Red Velvet Cake w White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour

1 1/2 cups Sugar

1 teapsoon Baking Soda

1 teapsoon Salt

2 tablespoons Cocoa Powder

1/2 cup Vegetable or Canola Oil

3/4 cup Buttermilk

1/4 cup Roasted Beet Puree (or you can use canned beets)

2 Eggs (room temperature)

2 tablespoons Red Food Coloring

1 teapsoon White Vinegar

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

FOR THE FROSTING

16 oz Cream Cheese (room temperature)

1 stick Butter (room temperature)

2 cups White Chocolate Chips (melted)

1 teaspoon Vanilla 

2 cups powdered sugar

Chopped Peppermint Andes Candies (optional)

Edible Tree Glitter (optional)

Butter and flour two 9" round cake pans. Line with parchment.  In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the dry ingredients.  Mix for 30 seconds with paddle attachment.

In separate bowl, combine wet ingredients.  In two parts, pour wet ingredients into mixer.  Mix on medium speed until combined.  Do not over mix.  Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake on center rack for 35 minutes at 350 or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes, then turn out on wire rack.  Cool cakes completely.

Cut each cake in half horizontally to make four layers.

Prepare frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla, and then continue to mix until incorporated. Next, slowly add the sugar, beating until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Frost the top of each layer, then sides, finishing with the top. Sprinkle with Andes Candies and Tree Glitter, if desired.

(Recipe from The Chew)

Winter Wonderland Cake

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray for baking

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 ½  cups granulated sugar

1 ¾ cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

5 egg whites

¾ cup milk

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 tablespoons red edible glitter

For the Buttercream:

5 egg whites

1 cup granulated sugar

Pinch salt

1 pound unsalted butter, cut up and slightly softened

To assemble:

 Powdered sugar

6 Meringue Trees (optional)

Directions

For the Cake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Coat with non-stick baking spray; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on low speed until just combined. Increase speed to high and continue beating until light and fluffy.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk for 30 seconds to distribute the leavening. Set aside.

Into another bowl whisk together the egg whites, milk oil, and almond extract. Set aside.

Alternately add the flour mixture and egg mixture to the butter mixture, adding about half of each with each addition. Beat on low speed until smooth after each addition. Fold in the red edible glitter until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake just begins to pull away from the sides and springs back in center when lightly touched. Remove and cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Cut the cake in half lengthwise and then in half again crosswise to create four 5x7 1/2-inch rectangles.

For the Buttercream:

In a large heatproof bowl whisk the egg whites, sugar, and salt over a pan of simmering water until the sugar melts completely and the mixture reaches 160 degrees F, about 8 minutes. Whisk constantly to make sure the eggs don't begin to cook.

Remove bowl from above simmering water. Beat with a mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Add the butter, a small piece at a time, until the mixture thickens and becomes smooth and spreadable. If the mixture looks as if it's curdling, add another small piece of butter and continue whisking until the mixture smooths.

To assemble:

Place one layer of cake on a cake stand. Spread an even layer of buttercream over the cake, about 3/4 cup, and continue adding layers and spreading the buttercream until all the layers are stacked (There will be extra frosting). Place the cake in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes to allow the buttercream to set. Once the buttercream feels firm, spread the remaining buttercream over the cake in a smooth layer. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. Decorate with Meringue Trees, if desired. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Meringue Trees

Ingredients

3 egg whites

Pinch salt

1 drop red gel food coloring

½ cup superfine granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Fit a large pastry bag with a large star tip. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat the egg whites, salt, and food coloring with an electric mixer on high speed until the mixture looks foamy. Add the sugar slowly, a tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until the meringue reaches stiff peaks and is white and shiny.

