Caramel Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
February 13, 2012
It is (one of many) “birthday months” at our house. My husband, who resisted the idea of the birthday month for years, finally sees the beauty. Of course it is his birthday month, and a big one at that. Celebrating for an entire month allows for a thorough celebration. Why choose between a party, an outing, a nice dinner, a trip? With a birthday month you can do it all!
Our festivities began with a few good friends, lots of (still eating the leftovers!) good food, a backyard fire, and of course a birthday cake! My husband is a caramel guy, so after trying to tempt him with cake after cake that featured the power duo of chocolate and caramel, we finally settled on a cake that did away with the distractions and featured the caramel promptly.
Caramel Cake with Brown Butter Frosting is my adaptation of a cake from Maya Angelou’s cookbook, Hallelujah. It is a basic butter cake infused with caramel. So there was no mistaking the caramel, I added an extra layer between the cake layers and drizzled it over the top of the cake.The frosting is the kicker. The standard American buttercream is blown into complete deliciousness, by browning the butter and then chilling it back to proper temperature before whipping it up with powdered sugar and cream. Yes, this frosting is outstanding! All in all, they are a great match and the cake was very well received!
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Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread
January 29, 2012
My search for the perfect banana bread ended years ago. There are plenty of recipes out there, but none that fit my tall list of criteria. So many have a dead bland banana flavor, others are too dry, or full of overpowering seasoning. This recipe, which is my standby banana bread, is to my taste, the best. It has just the right amount of sweetness (not a lot), a crispy , crunchy, buttery crust, a moist bananay interior, and a delightful tang from the baking soda. Chunks of dark chocolate melt into the bread making it just a little more special.
This is why, though I attempted to give another recipe a try last weekend, I simply could not find another one worth baking. Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread, developed from years of tinkering, is the one for me. We ate this bread for dessert after a disappointing football game, the rest served as a happy surprise in my son’s school lunch.
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Dark Chocolate Bark with Chile-Spiced Mango and Pepitas
December 23, 2011
The darkest night of the year has come and passed and the holidays are well underway, but I would be remiss to not share with you this one last edible gift.Chocolate Bark with Chile-Spiced Mango and Pepitas is everything I want in a chocolate bar. Dark chocolate (first and most important ingredient), sweet dried mango, spicy chile pepper, crunchy pepitas, and of course the sparkling salt dancing across the top. This combination is unexpected and delightful.
Chocolate Bark makes an excellent gift, wrapped up with a tag and a bow. It would also be a delicious way to encourage your guest to linger at the table after their dinner. Put out a plate of chocolate bark and let everyone break off their own piece. It is delicious with wine or coffee.
You can find chile-spiced mango at Mexican markets and Trader Joe’s. If you have a different taste sensation in mind, go for it! This recipe is incredibly adaptable, just keep the proportions of chocolate to chunks the same. Other ideas I would like to try are Dried apricot and pistachio and dried cherry and almond. If you want chunks of another type of chocolate (white chocolate or milk chocolate in the bark, simply chop them up and add with the nuts and fruit (do not melt). The possibilities are endless!
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Chocolate Candy Cane Crackle Cookies
December 18, 2011
My holiday baking got off to a late start this year. There are still many edible holiday treats still on my to-do list, but this was one recipe I was not going to let pass. In fact, this the only batch of holiday cookies that I was able to fit into my schedule this year. They are so tasty!
Chocolate Candy Cane Crackle Cookies combine rich fudgy chocolate with a hint of peppermint flavor and crunch from candy canes and peppermint schnapps. If you like dark chocolate and peppermint, these should definitely be on your “To Bake” list. The recipe is based on one from Dorie Greenspan that ran in the November 2006 Bon Appetit. I made the original recipe years ago and enjoyed it very much. The seasoning (cloves and cinnamon), make it more of an adult flavored cookie. My adaptation below follows Dorie’s basic recipe, but leaves out the spices. In their place are chunks of candy canes and a touch of peppermint schnapps. (Finally a use for that bottle I picked up at a white elephant gift exchange last year!)
There are a few things to keep in mind when you make these cookies. First, the candy cane chunks are bound to melt in the oven. There is nothing really wrong with this since they will still impart their flavor, but if you, like me, want to be able to see the candy canes in the final product, be sure to leave the chunks rather big (1/4 to 1/3 inch long). Second, the dough is tough to work with. It is super dry and firm and tough to roll in your hands. Both my kids were helping to roll and we ended up with chocolate crumbs everywhere and a bunch of squarish cookies. The good news is, it does not really matter. The cookies will still taste great. Lastly, do not overcook these cookies. Since the dough is so dry, it is much better to undercook them. Think of brownies. You want to pull them when the dough just begins to set, but is not completely cooked through.
My happy helpers bagged these up and delivered them to our friends and neighbors. What are your favorite cookies to bake during this time of year?
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Soft Ginger Cookies
November 26, 2011
Perhaps it is illogical to bake the day after Thanksgiving. Perhaps I should be following up a long run in the rain with salad and a nap. But on the other hand, it may be best to let oneself down easy after a big feast. No use going cold turkey (pun intended) on the rich food when the air is cool, and everyone is still lounging around the house enjoying the long weekend. Why not break out the butter that did not make its way in the mashed potatoes make up some delicious treats? When you really think about it, cookies seem to be an appropriate coda to the traditional Thanksgiving feast.
Soft Ginger Cookies are tender, buttery, intensely ginger flavored treats. Roll the chilled dough in balls and then spin through a dish of sugar to give each cookie a sparkly look. Slices of candied ginger add a decorative touch, as well a strong gingery spice.
This recipe makes a generous number of cookies, which provides a good excuse to drop in on your neighbors and friends. You can also form the cookies and freeze them to bake up later.
My Pantry Shelf 