Apple Cake

I found this recipe on the food network however I had to tweak it a little I didn't care for the glaze I used my own and I used pecans instead of walnuts, I also peeled the apples.

I had to slice the cake for the pictures, the recipe said to oil the pan which I should have added flour, so some of the cake stuck to the pan...lol wasn't pretty for pictures, so I sliced first 

• 3 cups diced Granny Smith apples, about 3 apples
• 1 cup lightly toasted chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 cups all purpose unbleached flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 3 eggs

*Honey Glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons milk

My Glaze

• 2 T butter melted:
• 1 c powdered sugar
• ½ t vanilla
• 3 T warm milk

*Try the honey glaze you may like it...however if not please feel free to give mine a shot*

*Glaze: Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and stir until smooth. Set the bowl aside.

Cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a Bundt pan or tube pan.

In a bowl, mix together the apples, walnuts, vanilla, and cinnamon In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Using an electric mixer beat the sugar, oil, and eggs in a large bowl. Add in the dry ingredients and beat until completely combined. Fold in the apple mixture.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Allow the cake to fully cool in the pan, about 1 hour, and then turn it out onto a plate.

Drizzle the apple cake with some of the honey glaze, serve and enjoy! 

Tips:

1. The batter will be very thick more like a cookie dough or bread dough

2. Oil and flour your pan 

2. Cake taste delicious next day warmed

*If you have a dessert recipe that you are having trouble with or afraid to try, please send it to me along with a picture and I will give it a shot….

P.S. I don’t like coconut 

I hope you enjoy

Bon appétit in Xhosa - Ukonwabele ukutya kwakho

Ice Cream Sandwiches

SUPERBOWL SUNDAY!!!!!!! GO GIANTS!!!!


Today I decided to make my gourmet cookies into ice cream sandwiches....Triple Chocolate Chip, Sugar and Brownies

Triple Choc Chip, Sugar and Brownies!!

Yummy!!!! Cookies & Brownies are still warm

*If you have a dessert recipe that you are having trouble with or afraid to try, please send it to me along with a picture and I will give it a shot….

P.S. I don’t like coconut 

I hope you enjoy

Bon appétit in Scottish Gaelic - Ith gu leòir! (Eat plenty!)

Dump Cake

Today my daughter Danielle did the baking she got this recipe from her good DeAnna...and being my daughter she had to tweak it. The fruit don't fall far from the tree...lol


The original cake called for strawberry cake mix which Dani baked the first cake with then. she thought I wonder how it would taste If I used chocolate cake mix...well let me tell you it was awesome the cake taste like brownies over cherries...


This recipe was very EASY!!!

before baking

before baking

out of the oven

ready to eat

ready to eat

Yes.. Dani made it with chocolate cake

Yummy ready to eat!!!

yummy !!!

Recipe

·        2 can of crushed pineapples

·        2 cans of cherry pie filling

·        Strawberry cake mix

·        1 ¼ c. chopped pecans

·        1 stick of butter

In a 9 x 13 dish layer your fruit, crushed pineapples, then cherries, sprinkles **dry cake mix over the fruit add chopped pecans then slice butter on top

Bake 350    approx.1hr 15minutes 

Tips

1. **don't mix cake, sprinkle dry mix over fruit the juices from the fruit       will mix the cake

2. don’t overcook cake

3. I'm sure you can try different fruit as well

*If you have a dessert recipe that you are having trouble with or afraid to try, please send it to me along with a picture and I will give it a shot….

P.S. I don’t like coconut 

I hope you enjoy 

Bon appétit in Thai - ขอให้เจริญอาหาร! (kŏr hâi jà-rern aa-hăan!)

Emily's Apple Dumplings

Today's recipe is courtesy of my daughters friend Emily her UMASS connection...lol yes they are both graduates of UMASS

I love easy and delicious and this recipe was both, it wasn't time consuming. I used store bought refrigerated pie crust, you're more than welcome to make homemade pie crust. 

There's a caramel sauce to drizzle over the top of the dumplings after baking. I put it on half the dumplings just to mix it up some, however the dumplings are so delicious the sauce wasn't necessary, you choose

This recipe was amazing add a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream yummy!!!

recipe

6 apples peeled and cored

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. white sugar

1 t. cinnamon

½ t. nutmeg optional

1 package of refrigerated pie crust

*Caramel sauce recipe below (optional) 

Mix brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon in bowl, nutmeg optional

Roll apples in mixture and fill apples with mixture place a pat of butter on top, cut pastry dough to cover apple, fold pastry dough around apples to cover, place in baking dish

bake for 35 min at 375

*Sauce: 1 c sugar. 1c water, 1t. cinnamon,  2T butter. place sugar, cinnamon, water in sauce pan bring to boil then add butter stir until melted then take off heat. Remove dumplings from over let cool, drizzle sauce on top

*If you have a dessert recipe that you are having trouble with or afraid to try, please send it to me along with a picture and I will give it a shot….

