Please join me for my first zoom baking class on June 8th at 7 pm. I will be making my Chocolate Pound Cake with Chocolate Ganache and Chocolate Dipped Strawberries. Did I say chocolate three times???
Throw a Zoom baking party! Invite some friends, a little wine or tea, and we’ll bake together!
All proceeds benefit the Dedham Junior Women’s Club.
djwc.org
What You’ll receive.
Who doesn’t love dinner rolls, fresh and hot, right out of the oven? I made these dinner rolls for Easter dinner, and my family loved them. What I love about this recipe is that it is easy and quick. Also, you can easily double the recipe and make 24 rolls.
2 cups all-purpose flour, or more if needed, I use King Arthur’s flour
1 envelope Fleischmann’s® RapidRise Yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons butter, Cabot’s
Combine 3/4 cup flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Heat milk, water and butter until very warm (120 degrees to 130 degrees F). Add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 1/4 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
Divide dough into 12 equal pieces; shape into balls. Place in greased 8-inch round pan. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Bake in preheated 375 degrees F oven for 20 minutes or until done. Remove from pan. Serve warm.
Enjoy!
Easter deserves a special cake, and I make a basic chocolate cake with chocolate fudge frosting decorated with Cadbury Mini Eggs. These delightful candied chocolate eggs are only available during the Easter Holiday.
I eat all the mini eggs before I can decorate the cake, and I run out to search for one last bag to use on the cake.
Easter Chocolate Milk Layer Cake
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 1/2 cup cake flour King Arthur
1/4 cup dried nonfat milk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder Ghirardelli Chocolate
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
6 ounces milk chocolate, melted
1 cup whole buttermilk, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Chocolate Fudge Frosting (Recipe below)
Crushed Cadbury Milk Chocolate mini eggs
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour two 9-in round cake pans.
2. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat in a bowl butter, sugar, oil and eggs at medium speed until well combined about 2 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, dried milk, cocoa, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk in thirds starting and ending with flour. Beat until well combined. With mixture at low speed add chocolate, vanilla and almond until chocolate is combined. Ddivid batter between prepared pans.
4. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. remove from pans, and let cook completely on wire racks. Spread Chocolate Fudge Frosting between layers, sprinkle with half crushed chocolate eggs. Place remaining cake layer on top, frost top and sides. Garnish with remaining crushed chocolate eggs.
Milk Chocolate Frosting
12 ounces mild chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1.Combine chocolate, vanilla, and salt in medium bowl.
2. In a small sauce pan heat cream over medium heat until just boiling. Pour hot cream over chocolate mixture; whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate for one hour.
3. Beat chocolate with whisk attachment of stand mixture at medium speed for 3 minutes.
Enjoy!
Pound cakes have a special place in my baking repertoire. I don’t know there is something about a pound cake that is just so perfect. I am amazed by the versatility of Pound cakes. You can make them in all different sizes, shapes, flavors; they are the chameleon of the cake world. Pound cake originated in the 1700s was made with a pound of butter, eggs, sugar, and flour; hence the name pound cake.
And who doesn’t love a delicious chocolate pound cake? I love this recipe because it produces a moist, flavorful cake. Pound cakes can be dense, and sour cream adds a creamy lightness to the batter.
This cake is delicious, making the basic recipe, but plain is not my style. I add a chocolate ganache and chocolate-dipped strawberries to make it extra memorable.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (16 ounce) packages light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 cup hot water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
Vanilla ice cream
9 strawberries, washed with stems
Ganache
1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons butter
1. Microwave chocolate morsels and whipping cream in a 2-quart glass bowl at medium 2 1/2 to
3 minutes or until melted. Whisk until smooth then whisk in butter. Let stand 30 minutes. Beat
at medium speed with electric mixture for 3 to 4 minutes. Dip strawberries in chocolate
Ganache. Place on wax paper and chill.
Enjoy!
Red Velvet is all over lately, even Dunkin Donuts has Red Velvet lattes and Red Velvet Drizzle Donuts for Valentine’s Day. I’m still not tired of this delicious flavor. What could be more appropriate for Valentine’s Day than Red Velvet Heart cookies? These little gems are fun and easy to make just screaming Be Mine!
Red Velvet Heart Cookies
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon red food coloring
3 ounces white baking chocolate with cocoa butter, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon shortening
1. Preheat oven to 325F. In a medium bowl sift flour, cocoa, and salt. Set aside
2. Cream butter and sugar in an electric mixer until fluffy. Stir in flour mixture until combined. Add red food coloring gently hand mixing until the dough is red without any chocolate streaks.
3. Form mixture into a ball and knead until smooth. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough until 1/2 inch thick. Using a 1inch scalloped heart cookie cutter, cut out dough. Place cutouts 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 20 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.
