Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

I like to think of these cookies as good for me because of the amount of carrots they contain. . They are delicious on their own with no filling, but these were going to church with me, so they got the whoopie pie treatment. They are crispy on the edges and soft and moist inside, and the flavor is certainly carrot cake-like.

Flour's Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

For those of us who grew up on pineapple upside-down cake made with Duncan Hines cake mix and canned pineapple rings with a maraschino cherry in the middle, Joanne Chang's Flour Bakery version represents everything good about adapting a 1960s recipe to today's trends. The combination of fresh pineapple and "real" caramel with a rustic butter cake simply changed my mind forever about pineapple upside-down cake.

This was my first attempt at caramel, and the richness and flavor it imparted to the cake was amazing. The cake baked into the caramel/pineapple mixture, creating wonderful caramelized bites of buttery goodness--I know that sounds hokey, but it's the best description I have.

Warm and Creamy Bacon Dip

While looking for appetizer recipes for my Appetizers and Desserts Buffet Christmas Party, I happened upon this recipe on the Daisy Brand sour cream website and loved the name of it! What is not to love about a dip with bacon and the words "warm and creamy"? Although I used other recipes for my party, I decided to try this one on New Year's Eve.

Cranberry Applesauce

What to do with apples that are going soft in the fruit bowl? I have had this apple crisp from Eating, Etc. blog in my "Must Make" bookmarks, but I knew I would probably eat too much of it! I was craving something with cranberries, so I looked online for an applesauce recipe that incorporated cranberries and found the perfect one at Elise's Simply Recipes. I served this as a side for our dinner of pork chops, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, and garlic bread. It was everything I hoped it would be--tart with just the right amount of sweetness!

You may view the original recipe link above, but here is my version:
Cranberry Applesauce
10 peeled, cored, roughly chopped medium apples - I used Pink Lady
1 heaping cup frozen cranberries
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place first 8 ingredients in a large (5-quart) pot. Bring to boil; lower heat to simmer and cover. Cook at least 30 minutes, or until the apples can easily be mashed--I kept mine simmering about 45 minutes.

Remove from heat. Add honey and vanilla. Mash apples and cranberries with potato masher to consistency desired.

My recipe made about 3 cups. Elise says that this can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks or in the freezer for up to a year. Mine is destined to be eaten in only a few days.

Cheeseburger Chowder

Last night's dinner was a surprisingly simple and delicious change of pace for my husband and me. Cheeseburger Chowder was recommended by a friend on a cooking forum, and it is originally from Andrea at this week's menu.

You may see the original recipe here by scrolling down to Cheeseburger Chowder. I subbed ground turkey for lean ground beef and used russet potatoes instead of the recommended red-skinned potatoes. I misread "two red skinned potatoes" and used 2 cups of potatoes, but I liked it that way! Instead of making a white sauce, I thickened the soup with leftover mashed potatoes, and I loved the earthy texture they imparted. A combo of cheddar and Manchego cheeses did not overwhelm the savory flavors of vegetables and tender ground turkey. The vegetables retained their shape with the short cooking time and contributed to the wholesome yummy-ness of the soup. Try it--you will not be disappointed!

Here is my adaptation of the recipe:

Cheeseburger Chowder
4 servings

1 lb ground turkey
2 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 cup diced red and green bell peppers
1 teaspoon Tone's beef base
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup cooked corn
2-1/2 cups 1% milk
3/4 cup mashed potatoes (or can use mashed potato flakes to thicken)
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Manchego cheese

In a soup pot or pan, brown ground turkey and drain off any fat. Stir in potatoes, celery, bell pepper, beef base, water and salt. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add corn.

Slowly add milk and mashed potatoes to meat mixture and cook until thickened and bubbly. Add cheese and stir till it melts.

Apple Pecan Bundt Cake

This recipe is from the Magnolia Bakery cookbook, which has some great recipes and is one of my most frequently used dessert cookbooks. The ingredients include apple brandy, which I did not have. I substituted Pumpkin Spice liqueur, and it was delish! The Magnolia bakers made this cake into a two-layer affair complete with yummy-sounding Caramel Cream Cheese Icing made with homemade caramel. I made a Bundt cake and left off the icing, and the cake can definitely stand on its own!

Please pardon the iPhone photo, but I forgot to take a photo of the cake when it was "intact"; I sent the remainder of the cake to my husband's office this morning, and the sun was not yet up when I took the photo!

The recipe below is my adaptation of Apple Walnut Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Icing, and I have included the original ingredients in italics.



Apple Pecan Bundt Cake

2 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (WW flour)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cup oil
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
3 Pink Lady apples, shredded (3 cups Golden Delicious apples, cut in 1" pieces)
3 tablespoons Pumpkin Spice liqueur (apple-flavored brandy)
1/2 cup cinnamon chips (my addition)
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (walnuts)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

I greased and floured a 10-inch Bundt pan, or you can grease and lightly flour two 9x2 inch round cakes pans, then line bottoms with waxed paper.

Cake:
In large bowl mix together flours, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

In large bowl, on medium speed, beat oil with sugar until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time and beat until light, about 1-2 minutes. Add dry ingredients in thirds, beating after each addition until smooth. Batter will be extremely thick and doughlike. With spoon, stir in \apples, nuts and liqueur or Brandy until just blended. Pour batter into Bundt pan and (depending on your oven) bake for 55-60 minutes, or divide \batter between two cake pans and bake for 45-55 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes then remove from pans onto wire rack.

Icing (optional):
In medium bowl on medium speed, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, about 3 minutes. Gradually add in caramel and beat until well incorporated.

