- the zest of one orange
Place these ingredients in a medium sized bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Carrot Zucchini Cake
Recipe: Easy
Chocolate Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
Posted: 04/01/2013 Filed under: cakes, desserts, recipes | Tags: baking, bundt cake, cake, chocolate bundt cake, dessert, recipe 88 Comments
Chocolate Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
It’s so embarrassing to admit, but if I were on a desert island and I could only have one meal it would definitely be a cheeseburger and fries, and chocolate cake, of course. I really only said the cheeseburger and fries for health purposes because I would want to eat a protein and vegetable before I indulged in chocolate cake.
This particular Chocolate Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Filling is one of my all time favorites. Chocolate cake all by itself is pretty great, add a creamy, cheesy filling and a sweet white and semi-sweet chocolate glaze and there you have it, perfection. Okay, so it’s just my idea perfection. It’s a little early, but I’m giving you a heads up for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day brunches. I always make this cake for those holiday’s and have not had an unhappy customer yet. I store this cake loosely covered in the fridge, and it actually taste better after being refrigerated.
Chocolate Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
Chocolate Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
From “Land O Lakes”
Cream Cheese Filling
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Cake Batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temp
- 1 cup water
- 3 large eggs, room temp
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Glaze
- 2 ounces white chocolate
- 3 teaspoons shortening
- 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and using a pastry brush and melted butter, generously grease and flour your 12-cup bundt pan. I purchased a silicone bundt pan which I just lightly coat with cooking spray. I love the silicone pans because the cake literally falls out of the pan without leaving those pesky bits of cake behind.
- To make your filling: place all the filling ingredients in a small bowl and beat on low speed until very smooth. Scrape down the bowl periodically to incorporate all the ingredients. Set aside.
- To make the cake batter: place all the cake ingredients in a large bowl, and begin mixing on low speed to incorporate all the ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2-3 minutes until batter is smooth.
- Pour a little over half the batter into your prepared bundt pan. With a large spoon place dollops of the cream cheese filling on top of the batter being careful not to touch the sides of the pan. Then gently pour the remaining batter over.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool your cake in the pan for about 30 minutes. Before you glaze the cake, let it cool completely.
- To make the glaze: take 2 ounces of white chocolate plus 1 1/2 teaspoons of shortening and melt in microwave. Then take 2 ounces of chocolate chips plus 1 1/2 teaspoons of shortening and melt in microwave. Stir melted chocolate until very smooth and drizzling consistency.
- Store cake refrigerated.
Chocolate Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Fillin
Mama’s Tips:
You can always melt your chocolate by the double boiler method, but for myself, I prefer to melt it in the microwave. Start with 25 seconds, take it out and stir, putting it back in the microwave and decreasing the amount of seconds each time and stirring after each increment. Remember, chocolate burns very easily, and burnt chocolate makes me very sad.
If you don’t already have one, you might want to invest in a silicone bundt pan. I have metal and teflon coated bundt pans, however no matter how well I greased and floured those pans somehow there was always bits of cake that stuck to the pan. I don’t know about you, but I want a gorgeous cake.
Chocolate Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
Recipe: Easy
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Posted: 03/22/2013 Filed under: cakes, desserts, recipes | Tags: baking, cake, dessert, pineapple, pineapple upside down cake, recipe 44 Comments
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Spring break, what an American classic. Oh, I remember it well. That time of year when college students from all over the U.S. head to warmer climates to blow off a little steam. I suppose blowing off a little steam is actually putting it very mildly. As I remember, it’s Girls Gone Wild and doing everything your mother told you never to do. When I was in college on the east coast, we would head to Ft. Lauderdale for spring break and I still shudder at the thought of the madness and mayhem that would ensue. Ah, good times!
I knew spring break was fast approaching for son #2. I wondered with great apprehension how he planned on spending HIS time off. He called yesterday to tell me he was on his way home for the week, and he planned on using that time to look for a summer job. YES I thought, we just dodged a bullet, a mayhem-free vacation. Before he got off the phone he asked, “oh, and mom could you bake me something, there’s not much real food up here at school”. So here it is, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, another American Classic!
