There’s a new post in the Think About This section. Despite all the desserts that I make, healthy living is very important to me. I also believe that it takes a healthy mindset to achieve optimal wellness. These little tidbits that I’ll be sharing with you are my way of trying to hone in on that point. Right now, I’m not sure how to get a post to show up in two places on my blog at the same time, so I’ll just let you know when a new one is ready.
Take Care!
The last thing I needed was another cake pan. As I was straightening my closet yesterday I noticed a couple that have been waiting for over a year to be called into active duty. However, it’s not about “needing” another pan or tableware. Some people have a shoe fetish, for me it’s kitchen stuff. There is one pan that I’ve been salivating over for years and I finally bought it. It’s the Nordic Ware Heritage Bundt Pan, and it’s beautiful. Cakes baked in this pan are so gorgeous on their own that hardly any adornment is necessary.
For it’s maiden baking voyage I wanted to keep it simple. I chose a sour cream pound cake recipe that’s been collecting dust longer than some of my pans. This pan is nonstick and made of cast aluminum, it definitely isn’t a lightweight. I was too chicken to test it’s nonstick features so I used my pan grease and it released beautifully.
I used a lime glaze that according to Gabrielle (surprise-surprise) has just the amount of flavor needed. There are a few nooks and crannies in the crust that I think can be eliminated with a thinner batter. Although, I’ve scouted out a few Heritage Pan recipes that use a traditional thick pound cake batter and their crust looks smooth as silk. The next time I will also cut down on the baking time to produce a lighter crust. My oven is going through menopause also and is prone to hot flashes.
I had made up my mind to use some of the pans that have been sitting for a while. Now that I’m smitten with my new favorite bundt pan the others may have to wait a bit longer. At least they won’t be lonely.
Once again the postman (woman) delivered. What she delivered was a special package of yummy treats from Samara for our Mother’s Day dessert.
About a month a ago, my girls were commenting on Facebook about these over the top fudgy peanut butter brownies with chocolate chips. These brownies are rich, fudgy and totally indulgent. I ate them with a modicum of guilt and a ton of pleasure. Then there were the traditional Garth Girl Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sweet Mother of Pearl!!!
I was also super excited to see how cute they were packaged. The brownies were individually wrapped and tied with twine. Along with the gigantic cookies they arrived in a Kraft tote decorated with rhinestones and ribbon. Can you see me smiling and beaming with pride over here! I still hold to the fantasy of one day running a boutique bakery with my girls and conquering the dessert world one sweet bite at a time.
Thank you Samara we enjoyed every bite!!!
Last week my niece Alissa was married and I had the pleasure of providing cake for her reception. This was my first cupcake wedding reception. Charisse was a tremendous help to me and I can’t thank her enough.
There was an 8″ vanilla cake that the couple is saving for their first anniversary and 130 cupcakes (red velvet, vanilla and chocolate) for guests to feast on. That’s a ton of cupcakes!!! Lisa and John were very appreciative as was my brother Charles (Alissa’s father) and the cupcakes were well received.
The theme was Shabby Chic so we went with lots of lace and pearls to give the table a vintage feel.
The #BundtaMonth theme for May is berrilicious and I was super excited. I was also super excited to come across this White House recipe. Hopefully the secret service doesn’t show up at my door. Blackberries aren’t always shown the love and respect that they deserve. Here’s the nutritional low down on these sometime forgotten gems of the berry world. One cup of raw blackberries has 62 calories, eight grams of dietary fiber, seven grams of sugar, and more than 30 milligrams of vitamin C. I’m hoping that the health benefits will make you feel a tad bit better about how I’ve used them to create my bundt cake.
The recipe uses an orange juice glaze which is more fitting for the First Daughters. My first thought was to use Grand Marnier in place of the orange juice. However, I plan to send all but one slice to work with Charisse. Granted a Grand Mariner glaze wouldn’t put her coworkers in a stupor, I just thought it best to keep it simple.
