Baked Beignets

Today isn't just doughnut day. I promise. It's an old old old tradition that was started to help people use up their extra fat and sugar before Lent starts.

Throughout Louisiana and France and probably just about every high school French class, people are heating up the fryers to make some fresh and greasy beignets for Mardi Gras. Back home, all my Dutchy friends have long been set for Fastnacht Day. I can't deny my heritage...or some tasty doughnuts! But my waistline sure wishes I could deny it a few extra inches...

Imagine my excitement when I realized that you could actually bake doughnuts! So of course, you can bake beignets! Just take a look at these little guys...bite sized baked goodness sprinkled with powdered sugar. Mmm. Or you can drizzle them with Caramel Sauce or drown them in Chocolate Syrup...oh-my-goodness. Delicious.

Baked Beignets [click to print]
Makes about one dozen beignets


3 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 pkg. active dry yeast (OR 2-1/4 tsp.)
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4 T. butter, cold and cubed
3/4 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. warm water
1 egg, large
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, yeast, powder, soda and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry knife until mixture is crumbly and about the size of peas OR pour mixture in food processor and pulse until right texture is achieved then return to large mixing bowl.

Add buttermilk, water, egg and vanilla to flour mixture. Beat on low speed with dough hook or paddle attachment until just combined. Knead by hand or continue mixing on medium speed until dough pulls together and forms a smooth blob; this will take about 5 minutes by mixer.

Spray bowl with nonstick cooking spray and place dough in bowl. Cover with damp cloth and place in warm area to rise 15-20 minutes.

Remove dough from bowl and roll out about 1/4" to 1/2" thick. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to slice dough into four rows and three columns. Place dough pieces on cookie sheets and cover with a piece of plastic wrap, sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Bake 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Sift powdered sugar over warm beignets and devour. These would also be delicious with Chocolate Syrup or Praline Sauce!

Source: Recipe slightly adapted from 400 Calories or Less; Mardi Gras and Fastnacht info from BellaOnline  and Wikipedia

Sweet Sixteen: Mardi Gras

That's right, it's party time! There are so many classic desserts for Mardi Gras that make my mouth water just thinking about them! So from Po' Boys to King Cake to Beignets and Bananas Foster, get ready to celebrate Mardi Gras in delicious style this year!

(Top to Bottom, Left to Right)

Fast, Easy King Cake, Southern Pecan Praline Scones, How to Decorate Mask Cookies, Pecan Lace Cookies

Creole Bread Pudding, King Cake by Baked Desserts Cafe, Bananas Foster, King Cake Cupcakes

Pecan Praline Cookies, Cream Cheese Filled King Cake, Pecan Praline French Toast, Chocolate Chip Pecan Praline Granola Cookies

Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding, Muffaletta Bread, Po' Boy, Beignets

Peanut Butter Overload

Deep down inside, doesn't everyone need a little more peanut butter in their lives? Okay, fine. Maybe not people like Sarah who claim to be allergic to those darling little nuts. But for the rest of us normal people, a jar of that creamy and/or crunchy nutty buttery stuff is always stocked in the pantry. A sometimes dangerous thing, but oh so delicious.

So it's my coworkers birthday this week and she's basically in love with peanut butter and most especially Reese's Pieces. This cake was designed with her tastebuds in mind...we'll find out tomorrow if it truly satisfied her PB-cravings!

[UPDATE: This cake didn't last long around the office, so I think it was a success!]

Peanut Butter Overload

Ingredients:

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. peanut butter

4 eggs

1-1/4 c. flour

3 T. potato starch, packed (if you can't find potato starch, you can substitute cornstarch, it just might slightly affect the flavor of the final product)

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 c. half and half

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Cream together sugar, butter and peanut butter on low speed until pale-ish tan and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure to incorporate well between each addition.

Whisk together dry ingredients in a separate bowl. In another bowl, whisk together liquid ingredients. Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients to creamed mixture, in a total of 5 additions, beginning with dry. After ingredients are combined, beat on low for about 20 seconds.

Line bottom of 9" round baking pan with parchment paper; don't spray sides of pan. Pour batter into pan and bake at 350 for 55-65min. or until done.

The cake was filled and topped with chocolate peanut butter ganache and smothered in cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Garnished with crushed Reese's Pieces. Yummers.