P.S. I don’t like coconut 

I hope you enjoy

Bon appétit in Russian - Приятного аппетита! (Prijatnogo appetita)

Honey Vanilla Pound Cake

I tried a pound cake recipe I got from the food network, this cake taste so good I pretty much ate the whole thing...lol I made this cake twice once in October and again for Thanksgiving

This cake remind me of Sara Lee pound cake which I love, growning up this is the cake my mom would buy when she didn't feel like baking....good memories

Delicious!!! 

Moist!!! 

Recipe

· 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature

· 1 1/4 cups sugar

· 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

· 2 tablespoons honey

· 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

· 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

· 2 cups sifted cake flour

· 1 teaspoon kosher salt

· 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan line the bottom with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until light. Put eggs, honey, vanilla, and lemon zest in a measuring cup but do not combine. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the egg mixture, one egg at a time, scraping down the bowl and allowing each egg to become incorporated before adding the next egg.

Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder. With the mixer on low speed, add it slowly to the batter until just combined. Finish mixing the batter with a rubber spatula and pour it into the prepared pan. Smooth the top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, don't over cook. Cool for 15 minutes, turn out onto a baking rack, and cool completely.

Tips

1. don’t over bake cake

2. you can sprinkle powdered sugar, however I liked it as is

*If you have a dessert recipe that you are having trouble with or afraid to try, please send it to me along with a picture and I will give it a shot….

P.S. I don’t like coconut

I hope you enjoy

Bon appétit in Basque - On egin!

Chocolate Pecan Layer Cake

I've been trying to post for weeks now, something was wrong with my server...totally upset and I couldn't get any support, so I'm back with a new cake courtesy of the foodnetwork my favorite channel...lol I've baked several desserts but was unable to post so I'm ahead of the posting game...lol

This cake was soooo sweet I thought I was going to loss a teeth just looking at it...lol BUT...it was delicious you only need a thin slice. I'm not sure I would say it was one of my favorites and it was a little more work than I like however I'll let you be the judge.

Cake:

• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 3 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract  

Filling:

• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) butter
• 1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons milk
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream, plus more, if necessary
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans, for garnish

Directions

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans and line them with parchment paper.

Stir together the cocoa and boiling water until the cocoa dissolves.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for 1 minute more. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the flour mixture and the cocoa mixture in three alternating additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

Divide the batter between the pans. Bake until the center of the cake bounces back when gently pressed and a tester inserted in it comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes, and then invert them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the filling: Combine the butter, brown sugar, and milk in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Prick the cooled cakes all over with a toothpick. Spread half the filling on 1 cake layer. Top with the second layer and repeat.

For the frosting: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir in the brown sugar and cream. Bring the mixture to a simmer and transfer it to a mixing bowl. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat until the frosting is a spreadable consistency. Add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the frosting is too thick. Frost the top of the cake and sprinkle with the chopped pecans. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. The cake will keep for 3 to 5 days.

*If you have a dessert recipe that you are having trouble with or afraid to try, please send it to me along with a picture and I will give it a shot….

P.S. I don’t like coconut 

I hope you enjoy

Bon appétit in Basque - On egin!

Praline Cheese Cake

Today I made a delicious cheese cake with praline topping. I tweeked it of course, a recipe I got from the foodnetwork.

I didn't have dark corn syrup I used light hince the color of the topping next time I will use the dark...lol


The recipe didn't ask for sour cream however, I added it because I always add sour cream to my cheese cake recipe 
This cheese cake was truly amazing I will definitely bake it again!!

Crust:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Filling:

• 2 (8-ounce) packages cheese cake, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Praline Topping:

• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup dark corn syrup
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Crust:

In a medium bowl combine the butter, crumbs, and sugar until well blended. Press into the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan, using the back of a large spoon.

Filling:

In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until creamy. Pour into the prepared crust and bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Be sure the center is firm before removing the cheesecake from the oven. Remove the pan from the oven to a rack and allow it to cool completely. Release the springform and transfer the cake to a platter to serve.

Praline Topping:

In a small heavy sauce pan, stir together the brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the corn syrup and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in nuts and vanilla. Cool slightly.

Ladle the praline topping over the cooled cheesecake and serve. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.



Tips:
1. cook praline topping approx 2-3 minutes
2. do not over cook the praline topping

*If you have a dessert recipe that you are having trouble with or afraid to try, please send it to me along with a picture and I will give it a shot….

P.S. I don’t like coconut 

I hope you enjoy

Bon appétit in Catalan - Bon Profit! Que vagi de gust!