Coconut Crunch (pie?)

Last week Erin and I stayed in Iowa City and had Thanksgiving with my family. We usually have at least some people come and share the meal with us, but I think this year was a record--I think we had at least 30 people there! Erin and I were in charge of bringing pies. Other people were planning to bring pies as well, but I wanted to make sure there was plenty to go around and so we went kind of crazy with the pie-making. We made a chocolate chip pecan pie and a pumpkin custard pie (both courtesy of Emeril; see Good Morning America online for recipes), another pumpkin cream pie (made with pumpkin-flavored pudding, cool whip and graham cracker crust), two buttermilk pies served with raspberry topping (these were a really big hit! see past post for recipe), we bought a frozen mincemeat pie specifically for grandma's consumption, and I made this Coconut Crunch dessert (see recipe below, courtesy of Erin's mom).

I need to tell one quick story about the Coconut Crunch: The first time that my family met Erin's family was out in Utah prior to our wedding. Erin's parents invited us to their home and served us a delicious dessert--Coconut Crunch. We all loved it, especially my mom. I still tease Erin about it because pie is her favorite dessert (and I think this is true of her family as well), and I like to point out that even when serving a dessert that is not technically pie, they still served a very pie-like dessert. So the debate continues...I say Coconut Crunch counts as a pie, Erin says it doesn't. Try this delicious recipe and tell us what you think!

• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/4 cups, flaked coconut
• 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 3.4 oz pkg Instant vanilla pudding mix
• 3.4 oz pkg Instant coconut pudding mix
• 2 2/3 cup cold milk
• 2 cups whipped topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the first 5 ingredients; press lightly into a lightly greased 13 x 9" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min or until golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes to form coarse crumbs and prevent burning the edges. Cool.
Press crumb mixture into the same baking pan for crust, reserving about 3/4 cups for topping.
In a mixing bowl, beat pudding mixes and milk together till they thicken. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon over crust. Top with remaining crumb mixture.
Keep Refrigerated.

Zucchini Bread

As it has moved into autumn, we have been looking for more recipes that use squash. I found this recipe on FoodNetwork.com (courtesy of Paula Deen). This is a sweet bread that is good for any occasion: appetizer, snack, breakfast or dessert (but it has zucchini in it so it's healthy, right?). So far I have made it twice and it has been a hit with those who try it. Erin shared it with some friends from dental school and they have been asking for the recipe, so here it is...

• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 cups finely grated zucchini
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
• Cinnamon sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two standard loaf pans.

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix dry ingredients into wet. Fold in nuts. Divide into the two greased loaf pans. Sprinkle the top generously with cinnamon sugar (certainly not necessary, but certainly recommended). Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Flan

Flan is a baked egg custard with caramel in the bottom. It turned out of its baking dish and served upside down. According to the classic cookbook "Joy of Cooking" (from which this recipe was taken), "flan is the preeminent dessert of Spain and Latin America. It is also a favorite in France, where it is known as crème caramel." Interestingly, I first encountered flan when I was living in Japan. Like most desserts that you find in Japan (and in contrast to most American desserts), flan is more subtly sweet (not in-your-face sugar, sugar, sugar). I appreciated the subtle sweetness of desserts in Japan and was excited to find this recipe. Please don't be intimidated by the length of these instructions. It turned out to be much easier to make than I would have guessed--and just as delicious as I remembered!

Preheat oven to 325°F. Have ready eight 6-ounce custard cups or ramekins (I used four 7-ounce and two 16-ounce ramekins because that is what our corningware set contains) or a 2- to 2½-quart soufflé dish.

Flan, like other custards, should be cooked in a water bath to allow equal distribution of heat. To do this: Find one or two larger pans (like casserole dishes or 9x13 in. baking pans) that will hold the dishes you are using for the flan. Place a dish towel or several layer of paper towels in the bottom of the pan (this helps protect the bottom of the custard dish from direct heat). Partially fill the pan with water, such that when the custard dishes are placed in the pan the water comes 1/2 to 2/3 of the way up the custard dishes.

To prepare caramel in the dishes, combine the following in a small heavy saucepan:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water

Cook over medium heat without stirring, very gently swirling the pan, until the sugar is dissolved. Do not allow the mixture to boil until after sugar is dissolved, so slide the pan on and off the burner as necessary. Once sugar is dissolved increase the heat to high and bring the syrup to a rolling boil; cover the pan tightly and boil for 2 minutes. Uncover the pan and cook until the syrup begins to caramelize, or darken. Gently stir once again and cook until the caramel syrup turns a deep amber (or light brown or golden) color.

Quickly pour the caramel syrup into the dishes. Immediately tilt the dishes to spread the caramel over the bottom and halfway up the sides. It is important to do this quickly for two reasons: 1) the caramel will continue to cook and quickly turn darker and darker while it is still in the pan, so you want to get it out of the pan and into the dishes before it gets too dark; 2) the caramel will harden quickly as it cools, so you want to spread it around in the dish before it becomes too hard. So if there is someone available to help you, I recommend having one person quickly pour the caramel into the dishes and a second person tilt the dishes to spread the caramel.

To prepare the custard, whisk (or use handmixer on low speed) the following in a large bowl until blended:

• 4 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks (or 5 large eggs)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Heat the following in a medium saucepan over medium heat until just steaming:

• 3 cups whole milk (if you normally just buy skim milk like me, you can use 3/4 cups half-and-half, 2 1/4 cups skim milk)

Remove from heat and gradually whisk (or beat on low speed) the milk into the egg mixture and stir gently until the sugar is dissolved. It is important to do this gradually; if you pour too much hot milk in at once, it can cause the egg to cook and leave some lumps in the custard. I didn't find the following step necessary, but for extra smooth custard: Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl or measure with a pouring lip.

Stir in the following:

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Pour into the caramel-lined dishes. Place the dishes into the prepared pans containing the water, being careful not to allow water to splash into the custard. Bake in 325°F oven in water bath for 40-60 minutes for individual cups, 60-90 minutes for a single dish, or until firmly set in the center. To test for doneness, gently shake dish; custard is done if the center appears quivery, like firm gelatin. Alternatively, insert a knife near the edge of the dish; if the blade comes out clean, the custard is ready to be removed. There is enough heat stored in the dishes that the custard will continue to set as it cools.

Remove from oven and cool on a rack; then cover each dish tightly with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving.

To unmold and serve, dip the cups or dish briefly in hot water, loosen the edges of the flan with a knife, and invert onto plates. Enjoy!

Lemon Cake

I'm not sure why, but I've always been intrigued by lemon cakes. So I'd been wanting to make one for awhile. I decided to try it as my brother's 18th birthday cake. The reciped is from Cake Love by Warren Brown. He calls it the "Light and Lemony Cake." It uses both fresh lemon zest and segmented lemons and it achieves a very nice lemon flavor, but not too strong. My brother loves raspberries and so I made the Italian buttercream frosting and flavored about half of it with vanilla extract and the other half with raspberry puree (see recipes on this blog). It was every bit as tasty as it looks!

