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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My Favorite Banana Bread: Part 1

 I have a few favorite banana bread recipes, and they are all very different.

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 This one has a few frills – coconut and toatsed pecans.  This recipe is the medium frills recipe.  One of the others has zero frills, and the third favorite is chock full of goodies.  You have to prepare yourself for that one.

The redeeming thing about banana bread is the banana.  Bananas are very good for you, so feel free to indulge in this bread without guilt.  Check it…

This recipe is from Magnolia Bakery in NYC.  I think I have recommended the cookbook before, so really, go buy it already!

Banana Bread with Coconut and Pecans

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3 cups flour 
1½ teaspoon baking soda 
¾ teaspoon cinnamon 
¾ teaspoon salt 
¾ cup canola oil 
1½ cups sugar 
3 eggs, at room temperature, well beaten 
1½ teaspoon vanilla 
1½ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4)
¾ sour cream (or low fat)
1½ cups chopped toasted pecans 
¾ cup sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350°. 

Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan or 2 loaf pans. 

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. 

Beat oil and sugar on medium speed until well-mixed. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat well. 

Add the bananas and sour cream, and mix well. 

Add the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. 

Stir in pecans and coconut. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s). 

Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the bread comes out with moist crumbs attached. 

NOTE: If using loaf pans, bake for 45-55 minutes. 

Let cool for at least one hour before serving.

Best toasted with a spread of butter.  Enjoy!

Orzo and Fontina Casserole

I saw Giada de Laurentis making this side dish, and I thought it looked delicious.  It is part of her steak house dinner menu, and since I had a plan to have people over for a steak dinner, this seemed pretty appropriate.  The list of ingredients is one that makes one swoon regardless of what is done with them; butter, onion, mushrooms, fontina cheese, green peas, mozzarella, and orzo pasta. Do I need to continue?  I thought not.

I changed a few things in this recipe.  I used whole wheat orzo, only 1 tablespoon of butter, added extra mushrooms (10 oz.) and extra peas (about 1 1/2 cups) and used 1/2 2% milk and 1/2 cream to make the full 1/2 cup required.  I also was unable to purchase Marsala wine on a Sunday in Texas, so I used a white wine instead.  Texas, our Texas!  All hail the mighty State!

I really do like that Texas doesn’t sell hard liquor on Sundays, even though it was an inconvenience.  

I am sure the flavor is quite good with the marsala wine, but it was really quite good without it as well, so no worries my fellow Texas foodies.  No need to spend $12.99 0n a bottle of marsala when an $8.99 bottle of white wine will do.  Cheap?  Yes, I am cheap.

I don’t have any good pics of this dish, but it’s image does not do it justice.  It is a casserole, and who can think of a casserole who photographs well?  Nobody!  So, it tastes good and it looks like mush…so what?

Here is the food network pic and the recipe I used.  Try it!  

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4 cups chicken broth

1 pound whole wheat orzo pasta

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

10 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 cup white wine

1/4 cup 2% milk and 1/2 cup cream

4 ounces shredded fontina cheese (about 1 cup)

4 ounces diced fresh mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)

1 amd 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 teaspoon dried thyme

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with butter or Pam.

 

Bring the chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the orzo and cook until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Pour the orzo and the broth into a large bowl. Set aside.

 

Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to saute until the mushrooms are beginning to turn golden around the edges, about 7 minutes. Add the Marsala. Scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan and cook until the Marsala has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture to the orzo in the large bowl. Add the cream, fontina, mozzarella, peas, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

 

In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and dried thyme. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top of the pasta. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes.

 

Everyone liked this dish.  This recipe works well with a simple main dish like grilled steak.  I am not a fan of battling flavors.  Keep your menu simple.  If you have a dish that is complex, don’t make your guests choose which part of the meal is the best.  It is hard to compare good simple dishes with good complex dishes, so don’t make your guests tastebuds go crazy.  Make the meal enjoyable.

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

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Rosemary Pecan Shortbread Cookies (top)

 

Lemon Almond Pound Cake (middle)

 

Lingonberry Jam Bars (bottom)

 

 

 

 

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Fruit fruit 

Cupcakes from Be My Cupcake in Round Rock, Texas cupcakes

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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!

Blizzard of ’09

It was a snow day here in Amarillo yesterday.  Ben went to work at 6:30 am only to be called by one of the partners at 6:50 am to let him know that the office would not be open.  It snowed almost all day and was pretty windy, so the snow on the ground was (and still is at the moment) quite a bit deeper than the estimated 6-7 inches of actual snow fall.  Ben, Tim, Ginger and I spent the day in front of the fire, playing video games and watching televison.  Lazy, I know.  I baked some cookies, but they were not the best ever so I am not going to post about those.  Instead, here is a video of our dog, Ginger, in the snow.

click here!

And here are a few pictures taken during the day.

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Cranberry Pecan Biscotti

Biscotti!!  Finally!  It’s about time I posted a biscotti recipe.  I figured it wasn’t quite right to have a blog called “Hottie Biscotti” without at least one biscotti recipe.  