This isn’t a finely textured cake. It’s a bit dense but not off putting and the flavor is great. Here’s what I would do different next time. I’d make a puree with the blackberries. I love them but those seeds are a bit annoying. For the glaze I’d add the juice a little at a time to the powdered sugar until it reached the consistency I wanted. Adding ½ cup of liquid to the ½ cup of powdered sugar makes for a very thin glaze.
Blackberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake with Orange Glaze
Adapted from – Bill Yosses and Melissa Clark
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, plus 2 TBS for greasing
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 TBS baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
½ tsp baking soda
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
2 pints Blackberries
Glaze
½ cup orange juice
½ cup powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350°. Use two TBS of the butter to coat a 2-quart nonstick Bundt pan, then spray lightly with cooking spray. I use my pan grease which is equal parts flour and shortening mixed with enough oil to make a smooth paste. Use a pastry brush or paper towel to apply to your pan.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the remaining 2 sticks of butter and the granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well incorporated. Then mix in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in half of the flour mixture. Then the buttermilk, followed by the remaining flour mixture.
Using a wooden spoon, gently fold in the blackberries. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Here’s where my method differs from most. Immediately invert the cake onto a serving plate and using a fork or skewer poke holes deep in to the cake. Brush or pour half of the glaze onto the cake letting it seep in until all of it is used. Let it sit for 20 minutes and them brush or pour on the remaining glaze. If you can muster up the patience let it sit for at least an hour. The original recipe says 10 minutes but I want this baby to soak in as much of the glaze as possible.
*Recipe from Bill Yosses and Melissa Clark’s “The Perfect Finish,” W.W. Norton 2010.
If you’d like to be a part of Bundt-a-Month:
Simple rule: Use your favorite berries or a combination of two and bake us a Bundt for May
Post it before May 31, 2013
Use the #BundtaMonth hashtag in your title. ex: #BundtaMonth: Berry Bundt)
Add your entry to the Linky tool below
Link back to our announcement posts
Here in Michigan we have moaned and groaned about the lack of spring like weather for the last month. Finally, Mother Nature heard our pleas and granted us with one of the most beautiful weeks ever. We have enjoyed the sunshine and warm temps and are eager for more. Our weather has put us in a festive mood and making celebrating Cinco de Mayo is easy peasy.
Red, yellow, green and a ton of hues in between are fitting. I guess if you’re swimming in Margaritas and bouncing off the walls from the sugar in the Tres Leches the colors don’t matter do they?!
No table cloth this time, I wanted the color of the wood to play a part in this table. Keeping that in mind I built my stack upon round wicker chargers. I placed the napkins underneath the deep yellow dinner plates and brought the fold to the center of it. I found the napkins at Pier 1 over a year ago and they were .68 cents each. I can’t help but smile when I realize what a deal they were. The matching salad plate was placed on top and it was topped with a small paper fan made from scrapbook paper. Friends, you don’t have to do scrapbooks in order to take advantage of the supplies. Scrapbook paper comes in several sizes, every shade under the sun and in lots of different finishes.
I used my beat up looking wooden handled flatware because they work. The water glasses and goblets are plastic. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t use plastic and glass in a place setting. Depending on the theme it can work. The plastic glasses also came with the shot glasses that I used at each setting, plus the straws and swizzle sticks.
For the centerpiece I used fruit that will make its way into smoothies by the end of the week. The fruits are sitting on a very colorful cake plate that I got at Hobby Lobby a while back for $4.00 (I think?), it was an after season clearance. It’s sitting on placemat that was sold as a match to the napkins. There was only one left so it makes a great mini table runner. I’ve also placed mangoes, and more shot glasses on it.
These cute little faux succulents came from Michael’s and were $1.99 each. The teeny tiny red sombrero was saved from a bottle of tequila a long time ago. This little grouping needed company on the table so I dug deep into the hoarders bin and found this tropical looking flask. We’re eating according to the holiday but I vowed not to make enough food to feed the neighbor. Wish me luck and have a great day!
