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Category: sweet

08 Mar

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Channeling Summer!

My parents were in Maui for a month! (lucky…..) While they were away, I talked to my mom on the phone and she told me about the most wonderful Pineapple Upside Down Cake her friend made her. I had to try it!

The recipe comes from one of our favorite restaurants in Maui- The Hali’imaile General Store.

I made this cake for the second-to-last Project Runway night at my house. It was pretty simple to whip up and sooo scrumptious! I had to give away leftovers because I was too afraid to have that caramel beauty resting innocently on my kitchen counter. You’ll see what I mean if you make it….

Pineapple Upside Down Cake (Beverly Gannon’s Recipe)

For the Cake:

2 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cup sugar (original recipe called for 2 cups which made it way too sweet my mom said)
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 egg yolks
1 1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

Caramel Pineapple Topping:

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 fresh pineapple cored and sliced (or 12 slices of canned pineapple rings)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

To prepare cake batter: Sift all dry ingredients together. Combine milk, egg yolks and vanilla. Soften butter to room temperature. In a mixer, add butter to dry ingredients and mix slightly. Scrap the sides of the bowl and continue to mix. Gradually add the egg yolk mixture. Mix until smooth.

To prepare the caramel: Melt butter to boiling. Add sugar. Mix until smooth and mixture is a light brown color.

Cut 12 slices of pineapple (or use canned slices like I did). Pour the caramel mixture in an ungreased 12″x3″ round metal pan. Layer the slices of pineapple on top of the caramel. Next, pour the cake batter on top of the caramel and pineapple slices. Leave about 1″ of room at the top of the pan to allow the cake to rise. Bake for 35 minutes. Rotate and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes or until center is cooked. Let rest in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert slowly on the plate you intend to serve in on. DIG IN!

This recipe makes one cake. I didn’t have a 12″x 3″ pan, so I used a 9″x 3.” I used about 3/4 of the caramel and 3/4 of the cake batter and it seemed to work fine. You will also notice that I only used 7 of the pineapple slices. I think the next time I make this (which is soon) I will try using a rectangular pan or a square pan. The slices might look even better if they are perfect little squares.

I topped each slice with a little dose of Haagen-Dazs vanilla bean ice cream. Joyous!

The cake is a perfect combo of dense and fluffy! It’s the baking powder that does it! Hope you love it too…and I hope that you get to channel some summer in your home.

24 Jan

Tiramisu!

Yesterday I spent about 3 hours trying to think of what dessert I was going to make for this week’s Project Runway Girls Night. It wasn’t until I was 3 minutes away from home that the idea came to me. TIRAMISU! And the best part…I had all the ingredients waiting for me in the kitchen!

I ran home and immediately started my online recipe search. I had less than an hour to pull it all together, so I went right to Martha Stewart’s EVERYDAY FOOD site and searched.

Below, you will find my version of the recipe. I decided to use mascarpone cheese instead of cream cheese to make it more authentic.

Ingredients:

2 3oz. packages ladyfingers
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 8oz. container mascarpone
3 tablespoons instant espresso
1/2 cup sugar
1 splash coffee flavored vodka (Kahlua would be fun too)
1 1/2 cup water
a bunch of bittersweet chocolate shavings

Put the 3 tablespoons of instant espresso in a medium bowl combine with 3 tablespoons of boiling water. Stir until the espresso powder completely dissolved. Add the 1 1/2 cups of water and the splash of booze. Stir!

Meanwhile, whip the cream with the 1/2 cup of sugar. When you have made whipped cream, add the mascarpone and stir it up! Try not to take too many tastes, because you might get stressed at the assembly part and think you may not have enough! (I’m serious)

In the dish/bowl/serving container you are using put 3 heaping tablespoons of the cream on the bottom. Dunk each ladyfinger in the coffee mixture for less than a second. Layer them on top of the cream in the dish. When you are done with the first layer, add more cream on top. It’s like you are making a lasagna! Now continue with your second layer. Top that with the last of your cream. With the help of a potato peeler, and shave a hunk of bittersweet chocolate on top. If you do not have a hunk of bittersweet chocolate lying around like I do…. Dust the top with cocoa powder.

