Category Archives: Baked Goods

Shelly’s Pumpkin Ginger Muffins – I love Pumpkin

Posted on October 14, 2012 | 1 comment

My friend Shelly who is an excellent cook and baker gave this recipe to me back in 2012.  I wanted to try them because I love all things Pumpkin and ’tis the season. I was leaving Colorado for the season and  planned on freezing these delicious beauties so they would be here when we return. Shelly said that she freezes them, then takes them out for breakfast individually by putting the frozen muffin in the microwave  or toaster oven. A little butter and jam don’t hurt either. The list of ingredients may seem daunting. I had to shop for a few of the items, but don’t let this stop you because these are fairly healthy and a perfect brunch/breakfast item, or good for just mid-afternoon tea. They contain fiber and aren’t cloyingly sweet. I love ginger and I love pumpkin. If you don’t like the ginger spice you can cut down or eliminate the crystallized ginger. Wow, pumpkin and ginger. What more can I say? Thanks so much Shelly for your contribution.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 cups wheat bran

approx. 1/3 cup of crystallized ginger (very small pieces), available in Whole Foods and most supermarkets

2 tsp. baking soda

4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 15 ounce can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling- be careful)

2/3 cup buttermilk

2/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup molasses

2 tsp. vanilla extract

4 large eggs (room temperature please)

raw sugar to sprinkle on top

Muffin cups (the paper kind are perfect)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees .

Combine flour, whole wheat flour, wheat bran, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, ginger powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir well to combine, then make a well in the center.

Combine brown sugar, canned pumpkin, buttermilk, canola oil, molasses, vanilla and eggs, and whisk it all together until well combined. Add this mixture into the flour mixture and stir well until moist. Mix in the crystallized ginger.

Coat muffin tins with baking spray. I use a 12 muffin tin. Spoon mixture into cups. I used a large tablespoon and just dropped in. (See picture.) Sprinkle raw sugar on  top of muffins before baking (use as much or as little as you like).

Bake for about 16 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Mine baked for 17 minutes. Let cool down and remove from pan onto wire rack. If you have no wire rack just a baking sheet will do.

Enjoy! These are delicious and pretty nutritious. Serving size should make about 24 muffins.

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Posted in Baked Goods, breakfast, muffins

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake – I love Pumpkin

Posted on October 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

It’s pumpkin time again! and I am clearly obsessed  with pumpkins. This is a pretty easy  to make bundt cake. Perfect for Thanksgiving or any time. You can make it ahead of time and freeze for another, or make two. While you’re making the mess anyway, you might as well bake two, and freeze one. Got this one from Gourmet Magazine. Just saying while I’m not a big raw cookie dough person I am a very big batter person and this batter was pretty delicious right out of the bowl!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for greasing bundt pan (or spray with Pam) I buttered this time

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting the pan

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15 ounce can; not pie filling)

3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs (room temp. is always best for baking)

Icing:

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons well shaken buttermilk

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

You will need a 10-inch nonstick bundt pan (3 quart)

Directions:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter/spray bundt pan generously then dust with flour and knockout excess flour.

Whisk together flour ( 2 1/4 cups) , baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together pumpkin, 3/4 cup buttermilk and vanilla in another bowl.

Beat butter ( 1 1/2 sticks) and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 – 5 minutes, then add eggs and beat another minute. Reduce speed to low and add flour and pumpkin mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth.

Spoon batter into pan, smoothing top, then bake until a cake tester or wooden pick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 45 – 50 minutes. Cool cake on a rack for about 30 minutes, then invert cake , mine slid right out onto rack. I completely cooled cake for a few hours before I iced it. You can ice while cake is still warm however. I would let it sit for at least 1 hour before I iced though. It came out perfectly. Icing will get hard on the cake and be very white, it’s a beautiful presentation.

Icing:

While the cake is cooling, whisk together buttermilk and confectioner’s sugar until smooth. Drizzle icing over warm cake, then cool cake completely. Icing will harden slightly.

Cake can be made 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container, I would ice it when I planned on serving it.

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Posted in Baked Goods, breads/cakes, Cake, dessert

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Cookie Dough with Nutella and Peanut Butter

Posted on October 5, 2012 | 1 comment

Fall is in the air , there is that little bit of crispness in the morning and for some unknown reason I feel like baking cookies.  This is a great cookie dough which is easy to prepare and contains  Nutella and Peanut Butter, so really how bad can this be? anything with Nutella and Peanut butter has to be good in my book. As I said I was in  a bit of a mood for baking cookies and made this recipe, baked up some of the dough and left the rest in freezer. Luckily I am not a cookie dough eater because this dough is pretty good. You can make this dough and leave it in the freezer for when you’re ready to use it.  Original recipe is from The Pioneer Woman. I left out the M&M’s but will add when I make for the kids. This is just simply a great little cookie. Perfect Halloween cookie, and the beauty of this is that whenever I feel the urge to bake up some cookies, I take out the dough and slice off what I need and return the dough to freezer! I love it! 🙂 Make them as small or large as you like. M&M’s make them more festive. Should store in freezer for a few months. (wrapped tightly)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup ( 2 sticks ) Salted Butter, softened at room temperature

1 1/4 cup Packed Brown Sugar ( I used light brown sugar)

1/4 cup Granulated Sugar

2 whole eggs (room temperature)

1 tablespoon Vanilla

2 Tablespoons Creamy Peanut Butter

2 Tablespoons Nutella

*1/2 cups very finely chopped Pecans

*3/4 cups M&M’s roughly chopped or mini M&M’s which would not require chopping

Directions:

Combine flour, instant coffee, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Stir together and set aside.

Cream together the butter with the sugars, scraping the bowl once down while mixing. Add eggs, mixing in one at a time, and add vanilla. Add peanut butter and Nutella and mix. Add in dry ingredients in stages, mixing gently after each addition. Scrape the bowl once and mix again. (Don’t overmix)

Add chopped pecans and M&M’s if you’re using them and mix gently with spatula (rubber) to combine.

Spoon dough on a long piece ( or 2 shorter pieces) of waxed paper or plastic wrap. Carefully roll the dough inside the wrap, pressing gently to get it to form into a firm cylinder. Refrigerate for at least 3 to 4 hours or place into the freezer for 20 – 30 minutes.

To bake the cookies:

when you are ready to bake preheat the oven to 375 degrees . Slice off as many cookies as you’d like and lay the slices on a baking sheet, I love the silicone mats. Thicker slices will need to be placed further apart. The cookies will bake up flat. Bake for 10 minutes, or until nice and golden brown. I sliced off rather thin slices and only baked for about 7 minutes, you’ll have to check depending on how thick you slice dough. These are just such nice cookies to serve made delicious by the chocolate/peanut butter flavor. How awesome to  have the dough in your freezer to slice off whenever you’re in the mood for a home baked cookie?

Enjoy!

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Posted in Baked Goods, cookies, dessert

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Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Citrus Glaze

Posted on September 30, 2012 | 2 comments

Whenever I bake with cream cheese I never get a dry cake. It moistens the cake like nothing else.  I got this recipe out of Bon Appetit and it is nothing short of amazing. It is fairly simple , has a lot of citrus ingredients, lime, orange, and lemon but nothing exotic or difficult to obtain.  You’ll need a standard size loaf pan, I like the glass ones, but any kind will do just fine and you will need a zester that zests finely. (not a grater, a zester which you can buy at any kitchen supply store)  You can bake this cake a day ahead , and do the glaze before you’re about to serve. I cut the cake into 1/2 ” thick slices.

Ingredients:

parchment paper

nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

2 tsp. finely grated orange zest

1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

1/2 tsp. finely grated lime zest

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

3 large eggs , room temperature

5 oz. ( 2/3 cup cream cheese) , room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Glaze:

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar ( confectioner’s sugar)

1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest

1/4 tsp. finely grated lime zest

2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice

1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Directions:

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat loaf pan generously with nonstick spray. Line the bottom and long sides with parchment paper (see picture) you’ll want to leave about 1 1/2 ” overhang. Coat the paper with nonstick spray.

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a medium size bowl, set aside. Combine 1 1/4 cups sugar and all the zest in another medium bowl, set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese till blended and smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar mixture, beat on high-speed until very light and fluffy , 3 -4 minutes. Reduce speed to low setting, add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on low-speed, gradually add dry ingredients; mix just to blend ( do not overbeat or cake will become tough) Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan; smooth top.

Bake cake until golden brown color and it springs back when gently pressed with your fingertips and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 60 – 70 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cake cool down in pan for 30 minutes at the least.

Meanwhile prepare glaze, stir lemon juice and 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved for lemon syrup. Using parchment paper overhang as an aid, remove cake from pan, peel off and discard any paper. Place cake top side up on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. ( see picture) Using a skewer, pierce top of cake all over, inserting skewer about halfway through the cake.

