Author Topic: Recipes - Cookies, Pies, Cakes, and Other Sweets  (Read 148570 times)

Offline memento

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Re: Recipes - Cookies, Pies, Cakes, and Other Sweets
« Reply #10 on: November 22, 2006, 02:16:00 pm »
This won first place at the Boston Brokefest.

Hungarian Cherry Torte

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 large eggs, separated
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup all purpose flower
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup pitted sweet dark cherries, fresh or well-drained jarred (I found jarred
cherries at Trader Joe's.)

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter an 8 1/2 inch springform
  cake pan. Line the bottom with a round of waxed paper and butter the paper.

2.Cream the butter and 1/2 cup sugar in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer.
  Add the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix well. Add the
  flour and mix well.

3.In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until firm
  but not stiff. Stir one-third of the egg whites into the batter until well
  combined. Fold the remaining egg whites into the batter with a rubber
  spatula until just combined.

4.Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Top evenly with the cherries,
  leaving about 1/2-inch border around the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the
  top evenly with the ramaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake the cake until golden
  brown and the top springs back when lightly touched, about 35 minutes.

5.Cool the cake on a wire rack 10 minutes. Run a small knife around the cake
  to loosen it from the side of the pan. Remove the ring and let the cake
  cook completely. When it is completely cool, invert the cake onto a large
  plate. Remove the springform bottom and the waxed paper, then invert the cake
  onto a serving plate.

(Thanks to Sheila Lukins of Silver Palette fame.)
« Last Edit: November 22, 2006, 04:18:51 pm by Memento »

Offline Meryl

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Re: Recipes - Cookies, Pies, Cakes, and Other Sweets
« Reply #11 on: November 22, 2006, 02:29:30 pm »
Picking up on Leslie's theme here...  Why don't we all try to come up with as many real recipes for cherry cake as we can?  Before BBM I'd never heard of such a thing (mind you I'm not much of a cook or baker).  Maybe we could have our own BetterMost virtual cherry cake bake-off.
 :) ;D

Amanda, we now have two of the recipes for cherry cake featured at the Boston Brokiefest, thanks to Leslie and Sandy.  And thanks to Marcia (Marge) we now have a great pie recipe with cherries, too.  8)
Ich bin ein Brokie...

Offline southendmd

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Re: Recipes - Cookies, Pies, Cakes, and Other Sweets
« Reply #12 on: November 22, 2006, 02:59:11 pm »
Both Sandy and Leslie's cherry cakes were truly fabulous!

I can PM Tamarack/Lauren and ask her if she would post her second-prize-winning cherry cake (I remember it had almond paste, YUM).

Paul

Offline opinionista

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Re: Recipes - Cookies, Pies, Cakes, and Other Sweets
« Reply #13 on: November 22, 2006, 03:06:05 pm »
Exotic dessert recipe interlude  ;D


Tembleque (Coconut pudding)

1 can (15 oz.) Cream of Coconut

2 cups milk

1/2 cup corn starch

pinch of salt

4 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

ground cinnamon for garnish


-In a bowl combine milk and cream of coconut. In saucepan, dissolve corn starch in 1/2 cup of milk mixture.
-Add remaining milk mixture, salt, sugar, vanilla. Stir on medium high until mixture begins to thicken. Lower heat to medium. Stir constantly until mixture boils and thickens. Boil about 2 minutes, stirring gently.
-Pour into mold (or pan) which has been rinsed in cold water. Cool. Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. Unmold. Slice, sprinkle with cinnamon.

Serves 4 to 6
Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement. -Mark Twain.

Offline opinionista

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Re: Recipes - Cookies, Pies, Cakes, and Other Sweets
« Reply #14 on: November 22, 2006, 03:20:56 pm »
For those who wish to add an exotic touch to an otherwise traditional Thanksgiving dinner, here's a recipe for Pumpkin Flan

PUMPKIN FLAN

Caramel ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water


Flan ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
6 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup water


Prepare the caramel: combine the sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over medium heat without stirring until they caramelize into a rich amber color, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat immediately to stop the cooking. Note: if the sugar begins to color unevenly, you may swirl the pan, if necessary, to assure a thorough caramelization.

Pour equal amounts of the liquid caramel into eight, 1-cup creme caramel ramekins, or into one, 9-inch cake or pie pan. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350_.

In the bowl of a kitchen mixer, using the whip attachment, combine the sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger. Begin mixing at moderate speed and add the eggs. When the eggs are well-mixed, about 1 minute, add the pumpkin puree. Continue mixing for 30 seconds until the eggs and puree are incorporated. With the mixer still running, add the evaporated milk, vanilla and water, and continue blending for an additional 1 minute until you have a smooth, homogeneous mass.

Pour even amounts of the pumpkin flan mixture into the ramekins, or pour the entire amount into the cake pan.

Place the filled ramekins or cake pan in a deep-sided roasting pan and pour in hot tap water to halfway up the sides of the ramekins to make a bain marie. Cover the roasting pan with foil and carefully transfer to the middle shelf of the oven. Bake the filled ramekins for 30-40 minutes until the flan is just firm and set. (If you use a cake pan, increase the baking time to 60-75 minutes.) The cooked flan should jiggle slightly when shaken, and a paring knife will come out cleanly when done. Remove the ramekins or pan from the bain marie and set aside to cool. Once cooled, refrigerate the flan until well-chilled to allow the flan to set.

To serve, unmold the flan by running the point of a small paring knife along the inside of the ramekins or pan. Cover each ramekin or the pan with a chilled plate and invert. The caramel should spill out to form a sauce for the flan. Serve garnished with whipped cream if desired.
Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement. -Mark Twain.

Offline Meryl

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Re: Recipes - Cookies, Pies, Cakes, and Other Sweets
« Reply #15 on: November 22, 2006, 03:48:18 pm »
Those recipes look delicioso, Natali!  I especially want to try the coconut pudding.  :P

Paul, thanks for PMing Lauren.  Never enough (cherry) cake, never enough!  8)
Ich bin ein Brokie...

Offline Ellemeno

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Re: Recipes - Cookies, Pies, Cakes, and Other Sweets
« Reply #16 on: November 22, 2006, 04:10:27 pm »
Exotic dessert recipe interlude  ;D


Tembleque (Coconut pudding)

Natali, that sounds so delicious.  Is it Puerto Rican?  Is there a typical shape to the mold or to the slice when it's served?  Elle

Offline opinionista

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Re: Recipes - Cookies, Pies, Cakes, and Other Sweets
« Reply #17 on: November 22, 2006, 04:29:28 pm »
Natali, that sounds so delicious.  Is it Puerto Rican?  Is there a typical shape to the mold or to the slice when it's served?  Elle

Yes it is Puerto Rican and it's made in many ways. You can use any mold. Some people use small plastic cups.
Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement. -Mark Twain.

Offline tamarack

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Re: Recipes - Cookies, Pies, Cakes, and Other Sweets
« Reply #18 on: November 22, 2006, 05:53:14 pm »
Paul did email me and here is the SECOND PRIZE WINNER FROM THE BROKEBACK BOSTON GET-TOGETHER (I actually posted it on the Boston thread after we got back so this is a cut and paste.)

Vanilla Almond Pound Cake with Maraschino Cherries
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup margarine or butter (2 sticks)
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
3 cups sifted flour
6-ounce can evaporated milk with enough water to make 1 cup
1 cup chopped nuts (I didn't add nuts.)
10-ounce jar maraschino cherries, well drained (I quartered them, at least)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons almond extract

Cream shortening and butter until fluffy. Add sugar and salt. Beat in one egg at a time.

Add flour and milk alternately, ending with flour. Add flavorings, chopped nuts and the maraschino cherries.

Pour batter into a greased and floured tube pan. Place cake in a cold oven. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour 45 minutes or until tested done. (You really need to keep checking because it didn't take mine this long either time.)

Remove cake from pan while still warm. Ice if desired.

Enter in cherry cake bake-off and win a Brokeback Mountain wall calendar! Yee Haw

Offline tamarack

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Re: Recipes - Cookies, Pies, Cakes, and Other Sweets
« Reply #19 on: November 22, 2006, 06:00:17 pm »
This is a recipe from the 50's that my doctor's office manager gave me. Her mother used to make it as a birthday cake for all the kids. I tried it a couple of weeks ago and it is very good. I like the pound cake recipe from Boston better, but my son is a fan of this one. I baked it in a Bundt pan and it worked out just fine. I also didn't frost it - I just sprinkled it with powdered sugar. It's a sweet cake even without the frosting.

                                      Cherry Festival Cake
"This delicate pink cake has cherries and nuts scattered all the way through. Festive and delicious!"

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Makes 2 9-inch round layers. All ingredients should be a room temperature.

Sift together...2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
                     3 1/4 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
                     1 teaspoon salt
                     1 1/4 cups sugar

Add...............1/2 cup finely chopped, drained maraschino cherries
                     1/2 cup shortening
                     2/3 cup milk

Beat...............for 2 minutes, 300 strokes, until batter is well blended. (With electric
                     mixer blend at low speed, then beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.)

Add...............1/3 cup milk
                     2 eggs, unbeaten
                    1/2 teaspoon almond extract
                    1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice

Beat..............for 2 minutes.

Fold in...........1/2 cup finely chopped nuts

Pour..............into two well-greased and lightly floured 9-inch round layer pans.

Bake..............in moderate oven (350 F.) 30 to 35 minutes. Cool and frost with cherry
                    frosting.
« Last Edit: November 22, 2006, 06:10:04 pm by tamarack »