Monday's Just Desserts
It's time to get the work week started. While it's usually a little tough, at least desserts can help take the sting out.
With that in mind, here are six yummy desserts to get your week started, including Carrot Cake and Cherry Cheesecake Brownies. Enjoy!
EASY SKILLET BROWNIES
This yumminess is from Melissa Clark at The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Melissa wrote, "These simple brownies are mixed and baked in the same skillet. Chewy and fudgy, they’re everything you want in a brownie but faster and with less mess to clean up. If you don’t have an ovenproof nonstick skillet (preferably ceramic, or you could try this in a very well-seasoned cast-iron pan), pour the batter into a greased 9-inch square pan for baking. You can let the brownies cool and cut them into wedges or squares. Or, serve them warm from the oven and straight from the pan, preferably with a scoop of ice cream plopped on top."
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes, plus cooling; Total Time: 40 minutes, plus cooling; Yield: 8 to 12 brownies
This was featured in "The Easiest Brownies Are Mixed and Baked in the Same Pan," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024690-easy-skillet-brownies. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend it. Great recipes, guides, and more.
Ingredients
3/4 cup unsalted butter
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup walnut or pecan pieces (optional)
Flaky sea salt (optional)
Ice cream, for serving (optional)
Preparation
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In an ovenproof 10- or 11-inch nonstick skillet (preferably ceramic nonstick) set over medium-low heat, combine the butter, chocolate and salt. Let butter and chocolate melt, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat.
Carefully whisk in sugar until smooth, then whisk in eggs and vanilla. Finally, whisk in flour until no streaks remain. Using a spatula, fold in the nuts, if using. Smooth top and sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt if you like.
Bake until the top is set, the center is soft and the edges are firm and start to pull away from the pan, 20 to 27 minutes. (A toothpick inserted into the center will come out gooey.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool. You can serve these still a little warm and straight from the pan, with ice cream on top if you like. Or, let cool completely before slicing into wedges or bars.
CHOCOLATE CHESS PIE
This is from Vaughn Vreeland in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this yumminess, Vaughn wrote, "Classic buttermilk chess pie is quintessential in many Southern homes and its chocolate counterpart is all the more decadent. You can use store-bought pie dough or take the homemade route because the true star of this dessert is its luxurious chocolate filling, slightly firmer than custard but fudgier than a brownie. With just a few staple ingredients, this supremely easy filling requires less than 10 minutes of active time and minimal effort, but yields big-time flavor. It’s also highly adaptable: try adding a tablespoon of bourbon or a couple teaspoons of espresso powder with the cocoa powder. A velvety slice of this chocolate chess pie goes best with a dollop of whipped cream on top, and some bourbon, neat, alongside."
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: About 2 hours, plus about 1 hour cooling; Total Time: 3 hours; Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024822-chocolate-chess-pie. Also, check out Melissa Clark's wonderful guide, "How to Make a Pie Crust". I reread it (yes, I've read this before), and learned a couple of things to make pie crusts just a tad better. (Thanks, Melissa!)
Ingredients
1 store-bought pie crust or 1 disk foolproof pie dough (1/2 batch)
All-purpose flour, if needed for rolling out dough
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Whipped cream (optional), for serving
Preparation
Step 1
If using store-bought pie crust, skip ahead to Step 2. If using homemade dough, let sit at room temperature for a couple minutes before rolling . On a lightly floured work surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, beat the dough evenly across the surface, rotating it occasionally, to work it into a slightly flatter round. Add more flour to the surface, lightly flour the dough and roll it out, starting in the center and working outward, occasionally lifting it, giving it quarter-turns and adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking, until it forms an 11-inch circle. (If your dough cracks, just use your fingertips to adhere it together.)
Step 2
Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie plate, letting the dough slump into the plate, taking care not to stretch it further. Trim the overhang, if needed, so that you’re left with about 1/2-inch on all sides. Fold the overhang under itself, creating a thick ridge on the sides with two layers of pie dough, and crimp the ridge. Use a fork to poke holes on the bottom of the crust, and freeze for about 15 minutes, until firm.
