Guinness Chocolate Cake
Thank you Arthur Guinness!
INGREDIENTS
CAKE
1 Cup Guinness Stout
2 Cups Sugar
½ Cup Butter
2 Tablespoons Butter
½ Cup Cocoa
1 Cup Sour Cream
2 Large Eggs
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
2 ½ Teaspoons Baking Soda
FROSTING
½ Cup Heavy Cream
8 Ounces Cream Cheese
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 ¼ Cups Powdered Sugar
Preheat oven to 350° F. You will need a 9 inch cake pan. Grease and line with parchment paper. In a medium sized saucepan pour the Guinness and add ½ cup of butter. On medium-low heat until the butter is melted. Remove and whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Set aside. In medium sized bowl, beat the eggs, vanilla and sour cream until it is combined. Next add the sour cream mixture to the Guinness mixture in the saucepan. Finally, beat in the flour and baking soda. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes or until done (toothpick comes out clean). When done remove from oven and cool completely (in the pan) on a wire rack. Remove from pan and frost. Serves 8
Frosting: Beat the cream cheese, vanilla and powdered sugar together until creamy. Slowly add the heavy cream and beat until well combined. The frosting should be spreadable at this point.
Tart Cherry Pie
INGREDIENTS
Pastry For 9 Inch Two Crust Pie (Top & Bottom)
1 1/3 Cups Sugar
4 Tablespoons Quick Cooking Tapioca
6 Cups Fresh Or Frozen Pitted Tart Cherries
¼ Teaspoon Almond Extract
3 Tablespoons Butter
Preheat oven to 400° F. Prepare pie pastry.
In a large bowl, combine sugar and tapioca. Add cherries and stir well until blended. Pour into a 9 inch pastry lined pie plate. Sprinkle with almond extract and dot with butter. Cover with remaining pastry and flute. Cut slits in the pastry so that steam can escape. Cover the edges of the crust with foil to prevent excessive browning. Place pie on baking sheet and bake for about 45 to 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and juice begins to bubble through the slits on the crust. Remove foil during the last 15 minutes of baking. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack before cutting and serving. Serve warm or at room temperature. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you wish. Serves 8
Key Lime Pie
INGREDIENTS
Crust
1 ¼ Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
2 Tablespoons Sugar
6 Tablespoons Melted Butter
Filling
14 Ounces Sweetened Condensed Milk
5 Egg Yolks
½ Plus 2 Tablespoons Fresh Key Lime Juice
You May Use Bottled Key Lime Juice, But Fresh Is Always Better
TOPPING
¾ Cup Chilled Heavy Whipping Cream
Preheat oven to 350° F. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a medium size bowl until combined well. Press mixture evenly onto bottom on a 9 inch glass pie plate. Bake crust in the middle of the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pie plate on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.
Whisk together condensed milk and egg yolks in a large bowl until combined well. Add the lime juice and whisk until combined well. The mixture will be slightly thickened. Pour filling into the crust and bake in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool pie completely on a wire rack. The filling will set as it cools. Cover and chill for about 8 hours.
Just before serving, beat the whipping cream in a chilled bowl with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Serve pie topped with the whipping cream. Serves 6
Chocolate Waffles
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
2 Tablespoons Sugar
½ Teaspoon Salt
4 Separated Eggs
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Cups Milk
Preheat waffle iron. Sift flour, cocoa and baking powder into a medium sized bowl. Mix in the sugar and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the egg yolks, oil and milk. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and gently combine. In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites with a mixer until they form soft peaks. Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter. Next mix in the chocolate chips. Ladle 1/3 of the batter onto the center of the waffle iron. Close the top and cook until the waffle is crispy on both sides. Serve immediately with the toppings of your choice. Serves 6
Caramel Popcorn
Who doesn’t love caramel popcorn?! I have heard that there is a movie theater in LA that sells homemade caramel corn. I would go to the movies just for the caramel corn!
INGREDIENTS
3 Quarts Popped Popcorn
3 Cups Dry Roasted & Unsalted Mixed Nuts
1 Cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
½ Cup Light Corn Syrup
½ Cup Butter
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Preheat oven to 250° F. In a large roasting pan combine the popcorn and nuts. You wish to leave the nuts out or just use one type of nut. Place in the oven while preparing the glaze. In a medium saucepan combine brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt. Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and then continue to boil for 4 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. Next pour over the warm popcorn and nuts. Toss to coat the popcorn well. Bake another 60 minutes. Stir frequently (about every 10 minutes). Cool and break apart. Store in an airtight container. Makes 4 quarts
Coconut Macaroons
INGREDIENTS
14 Ounces of Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 Whipped Egg White
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 ½ Teaspoons Almond Extract
14 Ounces Flaked Coconut
Preheat oven to 325° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, egg white, vanilla, almond extract and coconut. Mix well and drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto parchment paper. Slightly flatten each mound with a spoon. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Immediately remove from the parchment paper. Macaroons may stick if allowed to cool. Cool on wire racks and store loosely covered at room temperature. Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.
Whoopie Cake
INGREDIENTS
½ Cup (1 Stick) Softened Butter
1 Cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Buttermilk (or Sour Milk)
Whoopie Filling (Below)
Heart Shaped Pan
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour heart pan. If you don’t have a heart pan you can use whatever cake pan you like and improvise.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until well combined. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add half the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix until dry ingredients are almost incorporated. Stop mixing and add the buttermilk. Continue to mix until all ingredients are almost incorporated. Stop mixing and add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Pour the batter in the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until center springs back when gently pushed. Remove cake from oven and cool for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
To assemble cut cake in half and spread bottom layer with filling and sandwich with the top layer. Yummy! Serves 8
Whoopie Filling
INGREDIENTS
6 Tablespoons Softened Butter
1 ½ Cups Sifted Confectioners’ Sugar
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
1 Jar (about 7 ounces) Marshmallow Cream
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add sugar and salt to the butter and mix well. Add marshmallow cream and vanilla. Blend well. Use immediately to fill pie or refrigerate covered up to 1 week. Bring back to room temperature and lightly beat before using. Makes about 2 ½ Cup of filling.
