Sweetie Pie

German Chocolate Birthday Cake

A birthday rolls around but once a year and should be celebrated with a proper cake.  My loving husband's favorite is the ooey, gooey German Chocolate.  This recipe is named after Sam German, who began the Bakers Chocolate Company in 1852.  Originally it was known as German's Chocolate Cake, but the possessive apostrophe was dropped somewhere along the line.

I used Trisha Yearwood's recipe and it turned out beautifully.  She gives clear instructions and helpful hints.  Here are the photographs of our project.

We baked the cakes in the morning and then I put them in the freezer after they cooled.  This is a great trick to make your cakes easier to frost.  The coconut pecan icing is custard based, made with butter, egg yolks and condensed milk. 






The cake turned out beautifully, tall rich and decadent.  The cake has a super soft crumb, and the icing is thick and gooey. 

Banana Bread

Some people may wonder why home baking is important enough that we should put aside time and make a mess in the kitchen.  There is such a variety of baked goods available in so many places from the grocery store to coffee shops and restaurants.   It may seem like too much trouble to try baking anything 'from scratch' at home.  However, some of the most satisfyingly homey and wonderful recipes are also the most simple, easy, and foolproof.
When you take the time to bake at home, you get so much more than the instant gratification of buying and eating a treat.  Memories are connected to sights, smells, and recipes.  This is my grandmother's recipe and every single time I have ever baked it, it has both turned out beautifully and gotten rave reviews.  I'm always surprised by how much it is appreciated because it is so simple to make.  I finally realized that it's because when it's baked at home and served warm, banana bread is nothing like anything you can purchase at a store ready made.  This is one of those foods that will never be the same from a mix, and maybe that's why this recipe and the aroma of it baking in the oven will always feel like home. 
This is a yummy and comforting treat that I love baking for my son.  Banana bread is one of his very favorite foods, and this is another reward of baking at home.  Even though I don't recall ever seeing my grandmother make this recipe, every time I get it out of the recipe box I see that it's from her kitchen.  Then I remember her unloading groceries at her house and washing the milk jug and the bananas in the sink before putting them away.  I remember her mixing up cornbread and wasting nothing, carefully scraping every drop into the pan.  I remember her sitting at her table with a tall glass of water, and sharing meals with her.  This is the power of recipes:  even though distance separates us from people we love, we are connected by the tastes, scents, and rituals of preparing favorite foods.  My son doesn't know his great grandmothers very well, but he is linked to them by a few recipes.

Banana Bread

Grandmother Patterson's recipe

3 ripe bananas, mashed and beat

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare your loaf pan by smearing the butter wrapper into it, paying special attention to the corners. 

Peel the bananas and cut them up a bit in a large bowl.  Mash them against the sides of the bowl until you are satisfied with their smoothness.  This can be done with an electric mixer, but I always use a fork for the entire recipe.  If your bananas are a little small, add an extra one.  Use bananas that are ripe with brown and blackish spots, the uglier the better. 
Next, add the sugar and mix it all up.  Pour in the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and stir well.  Finally add the flour, baking soda and baking powder and stir to combine.  Scrape the batter into your greased loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.  Yes, it will take the entire hour.  The crust will become deeply golden brown, with a beautiful crack along the top where you can see the golden center.  A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean when it's done.  It may even take a few minutes more than an hour.  Let the bread cool in the pan for just a few minutes and then turn it out onto a rack to cool.
This is the recipe just as I have it written down, but please note that it's very adaptable.  For example, you don't have to use butter, but can substitute all or part of it for another oil.  I usually use part butter and part olive oil.  I never add the milk.  I often forget to add the vanilla.  I used to only make this recipe using self rising flour and omitting the baking powder and soda.  It is always good.
It is so good that when I went to take a picture, this is what I found.  

 

Easter Bread

Easter has always been one of my favorite holidays, but I can't think of any special foods I associate with this day except maybe jelly beans.  Here is a beautiful soft bread that is perfect for a special Easter breakfast.  It is very rich, with eggs, butter and milk in the dough making it a treat for those who have given up dairy for Lent.  Eggs have long been a symbol of springtime, renewal and rebirth, and were forbidden by the early Christian church during Lent which made them a special treat on Easter.
    I made the dough in my bread machine because I don't have a mixer large enough to handle dough and I didn't want to knead it by hand.  It worked beautifully.  The dough turned out silky smooth and slightly golden in color.  It was very easy to work with and the designs are simple to make.  For the complete recipe, click through to The Italian Dish.  If you decide to try this dough, be aware that the measurement of flour is a starting point, and you will have to add more as it's kneaded. Here are some photos of the process of forming the dough.

First, it's divided into twelve pieces, then rolled into long snakes.  If the dough starts to tighten up and refuse to stretch out, just let it rest for 5 minutes and it will cooperate again.  Next, twist two pieces together and make a circle 'nest'.  Place on a greased pan to rise.  You can make six of these nests, or you can make braids.  I made three nests and two braids.  To make the braids, choose three snakes and start braiding in the center, then do the other side.

Allow the bread to rise for about one and a half to two hours or until it is nearly doubled in size.  Preheat the oven and prepare to bake!  Crack an egg into a small bowl and mix it up with a splash of water to make an egg wash.  Brush the dough with this and add sprinkles if you choose.  My son loved helping with this and pressing an egg into each nest.  

The eggs cook in the oven with the bread.  It puffed up and baked and browned beautifully.  I was so pleased with the result and couldn't believe I made such a pretty treat.  Golden brown on top,  soft and fluffy on the inside, this is a great recipe for a special day.

 

Yogurt Cake with Blueberries

This recipe comes from the book Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard and is a common in France. The author credits Clotilde Dusoulier of the blog Chocolate & Zucchini for this recipe which is adapted for the American kitchen.  This cake is not too sweet, wonderfully moist, and perfect for breakfast the day after you bake it.

Yogurt Cake (Gateau au Yaourt)

1 cup plain yogurt:  The recipe calls for whole milk yogurt, I used 2% greek because that's what I had in the                                     fridge.  I used one 7 oz container and called it a cup.

1 cup sugar

Large pinch salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil)

2 eggs

1 2/3 cups flour  

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

zest of one orange (or lemon)

1 heaping cup of blueberries (or any other fruit you choose)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly oil a 10 inch round cake pan and line it with parchment paper.

Combine the yogurt, sugar, salt and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Add the oil slowly, whisking to combine.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing each one in. 

Sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda into the wet ingredients and whisk to combine.  Stir in the orange zest.

Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan and spread the fruit on top.  Bake in the center rack for 45 minutes, until golden brown and risen in the center.  A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.

Let the cake cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.  This is a perfect unfussy dessert or snack for a weekday.  As you may have noticed it's very adaptable, so use whatever fruit you like, or none at all.

Almond Cranberry Muffins

The downside of using almond flour for baking muffins is that the texture is more coarse than with wheat flour.  The upside is that they are gluten free (if that's what you're into) and very high in protien.  These muffins are a nice golden brown with bright lemon flavor and tart cranberries.  They are great for breakfast or a snack; the kiddo gobbles them up with gusto.

Almond Cranberry Muffins

recipe slightly altered from Elana's Pantry (check out her blog for lots of other great recipes)

2 cups almond flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

1/4 cup oil

3 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

zest and juice of one lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 12 cup muffin pan.

Combine the eggs, sugar, oil, lemon zest and juice and mix well.  Add the dry ingredients and stir, then fold in the cranberries.  If you are using frozen cranberries, defrost them by rinsing in hot water.  The batter will be very wet and look different from most of the muffin batters you may be used to.  Fear not.  Divide into the muffin tin and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.  A toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin should come out clean when they are done.  These muffins will not puff up and be as light and airy as others, but they will be super moist and very tasty. 

Fresh Bread

Is there anything so mouthwatering as fresh bread slathered with butter?  Or how about a tomato sandwich made with crusty, chewy bread and drizzled with olive oil?
Making bread at home can be so intimidating that many people never venture to try it.  For years I never made anything that required yeast.  If a recipe needed yeast, it was categorically rejected along with recipes where eggs had to be separated or a food processor was required.  I didn't want to be bothered with waiting for something to rise was unsure about the whole process of buying, storing and using yeast. 
Actually, it can be found in any grocery store and stored a very long time in the refrigerator.  It has also been a pleasant surprise to learn that recipes which require yeast detail how to make the product just like any other recipe.  It's really not mysterious at all. The first time I made this bread I was very disappointed to say the least.  The dough is very wet, and I used way too much flour transferring it to the oven which made an ugly mess.  I had to cut off all the crust, which was just fine with my son who never eats the crust anyway, but it bothered me because I love a good crust.  However, I tried again a few days later and had better results.  I have now made this recipe 4 times and am persuaded that it's strengths outweigh its shortcomings.  This bread recipe has two major strengths.  The first is that the dough doesn't require kneading which means it also doesn't require a heavy duty mixer or dough hook.  The second outstanding feature is that this bread has superior flavor because it utilizes a long, slow rise.  If you want top notch flavor in your bread, it needs to rise slowly so that the flavors can develop.  This bread uses a minuscule amount of yeast, but over time it raises the dough and fills the kitchen with a wonderful homey smell.  This long, slow fermentation also gives the finished bread those distinctively uneven holes and that toothsome texture and requires no effort from the baker.

The recipe was developed by Jim Lahey and can be found here.  The basic formula is to mix up the dough the day before you want to bake bread. The dough should be wet enough to stir with a sturdy spoon.  This will sit and do its mysterious fermentation overnight so that you have a fragrant dough to work with the next day.

The recipe instructs you to use a cloth for letting the dough rise, but I found parchment paper easier to work with and clean up. You can see in these three photographs the transition from a blob of dough, to a nice firm ball of dough, to a fully risen dough ready for baking.  You can tell it's ready to bake when a poke with the finger doesn't spring back.


For baking, it's important to heat the pot and lid you're using as you preheat the oven.  The purpose of the lid is to seal in the moisture from that sticky dough, creating steam inside the pot.  Professional bread bakers use steam injection ovens to get this effect because it produces exceptional crust and allows the dough to expand more fully before it dries out and hardens.  I also cut an X in the top of the last dough I made before putting the lid on and baking it which yielded a prettier loaf.  I like to eat pretty food.

This is home made bread for the people.  Super duper simple and straightforward, this recipe requires nothing more than flour, water, yeast and salt.  You'll also need to leave it unattended for long periods of time, letting the yeast do the work while you get on with your day.  If you're still a little unsure or if you just want more information, you can see a video of the whole process with the baker on Martha Stewart's website.  The video is on the left. Happy Baking!

Lemon Bars

Lemon Bars are a rich and wonderful treat with the buttery crumbly crust, creamy tart lemon and magical sprinkling of powdered sugar on top. 

This recipe is from Southern Living magazine, contributed by Trisha Stevens of Scottsdale, Arizona.

Luscious Lemon Bars

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup (that's 2 sticks) cold butter, cut into pieces

4 large eggs

2 cups sugar

2 lemons, zested and juiced

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

powdered sugar to sprinkle on top

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line bottom and sides of a 13x9 inch pan with foil or parchment paper, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides.  Lightly grease paying attention to the sides, where it is more likely to stick. 
Stir together 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup powdered sugar.  Cut in butter using a fork, or smash it into the flour by squeezing it between your finger tips.  Press into bottom of the pan and bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a large bowl until smooth; whisk in granulated sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Make sure you have at least 1/3 cup lemon juice and at least 1 teaspoon lemon zest.  I like LOTS o' lemon, so I used 1 tablespoon zest, and more than 1/3 cup juice.  Stir together the baking powder and remaining 1/4 cup flour; whisk into egg mixture.  Pour mixture over hot baked crust and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until filling is set. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes.  Lift from pan, using foil sides as handles.  Cool completely on a wire rack about 30 minutes.  Remove foil, and cut into bars. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

DL Chocolate Tart

When I decided to make an indulgent Chocolate Tart for Valentine's Day and began to research recipes, it was no contest.  David Lebovitz's recipe is the only one I would even consider.  I totally agree with everything he has to say in his post and have no interest in making a tart that focuses on cream and sugar when what I really want to eat is chocolate.  Honestly, there are few desserts that compare with a really excellent chocolate bar in my personal opinion.
This super dark and decadent tart takes chocolate to the next level.  With un-sweet and bittersweet chocolate, caramel, coffee and rum it is like no pie you've ever tasted.  If you love someone who loves chocolate, make this and seal their affection for you forever this Valentine's Day.

Click through for the complete recipe at David Lebovitz living the sweet life in Paris.  He gives clear and easy to follow instructions but here is a brief outline of the steps and ingredients involved.  We begin by making caramel.  If you've never made caramel before, don't be scared because it's really fun to see dry sugar transform into molten sauce. 