Fat Tuesday: Figs

I remember my mom telling me about picking figs from the trees in her backyard growing up in Arizona and just sucking the fresh fruit. It turns out there's a fig tree in the park across from my new apartment, so basically my backyard, and they should be ripe by the end of august! The more I thought about those figs, the more ideas I had. Doesn't a fig and date combo sound delicious? And because I lack patience, a few days after I found out about that little tree, I made a quick trip to the grocery store to buy just a few before our local figs are in season.

This cake doesn't have the traditional fancy pants american presentation with rich frosting and gooey filling, just a nice big blop of fresh whipped cream on top, and it sure is delicious! Oh, and the figs add a unique sweet flavor, too, so don't skip those even if they're hard to find! You'll want to chop at least 5 for the batter...and maybe a few more to taste while you work...

Date and Fig Spice Cake

(adapted from A World of Cake)

1 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. sugar

5 eggs

2 c. flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

3/4 c. half and half

1/4 c. water

1 c. dates and figs, chopped

1/2 c. pecans, chopped

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure eggs are incorporated fully before adding the next one.

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl and whisk together. In another large, separate bowl, combine liquid ingredients and whisk together.

Slowly alternate adding dry ingredients and liquid ingredients to creamed mixture in about 5 additions. Gently stir in dates/figs and pecans.

Line bottom of 6" or 8" squaring baking pan with parchment paper, spray sides with nonstick spray and pour in batter. Bake at 350 for 45-55min.

Fat Tuesday: Fast and Fancy!

We all have those days where we just need something tasty and fancy real fast. Here's your quick sugar fix! For added flair, I garnished mine with turbinado sugar crystals (coarse grain sugar) and crushed walnuts.

(PS...I know it's Wednesday again, but I finally got internet set up at my new apt this afternoon and I'm back on track! Woot!)

Brown Sugar Crunch Torte

(Betty Crocker Ultimate Cake Mix Cookbook)

1-1/2 c. chopped walnuts

1-1/2 c. vanilla wafer crumbs

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. butter, melted

1 box German chocolate cake mix

1-1/3 c. water

1/2 c. oil

3 eggs

8oz whipped topping

Mix walnuts, cookie crumbs, brown sugar and butter in large bowl. Spread about 3/4 c. walnut mixture in each pan; save the rest for later.

Prepare cake mix as directed on box, using water, oil and eggs. Pour slightly less than 1-1/4 c. batter over walnut mixture in each pan; spread evenly. Refrigerate remaining batter.

Bake about 22 min at 350 until done. Remove cake from pan and allow to cool on rack, walnut side up. Repeat with remaing walnut mixture and batter to make 4 layers. Allow layers to cool completely.

Fill each layer and top of cake, walnut sides up, with about 3/4 c. whipped topping and enjoy!

Fat Wednesday? What the what?!

So timelines aren't really my greatest thing. And it's already Wednesday, which is a whole day after Tuesday in case you lost track, too. Plus maybe I was/still am moving and didn't have internet and haven't quite yet unburied all my baking supplies. But never fear! It's summer and there's always something good going on in the summer.

My sister and I went to visit my dear Mama (she's my gramma, not my mom, but my mom is equally as dear and charming, just not as wrinkly, sorry, Mama) at the farm earlier this summer. I was all excited to go tromping through the woods to find fresh, wild blackberries and raspberries. Well, I came to find out that, according to Mama, who's pretty much always right, strawberries are the first berries of the season and it was definitely first-berry-time. We got to pick through her little strawberry patch together in the blazing sun, tasting fresh, warm berries. Delicious! And so here is my strawberry cake, in honor of Mama.

Strawberry Almond Butter Cake

(adapted from CakeLove)

6 oz. butter, unsalted

14 oz. sugar

4 eggs

2 oz almond flour

5 oz. white flour

2 oz. potato starch

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 c. half and half

1/4 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. strawberry puree (this is just plain, pureed berries, no sugar!)

1 T. vanilla

Cream butter and sugar together until nice and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, incorporating each egg before adding the next.

In separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together liquid ingredients. Alternate adding dry and liquid ingredients to creamed mixture in about 5 additions, beginning with dry.

Preheat oven to 350. Line bottom of 9" round cake pans with parchment paper. Spray sides of pans with nonstick spray. Bake for 25-28 min. Allow cake to cool in pan.

Meanwhile...prepare the almond buttercream...

