Pumpkin with Coconut Cream Cheese Cake

Pumpkin  with Coconut Cream Cheese Cake

Heres a Delicious recipe that combines Pumpkin and a hint of coconut! This moist scrumptious cake is a great dessert for the holidays, whether its for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any time of the year.

Here are a few Ingredients you will need to acquire:

2/3 cup of 100% PURE PUMKIN
2/3 cup of sugar
3/4 Cup of All-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3 large eggs

1 large and 1 small bowl
1 regular size cake pan (or 3 small cake molds)

*Optional for easy clean up:
Parchment or wax paper
baking spray or grease




PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees. Grease the cake pan then line it with wax or parchment paper. Spray and sprinkle flour on the paper.

COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a small bowl. In a large bowl, whisk in the eggs, sugar until thick. Blend in the pumpkin and  flour mixture until smooth.
Pour into prepared cake pan. BAKE for 20 - 25 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean.

FOR CREAM CHEESE COCONUT FROSTING:

1 (8oz) Package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup of sifted powdered sugar
6 tablespoons of softened butter or margarine
1 teaspoon of coconut extract or * 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Coconut flakes or chopped nuts for garnish

BEAT cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and coconut or vanilla extract until smooth. Spread frosting over the cake, sprinkle with coconut flakes or walnuts, cover  and refrigerate until its ready to serve.


 

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Cream of Cauliflower with Blue Cheese Fritters – The Best Soup Ive Ever Made

I arrived back to San Francisco late last night, weary from traveling, and my very busy week in NYC, and despite planning to sleep in, I woke up very early, excited to finish this amazing cream of cauliflower with blue cheese fritters video recipe.

Either that, or Im still on east coast time. Soup is not usually a subject associated with thrilling culinary experiences. Soup is comforting, soothing, soul-warming – not something that chefs normally day-dream about. This soup was a different story. It may be the single greatest soup I have every made.

Sometimes an idea for a recipe pops into my head and even before I make it, I have a pretty good idea on what the results will be like. But, when I went over this combination in my head, I really had no idea how successful it would be. To say I was happy with the results would be a serious understatement.

I was pretty sure blue cheese would be a nice addition to cauliflower soup, but the challenge was what would be the best delivery system for the sharp, funky cheese. I looked at many fritter recipes, but nothing was inspiring me. Then, for whatever reason, I thought about Pâte à choux.

Pâte à choux is an old-school, eggy pastry dough used to make things like éclairs and cream puffs. I though this would make a much lighter fritter than the traditional flour and baking powder versions, and that certainly turned out to be the case.

The dough fried up perfectly – beautifully golden brown outside, yet tender and moist inside – the perfect enclosure for the molten blue cheese. The combination of these light puffs and the earthy soup was magnificent. I cant remember ever being so happy eating a soup.

I really hope you give this a try, and even if you cant summon the courage to make the fritters (whats wrong with you?), I still think the soup alone is well worth making. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
For the fritters (a small batch - about 12 fritters):
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
pinch of salt
1 egg
2 oz crumbled, very firm blue cheese

For the soup:
1 onion
2 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic
salt to taste
1 head cauliflower
1 quart water or stock
nutmeg to taste
cayenne to taste
1/2 cup cream

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SANDRAS DELICATE HOMEMADE CREAM CHEESE PIE CRUST

This provides for a very delicate
pie crust that youre sure to love...

Yields: (2 pie crusts)

Prep: 15 mins. |
Refrigerate: about 1.5 hrs.

Posted:by Sandra

INGREDIENTS

***Two-crust pie

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1-1/2 (3 oz.) small pkgs. of ‘cold’ cream cheese

2 tablespoons ice water

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

METHOD

Place a medium-mixing bowl in the freezer to chill.

Cut the butter into small (about 3/4-inch) cubes. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.

Place the flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.  Add the cream cheese and rub the mixture between your fingers to blend the cream cheese into the flour until it resembles coarse meal.  Spoon the mixture, together with the cold butter, into a large ziploc bag, and press out air from the bag, and then close it.  Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough inside the bag.  Place the bag in the freezer for at least 10 minutes, just until the butter is very firm.

Transfer the dough to the chilled bowl, scraping the sides of the bag.  Set the bag aside.

Sprinkle the dough with the water and vinegar, tossing lightly with a rubber spatula. Divide the dough in half, and place in two separate large ziploc bags.  Holding both ends of the bag opening with your fingers, knead the mixture by alternately pressing it, from the outside of the bag, with the knuckles and heels of your hands until the mixture holds together in one piece and feels slightly stretchy when pulled.  Repeat with other bag of dough.

Close each bag, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, preferably overnight. Roll out as you would for a standard pie crust.

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Coffee Crunch Ice Cream

Coffee Crunch Ice Cream

Ingredients

• Milk 2 liters
• Sugar 250 gm
• Salt 250 gm
• Fresh cream 1 ½ cup
• Vanilla essence few drops
• Stabilize powder 2 tbsp
• Ice as required
• Cocoa powder 1 tbsp
• Coffee powder ½ tbsp

Ingredients for Crunch

• Sugar 250 gm

Method

• Heat 2 liters milk, ad 250 gm sugar and cook well till sugar is dissolved.Now add 2 tbsp stabilize powder, allow cooking till mixture thickens. Also add 1 tbsp cocoa powder and ½ tbsp coffee powder. Mix well.Then remove from fire and keep aside to cool.Now add few drops of vanilla essence and 1 ½ cup fresh cream. 
• Mix well and keep aside.In ice cream machine fill the sides of container with crushed ice, also add salt with crushed ice every time.Add milk mixture to the container, cover with lid, fit in machine and turn the ice cream machine on. Keep the machine turn on for 30 minutes.
• Now remove a little thickened ice cream mixture in an airtight box. Freeze overnight.Then remove ice cream in serving bowls, garnish with crunch and serve chilled.

