Posts filed under 'Sweet Recipes'
One of the many things I love and cherish about my mother is her passionate love of delicious things. Mimi is one of my unofficial recipe scouts; she finds a lot of winners. This dandy comes from Martha Stewart’s daily show. My mom was entranced by these caramels and I knew that I had the perfect Mother’s Day gift.
These caramels have got it going on. The goat butter adds a certain nuance (Goat butter can be found at Whole Foods). Honey is the predominant flavor, its sweetness gently tempered by the light dusting of sea salt.
In my lifetime, I have met very few homemade caramels that I didn’t like but these caramels are really special. I love the uniqueness of these caramels, subtly different than traditional caramels. These are chewy, rich, honeyed nirvana.
Ready for an overnight cool.
Using Marco for his muscle, plus he is always angling to get his picture on the blog (oh the shots I have deleted).
Goat Butter Honey Caramels with Sea Salt from Martha Stewart
1 cup goat milk butter
2 cups pure wildflower honey
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. sea salt, for sprinkling
Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper; set aside.
Melt butter in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add honey, cream, and sugar; stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil.
Continue boiling, stirring frequently, until mixture reaches 250 degrees on a candy thermometer, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla; pour into prepared pan. Let cool for 1 hour; sprinkle with sea salt. Let cool completely, overnight.
Turn caramels out onto a cutting board; remove parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, cut caramels into 1-inch squares; wrap each in wax paper. Caramels will keep in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 1 month. Caramels will soften at room temperature or stay firm if kept chilled.
From The Martha Stewart Show, February 2010
May 15th, 2010
During the pantry/fridge clean out, I found myself with an extensive collection of jams. Between recipe development, splendid gifts and impulsive purchases, I had too much of a good thing.
Did I mention that I am the only person in my home that consumes jam?
Enter the jam bar, an easy, tasty treat that makes even a non-jam lover perk up. I tried a few different recipes and the preferred version was from Cooking with Amy.
In my jam bar tests, I discovered that jam bars are best prepared in a square baking pan (a round baking pan might also work). My attempts in a 9×13-inch baking pan were OK whereas the bars baked in a 8-inch baking pan were consistently superb.
Jam Bars are super easy and quite sturdy (ideal for those spring bake sales). You make a rich, shortbread-like dough. Most of it is pressed into the pan and the rest is sprinkled over the jam layer. I feel like making up another batch as I type. They are that good and that simple.
Pick any jam or preserves, store-bought or homemade. Eschew jelly, as it will not work; save the jelly for PB &J’s or for glazing fruit tarts.
Jam Bars from Cooking with Amy
Makes 16 squares
1 1/2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 egg
1 cup fruit jam or preserves
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-inch or 8-inch baking pan.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut in the butter, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the egg to form a crumbly dough. Press in 3/4 of the mixture onto the bottom of the pan.
Top with jam and evenly spread almost but not quite to the edges of the pan since the jam will spread as it bakes. Top with the remaining crumb mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes or until pale golden brown. Let cool and cut into 16 squares
April 29th, 2010
My son begged me to make his favorite cake for his recent 9th birthday. Wish granted.
Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson’s How to be a Domestic Goddess.
For the cake:
3/4 cup Coca Cola
(I prefer the glass bottles that come from Mexico as they are still made with sugar and has a bit of a different taste. However in this recipe, it really doesn’t matter)
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 8 or 9-inch springform pan. Wrap foil on the outside. This will prevent the batter from dripping all over your oven.
On the stovetop, melt the butter with the coca cola and the cocoa. Whisk well. Allow to cool. Place remaining dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk well. Beat the egg into the buttermilk, add the vanilla then the cooled cocoa cola mixture. Pour into the dry ingredients and blend together well.
Now pour into your prepared cake pans and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Let stand for 15 minutes before unmolding.
Cocoa Cola Glaze – this only makes enough to cover a single layer. If you are going to slice the cake in half and frost the inside, then double the recipe. Freshly whipped cream is a great filling for this cake too.
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
2 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. Coca Cola
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Melt the butter and coca cola in a sauce pan and add the vanilla. Stir well and then pour, while stirring the sugar around, into the confectioners sugar. While the glaze is still warm, pour over the cake and spread along the sides. Leave to cool so the icing sets. Decorate as you wish.
