Strawberry Pie. Shortbread Crust: Lightly butter, or spray with a vegetable spray, an 8 or 9 inch (20-23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom. In your food processor, place the flour, sugar, and salt and process to combine. Add the cold butter and pulse until the pastry starts to come together and form clumps. Transfer the pastry to the prepared pan and, using your fingertips, evenly press the pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. (Can use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface of the pastry.) Gently pierce the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork. (This will prevent the pastry crust from puffing up while it bakes.) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Place the tart pan on a larger baking sheet and bake the crust until golden brown, about 13 - 15 minutes. Filling: Thaw the frozen unsweetened raspberries and then transfer to a fine mesh strainer placed over a large bowl. Meanwhile, cut the strawberries into bite-sized chunks.
Serves 8. Perfect Buttercream. You know the scene – you’re at a party, and it’s time for the cake to be served. The cake sure looks beautiful, but the frosting … well, you never can tell with frosting. On the cake it all kind of looks the same. The flavor is a mystery. Will it send you running for your toothbrush with its sweetness? Or even worse, will it taste like a dollop of butter?
Both can ruin a good cake and cause people to doubt the skills of the cake baker. Last week I was roped into asked to coordinate last-minute baby shower for one of our temps whose last day was Friday. Megan’s Perfect Buttercream makes enough to fill and frost a 9-inch two-layer cake 2 sticks (8 ounces total) butter, softened 6 cups sifted powdered sugar 4 tablespoons milk (I use whole) 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon almond extract Dump everything into a large bowl (preferably stand mixer bowl with whisk attachment). Chocolate Wafers. People, I am so excited about this recipe, it’s pretty much all I can talk about this week. I mentioned it to a broker who showed us another dud of an apartment (more about that if/when we make it out alive). I mentioned it to a friend who doesn’t eat sweets (and we’re still friends!
Really, it’s more for everyone else.). And I tried to explain it to another friend who has probably never baked in her life, who politely nodded, smiled and scooted out of the room. As you can see, I can be incredibly boring when I get excited about cooking. I have been wanting to come up with a completely home-baked, from scratch and all-natural chocolate wafers for years.
So you can imagine my ecstatic excitement discovering that I had a chocolate wafer recipe in front of me the whole time. That isn’t to say that a chocolate wafer is only good for icebox cakes — perish the thought! One year ago: Chicken with Almonds and Green OlivesTwo years ago: Risotto al Barolo + Green Crostini Icebox Cupcakes. Lemon Bars. Lemon Bars: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, an 8 x 8 inch (20 x 20 cm) pan. Shortbread Crust: In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until creamy and smooth. Add the flour and salt and beat until the dough just starts to come together. Press onto the bottom of your prepared pan and bake for about 18 - 20 minutes, or just until lightly brown around the edges. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling. Lemon Filling: In your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the sugar and eggs until nice and smooth.
To serve: Cut into squares and dust with powdered sugar. Yield: 16 - 2 inch (5 cm) bars View comments on this recipe on YouTube. Strawberry Cream w/ Raspberry Jelly. Strawberry Cream: Place the thawed strawberries, sugar, and buttermilk in your food processor and process until very smooth. (Taste and add more sugar, if necessary.) Transfer this mixture to a medium sized saucepan and bring just to a boil, stirring constantly. Meanwhile, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/2 cup (120 ml) of cold water. Let this mixture sit for 5 - 10 minutes. Then stir the softened gelatin into the heated strawberry cream and continue stirring until the gelatin particles have completely dissolved. Let the cream cool slightly and then pour into 6 - 8 wine glasses, custard cups, or ramekins.
Raspberry Jelly: Place the frozen raspberries and sugar in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Meanwhile, in a small bowl soften the gelatin in 1/4 cup (60 ml) of cold water. Makes 6 - 8 individual servings. References: Alexander, Stephanie. Gold, Rozanne. Grigson, Jane. Mini Oreo Cakes. Mini Chocolate and Oreo Cakes ~ This is the kind of cake that you won’t be ashamed to beg for. Beneath the chocolate pour and Oreo rich mousse like frosting is a rich chocolate cake as classic as Chanel No. 5. Mini Chocolate Oreo Cake I know perfume and food hardly go together. In fact they really don’t for me.
I don’t wear any fragrances and everything I buy is unscented. I’m highly sensitive to smell and will go as far to ask for another table or move to another seat in a movie theatre to get away from it. So when I made this cake for my girlfriend’s birthday, she loved it and said the chocolate cake was as classic in taste as Chanel No. 5 is to perfumes. What I can vouch for is pairing a classic childhood cookie with a good ol’ fashion classic cake is always a winner where ever and to whomever it’s serves to. For those of you who are fork ready, here you go. . . . . A few notes: The frosting can be made 7 days in advance and kept refrigerated. Mini Chocolate Oreo Cakes Chocolate Cake 1. Pumpkin Cheesecake. Pumpkin Cheesecake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter, or spray with a non stick spray, an 8 inch (20 cm) spring form pan.
Crust: In a medium sized bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, crushed ginger cookies, sugar, and melted butter. Press the mixture evenly onto the bottom of the prepared spring form pan. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. Pumpkin Cheesecake: In a separate bowl, stir to combine the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), on low speed, beat the cream cheese until smooth (about 2 minutes). Pour the filling over the crust and place the spring form pan on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Meanwhile whisk together the sour cream, vanilla extract and sugar. Serves 10-12 people. View comments on this recipe on YouTube References: Crownover, Mary. Desaulniers, Marcel. Rombauer, Irma S., Becker, Marion Rombauer, and Becker, Ethan. French Apple Tart. Sweet Pastry Crust: Place the butter in your mixer and beat until softened. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
Gradually add the egg, beating just until incorporated. (Don't over mix or the butter will separate and lighten in color.) Add flour and salt and mix just until it forms a ball. (Don't overwork or pastry will be hard when baked.) Flatten dough into disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate about one hour or until firm. Have ready an 8 - 9 inch (20 - 23 cm) tart pan with removable bottom. When the pastry is the desired size, lightly roll pastry around your rolling pin, dusting off any excess flour as you roll. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. For Apple Tart: For bottom layer of apples: Peel, core, and slice three of the apples.
For top layer of apples: Peel, core, and cut the apples into slices 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) thick. Spoon the applesauce mixture into the cooled pre-baked tart shell. Adapted From: Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies.