Desserts

Dessert Recipes

Cheater Apple Dumplings

I haven’t had my camera for a few weeks now, but I’d been doing pretty good remembering to take pictures with my iphone.  Unfortunately, the last few yummy things I’ve made haven’t been photographed before being consumed.  This is one of those things, so here is the picture from The Pioneer Woman’s website, where I got this delicious recipe.

apple dumplings

I usually make fun of recipes like this that use pre-prepared foods like canned crescent rolls.  And Mountain Dew…what is this all about?  But these looked and sounded too good to shun on the basis of a few ingredients.

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Daring Bakers: Bakewell Tart

I had never heard of this dessert before this Daring Bakers challenge.  After reading the recipe I knew it would be delicious.  A shortbread-like crust, a layer of jam topped with an almond filling and baked until golden topped with cream.  How can this combination NOT be delicious?  It was, by the way, delicious.

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The June Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart… er… pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800’s in England.

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Whip It, Whip it Good

I like Cool Whip.  I really like the light Cool Whip, but not the fat free.  I like it on fresh fruit.  I like it on top of ice cream.  I like it on my finger.  My sister puts it in her cottage cheese for breakfast…she’s crazy.

A recent jaunt through the frozen food aisle ended with a container of cool whip in my cart.  What I thought was plain, lovely, sweet and light Cool Whip was something new.  Well, new to me.  French Vanilla Cool Whip!  Initially I was pretty upset about my error.  After I opened the container, saw its luscious creamy, pale yellow color, and tasted a bit on my finger my anger changed to pure joy!  This is a thicker, richer, sweeter whip than the original, but it is oh so good.  A little goes a long way, so there’s no need to overdo it.

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Last night I made a lovely dessert with my new cool whip.  A scoop of Blue Bell Homeade Vanilla, fresh sliced strawberries and a dollop of FRENCH VANILLA COOL WHIP!  Yum.

OK, so I know what people say about Cool Whip.  I know that if any foodie is reading this post right now they will blacklist me.  I have opinions on food and I normally turn my nose up at processed foods, especially foods containing ingredients like polysorbate 60.  But I like Cool Whip.  Sorry!

Mint Shortcakes with Strawberries and Cream

A few friends came over for dinner last night.  The food was wonderful and I am excited to share ALL of the recipes, but I will share just one for now.  I was looking for a dessert to make and came across this recipe in one of my fine cooking magazines.  I already had a container of strawberries, so this seemed not only convenient but also enticing as a twist on the traditional strawberry shortcake.

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Growing up we had strawberry shortcake made with either angel food cake or those sponge cake dessert cups you can buy in the bakery section of the grocery store.  There was even a time in my life when I actually thought that these were strawberry shortcakes. (more…)

Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes with Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Frosting

My friend Jackie had a birthday this past Friday, so she was getting a dozen cupcakes whether she liked it or not.

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I used a boxed chocolate cake mix for the cupcakes.  I know…baking from a mix is not my style.  But cake mixes are always reliable, and I haven’t yet found a terrific chocolate cupcake recipe.  So, cake mix it is!

I added a tablespoon of instant coffee to the batter, but it wasn’t a dominant flavor in the cupcake.  I might try to add some brewed coffee next time in place of some of the water in the recipe.   (more…)

Black and White Cookies

 

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Seinfeld Episode 77: The Dinner Party

[The Royal Bakery]

ELAINE: Ummm, I love the smell of bakeries.

JERRY: Oh look Elaine, the black and white cookie. I love the black and white. Two races of flavor living side by side [mumble?] It’s a wonderful thing isn’t it?

ELAINE: You know I often wonder what you’ll be like when you’re senile.

JERRY: I’m looking forward to it.

ELAINE: Yeah. I think it will be a very smooth transition for you.

 

JERRY: Uhm, The thing about eating the Black and White cookie, Elaine, is you want to get some black and some white in each bite. Nothing mixes better than vanilla and chocolate And yet somehow racial harmony eludes us. If people would only look to the cookie all our problems would be solved.

ELAINE: Your views on race relations are fascinating. You really should do an op-ed piece for the Times.