Step 3
Meanwhile, arrange an oven rack in the center position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line the dough with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
Step 4
Remove the foil and pie weights, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking the crust until golden, 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 5
Cool completely on the baking sheet, at least 30 minutes.
Step 6
While the crust cools, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Off heat, add the chocolate and whisk until combined, letting the residual heat melt it completely.
Step 7
In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt until pale yellow and considerably thicker, about 1 minute. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and continue to whisk until no streaks remain. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until combined.
Step 8
Pour the chocolate mixture into the cooled crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is slightly puffed and the center is set. Cool completely at room temperature, about 1 hour. (It may be tempting to cut into it warm, but the filling needs time to set up.) Serve with whipped cream, if desired.
SPICED APPLE PUDDING
Recipe Yield: Servings: 4 (1/2 cup)
View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/spiced-apple-pudding.
Ingredients
2 cups Unsweetened apple juice
1/3 cup Granulated sugar substitute
1/3 cup Cornstarch
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 Egg
Directions
In a heavy saucepan, combine 1/2 cup apple juice and cornstarch; mix well. Add remaining juice. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
In a bowl, beat egg with a fork. Add 1/2 cup of hot mixture to beaten egg. Stir until smooth. Return immediately to hot mixture, stirring constantly. (The hot mixture will cook the egg.)
Stir in sweetener and cinnamon. Pour into 4 dessert dishes, cover with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming. Cool to room temperature or chill in refrigerator.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 117; Fat: 1 g; Protein: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 26 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch; 1 fruit
CARROT CAKE
This is from Dorie Greenspan in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this yumminess, Dorie wrote, "This classic carrot cake recipe is not overly spiced, and it has texture from the grated carrots, shredded coconut, chopped nuts and raisins. If your dried fruit feels dry, plump it either by steaming the fruit for a couple of minutes; pouring boiling water over the fruit then draining it; or even just running it under hot tap water. Pat the fruit dry before using it. There’s enough frosting to fill the layers and cover the sides and top of the cake, but each layer is covered generously, so generously that when the next layer goes on the frosting ripples out around the edges. Then just swirl the frosting over the top, leaving the sides bare."
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes, pluse at least 15 minutes' refrigeration; Yield: 8 to 12 servings
This was featured in "The Baker’s Apprentice: Carrot Cake," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015523-carrot-cake. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more. Go ahead, I'll wait. (Tap, tap, tap...)
Ingredients
For the Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups grated carrots (you can grate the carrots in a food processor fitted with a shredding blade)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
1/2 cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden) or dried cranberries
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola or safflower oil
4 large eggs
For the Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 pound (3-3/4 cups) confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
1/2 cup shredded coconut, optional
Toasted finely chopped nuts and/or toasted coconut, for topping, optional
Preparation
For the cake: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour three 9-inch round, 2-inch deep cake pans, flour the insides and tap out the excess.
Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside. In another bowl, stir together the carrots, chopped nuts, coconut and raisins.
Working in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a whisk, beat the sugar and oil together until smooth. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother. If you are working in a mixer, reduce the speed to low, if you're working by hand switch to a large rubber spatula, and gently stir in the flour mixture — mix only until the dry ingredients disappear. Just as gently, stir in the chunky ingredients.
Divide the batter among the baking pans and slide the pans into the oven. Bake the cakes for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the pans top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The cakes are properly baked when a knife inserted into the centers of the cakes comes out clean; the cakes will just start to come away from the edges. Transfer the pans to cooling racks, cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool to room temperature. (At this point, the cakes can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months; thaw before frosting.)
For the frosting: Working in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is velvety smooth. Beat in the lemon juice or extract.
If you'd like to have coconut in the filling, scoop out about 1/2 of the frosting and stir the coconut into this portion.