When cake has cooled, ice between layers, then ice top and sides of cake. Drizzle remaining caramel over top of cake, and using small knife, swirl caramel into icing, forming decorative pattern. Garnish with nuts.

My Beautiful Mother - 1912 - 2010

All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.
~Abraham Lincoln

This older post is a reminder to me of my Mother's kitchen--the wonderful kitchen of my childhood.

~ What a brave soul she was, still trying to make each day count in the face of a debilitating illness.
~ What a magnificent life she led.
~ What a great amount of love she bestowed.
~ What a privilege to be loved by her.

Tuna Orzo Salad

I finally tried Elise's tuna salad, which has been highly recommended on my food forum for ages. I even used tuna in oil, which is something I haven't purchased in years, and I do believe it made all the difference. I may not buy water-packed tuna again!

Because I was making a cool summer menu for the office staff at church, I decided to make a different version as a pasta salad, so I added cooked orzo, about a cup, chopped hard-boiled egg, and diced cucumber instead of celery. Served fresh, it is simple and tangy and delicious--the lemon juice sets it all off so nicely. After it had sat in my refrigerator, it did dry out a bit, so I would recommend serving it soon after composing it.

Elise's Tuna Salad
adapted from Simply Recipes
1 (6 ounce) can tuna (if packed in water, drain it, and add a teaspoon of good quality olive oil)
1/3 cup cottage cheese
2 Tablespoons mayonaise
1/4 red onion, chopped finely
1 cucumber, chopped finely (I used Satsuki Madori, from my garden!)
1 hard-boiled egg, cooled and chopped
1 Tablespoon capers
Juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon fresh dill, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup cooked orzo

Mix together lightly and serve.

I have already bought more tuna in oil to make it without the orzo!

Honey Oat Rolls - My New Favorite!

I recently became a fan of the blog Salad in a Jar and have been tempted by many of the recipes I've found there. One in particular caught my eye, Honey Oatmeal Dinner Rolls, and I decided they would be perfect for a church dinner for sixty this past Sunday. I upped the ingredients to accommodate the larger quantity, and I only made one substitution, (based on my fondness for these Soft Yogurt Rolls from the blog of What A Dish!) and that was yogurt for the liquid.

The aroma of these rolls is intoxicating, the crust has just a light crunch, the interior is pillow soft and perfect for a pat of butter, and the flavor is slightly sweet with the satisfying taste of oats. I think they are my new favorite! Please look at Paula's beautiful photos of the rolls, as she sprinkled oatmeal on the tops of hers, which makes for a gorgeous presentation, and she fashioned them into much more attractive shapes!

I love that Paula is not afraid to use shortening in her recipes. There are many bloggers out there that have Fear of Shortening, and although I understand their health concerns, I feel that shortening has received quite the bad rap! I prefer shortening in my pie crusts; I have tried substituting butter, and when I do my crust lacks flakiness and lightness. Although I love the rich aroma and deep flavor that butter imparts, I occasionally combine it with shortening in cake recipes for the fluffiness (how's that for a technical term?) and moistness that shortening brings to the final product. And I recently used margarine combined with shortening (I can hear your collective gasps of horror) for a cake, because it was an old recipe from my childhood, and I wanted that old-fashioned taste. I received more compliments on that cake than any I've made in months!

(Climbing down from my soapbox) feel free to substitute butter for the one tablespoon of shortening in the following recipe.

Honey Oat Rolls
Adapted from Salad in a Jar
Makes 16

1 tablespoon yeast
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup yogurt, room temperature
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon shortening
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup quick oats

Melt together butter and shortening, set aside to cool slightly. Place warm water and honey in bowl of stand mixer; add yeast and let sit for a few minutes. Add room temperature yogurt and melted butter/shortening mixture. While mixing on low speed, add egg. Whisk together salt, flour, and oats; add to mixture in bowl and mix until well blended. Using dough hook, knead mixture for about 3-5 minutes, only adding flour if mixture looks too wet. Place in greased bowl and let rise until doubled.

Turn dough out onto floured surface and divide evenly into preferred roll shapes. (I had to generously flour my hands, because the dough was slightly wet. Let rise until nearly double.) Preheat oven to 350 (I baked at 375) and bake for approximately 10-12 minutes, or until golden.

Test Kitchen - White Chocolate Fruit Tarts

I've had this recipe saved in my bookmarks for a long time, and when I wanted to make a light, summery dessert involving fresh fruit for a church dinner I was catering, I decided to give it a try. It is from the blog of What A Dish!, and her rapt description of the "melt in your mouth" crust persuaded me to try it instead of a regular pie crust. I made mini tarts and topped with fresh blueberries, strawberries, and kiwi.

The crust recipe, originally intended to make a 12 inch crust, made 12 tart shells and 8 cupcake sized shells for me. They were easy, looked enticing, and tasted delicious--a real winner in my book! The recipe below is with my adaptations, and the original may be found here.

White Chocolate Fruit Tarts
by What A Dish! originally from Recipezaar.com

3/4 cup salted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 (6 ounce) package white chocolate squares, chunked
1/4 cup whole milk
1 (8 ounce) package Neufchâtel cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Assorted fruit

Heat oven to 300°F. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in flour. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of mini tart pans or cupcake pans (I used both). Prick bottoms a few times to prevent crust from puffing up. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until just lightly brown. Cool completely.

Carefully melt white chocolate bars and milk in microwave. Cool slightly. Beat cheese and vanilla, then gradually add white chocolate. When crust is cool, pour melted chocolate/cheese mixture into shells, dividing evenly about 2/3 full. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve--at least 3 hours. Place fruit on top and serve.