JERRY: Um, um, Look to the cookie Elaine. Look to the cookie.

Look to the cookie…the Black and White cookie.

I watched some Seinfeld when it was in prime time, but I really started to become a fan in college when I started watching it in syndication.  My husband has all 9 seasons on DVD, and we still watch it almost every weeknight from 6-7 on TBS.  I think I’ve seen almost every episode.  A waste of time?  Possibly.  But what a fun and entertaining way to waste it!

I have decided to start a little series of recipes inspired by Seinfeld.  The illustrious black and white cookie begins the series.  My sister and her husband live in New York City.  I have eaten quite a few Black and Whites thanks to her.  Lisa brings a bunch of packaged ones home for Christmas and puts them in our stockings.  When I’ve visited I’ve bought them fresh from bakeries.  These soft, cake-like cookies frosted half with chocolate and half with vanilla icing are truly a lovely combination.  I am more a fan of the vanilla half of the cookies, but both are delicious.  My favorite packaged brand is Angel’s Bakery.

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This recipe comes from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook.  I love owning this cookbook.  There is a beautiful photo of every item, tips on baking, equipment, techniques, ingredients, etc.  

These cookies turned out to be so delicious.  The cookie is soft, cakey, not too sweet and the perfect base for the sweet icings.

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The icings are rich and wonderful.  They are made with heavy cream, but I think whole or 2% milk would work.  You may need to play with powdered sugar if you choose to change the liquid.  Next time I will add a teaspoon or so of vanilla extract to the icing.  

icings

Let the chocolate icing set completely before icing the other half of the cookie.

cookie5 This will keep the chocolate icing from infiltrating the white and also keep it smooth.  Give the icings some time to set and dry before packaging or serving them.  

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These black and whites do not stack well since the white icing never really gets completely hardened.  That is the only downside to these cookies.  While they are more time consuming then a common drop, bake, cool and eat cookie, they are well worth the time and effort.  

Cookie

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) butter at room temp
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1 cup + 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 large eggs + 1 yolk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  1. Preheat oven to 350°  Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a large bowl.
  3. Beat butter, shortening and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add whole eggs and yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla.
  5. With mixer on low speed add half of the flour mixture, then the cream, then the remaining flour.  Beat until just combined.
  6. Scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets.  Give them at least 2 inches to spread.  *The recipe makes large cookies using a 1/4 cup the drop the cookies.  I used a large cookie scoop resulting in a baked cookie about 4 inches in diameter.
  7. For large cookies, bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are very light golden brown.  I baked them for 9 minutes using a large cookie scoop.
  8. Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Black and White Icing

  • 1 cup heavy cream (whole or 2% milk)
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 5 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 5 tablespoons boiling water
  1. Whisk cream and sugar (add in vanilla) in large bowl until smooth.
  2. Set aside about 1 1/4 cups of the white icing in a separate bowl.
  3. Combine cocoa and boiling water and stir until dissolved.
  4. Add cocoa mixture to remaining icing and stir until smooth to make the black icing.

Icing the Cookies

Frost the BOTTOM of the cookie so that the icing will be flat and not domed.

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  1. Spread half of the bottom, flat side of the cookie with the chocolate icing.  Repeat with all cookies.  Let set completely.
  2. Spread the other half of the cookie with the white icing, overlapping the chocolate a bit to avoid gaps in the icing.  

Texas Sheet Cake

In April of 2005 I was living in College Station, Texas going to Texas A&M.  My roommates and I took the Houston Chronicle, and I pulled this recipe from the newspaper and stashed it away in my recipe box one day in late April of 2005.  I found it this weekend…roughly 4 years later.  

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I am not sure why this is called Texas sheet cake…but I am proud that it is!  I did find a little information about the history of this cake, but nothing saying it actually originated in the Lone Star state.  This excerpt is from TheFoodTimeline.org.