To frost the cake, place one layer of the cake, right-side up, on a cardboard round or a cake plate. If you've added coconut to the frosting, use half of coconut frosting to generously cover the first layer. Use an offset spatula or a spoon to smooth the frosting all the way to the edges of the layer. Top with the second layer, this time placing the cake top-side down. Frost with the remainder of the coconut frosting. Top with the last layer, right-side up and use the plain frosting to cover the top — and the sides, if you want – of the cake. Finish the top layer with swirls of frosting. If you want to top the cake with toasted nuts or coconut, sprinkle on these ingredients now, while the frosting is soft. Slide the cake into the refrigerator for 15 minutes, just to set the frosting.
Serving: The cake can be served as soon as the frosting is set. It can also wait, at room temperature and covered with a cake keeper, overnight. The cake is best served in thick slices at room temperature and, while it's good plain, it's better with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or even some lemon curd with a little whipped cream folded in.
Storing: Covered the cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It can also be frozen, uncovered, and then, when it is firmed, wrapped airtight and kept in the freezer for up to 2 months; defrost, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight.
CHERRY CHEESECAKE BROWNIES
This yumminess is from Alana Al-Hatlani at Southern Living, and begins, "Creamy cherry cheesecake gives brownies a retro twist." It goes on, " A layer of creamy cheesecake takes these brownies to a delicious new level, especially when swirled with ribbons of sweet-tart cherry pie filling.
“We recognize that there are two types of brownie people in this world: cakey brownie lovers and fudgy brownie fans. This recipe falls firmly in the latter category. The moist, chocolatey center is balanced by a tangy cream cheese topping that perfectly suspends the canned pie filling (a great store-bought shortcut). These easy brownies don’t require much hands-on cooking time, just 15 minutes, and then a little patience while they bake, cool, and chill. We promise the wait is well worth the sweet end result."
Active Time: 15 minutes; Cool Time: 2 hours; Total Time: 3 hours; Servings: 9
To view this online, go to https://www.southernliving.com/cherry-cheesecake-brownies-8606893.
Directions
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips (from 1 [12-oz.] pkg.)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup cherry pie filling (such as Lucky Leaf)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch square metal baking pan with cooking spray; line with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar with an electric mixer on low speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add 1 of the eggs and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt; beat until just combined, and set aside. Whisk together flour, cocoa, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until no lumps remain; set aside.
Add butter and chocolate chips to a large microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH in 30-second intervals, whisking after each interval, until chocolate is melted, about 1 minute. Whisk in granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined. Add vanilla and remaining 3 eggs; whisk until combined. Add flour mixture, whisking until no dry streaks remain.
Add batter to prepared baking pan, spreading in an even layer. Gently spread cream cheese mixture over batter; dollop cherry pie filling over cream cheese mixture. Using the tip of a butter knife, swirl cherry pie filling into cream cheese mixture as desired. Bake in preheated oven until cream cheese mixture is lightly browned around edges, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool to room temperature in pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Chill at least 1 hour before slicing.
CAKEY STRAWBERRY COBBLER
This is from Southern Living, and begins, "This strawberry cobbler comes together with just 10 minutes of prep."
Active Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes; Servings: 6
To view this online, as well as read all the yummy details, go to https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/cakey-strawberry-cobbler.
Ingredients
2 qts. fresh strawberries, hulled and halved, with larger ones quartered (about 2 lb. strawberries)
1 Tbsp. lemon zest plus 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 cup whole buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
Direction
Preheat oven to 350°F. Gently stir sliced strawberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a large bowl until totally combined. Let strawberry mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until juicy, about 15 minutes.
Place butter in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish, and put dish in pre-heated oven until butter is melted, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove dish from oven.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl until combined. Whisk together buttermilk and vanilla in a glass measuring cup. Whisk buttermilk mixture into flour mixture, and continue to whisk until batter is smooth. Pour mixture evenly over melted butter in hot baking dish. (Do not stir.)
Using a slotted spoon, scatter strawberry mixture evenly over batter.
Drizzle 3 tablespoons of accumulated juice from bottom of bowl over strawberries. Discard any remaining juice, or reserve for another use.
Bake in preheated oven until batter is puffed and slightly golden in the center and dark golden brown around edges, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack at least 15 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.