Pineapple Upside Down Cake right out of the oven
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
From King Arthur Flour
Topping
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 20-ounce can pineapple rings in juice, drained
- candied red cherries or maraschino cherries
- 3 tablespoons, chopped pecans
Cake Batter
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon coconut extract, optional
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup milk
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Melt about 1 tablespoon of butter and using a pastry brush, lightly grease a 9″ round cake pan. You want to use a 9” pan because the pineapple rings will fit perfectly in this size pan.
- To make the topping: Melt the butter, and whisk it together with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and evenly smooth it out using a small offset spatula.
- Space the pineapple rings atop the brown sugar mixture. Place a cherry in the center of each ring. If you’re using nuts, press them into the empty spaces.
- To make the cake: I used a hand mixer and a medium-large bowl to make this batter. Beat the butter and sugar until fairly smooth.
- Beat in the egg, then the salt, baking powder, vanilla, and coconut flavor. Be careful not to over-mix the batter or it will result in a tough cake.
- Add the flour alternately with the milk, mixing at medium-low speed and beginning and ending with the flour. Once the last of the flour is added, mix briefly, just until smooth.
- Spoon the thick batter into the prepared pan, spreading it to the edges of the pan with the offset spatula. It may not cover the pineapple entirely; that’s OK.
- Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven, wait 3 minutes, then turn the pan over onto a serving plate. Wait 30 seconds, then lift the pan off. If anything sticks to the pan, just lift it out and place it back on the cake.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
8 to 10 servings.
- Preparing the pan for Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Pineapple Upside Down gooey goodness
Recipe: Easy
Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake
Posted: 03/16/2013 Filed under: cakes, desserts, recipes | Tags: baking, chocolate chip loaf, chocolate chips, dessert, loaf cake, recipe, tea cakes 50 Comments
Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake
What it is about chocolate chips..just the mere mention of their name floods my brain with good memories and happy times. They’re so versatile these little morsels, and I love to ponder their endless possibilities. I marvel how their presence enhances cookies, ice cream, cakes, and muffins. It seems that whenever I bake these days, I try to figure out ways to add chocolate chips to it. Why, because I am a believer that when the road of life gets bumpy, chocolate chips will somehow smooth things out. Well, at least for me they do.
Anyway, when I was a kid my mother would go once a week to Greenberg’s Bakery on Haverford Avenue in the Philadelphia area. She would come home with a variety of freshly baked goods in pink boxes neatly tied with baker’s twine by the elderly Russian ladies that worked in the bakery. My favorite was the Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake that never lasted more than a day or two between my brothers and I.
So, today I pay homage to the humble chocolate chip and Greenberg’s Bakery with this version of the Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake.
Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake
Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake
Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake
From Entenmann’s
- 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 8 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups (1-12 ounce bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. With a pastry brush and melted butter, grease the bottom and sides of two 9″ x 5″ loaf pans and line with parchment paper greasing the parchment paper also.
- Sift the flour and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. With the mixer on low, stir in the vanilla extract.
- In a large bowl, lightly beat the 8 eggs and then add them to the butter-sugar mixture, mixing until they’re incorporated. With the mixer on low, mix in the flour until it is incorporated. With the mixer on low, add in the chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.
- Bake for about 65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.
- Cool cakes in the pans on wire racks for 30 minutes before removing from the pans.
Makes two – 9″ x 5″ loaves
Recipe: Easy
this recipe yields two loaf cakes…
Mama’s Tips:
I take my butter out of the refrigerator the night before to get it to room temperature.
Line your loaf pans with buttered parchment paper, allowing the paper to drape over the sides of the pans. When the cakes have cooled for 30 minutes, you’ll be able to easily lift the cakes out of the pan.
You can also use mini chocolate chips (12 ounce bag) for this recipe for a less chocolatey flavor.
…and uses lots of eggs!