Question: Where does Texas Sheet Cake get its name? 
A) From the super-chocolatey taste, as big as Texas. 
B) From the fact that the taste is so intense, people can eat only a small piece – meaning one cake will serve a Texas-size crowd. 
C) From its overall richness – a big taste in a big cake from a state that was super sizing things long before fast-food places were. 
D) All of the above. 
The answer, if you’ve ever tasted the famous cake, has got to be D. Texas Sheet Cake is chocolate through and through, rich and decadent. As for whether it originally came from Texas, I couldn’t find a definite answer. But Lone Star cooks were smart to get their state’s name on something that tastes so good.
— “A chocolate cake from the land of the super-sized,” Ann Burger, The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC), January 28, 2001, G, Pg. 6

This cake is so moist and chocolatey.  The cake itself is sweet, light and moist.  The fudgy frosting is spread on to the cake while it is still warm, so some of the frosting melts a little into the cake.  The sprinkle of toasted pecans on top are not only a good textural contrast, but add some Texas (or at least Southern) flavor.  A cold glass of milk or scoop of vanilla ice cream are great accompaniments.

Texas Sheet Cake

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  1. Grease and flour a 9×13, 10×15, or 2 9-inch round pans.  Preheat oven to 375°.
  2. In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
  3. Combine water, butter, oil, cocoa in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
  4. Pour the cocoa mixture over the flour mixture and stir together just until smooth.
  5. In a small bowl whisk eggs, buttermilk and vanilla then add to batter and stir together.
  6. Pour batter into prepared pan(s).
  7. Baking Times: 9×13 – 25 minutes, 10×15 – 20 minutes, 9-inch rounds – 25 minutes.  Check cakes about 5 minutes before baking is completed to avoid over baking.
  8. Let cake cool for 5-10 minutes, then frost with chocolate frosting and sprinkle with chopped, toasted pecans.

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Chocolate Frosting

frosting

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup cocoa
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 pound powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chopped, toasted pecans
  1. Cream butter and cocoa in a large bowl.
  2. Add the milk and beat until smooth.
  3. Add powdered sugar in 3 additions scraping down sides of bowl between additions.
  4. Add vanilla and beat well.

Healthy Baking

I love to bake.  I love real butter, real sugar, real chocolate, real cream…you get the point.  My sister is big on healthy cooking and baking.  I admire her!  She substitutes applesauce or mashed banana for the fat in recipes, uses whole grains, and sometimes will use egg whites or egg substitute in place of whole eggs.  

Here is some information about fat substitutes from bettycrocker.com.

Low Fat Substitutes

  • Applesauce and plain yogurt are good fat substitutes in most recipes. For maximum texture and flavor, replace no more than half the amount of the fat listed in the recipe. If a recipe calls for 1/2 cup butter, you can substitute 1/4 cup applesauce, saving 44 grams of fat and 400 calories (the fat and calories in 1/4 cup margarine)
  • Mashed ripe bananas work well as fat substitutes in carrot or banana cake or muffins.
  • Purchased fruit puree mixtures, usually prune—based, also are good and work especially well in chocolate, spice and carrot cakes. Follow the label directions.
  • Replace 1 whole egg in a recipe with ¼ cup fat-free, cholesterol-free egg product substitutes (such as ConAgra’s Egg Beaters®) or 2 egg whites—you’ll save more than 10 grams of fat and 100 calories.

Another way to make a healthier baked good is to use whole wheat flour instead of, or in addition to, all purpose flour.  

  • All purpose flour is a blend of soft and hard wheat and it is what I typically use in all of my baking.  Sometimes I will use cake flour.
  • Whole Wheat flour is made from the whole kernel of wheat, the bran and the germ, so it is higher in fiber and other nutrients.  It does not contain as much gluten as all purpose flour, so it will not rise as much.  Most recipes will use a combination of wheat and white flour.
  • White Whole Wheat flour is milder in flavor than whole wheat but still contains more nutrients and fiber than all purpose flour.  It is made from white wheat instead of red wheat.

I have my doubts about these replacements.  There is a flavor and texture in baked goods that is changed (and not for the better) when a replacement is used.  Imagine using applesauce instead of butter in a shortbread!  Crazy talk!  However, I have decided to try some of these healthier options in my baking.    