Dry Ingredients

• 8 ½ ounces (1 ½ cups + 3 T.) flour (high altitude: 9 ounces; 1 ¾ cups + 1 T.)
• 2 T. potato starch
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. baking soda

Liquid Ingredients

• 2 lemons
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup heavy cream (high altitude: ¼ cup + 2 tsp.)
• ¼ cup whole milk (high altitude: ¼ cup + 2 tsp.)
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ tsp. lemon extract (optional)

Creaming Ingredients

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 16 ounces (2 cups) extra-fine granulated sugar (high altitude: 15 ounces; 1 ¾ cups + 2 T.)
• 2 T. turbinado sugar (or dark brown sugar)
• 1 T. lemon zest
• 4 eggs, room temperature (high altitude: 5 eggs)
• 1 egg yolk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (335 for convection oven). Set the rack in the middle of the oven.

Zest lemons and then segment the zested lemons. Lemon zest is the very outside portion of the peel (not the white part). It is filled with the lemony flavor. There are citrus zesters you can buy, but I found that a vegetable peeler works very well. Use the peeler to lightly peel the exterior portion of the lemon peel (be careful not to get the bitter white part)--it helps to wiggle the peeler back and forth slightly as you are doing it. Then use a knife to chop up the peeled portion into pieces as tiny as possible. Segmenting lemons involves cutting all the white away from the lemon and then cutting out wedges containing only the meat of the fruit. If you are unsure, an internet search will yield directions (and even video) on how to do these things.

Measure the dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. Measure the liquid ingredients into a separate bowl and whisk to combine. Don't try to break up the lemon segments—the mixer will take care of that.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (using the paddle attachment), cream together the butter, cream cheese, sugars, and lemon zest on lowest speed until it starts sticking to the sides of the bowl. (This is a very important step. Be sure to do it on the lowest setting. It takes about 5 minutes for this step.)

With mixer still on lowest speed, add the eggs one at a time followed by the yolk. Allow to fully incorporate after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape sides of bowl.

With mixer still on low speed, add the dry ingredients and liquid ingredients alternating, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. This should take about 60 seconds in total (3 to 5 steps of alternating adding). Don't wait for the ingredients to be fully incorporated before adding the next.

Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl. Mix on medium speed for 15 to 20 seconds.

Prepare the pans. For 9-inch-round cakes, grease and flour only the bottom of the pans; do not spray the sides. For cupcakes, grease or use cupcake liners (also lightly spray the top of the cupcake pan to help release any overflowing crowns). For Bundt pan spray generously with nonstick spray. Deposit batter equally into each 9-inch round and smooth with spatula (for cupcakes, fill cups ~2/3 full; for Bundt cake fill to ~3/4 full). Bake 9-inch rounds for 30 minutes (high altitude: 35 minutes); Bundt cake 45-50 minutes (high altitude: 50 minutes); cupcakes for 22 minutes (high altitude: 32 minutes). Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into center of cake. Cake is done when there are just a touch of crumbs clinging to the toothpick. The cakes edges may pull away from the pan. Allow to cool to room temperature, 25-30 minutes, before carefully removing from pan. For Bundt cake, allow to cool 5-10 minutes before removing from pan. May be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 5 days prior to frosting (not necessary, but if you are cutting it into a four-layer cake it will be much easier to work with when cold).

Banana Cake

I made this cake at the request of Erin. It is from Cake Love by Warren Brown and he calls it "Mr. Banana Legs." It reminds me of banana bread, but sweeter. It is a unique and tasty cake. As the pictures above show, I served it with powdered sugar. I could also see it being good as cupcakes or a round layer cake served with frosting.

Dry Ingredients

• 10 ounces (2 cups) flour (high altitude: 10 ¾ ounces; 2 cups + 2 T. + 2 tsp.)
• 1 T. potato starch
• 1 T. turbinado sugar
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. baking soda (high altitude: no baking soda)
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Liquid Ingredients

• 6 ounces very ripe peeled bananas (~1-2 bananas)
• ¾ cup half-and-half (high altitude: ¾ cup + 2 T.)
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Creaming Ingredients

• ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 21 ounces (2 ¾ cups) extra-fine granulated sugar (high altitude: 19 ½ ounces; 2 ¼ cups + 3 T.)
• 4 eggs, room temperature (high altitude: 5 eggs)
• 3 egg yolks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (335 for convection oven). Set the rack in the middle of the oven.

Measure the dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. Measure the liquid ingredients and combine in a food processor or blender for ~30 seconds. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (using the paddle attachment), cream together the butter and sugar on lowest speed until it starts sticking to the sides of the bowl. (This is a very important step. Be sure to do it on the lowest setting. It takes about 5 minutes for this step.)

With mixer still on lowest speed, add the eggs one at a time followed by the yolk. Allow to fully incorporate after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape sides of bowl.

With mixer still on low speed, add the dry ingredients and liquid ingredients alternating, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. This should take about 60 seconds in total (3 to 5 steps of alternating adding). Don't wait for the ingredients to be fully incorporated before adding the next.

Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl. Mix on medium speed for 15 to 20 seconds.

Prepare the pans. For 9-inch-round cakes, grease and flour only the bottom of the pans; do not spray the sides. For cupcakes, grease or use cupcake liners (also lightly spray the top of the cupcake pan to help release any overflowing crowns). For Bundt pan spray generously with nonstick spray. Deposit batter equally into each 9-inch round and smooth with spatula (for cupcakes, fill cups ~2/3 full; for Bundt cake fill to ~3/4 full). Bake 9-inch rounds for 26-28 minutes (high altitude: 42 minutes); Bundt cake 45 minutes (high altitude: 55 minutes); cupcakes for 22 minutes (high altitude: 32 minutes). Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into center of cake. Cake is done when there are just a touch of crumbs clinging to the toothpick. The cakes edges may pull away from the pan. Allow to cool to room temperature, 25-30 minutes, before carefully removing from pan. For Bundt cake, allow to cool 5-10 minutes before removing from pan. May be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 5 days prior to frosting (not necessary, but if you are cutting it into a four-layer cake it will be much easier to work with when cold).

Chocolate Pound Cake

Deliciously chocolate pound cake from Cake Love by Warren Brown. This was a big hit with all the family members who tried it. Delicious on it's own or served with ice cream. To dress it up a bit, consider sifting powdered sugar on top.

Dry Ingredients

• 10 ounces (2 cups) flour (high altitude: 11 ounces; 2 ¼ cups + 2 T.)
• 2 ounces (1/2 cup + 2 tsp.) unsweetened cocoa powder (high altitude: 2 ¼ ounces; ½ cup + 3 T.)
• 2 T. turbinado sugar (or dark brown sugar)
• 1 tsp. potato starch
• ¾ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. baking soda

Liquid Ingredients

• ½ cup (4 ounces) sour cream
• ¾ cup + 1 T. whole milk (high altitude: ¾ cup + 3 T.)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Creaming Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 24 ounces (3 cups) extra-fine granulated sugar (high altitude: 21 ounces; 2 ¾ cups + 2 tsp.)
• 4 eggs, room temperature (high altitude: 5 eggs)
• 3 egg yolks, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (335 for convection oven). Set the rack in the middle of the oven.

Measure the dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. Measure the liquid ingredients into a separate bowl and whisk to combine.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (using the paddle attachment), cream together the butter and sugar on lowest speed until it starts sticking to the sides of the bowl. (This is a very important step. Be sure to do it on the lowest setting. It takes about 5 minutes for this step.)

With mixer still on lowest speed, add the eggs one at a time followed by the yolk. Allow to fully incorporate after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape sides of bowl.

