Pumpkin Cake with Spiced Chai Buttercream Icing

It's November, which always conjures up thoughts of Thanksgiving, family, and the ever so popular Pumpkin Pie! Well as much as I love Pumpkin Pie I happen to tire of it even before it hits the Thanksgiving Day table!

There is something about the way cinnamon, ginger and vanilla combine with pumpkin that creates the most remarkable concoction! The smell wafting through the house filling every inch of every hallway and room! Oh the joy!

Then let's not forget our more than occasional stops to the local Starbucks during the colder months for Hot Chai and Egg Nog Lattes!

So you can imagine my happiness when stumbling upon this recipe that includes two of my favorite winter treats in cake form, Pumpkin and Chai Latte.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I did!

Happy Baking and Sweeter Days,
Lizzy

(I've added my notes in parentheses to hopefully help in a successfully baked treat:0)

Pumpkin Cake-
Recipe courtesy Cuisine at Home Issue No. 84

2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp table salt (I usually don't add salt to my desserts but up to you and your palate)
1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz.)
3/4 cup granulated sugar (I only added 1/2 cup of granulated sugar)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I added 1/2 cup of brown sugar)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat insides of two 8x2-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper; coat paper with nonstick spray.

(For this recipe, in the interest of time, I skipped the round cake pans and assembling the cake in layers and went with a 13x9)

Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl; set aside. (Remember: after adding your dry ingredients to your bowl, use a hand whisk to sift your dry ingredients. Works great) Beat together pumpkin, granulated and brown sugar, oil, and vanilla in a bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed until combined. Beat in one egg at a time until incorporated.

Alternately add flour mixture and 1/2 cup hot water to the sugar mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture, beating after each addition until incorporated. (I usually do the flour in 1/2 cup increments, allowing a fluffy consistency and combined batter.)

Divide batter between two prepared pans; smooth tops with a spatula. (Or your 13x9) Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted into their centers comes out clean, 28-30 (For the 13x9, bake for 20-25 mins) minutes. Let cakes rest in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack (skip wire rack) to cool completely.

Chai Spiced Buttercream Icing-
Recipe courtesy Cuisine at Home Issue No. 84

1 1/2 tsp. (3/4 tsp.) ground cinnamon
1 tsp. (1/2 tsp) ground ginger
1/2 tsp. (1/4 tsp) each ground nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves
1 cup (1/2 cup) sugar
1 Tbsp. (1/2 Tbsp) light corn syrup
5 (2-3) egg whites, room temperature
1/2 tsp. (1/4 tsp) cream of tartar
4 (2) sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

Coat inside of a heatproof glass measuring cup with nonstick spray.

Stir together cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves in a small bowl; set aside. (Instead of setting aside, I would add them to the next step, the sugar mixture and cook it with the syrup.)

Boil sugar, water, and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When syrup reaches 230 degrees, begin whipping egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer of high speed with the whisk attachment until foamy. (I would whip your eggs first, instead of waiting. The sugar heats up very quickly.) Add cream of tartar and beat to stiff peaks. Meanwhile, continue cooking syrup until it reaches 245 degrees, about 5 minutes total.

Immediately pour the 245 degree syrup into prepared measuring cup. Drizzle about 1 Tbsp. of the syrup and the spice mixture into the whipped egg whites; beat on high speed until thoroughly combined. Continue drizzling syrup, beating until all is added and combined with whites. Continue beating until the sides and bottom of bowl are cooled to room temperature.

Add butter to meringue 1 Tbsp  at a time, beating well after each addition. Buttercream may appear curdled, but continue beating. It will become smooth once all the butter is added.

Apply icing to cooled cake and ENJOY:0)

(It is recommended that you store this cake in the refrigerator, but eat at room temperature.)
 

Pecan Pie Bars

Happy Fall!

One of my favorite recipes to make for the fall season is Pecan Pie Bars!! A buttery, sweet crust with a gooey toffee pecan filling baked to perfection... What's not to love!

This recipe is great for parties or a gift... It's definitely a crowd favorite!

Fun fact: if you have a membership to a wholesale store (ie Sams Club or Costco), price per oz on pecans will be much cheaper there! If you're worried about having a life supply of nuts for just one recipe, store the nuts in the freezer and they'll keep longer!

Wishing you happy baking and sweeter days,
Lizzy

Pecan Pie Bars-
Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home- Thanksgiving edition

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (I like to add almond extract to enhance the toffee flavor)
Pinch salt (I don't add the salt, but if you like that salty sweet contrast be sure to add)
1 package (10 ounces) English toffee bits (I used Heath English Toffee Bits. Usually found in the baking section with chocolate chips.) or 1 package (7 1/2 ounces) almond brickle chips
1 cup chopped pecans

In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles course meal. (A pastry blender works great for this step.) Press firmly onto the bottom of a greased 13in x 9in x 2in baking dish. (Dough can be very sticky. I usually flour my hands to press the dough into the pan.) Bake 350 degrees for 15 minutes. (Once you take the crust out, I like to take a fork and poke holes throughout the crust. I find this helps the filling adhere to the crust better!)

Meanwhile, in large mixing bowl (by hand), beat the milk, egg, vanilla, almond extract and salt (optional) until smooth. Stir in toffee chips and pecans; spread evenly over baked crust.

Bake for 20-25 minutes longer or until lightly browned. (Usually the pecan filling is bubbly all over!)  Cool. Cover and chill; cut into bars. (I usually cut the bars at room temperature, then chill!) Store in refrigerator. 

Roasted Tomatillo Sauce with Linguine

After being at the office all day writing, usually skipping out on lunch, I always want to come home to a home-cooked meal! Well sadly, I haven't found a family of fairy elves to inhabit my kitchen and whip up delicious meals while I'm away, so the task is left up to me! I also find when making my hungry voyage home I'm craving all the wrong things, like hand cut french fries, skittles and ice cream. So I'm always in need of a healthy, filling supper.

Roasted Tomatillo Sauce with Linguine!  If it's name isn't enough to make you run to the grocery how about this? Tomatillos roasted in a 400 degree oven with big cloves of garlic and olive oil. Fresh thyme, fresh oregano and fresh spinach pureed together with the roasted tomatillos to create a deliciously light and healthy sauce. Drooling yet?! :0)

Wishing you happy cooking and sweeter days,
Lizzy

Fun Fact: Tomatillos are commonly thought to be a green tomato or part of the tomato family. The tomatillo actually resides in the gooseberry family!


Roasted Tomatillo Sauce-
Recipe courtesy of Cuisine at Home Issue No. 76

1 lb. tomatillos (about 8 medium-sized tomatillos), husks removed
6 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz. dry whole- wheat linguine or spaghetti (I actually used traditional linguine but I think the whole wheat would be delicious with this sauce)
4 cups loosely-packed spinach (3 oz)
2 Tbsp low sodium chicken broth (I didn't add the chicken broth, and I didn't feel that it lacked any flavor or needed it for consistency.)
2 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves
2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp Kosher salt (I used sea salt)
1 tsp red pepper flake
10 cherry tomatoes, halved (I decided not to add the cherry tomatoes, but I think it would add a delicious element)
Pecorino Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Quater tomatillos. Place tomatillos and garlic in a bowl; add oil and toss to coat ingredients. Spread tomatillos and garlic cloves in a baking dish; roast for 35 minutes.

Cook linguine according to package directions. (Don't forget to salt your pasta water. I used Barilla pasta and cooked for 9 mins to al dente)

Place roasted tomatillo mixture in a food processor; add spinach, broth (optional), oregano, thyme, sugar, salt, and pepper flakes. Process until sauce is blended.

Drain linguine; transfer to a bowl with cherry tomatoes. (I just placed the pasta back into the same pan I boiled it in.)  Add sauce and toss to coat linguine and tomatoes. Garnish each serving with Romano cheese.

Coconut Biscuit Peach Cobbler

I love cobblers! I love cobblers for their convenience, taste and all around delicious-ness! Whenever I need a dessert last minute, I make a cobbler! You take any fruit you have, mix it together with sugar, flour and spices, throw it in a dish, make a little crumble and viola, instant simple delicious dessert!

However, I have probably far exceeded my quota on fruit cobblers with crumbles so when I ran across this Coconut Biscuit Peach Cobbler I jumped at the chance to try it out.

This peach cobbler is the perfect bite of sweet, topical bliss! Don't forget to top it with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream.

Also, fun tip! I actually learned this tip from an older woman in the grocery store! She saw me buying buttermilk and said "Honey, don't waste your money on that buttermilk, you can make your own at home." Now, no offense to my sweet little grocery friend but this "homemade" buttermilk is not quite the same. But when your in a pinch or don't want to buy half the buttermilk cow for only 1/3 c buttermilk, this tip works GREAT! Before you start the recipe, combine 1/3 c milk with 1 tsp. lemon juice. The lemon juice will thicken/ "curdle" the milk giving it the likeness of buttermilk!

Wishing you happy baking and sweeter days,
Lizzy

Coconut Peach Cobbler-
Recipe courtesy of Cuisine at home Issue No. 76

(Below I have made some modifications to the recipe that I found created a better result.)

For the Filling-
3 lb. ripe peaches, peeled,pitted, and sliced (6 cups) (3-4 medium peaches= 1lb)
2/3 cup sugar (always taste your peaches before adding sugar, I only added 1/3 c)
1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut, divided
1 tsp ground ginger (I would say only add 1/2 tsp, I found the ginger a little overbearing)
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (This spice is not necessary but I always love cardamon and found it added a delicious flavor)
1 Tbsp cornstarch (The recipe did not call for cornstarch or flour but i found the filling to be extremely runny, the cornstarch and flour did the trick to thicken)
2 Tbsp flour
Juice of half a lemon (this is to prevent browning of the peaches)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

For the Biscuit Topping-
2 cups all purpose flour (I use unbleached all purpose flour)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (I never add salt to my desserts. But if your palate likes that combination, go for it:0)
1/4 cup shortening or unsalted butter (I used Crisco Butter Flavor Shortening)
1/3 cup buttermilk ("Homemade" Buttermilk tip above)
1 tsp. coconut extract
1-2 Tbsp milk
Ice cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss peaches with sugar, 1/2 cup coconut, and ginger for the filling. Reserve 1 cup coconut for biscuit and topping. Place fruit in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate or in a square baking dish. Dot with butter.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt for the biscuit topping in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender (If you don't have a pastry blender, a fork will do the trick. Although, I highly recommend a pastry blender.) cut shortening into dry ingredients until mixture resembles small peas.

Stir in 1/2 cup of the remaining coconut, buttermilk, and coconut extract. (I had to add an extract 2 tablespoons of milk because my dough was too dry to knead. But gauge your mixture before adding or subtracting liquid.) Lightly knead mixture until all ingredients are incorporated.

Form dough into a ball; let rest for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a circle about 8 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. Carefully lay biscuit dough over peach filling; (I cut the excess dough off around the edge to make it prettier). Brush dough with milk. Scatter remaining 1/2 cup coconut over biscuit topping. (When baking keep an eye on the coconut on top, I noticed my was getting very dark. For convection ovens, you may need to cover for the first 10 mins, then uncover for the remaining.)

Bake cobbler until a toothpick inserted in the center of the biscuit topping comes out clean, about 30 mins. Cool 5-10 minutes. Serve with ice cream, if desired.
 

Life is Such A Peach

My Dad once said "If heaven were to smell like one certain something, I think it would smell like fresh picked peaches". I couldn't agree more, Dad.
Every year, my family and I go pick peaches at Legend Hills Orchard in Utica, Ohio. This has been a family tradition for over 49 years! We're serious about our peaches. When we're out there among the rows and rows of delectable fruit within our reach, we tend to go overboard. Always getting WAY more peaches than necessary then realizing after a few days we need to do something with this multitude of fruit. We cannot let something so delicious go to waste.
Pies and cobblers are a delicious option, so is a yummy jam. But we're mid-summer, in the "heat" of it, a sherbert seems like the right kind of late night July treat.
This is my first time making a Peach Sherbet but I have added some notes below to help with your results!

If you don't have an ice cream machine, do not fret. I think close results can be achieved by putting the sherbet mixture in a bowl, into the freezer and stir every 30 mins or so until you get a nice consistency. You'll freeze it the rest of the way for it to get hard. It's all about churning air into the mixture so the more you stir the better. Also, ice cream machines are an awesome kitchen investment. Frozen yogurts, sorbets, sherbets and homemade ice cream are very easy to make and an all year round favorite. Cuisnart makes some very reasonably priced machines and a reliable product.

Wishing you happy cooking and sweeter days,
Lizzy

Sparkling Peach Sherbet-

Recipe courtesy of Cuisine at home Issue No. 88

Makes 1 pint

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar (the recipe calls for 1 c but this year the peaches were very sweet so I went with 1/2c)
1/3 sparkling wine or club soda (I used club soda in mine)
1/4 cup honey
2 lb. fresh peaches (3-4 medium peaches= 1 lb)
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice (this is to prevent the peaches from browning in the chilling process)
1 c plain yogurt (I used Chobani Plain Greek yogurt, next time I'm going to use Chobani Vanilla Greek Yogurt. I think it would add another level of flavor.)

Heat the sugar, club soda and honey in a saucepan over high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Chill mixture until cold. (I put mine in the freezer to speed the chilling process up.)

Bring a lard pot of water to boil (I just used a medium saucepan).

Prepare a large bowl of ice water.

Score an X into the bottom of each peach. Blanch half of the peaches in the boiling water for about 30 seconds, then transfer to a bowl of ice water to shock. Repeat blanching and shocking with remaining peaches.

(Note: leave peaches in ice water for about a minute. Do not leave them in too long. I found the skin started to adhere back to the flesh of the peach making it more difficult to remove.)

Peel peaches and cut in half removing pits. (Be very careful when doing this step. The peaches are very slippery. Don't want to lose any fingers over a slippery peach;0)
Puree peaches in a food processor, then pass puree through a fine-mesh sieve.
(You could definitely use a blender or hand blender. Just make sure you get the chunks of peaches pureed.) Stir in lemon juice and chill until cold.

Whisk yogurt and chilled sugar syrup into chilled peach puree.

Transfer sherbet mixture to a 1-2 quart ice cream machine; process sherbet according to manufacturer's directions, about 25 minutes. (I have a Cuisinart Supreme Commercial Ice Cream Maker and it took about 40 mins in my machine.)

Transfer sherbet to a freezer container and smooth the top. Press plastic wrap directly onto the top of sherbet. Cover container with a lid and freeze until firm, at least 3-4 hours. (Whenever I make any type of frozen treat, I place it in the coldest part of my fridge, which is usual the ice box) Sherbet can be stored in freezer up to 1 month. (In our house, it won't last that long. It'll be gone in a couple days:0)