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Posted: 03/01/2013 Filed under: cakes, chocolate, desserts, Gluten Free, recipes | Tags: baking, cake, chocolate, chocolate cake, dessert, flourless chocolate cake, gluten free, recipe 58 Comments
Flourless Chocolate Cake
A chocolate smackdown. That’s the only way I can describe this Chocolate Flourless Cake. It is a dense cake, with such intense chocolate flavor that I assure you, my food infatuated friends, that a small sliver is all you’ll need. And don’t be alarmed when you take it out of the oven and it seems to slowly deflate and become cracked and dented, that’s what’s supposed to happen. That’s this cake’s natural charm. It’s not about physical perfection in this particular decadent dessert, but about flavor. If you don’t like chocolate, then pal, you came to the wrong blog posting.
I like to serve it lightly dusted with powdered sugar and a dollop of freshly whipped cream. I guarantee, when you serve this to your troops, you’ll look like a real hero. Mama doesn’t lie.
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Flourless Chocolate Cake
From Tyler’s Ultimate
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut up, plus more to butter the pan
- 1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
- 9 large eggs, separated
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter, and using your pastry brush, butter the inside of a 9″ springform pan.
- Using a sharp knife on a cutting board, chop your chocolate into small pieces all approximately the same size for even melting. Cut your butter into pieces and place the chocolate and the butter in a medium sized plastic bowl and melt in the microwave in 20 second increments. Using a rubber spatula, stir the chocolate mixture after each 20 seconds. Be very careful not to burn the chocolate as it will seize.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand-held mixer, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale yellow in color. Mix a little of the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture to temper the eggs. If you add all the warm chocolate to the egg mixture all at once it will scramble the eggs and we don’t want that. Then add the rest of the chocolate to the eggs.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or with a hand-held mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. Gently add the egg whites to the chocolate mixture being careful not to deflate your egg whites.
- Pour the mixture into your prepared pan.
- Bake until the cake is set, the top starts to crack, and when a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it. It took about 50-55 minutes for my cake to bake. All ovens are different, so the time is approximate.
- Let the cake sit in the pan for about 10 minutes before releasing the sides.
- Serve at room temperature. You can dust with powdered sugar, and serve with a dollop of freshly whipped cream.
Serves 8-10
Flourless Chocolate Cake, right out of the oven in your 9″ Springform pan.
Mama’s Tips:
When separating your eggs; take good care not to get any yolk in the whites or stiff peaks will not form. Also, make sure that your bowl and beaters used to whip the whites are free of any grease as that will cause your whites not to peak.
When adding stiff egg whites to a batter, always do so gently so that you do not deflate the egg whites. Fold in gently with a metal spatula.
When melting chocolate in the microwave; always do it in small increments of 20 seconds so that you do not burn the chocolate. If the chocolate gets too hot it will seize. Always stir with a rubber spatula after each 20 seconds.
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Recipe: Easy
Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
Posted: 02/07/2013 Filed under: cakes, desserts, fruit, recipes | Tags: apple, apple streusel cake, baking, cake, coffee cake, dessert, recipe 42 Comments
Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
I come from a long line of coffee cake eaters. In fact, the family motto is” we never met a coffee cake we didn’t like”. Our family’s coat-of-arms is a cheese Danish and a cup of coffee. So you get my drift, right. We like coffee cake, so much so that I can’t bake ’em as fast as they eat ’em. But that’s okay, it keeps me on my toes.
This Apple Streusel Coffee Cake is a particular family favorite. Why, because it’s all apple-y, and streusel-y, and cinnamon-y, and nut-y. I can think of no better combination of flavors. Well, maybe coconut and bananas, but that will be another blog posting.
Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
Adapted from Gale Gand’s Brunch!
The Cake
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 apples, peeled and cored, and chopped (I like to use a tart Granny Smith apple)
- 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
Streusel Topping
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut up
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Using a pastry brush and melted butter, grease an 8-inch baking dish.
- For the cake, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer (or I used an electric hand-mixer) beat the egg and then mix in the milk and melted butter. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until everything is incorporated. Add the apples and walnuts to the mixture and pour into the baking dish.
