Category Archives: sweets

lemon cake with blueberry compote from nigella

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  • 225 grams plain flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 150 millilitres vegetable oil (plus more for greasing)
  • 150 grams caster sugar
  • 275 grams coconut milk
  • 2 lemons (finely grated zest, plus 3 x 15ml tablespoons of juice)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR THE COMPOTE:

  • 150 grams blueberries
  • 1 x 15ml tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 x 15ml tablespoon caster sugar
  • 50 millilitres cold water plus 1½ teaspoons
  • 1½ teaspoons cornflour

FOR THE TOPPING:

  • 250 grams coconut-milk yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2½ teaspoons icing sugar

You will need 1 x 20cm springform cake tin / 1 x 8inch spingform cake pan

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F. Grease the sides and line the base of your springform cake tin with baking parchment.
  2. Combine the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a bowl large enough to take all the other ingredients later.
  3. In a wide batter jug (or another bowl), whisk the oil, sugar and coconut milk together, followed by the lemon zest and juice and the vanilla extract.
  4. Pour the jug of liquid ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients, whisking to combine, then pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30–35 minutes, by which time the top will be golden brown, the sides shrinking away from the tin and a cake tester should come out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and leave the cake to cool completely in its tin. It may sink slightly as it cools, but this need not concern you in the slightest. While you’re waiting, you can get on with making the blueberry compote.
  5. Put the blueberries, lemon juice, caster sugar and the 50ml / 3 tablespoons of cold water into a saucepan and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer, stirring gently every now and again, for a couple of minutes until the blueberries have softened in the now garnet-glossy liquid.
  6. Take the pan off the heat and, in a small cup, slake the cornflour with the 1½ teaspoons of cold water and stir this paste into the pan of blueberries, making sure you scrape every last bit out. Stir together, put the pan back over the heat and stir gently for about 30 seconds, by which time the sauce will have started bubbling again and will have thickened. If you feel it has become too jammy and thick, simply add a little more water and stir it in over the heat. Pour the compote into a small heatproof bowl or jug to let it cool. It will set once cold.
  7. Do not assemble the cake until just before serving. So: unclip the completely cold cake from its tin, unmould it and turn it over (so the underneath is now on top) onto a cake stand or plate.
  8. Mix the coconut-milk yogurt and vanilla together, spoon the icing sugar into a tea-strainer, then sieve it over the yogurt and stir it in, too, before spreading and swirling this soft mixture over the top of the cake. Thrash the blueberry compote a little with a fork to loosen it, and gently spoon it on top, leaving a gleaming white frame. Serve immediately.

one big cookie, dorie greenspan

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1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground espresso (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg 1 tablespoon honey
4 ounces finely chopped chocolate (a mix of dark, milk, and white)
2 ounces finely chopped nuts (optional)
Sanding sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

  1. Whisk together the all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, coffee, spices, and salt; set aside.
  2. Working with a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), mix the pieces of cold butter and both sugars on low speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture forms clumps and then comes together. You’ll see pieces of butter here and there—you’re supposed to. Add the dry ingredients all at once and then pulse the mixer on and off, just until the risk of flying flour has passed. Mix on low-medium speed until you’ve got a bowl of crumbs, about 3 minutes. Lightly whisk the egg and honey together. With the mixer on low, add the egg mixture gradually and then continue to mix until the dough forms clumps. Squeeze a bit of the dough and it will hold together. Beat in the chocolate and nuts, if using.
  3. Reach into the bowl and press the dough into a ball. Turn it out onto a sheet of parchment paper.
  4. Press the dough down, cover it with another sheet of paper and roll it out until it’s about 1/8 inch (3mm) thick. It can be any shape—round, oval, rectangular, raggedy-edged or pristine. It will probably be about 12 x 15 inches (30 x 38cm), but the thickness is more important than the dimensions. Being neat doesn’t buy you anything with this cookie. Slide the sandwiched dough onto a baking sheet and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour (or for up to 3 days). If you prefer, you can wrap the dough well and freeze it for up to 2 months; keep it at room temperature for about 20 minutes before baking.
  5. When you’re ready to bake, center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350°F (180°F). Remove the top sheet of paper; leave the dough on the paper-lined baking sheet. If you’re using the sanding sugar, sprinkle the dough with about 2 tablespoons’ worth.
  6. Bake the cookie for 20 to 24 minutes—the edges will be darker than the middle.
  7. Press the center of the cookie and it should be firm with just a tiny bit of give; it will feel firmer as you work your way out. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and allow the cookie to come to room temperature. If you’re not eating it immediately, you can wrap the cookie well and keep it at room temperature for about 4 days.
  8. You can serve the cookie whole, letting everyone break off pieces (of course there will be crumbs—they’re part of the cookie’s charm), or you can break or cut it in the kitchen and serve the pieces as you would any cookie.

cut out cookies Christina Tosi

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  • 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Cookie Glaze
  • Sprinkles

1. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream on high until homogenous, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and salt, mixing until just combined, about 30 seconds.