Transfer the meringue to the pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch star tip and pipe smaller "pine" trees on one baking sheet that are 2 to 3 inches tall by first gently piping a small, quarter sized star onto the parchment and then rotating the tip slightly and piping another, smaller star shape atop the first. Continue until you've reached your desired height, lifting the tip so that the meringue ends in a peak. Space trees 1-inch apart. On the second baking sheet, pipe 3- to 4-inch trees. Bake the larger meringues for 65 to 75 minutes or until the meringues are baked through but have not browned, adding the sheet with the smaller trees after 10 minutes of baking.Turn oven off and let meringues dry in the oven with the door closed for 1 hour.

(Recipe taken from BHG)

White Chocolate Cranberry & Pistachio Fudge

Ingredients

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 c confectioner's sugar, sifted
2 tsp. vanilla
16 oz. white chocolate (chopped)
1 c dried cranberries
1 c roasted shelled pistachios (roughly chopped)

Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper.
Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and confectioner's sugar until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Melt white chocolate, add to the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth. Fold in cranberries and pistachios.  Add to pan and smooth top. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.  Cut into 1 1/2" squares.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Sour Cream Topping

Ingredients

2 c graham crumbs
1/3 c granulated sugar
6 T butter, softened

5 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, room temperature
5 T all-purpose flour
2 c granulated sugar
6 large eggs
1/3 c heavy cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c pureed pumpkin
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves

2 c sour cream
1/2 c granulated sugar
Ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 500*.  Wrap a 10" springform pan with a double layer of HD foil.  Place into a large roasting pan.  Set a tea kettle of water to boil.

In a large bowl combine the graham crumbs, sugar and butter.  Work with your fingers until the butter is evenly dispersed.  Dump into springform pan and press onto bottom and sides.  Set aside.

In large bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese and flour until smooth and creamy.  Alternate sugar with eggs, beating well after each addition.  Add heavy cream, vanilla, pumpkin and spices. Beat on medium speed until smooth and incorporated.  Pour into prepared pan.  Place roasting pan on rack in oven and pour boiling water into it until its halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Reduce temperature to 300* and continue baking 1 hr. and 30 minutes.  Cheesecake should be set except for 2-3" in the center.  Turn oven off and let sit with door closed for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, whisk the sour cream and sugar together until the sugar dissolves.

Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and spread the sour cream over the top.  Return to the oven and let sit until it cools to room temperature.  Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.  Remove the sides of the pan and set on a serving dish.  Add cinnamon to a small sieve and dust over the sour cream.

Enjoy!

Holiday Ribbon Wreath

This wreath is a bit time-consuming but very easy and sort of mindless. However, it yields beautiful results.  I prefer wired ribbon as I can pinch and poke and tweak it to my liking.  This wreath can be made at any season or any time during the year, using appropriately colored ribbon.

Supplies:

1 12" wire wreath
50-60 yds. ribbon depending on how tightly packed you want it, cut into 6" lengths. I used 2 (3 yd) rolls each of 5 differently patterned wire ribbon.  You can use any combo you like.
Scissors

It's best if you cut all your ribbon first and stack it in front of you.  All you do then is tie the ribbon onto the wreath and fill it up. Whether you want to plan a pattern or attach randomly is your preference.

Have fun!

Crabmeat Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

12 ounces baby portabella mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
6 oz. grated Gruyere cheese
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

2 T fresh parsley, chopped
Lemon wedges (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place mushroom caps on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix together crabmeat, garlic, cheese, Worcestershire sauce, salt, mayonnaise and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Place a heaping tablespoon of the crab mixture into the cap of each mushroom. Bake the mushroom caps for 30 minutes.  Garnish w/chopped parsley; serve with lemon wedges.

Enjoy!

Yam Casserole with Sweet Pecan Crumble

Simple and very tasty.  Almost like having dessert with your meal.  That said, a little goes a long way.

Ingredients

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup melted butter

Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup chopped pecans

Combine first 6 ingredients. Blend thoroughly and pour into a buttered 1 1/2 to 2-quart casserole dish.

Mix remaining ingredients together and sprinkle over top.

Bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes, until hot and browned.