- To make the streusel topping, mix the sugar, flour, cold butter and cinnamon in a medium bowl by pinching them together with your fingers until combined. Spoon the mixture over the top of the batter.
- Place the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden, and when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan, and then cut into squares.
Recipe: Easy
Mama’s Tips:
Not all apples fare well when added to baked goods. The varieties that I find work well are; Granny Smith, Fuji, Rome Beauty, Gala and Honeycrisp. I like to use a combination of these apples instead of just using one kind.
Linzer Cookies
Posted: 12/26/2012 Filed under: cookies, desserts, recipes | Tags: baked goods, baking, cookies, dessert, Linzer Cookies, recipe 32 Comments
Linzer Cookies
We here at Mama’s Gotta Bake just love our cookies. You notice how I said “we”, you know it’s really just me. I like to pretend there’s a group of us here so I can actually justify eating all these cookies. Anyway, “we” spent the entire month of December baking an obscene amount of goodies, but I decided that my last post of 2012 should be the Linzer Cookie.
For me, if there was ever cookie perfection, then the Linzer Cookie is it. They have a tender, nutty dough (check out those gorgeous flecks of nuts in the cookies below), a sweet preserve filling and they’re dusted ever-so-lightly with powdered sugar. Come on, you’re dying for one, admit it!
As we head into 2013, Mama’s Gotta Bake heads into year three, and I just wanted to thank all of you who have stopped by and read my posts. I appreciate your comments, and I can’t believe I get to connect with food lovers from all over the world. I wish everyone a peaceful and Happy New Year.
Linzer Cookies
- 2-1/2 oz. (1/2 cup) sliced almonds
- 2-1/2 oz. (1/2 cup) coarsely chopped hazelnuts
- 9-1/2 oz. (2 cups plus 1 Tbs.) all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. table salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 7 oz. (14 Tbs.) chilled unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 T. cold water
- 1/2 cup of your favorite preserves (I chose four berry preserves)
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Directions
- The dough will need to be chilled for at least 3 hours, so keep that in mind when beginning this recipe: In a food processor, process the almonds and hazelnuts with 1/2 cup of the flour until fine textured but not powdered.
- Add the remaining flour, granulated sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Pulse to combine. Keep the butter in the refrigerator, it should not be room temperature. Take it out when you’re ready to use it. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and add to the flour mixture; pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Don’t overprocess. Transfer to a large bowl. Whisk together the egg and water; sprinkle over the flour mixture and toss gently to combine. The dough should hold together when pinched. (If it seems dry, sprinkle on a bit more water.) Gather the dough into two balls and knead briefly just to blend. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, 2 to 3 hours. I made the dough a day before and refrigerated it overnight.
- To bake: preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the cookie sheets with a silpat or parchment. Roll one ball of the dough in between two layers of parchment paper, 3/16 inch thick. (Keep the rest in the refrigerator, and if the dough warms up to the point of being sticky while you’re working with it, return it to the refrigerator.) Cut out as many 2-1/2-inch rounds as possible, rerolling the scraps to make more rounds. Arrange on the cookie sheets about 3/4 inch apart. Cut 1-1/4-inch holes in the center of half the rounds. Reroll these center scraps to make more cookies. Bake until the edges are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool on the sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough.To assemble: With the back of a spoon or an offset spatula, spread a heaping 1/2 tsp. preserves on the underside of the whole cookie rounds. Top with the doughnut-shaped cookies, bottom sides against the preserves. Be sure you dust the “doughnut shaped” cookie with powdered sugar before you place it on top of the half with the preserves so that you do not cover the preserves with the sugar.
Makes 20 – 2 1/2″ cookies
Linzer Cookies
Mama’s Tips:
When you take your dough out of the refrigerator in preparation for baking, let it warm up for 5-10 minutes. Then, roll your dough out in between two pieces of parchment paper. At this point if the dough is too warm and sticking to the parchment, you won’t be able to cut clean edged shapes from it. Lay the dough in the parchment flat on a cookie sheet and return the dough to the refrigerator or freezer. When the dough is cold again you will easily be able to cut your shapes out.