With mixer still on low speed, add the dry ingredients and liquid ingredients alternating, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. This should take about 60 seconds in total (3 to 5 steps of alternating adding). Don't wait for the ingredients to be fully incorporated before adding the next.

Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl. Mix on medium speed for 15 to 20 seconds.

Prepare the pans. This recipe can be made into cupcakes or baked in a Bundt pan. Spray very well with nonstick cooking spray. Fill Bundt pan about ¾ full. Level the batter with spatula. (Cupcake cups should also be filled about ¾ full). Bake Bundt for 50-55 minutes (high altitude: 60 minutes); cupcakes for 15 minutes (high altitude: 32 minutes). Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into center of cake. Cake is done when there are just a touch of crumbs clinging to the toothpick. Allow to cool until you can hold the pan in your bare hands (5-10 minutes) and then remove cake and allow to fully cool.

Chocolate Butter Cake

This is another delicious cake recipe from Cake Love by Warren Brown. It makes a delicious chocolate cake--that you can spruce up with the frosting of your choice. So far I have tried it with the Coconut Buttercream and the Pecan Crunch Buttercream. The picture above was taken as I was assembling the cake with Pecan Crunch Buttercream.

Dry Ingredients:

• 7 ounces (1 ¼ cups + 2 T.) flour (high altitude: 7 ¼ ounces; 1 ¼ cups + 3 T.)
• 2 ounces (1/2 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder (high altitude: 2 1/8 ounces; ½ cup + 1 T. + ½ tsp.)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 ½ tsp. baking powder (high altitude: 1 tsp.)

Liquid Ingredients:

• 1 cup half-and-half (high altitude: 1 cup + 2 ½ T.)
• 1 T. vanilla extract

Creaming Ingredients:

• ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 14 ounces (1 ¾ cups) extra-fine granulated sugar (high altitude: 13 ounces; 1 ½ cups + 2 T.)
• 4 eggs, room temperature (high altitude: 5 eggs)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (335 for convection oven). Set the rack in the middle of the oven.

Measure the dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. Measure the liquid ingredients into a separate bowl and whisk to combine.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (using the paddle attachment), cream together the butter and sugar on lowest speed until it starts sticking to the sides of the bowl. (This is a very important step. Be sure to do it on the lowest setting. It takes about 5 minutes for this step.) If using a vanilla bean, scrape out seeds and add to the creaming butter and sugar.

With mixer still on lowest speed, add the eggs one at a time followed by the yolk. Allow to fully incorporate after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape sides of bowl.

With mixer still on low speed, add the dry ingredients and liquid ingredients alternating, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. This should take about 60 seconds in total (3 to 5 steps of alternating adding). Don't wait for the ingredients to be fully incorporated before adding the next.

Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl. Mix on medium speed for 15 to 20 seconds.

Prepare the pans. For 9-inch-round cakes, grease and flour only the bottom of the pans; do not spray the sides. For cupcakes, grease or use cupcake liners (also lightly spray the top of the cupcake pan to help release any overflowing crowns). Deposit batter equally into each 9-inch round and smooth with spatula (for cupcakes, fill cups ~2/3 full). Bake 9-inch rounds for 28 minutes (high altitude: 35 minutes); cupcakes for 22 minutes (high altitude: 20 minutes). Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into center of cake. Cake is done when there are just a touch of crumbs clinging to the toothpick. The cakes edges may pull away from the pan. Allow to cool to room temperature, 25-30 minutes, before carefully removing from pan. May be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 5 days prior to frosting (not necessary, but if you are cutting it into a four-layer cake it will be much easier to work with when cold).

Coconut Buttercream

I used this Coconut Buttercream with the Chocolate Butter Cake recipe to make a German chocolate cake for my dad's birthday. I put Chocolate Pastry Cream between two of the center layers of the cake. All recipe's are from Cake Love by Warren Brown.

Milk Mixture:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 3 ounces (1/2 cup) unsweetened coconut flakes
• 7 ounces (3/4 cup + 2 T.) extra-fine granulated sugar

Yolk Mixture:

• 6 egg yolks
• 2 ounces (1/4 cup) extra-fine granulated sugar
• 3 T. potato starch
• ¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

Flavorings and Butter:

• 3 ounces (1/4 cup) muscavado or dark brown sugar, packed
• ½ tsp. imitation coconut flavor (to taste)
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled

Separate the yolks into a large bowl. Add the 2 ounces of sugar and the potato starch and whisk to combine. Add the 2 ounces of butter, but do not stir in. Set aside.

Measure the milk mixture ingredients into a 2-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn off the heat and let the mixture steep for 10 minutes.

Return the milk mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Once it reaches a simmer, slowly pour it into the yolk mixture, whisking slowly in small circles at first and ending with broader strokes until fully combined (it may be helpful to put a damp towel underneath the bowl or to have someone hold it to prevent it from sliding while you stir). Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.

Return the saucepan to the stove and heat over medium heat, whisking constantly but not rapidly, for about 4 minutes (high altitude: 3 minutes). The key is to keep the pastry cream moving so it won't scorch on the bottom of the saucepan. When you begin to see lava bubbles—large, slowly forming bubble that burp steam—reduce the heat to the lowest setting and whisk briskly for 1 minute to pasteurize the pastry cream.

Pour the pastry cream into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the wire ship attachment. Add the muscovado, coconut flavor, and vanilla extract. Whip the pastry cream on high speed until it's cooled to room temperature, about 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Whip on medium speed until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Note: This frosting is called BUTTERcream for a reason—it has lots of butter. The butter makes it thicker, but you can get away with adding less butter. I recommend experimenting with it to see what you like best, as far as consistency and flavor. I think you could get away with adding 3 sticks of butter instead of 4 (maybe even less).

Chocolate Pastry Cream

This recipe is from Cake Love by Warren Brown. It is very sweet, but very good. If you feel the need/desire to add chocolaty sweetness to a cake, this will do it! I used a layer of this in making german chocolate cake (Chocolate Butter Cake with Coconut Buttercream).

Milk Mixture:

• 2 cups whole milk

Yolk Mixture:

• 3 eggs
• 7 egg yolks
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients:

• 24 ounces (3 cups) extra-fine granulated sugar
• 2 ounces (1/2 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup potato starch
• 2 T. flour

Butter:

• 8 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled

Separate the eggs and yolks into a large bowl. Add the vanilla extract and whisk to combine; set aside. Mix the dry ingredients into a separate bowl, whisk to combine, and set aside.

Measure the milk into a 2-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat but keep the saucepan on the stove. Meanwhile, combine the yolk mixture and the dry ingredients.

Return the milk mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Once it reaches a simmer, slowly pour it into the yolk mixture, whisking slowly in small circles at first and ending with broader strokes until fully combined (it may be helpful to put a damp towel underneath the bowl or to have someone hold it to prevent it from sliding while you stir). Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.

Return the saucepan to the stove and heat over medium heat, whisking constantly but not rapidly, for about 4 minutes (high altitude: 3 minutes). The key is to keep the pastry cream moving so it won't scorch on the bottom of the saucepan. When you begin to see lava bubbles—large, slowly forming bubble that burp steam—reduce the heat to the lowest setting and whisk briskly for 1 minute to pasteurize the pastry cream.

