Cranberry Orange Cream Cheese Pull-Aparts

When in doubt, bake!

24 Rhodes frozen bread dough rolls, thawed but still cold
5-6 ounces of craisins
¼ cup of melted butter
¾ cup granulated sugar, divided
2/3 cup (6 oz) softened cream cheese
3 T fresh squeezed orange juice
1 T grated orange rind & lemon rind (orange zest, lemon zest)

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Press about 1 tsp of craisins into each roll. Place rolls into 9 x13 baking pan coated with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine butter, ½ cup sugar, cream cheese and orange juice. Blend well and pour over the rolls. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size.

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine ¼ cup sugar, rinds and remaining craisins; sprinkle mixture over risen rolls.

Bake in preheated oven at 350F for 25 minutes or until rolls in the center are done.

Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle over baked rolls. Serve warm.

Notes:
Don’t use more than 24 rolls in a 9 x 13 even if it looks scant when you start. Don’t use more cream cheese than it calls for unless you are fine with it bubbling over the top in the oven.
I skipped the lemon altogether and it was good that way too. Just didn’t want to fuss with two kinds of juicing etc.

Very Berry Coffee Cake

I figured it was long overdue to post here and since berries are starting to be in season, what better reason to bake this. (Especially since it's cold outside.)

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup (1 stick) butter
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
2 cups of berries: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries or a combination thereof
(I’ve even tried it with mango. I think it worked out fine.)

Preheat oven to 375o F. Lightly spray a large square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Combine flour and brown sugar in a large bowl. Cut in butter until resembles coarse crumbs, stir in cinnamon; set aside ½ for topping. Add and stir in baking powder and salt to remaining mixture.

In a small bowl whisk egg and milk together; add to flour mixture, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Pour batter into baking pan: sprinkle with berries and served flour mixture. Bake 30-40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven, serve warm.

Serves 12.

I made this recipe for a bake sale, used two smaller square tins (7x7) and divided the recipe into the two pans. They came out great, but I did add a tiny bit more berries to each.

Diane's Banana Cake with Orange Icing

I was looking for something different to do with ripening bananas, this recipe is fantastic!

Cake –
¼ cup softened butter or margarine
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 t. grated orange rind
2 cups flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
½ buttermilk or sour cream

In a bowl cream butter and add sugar, mix well.
Add eggs 1 at a time beating well after each addition.
Beat in vanilla, bananas, and orange rind.
In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Stir into egg mixture alternating with buttermilk (or sour cream).
Grease and flour a 9 inch baking pan or a bundt pan.
Bake at 350o for 40 minutes or until cake springs back. Cool for 20 minutes and remove from pan, cool completely before icing.

(I think this would be awesome with a handful of chocolate chips thrown in too, but what isn’t?)

Icing –
1½ cups powdered sugar
2 T. yoghurt
1 t. orange rind
1 t. orange juice

Mix all ingredients together until smooth, spread over cake.

Andrea's Apple Crisp (that I got from someone else)

Apples:
8c granny smith apples (5 lg or 8 sm) peeled and sliced

Sugar Mix:
2/3 c sugar
2 Tbsp flour
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Crumble Top:
1 1/2 c oats
1 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 c brown sugar
2/3 c butter, softened or melted
1/2 t salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

Layer apples, sugar mix, crumble top, REPEAT.

9x13 pan, 350 degrees for 35-40 min.

Ellen's Tiramisu

Recipe Ingredients

2 cups boiling-hot water
3 tablespoons instant-espresso powder
(*or 2 cups espresso)
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
3 tablespoons Tia Maria (coffee liqueur) - *can substitute with rum or brandy
4 large egg yolks
1/3 cup dry Marsala (*can use less if you don't want too much alcohol flavor)
1 pound mascarpone (2 1/2 cups)
1 cup chilled heavy cream
36 savoiardi (crisp Italian ladyfingers; two 7-oz packages)
Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting


Cooking Directions

Stir together water, espresso powder, 1 tablespoon sugar, and Tia Maria in a shallow bowl until sugar has dissolved, then cool.

Beat egg yolks, Marsala, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water using a whisk or handheld electric mixer until tripled in volume, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove bowl from heat. Beat in mascarpone until just combined.

Beat cream in a large bowl until it holds stiff peaks.

Fold mascarpone mixture into whipped cream gently but thoroughly.

Dipping both sides of each ladyfinger into coffee mixture, line bottom of a 13- by 9- by 3-inch baking pan with 18 ladyfingers in 3 rows, trimming edges to fit if necessary. Spread half of mascarpone filling on top. Dip remaining 18 ladyfingers in coffee and arrange over filling in pan.

Spread remaining mascarpone filling on top and dust with cocoa. Chill, covered, at least 6 hours.

Let tiramisu stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving, then dust with more cocoa.

Carol's Almond Squares

Blend together:
1C butter
1C sugar
1 egg
2 tsp almond flavoring

Then add:
1/2 tsp baking powder
2C flour

Spread in 9x13, 350 for about 25 min. Done when edges start to slightly brown.