Pour yourself a beverage because this is going to be a lengthy post. I have to tell you how this cake came about, so please indulge me. If ever there was a cake recipe that should have failed it was this one. Luckily, it did not. This was dessert for our Soul Food Sunday dinner along with homemade vanilla bean ice-cream. Common sense should have dictated that given the enormous amount of savory food we were consuming one dessert should have been enough. This isn’t the first time common sense and I have gone our separate ways.
A couple years back I found the perfect Classic Yellow Cake recipe by Sylvia Weinstock. With all the planning I had done for this dinner you’d think I would have checked all the recipes to make sure I had all the ingredients. Right before I got busy in the kitchen I had to run to the store to get corn syrup for the caramel, I checked the recipe. However, I didn’t check the cake recipe; I just figured I had everything. Remember what I said about that common sense thing?
As I’m reading the recipe (finally) I realize that I only have 4 ounces of sour cream and I need eight. Another trip to the store wasn’t happening at this point so I start searching for sour cream substitutes. Yogurt seems to be the numerous undo substitution, and I didn’t have that either. Expletive, expletive, expletive!! So now I start searching for another yellow cake recipe that is close to Sylvia’s. The biggest difference in her recipe is that she beats the egg whites until stiff peaks form and then folds them in after all the other ingredients have been added. And there was still that sour cream thing.
At this point I’m getting cranky and frustrated and just want to bake already. I land on a Martha recipe for yellow cake and decide that I’m going to do a Martha/Sylvia mash-up.
The recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart and I used the 4 oz of sour cream I had on hand and added to it 6 oz of sour milk. With fingers crossed I should add. I used Sylvia’s method of adding the beaten egg whites at the end. The cake came out amazing and I was ready to declare it Happy Dance Day for everyone. That was until I made the caramel frosting.
Once again, I used the Martha Stewart recipe for caramel. I’ve made it several times and with great success. I even had all the ingredients. It is a long drawn out process but worth it. After the caramel has reached the perfect temperature you set it aside for 15 minutes and then add the butter and beat it until the desired consistency. Guess who decided to go upstairs and get caught up in a Julia Robert’s movie marathon and forget about the recipe. Oh don’t get me wrong, I went downstairs before I went to bed to turn out the lights in the kitchen and take a peak at the caramel. That 15 minute rest period was the furthest thing from my mind, obviously.
The next morning I went down to start the ice-cream and frost the cake and was met with a bowl of crystallized caramel. Expletive, expletive, expletive! I tried warming it in the microwave, it didn’t work. I tried adding butter and warming it some more, it didn’t work. I had half melted crystallized caramel. The last thing I wanted to do was start all over again. Back to the internet I went. I found a forum for people who like me hadn’t paid attention to what they were doing when making caramel, and I found the solution.
I scraped the caramel back into the pot and added a ¼ cup of water. Put the lid on the pot and turned the heat to medium. 20 minutes later I had silky smooth caramel. THIS, time I stayed put and waited out the 15 minutes. Then I added the butter and whipped the caramel into something so luscious I think Martha would have been jealous. I ate the first and the last piece of cake and it was good to the last drop.
Thankfully the ice-cream went off without a hitch. The other cool thing about the ice cream (no pun intended) was that Gabbi loved it. There’s a tiny bit left and I’m sure she’ll polish it off when she comes home from school today. Thanks for hanging in here with me the links for the original yellow cake, caramel frosting and ice cream are at the end of the post.
Yellow Cake – Adapted from Martha Stewart and Sylvia Weinstock
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 ½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 TBS baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 ¾ cups sugar
4 large eggs ( separated, whites beaten until stiff peaks form)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups milk ( I used 4 oz sour cream 6 oz sour milk)
Preheat oven to 350°. Butter two 8-by-2-inches round cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter parchment, and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. Into a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, then beat in vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined after each addition.