I let this sit in the fridge for about 45 minutes and then brought it over to my friends house. We ate it about 3 hours later and it was scrumptious! It took about 20 minutes to assemble (phew!).

Here’s a shot of the layering process:

Up close on the shavings-

Here’s the layered dish:

18 Jan

Ina Garten’s Turkey Meatloaf

This Week’s Project Runway Dinner:

Turkey meatloaf, smashed fingerling potatoes & a green salad with balsamic dressing

Turkey Meatloaf (adapted from a Barefoot Contessa recipe)

The recipe was for 8-10 people so I halved it accordingly for a 4 person dinner (with leftovers).

2 1/2 lbs. ground turkey meat
1 large yellow onion chopped
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup chicken stock
2 tsp. tomato paste
3/4 cup of dry bread crumbs
2 large eggs (beaten)
3/4 cup ketchup

Preheat Oven to 325 degrees F.

In a medium saute pan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme until mixture is translucent (but not browned). This should take about 10-15 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste and mix well. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well with hands and shape the meat mixture into a rectangle on an ungreased sheet pan. Spread the ketchup evenly on top of the loaf. Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F & the meatloaf is cooked through.

Ina recommends a pan of hot water to be under the loaf in the oven to prevent cracking. I took a walk on the wild side…and did not obey! There were no cracks in my loaf.

***We each had a thick slice…husband had two. There were about 5 pieces leftover. So this is an excellent dish to make on a Sunday/Monday night and eat for a few days as leftovers. ***

And for dessert…

Lemon Vanilla Cake with Blueberry Topping

-buy some of the Trader Joe’s vanilla cake mix. Follow the instructions on the bag and when you are mixing it all up add a heaping teaspoon of Lemon Extract in the mix. If you don’t have lemon extract but have a few lemons hanging around your house, finely grate some lemon peel in the batter.

After the cake has finished baking, pour a few cups of frozen blueberries in a sauce pan. Cook over medium heat for about 7 minutes. The juices will start releasing from the blueberries. I added a tablespoon of Trader Joe’s ginger jelly spread and dumped that into the mix. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes and you will see that the berries have released most of their juice. I stirred for a bit and then added a few teaspoons of cornstarch to thicken up the sauce. The longer you keep it on the heat, the thicker your sauce becomes.
Let the cake cool for a bit and then load the blueberries on top.

I think it looks nice when there’s blueberry sauce dripping down the sides. Enticing? YES!

I topped them with Double Rainbow Vanilla Bean Ice Cream from TJs. It was delish!

And then when you have leftovers….pour yourself some coffee or tea the next morning and have yourself a slice. It will start your day off right!

And then weep…because Kit is no longer on Project Runway…..sigh.

17 Jan

Blueberry Scones

Blueberry Scones (recipe adapted from a Joy of Baking recipe)

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour (or regular if you feel the need)
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter (cut into pieces) —I used salted cuz that’s all I had….
1 cup blueberries (i used frozen ones from Trader Joe’s)
1 large egg (lightly beaten)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk or cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and place rack in middle of oven. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. To prevent the bottom of the scones from over browning, place the prepared cookie sheet inside another cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Gently fold in the blueberries. In a small measuring cup combine the cream, beaten egg and vanilla. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough or the scones will be tough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently four or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches round and about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut this circle in half, then cut each half into four pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with a little cream or milk. Top each scone with a heaping spoonful of cinnamon sugar for a nice crispy sugary crust.

Bake the scones until nicely browned, about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a scone comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. These are best eaten the day they are made.

***These are great if you pop them open and spread butter on top. Extra points if you sprinkle more cinnamon sugar on the buttery parts. MMMM. ***

03 Jan

MatzoToffee Brittle

So I got the bright idea to be ambitious the Eve of Christmas Eve and make a load of treats. Why? I dunno…perhaps there was crack slipped into my coffee. Perhaps I thought that the only way to relieve all the stress & pressure of the holiday season was to bake? Who knows….