Method for Crunch

• Heat 250 gm sugar in a pan till melts, remove melted sugar in a greased tray, keep aside till firm.Coarsely crush and sprinkle on top of ice cream

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BUTTERSCOTCH CREAM PIE

Picky-Picky husband has declared this pie his all time favorite. I like it because of the sweet and flaky crust, the true butterscotch flavor and the stabilized whipped cream topping (I guess it is my favorite too).

BLUE RIBBON SWEET AND FLAKY PIE CRUST  (three 10" crusts)

4 cups all purpose flour
1¾ cups butter flavored Crisco
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg  lightly beaten
1/2 cup cold water

Cut the butter flavored Crisco into the flour (I have never made this with butter, so I cant comment on that). When the Crisco is about the size of a small pea, add the rest of the ingredients and mix with your hands until it comes together in a ball. Cover and let sit on the counter for about 15 minutes before you roll it out.

Roll one third of the pie dough out and fit it into a 9" pie plate. Cut off excess and crimp the top edge. Prick the bottom of the pie dough with a fork (see note). Bake in pre-heated 425°F oven for 15-18 minutes or until golden.  Remove from oven and let cool.

BUTTERSCOTCH FILLING  (fills one 10" pie)

1½ cups brown sugar (I use dark brown)
1/4 cup + 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
5 egg YOLKS only
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk (I use 2%)
3 tablespoons butter
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoons rum extract

In a saucepan that has a heavy bottom, mix the brown sugar and cornstarch FIRST. Next add the egg yolks, salt, and milk.  Whisk until smooth and run a spatula around the edges of the pan to make sure you get everything out of the corners.

Cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the mixture is thick and bubbly (once it starts to thicken, it will thicken quickly). When its nice and thick, remove from heat and add butter and extracts and mix well. If you dont have rum extract, just use all vanilla.

Pour into baked pie shell and place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the hot pudding.  Chill for several hours or overnight before cutting.

STABILIZED WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
4 teaspoons cold water

In a small cup, mix the unflavored gelatin powder and cold water until dissolved. Let this sit on the counter until it turns fairly solid.  After it turns fairly solid (takes a couple minutes) reheat the mixture until it turns back to a liquid. I do this in my microwave and it takes 2 or 3 seconds ONLY...dont let it get hot!!  Set it aside to cool off a little, you dont want it hot, but dont let it cool so much that it gets thick again.

Next Whip the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until you get very soft peaks. With the mixer still running, dribble in the softened gelatin and continue whipping until you get stiff peaks (this happens pretty quickly). 

Spread on top of the pie. I top mine with toasted sliced almonds.

NOTE: Make sure you use a fork to poke holes in the bottom of the crust before you bake it, this is called "docking" and it will help your crust bake flat. I usually just press the tines of the fork through the raw crust about an inch apart all over the pie bottom.

NOTE: Ive always made this pie crust with butter flavored Crisco. I have no idea how it would turn out using butter.

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sour cream noodle baked

First off we got this recipe and picture from Becoming Betty who got the recipe from The Pioneer women
If you have not checked out both of these food blogs.. you need too. They have so many good things posted their! These are 2 of our favorite food blogs!!!

1 1/4 lbs. lean ground beef
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
salt/pepper
8 oz. egg noodles
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup sliced green onion (I left this out)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar

*Brown beef in a skillet. Add tomato sauce and salt and pepper. I used quite a bit of freshly ground pepper. Let simmer while you prepare the rest. Cook noodles according to package. Drain and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add some freshly ground pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir. Grab a casserole dish and begin by adding half the noodles. Then add half the meat and half the grated cheese. Repeat with noodles, meat, cheese. Bake for 20 minutes at 350.

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Vegan Peach Ice Cream

Gluten-free dairy-free peach ice cream.

A small gift for you this weekend. Some cool, frosty, non-dairy peachy goodness. A vegan ice cream recipe for the sticky dog days of late summer. Wait. Is it August already? Good goddess, the summer is careening by. It's true what they say about the concept of time. It speeds up and gets fluid as you get, um, shall we say, older. Seasoned.

One might even venture, weathered.

During your ritual morning walk your husband turns to you and mentions a moment from yesterday and the dirt path beneath you starts to swim (not that swimming surfaces are all that unusual out here in the shimmering southwest sun).

You ask, Wait. Was that yesterday? 

And he thinks a minute. Wait, he says. Friday? 

You hear the brittle dryness of the desert wind. The roar of the loud cobalt sky. There are red and sienna stones beneath your feet. The same stones as yesterday, last week, last year.

That was last week, you offer gently, shaking your head in a spin cycle of empathy and disbelief and astonishment. 

Dude, he says. Recalculating.

Tell me about it, you sigh.

Weeks morph into days.

How about some peach ice cream for breakfast?

Read more + get the recipe >>

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