April 28th, 2010
Once the pantry purge has been completed, I start to tackle the freezer knowing that berry season will be here soon enough and there must be space to freeze Maine’s summer berries.
Despite a few batches of blueberry jam over the winter, I still had a couple quarts of blueberries needing to be used up (Stay tuned for a superb blueberry cake with brown sugar glaze to be posted soon). Now onto this yummy pie.
This pie was made for my friend Kate who had been having a very tough month. I am a big believer in the power of pie and its ability to make things seems better, even if momentarily. She described it as "ooey, gooey, apple, blueberry yumminess." Needless to say, I will be making the pie again, maybe for Mother’s Day because I still have some blues to use up.
I would like to note that I made the pie crust with Earth Balance spread because Kate prefers to pass on dairy and I am happy to report that the crust acted just like a normal pie crust. It cooked up nice, golden and flaky. Flavorista Monica gave me the idea. Her son is allergic to all dairy products, so she is my go-to expert on the subject of dairy-free. Of course the flavor was different than an all-butter crust, but it still met with very good reviews.
For the crust, I followed Jess’ instructions for freezing the pie crust before baking. I am a convert to this method as it it has consistently delivered flaky, golden crusts since Thanksgiving 2008. I only use metal pie plates for this freezing method because I am too nervous about temperature differences and potential explosions (I am not willing to sacrifice my Pyrex and ceramic pie plates).
Apple Blueberry Pie adapted from from Emeril with Hogwash’s Pie Crust.
Two 9-inch prepared pie crust (recipe follows)
3 cups thinly sliced granny smith apples
1 cup blueberries, preferably wild Maine blueberries
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
3 Tbsp. butter cut into small pieces
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine the apples, blueberries, sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt.
Pour the apple-blueberry mixture into the frozen pie crust. Dot the top with butter and cover with the other frozen pie crust, sealing edges.
Cut steam holes in top, place on cookie sheet pan lined with foil or parchment. Bake for 50 – 60 minutes. Fruit juices should be bubbling though the vent holes. Stick the point of a knife through the hole and check to see if apples are tender.
Allow pie to cool for 4 hours before slicing.
Edible’s All-Butter Crust from Hogwash
From the Fall 2008 issue of Edible Seattle.
Yields: Two 9-inch pie crust
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1” dice, and chilled again
1/2 to 2/3 cup water, chilled in fridge
Blend flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Sprinkle chilled butter cubes into the flour and press into the dry ingredients with your fingertips, blending together until the mixture looks like fresh breadcrumbs or damp sand. Ideally, no lumps of butter any bigger than a pea will remain, nor will you have any dry flour lurking in the bottom of the bowl.
Add cold water one tablespoon at a time, blending gently with a large fork, until the dough forms into a ball. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a crust about 1/8” thick and gently pat down into a 9” or 10" pie pan. Trim the edge with a sharp knife or scissors so the dough hangs over the edge by 1/2”. Fold and crimp the dough’s edges. Cover the crust with plastic wrap and freeze for a minimum of 30 minutes, or overnight. For the top crust, roll it out flat. Line a 10-12" plate with plastic wrap and place the crust onto it. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes, or overnight.
Remove from freezer when your filling is ready and the oven is pre-heated—whatever sort of pie you’re baking, you want the crust fully frozen when it goes into the oven.
April 21st, 2010
Need I say more? Take two of the Mayone’s most beloved treats (caramel and chocolate) then mix them together into an ice cream sauce. Absolute Nirvana! This post from Under the High Chair couldn’t have come at a better time because I have been searching for something yummy to bring along for Easter gifts.
This recipe originally published in the Joy of Cooking. Sugar is caramelized. Butter and cream are added to create a tawny ambrosia. Chocolate is the finishing touch.
We liked the sauce best warm, although it was pretty darn good cold off of a spoon. The caramel base gives this dessert sauce a more complex flavor than traditional hot fudge. While I am swooning, I might add that this sauce is outstanding stirred into coffee for a little mocha, caramel latte treat.
The original recipe suggested bringing the caramel almost to smoke point before adding the butter, I tend to like underdone caramel so I have written the instructions accordingly.