Pour the pastry cream into a mixing bowl. Whisk in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Cover with plastic pressed against the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Immediately refrigerate for at least 3 hours before using.

Pecan Crunch Buttercream

I made this cake for my grandma's birthday. It is the Chocolate Butter Cake topped with Pecan Crunch Buttercream. Both recipes are from Cake Love by Warren Brown. People seemed to really love this buttercream. It's natural flavor and color comes from real pecans.

Milk Mixture:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 3 ounces (1 cup) unsalted pecan halves
• 7 ounces (3/4 cup + 2 T.) extra-fine granulated sugar

Yolk Mixture:

• 6 egg yolks
• 2 ounces (1/4 cup) extra-fine granulated sugar
• 3 T. potato starch
• ¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

Flavorings and Butter:

• 3 ounces (1/4 cup) muscavado or dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 T. honey
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled

2 ounces (1/4 cup) extra-fine granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Separate the yolks into a large bowl. Add the 2 ounces of sugar and the potato starch and whisk to combine. Add the 2 ounces of butter, but do not stir in. Set aside.

Measure the milk mixture ingredients into a 2-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn off the heat and let the pecans steep for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, strain the pecans and capture the flavored milk in a large bowl. Set pecans aside.

Return the milk mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Once it reaches a simmer, slowly pour it into the yolk mixture, whisking slowly in small circles at first and ending with broader strokes until fully combined (it may be helpful to put a damp towel underneath the bowl or to have someone hold it to prevent it from sliding while you stir). Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.

Return the saucepan to the stove and heat over medium heat, whisking constantly but not rapidly, for about 4 minutes (high altitude: 3 minutes). The key is to keep the pastry cream moving so it won't scorch on the bottom of the saucepan. When you begin to see lava bubbles—large, slowly forming bubble that burp steam—reduce the heat to the lowest setting and whisk briskly for 1 minute to pasteurize the pastry cream.

Pour the pastry cream into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the wire ship attachment. Add the muscovado, honey, and vanilla extract. Whip the pastry cream on high speed until it's cooled to room temperature, about 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Whip on medium speed until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss the drained pecans with ¼ cup sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Place on an ungreased cooking sheet. Toast for 5 to 10 minutes (high altitude: about 15 minutes). Be careful not to burn.

Let the pecans (pralines) cool completely; then break into chunks. Add them to the buttercream and mix on low speed until the nuts are fully incorporated. (You can also save some of pralines to decorate the top of the cake.)

Note: This frosting is called BUTTERcream for a reason—it has lots of butter. The butter makes it thicker, but you can get away with adding less butter. I recommend experimenting with it to see what you like best, as far as consistency and flavor. I think you could get away with adding 3 sticks of butter instead of 4 (maybe even less).

Vanilla Pound Cake

The two main varieties of cakes described in Cake Love by Warren Brown are pound cakes and butter cakes. This is the basic pound cake recipe. It can be eaten alone or served with ice cream, whipped cream, fruit (e.g. strawberry shortcake), etc. It is pictured above served with raspberry puree and whipped cream.

Dry Ingredients:

• 13 ½ ounces (2 ½ cups + 3 T.) flour (high altitude: 14 ½ ounces; 2 ¾ cups + 2 T.)
• 1 T. potato starch
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. baking soda

Liquid Ingredients:

• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 2 T. heavy cream (high altitude: 2 T. + 1 tsp.)
• 7 T. whole milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Optional: 2 T. finely grated lemon peel ("lemon zest"). If you like a hint of lemon flavor, this is delicious. If you want a completely vanilla pound cake, leave this out.

Creaming Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 24 ounces (3 cups) extra-fine granulated sugar (high altitude: 21 ounces; 2 ½ cups + 2 T.)
• 5 eggs, room temperature (high altitude: 6 eggs)
• 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 vanilla bean (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (335 for convection oven). Set the rack in the middle of the oven.

Measure the dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. Measure the liquid ingredients into a separate bowl and whisk to combine.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (using the paddle attachment), cream together the butter and sugar on lowest speed until it starts sticking to the sides of the bowl. (This is a very important step. Be sure to do it on the lowest setting. It takes about 5 minutes for this step.) If using a vanilla bean, scrape out seeds and add to the creaming butter and sugar.

With mixer still on lowest speed, add the eggs one at a time followed by the yolk. Allow to fully incorporate after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape sides of bowl.

With mixer still on low speed, add the dry ingredients and liquid ingredients alternating, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. This should take about 60 seconds in total (3 to 5 steps of alternating adding). Don't wait for the ingredients to be fully incorporated before adding the next.

Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl. Mix on medium speed for 15 to 20 seconds.

Prepare the pans. This can be made into cupcakes or baked in a Bundt pan. Spray very well with nonstick cooking spray. Fill Bundt pan about ¾ full. Level the batter with spatula. (Cupcake cups should also be filled about ¾ full). Bake Bundt for 50-55 minutes (high altitude: 70 minutes); cupcakes for 15 minutes (high altitude: 30 minutes). Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into center of cake. Cake is done when there are just a touch of crumbs clinging to the toothpick. Allow to cool until you can hold the pan in your bare hands (5-10 minutes) and then remove cake and allow to fully cool.

Raspberry Puree

This is a very simple recipe for making a raspberry puree that can be used to flavor (and add color to) the base Italian Meringue Buttercream. It can also be used as a topping itself (e.g. cake, ice cream, waffles, etc.) or any other way that you can dream up. It is from Cake Love by Warren Brown.

• 12 to 16 ounces frozen raspberries, thawed
• 4 ounces (1/2 cup) sugar

Thaw a package of frozen raspberries in the bag (do not strain the juice). Combine the raspberries and their juice with the sugar in a 2-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Gently bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and promptly remove from heat. Carefully strain through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl. Try to capture all of the raspberry seeds in the strainer. Transfer the puree to an airtight container. Store in refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Italian Meringue Buttercream

If you want a cake that tastes like it came from a professional, this frosting is a great place to start! It is much easier to make than I had originally thought. The recipe here is the "base" recipe, that can then easily be flavored in a variety of ways (I list some of them below). The cake above is my 4th of July Cake. I made a batch of the base and flavored half with vanilla and half with raspberry.

• 5 egg whites
• 10 ounces (1 ¼ cup) extra-fine granulated sugar, divided
• ¼ cup cold water
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter

Separate the egg whites into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the wire whip attachment. Measure 1 cup sugar and the water into a 1-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Gently stir to combine. Measure the remaining ¼ cup sugar into a small bowl and set aside. Cut the butter into tablespoon-sized pieces and set aside in a medium bowl.

Make the sugar syrup by heating the 1 cup of sugar and the water in the saucepan over medium-high heat. Partially cover with a lid to capture the evaporating water—this helps to moisten the sides of the saucepan to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Use candy thermometer to monitor temperature.

As syrup is heating, begin whipping the egg whites to stiff peaks. When the peaks are stiff, you have a meringue. Keep the mixer running and pour the ¼ cup of sugar into the meringue.

Raise the heat under the sugar syrup to bring the syrup to 245°F, if it is not there already. When the syrup is at 245°F, remove the thermometer and slowly pour the syrup into the meringue (while the mixer is still running on high speed). After 1 to 2 minutes reduce the mixer speed to medium for 3 to 4 more minutes, or until the meringue is cooled. Add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Increase the mixer speed to high for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the butter is fully incorporated.

