Vanilla cake with carmel sauce

This is a recipe T's mum used to make. It's sweet, it's quick and it's like I'm 18 again. 

Cake:

1 cup softened salted butter

2 cups white sugar

4 large eggs at room temp

2 tbsp vanilla

1/4 vanilla bean pod, scraped

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour, sifted

2 1/4 tsp baking powder

1 cup milk

Directions:

Oven at 350 degrees.

Grease and flour one 9 inch cake pan and line 6 muffin cups.

In a bowl mix together flour, baking powder, and salt together.

In a kitchen aid bowl beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar and mix until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, and mix thoroughly.

Add in the vanilla.

Add in the flour and milk, alternating until finishing with the flour.

Bake the cupcakes for 25-30 minutes or when a toothpick inserted in the center  comes out clean.

Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes until toothpick cooked.

Sauce:

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tbsp flour

1/4 to 1/3 cup water

3 tbsp butter

2 pinches of sea salt

Add all ingredients except salt into a heavy saucepan.

Cook down and allow to bubble and the sugar is melted. Stiring constantly.

Add in the salt.

Serve over the cake. Yum. 

Mind the heat. Hot caramel and tongues can make for insane mouth burns. Don't ask how I know. 

Leap year!

I've always loved Leap Year. The rarity, the anticipation.

Vanilla Bean Ginger scones

This recipe was given to me by a friend at work. She made them and offered me one during a break. 

It was heaven. Sweet and tart and spicy all at the same time.

Now to wait for rhubarb season because I used the last of my freezer supply.

3 stalks rhubarb

1/2 cup divided

2 inch vanilla bean pod

2 1/2 cups AP flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup very cold butter

1/2 cup chopped up crystallized ginger

1 cup heavy cream

coarse sugar for sprinkling

425° oven

Place rhubarb in bowl and toss with 3 tbsp a sugar to coat

Place remaining sugar in large bowl with vanilla bean, flour, baking powder and salt

Mix well to distribute vanilla

Cut butter into flour until coarse sand no bigger than a pea sized butter pieces. I use my hands, its easier but you have to go quickly to avoid the butter melting from the heat in your hands.

You could also use a food processor on pulse, but that it a lot of cleaning for something that could be super easy.

Stir in rhubarb and ginger

Pour in cream and use wooden spoon to mix

Turn onto parchment and knead mixture together.

Do not over work or all that lovely butter will be creamed together and into the dough instead of pockets like you want.

Divide into two balls

Flatten and cut 6 triangles in each

Sprinkle with coarse sugar top

Bake in 425° oven for 20-25 minutes

Allow to cool 15 before frying that little piece of skin behind your teeth.

Bacon Carbonara

1 pound of bacon

4 cloves garlic

1 cup of dry cheese, like Asiago or Parmesan. Can be whatever you want. I'm partial to piave, but we used dry aged Gouda and Asiago last time and it was really good. Just make sure when you shred it, you turn it into a fine powdery consistency. 

3 eggs

1 package of pasta - I used a long pasta just a little more robust than spaghetti

Fresh cracked pepper

Cook your pasta of choice to al dente in well salted water.

Chop your bacon into pieces and allow to cook in the pan until crispy.

Remove the bacon from your pan and remove 1/2 the fat from the pan.

Crack your eggs into a bowl and beat them add in your cheese and set to the side.

Add in your minced garlic and allow to cook a little. Do not burn your garlic, it's just awful and you want the garlic to still have a bite to it instead of the mellowed sweet kind of garlic.

Remove the pan from the heat, the residual heat from the pan and the pasta will be enough to cook the eggs without scrambling them. 

Return the bacon to the pan.

Drain off your pasta but keep a cup water in reserve for your sauce.

Dump your pasta into the pan with the bacon and garlic and toss well to coat in fat and garlic.

Add in your cheese and egg mixture and mix it in well.

Your sauce will begin to thicken, add in spoonfuls of pasta water to get your desired consistency. Add in small amounts of the water, a little goes a long way.

Dump into a bowl and top with fresh pepper and a little more cheese.

So.good.

Cheesecake cups

 

Cheater "cheesecake" cups

This is an evolution. I've been making cheater cheesecake for years, mainly because whenever I attempt a real cheesecake it's an abysmal failure. So this "cheesecake" is my go to. Excuse the use of dream whip, it does serve a purpose! And this is a fantastic last minute dessert. 