Dark Chocolate Caramel Sauce via UTHC via Hippo Flambe
adapted slightly from The 1997 Joy of Cooking
Makes approximately 2 cups
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
5 Tbsp butter, cut into small squares
1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
3 oz. high quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chocolate chips
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
Place sugar in a small heavy saucepan and pour water over the top. Place the pan over medium high heat. Gently stir the water and sugar together. Once the the sugar is dissolved, stop stirring. Do not let the syrup come to a boil until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Let the syrup boil. Once the sugar is beginning to become a golden hue, reduce the heat to medium-low. Depending on your pan and your heat source, this will not take more than a few minutes. Gently stir a the caramel only a few times.
Gently mix the butter into the caramel with a heatproof spatula or whisk. Be careful as it will bubble up. Once the butter is fully incorporated stir in the heavy cream. Stir until smooth.
If the sauce becomes lumpy, heat over very low heat while stirring until it is smooth and promptly turning off the heat when it is smooth again. Add the chocolate and stir until it is melted and incorporated. Stir in the vanilla and salt.
March 31st, 2010
Craving something decadent? This recipe offers the ultimate flavor combination of chocolate and peanut butter. And yes, they taste as good as they look.
Quite sturdy, these bars would be an excellent offering at a bake sale. A crisp, buttery, brown sugar shortbread crust is baked, then a peanut butter chocolate ganache forms the top layer. I was especially curious about this recipe because of the coffee used in the chocolate layer. It does not offer a distinctive coffee note but it does enhance the chocolate flavor.
Flavorista Mimi found this recipe in the December 2009 issue of Better Homes and Gardens, it was a prize winning reader recipe in the Favorite Childhood Sweets Category. I tested the recipe in a 9×13-inch pan because it is a more common pan size than a 15×10. It worked just fine.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars from Better Homes and Gardens
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (12-oz. pkg.) semisweet chocolate pieces
3 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup hot strong coffee
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan or line the pan with foil or parchment; set aside. For cookie base, in large mixing bowl beat the 3/4 cup butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar; beat until combined, occasionally scraping sides of bowl. Beat in egg, vanilla, and salt until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Evenly spread dough in prepared pan.
2. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until edges are golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack. Makes 36 bars.
3. For frosting, in small saucepan combine chocolate and 3 tablespoons butter. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Transfer chocolate mixture to a medium bowl. Whisk in coffee and peanut butter until combined. Whisk in powdered sugar until smooth. Spread on cookie base. Let stand until frosting is set.
PS – NYC’s Flavorista Phebe – This one is for you!
March 27th, 2010
Warning: If you are a piece of fruit a bit past your prime you will be turned into a baked good. I do not like wasting food, it really bums me out so overripe bananas become muffins and apples on the counter a bit too long are turned into cake. Baking at home saves money and I’d rather my children eat cake made with butter than store-bought cake made with shortening.
This recipe is the most recent apple cake in my kitchen. My niece, Anna, is absolutely crazy for it. She left my house with the leftover cake and asked her mom if she could eat it for dessert and breakfast. I must say, I like the way the girl thinks.
A classic buttermilk batter is topped with apple slices that have been tossed with cinnamon and sugar. The hint of fresh nutmeg really makes this cake special.
The Mayone clan favors this cake as a snack or as a lunch box upgrade. This apple cake would be ideal as part of a brunch buffet or glammed up for dessert with some vanilla ice cream.
Easy Apple Cake adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp. wheat germ
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
4 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large tart apple, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
generous pinch of cinnamon
1 -2 Tbsp. pearl sugar or turbinado sugar
Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Grease and flour a 8-inch square baking pan. Whisk together flour, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
Beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with a mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg, beat until combined. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined.
In a small bowl combine the apple slices with the brown sugar and extra cinnamon. Stir until apples are coated. Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Place sliced apples evenly over top and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Cool in pan.
March 23rd, 2010
I call this Buttrick’s Ginger Cake because the original recipe was introduced to me by a family of cake bakers.
For the Buttricks, dear friends from New York, cakes were an integral part of growing up. I made some slight changes to this cake which might be considered sacrilege, as the original recipe called for 1 cup dark molasses, zest from 1 whole lemon and whole milk.
Given that it will be sap running time in the North East and Canada soon, I thought I’d try this recipe with maple syrup. It is indeed delicious, just the right balance of sweet and spice.