Sfingi
St. Joseph’s Day Zeppole
INGREDIENTS
Ricotta Cream Filling
One 15 Ounce Container Ricotta
¾ Cup Confectioners’ Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
¼ Cup Mini Chocolate Chips
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Candied Citron Or Orange Peel
Dough
1 Cup Water
4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) Unsalted Butter
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Unbleached Flour
4 Large Eggs
Vegetable Oil For Frying
Candied Cherries – Cut In Half For Garnish
2 Tablespoons Chopped Unsalted Pistachios For Garnish (Optional)
Confectioners’ Sugar
In a medium Bowl, whisk the ricotta, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips and candied fruit. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
To make the puffs, bring the water, the butter and the salt to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat, add the flour all at once and stir well with a wooden spoon until the flour is completely incorporated.
Return the saucepan to medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly and turning the dough often, until the dough begins to leave a thin film on the bottom of the saucepan (about 3 minutes). This dries the dough so the puffs will be crisp. With a rubber spatula, scrape the dough into a large bowl. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Continue to beat until smooth – about 2 minutes more.
In a deep heavy saucepan or deep fryer, heat about 3 inches of oil until the temperature reaches 375° F on a deep frying thermometer or until a small bit of the dough dropped into the oil sizzles and turns brown in 1 minute. With a tablespoon, scoop up a rounded spoonful of batter and with another spoon, carefully push the dough into the oil so that it doesn’t splash. Continue to add the dough by the spoonfuls without crowding the pan. The dough will puff up and double in size to do not add too many at one time or they will stick together. Cook, turning them often, until the dough breaks open – about 4 minutes. Continue to cook 1 to 2 minute more or until crisp and golden brown. Remove the fritters with a slotted spoon or skimmer and place them on paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining dough. Let cool slightly.
With a small knife, split fritter partway open. Spoon the cream inside, allowing it to show through the split. Press a cherry half into the cream and sprinkle with pistachios (optional). (If it is not St. Joseph’s Day, you can just shake these, without the filling in a bag with confectioners’ sugar and serve like donuts).
Dust the sfingi with confectioners’ sugar. These are best right after they are made. Makes 12
Zuppa Inglese
INGREDIENTS
Custard
3 Cups Milk
1 Cup Heavy Cream
½ Cup Sugar
6 Large Egg Yolks
½ Cup Unbleached Flour
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
One 12 Ounce Butter Pound Cake – Cut Into Thin Slices
½ Cup Marsala Wine
2/3 Cup Sour Cherry Preserves
Whipped Cream
1 Cup Very Cold Heavy Cream
2 Teaspoons Confectioners’ Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Fresh Berries or Shaved Chocolate For Garnish
In a large heavy saucepan, bring 2 cups of the milk, the cream and sugar to a simmer over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat. In a large heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks and the remaining 1 cup milk until blended. Place the flour in a fine-mesh strainer, shake it over the egg yolks and whisk until smooth. Beat in the hot liquid a little at a time.
When all of the milk has been added pour the mixture into a saucepan and return it to the heat. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture begins to boil. Reduce the heat and cook 30 seconds more. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Use the custard immediately or transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic against the surface of the cream and refrigerate. The custard can be refrigerated up to 24 hours.
Place a mixing bowl and beaters in the refrigerator to chill. In a large serving bowl, make a layer of about one-third of the cake slices. Sprinkle the slices with some of the Marsala. Spread with half of the cherry preserves, and custard. Top with the remaining cake slices. In the chilled bowl, with the chilled beaters, whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Spread the cream on top of the cake. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Just before serving, garnish with fresh berries or shaved chocolate. Serves 10 to 12
Tiramisu
INGREDIENTS
7 Egg Yolks
1 Cup Sugar For Egg Yolks
3 Cups Mascarpone Cheese
4 ½ Tablespoons Water
1 ½ Tablespoons Powdered Gelatin
3 Egg Whites
¼ Cup Sugar For Egg Whites
1 Cup Heavy Cream – Whipped
2 ½ Cups Cooled Espresso Coffee
½ Cup Kalhua
20 t0 24 Ladyfingers
1 Cup Chocolate Shavings
In a mixer whip yolks and sugar until thick and pale in color. Add the mascarpone and whip until well combined. Pour water into a small bowl and then pour the powdered gelatin over it. DO NOT STIR. Allow the gelatin to absorb all of the water which will take about 15 minutes. Next place the bowl on top of a small saucepan containing simmering water to create a double boiler. Immediately turn off the heat and allow the gelatin to dissolve completely. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites to a soft peak and gradually add the sugar. Next slowly pour in the dissolved gelatin. Whip to a stiff and glossy peak. Fold the egg whites into the mascarpone and egg yolk mixture and the fold in the whipped cream.
In a separate bowl, combine the espresso and kalhua. Soak 1 ladyfinger at a time in the espresso mixture. In an 8 x 10 inch pan, arrange the soaked ladyfingers close together in neat rows until the bottom of the pan is completely covered. Pour ½ of the “mousse” over the ladyfingers and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle ½ of the chocolate shavings over the mouse. Create another layer and chill until set.
Serves 10 to 12
