Triple Berry Lemon Cake

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted on this blog. Literally, years. And I’ve missed having a little corner in which to share the foods I’ve made. So, I guess I’m back. At least kind of. We’ll see how it goes this time around

And now onto the cake!

It’s been a long winter here in Colorado. And the past few months have been brutal. Not just because of freezing temps and snowstorms. It’s been those little glimpses of spring that lull you into flip flops and open windows, only to be slammed by ice and gray skies. So a few weeks ago, when I was asked to bring a dessert to a get-together, I decided even if it didn’t look like spring, it could certainly taste like it!

I love lemon and berries together. The tart bright touch of lemon in this cake is so lovely with the sweet berries. I use frozen berries for this cake, a triple berry blend with blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. You can use whatever you like–but one note. If you use fresh berries, you have to be much more careful when mixing them in. So far me and my slap-dash style, frozen berries were easier. And trust me, not one person complained!

Triple Berry Lemon Cake (adapted, only slightly, from Smitten Kitchen)

Cake
2 1/2 cupsplus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 cups mixed berries of your choosing, frozen or fresh

Glaze
2 cups powdered or confections’ sugar
Juice of 1 lemon (or whatever you need for your desired consistency…I added a bit more until it was pourable, but thick)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, very, very soft

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 10-cup Bundt pan, either with butter or a nonstick spray. (I use that Baker’s Joy stuff that has flour in it…and my cakes never stick!) Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk or sift 2 1/2 cups flour (leaving 2 tablespoons back), baking powder and salt together and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and VERY fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Then, with the mixer on a low speed, add your eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition. Beat in vanilla, briefly.

Add 1/3 flour mixture to batter, beating until just combined, followed by half the buttermilk, another 1/3 of the flour mixture, the remaining buttermilk and remaining flour mixture. Scrape down from time to time, but be careful not to over mix.

In the bowl where you’d mixed your dry ingredients, toss the berries with the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. With a spatula, gently fold the berries into the cake batter. The batter will be very thick and this will seem impossible without squishing the berries a little, but just do your best and remember that squished berries do indeed make for a pretty batter.

Spread cake batter — you might find it easier to spoon it in the pan in large scoops, because it’s so thick — in the prepared baking pan and spread the top smooth. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, rotating the cake 180 degrees after 30 (to make sure it browns evenly). The cake is done as soon as a tester comes out clean of batter.

Set cake pan on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes, before inverting the cake onto a serving platter to cool the rest of the way. Cool completely. Once cool, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice and butter until smooth and thick. (Just keep adding the lemon juice until it reaches the desired consistency–but don’t make it too thin. I like just barely pourable.) Spread carefully over top of cake, letting it trickle down the sides when and where it wishes. Serve at once or keep it covered at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.

Thanksgiving Recipes–Chocolate Chess Pie

Chocolate Chess Pie is my favorite pie ever. In the world. IN THE UNIVERSE.

But I only make it once a year. At Thanksgiving. Because I believe that if you eat this pie every week, the universe will implode. And you will probably go up a few pants sizes. And maybe have a heart attack.

But once a year, and you’re good.

Chess pies seem to be a southern thing. When I lived in Missouri, and now, in Colorado, most people haven’t heard of chess pie. Which makes me sad for them. Because chess pies are a think of beauty. Chocolate chess is my favorite, but I am also a fan of lemon.

This particular recipe comes from The Nancy Farmer Cookbook. I grew up with tons of recipes from this cookbook. Nancy Farmer was a home ec teacher in Virginia. She had a sister, Beverly, who always told Nancy she should make a cookbook. And when Beverly passed away, at the age of 22, Nancy made her cookbook.

So thank you Nancy, and Beverly, for my chocolate chess pie.

Chocolate Chess Pie
from The Nancy Farmer Cookbook

1 3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1 1/4 cup melted butter
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 10-inch pie crust, unbaked (or two, 9-inch, store bought crusts, filled a little less full)
Fresh whipped cream (optional)

Combine sugar, cocoa and butter; mix well. Add eggs, milk and vanilla. Pour into pie shell(s). Bake at 350 for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the pie is set and doesn’t “jiggle” (like your thighs will after you eat it!) I like to top it with a dollop of freshly whipped, lightly sweetened whipped cream. Heavenly!

Apple Orchard Punch

I don’t usually have strong feelings about punch. But this is by far my favorite punch ever.

It’s perfect for fall, but I honestly think it would be good any time. Heck, I just might go home and make some tonight, just to have around the house. It’s that good!