Before I got the bright idea to make truffles, I was surfing the net (as usual) and found this recipe for Matzo Toffee Brittle that peaked my interest. Toffee+Matzos+Chocolate+Almond slices means a match made in heaven for this bean.

While I was buying all the supplies for the truffles (everything found PERFECTLY at Trader Joe’s-thank you). I COULD NOT for the life of me get a hold of a package of matzos. I went to 6 different grocery stores….NOTHING. The section where they were supposed to be in each store was completely empty. What?!? And the one store I found them in had only Onion flavoring. Bleh. I didn’t think that would work.

Then I made my truffles…and couldn’t stop thinking about the matzos. It was stuck in my brain. I was SOO determined to make that recipe that the night before the Eve of Christmas Eve (whoa, complicated) I went out to Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck as we call it) to see if my good karma would reward me. YES! They were there. Thank You!! I bought two packages… Why? In case of an earthquake I guess. No-it’s really cuz the freak in me was thinking-what will I do I wanna make these again and I can’t find them?????

So here they are/were:

They are light, crunchy, flakey, yummy and… everything else that ends in Y that’s a good adjective.

The only hard part was waiting until they were completely done. I was to anxious to see if they would work out. Phew! They did. Disaster diverted. All is right with the world. That will teach me to try a last minute recipe. (Doubtful— I know I will continue to do so.)

Oh yeah…and notice the toffee undersides…..

now here’s the recipe:

Matzo Toffee Brittle:

-3 1/2 sheets unsalted matzos
-1cup unsalted butter
-1cup firmly packed light brown sugar
-1cup semisweet chocolate morsels
-1/3cup finely chopped toasted slivered almonds

1. Line a 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan with nonstick aluminum foil. Arrange matzos in prepared pan, breaking as necessary to fit and completely cover bottom of pan.

2. Bring butter and brown sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Boil, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Carefully pour mixture evenly over matzos in pan, and spread over matzos.

3. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. (Mixture will start to bubble at about 10 minutes. Continue to bake to 15 minutes.) Carefully remove pan from oven to a wire rack. (Mixture will still be bubbly.) Let stand 1 minute at room temperature or until no longer bubbly. Sprinkle top evenly with morsels; let stand 1 minute or until morsels soften. Spread morsels over brittle. Sprinkle with almonds; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Place pan in refrigerator; chill 30 minutes or until chocolate is firm. Break into about 20 pieces. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week in refrigerator.

22 Dec

Easy Peppermint Bark

I was in such a zone while making this, that I forgot to take pictures along the way! When does that happen? Oh holidays, I love you—but please hurry up and be over soon!

So here’s a peak of what they *looked* like:

They are incredibly easy, light & tasty…..with the perfect crunch!

It’s like mixing a rice krispy treat with a candy cane!

Peppermint Bark

(makes about 35 pieces)

Recipe from Everyday Food

1 pound white chocolate, chopped (do not use chips)
2 cups puffed rice cereal
1 bag (7.5 ounces) hard peppermint candies, unwrapped
Nonstick cooking spray

Spray a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; line with a piece of waxed paper. Crush candies in a Ziploc bag—strain out the powder.
Place white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in rice cereal.
Transfer mixture to prepared pan; with a spatula, spread to edges of pan.
Sprinkle with crushed candy; with a piece of waxed paper covering the entire surface, press in gently (paper prevents hands from sticking to candy and chocolate). Chill until firm, 20 to 30 minutes (no longer, as candy will begin to soften).
Peel waxed paper off. Break bark into 2-inch pieces. Store at room temperature in an airtight container, up to 1 week.

They are just as good as those Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s!

20 Dec

Make your own Truffles!

I can’t believe that Christmas is only a few days away.