Using a pastry brush , ( I love love the silicone ones) baste with lemon syrup. Use all of the syrup plus any that may have dripped onto baking sheet. Let cake cool completely.

Glaze:

Whisk all ingredients in a medium size bowl. Pour over cake. Scoop up any glaze that may have drpped into baking sheet and spread over top and sides of cake. Spread over top and sides of cake. Let cake stand at room temperature until icing is set, this should take about 30 minutes or so.

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Posted in Baked Goods, Cake, dessert

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Another French Toast Recipe – Breakfast/Brunch

Posted on September 22, 2012 | 1 comment

A subscriber of mine sent this recipe to me last Yom Kippur. It really does make me so happy when people contribute, it just sometimes takes a while for me to get around to posting it. I do try to cook everything that I post when possible but it’s not always possible.  I never did get to post it because by the time I got it, holiday was over , I plan on trying this one this year in addition to my other Baked French Toast. ( which is tried and true)  I haven’t as of yet made it, but am fairly confident that it is very good. Thanks Irene, and apparently it hails from Sally Jesse Raphael of all people! It looks super easy and not a lot of ingredients at all!

Ingredients:

1 loaf white bread, cubed

8 oz. cream cheese , cut into cubes and softened

1 dozen eggs, beaten

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 cup milk ( I wouldn’t use skim) use skim plus if you must

Directions:

The night before ,( spray with Pam) an 11 x 13 baking dish. Line the pan with 1/2 the bread cubes, layer all of the cream cheese on top , add remaining bread cubes. Pour Egg, Syrup and Milk mixture over the bread .  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Next day bake before serving in an uncovered oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes till lightly golden in color.

Enjoy!

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Posted in Baked Goods, Breakfast Food, Holiday, Holiday Recipes, meatless

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Posted on September 21, 2012 | 1 comment

This is a fantastic French Toast recipe . I posted last year for Yom Kippur and here we go again. Don’t miss out on this one, if you’re looking for a new recipe to break the fast.

cookingwithcandi's avatarCooking with Candi

A few years back, my friend Ilene Stern turned me on to this baked french toast recipe. It is an absolute hit—an out of the ballpark hit. It is so totally decadent and delicious. I never have a single piece left over. It is just amazingly awesome. Once you make it, you will always make it. I make it twice a year: Mother’s Day, always; and if I make break fast on Yom Kippur it is on the table. It is the most perfect brunch item I know. The only down side is that you must refrigerate this dish overnight, and you can’t cook it until you’re ready to eat it. I have travelled with it uncooked and I just cook it when I get to wherever I’m going. So thanks, Ilene, and enjoy. If anyone out there has a better recipe or any ideas, I’d love to hear them.

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Posted in Baked Goods, Dairy, Holiday

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A Real Deal Blueberry Cobbler

Posted on September 19, 2012 | 3 comments

Last summer I posted a few things to do with blueberries. I recently found this recipe and realized it was a combination of 2 separate recipes–one for the blueberry filling and one for biscuits. When combined, this is a true cobbler and not a crisp. Yum! The thing of it is that you really don’t want this hanging around in the fridge for too long, because it is that
good. You will keep eating it and I promise you that. So make it for company and at least six people so you have a teensy bit left over. Use the fresh blueberries which are in abundance now. It’s almost a must to serve this with vanilla ice cream, as it complements it so well! If you’d like, you can make this a day ahead for sure, I’ve even frozen it. It comes out perfectly. Now is the time to try and bake this delightful dessert with all of the beautiful blueberries out there. I think it’s still good to try and make this, just had to get this one out.

Ingredients:

1 pound blueberries or 3 1/2 cups

1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot

2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh)

1 cup all -purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar ( you can use turbinado (raw ) sugar as well ( divided)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk ( don’t use fat free, if you must, use 2%) I prefer whole milk in baking or low-fat buttermilk always works.

3 tablespoons butter, melted

3/4 cup boiling water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the blueberries in an ungreased but sprayed ( I always use Pam or else I can’t clean the pan) 8 or 9 inch square baking pan. Sprinkle with cornstarch
and drizzle with lemon juice. Set aside.

In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the milk and the butter.

Stir until just combined ( shouldn’t be smooth) then drop mounds of dough onto the blueberries.

Pour boiling water over the dough and fruit. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/4 cup sugar.

Bake until the biscuits are golden brown and the blueberries are bubbly. 45- 60 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature. If you are preparing ahead , either frozen or in fridge, take out of freezer and bring to room temperature, I then put in oven till it starts to bubble.

