Sleep Majesty: Restful, blissful, restorative sleep reigns supreme to pump up our attitude to take on a new day! Easy to coordinate with other patterns!
Visit Denny Lyon Gifts @ CafePress.com - see what's new! Also note that I leave up all my designs from year to year so you have the security knowing that you can purchase as your budget permits to coordinate a room.
From Denny: This sheet pan cake of creamy goodness only requires two cups of fresh blueberries. First you make a simple syrup of water and sugar, add cornstarch to thicken, then add the blueberries. Set the blueberry topping aside to cool while you create the crust.
The crust is a yummy combination of finely chopped pecans, butter and flour that you pat into the sheet pan and bake for about 10 to 20 minutes to make your tasty crust. Set aside to cool.
To make your filling you combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar together and when that is well combined you add in the whipped topping, pouring it into the cooled crust.
After the blueberry topping has cooled then pour over the cream cheese-powdered sugar-whipping topping mixture. Now set the sheet pan of blueberry goodness into the fridge to chill well. Serve to screams of total delight!
Shooting star Cooper says, "I'm the man!" What confidence! Who doesn't want to drink coffee every morning with him? More products available in this name design for your pet or your man!
From Denny: Blueberries. The awesome blue food we all love. So, I went hunting for something interesting in the cobbler department for us this week. The first recipe is from our local newspaper, a blueberry cobbler made with a cream cheese pastry and a filling that consists of a combination of blueberries, apple and lemon. A cream cheese pastry always tastes great with a fruit filling, especially blueberries! It's a simple and straightforward pastry recipe with flour, salt and butter but also with cream cheese and a bit of orange juice added to the pastry to spike up the flavor.
The filling calls for fresh blueberries, an apple and lemon juice and lemon zest. While this recipe calls for sugar I often substitute brown rice syrup or agave syrup in its place for a lower glycemic index than refined white sugar. Try it half sugar and half agave as an idea, whatever you like at your house, just try experimenting until you find that sweet spot Goldilocks zone for your taste buds!
The second recipe is a traditional blueberry cobbler made in a 9-inch square baking pan like you do for brownies and is from a local Louisiana blueberry grower. When a recipe calls for margarine, well, I'm no fan of margarine, so I use clarified butter. If you don't have the time to make your own clarified butter it's now available in grocery stores as I saw a jar in Trader Joe's just last week.
Also note that I use "Tablespoon" and "teaspoon" as an easier read so you don't get confused by small type - by writing it out instead of an abbreviation and also capitalizing Tablespoon. There have been those moments when I was busy and scan read a recipe only to make a mistake with too much or too little of an ingredient so I changed all my recipes to reflect what I do here on my food blogs. The whole point is to enjoy a good food experience!
Oh, and the Denny Lyon Gifts ads are from my Cafe Press store. The profits go to my two favorite charities: the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank that feeds half of Louisiana and St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital that has helped thousands of children on the Gulf Coast. After all, should anyone go hungry in America? Should any parent have to emotionally stress and experience financial ruin because their child got sick? Thank you to those of you supporting my gift store effort!...
From Denny: Want to learn how to make a simple Southern summer favorite that is a comfort food classic? This simple pie is a breeze and is always best with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Summer is the time when lemons are plentiful and affordable so buy a whole bag and make several pies!
* * * Support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home. Visit Denny Lyon Gifts @ CafePress.com - see what's new!
The recipe database at Spice Islands is a real treasure trove of goodies - and I've only started on the dessert section! Color me into the Well Impressed Corner. :)
From Denny: Pears come in season during the Christmas holidays and are plentiful. But have you thought about what to do with them beyond enjoying them fresh or giving as holiday gifts?
Our local newspaper here in Louisiana included some recipes from USA Pears, so, of course, you know I just had to go explore their site. The site is set up to promote the pear growers' product and awareness of the fruit. Since I've been thinking about setting up my own organic orchards I've been visiting a lot of sites like this one.
While their recipe section is not extensive it has some gems like the following recipe well suited for the holiday table when you want something special to wow the family or your guests. If, you are like me, you like to try new recipes or variations on a popular theme - like baked pears. A nice touch is the lemon chamomile sauce that snuggles up to these pears.
Flounder's Key Lime Pie, in Pensacola, Florida, a stacked key lime pie
From Denny: Making your own key lime pie is so simple - and rewarding! It's definitely one of my favorite desserts, especially in the heat of the summer. The tartness really cools you off. FYI, any tart food cools down your liver, which, in turn, cools off your body in hot weather. So, think apples, limes, grapefruit and blackberries if you want to cool off the healthy way.
Florida is known for their key lime pie and there are fans of it all over the country now. The real secret to making this simple and easy famous pie is to purchase real key limes for the recipe. Key limes are very small, very tart and thin-skinned. When ripe they turn from green to yellow.
Most limes in our American grocery stores are those large beautiful, neon green and thicker-skinned Persian limes. Persian limes are also much less tart so they don't deliver that full flavor to the pie cooks, and tasters alike, desire.
How simple is this pie recipe? Really simple: 100 percent key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk and a good graham cracker crust with a little melted butter, brown sugar and chopped nuts. At our house we make the chocolate graham cracker crust while others choose to use traditional pastry crust. It's your preference.
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The best combination ever invented: almonds and chocolate. Enjoy this chef recipe of a few ingredients.
From Denny: Learning to work with cooking sugar as it gets hot akes a little effort yet is well worth it for the end result - almond brittle nirvana! :) This is for regular almond brittle. I figure anything almond deserves a drizzle of chocolate after it cools to kick it up a notch - but you may enjoy it just like it is.
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
5 cups almonds
Butter, for greasing cookie sheet
Directions:
In a saucepan, add the sugar and cook on high heat. Continue to stir until the sugar begins to sweat and liquify. Add a bit of water to help, if necessary. Continue to cook until the sugar turns into a deep rich brown color.
Add the almonds and mix well. Cook for a few minutes, making sure the almonds are fully coated. Remove the almonds from the heat and quickly pour and spread the hot almond-sugar mixture onto a buttered cookie sheet to the desired thickness.
Let cool for 30 minutes before breaking it into smaller pieces.
*** For more savory and sweet chocolate recipes from Chef David Rocco:
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Enjoy a rice pudding style dessert made with chocolate.
From Denny: How many times have you made risotto only to wonder how good it would be with chocolate? Here's your chance as Chef Rocco shows us how easy it truly is to do. Lately, this chef has been exploring how to use chocolate in savory dishes too, employing chocolate as a spice. Be sure to check out the links at the bottom of this post to enjoy more of this chef's creativity.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup arborio rice
4 cups of milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup bittersweet chocolate, finely grated
Walnuts for sprinkling, quartered
Directions:
Similar to a regular risotto process, melt the unsalted butter in a hot pan and add the rice. Stir for about a minute or until the rice is translucent. Pour a cup of milk into the pan and stir until the milk reduces. Add the sugar and stir continuously. As the milk evaporates, add another 1/2 a cup of milk to the rice and continue stirring. Repeat this process until the rice is at the 'al dente' stage.
Add the chocolate to the rice, and stir until the chocolate has melted and the milk has reduced to a creamy consistency.
Serve the dessert immediately in cups and finish with a sprinkle of walnuts on top.
*** Check out more of Chef David Rocco's sweet and savory recipes for chocolate:
Chocolate: Beef Stew With Chocolate - This Chef David Rocco is on a roll with awesome savory recipes using dark chocolate as a star ingredient.
Candy: Almond Brittle - The best combination ever invented: almonds and chocolate. Enjoy this chef recipe of a few ingredients.
Drink: Chocolate Martini - A chocolate martini, with the glass rim coated with fresh pear and shaved chocolate, for that perfect sip.
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From Denny: Louisiana loves good food and New Orleans loves good food and tradition, especially when it comes to venerated restaurants of culinary celebration.
The world renown restaurant was first opened back in 1899 with the Sbisa family, changed hands a few times over the century and found its way back into the family.
Located across from the French Market in what was once the financial district of New Orleans is now an historic building erected in 1820 as a ship's chandler on the lower floors. The family residence occupied the upper floors as was a common practice for the owner to "live over the store."
Originally catering to seafarers, even as a bank for sailors where they could park their pay. Of course, there was the usual brothel upstairs for inquiring minds.
Fast forward to today and the restaurant gave up its once wicked ways and now serves some wickedly good Creole food - contemporary as well as the classic cuisine.
Try Hogh's new Creole style soup which is a red wine crab bisque. He makes it with the liquid from crabs that were deglazed with a bit of red wine, seafood stock, crabmeat, seasonings and a bit of cream.
He makes a mean bouillabaisse with Gulf Shrimp, fish, mussels and scallops in a savory saffron-tinged broth. Do you enjoy roasted rabbit leg? Prefer scallops? Hogh makes seared diver scallops with wild mushroom ragout and roasted corn grits. His New York strip steak is paired with a Stilton mornay sauce. Upscale Creole is a Gulf shrimp epice’ which is jumbo BBQ style shrimp in a spicy andouille cream around a focaccia biscuit.
From some of his evening specials were a grilled trout on a wilted apple and celery slaw with fig butter' escargots Bordelaise; and marinated wild mushrooms with truffle oil and shaved granna padano.
If you plan to visit New Orleans and want to experience this wonderful historic restaurant with creative contemporary Creole food along with the tasty classics:
Using 2 loaf pans lined with parchment, pour cake mix about 1 ½ inch thick. Place pans into a large roasting pan. Place in oven and fill the pan with water being careful not to float the cake pans. Bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours. Remove and let cool.
Refrigerate to remove from parchment, slice prior to service.
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Check out what heavenly confection you can do with a simple cake mix.
From Denny: We love lemon recipes at our house so when I came across this one you can imagine it caused quite a stir around here! There is something about the combination of cream cheese and lemon that is simply divine. Then add coconut to the mix and your taste buds are orbiting around the planet "formerly known as" Pluto.
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An easy to make rich chocolate, marshmallow and nuts candy formed to look like a cake. Great for holidays and gift giving!
From Denny: A Southern staple for sweet tooths - or a dentist's delight!
Louisiana is truly the Land of Seafood and Sweets (my term), so much so we are now the fattest state in America, a dubious honor for sure. My husband and I move away from Louisiana from time to time just to shake those extra pounds that are so easy to gain in this culture of eating and cooking and eating again! Because of the heat and humidity Louisiana is often an indoor culture except for the hardiest souls who hunt, fish, boat and water ski when the weather is accommodating.
New Orleans has to be the worst part of the state when it comes to a love affair with sugar - though folks in Alabama and Mississippi are Siamese sugar twins. The New Orleans culture revolves around sugar so much they would experience withdrawal symptoms if, Heaven forbid, sugar became a rarity. Trust me; they would cultivate something else like beets - or even worms if they thought it would work for their sugar - as these folks would simply not do without their sweet vice!
Heavenly hash “cake” is quite popular with home cooks. It is basically a marshmallow cake mixed with nuts and some chocolate and then bathed again in a chocolate glaze to seal the marshmallow. If you love marshmallows you will love this “cake.” About the only thing healthy about this cake is that marshmallows are made from egg whites, and, OK, lots of sugar.
While it’s far too sweet for me with my preference for European style less sweet products, in its defense I can say this “cake” is long on presentation when placed in a Bundt pan and given a lovely shape. It is also quite popular throughout the South.
In the Bundt pan version when the marshmallows were added they sunk in and mixed to create this marbling effect of chocolate, nuts and marshmallow as they stirred it. Once it was cool enough to hold its shape they must have turned it out and then given its chocolate glaze.
I’ve received this Bundt version as a Christmas gift all wrapped up in pretty cellophane with a lovely bow and then boxed in a large round tin. It was a wonderfully showy presentation. You can now purchase in the New Orleans area these mostly marshmallow “cakes” to gift others.
This is for serious sugarholics! When asked as to how long it's been around - it has made it's way around the South, who knows who originated it? At least for the past decade to achieve this kind of popularity and spread in the region.
Pralines are the original sweet of New Orleans that goes back to the 1800's like rice cakes (calas) and beignets. This crazy cake is much newer! I've only paid attention to it for the past decade; it might be a bit older. My guess is its from the 1990's as Bundt cake recipes and candies were big back then in that decade.
This version is done simply in a 9-inch x 13-inch pan, though you can change to several small or one large bundt pans. I suggest the very small bundt pans as this is one rich "cake." OK, it's really more of a candy poured into a cake form. Enjoy and watch your kids squeal with delight - while the adults are around the corner furtively eating it too! :)
Heavenly Hash Cake
From: James “B” Didier
Ingredients:
4 eggs, beaten lightly
2 cups sugar
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
2 cups pecans, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons cocoa
Directions: Combine eggs, sugar, butter, flour, pecans, vanilla and cocoa in large mixing bowl. Mix well.
Pour into ungreased (9x13-inch) pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Icing glaze:
Ingredients:
1 bag miniature marshmallows
4 teaspoons cocoa
1 stick butter, melted
1 pound box powdered sugar
8 teaspoons evaporated milk
Directions: Place marshmallows on top of baked cake. Heat in oven until marshmallows are melted.
Mix cocoa, butter, powdered sugar and milk and heat until spreading consistency. Spread over marshmallows. Cut into squares to serve.
*** Photo by Flirty Kitty @ flickr
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*** Check out this simple easy recipe and enjoy a sweet breakfast or afternoon snack.
From Denny: While reading the news online I found myself over at The Baltimore Sun newspaper online database. So I went poking around to see what kind of recipe database they kept. So many newspapers online have gone to only featuring restaurant reviews and few, if any, recipes available. When I travel to an area the first thing I often do is research the local newspaper to get a feel for what people like to eat.
The easiest way to understand other people is to enjoy their food culture. Turns out this newspaper had a decent recipe archive - though devoid of photos. When that happens I go looking over at Flickr Creative Commons area for a photo that would look similar - sometimes I get lucky and it's exact! :) Anything is helpful to better visualize the finished product.
This recipe would make for a fine weekend brunch or lazy hot summer afternoon snack. Enjoy!
1 scant cup sugar 4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) margarine (or butter though it will increase the calories) 2 eggs 2/3 cup flaked coconut 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup milk
Directions:
Cream sugar and margarine, then add eggs one at a time, blending between each addition. Add the remaining ingredients. Divide evenly between 12 muffin cups. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for approximately 20 minutes.
Tester Laura Reiley's comments: "I baked mine slightly longer, about 25 minutes, until the muffin surface would spring back from my touch. The resulting muffins are sweet, deliciously coconutty treats, good for a snack or for breakfast. You can change the level of sweetness by which kind of coconut you choose - an unsweetened shredded coconut will yield less-sweet muffins; the sweetened angel-flaked coconut produces sweeter, moister muffins. For a really decadent treat, these would be good frosted with chocolate or topped with some kind of tropical fruit jam."
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*** Try an easy recipe that will delight the chocolate lovers in your house!
From Denny: My local newspaper featured this easy bread pudding recipe recently. Here in Louisiana we are known for our bread pudding desserts. Generally, we prefer to use French bread.
This recipe sure brought back memories of when my favorite aunt taught me how to make bread pudding when I was a child. She used leftover homemade biscuits. I really wanted chocolate one day so she added Hershey's cocoa and a new recipe was born! My uncle and I were quite delighted with the results and insisted she make it often.
This recipe is a bit different but the beauty of it is that you can do it in a slow cooker, completely unattended. That's a handy recipe for the busy parent or if you are having guests this recipe will save you time.
The food writers do make a suggestion: Because this recipe has a lot of dairy products it's best to cook at a higher heat and for a briefer period of time - which is considered fast for a slow cooker.
They also suggest to spray the slow cooker liner with oil so you don't have much cleaning to do afterwards. It won't eliminate all the sticking but deals with most of the problem. Of course, soaking is the smartest avenue to soften up sticky bits. Just make sure that soaking water is as warm or hot as the liner dish could crack. A stoneware liner insert for a slow cooker can crack if cold water is added to it when it's warm or hot.
Check out those oozing melted chocolate chips throughout the warm pudding: awesome! :)
French bread, broken into cubes 3 cups milk 1 cup heavy cream 3 eggs 2 tbls. butter, melted 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 cup sugar 1-1/2 cups chocolate chips
Sauce:
1/2 cup rum 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup butter or margarine
Directions:
Place French bread cubes in slow cooker. Mix together milk and heavy cream with eggs, butter, vanilla extract and sugar. Pour over French bread in slow cooker.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Cook on High for 2 hours.
At end of cooking time, mix together rum, brown sugar and butter in small pan on stove top and bring to a quick boil, removing immediately after sauce comes to a boil.
Pour over cooked slow cooker bread pudding and remove to individual serving dishes.
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From Denny: Most doctors and lawyers want to be somewhere else and be someone else. This lawyer, cookbook author Warren Brown, wanted to bake, and bake he did! He came up with a great idea for a book to merge his love of eating cake and studying American history.
He has recipes featured in this food video segment that hail from Wyoming, Texas, Delaware and Illinois. He has cake recipes from all 50 states, from California to Connecticut. All his recipes are simple, easy to do for the home baker.
Preheat the oven to 335 degrees and place the rack in the middle position. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick oil-and-starch spray.
Combine the ingredients for the filling in a bowl. Crumble them together with your fingers to break apart any clumps of brown sugar. Set aside.
Combine the ingredients for the topping in a bowl and press to combine with a fork or your fingers, or mix on low speed using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Set aside.
Combine the dry ingredients for the cake in a bowl; combine the wet ingredients in another bowl. Set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, and brown sugar and mix on low speed for about 3 minutes.
Once the butter is creamed well, add the eggs one at a time. Use a flexible spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and mix until everything is thoroughly combined.
Alternately add the dry and wet mixtures about a quarter at a time without pausing between additions. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix on low for another 20 seconds.
Scoop half of the batter into the prepared pan, smooth it out, and sprinkle on the filling. Add the rest of the batter and smooth again. Sprinkle on the topping.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the cake bounces back when lightly pressed and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool the cake for 5 minutes before inverting it onto a plate and flipping it again so the streusel side is facing up. It’s also fine to serve it in the dish it’s baked in.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Honey and Raspberry Cheesecake
From: Chef Warren Brown
Ingredients:
Graham Cracker Crust:
Graham crackers 3 tablespoons Superfine granulated sugar 3/4 stick Unsalted butter, melted 1/4 teaspoon salt
Filling:
16 ounces cream cheese 16 ounces fresh goat cheese 1/2 cup superfine granulated sugar 1 cup crystallized or raw honey 4 eggs 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup heavy cream 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/4 cup raspberry puree
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300°F and place the rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-by-3-inch round pan and line the bottom with parchment.
Crush the graham crackers in a bowl or food processor into very fine crumbs.
Using a fork, toss all the crust ingredients in a bowl until evenly combined. Press the mixture firmly into the prepared pan.
Bake until fragrant, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool while you make the filling. Leave the oven on for the filling.
Place a roasting pan large enough to hold your cake pan in the oven and fill it about two-thirds of the way up with water.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cheeses on medium speed to break up and soften them.
Reduce the mixer to slow speed and add the sugar and honey in 2 additions each, beating until they dissolve, about 3 minutes total.
Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each to combine before adding the next.
Mix the sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla together until smooth. Pour into the mixer slowly.
Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Drizzle up to . cup of the raspberry puree randomly on the batter and swirl it with your finger.
Gently set the cake pan in the water bath. Bake, uncovered, until the center of the cake is only slightly wobbly when the pan is shaken, about 1 hour.
Turn off the heat and leave the oven door ajar for 1 hour.
Remove the pan from the water bath and cool the cake for 4 hours, until it reaches room temperature.