To be honest, there’s really not a lot to say about the process of making punch. Dump and stir, people. Dump and stire. But I do like floating apple slices in this. You cut them horizontally (so you’re cutting through the core, not down the core, if that makes sense). I love it because when you cut apples that way, where the seeds are makes a star shape.

I am explaining this really poorly. Just try it. It’s pretty

Apple Orchard Punch

Ingredients

• 1 (32 fluid ounce) bottle apple juice, chilled
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen cranberry juice concentrate
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 1/2 liters ginger ale
• 1 apple
• 1 orange

Directions

1. In a large punch bowl, combine apple juice, cranberry juice concentrate and orange juice. Stir until dissolved, then slowly pour in the ginger ale.
2. Thinly slice the apple horizontally, forming whole apple slices. Slice the orange, just any old way. Float apple and orange slices on top of punch.

Oatmeal Cream Cheese Butterscotch Bars

Well, as you can tell from the picture, I made these at Christmas. They were part of the 12 Days of Christmas Goodies, of 2009. And somehow, I never got around to posting this recipe. Which is a shame, because they’re really yummy.

These were super easy to throw together, and the combination of cream cheese, oatmeal and butterscotch is so warm and cozy and comforting. But you certainly don’t have to wait until Christmas to make them. I think they’d be a hit any time of the year

Oatmeal Cream Cheese Butterscotch Bars
adapted from Anne Burrell

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pea-sized pieces, plus more for pan
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (11-ounce) bag butterscotch chips
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Drape a 9 by 13-inch pan with overlapping pieces of aluminum foil, creating handles for easy removal. Butter the paper, and reserve.

In a food processor add the flour, oats and brown sugar and pulse to combine. Add the 2 sticks of butter, the cinnamon and the butterscotch chips. Pulse, pulse, pulse until the mixture forms clumps when pressed between your fingers. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer, reserve the other half. Bake in the preheated oven just until slightly golden and set, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Beat together the cream cheese, condensed milk, lemon zest and juice and vanilla in an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle, or with an electric hand mixer until no lumps of cream cheese remain. Spread evenly over the baked and cooled oatmeal mixture. Sprinkle the remaining half of the oatmeal mixture over the cream cheese. Bake until the top is golden, about 40 minutes.

Cool and chill before cutting. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and using the foil handles, transfer the bars to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares with a sharp knife and serve.

Cook’s Note: For a delicious and healthy variation of this recipe, try replacing the butterscotch chips with tasty dried cranberries.

Grasshopper Squares

I love chocolate and mint together. LOVE THEM! So I’m always on the look-out for a good recipe that combines the two.

This certainly fit the bill! Just a few notes for you though. The brownie is pretty thin. I baked mine a little too long, so it was a bit crispier than I would have liked. I would recommend checking it about 15 minutes in.

And y’all. Please use good white chocolate. Since this is a white chocolate ganche, so basically just white chocolate and cream, the flavor is really important. Yes, I got mine at William Sonoma and spent way too much. Whatever, it tasted good. You could also check at somewhere like World Market. Just make sure it actually says “white chocolate” on the package. Nothing else. Just that phrase. I beg of you.

And the final note. The ganache is pretty sticky. Which is fine if you don’t have to transport it. But if you need to stack these at all, cut the cream by up to half.  No more than that. And if you’re just going to serve them at home, and don’t need to take them to the office, like I did, the recipe as-is should be fine.

Grasshopper Squares [aka Creme de Menthe Brownies]

Adapted from Gourmet, December 2005 and smittenkitchen.com

Makes anywhere from 72 normal-sized brownies to 117 one-inch squares (I think the perfect size)

For brownie layer

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter

10 1/2 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not extra-bitter or unsweetened and no more than 60% cacao if marked), finely chopped

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

For mint ganache

1/2 cup heavy cream (this will make a stickier ganache…you can use half of this, for more of an “al dente” bite to it)

10 oz fine-quality white chocolate, chopped (please please please use the good stuff. It’s worth the splurge)

1 tablespoon green crème de menthe

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

For chocolate ganache

1 cup heavy cream (see note for mint ganache)

10 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped

Make brownie layer:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan and line with 2 crisscrossed sheets of foil, leaving a 2 inch overhang on all sides. Butter foil.

Melt butter and chocolate with brown sugar in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in eggs and vanilla until combined. Whisk in flour, cocoa, and salt until just combined.

Spread batter evenly in baking pan and bake until set and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs adhering, about 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 1 1/2 hours.