2. Remove the dough from the bowl and form it into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.

3. Heat the oven to 350°F.

4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and dust with a sprinkling of flour. Roll it out to a 1/4-inch thickness with a rolling pin on a floured surface. Using cookie cutters, cut out shapes and carefully transfer to a lined or nonstick baking sheet. (Work quickly; the colder the dough, the easier it is to cut, transfer, and bake.)

5. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, until slightly golden around the edges. Cool completely on the baking sheet before glazing and decorating.

6. With a knife, palette knife, or piping bag fitted with a small round tip, outline or frost the top surface of each cookie. Decorate with sprinkles before the frosting hardens.

I love using this glaze on pound cakes, muffins, and layer cakes in addition to cookies. Plus, the recipe takes all of two seconds. Make it right before you need to use it; it’ll harden up if you make it in advance, though you can revive it with 5-second bursts in the microwave until it is zapped back to glaze state.

cookie glaze

1. Put the confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly stream in the liquid of your choice until smooth.

2. Color the icing if desired. Frost away. Makes about 1 cup

Easy cherry crisp from pinterest

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  • 5 to 6 cups cherries washed and pitted
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 unbeaten egg
  • 1/3 cup butter melted

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix cherries with 1/4 cup sugar (reserving 1 cup).
  3. Pour cherries into a greased 8×8 inch pan.
  4. Combine flour, remaining 1 cup sugar, baking powder, salt and unbeaten egg; mix until blended and crumbly.
  5. Sprinkle mixture over cherries. Pour melted butter over the top.
  6. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

6-Minute Small Batch Salted Caramel Sauce from baker by nature

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  • 1/2 cup Granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp Sea salt, flaky
  • 2 tbsp Butter, unsalted
  • 1/4 cup Heavy cream
  • 1 Dash Vanilla or bourbon
  • 1 tbsp Water
  • In a small saucepan over medium-high heat whisk together sugar and water and bring to a boil. Cook until sugar has dissolved, about 1 minute.

    Reduce heat to a simmer. Add in butter and whisk until combined. Simmer until the mixture turns a deep amber color, about 5 minutes. 

    Remove from heat and carefully whisk in the cream (it will bubble up ferociously after you add it!). Whisk until well combined. Whisk in salt. 

    Pour caramel into a heatproof jar. Allow it to cool a few minutes before using.

Maple Cream Pie, Ann Olson

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Pecan Crust
1 ¼ cups (105 g) graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup (30 g) finely chopped pecans
¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter, melted

Pecans
1 cup (140 g) pecan halves
2 Tbsp (30 mL) pure maple syrup (dark, if possible)
1 pinch salt
1 pinch cinnamon

Filling
¾ cup (175 mL) pure maple syrup (dark, if possible)
½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream
4 large egg yolks
1 large whole egg
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

Topping
1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream
2 Tbsp (30 mL) pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp (15 mL) instant skim milk powder
½ tsp (2 mL) vanilla extract

1. Crust: For the pecan crust, preheat the oven to 350 ºF (180 ºC). Stir the graham cracker crumbs, pecans and melted butter together until evenly combined and press this into a lightly greased 9-inch (23 cm) pie plate. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, and then cool while preparing the filling.

1. Topping: Keep the oven at 350 ºF (180 ºC). Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Toss the pecan halves with the maple syrup, salt and cinnamon to coat and spread these in an even layer on the baking tray. Bake the pecans for about 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking, until they are toasted. Once the pecans cool, the maple syrup will harden on.