Cheater "cheesecake"

Cream cheese filling

8 ounces of cream cheese (philly type will do, but if you can get your hands on Victoria style it makes it that much better)

1 1/4 cups icing sugar

1 pkg of dream whip prepared as stated on package.

Graham crumb base

1/2 cup graham crumbs

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup butter

1 can of cherry pie filling

In a pan melt the butter and dump in crumbs and sugar. Over medium low heat keep moving until the mixture begins to stick together. Do not allow to burn!

Spoon into the bottom of your glasses (mason jars, shot cups ect.)

In a mixing bowl mix up the dream whip as per the package.

Add in the cream cheese and allow to mix together.

Leave on medium low for a few minutes.

Mix in the icing sugar and allow to mix together another minute, stoppin g every now and again to scrape down the sides.

Layer the cream cheese mixture into the jars on top of the crumbs.

Layer cherry pie filling on top of the cream cheese mixture.

The shortbreads.

Yes, there needs to be a period after The Shortbreads.

I'm making a bunch of shortbreads now to freeze for Christmas. We're going away in November and I typically bake all through November for trays and gift tons in December.  Shortbreads are all basically the same: butter, flour, salt. I hve a few variations that are fan favourites in my house.
I'd post pictures, but parchment rolled tubes of uncooked shortbread isn't that impressive. Updated: I've baked and taken pictures now, all the rolls are gone and I have room in my freezer again!

Earl Grey Shortbread:

1 cup butter

1/2 cup icing sugar

2 cups AP flour

1-2 tsps Earl Grey Tea

1/2 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter)

Cream together butter and sugar.

Add in tea

Add in flour and mix until combined.

Lay out large sheet of parchment paper and dump out contents of the bowl.

Roll into a log and twist ends of parchment to close tubes.

Freeze until ready to use or chill in the fridge for about 3 hours.

When ready to use pull log from freezer  and cut into 1/4" slices.

Put on parchment lined cookie sheets and bake in a 350 degree oven for 18-22 minutes until edges are just browning.

Double Dark Chocolate

1 cup butter

1/2 icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa

1/4 cup non Dutch dark cocoa (the higher the fat %, the better) 

1 1/2 cups AP flour

Mix together butter, sugar and vanilla until well combined.
Add in both cocoas and mix well on low.
Add in flour and mix well on low.
Allow to mix for another minute on a higher speed once the powders have been incorporated.
Or spend at least 15 minutes wiping flour and cocoa from every inch of your countertop.
Form into log and wrap in parchment. Freeze or chill for at least 3 hours in the fridge.
Remove from fridge/freezer and allow the log to soften enough to cut into slices. I shoot for about 1/4" thick.
Put on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 325 for about 14 minutes.

Piave Garlic Shortbread

1 cup butter

1/2 cup Piave cheese, grated

1/4 cup Asiago cheese, grated
1 3/4 AP flour

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp herbed coarse salt (optional)

Put the butter into your kitchen aid and allow to whip up until fluffy.
Add in the cheeses, garlic, cayenne and herbed salt.
Add in the flour on low and mix until well combined.

Form into log and wrap in parchment. 

Freeze or chill for at least 3 hours in the fridge.

Remove from fridge/freezer and allow the log to soften enough to cut into 1/4" slices. 

350 for about 18-22 minutes

Santas Secret Tea Shortbread:

1 cup butter

1/2 cup icing sugar

2 cups AP flour

1-2 tsps Santas secret Tea

1/2-1 tsp peppermint extract

1/2 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter)

Cream together butter and sugar.

Add in tea and peppermint extract.

Add in flour and mix until combined.

Lay out large sheet of parchment paper and dump out contents of the bowl.

Roll into a log and twist ends of parchment to close tubes.

Freeze until ready to use or chill in the fridge for about 3 hours.

When ready to use pull log from freezer  and cut into 1/4" slices.

Put on parchment lined cookie sheets and bake in a 350 degree oven for 18-22 minutes until edges are just browning.

Burlap wreath

Burlap wreaths are really easy.

Using a green wreath form from Michaels, begin pulling the burlap ribbon through in loops.

Make the little loop of burlap you're pulling through, about 3" long. Go all around the wreath form, adjusting the loops as you go to make a fuller wreath.