With that in mind, here are six yummy desserts to get your week started, including Carrot Cake and Cherry Cheesecake Brownies. Enjoy!
EASY SKILLET BROWNIES
This yumminess is from Melissa Clark at The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Melissa wrote, "These simple brownies are mixed and baked in the same skillet. Chewy and fudgy, they’re everything you want in a brownie but faster and with less mess to clean up. If you don’t have an ovenproof nonstick skillet (preferably ceramic, or you could try this in a very well-seasoned cast-iron pan), pour the batter into a greased 9-inch square pan for baking. You can let the brownies cool and cut them into wedges or squares. Or, serve them warm from the oven and straight from the pan, preferably with a scoop of ice cream plopped on top."
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes, plus cooling; Total Time: 40 minutes, plus cooling; Yield: 8 to 12 brownies
This was featured in "The Easiest Brownies Are Mixed and Baked in the Same Pan," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024690-easy-skillet-brownies. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend it. Great recipes, guides, and more.
Ingredients
3/4 cup unsalted butter
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup walnut or pecan pieces (optional)
Flaky sea salt (optional)
Ice cream, for serving (optional)
Preparation
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In an ovenproof 10- or 11-inch nonstick skillet (preferably ceramic nonstick) set over medium-low heat, combine the butter, chocolate and salt. Let butter and chocolate melt, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat.
Carefully whisk in sugar until smooth, then whisk in eggs and vanilla. Finally, whisk in flour until no streaks remain. Using a spatula, fold in the nuts, if using. Smooth top and sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt if you like.
Bake until the top is set, the center is soft and the edges are firm and start to pull away from the pan, 20 to 27 minutes. (A toothpick inserted into the center will come out gooey.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool. You can serve these still a little warm and straight from the pan, with ice cream on top if you like. Or, let cool completely before slicing into wedges or bars.
CHOCOLATE CHESS PIE
This is from Vaughn Vreeland in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this yumminess, Vaughn wrote, "Classic buttermilk chess pie is quintessential in many Southern homes and its chocolate counterpart is all the more decadent. You can use store-bought pie dough or take the homemade route because the true star of this dessert is its luxurious chocolate filling, slightly firmer than custard but fudgier than a brownie. With just a few staple ingredients, this supremely easy filling requires less than 10 minutes of active time and minimal effort, but yields big-time flavor. It’s also highly adaptable: try adding a tablespoon of bourbon or a couple teaspoons of espresso powder with the cocoa powder. A velvety slice of this chocolate chess pie goes best with a dollop of whipped cream on top, and some bourbon, neat, alongside."
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: About 2 hours, plus about 1 hour cooling; Total Time: 3 hours; Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024822-chocolate-chess-pie. Also, check out Melissa Clark's wonderful guide, "How to Make a Pie Crust". I reread it (yes, I've read this before), and learned a couple of things to make pie crusts just a tad better. (Thanks, Melissa!)
Ingredients
1 store-bought pie crust or 1 disk foolproof pie dough (1/2 batch)
All-purpose flour, if needed for rolling out dough
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Whipped cream (optional), for serving
Preparation
Step 1
If using store-bought pie crust, skip ahead to Step 2. If using homemade dough, let sit at room temperature for a couple minutes before rolling . On a lightly floured work surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, beat the dough evenly across the surface, rotating it occasionally, to work it into a slightly flatter round. Add more flour to the surface, lightly flour the dough and roll it out, starting in the center and working outward, occasionally lifting it, giving it quarter-turns and adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking, until it forms an 11-inch circle. (If your dough cracks, just use your fingertips to adhere it together.)
Step 2
Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie plate, letting the dough slump into the plate, taking care not to stretch it further. Trim the overhang, if needed, so that you’re left with about 1/2-inch on all sides. Fold the overhang under itself, creating a thick ridge on the sides with two layers of pie dough, and crimp the ridge. Use a fork to poke holes on the bottom of the crust, and freeze for about 15 minutes, until firm.