Serves 6 to 8

Salted Caramel & Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose Gold Medal flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, sliced
1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
1 cup caramel squares, cut into 1/4's

For Rolling the Cookies:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Sea salt, for sprinkling on top of cookies

In a medium bowl, Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

To brown the butter, heat a thick-bottomed skillet on medium heat. Add the sliced butter, whisking frequently. Continue to cook the butter until melted. The butter will start to foam and browned specks will begin to form at the bottom of the pan. The butter should have a nutty aroma. Watch the butter carefully because it can go from brown to burnt quickly. Remove butter from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the brown butter and sugars. Mix until blended and smooth. Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla, and yogurt and mix until combined. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

 Form the dough in a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. You can chill the dough overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Measure about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. Flatten the ball with the palm of your hand and place a piece of caramel in the center of the dough. Wrap the cookie dough around the caramel, making sure the caramel is completely covered with dough.

 In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Roll the balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place dough balls on a large baking sheet that has been lined with a baking mat or parchment paper. Make sure the cookies are about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle the cookie tops with sea salt.

Bake the cookies 8-10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. The centers will still be soft. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, or until set. Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

(Recipe taken from Two Peas and Their Pod)

Delicious!

S'Mores Cookies

Ingredients

6 full Graham Cracker Sheets

1/2 pound Butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar (firmly packed)

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

2 large Eggs

2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

2 cups Milk Chocolate Chips

3/4 cup Mini Marshmallows 

3  (1.55 ounce) Milk Chocolate Bars (separated into 36 squares)

Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.  Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat (preferred) or parchment paper.

Place the Graham Crackers in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin or wooden spoon into coarse crumbs.  Set aside.

Using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, beat together the Butter, Granulated Sugar, Brown Sugar, and Vanilla until creamy (about 1 minute).  Add the Eggs and beat well (about 1 minute more).

In another mixing bowl, stir together the Flour, Baking Soda, and Salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat until well blended (about 1 minute).

Stir in the Chocolate Chips with a wooden spoon.  Add the Graham Cracker crumbs and combine.

Using a 1/4-cup dry measuring cup, drop mounds of the dough onto the lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart (using half the dough).  Bake, rotating the sheet halfway through, until golden brown and firm on the surface but with slightly soft centers (about 12 minutes.

Remove from the oven and immediately push 3 Marshmallows into the middle of each cookie in a large open triangle.  Insert 2 or 3 Chocolate pieces in the center of each triangle.

Transfer the cookies to a wire cooking rack.  Let the cookie sheet cool slightly then repeat with the remaining Dough, Marshmallows, and Chocolate pieces.  Store in an airtight container.  

(Recipe adapted from Tracy Pollan on The Chew)

Enjoy!

Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients

For the meatballs: 

¾ pound ground chicken
½ pound chicken sausage, casings removed
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the soup:
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup ¼-inch diced carrots (3 carrots)
¾ cup (¼-inch diced celery (2 stalks)
10 cups homemade chicken stock
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars
¼ cup minced fresh dill
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1- to 1¼-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don’t have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and sauté until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan cheese. 

(Recipe taken from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa.)

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Chocolate Cherry Chip Crisps

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup dried tart cherries 

1 pkg. Nestle Toll House Cherry Filled Delightfulls

1/3 cup white chocolate chips

Position 1 rack in bottom third and 1 rack in top third of oven; preheat to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Blend first 4 ingredients in bowl of a stand mixer. Add eggs and beat until blended (about a minute).  Add next 4 ingredients.  Continue beating until mixture is blended. Transfer to large bowl. Mix in cherries, Delightfuls and white chocolate chips.

Spoon batter by rounded tablespoonfuls or using a tablespoon size scoop onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart (cookies will spread). Bake until tops of cookies are golden brown, rotating baking sheets after 7 minutes, about 14 minutes total. Transfer cookies to rack; let cool. Repeat with remaining batter.

(Recipe adapted from Epicurious)