Carrot Cakes

Carrot Cake:

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

4 large eggs

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

4 cups grated carrot

1 cup walnuts

Beat sugar, oil, and eggs until blended.

Sift together flour, soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.

Mix flour mixture into egg mixture. Stir in carrot and walnuts. Bake at 350 for around 30 mins.

I baked mine in small ring molds but it can be made in 9" round pans and layered.

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 1/2 lbs cream cheese, room temp

1 cup powdered sugar (you can add more if you want a sweeter frosting)

2 cups heavy cream

1 tsp cinnamon

1 vanilla bean, seeded

Beat together cheese, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla bean seeds. Beat in cream and beat until fluffy.

Pineapple Raisin Compote:

1 pineapple diced

1 cup raisins

1 cups brown sugar

Mix all ingredients together.

Cheesecake Parfait

Graham Crunch:
3 lbs graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 oz butter

Mix crumbs and brown sugar. Cut in butter. Bake at 350 for 10 mins. Mix around then bake about 10 more mins. Let cool.

Cheesecake Mousse:
1 1/2 lb cream cheese, room temp
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 vanilla bean, seeded
2 pints heavy cream

Beat together cheese, sugar, and vanilla bean seeds until smooth. Add heavy cream and beat until fluffy. Spoon into pastry bag.

Blackberry Glaze:
3 lbs blackberries
4 cups water
1 lb sugar
slurry (cornstarch mixed with water)

Set aside 1 lb of the berries. Add 2 lbs of the blackberries, water, and sugar to a saucepot. Cook at a simmer for about 20 mins. Add enough of the slurry (the amount depends on how much juice the berries have) to slightly thicken the juices. Strain. Let liquid cool. Then add in the 1 lb of berries and toss.

Layer crunch, mousse, and glaze in a parfait glass.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Parfaits

So I haven't posted in awhile...yea sorry about that. Wish I had some great reason but I don't. Mainly been lazy and haven't had my passion for food. Was just having one of my "I'm bored with it" moments.

Chocolate Cake:

1 3/4 cups Flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 cup brewed coffee (cooled)

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

Prepare 3 - 9in round pans. Preheat over to 350.

Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Combine eggs, coffe, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.

Pour about 3/4 of the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well. Add remaining liquid and mix well. *If you add all the liquid at once the batter tends to get lumpy. Bake around 30 mins or until tester comes out clean. Cool cakes. Break cake into small crumbs.

Peanut Butter Mousse:

1 jar peanut butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 cups heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla

Mix peanut butter and powdered sugar together in a stand mixer. Add cream and vanilla beat on low speed until just mixed. Turn speed to high and beat until fluffy. Spoon into pastry bag.

Chocolate Ganache:

1 1/2 lbs dark chocolate

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup light corn syrup

Heat cream until almost a simmer. Add chocolate and mix until chocolate has melted. Mix in syrup.

Layer mousse, cake crumbs, and ganache in a parfait glass.

Apple Cake

Shown in photo with apple cranberry compote, granola, and cinnamon ice cream. These are also great with caramel sauce.

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp salt

1 cup oil

2 eggs

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups peeled and chopped apples

1 cup walnuts

Mix together sugar, eggs, cinnamon, salt, oil, buttermilk, nutmeg, and vanilla. Add apples and let sit 20 mins. Sift together flour and baking soda. Mix flour into apple mixture. Addwalnuts. Bake at 350 F for about 25 mins or until cake tester comes out clean.

Gingerbread Biscotti

Another logo :-) Read about this one at Food Blogga. Many many many Christmas cookies.

Gingerbread Biscotti:

10 oz all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

2 tsp ginger

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp baking soda

4 oz chopped pecans

1/4 cup molasses

2 large eggs

Preheat over to 350 F.

Combine flour, sugar, ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and baking soda. Mix in pecans. Mix together eggs and molasses and mix into flour mixture. Mix until mixture comes together.

Divide dough into two equal pieces. Shape into logs and bake on parchment lined sheet pan for 30 -35 mins. Cool 10 mins. Then cut on diagonal with serrated knife. Place back onto sheet pan and bake 10 - 20 mins longer (depending on if you want chewy or crunchy biscotti).

I dipped mine in white chocolate.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Ice Cream

Read all about the logo and what it means Here

8 oz egg yolks

15 oz brown sugar

2 pt milk

1 pt heavy cream

pinch salt

2 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

Combine milk and cream in a heavy bottomed saucepot. Scrape seeds out of vanilla bean. Add seeds and pod to cream mixture. Heat over medium heat until just barely at a simmer. Mix yolks, salt, cinnamon and sugar. Add around a cup of the hot cream to the yolk mixture and mix well. Add yolk mix to the hot cream. Continue to cook until mixture has thickened slightly. Remove from heat. Strain mix in a very fine strainer. Chill mix. Turn in ice cream freezer.

Shown in photo with caramel sauce and gingerbread biscotti.

Oops

Ever wonder what happens when you turn a mixer full of flour on high speed?

Yeah....fun stuff fun stuff

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie With Caramel Ice Cream

New toys..which I used to make my little pies.

Tart Shells:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1 egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

Cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla and egg yolk. Mix together flour and cocoa powder. Mix together butter and flour mixtures. Chill for 1 hour. Roll out and line tart pan. Bake weighted at 350 F for about 10mins. Tart shells should be slightly underbaked.

While shells are still warm spread a single layer of chocolate chips in the bottom of each one. Then a single layer of pecans. I don't toast my pecans when i make pecan pies but you can if you would like.

Filling:

8 oz dark brown sugar

2 oz melted butter

1/4 tsp salt

8 oz large eggs

14 oz dark corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla

Mix together sugar, butter, salt, vanilla and corn syrup. Mix in eggs. Bake at 350 F for about 15 - 20 mins.

I served it slighty warm with caramel ice cream, chocolate sauce and caramel sauce.

Caramel Ice Cream

Ice cream mix:
8 oz egg yolks
4 oz sugar
2 pt milk
1 pt heavy cream
pinch salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup carmal (see below)
Combine milk and cream in a heavy bottomed saucepot. Heat over medium heat until just barely at a simmer. Mix yolks, salt, sugar and caramel. Add around a cup of the hot cream to the yolk mixture and mix well. Add yolk mix to the hot cream. Continue to cook until mixture has thickened slightly. Remove from heat. Strain mix in a very fine strainer. Chill. Turn mix in ice cream freezer.

Caramel :
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream

Bring water and sugar to a boil. Cook until mixture has turned an medium amber color. Add cream. Continue to cook until caramel has melted.

Potato and Cheese Soup

4 slices smoked bacon, chopped

1 leek, (white parts only), chopped

1/2 cup diced onion

1 carrot, chopped

1 clove garic, minced

1/2 cup flour

6 cups chicken stock

3 lbs potatoes, cubed

1 lb grated cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup heavy cream

Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan. Add leeks, onion, carrots, and garlic. Cook 5 mins. Stir in flour. Add chicken broth. Add potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until potatoes are tender about 15 mins. Slowly sprinkle in cheese. Stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper.