Ciambellone
Ciambellone or Italian Easter Bread is a ring shaped cake is lightly sweetened and flavored with lemon zest and sometimes dried fruit. Romans like to serve it for Easter breakfast.
INGREDIENTS
4 Cups Unbleached Flour
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
½ Cup Sugar
½ Cup Milk
¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
½ Cup Softened Butter
½ Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Egg
Powdered Sugar For Dusting
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the flour on your work surface creating a well in the center. Alternating, add the dry and wet ingredients to the well. After each ingredient is added mix well with your fingers or a fork. Add more flour if needed to make the dough workable. Knead the dough until it is smooth. Shape the dough into a ring. Beat the egg lightly with water. Brush the top of the ring with the egg wash. Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes until golden brown. If you want your ring to be perfectly uniform then you can use a springform pan with the center insert. This will allow you to have a picture perfect ciambellone. Dust the ciambellone with powdered sugar or you could use colored sugar as a topping. Serves 8
Coconut Cake
This week is Easter and coconut cake is on my mind. I wanted to make a cake that is a bit more traditional. Enjoy this time with family and friends and have a Happy Easter.
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Cup Unbleached Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
¾ Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Softened Butter
1 Cup Sugar
2 eggs
2/3 Cup Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2/3 Cup Coconut
Additional Coconut For Garnish
Cream Cheese Frosting
Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a large bowl cream together the butter and the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla. Next add the dry ingredients alternating with the milk. Mix well. Add the coconut. Pour the batter into two prepared 8 inch round cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool in the pans, on wire racks, for 15 minutes. Remove from the cake pans and cool completely. Frost and top with more coconut.
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 Ounces Softened Cream Cheese
½ Cup Softened Butter
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter on medium just until blended. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. With the speed on low, add the powdered sugar in 4 batches and beat until smooth between each addition. Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before using.
Hot Cross Buns
Hot Cross Buns is a favorite during spring and the Easter season. Hot Cross buns are a sweet, yeast leavened, spiced roll made with currants or raisins. They have long been a symbol of Good Friday. Each bun has an icing cross on top to signify the crucifixion
INGREDIENTS
1 Package Active Dry Yeast
1 Cup Warm Milk
5 Tablespoons Softened Butter
½ Cup Brown Sugar
2 Large Eggs
½ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
½ Teaspoon Ground Cloves
½ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
3 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour
¾ Cup Dried Currants
3 Tablespoons Milk Mixed With 3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cold Milk
1 Cup Sifted Powdered Sugar
½ Teaspoon Lemon Juice
Mix the yeast with 4 tablespoons of the warm milk in a small size bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes. In a medium size bowl cream together 4 tablespoons of the butter and brown sugar. When the yeast is frothy, stir it in, along with the spices, salt and remaining warm milk. Beat in the flour one cup at a time until a soft ball of dough can be gathered together. Place the dough on a floured work surface and lightly knead in the currants, adding more flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Kneading should take no more than a few minutes. Using some of the remaining butter to grease a large bowl. Place the dough in a bowl and turn the dough to butter all sides. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 1 ½ hours. The dough should be doubled. Butter two baking sheets with the remaining butter. Punch down the dough and divide it in half. Then divide each piece in half again. Divide each portion of the dough into six equal pieces and shape each into a ball. Place the balls of dough on the baking sheets leaving 2 inches between them. Set aside covered lightly with waxed paper for 1 hour. The dough should have doubled in size. Preheat your oven to 400° F. Carefully slash a cross into the top of each bun using a very sharp knife or razor blade cutting through the skin of the dough at least ¼ inch deep. Try not to compress the bun as you cut. Bake the buns for 20 minutes until they are lightly browned. Just before they come out of the oven, bring milk and sugar mixture to a boil in a small saucepan. As soon as the buns are done, brush them with the milk and sugar glaze. Allow the buns to cool for 30 minutes and then serve them while they are still warm. If you have not cut the cross into the tops of the buns the cross can be applied with the icing. The buns must be completely cooled before the icing is applied. Mix the powdered sugar with the cold milk and lemon juice. Using the handle of a spoon or chopstick spread the icing to form a cross on top or to fill the cross shape cut. Makes 24
Spiced Pound Cake
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Butter
1 ½ Teaspoons Ground Nutmeg, Mace or Cinnamon
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 2/3 Cups Sugar
5 Eggs
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
Have all the ingredients at room temperature. Soften the butter and add the spice of your choice and the salt. Beat for 4 minutes with an electric beater or 8 minutes by hand. Gradually blend in the sugar until fluffy, beating 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Finally, beat in the flour. Turn the mixture into a well greased and lightly floured bundt pan or 9×3 ½ inch tube cake pan. Preheat your oven to 350°. Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out cleans. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Turn out on a wire rack to finish cooling. Serves 8
Cream Biscuits
INGREDIENTS
3 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
¾ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 ¼ Cups Heavy Cream
Move your oven rack to the upper middle position and preheat your oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the cream for 30 seconds until combined. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and gather into a ball. Knead briefly for 30 seconds until smooth. Shape the dough into a ¾ inch circle. Dip a 2 ½ biscuit cutter in flour and cut the biscuits into rounds. Recombine the scraps as needed to make 12 biscuits. Place the rounds on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes – rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking. You want the biscuits to be golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Makes 12 biscuits.
Cream Cheese Pound Cake
This cake is moist, tender, golden brown and very velvety. It has all the richness and pure buttery flavor of classic pound cake, but with a delicate tang.
INGREDIENTS
3 Cups Cake Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
4 Large Room Temperature Eggs
2 Room Temperature Egg Yolks
¼ Cup Milk
3 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3 Cups Sugar
24 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (3 Sticks)
6 Ounces Softened Cream Cheese
Before you turn on the oven adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat your oven to 300° F. Grease and flour 12 cup nonstick Bundt pan. In a medium size bowl, combine the flour and salt. In a 2 cup liquid measuring cup whisk the eggs, 2 yolks, milk and vanilla. In a separate large size bowl, beat together (by hand or with an electric mixer) the sugar, butter and cream cheese for 3 minutes until fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and very slowly add the egg mixture until incorporated. The batter may look slightly curdled. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Give the batter a final stir by hand. Scrap the batter into a prepared pan and gently tap the pan on the counter to release air bubbles. Bake for 80 to 90 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely, for about 2 hours. Serve plain or topped with frosting or fruit. Serves 12
Irish Soda Bread
Irish Soda Bread is super easy to make in no time at all. You don’t have to wait for dough to rise which makes this recipe a nice little quick bread.
INGREDIENTS
3 ¾ Cups Unbleached Flour
½ Cup Sugar
4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ Pound Cold Unsalted Butter Cut Into Small Cubes
1 2/3 Cups Raisins
2 Teaspoons Caraway Seeds
3 Large Room Temperature Eggs
1 Cup Buttermilk
Preheat your oven to 400° F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. In a large size bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture is the texture of fine meal. Stir in the raisins and caraway seeds. In a medium size bowl whisk two of the eggs to combine. Whisk in the buttermilk. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Put the dough on a floured work surface and pat into a loaf. Now pat into the prepared pan. Beat the last egg to a mix and brush the top of the loaf with it. Using a sharp knife cut a ¼ inch deep lengthwise slash down the middle of the loaf leaving 1 inch margin at either end. Bake the soda bread in the middle of the oven for 1 hour until well browned. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Turn the loaf out onto a rack and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes one 9 inch soda bread.
Shamrock Cut Out Cookies
On St. Patrick’s Day everyone is Irish! These cookies are so cute they just might bring you a wee bit o’ luck!
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Softened Butter
3 Ounces Softened Cream Cheese
¾ Cup Sugar
1 Large Egg
1 ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 Cups Unbleached Flour
Frosting:
2 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar
2 Tablespoons Water
1 Tablespoon Softened Butter
1 Tablespoon Light Corn Syrup
½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Drops Green Food Coloring
In a large size bowl combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla. Beat at a medium speed for 2 minutes until creamy. Scrape the bowl often. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour. Beat for 1 minute. Divide the dough in half and wrap each in plastic wrap and flatten slightly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours because you want the dough to be firm. Preheat your oven to 375° F. Remove the dough from the fridge. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface one half at a time. Keep the remaining dough in the fridge. Roll out to ¼ inch thickness. Cut with a 2 ½ inch shamrock cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool completely on wire racks. When cool frost. Makes 3 ½ dozen cookies.
Frosting: In a small size bowl combine the powdered sugar, water, 1 tablespoon butter, corn syrup and vanilla. Beat at a medium speed until the powdered sugar is moistened. Continue beating until the mixture is smooth. Add additional water if you need to. Tint with the food coloring and beat for 30 seconds. Frost the cooled cookies.
Garlic Bread
Pasta Dishes seem lonely without Garlic Bread which is so easy to make. there are several ways to make
Garlic Bread. The easiest way is by rubbing a cut clove of garlic over the slices of Italian bread
by spreading the bread with butter and heating in the oven.
INGREDIENTS
1 Loaf Italian Bread
1/2 Cup Softened Butter
2 Large Smashed & Minced Garlic Cloves
1 Teaspoon Freshly Chopped Parsley
Preheat your oven to 350 F. Make 1 inch slices into the bread. Do not go all the way through, but just to the bottom crust.
In a small size bowl mix the butter, garlic and parsley together. Put a teaspoon of the butter mixture between each slice.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Makes 16 to 20 slices.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
These Red Velvet Cupcakes are unbelievably good. They are so good I could eat 5 in one sitting!
INGREDIENTS
2 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour
½ Cup Cocoa Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Softened Butter
2 Cups Sugar
4 Eggs
1 Cup Sour Cream
½ Cup Milk
1 Ounce Red Food Color
3 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a medium size bowl mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large size bowl beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on a medium speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour mixture on low speed. Spoon into paper lined muffin cups. Fill each cup 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool completely. Spread with the Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting. Makes 30 cupcakes.
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting: In a medium size bowl beat 8 ounces of softened cream cheese, 4 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons sour cream and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 16 ounces powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar) until smooth.