Make mint ganache:

Bring cream to a simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and remove from heat. Pour over white chocolate in a bowl. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Stir in crème de menthe and extract and chill, covered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 1 hour.

Make chocolate ganache:

Bring cream to a simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and remove from heat. Pour over bittersweet chocolate in a bowl. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Chill, covered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 30 minutes.

Assemble layers:

Spread mint ganache over top of cooled brownie in a thin even layer using offset spatula, then chill until firm but still slightly sticky, about 30 minutes.

Spread chocolate ganache over mint and chill until firm, about 2 hours.

Lift dessert out of pan using foil overhang. Run a heavy knife under hot water and wipe dry, then trim edges of dessert (1/4 inch off each side). Cut dessert into squares and peel from foil.

Cranberry Orange Cake

Yes, this is a recipe from Thanksgiving. I’m not sure how I got so behind in posting these things! But I couldn’t not post this cake. It is so fresh, and sweet and tart and yummy! I realize that fresh cranberries is one of the main ingredients, but if you’re like me, maybe you bought some extra and threw them in the freezer? Or maybe you could find frozen ones at the grocery store? Or, you could just use dried cranberries. Either way, try this cake.

I love bundt cakes! I think they’re so simple, there’s no layering and frosting and decorating. Just baking and drizzling. With this one, since it was for a special occasion, I candied some cranberries for decoration (recipe linked below). And they were good for snacking too

Cranberry Orange Cake

Ingredients:
3 c. flour, divided
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1/2 c. oil
1 2/3 c. granulated sugar
2 Tbsp orange zest
1 Tbsp orange liquor
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 c. fresh orange juice
3/4 c. buttermilk
2 c. fresh cranberries, roughly chopped

for icing:
2 c. powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3-6 tsp fresh orange juice

candied cranberries

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare basic bundt pan.
-In bowl of stand mixer, add sugar, butter and oil and beat until light and fluffy in texture as well as color, about 5 minutes.
-Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine 2 1/2 c flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
-Whisk to combine well and set aside.
-To sugar mixture, add orange zest.
-One at a time, add egg and beat to combine well.
-Add liquor and vanilla, beating to combine well.
-Add orange juice and buttermilk, mixing to combine well.
-Stop mixer and scrape down sides of bowl.
-With mixer on lowest speed, add flour mixture and mix until almost combined.
-Stop mixer and remove bowl.
-In bowl flour was in, add remaining 1/2 c. flour and cranberries.
-Toss to coat and add to batter.
-Using large spatula, fold cranberries and extra flour into batter just until combined.
-Pour batter into bundt pan.
-Tap on counter to remove air bubbles, smooth top of batter away from center of pan.
-Place into preheated oven on rack in center of oven and bake until toothpick inserted into center of pan comes out clean, about 1 hour.
-Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 20 minutes.
-Turn cake out onto wire rack and cool completely.
-Once cake is cool, in medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla extract and orange juice, 1 tsp at a time until medium consistency is achieved.
-Drizzle icing over top of cake, decorate with orange rind and candied cranberries and serve.

Candied Cranberries

Sugared cranberries were always one of those things that I admired from afar. I don’t know why, but I assumed they would be hard to make. But when I made a yummy cranberry orange cake recently, I knew that candied cranberries would be the PERFECT compliment.

And y’all, they are super easy! It’s as simple as dissolving some sugar into water, heating it to almost boiling, and then just letting the cranberries sit in  the sugar/water overnight.

I guess the most “complicated” part is just the fact that these take time. You need to give yourself at least 8 hours to let the cranberries get nice and coated in the sugar water, so they are sticky on the outside. And then another hour to let the sugar dry on the cranberries.

One other thing. The recipe calls for “super fine sugar.” I couldn’t find that in my grocery store (it’s NOT powdered sugar!) But I did find a trick online where you just take the sugar, and process it in your food processor, so it’s just a little more fine than granulated sugar. That consistency sticks better to the cranberries.

Ingredients

• 2  cups  granulated sugar
• 2  cups  water
• 2  cups  fresh cranberries
• 3/4  cup  superfine sugar

Preparation

Combine granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring mixture until sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer; remove from heat. (Do not boil or the cranberries may pop when added.) Stir in cranberries; pour mixture into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Drain cranberries in a colander over a bowl. Place superfine sugar in a shallow dish. Add the cranberries, rolling to coat with sugar. Spread sugared cranberries in a single layer on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature 1 hour or until dry.

Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to a week.