Step 3
Meanwhile, arrange an oven rack in the center position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line the dough with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
Step 4
Remove the foil and pie weights, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking the crust until golden, 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 5
Cool completely on the baking sheet, at least 30 minutes.
Step 6
While the crust cools, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Off heat, add the chocolate and whisk until combined, letting the residual heat melt it completely.
Step 7
In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt until pale yellow and considerably thicker, about 1 minute. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and continue to whisk until no streaks remain. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until combined.
Step 8
Pour the chocolate mixture into the cooled crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is slightly puffed and the center is set. Cool completely at room temperature, about 1 hour. (It may be tempting to cut into it warm, but the filling needs time to set up.) Serve with whipped cream, if desired.
SPICED APPLE PUDDING
Recipe Yield: Servings: 4 (1/2 cup)
View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/spiced-apple-pudding.
Ingredients
2 cups Unsweetened apple juice
1/3 cup Granulated sugar substitute
1/3 cup Cornstarch
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 Egg
Directions
In a heavy saucepan, combine 1/2 cup apple juice and cornstarch; mix well. Add remaining juice. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
In a bowl, beat egg with a fork. Add 1/2 cup of hot mixture to beaten egg. Stir until smooth. Return immediately to hot mixture, stirring constantly. (The hot mixture will cook the egg.)
Stir in sweetener and cinnamon. Pour into 4 dessert dishes, cover with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming. Cool to room temperature or chill in refrigerator.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 117; Fat: 1 g; Protein: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 26 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch; 1 fruit
CARROT CAKE
This is from Dorie Greenspan in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this yumminess, Dorie wrote, "This classic carrot cake recipe is not overly spiced, and it has texture from the grated carrots, shredded coconut, chopped nuts and raisins. If your dried fruit feels dry, plump it either by steaming the fruit for a couple of minutes; pouring boiling water over the fruit then draining it; or even just running it under hot tap water. Pat the fruit dry before using it. There’s enough frosting to fill the layers and cover the sides and top of the cake, but each layer is covered generously, so generously that when the next layer goes on the frosting ripples out around the edges. Then just swirl the frosting over the top, leaving the sides bare."
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes, pluse at least 15 minutes' refrigeration; Yield: 8 to 12 servings
This was featured in "The Baker’s Apprentice: Carrot Cake," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015523-carrot-cake. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more. Go ahead, I'll wait. (Tap, tap, tap...)
Ingredients
For the Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups grated carrots (you can grate the carrots in a food processor fitted with a shredding blade)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
1/2 cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden) or dried cranberries
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola or safflower oil
4 large eggs
For the Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 pound (3-3/4 cups) confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
1/2 cup shredded coconut, optional
Toasted finely chopped nuts and/or toasted coconut, for topping, optional
Preparation
For the cake: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour three 9-inch round, 2-inch deep cake pans, flour the insides and tap out the excess.
Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside. In another bowl, stir together the carrots, chopped nuts, coconut and raisins.
Working in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a whisk, beat the sugar and oil together until smooth. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother. If you are working in a mixer, reduce the speed to low, if you're working by hand switch to a large rubber spatula, and gently stir in the flour mixture — mix only until the dry ingredients disappear. Just as gently, stir in the chunky ingredients.
Divide the batter among the baking pans and slide the pans into the oven. Bake the cakes for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the pans top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The cakes are properly baked when a knife inserted into the centers of the cakes comes out clean; the cakes will just start to come away from the edges. Transfer the pans to cooling racks, cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool to room temperature. (At this point, the cakes can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months; thaw before frosting.)
For the frosting: Working in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is velvety smooth. Beat in the lemon juice or extract.
If you'd like to have coconut in the filling, scoop out about 1/2 of the frosting and stir the coconut into this portion.