Ingredients:

3 c. powdered sugar

1/3 c. butter or margarine

1-1/2 tsp almond extract

1 to 2 T. milk (I think whole milk is best, it makes it nice and creamy, but skim works okay, too)

Combine powdered sugar and butter. Add extract and 1 T. milk. Slowly add more milk, a tsp at a time, until frosting reaches the desired consistency.

If you really wanna make this decadent, after you frost your cake layers with buttercream, smother it with white chocolate ganache and slivered almonds!

White Chocolate Ganache

5 oz. heavy cream

1 T. butter

12 oz. white chocolate chips

Heat cream and butter in saucepan until it gets frothy and bubbly, but not boiling. Pour over white chocolate; stir until mixture is smooth. Allow to set in fridge until thick, then frost the cake, over a thin buttercream layer.

Fat Tuesday: Summer Vacation

So really, I was planning to travel somewhere amazingly awesome this summer, but then I went to the dentist. Boo. So for now, my tongue will be traveling alone. First stop, Indonesia! This cake is extremely rich, just wait until you see how much butter and how many eggs are in this little thing, but it has a great milky flavor and unique texture. Very different from our regular American cakes but delicious! If you're brave enough to give this recipe a try, I suggest doing it on a colder day and with some company around...it took about 2 hours to complete!

Thousand Layer Cake

Ingredients:

2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp mace

1 tsp cardamom

1 tsp ginger

3 sticks butter, unsalted, softened

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

12 eggs, large

1-1/4 c. flour

Preheat broiler. Yes, you read that right. This cake is baked in thin layers using the broiler. Spray the bottom and side of a 9-inch round cake pan; line bottom with wax or parchment paper.

Combine spices and set aside.

In separate bowl, combine butter, 1/2 c. sugar, vanilla and salt. Add egg yolks and beat until smooth. Fold flour into batter with a rubber spatula.

In another bowl, beat egg whites with remaining 1/4 c. sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold into egg yolk mixture, being careful not to over-mix.

Divide batter between 2 bowls. Add spices to one bowl and stir well. Now you have a bowl of spiced batter and a bowl of plain batter. Starting with the spiced batter, pour about 1/2 c. into pan, spreading it to form a thin layer (about 1/8"). Put pan under broiler for about 2 min. or until the layer is light brown on top. Remove pan from oven and spread 1/2 c. plain batter onto cooked layer; broil until firm. Repeat layering pattern, alternating between spiced and plain batters, until batters are gone.

Slice into thin layers and enjoy!

Fat Tuesday: I just need some chocolate!

Ever get those awful cravings---wait, maybe "awful" isn't the right word...delicious?---and find yourself just aching for a mouthful of rich, moist chocolatey goodness! This hefty pound cake is best if you can find cocoa powder that's 22-24% cocoa butter...you'll have to go to a specialty store or order it online. But regular cocoa powder (normally 10-12% cocoa butter) will work, too, the color will just be a little lighter brown and won't have quite as deep of a chocolate flavor. Still good, especially if you drizzle a little orange and vanilla glaze on top!

Chocolate Orange Pound Cake

(Adapted from CakeLove and Betty Crocker)

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter

3 c. sugar

4 eggs

3 yolks

2 c. flour

1/2 c. + 2 tsp cocoa powder

2 T turbinado sugar

1 tsp potato starch

1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt (if you used salted butter, reduce this to 1/2 tsp)

1/2 c. sour cream

3/4 c. + 2 T whole milk

1 T vanilla extract

Cream butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add eggs and yolks to butter mixture one at a time, making sure each egg is completely mixed in before adding the next.

Whisk dry ingredients together in separate bowl. Whisk liquid (this includes sour cream) ingredients together in another bowl. Alternate adding dry and liquid ingredients to butter/egg mixture in about 5 additions. Mix on medium speed about 15-20 seconds to build structure.

Spray bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray with starch (that's really important!). Fill pan about 3/4 full and bake at 350 for 50-55min.

Vanilla Glaze

1 c. powdered sugar

1 to 2 T milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine sugar, 1 T milk and vanilla in bowl and mix; stir in additional milk 1 tsp at a time until the glaze is smooth and about the consistency of honey. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake and allow to set until firm.

Orange Glaze

1 c. powdered sugar

1 to 2 T milk

1/2 tsp orange extract

2-3 drops orange food coloring, if desired

Combine sugar, 1 T milk, orange extract and food coloring in bowl and mix; stir in additional milk 1 tsp at a time until the glaze is smooth and, you guessed it, about the consistency of honey. Drizzle glaze over vanilla glaze, allow to set and take a big bite!

Fat Tuesday: Sunshiny Day!

In the heat of the summer, nothing perks up your tastebuds and cools you down like a tall glass of lemonade. This cake is a nod to our favorite summery, tangy, citrus-y fruit. Lemon with a hint of lime...deliciousness!

Lemon Drop

(adapted from CakeLove, Betty Crocker)

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter

3 c. sugar

5 eggs

1 yolk

2-1/2 c. flour

1 T potato starch

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 c. sour cream

2 T heavy cream

6 T whole milk

1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 T lemon juice

2 T lemon zest

1 T lime zest

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and yolk, one at a time, beating until combined after each addition. In another bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In separate bowl, whisk together liquid ingredients. Alternate adding dry and liquid ingredients.

Line cake pans with parchment paper and spray sides with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350 about 40min. or until done. Allow cake to cool in pan about 10-15min. and turn out on cooling rack.

Lime Buttercream:

3 c. powdered sugar

1/3 c. butter

1-1/2 tsp lime juice

1 T lime zest

1 to 2 T whole milk

Mix powdered sugar and butter on low speed. Add lime juice and zest. Slowly add milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Frost cooled cake with buttercream and allow to set in refrigerator for at least 30min.

Lemon Curd:

1 c. lemon juice

2-1/4 c. sugar

2 tsp cornstarch

4 eggs

4 yolks

1-1/2 sticks butter

Whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in lemon juice. Add eggs and yolks. Whisk in cold butter, 1 T at a time. Heat to a simmer on medium, whisking continuously. When thick bubbles start forming (after about 10 min), whisk briskly for one minute. Pour into stainless steel bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressed against the surface to keep it from forming a skin. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Pour lemon curd onto center of frosted cake and smooth over top with spatula.

A Pound of Love

I used to think I didn't really love eating fancy cake. Making them? Yes. Eating them? Not so much. And then I had this heavy bundt of love sitting on my counter and I took a bite. That gooey cinnamon warmed my entire soul. Yes, I'm falling in love with cinnamon.

Dulce de Leche

(Adapted from CakeLove)

Ingredients:

8 oz butter (2 sticks)

24 oz sugar (3 cups)

5 eggs, large

1 yolk

13.5 oz flour (2-3/4 c. flour)

1 T cornstarch

1 T cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

8 oz sour cream (1 cup)

2 T heavy cream

1 T vanilla extract

6 T whole milk

1 T lemon juice

2 T lemon zest

1 tsp lime zest

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs/yolk one at a time until combined.

In separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together liquid ingredients. Alternate adding dry and liquid ingredients to egg mixture. Spray bundt pan well with nonstick spray with flour (the flour makes a difference!) and fill pan about 3/4 full.

Bake about 50-55 min at 350.

When cool, drizzle with dulce de leche sauce. Yum!

Welcome to Fat Tuesday!

After a crazy weekend, a longer-than-necessary Monday and nearly a full week still staring me down, my mind is just reeling with the possibilities sitting in my pantry. So what's a girl to do? Well, obviously there's only one thing to do: Set some butter on the counter and get out the bucket, yes, bucket, of sugar. Thank goodness for Fat Tuesday!

I've had multiple requests for this recipe after bringing it to my work's international potluck (what's more american than me and apples?), and finally, here it is! This recipe is adapted from Bon Appetit, CakeLove and Me!

Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

Preheat oven to 350. Coat 9" square cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and line bottom with parchment paper.

Part I: Caramel Apple stuff

1-1/2 cup sugar

2 T butter

4 apples (12 slices/apple)

Combine sugar and butter in saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add apples and cover; allow to cook until sugar caramelizes. Remove from heat and pour into pan.

Part II: Cinnamon cake

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

3 cups sugar

5 eggs

1 yolk

2-3/4 cup flour

1 T cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup sour cream

2 T heavy cream

2 T lemon zest

7 T whole milk

1 T vanilla

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and yolk, one at a time. In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together liquid ingredients. Alternate adding dry and liquid ingredients until combined. Pour batter on top of caramel apple mixture.

Bake until done, about 50 min. Allow to cool about 10-15min, loosen sides from pan and turn onto cooling rack. Serve warm or cool, it's delicious either way!