Store the cookies in an airtight container in between layers of wax paper. They should last for 3-4 days. But they won’t last that long, trust me.
Linzer Cookies
Recipe: Intermediate
Olive Oil Cookies with Lemon & Thyme
Posted: 09/03/2012 Filed under: cookies, desserts, Lemon, recipes | Tags: baking, cookies, dessert, lemon cookies, olive oil cookies, recipe 28 Comments
Olive Oil Cookies
I do believe I’ve had a love-affair with cookies my whole life. Friends who knew me growing up can attest to the fact that I ate cookies for breakfast most days. Well why not. Back in the day I could plow through bags of Oreo’s, Mallowmars and Chips Ahoy cookies, but I’ve come a long way, baby!
Once I began making cookies from scratch there was no turning back for me. I don’t think I’ve eaten a packaged cookie in years. I just lost my taste for them. I don’t want to eat anything with high fructose corn syrup, partially (why partially) hydrogenated soybean oil or artificial flavors in it.
Don’t misunderstand me. It’s not that a homemade cookie is health food. It’s still butter, sugar and flour, and full of calories. However, if one is going to indulge, and one is going to indulge in moderation, then you’ve got to eat the real thing. When I bake at home, I try to use the best ingredients I can find. Good quality vanilla, chocolate chips, and butter result in a very tasty end product. And you guys agree with me that it’s all about the flavor.
Anyway, I’ve been making these soft and chewy Olive Oil Cookies with Lemon & Thyme for several years now. Why, because they wallop you with flavor. I use the best quality oil oil I have, and farmer’s market fresh lemons and thyme. One bite takes me back to the green, rolling hills of Tuscany covered in olive trees. Okay, a bit overly dramatic…but you get the picture.
Olive Oil Cookies with Lemon & Thyme
Olive Oil Cookies with Lemon & Thyme
Adapted from 805 Magazine, September 2009
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon finely minced thyme
- sugar for rolling
- powdered sugar for dusting
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, add olive oil, sugar, egg, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice and beat on low speed until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat to incorporate all ingredients.
- Add the thyme and mix on low just to incorporate.
- Using about a teaspoon amount (or more if you like a larger cookie), roll dough into balls and then roll the balls into a bowl of granulated sugar.
- Place the balls onto the cookie sheet, and flatten slightly with the bottom of a cup.
- Bake about 8-10 minutes, and then cool on a wire rack.
- When completely cooled, dust with powdered sugar.
Lemon Olive Oil Cookies
Makes 32-36 cookies
Recipe: Easy
Chocolate Truffle Brownies
Posted: 08/28/2012 Filed under: cakes, chocolate, desserts, recipes | Tags: baking, brownies, chocolate, chocolate truffle brownies, dessert, mini desserts, recipes 57 Comments
Chocolate Truffle Brownies
What’s the best way for a mother to send her child off to college; with a pan of super-chocolatey brownies of course. I had spent days packing for my son Michael, purchasing him some pots and pans, bedding and laundry detergent, as well as a variety of other items I know he’ll never use. I had filled boxes with every and anything a young man would need for his survival out there in the world. It was as if we were sending him off to the most remote region of the universe, when in reality he was only going an hour away to Santa Barbara. Oh my God, did I pack the electric pencil sharpener?
We loaded two cars and made the quick trip up the Pacific coast to the student housing where he was sharing an apartment with three other guys. I laughed to myself as we entered the apartment. There were three sets of parents unpacking, making beds, setting up tv’s and printers, and stacking a hundred boxes of Kraft macaroni and cheese into the pantry closet. The kids all sat in the living room with their cell phones and laptops, laughing and getting to know one another, while the mothers nervously scurried about.
After roughly four hours in that apartment my work there was done, and I could see the look on my son’s face. “Mom, will you just go!” He couldn’t wait to begin his new adventure…without his mama! As my husband and I left, I handed him a tray of my chocolate truffle brownies. He had his pencil sharpener, a year’s supply of black sox, and brownies. Mission complete.
