Desserts

Carrot Cake with Roasted Pineapple

March 26, 2016

It seems to me that one of the best ways to celebrate Easter is a carrot cake – this is because I love to eat them and look for any excuse to do so. Here you have not just any ordinary carrot cake – it is my mother’s, otherwise known as Neeners. I think it’s the best carrot cake I’ve ever eaten. Don’t tell her that – I’ll never hear the end of it. She has had this recipe since time began, and so I had to attempt to decipher it from her well worn, hand written copy. This was not easy. So I had to call her…”Neeners, your recipe says ‘one half of a medium sized can of pineapple’. What is a medium sized can? Is it the size of, oh, let’s say a can of chili beans you would buy at the store?” …..silence…. And then “Go for it. I don’t think it’s possible to kill this cake”. Lucky, it worked. And if you know me well enough by now, you will also know that it is impossible for me to leave a recipe alone – I have to fiddle with it. In this case, I left the cake alone, but added some caramelized fresh pineapple to top things off. This whole business is super easy to make, so how about you take a walk with me and we get this thing done?

You’ll want to grate about 2 cups of carrots, and haul a can of crushed pineapple in juice out of your pantry. While you’re in there, grab some walnuts – you’ll want to rough chop one cup. If you are not a nut person, just omit them from the recipe. I generally can take them or leave them, but think they add a needed crunch to this recipe. Your call, however.

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Baked French Toast Stuffed with Roasted Pears

September 27, 2015

There’s something about that first brisk nip in the air that shouts to my appetite that fall is on the way. And when that happens I think about baking. And when that happens I think about cinnamon, fall fruits, and caramel – not necessarily in that order. Put them together and you get a Baked, Stuffed French Toast filled with Roasted Pears and topped with a Salted Caramel Sauce. (That in and of itself is quite a mouthful. I will have to put more work into the title of this recipe for fear of boring you to tears before you even read it) My friend Ann-Marie is coming to visit for a few days next week. She is a tiny little thing, but has an appetite like a lumberjack. This should do the trick. Come along with me and we’ll make a batch together. First we’ll wash up some Bartlett Pears. These guys are just ripe, but feel free to use pears that are a little under-ripe and firm if you want.

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Raspberry Swirl Vanilla Pound Cake

July 2, 2015

Hello everyone! This posting was supposed to be published before the 4th of July. I was going for a kind of ‘fireworks’ effect in the Poundcake. Umm…I guess it worked in one way, since my first attempt exploded and ran all over the oven, then sunk in on itself. This, upon reflection, was due to the fact that I did not read my recipe with glasses on, so left an entire cup of flour out. Note to self: This is not a good strategy. However, despite the fact that it was awful to look at, it tasted pretty good. I baked a second cake, which is why this article is behind schedule. The second attempt worked better.

While cake #1 was baking, I started writing this posting. I got a big laugh out of the first paragraph when I came back to finish writing after the second cake was done. I’ve kept it because I think that it’s important to remember that if a little voice inside your head whispers that something is amiss, it usually is. Little did I know….

“I cannot lie to you about this because I feel that we are friends. I am sweating bullets right now. Why? Well, this Raspberry Swirl idea was just an idea, and one that I had never tried. Sure, I had baked this Pound Cake for years, but the swirl thing? Not really. Not ever. What could be the harm? What could possibly go wrong? At this moment, the timer on the cake will go off in ten minutes, and then we will both know. I was going for a beautiful, bright red fireworks kind of swirl in the cake, so that is our goal. I am praying it does not turn out a big old pink mess. Or that it will overflow all over the place due to the added jelly. But then again, who cares? Any of the above can be fixed, and I do enjoy living on the edge when it comes to cooking and baking, so there you have it. We will play the cards we are dealt. Until the timer goes off and the cake is cool enough to slice, I’ll just fill you in on all the steps that got us to this point:”

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Red, White, and Blueberry Cheesecake

June 26, 2015

Happy almost 4th of July! We usually entertain a crowd for this particular holiday, and it is almost always blistering hot outside. Keeping that in mind, I went in search for a do-ahead dessert that was relatively quick, easy, and cold that could also feed a small army. And here you have it. To be fair, this is a translation of a dessert that Neeners used to make when we were kids. We have unofficially named it ‘Blueberry Surprise’ since Neeners was surprised when I mentioned it because she does not recall making it and cannot find her recipe. If memory serves, hers was made when the very first boxed cheesecake kits came out on the market. This is why she cannot find a recipe, although she blames me for stealing it. Situation: normal.

We begin with a graham cracker crust. Get those puppies into your food processor, or put them in a ziplock bag and hit them with a hammer or rolling pin until you have crumbs. Feel free to grab a few for yourself. This will not affect the final outcome of the crust. I am speaking from experience.

Add sugar and melted butter…

Mix it all up until it looks like this:

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Boysenberry, Peach, and Raspberry Soft Serve Ice Cream

April 22, 2015

My mother has had a rough week. On Monday, she has left a message on my phone. “Hello. This is your mother speaking.” (I know – we’ve met – I recognize your voice.) “My septic tank is on tilt. I will be staying at your sister’s tonight until your brother can figure out where it is and how to fix it. Goodbye.” Later that evening, I called my sis to check in on how she and Neeners were doing. She replied, “Fine. At about 5:00 Neeners came into the kitchen and said ‘I am in need of nourishment. Where do you keep the gin?’ She was in bed by 8:00. All good.”

And after the septic dilemma, there was the Morning Glory infestation. And finally, to top it all off, she lost her glasses. In an attempt to hide them from the dog, she misplaced them and they have yet to turn up. I would say she requires some ice cream. Lucky for Neeners, so do I. I have no reason, I just want it.

I’m going to show you how to make the easiest soft serve ice cream you ever saw. Three ingredients. Five minutes. Done. Because it is so easy, we’ll fancy it up some and make three different kinds and layer them in a loaf pan. When you slice off a piece, you’ll see a rainbow. Let’s get started.

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