1 cup maple syrup (or dark molasses)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 egg
zest of 1 lemon (optional – I did not add any)
2 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
(the original recipe uses powdered ginger but I abhor powdered ginger)
1/2 cup buttermilk (the original recipe called for milk but I prefer to bake with buttermilk)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup flour
Garnishes
freshly whipped cream
maple syrup
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place wet ingredients into a bowl and mix until blended. Mix together the dry ingredients. Add the dry to the wet and stir until smooth. Pour into a prepared 9" baking pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Allow to cool slightly.
For serving, whip about 1 cup of cream until there are soft peaks. You can add a touch of vanilla extract. I used vanilla paste. Heat about 1/2 cup of maple syrup to just slightly warm. Pour a little syrup on to a plate, place a piece of warm cake on top and then dollop some whipped cream. The cream does not need to be sweetened.
March 11th, 2010
A few weeks back, I had an overflowing bowl of very brown bananas and decided some baking was in order. This banana muffin has been my "go to" banana muffin for over a decade, they are simply that good.
Over the years, I have shaken things up with whole grain flours, toasted nuts and even mini chocolate chips, but ultimately, I always go back to the basic, unadulterated recipe, just the right size, tender yet dense and so much banana flavor. Yum!
These muffins are also Lollie’s self proclaimed "favorite" as in "these are really good Mom?!" Lollie and I often battle it out in the kitchen because she tends to reside in the land of picky eaters (with King Marco at the helm) rather than in my world of "Just try it, you might like it!"
In Lollie’s defense, she has an exceptional palate and many boldly flavored foods are off-putting to her. Give the girl a flaky croissant or a giant noodle bowl (minus the hot sauce) and she is on the moon. With regard to these muffins however, we have total agreement. If only bedtime could be so easy…
Fabulous Banana Muffins from Muffins A to Z by Marie Simmons
When bananas are too brown to enjoy out of hand, freeze them for smoothies or for baked goods.
cooking spray
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. pearl sugar or turbinado sugar (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, brown sugar, melted butter, egg and vanilla until smooth. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix until just blended and evenly moistened. Do not overmix.
Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. If desired, sprinkle each muffin with 1/2 tsp. sugar. Bake until the tops are golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 20 – 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before removing muffins from the tin.
Other Flavorista Muffin Faves:
Healthier Crumb Topped Blueberry Muffins
Rich Chocolate Muffins
Pumpkin Praline Muffins
February 25th, 2010
We have found a new favorite "anytime" cake chez Shafroth. I still love the Aspen Apple Cake but this recipe takes apple cake to another level. I found the recipe on Cook’s Country. They called it "Blue Ribbon Apple Cake" but I think upside down is a better descriptor.
Not all the recipes on Cook’s Country are stellar but this one caught my eye and has now won my heart. The sliced apples on top are reminiscent of homemade applesauce and the light batter below is the perfect compliment.
Apple Preparation
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
(an apple peeler is perfect for this)
4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
Heat a heavy pan (not cast iron) and add the butter. Once the butter stops foaming, add the brown sugar and cook until it turns a dark color, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the apples and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes or until the apples are soft.
Meanwhile, prepare a 9-inch cake pan by buttering the sides and the bottom. I think a springform pan works best. Once the apple are cooked, spread into the bottom of the cake pan and allow to cool.
Cake Batter
1/2 cup sour cream (or creme fraiche), divided
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups flour, sifted
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick of butter, at room temerature and cut into small chunks
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together 1/4 cup of sour cream, egg and egg yolk and vanilla. Set aside. Place dry ingredients into a large bowl and blend well on low speed with an electric mixer, adding the remaining 1/4 cup of sour cream and softened butter.
Once that is well incorporated and the dry ingredients are moistened, increase the speed to medium and add the egg/sour cream mixture. Mix for about 1 minute. Pour over the apples and spread evenly.
Bake for 40 minutes. Test for doness with a toothpick. It should come out clean when inserted in the center of the cake. Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and gently release the springform. Invert the cake onto a plate.
Allow the cake to rest inverted on the plate for about a minute. Give it a gentle tap and carefully remove the pan bottom. If some of the apple comes off, it is easily replaced. This cake is best served slightly warm, but I also loved it the next day for breakfast.
February 23rd, 2010
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