Chocolate Truffle Brownies
Chocolate Truffle Brownies
Bon Appetit, July 2010
- 12 ounces semi-sweet, or bittersweet chocolate ( do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped and divided into half
- 11 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 1″ cubes
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Directions
- Place the rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F.
- Line a 9x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang. This will make it easy to lift your brownies out of the pan when it’s time to cut them. Spray the foil with non-stick vegetable oil spray.
- Combine 6 ounces of the chocolate, and the butter in a medium microwave safe bowl. Start microwaving at 25 seconds, then stir, then 20 seconds and stir until the mixture is smooth and melted. Cool the chocolate mixture for 10 minutes.
- Whisk sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt in large bowl to blend. Then whisk in the chocolate mixture. Stir in flour, then chopped walnuts.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the brownies until a tester inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 26-28 minutes. Transfer pan to a cooling rack and let the brownies cool completely.
- When brownies are cooled, bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Place remaining chocolate in a medium bowl and pour the heated cream over the chocolate. Let it stand for 5 minutes then whisk until smooth.
- Pour the chocolate ganache over the brownies in the pan and spread evenly to cover completely. A small off-set spatula works well for this.
- Let stand at cool room temperature until topping is set, about 4 hours.
- Using the overhang foil as an aid, lift the brownies from the pan and fold down the edges.
- You can now cut the brownies into squares, 1″x 3″ bars, or into 1″x 1″ squares.
Chocolate Truffle Brownies
Mama’s Tips:
Using better quality chocolate will yield better tasting brownies. Use the best you can afford.
When the brownies have cooled, place them in the refrigerator for an hour for easier cutting.
I like to keep my chocolate truffle brownies in the refrigerator as they turn to a fudge-like consistency. At room temperature they remain more cake-like.
Recipe: Easy
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Fresh Strawberry Sauce
Posted: 07/24/2012 Filed under: desserts, fruit, ice cream, recipes | Tags: cooking, dessert, ice cream, recipe, strawberry, strawberry sauce, vanilla ice cream 31 Comments
It’s already the end of July and the ice cream maker has yet to make an appearance. Sure, when I first got it, it was my best friend. Every week last summer I’d be churning out a different frozen treat for the family. What’s happened, have I gotten lazy. Is a freezer full of commercial ice cream laced with propylene glycol and ethyl acetate suddenly acceptable. I think not!
I am a lover of classic comfort food, and to me nothing is more classic than strawberries and cream. One of my favorite ice cream recipes, is the Williams-Sonoma Vanilla Bean. C’mon people, no chemical additives here, just sugar, eggs and cream. Pure and simple. I like to top the ice cream with a fresh strawberry sauce and some chopped pistachios, and call it a day.
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
From Williams-Sonoma “Ice Cream”
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
Directions
- In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, combine the milk and 1 cup of the cream. Using the tip of a sharp knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk mixture and then add the vanilla bean. Cook over medium heat until bubbles form around the edges of the pan, about 5 minutes.
- Next, combine the egg yolks, sugar and remaining 1/2 cup of cream in a bowl. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and the sugar begins to dissolve.
- Remove the milk mixture from the heat. Gradually whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly until smooth. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and keeping the custard at a low simmer, until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 4-6 minutes. Do not let the custard boil. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Discard the vanilla bean.
- Place the bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice cubes and water. Stir until cool. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Pour the custard into an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 3 days before serving.
Makes 1 quart
Fresh Strawberry Sauce
- 4 cups strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions
- Place the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice into a medium saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar.
- Cook for about 3-4 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and chill. If there’s too much liquid in the mixture, then just spoon some off.
- Spoon over your homemade ice cream and top with a few chopped pistachios for a little crunch.
Mama’s Tips:
Leave the ice cream out on the counter for about 10 minutes before serving, to make it easier to scoop.
Mama's Gotta Bake 