Note: This frosting is called BUTTERcream for a reason—it has lots of butter. The butter makes it thicker, but you can get away with adding less butter. I recommend experimenting with it to see what you like best, as far as consistency and flavor. I think you could get away with adding 3 sticks of butter instead of 4 (maybe even less).

The following flavorings can be added to the base recipe for Italian Meringue Buttercream:

Vanilla: 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Chocolate: ½ cup melted bittersweet chocolate
Raspberry: ¼ to ½ cup raspberry puree (see separate recipe)
Lemon: 2 T. limoncello
Orange: 1 tsp. orange oil
Lime: 1 tsp. lime oil

Yellow Butter Cake

This is the first cake I made using the recipes from Cake Love by Warren Brown. We were having a 4th of July dinner at my grandma's house and I volunteered to bring a dessert. I wanted to be a bit creative and go with the patriotic theme. I made the Yellow Butter Cake and frosted it with Italian Meringue Buttercream (both vanilla and raspberry flavored). The cake was decorated with some raspberry puree and blueberries that Erin and I hand-picked at a farm earlier that morning.

Dry Ingredients:

• 7 ounces (1 ¼ cups + 2 T.) flour (high altitude: 7 ¼ ounces; 1 ¼ cups + 3 T.)
• 2 ounces potato starch
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 ½ tsp. baking powder (high altitude: 1 tsp.)

Liquid Ingredients:

• 1 cup half-and-half (high altitude: 1 cup + 2 ½ T.)
• 1 T. vanilla extract

Creaming Ingredients:

• ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 14 ounces (1 ¾ cups) extra-fine granulated sugar (high altitude: 13 ounces; 1 ½ cups + 2 T.)
• 4 eggs, room temperature (high altitude: 5 eggs)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (335 for convection oven). Set the rack in the middle of the oven.

Measure the dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. Measure the liquid ingredients into a separate bowl and whisk to combine.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (using the paddle attachment), cream together the butter and sugar on lowest speed until it starts sticking to the sides of the bowl. (This is a very important step. Be sure to do it on the lowest setting. It takes about 5 minutes for this step.) If using a vanilla bean, scrape out seeds and add to the creaming butter and sugar.

With mixer still on lowest speed, add the eggs one at a time followed by the yolk. Allow to fully incorporate after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape sides of bowl.

With mixer still on low speed, add the dry ingredients and liquid ingredients alternating, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. This should take about 60 seconds in total (3 to 5 steps of alternating adding). Don't wait for the ingredients to be fully incorporated before adding the next.

Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl. Mix on medium speed for 15 to 20 seconds.

Prepare the pans. For 9-inch-round cakes, grease and flour only the bottom of the pans; do not spray the sides. For cupcakes, grease or use cupcake liners (also lightly spray the top of the cupcake pan to help release any overflowing crowns). Deposit batter equally into each 9-inch round and smooth with spatula (for cupcakes, fill cups ~2/3 full). Bake 9-inch rounds for 28 minutes (high altitude: 35 minutes); cupcakes for 22 minutes (high altitude: 20 minutes). Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into center of cake. Cake is done when there are just a touch of crumbs clinging to the toothpick. The cakes edges may pull away from the pan. Allow to cool to room temperature, 25-30 minutes, before carefully removing from pan. May be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 5 days prior to frosting (not necessary, but if you are cutting it into a four-layer cake it will be much easier to work with when cold).

Some more pictures, because I'm really proud of this cake:

Cake Love

Picture from Amazon.com

I recently got in a cake-baking mood. I think it came with my discovery of the book "Cake Love: How to Bake Cakes from Scratch" by Warren Brown. He is the founder of the Cake Love bakeries which are located in the Washington, DC area. Over the past month or so I have read the book and tested several of the recipes. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning to bake cakes. The book is full of great step-by-step instructions and photographs.

I will not post all of the recipes in this book on my blog. That would take way too long and I'm sure would violate some sort of copyright rules. Also, I only post recipes on this blog that I have actually made myself. It will take quite awhile before I have tested all of the great recipes in this book. I have tried a few of them so far and they were delicious. I'll post the ones that I've tried. Again, if you are excited about cake baking I highly recommend this book—you can find it at bookstores or on Amazon.com (or maybe even at your local library). There are lots of intriguing recipes in the book that I look forward to making in the future. The book contains many pointers, pictures and step-by-step advice that I can't include here.

Please also note that the recipes I record in this blog are adapted by me. There are some ingredients that I haven't been able to find or that I don't feel like I can afford (like vanilla powder, maple crystals, etc.). I have left them out and made some adaptations, but if you want the "real" Cake Love professional recipes, I encourage you to refer to the book. (The cakes I've made have tasted great, but I'm sure using vanilla beans—which are out of my price range for everyday use—and some of the other ingredients would make it all the better!)

My favorite thing about the book is Warren's attitude about baking. He points out that your cake doesn't need to look like a masterpiece for people to love it. He encourages creativity and experimentation. Have fun with it!

I'll conclude this post by giving some basic pointers and tips that Warren emphasizes in his book:

Basic pointers:

• Measure ingredients (especially flour) with a scale.
• Use a sifter (crank sifter recommended) for flour.
• A good stand mixer (e.g. KitchenAid) is recommended.
  Set out all the ingredients and have them ready. If you do this, the actual cake baking part goes quite quickly.
• Cakes are most easy to frost when they have been refrigerated. I've been making cakes the night before, wrapping them in plastic wrap and storing in the refrigerator, and then frosting and eating the next day. We've even noticed that some of these cakes taste better the second or third day. They keep nicely for about 1 week in the refrigerator.
• Cake flour is not recommended. Warren uses unbleached all-purpose flour. I've been using bleached all-purpose flour.
• Potato starch is used in many of the recipes to decrease the amount of flour but maintain the structure of the cake. Warren calls it his "secret ingredient."
• All recipes from this book call for unsalted butter.
• Extra-fine (or superfine) granulated sugar is strongly recommended because it pulls air into the cake batter better than normal granulated sugar. Warren says that well-made cake batter can be thought of as "ingredients floating around a lot of air." Extra-fine sugar makes for a lighter, better textured cake.
• All recipes in this book call for large eggs.
• Some of the recipes call for whole milk. We usually only have skim milk on-hand. If you have half-and-half, you can use it to turn skim milk into whole milk by adding 1 part half-and-half to 3 parts skim milk (e.g. ¼ cup half-and-half + ¾ cup skim milk = 1 cup whole milk).
  

Coconut Pecan Yams

We first had this dish when the Edwards' family brought it to a church potluck. I've never been big on yams (I usually just take a little bit at Thanksgiving to be polite), but I absolutely loved these! As I said to Erin, "How can you ever go wrong when there's butter, brown sugar, coconut, and pecans?" Warning: If you follow this recipe exactly you will notice that it asks you to add a cup of sugar to the yams. It is VERY sweet. I think sweet potatoes are sweet enough on their own (hence the name) and so I would recommend leaving out the cup of sugar (unless, of course you are in a very sweet mood or would like to serve this as a dessert).

• 3 cups cooked, mashed yams
• 1 cup sugar (optional)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine the above ingredients, mix well and spoon into a lightly greased 2-qt. rectangular baking dish.

