berger cookies

 Makes 24 cookies ( I say double the cookie recipe and leave the frosting as is. This makes a ton of the frosting) I freeze mine, if I do not have time to make them all!
 
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

or the cookies:
1/3 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup milk

For the icing:
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line 2 baking sheets ( like to make cookies on stones...perfect edges and evenly baked to perfection! with parchment paper of Silpat mats and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, salt, vanilla, and baking powder. Add in sugar, then egg and blend to incorporate. With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour and milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just blended.

Drop teaspoon sized drops of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart. Using the bottom of a greased glass, flatten each cookie to about 1 1/2 inches.


Bake for 10-11 minutes until the bottom of the cookies are just beginning to brown. Be sure not to overbake the cookies, they should be soft and cake-like. Cool cookies on pans for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

While the cookies are cooling, make the icing. Place chocolate chips, corn syrup, vanilla and cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until chocolate begins to melt. Stir mixture until smooth. Add in confectioners' sugar and stir until blended completely. Allow icing to cool to room temperature.
Dip the bottom of the cooled cookies into the icing and place icing side up on baking sheets. After all cookies have been dipped, dollop remaining icing on top of iced cookies (you want LOTS of icing!) and evenly spread using a small knife. Allow icing to set. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
Note: Icing will set completely in about 6 hours, but you can of course eat them before it has set. Just don't store them until the icing is hardened.

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cream puff cake

1 stick margarine
1 c water
1 c flour
4 eggs
1 box instant vanilla or white chocolate pudding (large box)
3 cups milk
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese softened
1 8 oz carton cool whip
chocolate syrup

Boil together the margarine and water.

Add flour and mix well. Cool slightly and stir in eggs, one at a time. Mix well and spread into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Cool completely.

In a large bowl, mix pudding, milk and cream cheese. Beat until lumps disappear. Pour into cream puff crust.

Spread cool whip on top of pudding and drizzle syrup on top. Refrigerate.

This keeps well for days.

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plum torte

1/4 pound unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup plus 1 or 2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup unbleached flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
Pinch salt
24 halves pitted Italian (prune or purple) plums
1 teaspoon cinnamon or more, to taste

1. Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the butter and the 3/4 cup of sugar. Add the flour, baking powder, eggs, and salt and beat to mix well. Spoon the batter into an ungreased 9- or 10-inch springform pan. Cover the top with the plums, skin sides down. Mix the cinnamon with the remaining 1 or 2 tablespoons of sugar and sprinkle over the top.
3. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired.
4. To serve, let the torte return to room temperature and reheat at 300 degrees until warm, if desired. Serve plain or with vanilla ice cream.

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smoked salmon risotto with lemon and mascarpone

  

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups smoked salmon, divided
1/2 cup mascarpone
3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
handful arugula (baby greens are best)
lemon juice
ground pepper

Reserving some large pieces of salmon to garnish, roughly chop the remaining smoked salmon and set aside.

In a large pot over medium high heat, add the olive oil and onion. Sauté for five minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the rice and garlic to the pot and cook for two more minutes, stirring continuously. Add the white wine and a cup of the stock to the pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring frequently until the most of the liquid has been absorbed. Add another cup of the stock and continue to cook, stirring constantly until it too has absorbed. Repeat, until you've used all the stock and the rice is tender and creamy.

Remove the pot from the heat, add the mascarpone and stir until melted. Add the chopped salmon, parsley and lemon zest and mix. Season with fresh ground pepper and lemon juice to taste.

Plate the risotto with a some fresh arugula and the pieces of reserved salmon.

enjoy.

coconut bread and salted honey brown butter spread

 

(New York Times Recipe)

2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup granulated sugar
5 ounces sweetened flaked coconut (about 1 1/2 cups)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted or melted and browned, if desired

Vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray for baking pan
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Add sugar and coconut, and stir to mix. Make a well in the center, and pour in egg mixture, then stir wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Add butter, and stir until just smooth — be careful not to overmix.

Butter and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan, or coat it with a nonstick spray. This loaf, once baked, entirely filled and towered above my 9x5x3 (8-cup) loaf pan, so if yours is smaller, you might want to pour off a little batter into greased muffin tins. Spread batter in pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, anywhere from 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool in pan five minutes, before turning out onto a cooling rack.
Serve in thick slices, toasted, with butter and confectioners’ sugar or salted honey brown butter spread.

Salted honey brown butter spread

1 stick unsalted butter, divided
1 to 2 tablespoons honey (use less for lightly sweet, more for a more traditional honey butter)
Few pinches flaky sea salt

In a small saucepan, melt half your butter over medium heat. Once melted, reduce heat to medium-low. The butter will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. While it is cooling, leave the other half of the butter out to soften slightly (semi-firm is fine).
Whip softened butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly drizzle in the room temperature browned butter, honey and salt continue whipping until combined. Chill butter in fridge until a nice spreadable consistency, or until needed.

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Moroccan Spice Chick Peas and Spinach

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small red chili, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons Moroccan Spice (see below)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 cups spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
juice of half a lemon
handful of coriander leaves to garnish

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook onion, garlic and chili for about 5 minutes until soft. Add Moroccan spice. Mix well.

Add tomato paste. Cook for a minute. Add the spinach and chickpeas. Cook, stirring occasionally until spinach has wilted (about 3 to 4 minutes). Remove from heat.

Stir in the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with coriander. Serve hot with Turkish bread and a dollop of yoghurt.

Moroccan Spice (Makes approximately 10 tablespoons)

5 tablespoons ground cumin
5 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon allspice
1 tablespoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

Combine all ingredients in a dry bowl. Mix well. Store in air tight container with your spices for a month or two. 

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lemon yogurt cake

1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 pinch kosher salt
1 cup goat milk yogurt
1⅓ cups white sugar, divided use
3 large eggs
zest of 2 Meyer lemons
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup canola oil
⅓ cup Meyer lemon juice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
4. In another bowl, mix together the yogurt, 1 cup of the sugar, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla.
5. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir in the canola oil and mix well.
6. Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake 45 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
7. Allow hot cake to rest for 10 minutes before turning onto a baking rack.
8. In a small saucepan, heat the remaining ⅓ cup sugar with the lemon juice, just until sugar dissolves.
9. Place the rack with the cake over a large plate and drizzle glaze over cake until it is absorbed.

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Ina Garten shortbread hearts

3/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt; then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and roll shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3-inch heart-shaped cutter. Place the hearts on an ungreased sheet pan and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.

 Glacé Icing
1lb powdered sugar (about 3 3/4 C)
6T milk or water
6T light Corn Syrup (6T is equal to 1/4 C plus another 2 T)
1 t extract (I use almond because I use almond in my sugar cookies)
With a whisk, combine sugar and milk until smooth (no lumps!) Then stir in corn syrup and extract.
You will use this same recipe for both glazing and piping. Thickened, you can pipe outlines, and as you thin it, you can use it for “flooding” cookies.  Make sure to let them dry overnight to fully harden for stacking.

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Quinoa Salad with Oranges, Avocado, and Almonds

For the Dressing:
1 tablespoon lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 tablespoon orange juice (about the amount left over in the remaining orange after cutting out segments)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

For the Salad:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
4 oz spring mix or other lettuce greens
2 medium oranges, cut into segments (or use grapefruit slices)
1 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (soak in cold water 10 minutes)
1/4 cup almonds, roughly chopped

Bring 1-3/4 cups lightly salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the quinoa and reduce heat to low; cover and cook until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. (You can also use leftover quinoa.  If so, then obviously skip this step.)
Whisk together the lime juice, orange juice, and mustard. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in oil. Season generously to taste with salt and pepper.
Toss quinoa with about 1/3 of the dressing and season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide amongst serving plates or place on a large serving platter. Toss greens, orange segments, avocado, and onions in a large bowl with just enough dressing to coat. Again, season to taste with salt and pepper. Top quinoa with dressed greens and sprinkle with almonds.

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Broccolini with Browned Butter and Balsamic

6 tablespoons salted butter
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 bunches broccolini, ends trimmed
2 tablespoons kosher salt (for boiling water)

Have a clean dish cloth laid out for the veg.
Brown the butter in a small, light-colored pan or skillet over medium-high heat.  Browning butter will first melt, then foam and sizzle, then bubble quietly, before the milk solids turn color.  When the butter is amber and smells nutty and fantastic (about 5 minutes), it is done.  Stir in the balsamic and cook over medium for 30 seconds.  Remove from the heat.
Bring a large pot (i.e., pasta-size) to a rolling boil.  Add the 2 tablespoons of salt, then the broccolini.  Boil 2-5 minutes, until stems are just-tender when pierced with a knife.  I'll often fish out the thinner stems with my tongs after 2-3 minutes, then fetch the bigger ones, as they finish.  Do not overcook. Lay broccolini on a serving plate, pour balsamic-brown butter over all, and eat immediately.