5. In a small heavy saucepan cook and stir white chocolate and shortening over low heat until melted and smooth. Drizzle cookies with melted white chocolate. Let stand until white chocolate is set. Makes about 24 cookies.
Enjoy!
I’ve never met a holiday that I didn’t love to celebrate. Valentine’s day happens to be one of my favorites. I love decorating, pulling out all my dishes, plates, teacups, pots, and more. I collect china, silver, and crystal, which I use all the time, and especially on Valentine’s Day, I have an assortment of heart shaped tableware.
For Valentine’s Day, I baked up some treats to share with my family. I made French Macaron cookies and Red Velvet Heart cookies. Perfect to say Be My Valentine!
These delectable little treats are worth all the work. I also like to fill the shells with other flavored fillings to change it up!
French Macarons with Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Makes 24-30 shells or 12-15 macarons
3 large egg whites, at room temperature for three hours
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Red food coloring
Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
5 Preheat oven to 275F. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until firm to the touch. Cool completely on baking sheets until ready to fill.
Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
3 egg whites, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Enjoy!
Who doesn’t love cheesecake? That rich, creamy taste savored with each bite, a sweet treat that is the perfect finish for any meal! The variety and texture of cheesecakes are endless. Cheesecake can be very dense and heavy or light and fluffy. You can use graham crackers, chocolate cookies, or pastry for the crust and fill it with your favorite recipe. I guess you can tell I love making all types of cheesecakes. Also, flavorings and toppings are endless to create wonderfully tasty cakes for special occasions.
At Christmas, I like to make an Eggnog cheesecake topped with cranberries and cherry preserves for a festive dessert table.
I like this recipe because it is light with a baking method that ensures the cheesecake doesn’t crack. I made either a fruit topping, or if you prefer, you can make a whipped cream topping sprinkled with sparkly candied crystals.
CRUST
2 ¼ cups (302g) graham cracker crumbs
½ cup (112g) salted butter, melted
3 tbsp (39g) sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
FILLING
24 ounces (678g) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (207g) sugar
3 tbsp (24g) all purpose flour
1 cup (230g) eggnog
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
4 large eggs, room temperature
TOPPING
1 12-ounce jar cherry preserves
1 cup cranberries
1 tablespoon brandy or rum
CRUST
Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides.
Combine the crust ingredients in a small bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
Cover the outsides of the pan with aluminum foil so that water from the water bath cannot get in. Set prepared pan aside.
CHEESECAKE FILLING
Reduce oven to 300°F (148°C).
In a large mixer bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar,
and flour until well combined (Use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the eggnog and nutmeg and mix on low speed until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating slowly and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.
Pour the cheesecake filling into crust and spread evenly.
Place springform pan (covered with aluminum foil) inside another larger pan. Fill the larger pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil on the springform pan.
Bake for 1 hour and 30-40 minutes.
Turn off heat and leave cheesecake in oven with the door closed for 30 minutes.
Crack the oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Remove cheesecake from oven and chill until firm, 5-6 hours or overnight
TOPPING
Cook and stir cherry preserves and cranberries in a small saucepan over medium heat until preserves are melted and cranberries start to pop. Stir in 1 tablespoon of brandy or rum. Cool for 30 minutes.
Remove the cheesecake from the pan. Spoon topping over prepared cheesecake. Refrigerate the cheesecake until ready to serve. Cheesecake is best for 3-4 days.
Enjoy!
If you know me or follow my blog, I love to cook, decorate, and entertain! So this might seem a surprise that I am hosting my first Thanksgiving dinner at my home. Yes, you heard, right. Thanksgiving is the one holiday that you will not find a large group gathered around my dining room table. Traditionally I spent Thanksgiving at my parent's home in Pennsylvania, the one holiday that we were all together again. After my grandson was born, we celebrated at the home of my daughter-in-law's parents, beginning a new phase in our life. This year due to the pandemic and staying safe, Thanksgiving dinner will be a small group of seven. Individuals that are in our pandemic circle. And I am going to make sure that this is a memorable as every other Thanksgiving! I've decided to plan my meal backward, beginning with dessert! Growing up, my mother baked a traditional pumpkin pie, which is still my favorite. This year I decided that we are going to have a spectacular Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl pie. And I drizzled chocolate over the pie! Pumpkin pie is easy to make. To make the pie special, I've added an extra step with the chocolate batter and the drizzle. I've included a basic butter crust recipe, or you can purchase refrigerated pie crust too. An easy, show-stopping dessert to sweeten up our Thanksgiving dinner even if we are missing sharing with our large family! Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Pie 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin 1 (14-ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk 4 eggs 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1 tablespoon cornstarch 3-ounce Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly All Butter Pie Crust* or 1 (9-inch) Pillsbury Pie crust Chocolate drizzle 2-ounce Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate 2 tablespoons unsalted Cabot butter Pre-heat over to 425 F. Wish together pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices, and cornstarch in a medium bowl until smooth. Transfer 1 cup of the filling into a bowl and whisk in the melted chocolate. Pour pumpkin filling in the crust. Dollop the chocolate filling on top and swirl with a butter knife. Bake Pie for 15 minutes. Reduce3 over temperature to 350 F and continue baking for 35 for 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool. Make chocolate drizzle. Melt chocolate and butter in a safe microwave bowl at 50 percent for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, depending on your microwave. Drizzle over pie. The pie can be refrigerated overnight. Serve chilled or at room temperature. *All Butter Pie Crust 1 1/4 cup King Arthur's all purposed flour 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 10 tablespoons Cabot unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes 2 to 4 tablespoons ice water, as needed In a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt. Add butter and pause until mixture from lima bean-size pieces. Slowly add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough just comes together. It should be moist but not wet. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a ball. Flatten into a disk with the heel of your hand. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 13-inch round a scant 1/4 inch thick. Fit the dough into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Trim the edge to 3/4 inch; fold the dough under itself and crimp decoratively. Enjoy!