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Last week, I found myself rummaging in my pantry and cabinets for something to bake.  I found some cranberries and a bag of pecans.  So, the search began for a biscotti recipe.  I found this on delish.com, a site I had never been to.  This recipe is from Todd English, and the ingredient list sounded delicious, cardamom and nutmeg, so I gave them a try.

I made half the batch with just pecans and half with cranberries and pecans.  I preferred the plain pecan, but the tartness of the cranberry with the pecans is a really nice combination.  The original recipe calls for orange zest, which I left out.  If you’re into that, then just add 1 tablespoon of zest when you add the flour.  

I will definitely make these again, but will bake the uncut loaves for the full 35 minutes.  I made the mistake of baking them for only 25 minutes, and the middle was a little underbaked and hard to slice.  I had to bake them for a bit longer after slicing them to make a good crunchy biscotti.  

Cranberry Pecan Biscotti

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for flouring
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom 
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.

2. Place the butter and sugars in a large bowl and blend until light. Add the eggs and vanilla and blend until thoroughly combined.

3. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and nutmeg, and stir to combine. Add the cranberries and pecans and stir.

4. Transfer to a floured work surface and knead until the dough just comes together. If necessary, add more flour to the work surface. Divide the dough into 2 halves and shape each into a 12-inch loaf.

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5. Place 1 loaf on the prepared baking sheet and bake until it starts to crack and is a uniform light brown, about 35 minutes. Set aside to cool. Repeat with the remaining loaf.

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6. Lower the temperature to 300 degrees.

7. Place the loaves on a cutting board and, using a serrated knife, cut each on the diagonal, into 20 to 24 slices, 1/2-inch thick, or, for a more delicate biscotti, 1/4-inch thick. Place on the baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 10 to 12 minutes. Turn over and bake until dry and crisp, about 5 minutes.

8. When cooled, store in an airtight container up to 10 to 12 days.

1st Birthday

My nephew turns ONE YEAR OLD today!  Happy Birthday!  

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My sister had his birthday party this past weekend, and I was lucky enough to fly down for the big event.  It was nice to see so much of my family that I hadn’t seen in a while.  My nephew is too adorable for words.  I couldn’t get enough of him!

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The cake was from Tart Bakery in Dallas.  It was a white cake layered with fresh strawberries frosted with white buttercream.  I can’t say it was the best tasting cake I’ve ever had, but it was tasty and definitely cute and fit with the party theme.  

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My cousin, a 4 1/2 year old boy, is allergic to peanuts.  Since most bakeries are not peanut free, he can’t eat cake at parties.  Total bummer for a kid!  So, we made a dozen peanut-free chocolate cupcakes for Dalton.  I was skeptical of this cake mix from Cherrybrook Kitchen as it not only is peanut free, but also egg and dairy free.  

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How can something like this be edible?  I figured it would taste like chalk and have  a texture akin to cardboard.  I was wrong.  The cupcakes were really good!  Not as moist maybe, but definitely edible and definitely yummy.  We frosted the cupcakes with a white buttercream and decorated them with colored fondant.  My sister, Sarah, and I free handed some pigs, giraffes and goldfish to match the party napkins.  They turned out pretty cute.

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Tortilla Pie

This is a quick, easy and yummy meal with ingredients you probably have on hand.  I originally found this recipe in an issue of Everyday Food.  I’ve made this in a lot of different ways and there are a few variations on the Martha Stewart website.  There is a version with ground beef, for which I usually use ground turkey, and a vegetarian version.  I have substituted frozen chopped spinach for the fresh with good results…less work and less $$.  There is no need for a side dish with this hearty meal, but rice would be a good choice.  I usually just serve this with a green salad.

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 The last time I made this pie I was at the store without the recipe.  A dilema that I’m sure at least one person reading this had experienced.  So, I had to improvise.  I used ground turkey, a can of corn, a can of black beans, left out the spinach and added a can of diced tomatoes and green chlies.  You can’t go wrong with flavors you like, so try any combination of things that sound good.  The only problem could be if you get a little overzealous with the filling and end up with more than will fit in the pie!  I use leftover filling rolled up in flour tortillas.

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Tortilla Pie 

 

  • 4 flour tortillas (10-inch)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil , plus more for pan
  • 1 medium onion , chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 pound ground beef sirloin
  • 3 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels
  • 3 packed cups loose baby spinach (about 5 ounces) , torn into pieces
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • Fresh cilantro sprigs, for garnish (optional)
  • Sour cream (optional)

 

 

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a paring knife, trim tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan (use the removable bottom of the pan as a guide). Assemble pan with the bottom upside down; lightly oil bottom and sides. Set aside.
  2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion, cumin, and red-pepper flakes; season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion has softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Raise heat to medium-high; add beef and garlic. Cook, breaking up meat with a spoon until no longer pink, 4 to 6 minutes. Add corn and spinach; stir until spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes.
  3. Place one tortilla in the prepared pan. Spreading evenly, top with 1 1/2 packed cups beef mixture, then 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat with two more layers. Top with last tortilla, and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
  4. Bake pie until top is lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Run knife around edge of pan; remove sides. Using two wide metal spatulas, lift pie from bottom of pan, and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into wedges. If desired, serve with cilantro and sour cream.