1. For the filling, reduce the oven temperature to 325 ºF (160 ºC). In a medium saucepan, bring the maple syrup to a boil and boil for 2 minutes (to reduce it and concentrate the flavor.). Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter until it has melted. Whisk in the cream and check that the mixture has cooled to at least just above room temperature (set aside a few minutes if too warm.) Whisk in the egg yolks, whole egg and vanilla and pour this into the cooled pie shell. Bake the pie for about 40 minutes, until it is set around the edges but still has a little jiggle just in the center. Let the pie cool to room temperature, and then chill it for at least 4 hours before topping.Topping

1. Whip the cream until it holds a soft peak and fold in the maple syrup, milk powder and vanilla. Dollop and spread this on top of the cooled pie. Chopped the maple pecans and sprinkle these on top. The pie can be served immediately or chilled until ready to serve, up to 8 hours ahead.
Read more at http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/maple-cream-pie/19422/#9QLdYMWE8iT8Xz00.99

Minny’s chocolate pie from the Help

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  • 1 pie dough crust
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 3/4 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Whipped cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350°. Ease the pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edges decoratively. Prick the crust lightly with a fork. Line the crust with foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes or until set. Remove the foil and weights and bake for about 5 minutes longer, just until the crust is dry but not browned.Step 2    

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk the sugar with the cocoa powder, butter, eggs, evaporated milk, vanilla and salt until smooth.Step 3    

Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake for about 45 minutes, until the filling is set around the edges but a little jiggly in the center. Cover the crust with strips of foil halfway through baking. Transfer the pie to a rack and let cool completely before cutting into wedges. Serve with whipped cream. 

Note: Pie took a lot longer to set, not sure why

banana oatmeal cake, southernkisssed.com

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  • ¾ c all-purpose flour 
  • 1 and one-third cup rolled oats 
  • 1 tsp. baking soda 
  • ½ tsp. salt 
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened 
  • 2/3 c light brown sugar 
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature 
  • 1 c ripe mashed bananas 
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract 
  • ¾ crolled oats 
  • 1/3 c cup light brown sugar 
  • 2 tbsp. butter, melted and cooled 
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon 
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8 x 8 baking pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed of an electric mixer for approximately 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time until well combined. Add bananas and vanilla.
  4.  Add the flour mixture, beating until well combined. Pour into prepared pan and set aside.
  5. For the topping, in a medium bowl combine the rolled oats, brown sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon together until crumbly. Generously sprinkle the cake with the topping mixture.
  6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 20 to 30 minutes.

minute chocolate mug cake from food wishes

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  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 2 tablepoons toasted sliced almonds
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder, or as needed
  • Add all ingredients to list
  1. Whisk egg, sugar, salt, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, butter, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract together in a bowl until smooth. Stir coconut, almonds, and chocolate chips into the mixture; whisk in milk.
  2. Place flour into a small bowl or measuring cup and stir baking powder into flour with a mini whisk or fork. Pour flour mixture over batter and whisk just until you can’t see visible flour.
  3. Divide batter evenly between 2 coffee cups. Gently tap the cups on a work surface to eliminate air bubbles.
  4. Place cups into microwave oven, one at a time. Microwave each cup on High for 60-70 seconds. Nothing will happen in the first 30 seconds; in the last 10 to 15 seconds, batter will begin to rise in the cup. Cooked cake will collapse after microwaving. Remove from oven and let cool 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Lightly dust each serving with confectioners’ sugar and 1/8 teaspoon cocoa. Place each coffee cup onto a saucer and serve.
  • Cook’s Note:
  • To toast sliced almonds, place them into a dry skillet over medium heat and shake the skillet constantly until almonds are golden brown and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from skillet and let cool.

chia cashew chocolate pudding Molly Baz

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  • 7 oz. Medjool dates (about 13), pitted
  • 3 cups cashew milk
  • ⅔ cup raw cashews
  • 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup chia seeds
  • 2 cups whole-milk or coconut yogurt
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup, plus more for serving
  • Flaky sea salt
  • Ground cinnamon (for serving)
  • Blend dates, cashew milk, cashews, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon in a blender on high speed until very smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer date milk to a quart-size jar or resealable container. Stir in chia seeds. Cover and chill at least 6 hours.
  • Do Ahead: Chia pudding can be made 5 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Maple Yogurt and Assembly

  • Stir yogurt and ¼ cup maple syrup in a medium bowl. Transfer to a quart-size jar or resealable container (or reserve yogurt container and use that!).
  • To serve, alternate layering a few spoonfuls of chia pudding and maple yogurt in a small ramekin or 8-oz. glass. Drizzle with maple syrup and sprinkle with sea salt. Dust with cinnamon.