In a separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into the batter using a third of them at a time until incorporated. Divide batter between the prepared pans, and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto the rack; peel off the parchment and let them cool completely. Frost as desired.
Here’s the recipe links:
French Vanilla Ice Cream
Original Classic Yellow Cake recipe
Caramel Frosting
Years ago, Soul Food the movie landed on the big screen and there was even a TV version on Showtime. The family portrayed in the movie gathered every Sunday at their childhood home for dinner. The dinners were off the charts and even better was the concept of the family gathering around the table for a home cooked meal. This family was not perfect by any means, much like every other family. However, despite their faults and foibles they never forgot where they came from. I still have the movie on VHS. I know, who has those anymore?
Our Sunday dinners menus have been pretty full lately and we‘ve had Indian and Chinese food. This past Sunday was our Soul Food Sunday. We didn’t call it soul food when I was growing up. It was just what Mama cooked and you ate it without question. Don’t get me wrong there were no complaints, I loved every hip hugging drop. Every family has their version of soul food and I urge all of you to share a meal with your family on a regular basis. So often we eat on the run and miss the conversation and the bonding that can take place around the dinner table. I know it sounds corny, but sometimes a little corny goes a log way.
I cooked enough to last us all week and it was as good the last day as the first. Maybe even better. Other than preparing the meal I get a kick out of the planning and shopping. It was like planning a party for us. Check out this menu:
Pork Stew over Rice, Fried Chicken, Collard Greens and Cornbread, Black Eyed Pea Salad, Potato Salad, Caramel Cake and Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.
I took the picture of the Black Eyed Pea Salad on a whim, but it looks so good close-up I decided to share the recipe along with the picture. The ice cream and cake recipe are coming in a few days. I teased my family and told them this week we were having spa cuisine. They looked at me like I had horns growing out of my head. I was kidding of course, sort of. This week it’s protein, veggies and more dinner time conversation. Sounds pretty soulful to me.
Black Eyed Pea Salad
1 (15 ½ oz) can black eye peas, rinsed and drained
1 celery rib, chopped (optional)
¼ finely chopped red onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 TBS olive oil
1 TBS balsamic vinegar
¼ tsp salt
2-3 dashes hot sauce
1 medium tomato, diced
First of all let me reiterate that using fresh or frozen produce is always preferred. In some instances, especially where time is at a premium it’s Ok to go with canned. Just be sure and rinse the contents well. Now you may be asking why do I have to rinse the contents of the can to get rid of the sodium just to add more? When you add more, you’re in control, and you’ll notice that it’s only ¼ tsp. Rinsing will remove the salty brine, and you have no idea how much has seeped into the product.
In a medium size bowl, combine the peas, celery, onion and jalapeno pepper. In a small dish, whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt and hot sauce. Pour the dressing over the peas and mix well; cover and refrigerate until serving time. Just before serving, add the diced tomato and stir to combine. If you wanted to make a main dish out of this add cubes of turkey ham or smoked turkey.
What do you do when your baby asks for dessert? You make her dessert of course! Even though baby is 30 years old. What came out of my laboratory from that request was Cream Cheese Brownies. The recipe is from the domestic diva herself, Martha Stewart and I found it at Delish.com.
This isn’t my first go round with Cream Cheese Brownies. A couple years ago I made a healthy version that was only 120 calories per serving, and it would have been a very small serving had I cut them correctly. This recipe didn’t display the nutritional information and that’s OK. I’ll just assume that they are super healthy and have very little calories or fat grams.
Cream Cheese Brownies – Adapted from Martha Stewart via Delish.com
10 TBS unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 TBS all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
8 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used chocolate chips)4 oz room-temperature bar cream cheese
1 ½ cup sugar
4 large eggs
Preheat oven to 350°. Brush a 9-inch square baking pan with butter. Line bottom and two sides with a strip of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the two sides. Butter paper, and set pan aside. In a small bowl, whisk 1 cup flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Place 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter and chocolate in a large bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of gently simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes; remove bowl from pan. Add 1 ¼ cups sugar; mix to combine. Add 3 eggs, and mix to combine. Add flour and cocoa mixture; mix just until moistened (do not over mix).