Should serve 8

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Posted on September 17, 2012 | Leave a comment

This Plum Torte was amazing. Light and delicious. I used larger plums so used less plums. Highly recommend making 2 and freezing for Thanksgiving.

cookingwithcandi's avatarCooking with Candi

photoDSCN4225DSCN4214DSCN4216My friend Ellen sent me this recipe in the spring of last year and I couldn’t find these plums anywhere. She re-sent it to me and I think it’s a most perfect dessert, and I was thinking it would be so perfect for Jewish Holidays but the plums will no longer be available soon.  You can make two and freeze one or freeze both of them for the holidays.  Ellen is an awesome cook so I totally trust her on this.  So here you go. It’s best made with the small italian plums that are out end of August and early September and you know how much I love using seasonal fruits and veggies. Thanks Ellen.

These plums can be called Italian Prunes as well, and try and use them because they are beyond delish!

Perfect for freezing.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup sweet butter softened (room temp. or I soften for…

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Julie’s Honey Cake with Whiskey – Holiday Recipe

Posted on September 14, 2012 | 1 comment

DSCN4319Firstly, thanks so much Julie for taking the time out of your busy baking to send me these wonderful recipes and allowing me to post them on my site. Julie bakes and sells her products in the Aspen area and will ship anywhere, the name of her company is Aspen Jewels Bakery.  Julie also said to inform all of us who live at high altitude that this is strictly a “sea level” cake, if cooked at high altitude it will sink and will be raw inside. This is unfortunate, but there are lots of other cakes to bake.  High Altitude baking is treacherous. You will need a tube pan for this cake.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ginger

3 eggs ( room temp)

1 cup vegetable oil or canola oil which Julie recommends

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon Whiskey

1 cup Honey

1 1/2 cups coffee (just leave it in a cup from the morning coffee)

1/4 cup orange juice from a fresh orange ( you will need the zest anyway)

1 Tablespoon orange zest

1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a tube pan with flour spray. Beat honey, sugars, eggs and oil. Add zest. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Add coffee and juice alternating with dry ingredients. Fold in nuts. Bake for 70 – 90 minutes until tester comes out clean. Let cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan. Let cool completely.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Or you can make a chocolate glaze to put on top . Once the cake cools down.

Chocolate Glaze:

this is perfect to drizzle over cakes of any kind, it is my recipe for chocolate glaze. You may have to play with the consistency. Add the powdered sugar slowly till you achieve the texture you want. You can always add a little more warm water to thin it out.

3 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder

2 Tablespoons melted butter

1 cup powdered sugar ( confectioners)

3 Tbsp. warm water (could use milk but not necessary)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter, add all ingredients , ( go slowly with sugar), Stir until well mixed and smooth. You may need to play around with icing to get the consistency you want. Drizzle on cooled down cake.

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Plum Torte

Posted on September 13, 2012 | 3 comments

photoDSCN4225 DSCN4214 DSCN4216My friend Ellen sent me this recipe in the spring of last year and I couldn’t find these plums anywhere. She re-sent it to me and I think it’s a most perfect dessert, and I was thinking it would be so perfect for Jewish Holidays but the plums will no longer be available soon.  You can make two and freeze one or freeze both of them for the holidays.  Ellen is an awesome cook so I totally trust her on this.  So here you go. It’s best made with the small italian plums that are out end of August and early September and you know how much I love using seasonal fruits and veggies. Thanks Ellen.

These plums can be called Italian Prunes as well, and try and use them because they are beyond delish!

Perfect for freezing.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup sweet butter softened (room temp. or I soften for a few seconds in microwave , but don’t melt)

1 cup flour, sifted

1 tsp. baking powder

pinch salt

2 eggs ( always bake with room temp. eggs unless otherwise stated)

12  pitted purple italian plums, halved*  ( often called Italian Prunes) If you can’t find the Italian Prune type you can use regular plums, but try and make this now while they are in the store and freeze this.

lemon juice and sugar for topping

Directions:

cream sugar and butter, add flour , baking powder, salt and eggs, beat well. Cut a round piece of parchment paper and line a 9 inch springform pan. Spoon the batter into pan ( it will be thick so you’ll need to spread it a bit). Place plum halves skin side up. Sprinkle plums lightly with lemon juice and then sprinkle sugar all over. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool, invert and gently peel off paper then invert again – plum side up.

This is a keeper.

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