I discovered Southern Living magazine on a family road trip through the south to visit my mother-in-law’s family in southern Georgia. During one of our many stops for gas, I wondered to a magazine rack, searching for a new read for the trip, and was drawn to the cover of Southern Living. After a quick skim through the pages, I purchased the magazine and when I returned home to Boston, I ordered a subscription. Thirty years later and I continue to feel enthralled by the pages of this magazine.
If you are a novice or even more experienced cook, the pages are packed with ideas for food, entertaining, decorating and traveling with an irresistible southern vibe. Hospitality is the core of the southern style of entertaining. And I learned on that long-ago trip, the pineapple is the symbol of hospitality. Pineapples can be found throughout my home decor and at Christmas, I decorate over my front door with Williamsburg Christmas fan containing a pineapple surrounded by red apples.
The recipes populating the pages of Southern Living are clear, concise and easy to duplicate. I made this cheesecake recipe with one change, I added pumpkin pie spice and my guests raved about the taste.
CHEESECAKE
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
5 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
4 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
PRALINE TOPPING
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnishes: coarsely chopped Pecan Pie-Glazed Pecans, fresh sage leaves
Preheat oven to 325°. Stir together the first 4 ingredients in a bowl until well blended. Press mixture on bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Beat cream cheese and next 2 ingredients at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until blended and smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add pumpkin and lemon juice, beating until blended. Pour batter into prepared crust. (Pan will be very full.)
Bake at 325° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until almost set. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven, with the door closed, 15 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven, and gently run a knife around the outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of the pan. (Do not remove sides of the pan.) Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours.
Remove the sides and bottom of the pan, and transfer cheesecake to a serving plate. Prepare Praline Topping; immediately pour slowly over the top of the cheesecake, spreading to within 1/4 inch of edge. Garnish, if desired.
Praline Topping
Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Boil, stirring occasionally, 1 minute; remove from heat. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Let stand 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Use immediately.
Enjoy!
Ah, fall is in the air! Time for fabulous apple desserts to herald the beginning of fall. Fall is my favorite time of year when the leaves start to change with the crisp Autumn air. And fall clothes, need I say more to soft cashmere sweaters, light wool pants, and boots! But I can’t forget about fresh-picked apples right off the tree. It’s perfect for just taking a big juicy bite or using for outrageous apple desserts like the recipe that I am sharing today, half cupcake, half muffin, but totally delicious.
Applelicious Cupcakes
Cream Cheese Filling
1 8 ounces package cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
Apple batter
1 cup finely chopped pecans
3 cups flour
1 cup of sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup apple sauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups peeled Gala apples, finely chopped
Praline Frosting
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoon milk
1teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
Prepare Filling: Beat the first three ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended and smooth. Add egg, flour, and vanilla beat until combined.
Prepare Batter: Preheat oven to 350. Bake finely chopped pecans in a shallow pan 8-10 minutes until toasted. Stir together flour and the next seven ingredients in a large bowl; stir in eggs, and follow with the oil, apple sauce, and vanilla until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in apples and pecans.
Spoon batter into cupcake lined pans, filling half. Then spoon about 1/8 cup of cream cheese filling using all the filling. Top with remaining batter.
Bake 20-25 minutes until a wooden tester comes out clean.
Makes 24 cupcakes
Prepare Praline Frosting: Bring brown sugar, butter, milk to a boil in a 2-qt saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil one minute. Remove from heat, add vanilla, stir. Gradually whisk powder sugar until smooth. Stir for 3-5 minutes until frosting slightly thickens. Before the frosting is cool, frost cupcakes. Top with chopped pecans and one dried apple chip.
Enjoy!