To frost the cake, place one layer of the cake, right-side up, on a cardboard round or a cake plate. If you've added coconut to the frosting, use half of coconut frosting to generously cover the first layer. Use an offset spatula or a spoon to smooth the frosting all the way to the edges of the layer. Top with the second layer, this time placing the cake top-side down. Frost with the remainder of the coconut frosting. Top with the last layer, right-side up and use the plain frosting to cover the top — and the sides, if you want – of the cake. Finish the top layer with swirls of frosting. If you want to top the cake with toasted nuts or coconut, sprinkle on these ingredients now, while the frosting is soft. Slide the cake into the refrigerator for 15 minutes, just to set the frosting.
Serving: The cake can be served as soon as the frosting is set. It can also wait, at room temperature and covered with a cake keeper, overnight. The cake is best served in thick slices at room temperature and, while it's good plain, it's better with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or even some lemon curd with a little whipped cream folded in.
Storing: Covered the cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It can also be frozen, uncovered, and then, when it is firmed, wrapped airtight and kept in the freezer for up to 2 months; defrost, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight.
CHERRY CHEESECAKE BROWNIES
This yumminess is from Alana Al-Hatlani at Southern Living, and begins, "Creamy cherry cheesecake gives brownies a retro twist." It goes on, " A layer of creamy cheesecake takes these brownies to a delicious new level, especially when swirled with ribbons of sweet-tart cherry pie filling.
“We recognize that there are two types of brownie people in this world: cakey brownie lovers and fudgy brownie fans. This recipe falls firmly in the latter category. The moist, chocolatey center is balanced by a tangy cream cheese topping that perfectly suspends the canned pie filling (a great store-bought shortcut). These easy brownies don’t require much hands-on cooking time, just 15 minutes, and then a little patience while they bake, cool, and chill. We promise the wait is well worth the sweet end result."
Active Time: 15 minutes; Cool Time: 2 hours; Total Time: 3 hours; Servings: 9
To view this online, go to https://www.southernliving.com/cherry-cheesecake-brownies-8606893.
Directions
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips (from 1 [12-oz.] pkg.)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup cherry pie filling (such as Lucky Leaf)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch square metal baking pan with cooking spray; line with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar with an electric mixer on low speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add 1 of the eggs and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt; beat until just combined, and set aside. Whisk together flour, cocoa, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until no lumps remain; set aside.
Add butter and chocolate chips to a large microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH in 30-second intervals, whisking after each interval, until chocolate is melted, about 1 minute. Whisk in granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined. Add vanilla and remaining 3 eggs; whisk until combined. Add flour mixture, whisking until no dry streaks remain.
Add batter to prepared baking pan, spreading in an even layer. Gently spread cream cheese mixture over batter; dollop cherry pie filling over cream cheese mixture. Using the tip of a butter knife, swirl cherry pie filling into cream cheese mixture as desired. Bake in preheated oven until cream cheese mixture is lightly browned around edges, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool to room temperature in pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Chill at least 1 hour before slicing.
CAKEY STRAWBERRY COBBLER
This is from Southern Living, and begins, "This strawberry cobbler comes together with just 10 minutes of prep."
Active Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes; Servings: 6
To view this online, as well as read all the yummy details, go to https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/cakey-strawberry-cobbler.
Ingredients
2 qts. fresh strawberries, hulled and halved, with larger ones quartered (about 2 lb. strawberries)
1 Tbsp. lemon zest plus 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 cup whole buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
Direction
Preheat oven to 350°F. Gently stir sliced strawberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a large bowl until totally combined. Let strawberry mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until juicy, about 15 minutes.
Place butter in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish, and put dish in pre-heated oven until butter is melted, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove dish from oven.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl until combined. Whisk together buttermilk and vanilla in a glass measuring cup. Whisk buttermilk mixture into flour mixture, and continue to whisk until batter is smooth. Pour mixture evenly over melted butter in hot baking dish. (Do not stir.)
Using a slotted spoon, scatter strawberry mixture evenly over batter.
Drizzle 3 tablespoons of accumulated juice from bottom of bowl over strawberries. Discard any remaining juice, or reserve for another use.
Bake in preheated oven until batter is puffed and slightly golden in the center and dark golden brown around edges, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack at least 15 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.
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