 

Here is the veggie version.

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

 

  • 4 (10-inch) flour tortillas
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeno chile, minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 12 ounces beer, or 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
  • 2 1/2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

 

 

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a paring knife, trim tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan, using the bottom of the pan as a guide. Set aside.
  2. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. Add beans and beer to skillet, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in corn and scallions, and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Fit a trimmed tortilla in bottom of springform pan; layer with 1/4 of the beans and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat three times, using 1 cup cheese on top layer. Bake until hot and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Unmold pie; sprinkle with scallions. To serve, slice into wedges.

Coconut Cream Pie

Most people get a birthday cake, but my Dad and my Grandpa Marvin would rather have birthday pie.  My dad is a lemon meringue pie fan, and my grandpa loves coconut cream.  

Grandpa Marvin turned 89 on March 7th, so I made him a birthday pie!  

This pie is a bit laborious, but worth it.  The crust is something special, using ground animal crackers and coconut as the base.  

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So, it ends up being a cross between a pie and cheesecake in texture.  The filling is rich and not overly sweet.  You can use sweetened coconut if that’s all you can find, but I’ve made this with sweetened and unsweenetend coconut…and the unsweetened is better, in my humble opinion.

This recipe is from Cooks Illustrated, a magazine that I used to get a few years ago.  I really liked the magazine and the website.  There are some recipes that you can get access to without an online subscription, but not all of them.  Of the 12 that I clicked on this morning, 2 of those were accessible.  The others require you to join.  I like the detail in the recipes and the tips and trouble shooting that Americas Test Kitchen provides.  You won’t get those tips without paying the price!  It is worth it for those people who like to know the reasons behind why something cooks or bakes the way it does.

Coconut Cream Pie (courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen)

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INGREDIENTS

Crust:

5 ounces animal crackers

2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

5  tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Filling:

1 can coconut milk (14 ounces)

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

3/8 teaspoon table salt

5 large egg yolks

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 2 pieces

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped Cream and Garnish:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream (cold)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut toasted

DIRECTIONS

FOR THE CRUST:
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees F. 

In food processor, pulse animal crackers, coconut, and sugar to fine crumbs, eighteen to twenty 1-second pulses; then process until powdery, about 5 seconds.pie4

Transfer crumbs to medium bowl and add butter; stir to combine until crumbs are evenly moistened. Empty crumbs into 9-inch glass pie plate; using bottom of ramekin or 1/2 cup dry measuring cup, press crumbs evenly into bottom and up sides of pie plate.pie5

Bake until fragrant and medium brown, about 15 minutes, rotating pie shell halfway through baking time. Set on wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

FOR THE FILLING:
Bring coconut milk, whole milk, shredded coconut, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt to simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to ensure that sugar dissolves. In a separate bowl, whisk yolks, cornstarch, and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar until thoroughly combined. Whisking constantly, gradually ladle about 1 cup hot milk mixture over yolk mixture; whisk well to combine. Whisking constantly, gradually add remaining milk mixture to yolk mixture in 3 or 4 additions; whisk well to combine. Return mixture to saucepan and cook until thickened and mixture reaches boil, whisking constantly, about 1 minute; filling must boil in order to fully thicken. (To determine whether filling has reached boil, stop whisking; large bubbles should quickly burst on surface.) Off heat, whisk in butter and vanilla until butter is fully incorporated. Pour hot filling into cooled pie shell and smooth surface with rubber spatula.  pie7

Press plastic wrap directly against surface of filling and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours and up to 12 hours.  

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FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM:
Just before serving, beat cream, sugar, and vanilla with electric mixer until soft peaks form, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

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Top pie with whipped cream and then sprinkle with coconut.

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Cut pie into wedges and serve.

Recipe reprinted by permission of America’s Test Kitchen. All rights reserved

Banana Nut Crumb Muffins

Sometimes cereal for breakfast gets old…in my opinion anyway.  My husband eats cereal every morning without fail and without complaints of boredom.  However, when bananas gets all black and mushy, the only option you have is to bake with them.  I have a tried and true recipe for banana bread with pecans and coconut that is incredible, but it doesn’t bake very well as muffins for some reason.  I found this recipe on allrecipes and just changed it by adding half a cup of chopped pecans.  The recipe yeilds a perfect dozen muffins.  My house smelled so wonderful yesterday even after they were packed away.  These muffins are easy and pretty good.  I recommend halving them, spreading some butter on each half and toasting them in the toaster oven or regular oven.  I love the crisp edges you get by warming them this way.  The cinnamon crumb topping is a nice addition to these muffins.  Enjoy!

muffinsPhoto and Recipe courtesy of Allrecpies.com

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour  

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

3 bananas, mashed

3/4 cup white sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten  

1/3 cup butter, melted

½ cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1-2 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 12 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.

In a large bowl, mix together 1 ½ cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Stir in pecans.  Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.