These came via Linda and Andrea T. (Thanks for making them and thanks for the recipe!) Yum!

Double Chocolate Tiramisu

Chocolate fans will cheer this twist on tiramisu: It has ladyfingers infused with cocoa and espresso and an ethereal filling of chocolate and cream cheese. One bite and you'll be transported to your favorite trattoria.

Yield: Serves 20

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 hours chilling time

Ingredients:

  ● 3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for garnish 

  ● 3 cups heavy cream

  ● 8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped 

  ● 2 bar (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature 

  ● 1.5 cup sugar

  ● 36 ladyfinger cookies from a 7-ounce package (I think pound cake could work too)

  ● 3  tbsp espresso powder

Directions:

 1. In a medium bowl, mix cocoa powder and espresso powder with 3 cups very hot water until dissolved; set cocoa mixture aside. In a small microwave-safe bowl, place 1/2 cup cream and chocolate; microwave in 1-minute increments, and stir until melted. Cool to room temperature.

 2. Transfer cooled chocolate mixture to a mixing bowl; add cream cheese and sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat until blended. Add remaining cream; beat chocolate filling until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

 3. Spread 2 cups chocolate filling in the bottom of a 9x13 serving dish. One at a time, dip ladyfingers in cocoa mixture, then arrange in a single layer in dish; spread with 2 cups chocolate filling. Repeat with three more layers, ending with filling.

 4. Cover tiramisu, and refrigerate at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days). Dust with cocoa powder before serving.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares

• Ingredients

  Makes 24

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice 
  • (If you can't find pumpkin-pie spice, substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon each allspice and cloves (all ground).1 teaspoon baking soda)
    
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (I use the whole can, which makes it really moist, but also needs to cook a little longer)
  • 1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

  • Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
    2. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
    3. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
    4. Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into 24 squares.

Ellen's Caramelized Pears with Ice Cream

Recipe Ingredients

4 ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, cored
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar (*I used less sugar - 1/2 cup or little more)
1 pint ice cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place pears in large bowl; toss with lemon juice and vanilla. Melt butter in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add sugar; shake skillet to spread sugar evenly.
Place pears, cut side down, in skillet; drizzle with any remaining lemon juice mixture from bowl.
Cook until sugar begins to dissolve and mixture bubbles all over, shaking pan often, about 5 minutes.
Transfer skillet to oven. Bake pears until soft and juices are golden, about 15 minutes.
Divide pears among plates. Top each pear half with scoop of ice cream. Drizzle with sauce from skillet and serve.

Pecan Tassies

1/2 cup butter

¾ cup packed brown sugar

1 3-oz Philadelphia cream cheese

1egg

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325⁰F

Combine butter and softened cream cheese, mixing until well blended.

Add flour; mix well. Chill 30 min.

In separate bowl combine brown sugar, egg, and vanilla; mix well Stir in nuts.

Spray your muffin pan with Pam

Divide dough into 24balls; Press into a miniature muffin pan.

Fill each cup ¾ full of brown sugar mixture.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan

Makes 2 dozen.

Pumpkin Cake

3 1/3 c. flour

2 tsp. baking soda
3 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Mix dry ingredients and add:

1 c. oil
4 eggs
2/3 c. water
2 c. pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Prepare sheet cake pan by greasing with vegetable oil or butter and sprinkling lightly with flour. Shake out excess.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Frost with Cream Cheese Icing

(Mix in 5 Minutes) Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

aka Chocolate Turtle Cake

This is one I just make as a trade for some seamstress help with someone at work. I got rave review and it's so easy. Since I typed it up to send to them I thought I would post it too. You can certainly leave off the "turtle topping" and use the ganache recipe. Sometimes I do the ganache with fresh or frozen raspberries...

(Mix in 5 Minutes) Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

Combine:
1 ¾ cup flour
2 cups sugar
¾ cup cocoa
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Add:
2 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup oil
2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat 2 minutes on medium speed.
Then add 1 cup boiling water, mix on slow until blended.

If making into a turtle cake: melt 1 ½-2 tablespoons of butter, pour into a 12” round (same volume as a 9x13). Coat bottom and sides with melted butter. Pour cake batter into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until pick inserted comes out clean. Cool and turn onto platter.

Turtle topping:
¾ cup caramel topping
¾ cup chocolate chips

Melt together in microwave, being careful not to over heat. Spread warm mixture on cooled cake. Top with coarsely chopped pecans. Heat another ¼-½ cup of caramel and drizzle over top.

Paula's Ganache

This one's for Andy...

Use Chocolate Ganache for icing or filling, it will do a 9x13 cake or about 15-18 cupcakes. It also make a great ice cream topping.

12 oz or bittersweet chocolate
10 oz (1 1/4 cup) cream

Blast chocolate in food processor to the texture of fine nuts. (I have tried to do this by using my food chopper to get the chocolate chopped. It's more mess but can be done.)
Pour in hot cream. (Heat on stovetop, not in mircowave).
Process for 10 seconds to emulsify.
Or by hand add chocolate to hot cream and whisk until emulsified.

(It looks wrong until you get it all blended.)