Topping:

• 1 cup coconut flakes
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Combine the Topping ingredients and sprinkle over yams. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Scotcheroos

I always love it when these are on the dessert table at potluck meals, but it wasn't until a couple of years ago that I made them for myself. They are super easy to make and everyone seems to love them. There are lots of recipes floating around for these, but the one I am posting here is directly from the Nestle website (so I guess that means you should use Nestle brand chips when you make them!). By the way, Erin always calls these "Snickeroos" and I like to tease her about it. (Maybe I'll have to try putting Snickers in them sometime!)

• 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 6 cups toasted rice cereal
• 1 2/3 cups (11 oz. package) butterscotch chips
• 1 cup (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Coat 13x9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine peanut butter, sugar and corn syrup in large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Remove from heat. Add cereal; stir until thoroughly coated. Press onto bottom of prepared baking pan.

Microwave butterscotch and chocolate chips in large, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on 50% power for 1 minute; stir. If necessary microwave longer, stirring every 15-30 seconds until just smooth. Spread over cereal mixture.

Allow to cool until topping is firm (may refrigerate to speed things up). Cut into bars and enjoy!

Mexicorn Grits

Erin and I found this recipe in the Taste of Home magazine and, because of our love for Iowa corn, Erin's love of Mexican food my love of grits, decided that we had to try it. It was quick to make and we were very happy with the outcome. (Note: This recipe calls for Mexicorn which, I think is the Green Giant brand. A different brand we found calls it "Corn'n Peppers." It is basically just canned corn with some diced sweet bell peppers mixed in.)

• 4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup and 1/3 cup butter, divided
• 1 cup quick-cooking grits
• 2 eggs
• 1 can (11 oz. or 15 oz., depending on brand--either will be fine) Mexicorn, drained
• 1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies
• 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Mexican cheese blend (or just plain cheddar is good too)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. white pepper (black works fine too)
• Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, bring milk and 1/2 cup butter to a boil. Slowly stir in grits. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 5-7 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs. Stir a small amount of hot grits into eggs; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Melt remaining 1/3 cup butter; stir into grits. Add the corn, chilies, cheese, salt and pepper.

Transfer to a greased 2- or 2 1/2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Yield: 10 servings.

Pretzels

Due to the flooding in Iowa, the dental school was closed this past week and Erin used her extra time to try making homemade pretzels. I was very impressed and thought I'd post this unique recipe. Making these would be a fun family/group activity. Note that this recipe is from a bread machine cookbook (Better Homes and Gardens) and so the dough was made in our bread machine.


Place the following ingredients in your bread machine and select the Dough cycle. Those listed are for 1 1/2 lbs. (those in parenthesis are for 2 lbs.):

• 1 cup (1 1/3 cup) milk
• 2 T. (3 T.) water
• 1 T. (4 tsp.) cooking oil
• 3 cups (4 cups) bread flour
• 2 T. (3 T.) sugar
• 3/4 tsp. (1 tsp.) salt
• 1 1/4 tsp. (1 1/2 tsp.) active dry yeast

When dough cycle is complete, remove dough. Punch down. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Grease 2 large baking sheets; set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the 1 1/2 lb. dough into a 12 x 8" rectangle. Cut lengthwise into sixteen 12 x 1/2" strips. (Roll 2 lb. dough into a 12 x 11" rectangle; cut lengthwise into twenty-two 12 x 1/2" strips.) Gently roll the strips into 16" ropes.

Shape each pretzel by crossing 1 end of a rope over the other to form a circle, overlapping about 4 inches from each end. Take 1 end of dough in each hand and twist once at the point where the dough overlaps. Carefully lift each end across to the edge of the circle opposite it. Tuck ends under edges to make a pretzel shape; moisten ends and press to seal. Place on the prepared baking sheets. Do not let rise.

Bake in a 475 degree oven for 4 minutes. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, generously grease another 2 large baking sheets; set aside. In a large pot bring ~8 cups of water + 2 T. salt to boiling. Add pretzels, 3 or 4 at a time, and boil gently for 2 minutes, turning once. Using a slotted spoon, remove pretzels from water and drain on paper towels. Let stand for a few seconds. Place pretzels, about 1/2" apart, on the prepared baking sheets.

In a small bowl combine 1 slightly beaten egg white and 1 T. of water; brush over pretzels. Sprinkle with coarse (kosher) salt and/or sesame seeds. (Note: I recommend making a few with cinnamon sugar.)

Bake in the 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheets; cool on wire racks.

Triple Chocolate Torte

I've been in a cake mood lately and was excited to try this recipe that Erin got from her parents. Erin made it mostly on her own (while I helped with some mixing and, of course, sampled the batter and frosting at various times just to make sure it wasn't poisoned). We took it to a dinner party at my parents' house. Served with Breyer's vanilla ice cream, it was a hit.

• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 cup sugar, divided
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk (or sour milk)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9" round baking pans. In a small bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. In a large mixer bowl, stir together remaining 1 cup of sugar. Flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt. Add oil, buttermilk, and egg yolks and beat until smooth. Gently fold egg whites into batter. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 25-30 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched in the center. Cool for 5 minutes. Remove from pans and place on wire racks. Cool completely.

Filling:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1 1/2 cup cold whipping cream
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a small mixing bowl, combine sugar and cocoa. Add whipping cream and vanilla. Beat on low until blended, then beat on medium until stiff. Once made, keep the filling chilled.

With long serrated knife, cut each cake layer horizontally in half (to make a total of 4 layers). Spread one layer with 1/3 of the filling. Top with second layer of cake and repeat, ending with a plain layer of cake on top. Prepare chocolate glaze.

Glaze:

• 3 T. butter or margarine
• 3 T. light corn syrup
• 1 T. water
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a small saucepan, combine butter, corn syrup, and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips, stirring until melted. Cool to room temperature.

Spread glaze over cake and be as creative as you like with additional decorating (Erin and I drizzled with white chocolate). As the base of the filling is whipped cream, it is best to keep refrigerated when not serving.

BYU Mint Brownies

As a student at BYU, I was a big fan of the mint brownies that were served in the dorm cafeteria and that could be purchased at the Cougareat Food Court. I was excited to find this recipe in BYU Magazine.

• 1 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 2 T. honey
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 T. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Mint Icing:

• 5 T. margarine
• dash of salt
• 3 T. milk
• 1 T. light corn syrup
• 2 1/3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. mint extract
• green food coloring (several drops)

Chocolate Glaze:

• 6 T. butter
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Make brownies: Melt margarine and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool.
2. Prepare mint icing: Soften margarine. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring (until it is a nice green color). Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.
3. Spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen icing.
4. Prepare chocolate glaze: Microwave butter and chocolate chips together at 50% power until just melted, stirring occasionally. Add vanilla and stir.
5. Remove mint-covered brownies from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate glaze.

Toasted Butter Pecan Cake

Erin made this cake last night. It is another recipe from Taste of Home magazine. If you don't like pecans, you definitely won't like this cake. But, in my opinion, any recipe with lots of butter, sugar, and pecans must be a winner!

This recipe calls for a total of 2 2/3 cups of chopped pecans. As you can see from the picture, it is loaded with them. I think you could easily get away with using quite a bit fewer and still have it be delicious (maybe 1 to 1 1/2 cups in the cake and then a few pecans sprinkled on top for appearance). Also, this recipe makes a ton of frosting. Either frost it extremely generously, or expect to have quite a bit of frosting left over.