Cover the cake tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and preferably overnight. (Be sure you don’t have cut onions or garlic in the fridge—the cake will absorb the odor.)
Set the pan in warm water to loosen the cake. Run an offset spatula around the edge if necessary. Invert the cake onto a flat plate, then turn it right side up onto a decorative plate for serving. Smooth out any tears on the sides with an offset spatula. Add a cluster of raspberries to the top of the cheesecake if you like.
To make your own puree, combine 1 (10- ounce) package of frozen raspberries with 2 cups of sugar in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the seeds. Cool the puree completely before using.
Preheat the oven to 335 degrees and place the rack in the middle position. Line the bottoms of two 9-by-2-inch round pans with parchment.
Melt the chocolates, 1 ounce of the butter, and the half-and-half in a double boiler over steaming water. Once melted, remove the pot from the water and whisk to combine the ingredients. Set aside.
Measure the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. Separate the eggs and set the yolks aside.
Combine 6 ounces of the sugar and the water in a saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves.
Place 4 of the egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the wire whip attachment and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. (Discard the 2 leftover whites or reserve them for another use.)
When the sugar syrup measures 240 degrees on a candy thermometer, drizzle it slowly into the meringue while the mixer is on high speed. Whip for another 20 seconds and then remove the meringue from the bowl and set aside.
Add the reserved yolks and 2 ounces of sugar to the mixer’s bowl and whip with the wire whisk — there’s no need to clean the bowl or whip. You can even leave the cooked meringue that’s stuck inside the whip. Whip on high speed until the yolks are pale yellow, about 2 minutes.
Reduce the speed to low and add in the remaining 4 ounces of butter. The yolk base will lose volume — that’s okay.
Alternately add the dry ingredients and the melted chocolate to the mixer about a quarter at a time without pausing for the ingredients to combine. Detach the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the cooked meringue in two stages. It will be stiff at first. Use caution not to over mix it or you will deflate the batter.
Divide the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 22 to 24 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean and the top appears dry, soft, and flat. It will give slightly to a very light touch.
Cool the cakes for about 20 minutes, then run a metal offset spatula around the rim of each and invert the cakes onto a flat surface. Cool completely.
To assemble the cake, slice each cake in half horizontally with a serrated knife to create four layers.
Spread about 1 cup of frosting between each layer with an offset spatula and stack into a four-layer cake. Then pipe on the frosting with an open star tip to cover the top and sides of the cake, or just spread it lavishly with the spatula.
Texas Sheet Cake
From: Chef Warren Brown
Ingredients:
2 cups Superfine granulated sugar 1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour 1/2 cup Cocoa powder 1 teaspoon Baking soda 3/4 teaspoon Salt 2 sticks Unsalted butter, melted 2 Eggs 1 cup Milk 1/2 cup Buttermilk 1 tablespoon Brandy 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract Chocolate Pecan Icing 1 1/4 cups Pecans 1 stick Unsalted butter, room temperature 4 cups Confectioners’ sugar 1/4 cup Cocoa powder 1/2 cup Milk 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract Sugared Pecans 2 cups Pecans 2 tablespoons Honey 1 cup Superfine granulated sugar 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
Baking Directions:
Preheat the oven to 335°F and place the rack in the middle position. Grease a 12-by-2-inch round pan or 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Measure the dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk to combine.
Combine the wet ingredients in a second bowl and whisk lightly to combine.
Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir well for about 20 seconds.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean and the top of the cake bounces back slightly when gently pressed.
For the icing, roast the pecans on a baking sheet for 4 to 5 minutes while the cake is baking. Remove the nuts from the oven, cool to room temperature, and chop.
Combine the butter, sugar, and cocoa powder in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Begin beating on low speed and then increase to high.
Slowly add the milk and vanilla and beat well. Stop the mixer and fold in the roasted pecans by hand. Set aside.
To make the sugared pecans, combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a rubber spatula.
Roast the sugared pecans on a baking sheet, while the cake is baking, until crisped and fragrant, approximately 10 minutes. Remove the nuts from the oven and cool on a heat-resistant surface before using.
Cool the cake completely before spreading the icing onto the top using a flexible spatula. (If you prefer, you can turn the cake out onto a tray, but it’s fine to leave it in the dish.) Add the sugared pecans across the top, pressing them slightly into the frosting.
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*** Indulge in heavenly chocolate paired with intense bits of orange. Enjoy this wonderfully rich muffin with a steaming cup of coffee when you need to stress down.
From Denny: This recipe is from a bed and breakfast in Michigan. This bed and breakfast sports a number of interesting themed packages to enjoy. They have a special shopping package where they have teamed up with 10 shops in their area where you can get some great discounts with the range from clothing to food and drink and even local art.
These shops are a wine sellar of 200 wines from around the world, local pottery, a green recycled products shop carrying famous names, a spice merchant, a gourmet food and kitchen supply shop, an antique mall of 175 merchants, a local folk art shop and artisan hand-knit clothing.
*** Remember to support small business in your area and when you travel. Why stay at a Big Business hotel as you travel when you can stay in a more home like atmosphere of a bed and breakfast inn? The prices are comparable, the people friendlier and your stay will be memorable.
A similar version of chocolate chip muffins from Laura HB @ flickr- these bed and breakfast inns rarely provide photos but this muffin should look just like it only with flecks of yummy orange peel throughout the muffin.
Y-Vonne's Chocolate Chip Orange Muffins
From: Sherwood Forest Bed & Breakfast Y'Vonne, a favorite siren and chefette at Sherwood Forest, gave us these delicious muffins, they're dense and rich and so perfect on a chilly morning!
Combine first 3 ingredients in large bowl. In another bowl, combine rest of ingredients (except chocolate chips). Add wet to dry ingredients and mix, then add chocolate chips. Divide batter among 18 greased muffin cups and bake at 350 degrees for approx. 15 minutes.
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*** Bake an unusual and patriotic attention-getting cake to wow your friends and family this Fourth of July!
Photo from White Lily Flour
From Denny: We eat with our eyes before we eat with our taste buds. This pretty patriotic cake sure gets your attention! Red, white and blue layers of cake are slathered with Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting and decorated with summer fresh blueberries and strawberries.
For a beginner baker - or if you are pressed for time and don't want to fuss with a difficult icing - this easy cake is for you. The cake layers are made from scratch and use buttermilk for great taste and texture, much like using sour cream in a cake or muffin.
When you finish icing the cake and have to wait a few hours before serving, hold off on the fruit garnish. With cakes like this I like to garnish with fruit as I serve the slices. That way you don't have to be concerned about the fruit starting to break down its juices and start to run watery all over your perfect cake and icing, sliding off like some summer park water slide! :)
Have a great Fourth of July weekend and thanks for visiting!
Independence Day Cake
From: White Lily Flour and The J.M. Smucker Co.
Makes: 12 servings
Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray 3-1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour 2 cups sugar 1-1/2 tsps. baking powder 1-1/2 tsps. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 1-1/4 cups buttermilk 1-1/4 cups all-vegetable shortening OR 1ø sticks all-vegetable shortening sticks 5 large egg whites 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. almond extract 1 tbl. red food coloring 1 tbl. blue food coloring
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat three 8-inch round pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper, cut to fit. Coat paper with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large bowl. Add buttermilk and shortening. Beat with electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add egg whites, vanilla and almond extracts. Beat an additional 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
3. Pour ont-third (about 2 cups) of batter into prepared pan. Divide remaining batter into 2 medium bowls. Stir in food coloring to make one red and one blue batter. Pour batter into remaining pans. Tap pans on counter several times to remove air bubbles.
4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes before removing from pan. Remove cake and cool completely on wire rack.
5. For frosting, beat butter in a large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Gradually beat in sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until fluffy. Beat in almond extract. Stir in marshmallow cream until well blended.
6. Place blue cake layer on cake plate and generously frost top. Stack white layer and generously frost top. Add red layer, frosting top and sides of entire cake. Garnish with fresh blueberries and strawberries, if desired.
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