Just remember that liquefied sugar gets seriously hot and be very careful.  Have everything you need and an oven mit ready at hand before you begin.  Be patient.  Once the caramel is a nice golden color, coffee is added (stand back!), then butter (!!) and this hot and luxurious sauce is used to melt the chocolate.
The mixture is glossy and smooth and luscious; then eggs and a little flour and rum are added before it's poured into a pre- baked shell.  I used my typical pie crust rather than the sweet crust recommended with this recipe.

After it is baked, it needs to cool completely before serving.  The finished product is indeed a delectable and toothsome tart of deep dark chocolate flavor.  You will not be dissapointed.

Broccoli: It's what's for dinner

My small son was dismayed to come to the dinner table and find nothing but a big bowl of broccoli and some veggie fried rice.  It was a delicious meal of Ginger Garlic Broccoli and yummy rice, but it held no charms for him.  Admittedly I am no lover of broccoli either, but in an effort to bring more green veg to the family I have been trying some new recipes.  This is a cool season vegetable, so now is the time to find it on sale along with cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and greens such as spinach.       I had high hopes that this recipe would magically transform the broccoli into an irresitably savory mouthful that even my child wouldn't be able to resist.  This dish is very tasty, but it's not magical.  I followed the recipe I found on Simply Recipes and just increased the flavor a little bit here and there.  The grown-ups at the table were pleased with the result.

Broccoli with Ginger and Garlic

1 pound broccoli

2 Tablespoons fresh ginger finely chopped

3 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

2 Tablespoons cooking oil

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons sesame oil

1 pinch red pepper flakes

sesame seeds to sprinkle on top

Begin by washing and chopping up the broccoli.  Separate the florets from the stems.  Peel the stems with a vegetable peeler and chop them up.  Break the florets apart to your desired size and put them in a separate pile.

Heat the cooking oil in a big saute pan and add the broccoli stems.  Let them cook for a few minutes before adding the florets because the stems will cook more slowly.  Stir everything so that it's all evenly coated.  Now scoot the broccoli to the outside of the pan so that you have a little space right in the middle to add the garlic and ginger. You may need to add another splash of oil here to get it going.   Let the garlic and ginger become fragant, then stir everything together and add the stock, soy sauce and sesame oil.  Stir and cook on high heat.  If the broccoli is getting over done, you can take it out with a slotted spoon and let the sauce reduce on it's own.  Continue cooking the sauce until only a few tablespoons remain, then add the broccoli back to the pan.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.

Mini Lime Cheesecakes

I hesitated to post about this recipe for mini cheesecakes.  They aren't particularly pretty, and if you're a real cheesecake aficionado, these are not for you.  However, they are very easy to make and really tangy and tasty, and best of all they are much lower in fat than the real thing.  Since I'm more of a chocolate girl I don't like to waste too many calories on other desserts, but this makes a nice treat for my husband.
You may be wondering just how easy and how low fat this recipe is.  Well, let me tell you that the crust is no more than a vanilla wafer cookie dropped into each cup in a muffin tin.  No sour cream, and only one block of cream cheese, how can this be creamy and delish?  The cheesecake is made with neufchatel cheese and 2% greek yogurt.  Greek yogurt is very high in protien and wonderfully rich and creamy.  My favorite brand is Fage, click through to check out lots of good recipes on their website.  If seeing is believing, then take a look at this photo.  That's high protien, low fat, super thick, healthy yogurt.
Mini Lime Cheesecakes

12 vanilla wafer cookies

1 (8 ounce) package neufacthel cheese

1 (7 ounce) cup of 2% plain greek yogurt  (we're going for low fat, not no fat)

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 lime, zested and juiced

Lay the cheese, yogurt and lime out and let them warm up to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Spray a muffin tin with oil or line with paper cups.  Place one vanilla wafer in the bottom of each muffin cup. 

Place all ingredients in a food processor.  You will have cheese, yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla, the zest of one lime, and about 2 Tablespoons of lime juice in there.  Whiz everything all up until it's smooth and lucious.  Pour it into the muffin tin and bake at 325 for about 25 to 30 minutes.  The little cakes will puff up while baking and then fall again as they cool.  Pop them out of the tin and let them cool completely, then refrigerate.  I like these better after they are nice and cold.  The texture is better, and the lime flavor really comes out.  Some fresh strawberries would be lovely with these tangy treats.