Today I will use whole wheat flour in a cookie recipe.  This recipe also uses honey instead of sugar.  No SUGAR?  I know.  Did I mention that there isn’t any butter?  Have you passed out yet?  Fan yourself, take a few deep breaths.  We will get through this together.  There is an egg in this recipe.  So, all is not lost.

The recipe uses oil instead of butter.  I was a bit confused about this replacement.  I know butter isn’t exactly a health food, but neither is oil.  So, I searched a bit and discovered these differences between oil and butter in baking.

Nutrition Facts

Butter (1 ounce, 28 grams)

  • 201 calories
  • 23 grams fat (14 grams saturated)
  • 60 mg cholesterol
  • 81 % fat

Vegetable Oil (1 ounce, 28 grams)

  • 248 calories
  • 28 grams fat (4 grams saturated)
  • 0 mg cholesterol
  • 100 % fat

Baking Results

Butter

  • Provides flavor in baked goods
  • In cookies, causes some spread while baking
  • Creates a crisper texture

Vegetable Oil

  • Adds no extra flavor in baked goods
  • In cookies, will not spread while baking
  • Creates a denser, more cakelike, texture

Ok, so butter is a bit high in cholesterol since it is an animal product.  The oil has no cholesterol.  Oil does have more fat, but only 5 grams more.  The oil also has less saturated fat.  Well, oil it is then.  Wait…the baker and butter lover in me is screaming!  I love the flavor of butter in baked goods.  What is the solution?  Try both.

So, today will be a taste test of butter vs. oil in a whole wheat oatmeal raisin cookie.  I will fill you in after I slave away in the kitchen.

My butter vs. oil info came from these sites:

http://www.ochef.com/225.htm

http://www.baking911.com/pantry/fats.htm

http://www.nutritiondata.com/

White German Chocolate Cake

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This recipe is from allrecipes.com.  It reminds me a lot of Italian Cream Cake, probably due to the cream cheese frosting I decided to frost the cake with.  The coconut and pecans also make it a close relative to my all time favorite Italian Cream Cake.  By the way, I have an undying love for cream cheese frosting.  Here is the recipe I always use.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 stick butter, room temperature
  • 8 ounces cream cheese (full or low fat) room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • powdered sugar, somewhere between 2 and 4 cups

Beat together butter and cream cheese, then beat in vanilla.  Add powdered sugar a 1/2 cup at a time until desired consistency is reached.  I like mine pretty stiff.   

The cake was very good.  It had a nice texture and flavor, but I couldn’t really taste the white chocolate.  I will probably continue to use my recipe for Italian Cream Cake which is pretty similar to this cake, only without the white chocolate.  My recipe for Italian Cream Cake also uses the addition of beaten egg whites to give a light and airy texture.  I served this cake after dinner for some guests and it was a hit.  I only had two 9 inch pans, so I divided to batter between them and the cake turned out fine.  I did have some sticking issues, but nothing disastrous.  

White German Chocolate Cake

 

  • 4 (1 ounce) squares white chocolate, chopped
  • 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup flaked coconut
  • 4 egg whites

 

 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 3 (9 inch) pans. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the yolks one at a time, then stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Stir in the nuts and coconut.
  3. In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain. Divide batter into prepared pans.cake
  4. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
  5. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Layer number one.  There is a little something missing from the top and the edge, a little snack for me that will be covered in frosting…so its not a problem!

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Spread a thin layer of frosting on the top of the bottom layer and place the next layer directly on top.  Don’t use too much frosting or it will ooze out the sides after you frost the cake.

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Apply a thin layer of frosting to the entire cake.  This is the crumb coat.  As you can see it is not pretty!  That’s ok because its going to be covered with…more frosting!  After I apply a crumb coat I place the cake in the fridge for about 30 minutes.  Then I apply the presentation coat of frosting.  It will be crumb free and lovely.

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A Swedish Fika and a German Tourist Town

There is no excuse for not having posted in almost a month.  But I have been so very busy!  I have been cooking and baking and traveling and building compost bins and planting rosemary and starting an herb garden and watching classic movies and reading books and tutoring for the past 27 days.  Well, I guess there are excuses afterall.  

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I spent the first weekend of April in central Texas to celebrate my mom’s 60th birthday.  It was quite a success.  I have never seen my mom so surprised and pleased and beside herself with happiness!  All my sisters were there, Aunt Susan, Aunt Laurie and my cousin Ruthie came from California to surprise my mom.  My mom’s Dad and wife Marj were there, also from Cali, and my cousin Julie came from Denver.  With my sister Lisa coming in from NYC, we had a lot of the nation represented.  It was great.

My trip began with a drive to Austin from Amarillo, an 8 hour trip, with a puppy who got carsick.  Woohoo!  After the first two vomitting episodes (within the first two hours) she slept the remainder of the trip.

My sisters got to my parents house on Friday.  The party was Saturday afternoon.  The theme for the party was a Swedish Fika which is basically a coffee party with cookies, breads and a cake.  

One thing we knew we wanted was a princess cake, or Prinsesstårta.  This is a Swedish cake swelling with whipped cream, sponge cake and jam, all covered in light green marzipan exterior, powdered with confectioner’s sugar.  A pink rose is placed on top.  Unfortunately, not many bakeries have this on their menus.  We didn’t feel quite experienced enough to make these cakes ourselves.  However, a few years ago we took a Swedish baking class at Central Market in Austin.  They made this cake at the class, so we contacted Central Market and they agreed to specially bake the princess cakes.  They were beautiful and delicious.  It is a rich dessert not for the faint of heart or those counting calories.  Special thanks to Central Market.  They did a tremendous job.

Traditionally, Swedes serve 7 different kinds of treats at a Fika.  We had 7 sweets and also a tray of herring, cheeses, meats and bread.  

The 7 Sweet Treats

cookies

 

Rosemary Pecan Shortbread Cookies (top)

 

Lemon Almond Pound Cake (middle)

 

Lingonberry Jam Bars (bottom)

 

 

 

 

Cardmom Braid cardamombraid

Fruit fruit 

Cupcakes from Be My Cupcake in Round Rock, Texas cupcakes

Princess Cake cake1

Here is the tray of savory treats!  meatplate

Pickled herring is a food thing I just do not understand.  Smoked fish I love.  This stuff though, I am just not a fan.

My Aunt Susan has a talent for writing songs and she has done this for many family weddings, birthdays and aniversaries.  She takes a familiar tune and writes lyrics about the couple or person being honored.  Here we are singing a song for my mom to the tune of “Wouldn’t it be Lovely” from My Fair Lady.  Susan changed the title to “Isn’t Becky Lovely”.  I had this song in my head for days afterward.

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Here is the birthday girl with here sisters, Susan and Laurie.

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The birthday girl, sweet husband Dennis and the daughters.

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The next day the ladies went to Fredericksburg to shop, eat dinner and stay the night at a Bed & Breakfast.

Shopping downtown. shopfredThis PETA acronym stands for People Eating Tasty Animals.  

The B&B is called the Hoffman Haus.  My mom and sisters stayed in the Basse House.  It is the largest and sleeps 6 people, has a full kitchen and a litte living room in the center.  

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None of these pictures do the place justice, but let me just say that it was perfectly lovely.  The weather was wonderful, our room was incredibly comfortable with a slightly rustic feel.  Many of the walls of the house are exposed stone.  There are wood floors and comfy furniture.  I sunk it to the bed and couldn’t move for about 10 minutes.  easter-094easter-092bb

Breafkast, a piece of spinach quiche, sausage, fruit and a lemon cranberry muffin, was delivered to our doorstep in wooden picnic baskets.  I will go back here if I ever get the chance.

We ate dinner on Sunday at The Nest.  The restaurant is an old house so our table of 10 had our own little room.  All the food was wonderful.  

French Onion Soupimg_9007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Field green salad with goat cheese, pear slices and pecans img_9011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roasted Quail with a port demi-glace over grilled vegetables and polenta

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Profiteroles and coffee ice cream drizzled with chocolate sauce

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It was such a treat to see my mom so happy.  We might have outdone ourselves on this party though, so we will have a hard time pleasing her for the next big birthday!