• 1 1/4 cups butter, softened, divided
• 2 cups chopped pecans, toasted
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup milk

Frosting:

• 2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 package (2 lbs.) powder sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 to 3 T. milk
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted

In a small heavy skillet, melt 1/4 cup butter. Add pecans; cook over medium heat until toasted, about 4 minutes. Spread on foil to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, cream sugar and remaining butter. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Beat just until combined. Fold in pecans. Pour into three greased 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

For frosting, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, powder sugar and vanilla. Beat in enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with pecans. Store in refrigerator.

Sweet 'n' Tender Cabbage Rolls

Picture from Taste of Home magazine

Erin and I found this recipe in Taste of Home magazine. We made it together and it is one of my new favorite meals! Basically, they are meatballs wrapped and cooked in cabbage and a delicious sauce. The hardest part about making them is wrapping them in the cabbage leaves, but it is also kind of fun. It is cooked in a crockpot and so it works perfectly if you prepare them the night before and cook them the next day. If I were feeding a family, I would probably make two batches. For just the two of us, Erin and I made one batch but only cooked half of them. We froze the other half and cooked and ate them several weeks later. They froze well and tasted great even the second time around!

By the way, the reason I say the mushrooms are optional is because I don't like mushrooms. I don't think that I'm a picky eater, but after nearly three decades of trying things and trying them again, there are a couple of foods that I am confident that I don't like (e.g. mushrooms & olives).

• 1 large head cabbage


• 2 eggs, beaten


• 1/2 cup milk


• 2 cups cooked long grain rice


• 2 jars (4 1/2 oz. each) sliced mushrooms, well drained (OPTIONAL)


• 1 small onion, chopped


• 2 tsp. salt


• 1 tsp. dried parsley flakes


• 1 tsp. dried oregano


• 1 tsp. dried basil


• 1/2 tsp. pepper


• 2 lbs. lean ground beef

Sauce:

• 2 cans (8 oz. each) tomato sauce


• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar


• 2 T. lemon juice


• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Cook cabbage in boiling water just until leaves fall off head. Set aside 14 large leaves for rolls. (Refrigerate remaining cabbage for another use.) Cut out the thick vein from the bottom of each reserved leaf, making the V-shaped cut.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, rice, mushrooms, onion and seasonings. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Place about 1/2 cup on each cabbage leaf, overlap cut ends and fold in sides, beginning from the cut end. Roll up completely to enclose filling.

Place seven rolls, seam side down, in a 5-qt. slower cooker. Combine the sauce ingredients, pour half over cabbage rolls. Top with remaining rolls and sauce. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.

Pecan Pie

Pecan Pie is probably my favorite kind of pie. For a long time I have been wanting to learn to make a good, traditional pecan pie. Well, I discovered that they are much simpler to make than I ever expected. This recipe is from Joy of Cooking.

You may use either light or dark brown sugar and either light or dark corn syrup, depending on your taste. I used light brown sugar and half light and half dark corn syrup. The recipe also calls for 2 cups of pecans, but 1 1/2 cups was plenty. Pecan halves look more traditional, but I used the more finely chopped pecan pieces. I think they make the pie easier to cut into slices and, as you can see from the above picture, still make a very nice-looking pie.

Erin and I usually use the refrigerated pie crusts that you unroll and put in the pie pan. We pre-baked the crust for 10 minutes at 375 degrees with tin foil over it, but the pre-bake may not be necessary.

• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup corn syrup
• 5 T. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups pecans

Thoroughly whisk all ingredients except pecans together in a large bowl until well blended. Stir in the pecans and then pour into the pie crust. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the edges are firm and the center seems set but quivery, like gelatin. Rotate 180 degrees halfway through baking. If the crust starts becoming too brown before the pie is ready, wrap tin foil around crust to prevent it from burning.

Remove from oven, allow to cool on a wire rack, and enjoy!

Butterscotch Pecan Pie

This is another very good pecan pie recipe. I found it in the book "Pie" by Ken Haedrich. If you like butterscotch flavor and feel like adding a little excitement to your traditional pecan pie, I highly recommend this one. This recipe also calls for 2 cups of pecans, but 1 1/2 cups is just fine.

• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (light brown works fine too)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup butterscotch chips
• Generous pinch of salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups coarsely choppped pecans

Prepare the pie crust, partially pre-baking for 10 minutes as in the recipe above. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Gently warm the corn syrup, brown sugar, and butter together in a medium-size saucepan until the butter melts. Turn off the heat and add the butterscotch chips. Scatter them around rather than dumping them in one spot. Set the pan aside for 5 minutes, shaking it once or twice to move hot liquid over the chips. After 5 minutes, add the salt and whisk to smooth. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.

In a medium-size bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk together just until frothy. Whisk in the vanilla. Whisk a little less than half of the hot liquid and whisk until smooth. Add the pecans and stir well. Turn the filling into the cooled pie shell. Using a fork, gently rake the filling to distribute the pecans evenly.

Place the pie on the center oven rack and bake until the perimeter of the filling has puffed up and perhaps cracked slightly, 40-45 minutes. Rotate the pie 180 degrees halfway through the baking. When done, the center may wobble a little, but it shouldn't seem soupy.

Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool.

Pulled Pork Barbecue with Hot Pepper Vinegar Sauce

I love barbecue! I found this recipe for pulled pork in Weber's Big Book of Grilling. I cooked it in the crockpot because it's not barbecue weather here in Iowa yet. It's extremely easy to make and tastes great! This recipe, when served with the Hot Pepper Vinegar sauce, is considered "Carolina-style barbecue." Carolina-style barbecue uses a vinegar-based barbecue sauce, as opposed to the tomato-based sauces most commonly used elsewhere. Erin prefers the vinegar-based Carolina-style. To me, it's not true "barbecue" if there isn't smothered in a thick, tomato-based sauce, but I also like the kick that the Carolina-style adds. So, when making my sandwhich, I usually try to get the best of both worlds and put them both on!

The best meat to use for pulled pork is a pork shoulder roast (interestingly, it is also sometimes called a "Boston butt.") A 4-5 lb. roast serves about 10 people.

The Rub:

• 1 T. paprika
• 1 T. firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne

1 boneless pork shoulder roast ("Boston butt"), 4-5 lbs.

The Hot Pepper Vinegar Sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
• 2 T. sugar
• 1 tsp. tabasco sauce
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• kosher salt (to taste)
• freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Hamburger buns or other rolls.

I usually start the night before by making the rub (mix all the rub ingredients together) and rubbing it all over the pork roast (although it would be just fine to do this about 30 minutes prior to cooking). Put the roast into a crockpot and begin cooking on low ~6-8 hours before you want to eat.

There is no need to put water or anything else in with the roast, but I like to put about 1/2 a cup of the vinegar sauce in with it to add a little more flavor. As it cooks, you will notice that fat and it's own nature juices make a sauce that the meat cooks in.

