6 posts tagged “dessert”
My holiday season baking hasn't really begun yet, but last night I got a craving for something swwet and spicy. Gingerbread is the perfect cake for the holidays, sweet, moist, fragrant and easy to make. Gingerbread is excellent served warm with vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream, butterscotch sauce would also probably taste great.
2 1/3 cups flour
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup dark molasses
3/4 cup hot water
1 egg
1 tsp cinammon
1 tsp groung ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Pre-heat over to 325ºF. Grease and flour a 9x9 inch cake pan. Beat all ingredients in mixer until smooth and creamy. Pour into pan. Bake at 325º for 50-55 minutes until top is light and springy and a toothpick comes out clean.
This recipe comes from the same cookbook as the lemon squares I posted a month ago and it's the perfect recipe for this time of year. I made these today in honor of my neighbor's pumpkin carving party, but they're great for every occasion. I should also note that this recipe can easily be made vegan as it only require one egg. I usually use Ener-G Egg Replacer, as long as it's well mixed it usually works fairly well it most baking recipes.
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 to 2-1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
about 1/3 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC) In a large bowl combine oil and sugar. Add egg, beating well. Stir in molasses, 2 cups flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger. If necessary add a little more flour to make a firm dough. Shape dough into 1-1/4 inch balls by hand and roll in 1/3 cup sugar (I usually use coarse raw sugar crystals for a better presentation.) Place 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden brown and tops crack. Remove immediately and cool on wire racks. Makes about 45 2-1/2 inch cookies.
In addition to the sweet potato gnocchi I made last night, I also tried out a new cake recipe, this one from the sometimes fabulous, sometimes questionable cookbook How It All Vegan. My mom has a different recipe which I plan on trying out some other time just to compare, but this one turned out to be pretty excellent. Sinfully chocolatey and nice and gooey, the perfect way to finish a good meal.
1 cup flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup soy/rice milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups boiling water
Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, cocoa, and salt. Add the sugar, margarine, milk, and vanilla and mix gently until just mixed. Spread in a lightly oiled 9"x9" cake pan and set aside.
In a medium bowl mix together the 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa powder. Sprinkle evenly on top of the cake mixture. Then carefully pour the boiling water over the top. Do NOT Mix. Bake for 40 minutes. To serve scoop out portions and serve warm with ice cream.
Way back in the sixties my mom saved up points and got herself a free Betty Crocker cookbook. Her copy is well worn and contains recipes not found in the new Betty Crocker cookbook they put out now. I suppose when I move I will have to try to ebay myself a copy of the old school book because I'd hate to loose so many classic recipes.
Pie is a staple in my family. I know lots of people are afraid of making pie (or at least their own pie crust) but I've grown up on homemade pie and have been completely spoiled for anything but pie from scratch. So in an effort to encourage others to make their own pie crusts I have begun shopping myself out as a pie crust instructor, so if you know me, and you want to learn how to make pie, holla.
10 inch one crust pie (note: I use this recipe for all of my pies, even the 9 inch ones)
1-1/3 cups flour1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
3 to 4 tablespoons of cold water
10 inch two crust pie
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
7 to 8 tablespoons of cold water
Measure flour and salt into a bowl. Cut in shortening thoroughly. Sprinke in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until all flour is moistened and dough almost cleans sides of bowl (note: extra water may be needed, add one teaspoon at a time until little dry flour remains in bowl. Gather dough into ball (for two crust pie, separate dough into two equal halves) wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
Some notes on rolling out your crust: roll out your chilled dough on a throoughly floured surface (preferably a pastry cloth) using a floured rolling pin. Don't be afraid to use some force in rolling out your dough but be sure to maintain an even thickness, rolling out the thicker areas more than the thinner ones. You want your crust to form a rough circle and you may need to re-flour both your pastry cloth and rolling pin during this process. Keep a cup of cold water handy in case your dough tears. In case of tears, you can use the water as a paste and patch the tear together again (dab both edges with water from your fingertip and smooth sides together.)Once your dough is large enough fold gently into quarters and ease into ready pie pan. Unfold, center in pie plate, and fill with whatever filling you like. If you are using a two crust recipe, follow the same process for rolling out the top crust and place gently on top of your pre-filled pie. Fold both edges of the pie over and inwards and pinch with fingers to form a traditional edge. Cover with strips of tinfoil and bake according to recipe.
Many of my recipes are old favorites passed down from my mother's side of the family, but some are slightly newer. This recipe, for example, comes from a 1983 cookbook simply entitled, "Cookies." The book is now falling apart from use and two of my very favorite recipes in the book face each other on pages 82 and 83. The first one I'll share is one I made just recently when I was hit with a sudden craving for lemon bars. The recipe requires chilling for at least 4 hours though, and my sudden craving was sadly delayed until the morning after my baking adventure. My coworkers reaped the benefits of this when I brought two plates of lemon squares in to the office that day.
One thing to note about this recipe is the ease; lemon squares always seemed so delicate to me, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover how easy to make this recipe is, especially when considering how impressive your accomplishment will seem to everyone you share them with.
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup butter or margarine
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 thoroughly squeezed lemon)
powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar and flour. Using a fork or pastry blender, cut in butter or margarine until mixture is crumbly and size of small peas. Press mixture evenly in bottom of ungreased 9x13" baking pan. Bake 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon peel, and lemon juice until fluffy. Pour over hot crust. Bake 20 to 25 minutes longer until no imprint remains when touched lightly in center. Cool in pan. While hot, sift powdered sugar over top. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight before cutting. (This is an important step!)
This is, by far, the moistest chocolate cake recipe I've ever found. It's perfect unfrosted on its own, but I sometimes dust the cake with powdered sugar for a slightly more finished look. One thing you may notice about this recipe is that it is vegan and that it only requires one dish: the pan you bake it in. Fastest cleanup ever!
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly in 9x13 inch cake pan. Make 3 holes in dry mixture and pour wet ingredients into these holes:
1/2 cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Then pour 2 cups of cold water over the entire pan and mix with whisk or fork until batter is smooth. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until top of cake is springy to the touch or a toothpick comes out clean.