I now have a pounding headache to prove it. *joy*

I stayed up til midnight making these babies:

In this batch you will find…..

Peppermint Infused Truffles Rolled in Candy Cane Bits:

Bourbon Infused Truffles rolled in Trader Joe’s Sweet & Spicy Pecans:

and those same bourbon truffles rolled in Chopped Roasted Pistachios….

Plain Truffles smothered in Cocoa Powder:

And something festive, cuz you know-it’s that time of year- or something:

ok so on with the recipe….

Chocolate Truffles

(Makes about 30)

Recipe from the back of Martha Stewart Treat Packaging

Ingredients:

1 lb. bittersweet chocolate chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup (2 sticks) butter-unsalted & softened
2 tablespoons of flavored liquor (optional)
1-2 cups of the chopped topping of your choice

1. Heat chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture smooth. Remove from heat, add butter and liquor/flavoring if your heart desires (do it). Stir until butter is melted.

2. Pour mixture into an 8 inch square baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge for about 2 hours.

3. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a very small (about 1 inch diameter) ice cream scoop (or melon baller), drop balls of chocolate in whatever coating you wish. Roll to coat.

Store in an air tight container in the fridge until ready to serve. They keep for up to 2 weeks.

For the Bourbon Truffles, I poured in 2 heaping tablespoons of Maker’s Mark.

For the Peppermint Truffles, I poured in 2 heaping tablespoons of Peppermint Oil.

Each one of the Martha Stewart Boxes I bought fit 4:

Adding something festive….

Stay Tuned for the Peppermint Bark recipe!

16 Dec

Blueberry Muffins

“How To” Blueberry Muffins

Recipe from Donna Hay Modern Classics 2

(Makes 12)

Ingredients

2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1-1/4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the sugar and stir to combine.

Place the sour cream, eggs, lemon rind and oil in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Stir the sour cream mixture through the flour and sugar mixture until just combined.

Sprinkle over the blueberries and stir once. Spoon the mixture into 12 x 1/2 cup (4 fl oz) capacity nonstick muffin tins until two-thirds full. Bake for 16 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

For tender muffins that rise well, stir the mixture evenly and only until just combined. Do not overwork the mixture.

***husband approved. will be making these again. next time i will be putting some sugar on top for a nice crispy crust***

05 Dec

Dinner Tonight. Project Runway. Project Pesto.

Pesto Recipe/Garlic Bread Recipe/Grilled Pesto Shrimp Recipe… to follow.

Everything from Trader Joe’s!

25 Nov

Apple Turnovers

Favorite Trader Joe’s Item #25: Puff Pastry

I spent the first half hour after I woke up staring at this post from Ugly Green Chair. If only I could have reached right into my computer and taken a bite! While the husband was sleeping, I decided to wake him up with the perfumey smells of apple turnovers being baked in our kitchen. Thanks for the inspiration Whitney!

I chopped up three apples into little bits:

I sauteed them in a tablespoon of butter, a few dashes of cinnamon, a bit fresh squeezed orange juice and a little bit of sugar:

I took the puff pastry sheets out of the freezer, and let them sit on the counter for about 10 minutes so I could pull apart 1 sheet to make 4 turnovers. After the chill was gone, I cut one sheet into 4 little squares and spread some egg wash (just 1 egg beaten) on top of each little square.

I put a little dollop of the apples in the center:

I folded over the sides and scrunched it over with my fingers.

I added some more egg wash on top & cut a little hole at the top so it wouldn’t explode in the oven.

I put them in the oven on a cookie sheet line with parchment and baked them for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Here they are after those 15 minutes. I was so anxious to try one- it felt like half a lifetime.

There’s nothing better than the promise of some delicious pastry. Don’t you agree?

Look at that filling seep out!

Notice the buttery layers? I added a little sprinkling of sugar on top:

And here we have my breakfast this morning:

I’m so glad that Trader Joe’s sells Puff Pastry! It was so easy to make a wonderful breakfast this morning out of things that I already had in the kitchen!