Birthday Cake

This is a slice of my birthday cake that I made for myself (and yes, I enjoy making my own cake).  It was a delicious ending to a very great birthday!  (A haircut in the morning (so great because it was getting a bit bushy and my bangs were getting in my eyes, plus an extra bonus...I didn't have to do my own hair), lunch at one of my favorites (Pizzeria 712) with some very lovely ladies, and dinner at my mom's).  It was a happy day!

Pumpkin Cake with Chocolate Ganache and Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Cake

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup oil

2 cups pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl.  Add pumpkin, sugar, oil and vanilla and beat well.  In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves.  Slowly add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture until blended.  Pour half of the batter into each baking pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Remove cakes from the oven and let cook in baking pans for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto a cooking rack to cool completely.

Salted Caramel Sauce

Yield: 2 cups

2 cups granulated sugar

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces

1 cup heavy cream, room temperature

1 tablespoon fleur de sel

Add the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of a heavy saucepan, with a capacity of at least 2 or 3 quarts.  Heat the sugar over medium-high heat, whisking it as it begins to melt.  The sugar will begin to clump, just keep whisking and the clumps will melt as it continues to cook.  Stop whisking once the sugar has melted and swirl the pan occasionally while the sugar cooks.

Continue cooking until the sugar is a deep amber color and has reached 350 degrees on a candy thermometer.  As soon as the caramel reaches 350 degrees F, add the butter all at once.  Be careful because the caramel with bubble when the butter is added.  Whisk the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted.

Remove the pan from the heat and slowly add the cream into the caramel.  Whisk until all the cream has been incorporated and you have a smooth sauce (at this point, I pour mine through a fine mesh strainer to make sure there were no sugar clumps).  Add the Fleur de Sel and whisk to incorporate.

Set the sauce aside to cool for 10 to 15 minutes and then pour into a glass jar and let cool to room temperature.  The caramel sauce can be refrigerated for up to two weeks.

*After my caramel cooled, it wasn't as thick as I wanted it (it was measuring at more than two cups) and so I put it back into the pot and cooked it over medium heat (low rolling boil) until it thickened a bit and measured at exactly two cups.

*As my caramel sauce sat on the counter in a bowl, I would lift a big spoonful of the caramel above the bowl and would let it drip slowly off the spoon back into the bowl.  The color was so amazing, dark and rich and it was just so smooth, I felt excited and tight inside (crazy, I know).

Recipe from the Brown Eyed Baker

Salted Cream Cheese Frosting

1 pound cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

8 ounces salted caramel sauce

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

Place the cream cheese and butter into the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and beat until creamy.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat again.  Mix in the salted caramel sauce.  Add the confectioners’ sugar a cup at a time.  Beat on high until smooth and creamy.  Set aside.

Chocolate Ganache

4 ounces semi-sweet dark chocolate

5 ounces heavy cream

Place the chocolate in a medium bowl.  Heat the cream until it begins to simmer and steam.  Remove from heat and pour of the chocolate.  Let the cream sit for a few minutes, then stir the chocolate and cream together until a smooth, shiny ganache forms.  Set aside (don't let the ganache cool and harden).

Assemble the cake:  Trim any domed tops off both cakes and discard.  Slice each cake into two layers of similar thickness.  Set a base layer down (the bottom of one of the cakes will be on the bottom, reserve the other bottom for the top layer) on the top of cake stand with wax paper underlying the edges of the cake.  Spread a third of the chocolate ganache on the cake, then gently spread a half cup (or a little more) of the salted caramel cream cheese frosting over the ganache.  Gently set a second layer of cake on the base layer and repeat.  For the last cake layer, which should be a bottom layer, invert it so the cut side is face down.  Spread a thin layer (crumb coat) of the frosting around the sides and then frost the entire cake.  Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. 

Recipe inspired and adapted from Use Real Butter

Chicken Pot (Pock) Pie

Preston my eight year old has called chicken pot pies, "chicken pock pies" since he was little.  Someday soon he may grow out of it (or it may stick), but for now, it makes me feel like he's still a little boy (even though he's getting bigger by the minute) and I'm more than okay with that!  Everyone gets their first initial cut into the crust of their pot pie (instead of slits to let the steam escape).

Chicken Pot Pie

1 recipe for pie dough
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can low-sodium chicken broth with water added to equal 2 cups
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium-large onion, chopped fine
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise 1/4-inch thick
2 small celery stalks, cut crosswise 1/4-inch thick
Salt and ground black pepper
4 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3 tablespoon dry sherry
3/4 cup frozen green peas, thawed
3 tablespoons minced fresh parley

Make pie dough and refrigerate until ready to use.

Adjust oven rack to low-center position; heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Put chicken and broth in small Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat.  Cover, bring to simmer; simmer until chicken is just done, 8 to 10 minutes.  Transfer meat to large bowl, reserve broth in measuring cup.

Increase heat to medium-high; heat oil in now empty pan.  Add onions, carrots, and celery; sauté until just tender, about 5 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  While vegetable are sautéing, shred meat into bite-sized pieces.  Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.

Heat butter over medium heat in again-empty skillet.  When foaming subsides, add flour; cook about 1 minute. Whisk in chicken broth, milk, any accumulated chicken juices, and thyme.  Bring to simmer, then continue to simmer until sauce fully thickens, about 1 minute.  Season to taste with salt and pepper; stir in sherry.

Pour sauce over chicken mixture; stir to combine.  Stir in peas and parsley.  Adjust seasonings.  Pour mixture into 13 x 9-inch pan or any shallow baking dish of similar size.  Top with desired pastry dough; bake until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 30 minutes for large pies and 20 to 25 minutes for smaller pies.  Serve hot.

*I use small bowls or ramekins and make individual pot pies.

Spiced Oatmeal Cookies

There is a cookie that is sold at the Sundance Deli that I love, L-O-V-E, love, but because I don't drive up to Sundance on a regular basis (I've been thinking that I should get back into skiing just so I have an excuse to stop at the deli for a cookie), these spiced oatmeal cookies are a very close second.  They are crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside and delicious warm with a glass of ice cold milk (I really do put ice in my milk). 

 

Spiced Oatmeal Cookies

2/3 cup canola oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup golden raisins
2/3 cup shredded coconut
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cloves
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl, combine oil, sugars, and egg and mix until combined.  Add molasses and beat well.  Mix in remaining ingredients.  Drop large spoonful’s of dough (mine were golf ball size-ish) onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges.

Recipe adapted from Conversation with a Cupcake

Mac & Cheese

I wanted a dinner that was quick and easy (with no complaints from those 11 and under).  This mac and cheese was a perfect fit for a cool fall night and my little ones gobbled it up.

Mac and Cheese

2 large eggs 

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce (I forgot to add this)

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dry mustard, dissolved in 1 teaspoon water

1/2 pound elbow macaroni

4 tablespoon butter

12 ounces sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, grated (about 3 cups)

Toasted Bread Crumbs

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

Pinch of Salt

1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix bread crumb ingredients together in small baking pan.  Bake until golden brown and crisp, 15-20 minutes; set aside.

In a small bowl mix eggs, 1 cup evaporated milk, pepper sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and mustard mixture; set aside.

Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in a large saucepan.  Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and macaroni; cook until almost tender but still a little firm to the bite.  Drain and return to pan over low heat.  Add butter; toss to melt.

Pour egg mixture over buttered noodles along with three-quarters of the cheese; stir until thoroughly combined and cheese starts to melt.  Gradually add remaining milk and cheese, stirring constantly until mixture is hot and creamy, about 5 minutes.  Serve immediately, topped with toasted bread crumbs.

Recipe from The Best Recipe by the editors of Cooks Illustrated magazine