Prepare cream-cheese mixture: Whisk bar cream cheese with 2 tablespoons room-temperature butter. Whisk in 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour. My mixture was runny and curdled and I wasn’t sure it would come out right at all.
Alternately spoon chocolate batter and cream-cheese mixture into pan; with the tip of a paring knife, swirl to marble. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes. My brownies baked for 85 minutes. Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Using paper overhang, lift brownies out of pan; transfer to a rack to cool completely (still on paper). On a cutting board, using a dampened serrated knife, cut into 16 squares. I tried to cut my brownies neat and clean like Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake. Ummm, not so much. I used dental floss and mint dental floss at that. Good thing one of Charisse’s favorite flavor combos is mint and chocolate. Ha!!!
Store in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.
I’ve been trying to expand our savory taste buds lately and so far so good. Last Sunday we had General Tso’s Chicken. My trip to the Asian market was definitely a walk on the unfamiliar side for me. Oh how I wish Nami had been there with me. I went in for chopsticks, fortune cookies, some spice mixes, and a couple of sauces. The chopsticks and fortune cookies were no problem. Everything was written in Chinese/Japanese and I didn‘t have a clue. There was one lady working and she was waiting on someone that had a counter full of stuff. I passed on the spices and sauces, paid for the chopsticks and cookies and left.
Due to the fact that I didn’t have everything I needed for the sauce I took a super shortcut and bought General Tso sauce. I found the recipe at Appetite for China and from what I read this American-Chinese favorite is almost unheard of in Hunan, but is a big hit over here. This is a food court staple over there and this is the first time I’ve had it. The family gave it a big thumbs up and it will grace my table again. I served it with steamed rice and stir fried veggies. Gabbi ate most of the fortune cookies and I have a stash of ivory-like chopsticks that will last me forever. I’ve left the recipe as is for you to read. My only change was to use the pre-made sauce and omit the sesame seeds due to Gabbi’s peanut allergy.
General Tso’s Chicken – Adapted from Appetite for China
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into 1-inch cubes
1 ½ cups cornstarch
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 cups peanut or vegetable oil for frying, plus 1 tablespoon for stir-frying
8 dried whole red chilis, or substitute ¼ tsp dried red chili flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp white sesame seeds, for garnish
Scallions, green parts thinly sliced, for garnish
Marinade:
1 TBS soy sauce
1 TBS Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 egg whites
Sauce:
1/4 cup chicken stock, or substitute water
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon chili paste
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Marinade: In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine, and egg whites. Coat the chicken to the marinade mixture and let sit for 10 minutes.
Sauce: In a small bowl, combine the chicken stock, tomato paste, sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, chili paste, sesame oil, sugar, and the 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Stir until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved. Set the sauce aside.
In a large bowl or deep plate, toss the 1 1/2 cups cornstarch with the salt and pepper. Coat the marinated chicken in the cornstarch and shake off any excess before frying.
Heat the 3 cups of peanut or vegetable oil in your wok until it registers 350°F on an instant-read oil thermometer. Working in 2 or 3 batches, add the first batch of chicken cubes and fry until golden brown on the outside and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
Drain the oil into a heatproof container and save for discarding. Wipe the wok with a paper towel to remove any brown bits, but don’t wash. Reheat the wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add another 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the base and sides. Add the dried chilis and garlic to the wok and stir-fry until just fragrant, about 20 seconds. Pour in the sauce mixture and stir until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Return the chicken to the wok and stir well to coat with sauce. Transfer the chicken to a serving dish. Garnish with white sesame seeds and scallions. Serve with white rice and vegetables.