To make the vinegar sauce, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

When the meat is done (~6-8 hours on low setting; doneness can be verified when a meat thermometer inserted into the roast reads at least 185-190 degrees), it is time to pull the pork! I usually remove the meat and place on a pan or cutting board. I scrape off as fat as I can, and then I use a fork and my hand to shred the pork. It comes apart very easily and I think it is fun to do! I put the shredded meat back into the pot so that it can soak up the juices and oils that came out during cooking, but it would be fine to dump out the juices and serve the meet more dry.

Serve the meet on the rolls and top with the vinegar sauce and/or other favorite barbecue sauces.

Individual Molten Chocolate Cakes

Erin has been craving this type of chocolate "lava" cake for the past week or so. In fact, when we were walking along the Chicago river this week she claimed to detect the scent of chocolate in the air (I could actually smell it too--maybe there was chocolate in there). This recipe is from the Ghirardelli website and they fulfilled Erin's craving! The recipe makes 4 individual-sized cakes. The baking bar in the recipe is the Ghirardelli brand. However, we found that using semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 1/3 of a bag) works just fine.

• 4 ounces 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar
• 8 T. unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 2 whole eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 T. cake flour

Melt butter and chocolate in double boiler (or at 50% power in the microwave, stirring occasionally). Whip eggs, yolks, sugar, and vanilla with a mixer for about 10 minutes on high speed (it gets very fluffy). Fold melted chocolate and butter into the egg mixture. Fold in flour just until combined. Butter and sugar four 6-ounce ramekins, then spoon mixture into ramekins. Bake at 450 degrees for about 9-10 minutes. The center will be quite soft, but the top and sides will be set. Let sit out of the oven for about 5 minutes, then unmold onto a plate. Serve with a few raspberries and a dallop of whipped cream or ice cream.

Buttermilk Pie

Here's another buttermilk recipe! I couldn't end my streak of buttermilk recipes without including a pie recipe (in honor of my pie-loving wife). This is another recipe from Nan. It turns out as sort of a custard-like pie. The flavor is subtle and it lends itself well to any topping that you may be in the mood for. It is good with just some whip cream or vanilla ice cream, or you could go with some chocolate, or fruit (I made a rasberry sauce to go over it and thought it was excellent). I found that the recipe here is enough to fill 2 of the pre-made frozen pie crusts that you can buy at the store.

• 7 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 3 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup melted butter (or margarine)
• 2 (9 in.) unbaked pie shells

Beat eggs and buttermilk together. Mix flour, sugar, and salt together; add to egg and buttermilk mixture. Blend in vanilla and butter. Mix well. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 325 degrees for at least 1 hour (I have found about 80 minutes to be right for me) until center is set.

Buttermilk Syrup

This is a delicious syrup recipe that my mother-in-law shared with me. We had it at their home on Christmas morning served with German pancakes (though I think it goes great with any kind of pancake, french toast, waffle, etc.). I have also found that it stores well in the refrigerator and still tastes great when re-heated in the microwave. For those of you who have been to Magleby's Fresh restaurant in Utah, it reminds me of the buttermilk syrup that is served there.

• 1 cube of butter
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. light corn syrup

Place the preceding ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute and then remove from heat and add:

• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Syrup will foam up when the baking soda is added. Stir until it is mixed thoroughly. Serve immediately or syrup will lose its foamy consistency.

Buttermilk Pancakes

This recipe was given to Erin and I as part of a wedding gift from the Stevens family. We tried it and think it's very tasty. (We found that it also makes tasty waffles.)

• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 3 T. oil
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 T. sugar

Beat egg, buttermilk and oil in a bowl. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Combine wet and dry ingredients for 30 seconds. The batter will look lumpy. Do not overmix. Let it sit for 5 minutes. The batter should rise and look yeasty. Be careful ladling the batter (Preserve that matrix!).

Cook batter on a hot skillet.

Tahitian Coconut Bread

This recipe reminds me of Hawaii. In the Tahitian village at the Polynesian Cultural Center they bake this bread and give samples to the visitors. They also pass out the recipe. They divide the dough into about 5 parts, wrap it in aluminum foil and bake it. I have found that all of the dough fits nicely into a bread loaf pan, and makes for a nice loaf of this deliciously simple bread. I use my bread machine to make the dough for me and then put it into a greased loaf pan. Note that it is a not a yeast bread and, therefore, doesn't require kneading or rising.

• 2 cups grated coconut
• 4 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water

1. Combine cocounut, sugar and water.
2. Blend flour and baking powder together.
3. Mix all ingredients to a doughy texture, adding a little flour as needed so it's not too sticky.
4. Place in greased bread loaf pan (or divide into 5 parts and wrap in aluminum foil).
5. Bake in 350 degree oven for 60 to 90 minutes, until light brown on top and cooked in the center (a knife or toothpick stuck into the center comes out clean, not doughy).

Roll Recipe (for bread machine)

This recipe is from my parents-in-law. Whenever I've been at their home I'm always impressed with the delicious food they prepare. During this past winter break--I think it was New Year's Eve--my mother-in-law served these rolls with dinner and I thought they were the tastiest I have ever had. She was kind enough to send me the recipe.

I also should say a word about bread machines. My parents-in-law gave me a bread maker for my birthday last month. Erin and I have been using it constantly--the only problem is that there's not enough of us to keep up on all of the bread eating! One of the coolest things about it is that you can put it on the "dough" setting. It will make the dough for you, and then you can use the dough for whatever you want: dinner rolls, breadsticks, cinnamon rolls, pani popo, etc.

• 12 oz. Water, 75-85 degrees
• 4 1/2 T. Butter
• 4 1/2 cup Flour
• 5 T. Sugar
• 3 T. Dry Milk
• 1 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 3 tsp. Yeast

Put all ingredients into bread maker in order listed. Use the "dough" setting. When dough is finished, squeeze into rolls and bake on greased baking sheet at 350 (if you put them into the oven before pre-heating it, they will have some time to rise as it is pre-heating). Baking time: Approx. 15-20 min or until golden brown. Makes ~20 rolls.

Praline Squares

This is a recipe from my mom. It is a good-tasting, simple dessert that I remember looking forward to the times when my mom would make it.

• 1/4 cup shortening (melted)
• 1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (sifted)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In mixing bowl, blend sugar with melted shortening; allow to cool. Stir in egg. Mix dry ingredients and add to the shortening mixture. Stir in vanilla and pecans. Spread in 8x8-inch greased and floured pan (or you can double the recipe and use a 9x13-inch pan). Bake for 25 minues, until light touch with finger leaves slight imprint. Don't overbake! Cut into squares while still warm.

Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Fudge Brownies

I found this recipe in the BYU Magazine. It was contributed by Erin Renouf Mylroie. I made it for a potluck dessert party and was very pleased with the results. If you like chocolate, you'll love these!

• 3/4 cup butter
• 4 oz. good quality unsweetened chocolate (I use Baker's in the orange box)
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 T. vanilla
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups flour, plus 2 T. flour, divided
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 T. powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large microwaveable bowl, combine butter and chocolate. Melt butter and chocolate in microwave at 50% power in 1-minute intervals, stirring in between. Do not let mixture sizzle. When mixture is completely melted and smooth, immediately stir in sugar; continue stirring until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla and buttermilk. Add 1 1/2 cups flour.
3. Toss chocolate chips with remaining 2 tablespoons flour in a small bowl; add to batter.
4. Pour into greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish and bake for 28 to 33 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center has just a few fudgy crumbs. Let cool for 30 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar.