Awesome Easy Frozen Raspberry Layer Cake and Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Photo by Family Features Editorial Syndicate


From Denny: The weather is turning hotter and more humid now that pollen season is gone so what do our minds turn to thinking? Ice cream and frozen cakes! This cake is made with frozen pound cake, ice cream and sorbet. If you don't have any raspberries then substitute strawberries and strawberry sorbet. Isn't it just beautiful?

You could even make this cake for the special daughter or granddaughter in your life who loves the color pink. It's also a very pretty and showy cake for entertaining as school graduations are coming up along with weddings.

And check out this sour cream cupcake recipe from Redbook. Are these guys not clever or what? They updated the strawberry shortcake idea by turning it into a cupcake where you poke holes in the cupcake and drizzle strawberry syrup juice over it to flavor the cake, then top with whipped cream and strawberries. Awesome! Great for parties too.


Frozen Raspberry Layer Cake

From: Country Living

Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredients:

2 (10-3/4-oz.) frozen pound cakes, crusts removed, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices
3 cups vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
4 cups raspberry sorbet, slightly softened
1 pint fresh raspberries, rinsed and picked over
3 tbls. Chambord, or other raspberry-flavored liqueur

(From Denny: I love Chambord as it's flavor is more mellow yet intense berry flavor compared to other liqueurs. The expensive is worth the price but do try to use it up inside 6 to 8 months or refrigerate it after opening. Goes great in dark roast coffee too.)


Directions:

1. Prepare the pan: Trace and cut out a 9-inch circle from parchment paper and fit it into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Cut out a 3x27-inch strip of parchment and fit around inside of pan. Tape to secure parchment paper and set aside.

2. Assemble the cake: Cover bottom of pan with a single layer of pound cake slices and spread ice cream evenly over cake. Freeze until ice cream hardens — about 25 minutes.

3. Spread 2 cups sorbet over ice cream, followed by another layer of pound cake slices. Return cake to freezer for 10 minutes.

4. Combine raspberries and Chambord in small bowl. Remove cake pan from freezer and place berries evenly over cake.

5. Top with a final layer of pound cake and remaining sorbet. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze until firm — at least 4 hours.







Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

From: Redbook

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1-1/2 tsps. vanilla extract
2/3 cup sour cream

Topping:

1 quart strawberries, cleaned, hulled, thickly sliced
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tbl. lemon juice
1-1/2 cups cold heavy cream
3 tbls. confectioners’ sugar
1 tbl. vanilla extract


Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners.

2. In medium bowl, whisk to blend flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In large bowl with mixer on medium, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla. With mixer on low, alternately beat in flour mixture and sour cream until combined. Continue to beat until batter is smooth.

4. Spoon batter into a zip-top bag. Snip a 1/2-inch corner from bag and fill liners slightly less than 2/3 full. Bake 24 to 26 minutes or until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes; remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely.

5. Toss strawberries several times in a bowl with sugar and lemon juice until very syrupy.

6. In large bowl, beat cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.

7. Use a skewer to poke holes in top of each cupcake. Spoon some syrup from strawberries over top, allowing it to absorb into cupcakes. Top with berries and whipped cream. Put a few sliced berries in the whipped cream and drizzle with remaining strawberry syrup.





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Elegant Cheap Dishes From Manhattan Chef: Chicken With 40 Garlic Cloves, Salad and Dessert

From Denny: CBS runs this Chef on a Shoestring segment over at The Early Show where they give a chef the challenge of creating a wonderful meal to serve four people and do it for $40 or less. In this economy, more and more people are turning to clever ways to create great entertaining dishes for less money.

Featured in this video clip is Manhattan, New York Chef Sebastian Zijp who runs the kitchen for Bar Blanc Bistro. He became executive chef in 2008. His specialties are drawn from fresh seasonal ingredients from local markets. Though he was born in Africa to Dutch parents, he has traveled the world and chose to settle in New York City.

If you have never made this traditional French dish, don't be intimidated by the many garlic cloves. As they bake in the oven the flavor goes from sharp and pungent to softer and mellow. If you really enjoy the flavor of garlic, you can always add more to the dish or bake some (covered or in tin foil) on the side in the oven. If you are in a hurry - or don't enjoy peeling garlic cloves - just use that minced garlic in a jar at the grocery store, usually on the produce aisle. Spoon out about the same volume amount as the garlic cloves - about 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic for an average sized garlic clove.






Recipes Featured:

Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic
Simple Arugula Salad
Lemon and Parsley Couscous
Poached Pears with Amaretto Cream





Watch CBS News Videos Online



FOOD FACTS From Epicurious.com about some of chef's ingredients:

Pecorino: In Italy, cheese made from sheep's milk is known as pecorino. Most of these cheeses are aged and classified as grana (hard, granular and sharply flavored); however, the young, unaged Ricotta pecorino is soft, white and mild in flavor. Aged pecorinos range in color from white to pale yellow and have a sharp, pungent flavor. The best known of this genre is Pecorino Romano, which comes in large cylinders with a hard yellow rind and yellowish-white interior. Other notable pecorinos are Sardo, Siciliano and Toscano. These hard, dry cheeses are good for grating and are used mainly in cooking. They can be used in any recipe that calls for parmesan cheese, especially if a sharper flavor is desired.

Couscous: A staple of North African cuisine, couscous is granular semolina. Cooked, it may be served with milk as porridge, with a dressing as a salad or sweetened and mixed with fruits for dessert. Packaged precooked couscous is available in Middle Eastern markets and large supermarkets. The name couscous also refers to the famous Maghreb dish in which semolina or cracked wheat is steamed in the perforated top part of a special pot called a couscoussière, while chunks of meat (usually lamb or chicken), various vegetables, chickpeas and raisins simmer in the bottom part. In lieu of a couscoussière, a colander set over a large pot will do. The cooked semolina is heaped onto a platter, with the meats and vegetables placed on top. All diners use chunks of bread to scoop the couscous from this central platter. Couscous varies from country to country - Moroccans include saffron, Algerians like to add tomatoes and Tunisians spice theirs up with the hot-pepper-based harissa sauce.

Amaretto: A liqueur with the flavor of almonds, though it's often made with the kernels of apricot pits. The original liqueur, Amaretto di Saronno, hails from Saronno, Italy. Many American distilleries now produce their own amaretto.







RECIPES

Simple Arugula Salad

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch baby arugula
2 radishes
1 bag baby carrots
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon shaved pecorino cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

Slice the radishes and shave the baby carrots. Toss radishes, carrots, and arugula with the lemon juice and the oil. Season with salt and pepper, top with the shaved pecorino.








Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic

INGREDIENTS:

4 chicken thighs
40 cloves garlic
4 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon oil
Salt and pepper

METHOD:

Season the thighs well with salt and pepper. Heat a pan to medium high heat and sear the chicken until very dark golden brown. Remove from pan and add garlic, stir until they are lightly browned. Return the chicken to the pan and cover with a lid or tinfoil. Place in a 350º F. oven until cooked. Maybe 22 minutes.








Lemon and Parsley Couscous

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup couscous
1.25 cup stock or water
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Zest of 1 lemon (use the same lemon from the salad)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch of salt

METHOD:

Mix the couscous with the salt, parsley and lemon in a bowl. Bring the stock or water to a boil with the olive oil. Pour the boiling liquid over the couscous, give a quick stir and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand five minutes, fluff with a fork and serve.







Poached Pears with Amaretto Cream

INGREDIENTS:

2 Bartlett pears, cut into quarter inch slices
1 cup water
2 tablespoon sugar
1 cinnamon stick
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 tablespoon Amaretto di Serrano

METHOD:

Bring the water to a boil along with the sugar, cinnamon and zest. Once boiling, add the pears and turn to a simmer until pears are soft, about 20 min. Mix together heavy cream, powdered sugar and Amaretto and whisk until stiff peaks form. Serve atop the poached pears.








So, how did Sebastiaan do in our "How Low Can You Go?" competition?!

Arugula Salad
arugula $2.50
radishes $1.98
carrots $1.99
lemon $0.50
pecorino cheese $5.49
total $12.46

Chicken with 40 Garlic Cloves
chicken $3.98
garlic $2.64
thyme $1.29
total $7.91

Lemon Parsley Couscous
couscous $2.19
stock $2.79
parsley $2.99
lemon $0.50
total $8.47

Poached Pears
pears $0.94
cinnamon $1.99
lemon $0.50
heavy cream $2.25
powdered sugar $1.29
Amaretto $1.50
total $8.47

Grand total: $37.31

That gets him onto our Leaders Board!!

1. Amanda Freitag $37.17
The Harrison

2. Kelly Liken $37.20
Restaurant Kelly Liken

3. Sebastiaan Zijp $37.31
Bar Blanc Bistro





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Sweet Breakfasts: Caramel Pecan Buns, Sweet Blueberry Drop Biscuits, Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns from a fellow foodie by the name of little blue hen @ flickr


From Denny: OK, these sticky buns may not be made from scratch yeast dough but hey! they are fast and easy to do and still taste good! They are especially handy when you need something fast in a pinch - like howling hungry kids or husband who can't wait long.

Try your hand at some simple drop biscuits infused with wonderful blueberries, fresh or frozen, for a change of pace and the good nutrition of "blue food."

My all time favorite is a favorite of our grandmothers: Pineapple Upside Down Cake. It used to be reserved for dessert. The coffee cake quality combined with juicy fresh or canned pineapple is a winner any time of day at our house!






Caramel Pecan Buns

From: Pillsbury

Serves: 5

Ingredients:

1 (17.5-oz.) can Pillsbury Grands! refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
2 tbls. butter
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Directions:

1. Bake rolls as directed on package. Reserve icing.

2. To caramelize pecans, melt butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat; add pecans. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until butter just starts to brown. Add brown sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar melts and bubbles, about 2 minutes. Spoon over hot buns.

3. Microwave icing on medium (50 percent power) 5 to 10 seconds or until thin enough to drizzle over warm buns. Serve warm.







Sweet Blueberry Drop Biscuits


From: White Lily

Makes: 12 biscuits

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups self-rising flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup chilled shortening
2/3 to 3/4 cup buttermilk or milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blue-berries, thawed and drained

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 500 degrees. Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Combine flour and sugar in bowl. Cut in shortening until lumps are the size of peas. Blend in just enough buttermilk with a fork until dough leaves sides of bowl. Gently stir in blueberries.

3. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet 1 to 2 inches apart. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with butter.








Pineapple Upside Down Cake by normanack @ flickr


Pineapple Upside- Down Cake


From: George A. Barry

Makes: 1 (9- or 10-inch) cake

Ingredients:

Topping:

5 tbls. butter
2/3 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1 (20-oz.) can pineapple slices, drained (or if preferred use crushed pineapple, drained)
9 maraschino cherries

Cake:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
4 tbls. butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9- or 10-inch black iron skillet. Put the 5 tablespoons butter in the skillet and place in hot oven to melt the butter.

2. Remove from oven and evenly distribute the brown sugar over the melted butter in the bottom of the skillet.

3. Arrange pineapple slices over the brown sugar and place a cherry in the center of each pineapple ring.

4. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.

5. Beat the 4 tablespoons butter and 1 cup granulated sugar together. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until everything is light and fluffy.

6. Alternate adding the flour mixture with the milk, beating continually, until everything is mixed well. Pour the batter over the pineapple and cherries in the skillet. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean.

7. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes, then invert the hot cake onto a plate. Cut into wedges to serve.


Note: The cake can also be made in a deep, 9-inch round cake pan or a 9-inch square cake pan. Eddie prefers using crushed pineapple and makes his cake in a square pan or doubles the recipe and makes the cake in a sheet cake pan.


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Triple Chocolate Toffee Brownies

From Denny: Who doesn't love brownies? If more people fought wars with brownies instead of bullets there would be no squabbles worth fighting! :)

Here's a recipe I ran across in our local newspaper when they were doing a cookbook review on a Food and Wine cookbook that features the best recipes from many recently published cookbooks. This recipe really loads you up on chocolate: semi-sweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, mini-chocolate chips and then toffee chips. Whew! A serious download of chocolate and intense flavor. Sounds like pure Heaven.

Remember to stick with unsalted butter as the chocolate chips already have some salt in them - and eggs have natural salt in them too. Trust the recipe; you don't need to add any more salt.

There's also a link to my Amazon store where you can purchase the book at a discounted rate. Never pay retail is my motto! :)




From: “The Art and Soul of Baking” by Sur La Table with Cindy Mushet

From Amazon review:

2009 IACP Cookbook Awards Winner! Nominated for a 2009 James Beard Foundation Award.

Sur La Table teamed with pastry chef and baking teacher Cindy Mushet to bring you the ultimate guide to baking. Beautiful photographs and more than 250 easy-to-follow recipes lead you into a world of alluring aromas and light, flaky pastries. Illustrated asides take you step by step through important techniques, from carmelizing sugar to working with croissant dough. Plus, you'll find invaluable information on over 100 ingredients and 50 baker's tools. A true pleasure for anyone who loves to bake.

Each selection of the Gourmet Cookbook Club is handpicked and road-tested by the editors of Gourmet magazine, so readers can cook with confidence, knowing the recipes really do deliver. Online at Gourmet Book Club you can find videos of the authors demonstrating recipes, share your thoughts on the cookbooks in the forums, and learn more about each book's topic.

BENEFITS:

* The ultimate book for bakers.

* Professional tips and tricks are made easy for the home baker.

* Step-by-step techniques of baking.

* 100 photographs, 250 foolproof recipes and variations, and information on over 100 popular baking ingredients and over 50 pieces of baking equipment.






Check out this recipe from the cookbook:


Triple Chocolate-Toffee Brownies


Ingredients:

6 ozs. semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 ozs. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick (4 ozs.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
2 tsps. pure vanilla extract
1 cup toffee bits
1/3 cup mini-chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper, allowing the parchment to hang over the edges.

2. In a medium glass bowl, microwave semisweet and un-sweetened chocolates at high power in 30-second intervals until melted, about 2 minutes. In small bowl, whisk flour with baking powder and salt.

3. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between additions. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Add the melted chocolate and beat until incorporated. Beat in the milk and vanilla at low speed. Beat in the flour mixture, then beat in 2/3 of the toffee bits and the minichocolate chips until evenly distributed.

4. Scrape batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup of the toffee bits. Bake the brownies for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

5. Set brownies on a rack to cool completely, about 2 hours. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before cutting. Use the parchment overhang to lift the brownie out of the pan; cut into squares and serve.


Make ahead: Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Authors’ note: Toffee bits are available in the baking aisle of most supermarkets, but you can also crush up a toffee bar for this recipe (even a chocolate-covered one will work.)


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Posts Roundup This Week at Dennys Blogs 9 May 2010

From Denny: This sure has been a wild ride for the news, the BP oil spill attempt at clean-up, the crazy British election and the huge sudden drop in the stock market. I gathered some of the better stories over at Dennys Global Politics.

You just have to read about the odd new health stories about empathy nasal spray for men and the strange neck treatment for PTSD relief. And the political cartoons were out in full force as social commentary on it all so you know I just had to park a number of those posts on several blogs for Saturday! :)

Hope everyone had a great Mothers Day! And thank you all for your great support!




The Social Poets:


Oil Spill Disaster Cartoons - Whats Happening This Week in America - 8 May 2010

One Mother and One Child poem 4 Mothers Day - Libations Friday 7 May 2010

Transocean Kidnapped Oil Rig Survivors, Coerced Signing No Legal Repsonsiblity

Funny Parenting Quotes 4 Mothers Day - Cheeky Quote Day 5 May 2010

BP Only Responsible to $75 Million 4 Oil Disaster By USA Law

Roundup of Late Night Funnies - 3 May 2010

Posts Roundup This Week at Dennys Blogs 2 May 2010





Dennys Global Politics:

Greek Debt Crisis 4 The World: Political Cartoons 8 May 2010

1,000 Point Stock Market Plunge, Brits Still Tied After Election, Examining Obamas Humor - News Headlines 7 May 2010

USA Offshore New Oil Drilling Halted, New USA Terrorist Screening, 3-Way Tie in Brit Election - News Headlines 6 May 2010

Supreme Court Pick Hunt, Dems Whimp Out on Finanacial Fund 4 Reform, How You Get on No-Fly List, Obama Tough on Airlines - News Headlines 5 May 2010

Pakistan Trained Bomber, Obamas Workaholic Ways, Catholics Polled About Sex Abuse - News Headlines 4 May 2010

BP Oil Spill Coverage - News Headlines 3 May 2010





The Soul Calendar:


Funny Wall Street Cartoons - 8 May 2010


Video: Check Out the River Monsters Swimming Near You


Bloggers: Get The New Google Buzz Buttons

Neuroscience: Want Your Man to Better Understand You? Try Empathy Nasal Spray




The Healing Waters:


Controversial Successful New Treatment 4 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder




Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:


Mothers Day Quote From Rose Kennedy

How Can You Help Your Child Keep Their Balance And Yours?




Dennys Funny Quotes:


The Great American Immigration Debate: Political Cartoons - 8 May 2010

Funny Video: Health Care Rage-Ex by Cartoonist Mark Fiore

Funny Animated Cartoon on Economy: Crashiversary Video by Mark Fiore



Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious And Odd:


Times Square Terrorist Bomber: Political Cartoons 8 May 2010

10 Funny Odd Photos - cute animals and crazy dressed people!

Funny Video: TV Anchor Falls off Chair





Food blogs:


Tradtional Sandwiches Updated: California Tuna Melt, Egg Salad

Chocolate Wonders: Kentucky Derby Pie, Make-ahead Chocolate Soufflé

Video: Louisiana Chef Makes Crawfish Etouffee


Easy Moist Chocolate Mayo Cake From Bon Appetit





Visual Insights:


Dennys Photo Gallery: Garden Views

Funny Love-Hate Relationships of Fox News, Republicans, Tea Party, Airlines and Obama Cartoons - 8 May 2010


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!