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perfect peach pie

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Crust
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting surfaces
1 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, very cold
1/2 cup ice water

Filling
About 3 1/2 pounds peaches (approximately 6 large, 7 medium or 8 small)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, from about half a regular lemon
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Few gratings of fresh nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon table salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch 

To finish
1 tablespoon milk, cream or water
1 tablespoon coarse or granulated sugar

Make your pie dough: Whisk together flour, sugar and salt in the bottom of a large, wide bowl. Using a pastry blender, two forks or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the biggest pieces of butter are the size of small peas. (I chop my butter into small bits.) Gently stir in the ice water with a rubber spatula, mixing it until a craggy mass forms. Get your hands in the bowl and knead it just two or three times to form a ball. Divide dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and flatten a bit, like a disc. Chill in fridge for at least an hour or up to two days.

Meanwhile, prepare your filling: Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Prepare an ice bath. Make a small x at the bottom of each peach. Once water is boiling, lower peaches, as many as you can fit at once, into saucepan and poach for two minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to ice bath for one minute to cool. Transfer peaches to cutting board and peel the skins. In most cases, the boiling-then-cold water will loosen the skins and they’ll slip right off. In the case of some stubborn peaches, they will stay intact and you can peel them with a paring knife or vegetable peeler.

Halve and pit the peaches, then into about 1/3-inch thick slices. You’ll want 6 cups; it’s okay if you go a little over. Add to a large bowl and toss with lemon juice. In a small dish, stir together sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cornstarch until evenly mixed. Add to peaches and toss to evenly coat. Preheat oven to 425*.

Assemble your pie: Flour the heck out of your counter, unwrap your first dough (if the two pieces look uneven, go for the smaller one) and put it in the middle and flour that too. Be generous, you’ll thank me later. Start rolling your dough by pressing down lightly with the pin and moving it from the center out. You’re not going to get it all flat in one roll or even twenty; be patient and it will crack less. Roll it a few times in one direction, lift it up and rotate it a quarter-turn. And that’s what you’re going to continue to do, roll a couple times, lift the dough and rotate it. Re-flour the counter and the top of the dough as needed–don’t skimp! You should be leaving no bits of dough on the counter and none should be stuck to your pin. If at any point, the dough starts to get sticky or soft, it’s warming up and will only become more difficult to work with. Transfer it back to the fridge for a few minutes (or even the freezer, but for just a minute) to let it cool, then resume your rolling process. Once your dough is a 12- to 13-inch circle, transfer pie dough to a standard pie dish by folding it gently into quarters (making no creases), arranging the folded corner into one quadrant of the bottom of your tin and gently unfolding it to fit over the base. Trim the overhang to one inch.

Scoop filling into bottom pie dough, including any accumulated juices (they contain the thickener too, also: tastiness). Roll out your top pie dough using the same procedure, until it is 12 to 13 inches in diameter. If you’d like to make a regular lidded pie, use it as is, cutting some decorative vents in the pie lid before baking. To make a lattice-top pie, cut the pie dough into strips anywhere from 1/2 to 1-inch wide with a pastry wheel, pizza wheel or knife. Arrange every other strip across your pie filling in one direction, spacing the strips evenly. Fold back every other strip gently on itself and add the longest remaining strip in the other direction. Fold the strips back down, repeat with the other strips until a full lattice-top is formed. Trim the lattice’s overhang to the diameter of the pie dish’s rim. Gently fold the rim of the bottom crust over the lattice strips and crimp decoratively.

To finish:Brush pie with milk, cream or water and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake pie: For about 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the crust is set and beginning to brown. Reduce oven temperature to 375 and bake pie for another 30 to 40 minutes, until filling is bubbling all over and the crust is a nice golden brown. If the pie lid browns too quickly at any point in the baking process, you can cover it with foil for the remaining baking time to prevent further browning.
Cool pie: For three hours at room temperature before serving, the pie filling does not fully thicken until it is fully cool. Pie can be stored at room temperature or in the fridge.       enjoy.

corn, leek and marcarpone tart

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Leek, Corn, and Mascarpone Tart

For the crust

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons ice water

For the filling

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups sliced leeks, in 1/4-inch pieces (white and pale green parts only)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup mascarpone
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 

 

Make the crust:

 Preheat the oven to 350°F.
 Place the flour in a large bowl, and, using a pastry blender, cut in the shortening until the pieces are pea-size. (If you don’t have a pastry blender, my editor Justin suggests that you can also use two knives, in a crossing pattern, to cut the shortening into the flour mixture.) Sprinkle the ice water by tablespoons over the flour mixture and toss with a fork until all the dough is moistened. Gather the dough into a ball and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to fit a 10-inch tart pan. Fit the dough into the pan and trim the edge flush with the rim. Prick all over the bottom and sides of the crust with a fork. Place the crust on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
 Remove the crust from the oven and set aside. Raise the oven temperature to 375°F.

Make the filling:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the corn and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Stir in the basil, salt, and pepper. Remove from the heat, transfer to a large bowl, and cool for 10 minutes.
In a medium-size bowl, beat together the mascarpone, cream, and eggs until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cheese mixture to the leek and corn mixture and mix together until the ingredients are well blended. Transfer the filling into the crust and lightly sprinkle the Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the filling is set. Allow the leek tart to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

enjoy.

sea glass candy

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yields roughly 3/4lb of candy
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup

6 tablespoons water
food coloring
1/2-1 teaspoon flavoring oil of your choice (depending on how strong you like the flavor)

non-stick cooking spray
powdered sugar for dusting

candy thermometer

mallet

Lightly spray a small metal pan with non-stick spray (Pam). I'm using quarter sheet pans for my candy, however a 9x9" pan will work just fine. I don't recommend using ceramic or glass pans/casseroles because we'll be hitting the candy with a mallet later and well... you don't want real glass in your sea glass candy.

In a small non-stick sauce pan, weigh out the sugar, water and corn syrup and place over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. When it begins to simmer, wash down the sides of the pan with a damp pastry brush, attach your candy thermometer and sit back and watch. Just watch, no stirring.

When the mixture hits the 250°F range, go ahead and add your food colorings. I use gel coloring but regular colorings should work fine. Again, don't stir. The bubbling action will distribute the color for you. In fact, watching it spread is one of the more entertaining aspects of staring at a boiling pot of sugar for 10 minutes.

Once your thermometer* reads 300°F pull it off the heat and then add your flavoring and stir. Be careful as it will bubble and steam. Immediately pour the bubbling mixture into your prepared pan and allow to sit until cool.

Once it has fully cooled, cover with a piece of parchment paper and hit it with a mallet.


Collect the pieces and brush with powdered sugar. To store the candy, place in an air tight container and keep at room temperature.

I made four different colors~flavors,
Blueberry~Cobalt, Lemon~Clear, Key-Lime~Green, and  Root beer~Brown.

Enjoy!

sherbert watermelon pie

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 Lime Sherbet
Vanilla ice cream or Pineapple sherbet
 Red/Pink colored sherbet
Mini chocolate chips

 For each flavor, you’ll let the sherbet/ice cream soften for a few minutes before using. The red sherbet should be mixed with the mini chocolate chips.

 Use a round springform pan. You may want to line the bottom of the pan with wax paper or parchment paper if you plan to transfer the entire “pie” to another dish before serving. I served the slices on plates straight out of the freezer, so I didn’t line the pan. It’s actually cuter sliced!

Starting with lime, spread a ring of sherbet around the edge of the springform pan – about 2 inches high (or taller if you want!), and about 1-2 inches wide from the outside edge of the pan.

Put pan in freezer to harden lime layer. Repeat step 3 with the vanilla, but make the layer much thinner – maybe 1/2 inch. Use a butter knife to flatten the top, even-ing out the lime with the vanilla. Put pan in freezer to harden again. Repeat step 3 with the red/chocolate chip sherbet. Fill the rest of the pan, then use a butter knife to flatten the top. Freeze!

When it’s time to eat, run a knife around the edge of the pan before popping off the outside of the springform pan. Use a nice thin-blade knife to slice.

A funny tip…Serve on paper plates, because for some reason, it will not melt as fast as it would on china plates!

winthrop beach brownies

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adapted from Heirloom Baking

 1 8 ounce package cream cheese

1 1/3 cups sugar, divided

3 eggs, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla, divided

3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

3 ounces bitter chocolate, melted and cooled

1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds

Set oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350*. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch by 8-inch by 2-inch metal pan with foil, shiny side up. Coat with butter or vegetable spray.

Combine cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, 1 egg, and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla in a bowl until smooth. Do not over beat.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 

Cream butter and remaining 1 cup sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add remaining two eggs. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and chocolate and combine. Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. 

Pour half of the chocolate batter into pan and spread evenly with an off-set spatula. Add cream cheese mixture to pan and smooth over chocolate base. Top cream cheese layer with remaining chocolate batter. Smooth with spatula. Sprinkle top with sliced almonds. Bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Brownies will rise and fall and may crack. Place pan on rack and cool. Place the pan of brownies, covered with a sheet of waxed paper, in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight before cutting. Store brownies between sheets of wax paper in a covered tin in the refrigerator. Makes 25 brownies

magnolia vanilla cupcakes

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1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla Buttercream, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake papers.
In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.
In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Vanilla Buttercream:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Yield: enough for 2 dozen cupcakes or 1 (9-inch) layer cake

applesauce cake

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2 cups flour 

1 cup sugar

1 stick butter (room temperature)

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 jar apple sauce or home made

 Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and mix until blended. Mix in the flour and baking powder until it all comes together. Gather the dough into a ball and press it into a small buttered baking sheet ( I use a quarter sheet). Spread applesauce over the dough.

 topping...

1 stick cold butter

1 1/4 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

Mix together with your hands, unless they are really hot, the ingredients for the topping and crumble it on top of the applesauce. Bake at 350* for 30 to 35 minutes or until everything is brown a bubbly.

Pistachio-Citrus Pound Cake

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Adapted slightly from Bon Appétit (April 2012)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
1 tsp. finely grated lime zest
1 cup shelled, unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped

Position a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly butter a 9”x5” loaf pan, or grease it with cooking spray. Cut a rectangle of parchment paper to line the bottom and the two long sides of the pan, leaving a little overhang. Press the parchment paper into the dish, and grease it lightly, too.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, and beat until well incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions. Add the juices and the zests, and beat until well combined. (Don’t worry if the batter looks curdled.) Add the flour mixture, reduce the speed to low, and beat until just incorporated. Add ¾ cup of the pistachios, and fold in gently. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup pistachios over the top.

Bake the cake, rotating it halfway through, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 ½ hours. Transfer it to a wire rack, and let it cool completely in the pan. Run a sharp knife along the short ends of the pan to loosen the cake; then pull up on the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan.

Note: The flavor of this cake is best on the day after it’s made.

Yield: 8 to 12 servings, depending on how thickly you slice it.

strawberry basil scones

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2 ½ cups flour (I used a GF blend)
2 tbsp turbinado sugar
1 
tbsp baking powder
¼ 
tsp salt
½ cup cold coconut oil or butter, cut into chunks
1 + cup chopped fresh strawberries
2
 tbsp minced basil
½ cup full fat coconut milk
2 
eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl stir together the dry ingredients. Scoop out or cut in butter or coconut oil. Stir in minced basil and hulled, and quartered strawberries. In a medium bowl stir together eggs and the milk. (Cream, half and half, or regular milk would work here too.) Add egg mixture to flour mixture in one pour. Stir together until completely moistened, using your hands when necessary.

Turn out onto a parchment covered baking sheet. Press into a 1” thick circle. Cut into 8 wedges. Brush with extra milk and sprinkle with sugar. If you use butter instead of coconut oil, place baking sheet with cut wedges in the freezer for up to 20 minutes before baking. It will make them magically fluffier and more scone-y. Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending. Finish with a good dollop of local honey or clotted cream.

blueberry cake

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3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

fresh blueberries

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

whipped cream, for serving

Preheat oven to 350*. In bowl at medium speed, beat 3/4 cup sugar with butter until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low, beat in flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Increase speed to medium, beat for 1 minute. Spoon batter into 9 inch or 10 inch tart or spring form pan. Arrange blueberries (you can use any fruit you like) on top of batter. Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar, sprinkle over cake. Bake for 30 minutes to 60 minutes (depending on the fruit you use, plums and apples will take longer) until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.