Category Archives: Cakes and Cookies

Gingerbread cake with cream cheese icing

Cakes and Cookies
  • 1          cup hot water
  • 3/4       cup fancy molasses
  • 1-1/2    tsp baking soda
  • 2          cups all-purpose flour
  • 2          tbsp ginger
  • 2          tsp pumpkin spice
  • 1-1/2    tsp baking powder
  • 1/4       tsp salt
  • 2          eggs
  • 1/2       cup canola oil
  • 1          cup granulated sugar

Cream Cheese icing

  • 1          250 g-package cream cheese(room temperature)
  • 1/3       cup granulated sugar
  • 1-3/4    cup 35% cream

Instructions

  • Position rack in centre of oven, then preheat oven to 350 degree.
  • Spray 3 9-inch round cake pans with butter or pam spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
  • Whisk hot water with molasses in a medium bowl until smooth.
  • Whisk in baking soda.  Set aside.
  • Whisk flour, ground ginger, pumpkin spice, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
  • Whisk eggs, oil and sugar in a large bowl.  Whisk in molasses mixture.  Gradually whisk in flour mixture just until smooth.
  • Divide batter amongst prepared pans.
  • Bake until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.
  • Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes.
  • Run a knife around edge of pans and turn out onto rack.  Remove parchment and cool completely, about an hour.

Cream Cheese Icing

  • Beat cream cheese with 1/3 cup sugar in a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium, until sugar dissolves and mixture is smooth, 1-2 minutes.  Reduce speed to low and slowly add cream until combined.
  • Increase speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form,, about 3 minutes.
  • Scoop 1 cup icing into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2in or 1in star tip.
  • Add a dollop of icing in the centre of a serving plate.  
  • Spread one-third of the icing overtop.  Add second cake layer. 
  • Spread half of the remaining icing overtop .  Add the third cake layer.
  • Spread remaining icing on top and thinly on the sides of the cake.(you want to see the cake through the icing)

Decorate

Pipe 12 rosettes along the top edge of the cake and top with gingerbread cookies.

Tip:

Cake can be made 2 days ahead.  Wrap in plastic wrap.  Make icing just before serving.

Pistachio Cannoli Cake

Cakes and Cookies, Special Occasion

 

salgirah Mubarak

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The flavour of this cake is inspired by Sicilian-style cannoli, which is stuffed with chopped chocolate  and candied orange zest.

Ingredients

  • 5              oz unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2        cups unbleached all purpose flour
  • 1/2           cup plus 3 tbsp unsalted pistachios(3.5 oz)
  • 1 1/2        tsp baking powder
  • 1/4           tsp baking soda
  • 1/4           tsp orange-flavoured water(optional)
  • 2              large eggs plus 2 large egg yolk, room temperature
  • 1              cup sour cream

Filling

  • 2 3/4        cups ricotta(about 1 1/2 lbs)
  • 3/4           cup whipping cream 
  • 1/4           tsp salt
  • 1              tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4           tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3/4           cup icing sugar
  • 4 oz         semisweet chocolate coarsely chopped
  • 2 1/2        oz melted chocolate
  • 4              oz candid orange peel, cut into a 1/4 inch dice

Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350 Degree.
  2. Butter 2 – 8” round cake pans, bottom and sides.
  3. Line them with parchment paper.
  4. In a food processor finely grind pistachios.  Remove and reserve 1/4 cup ground pistachios, then add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to processor and pulse to combine.
  5. Beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 mins.
  6. Add orange-flower water, beat to combine.
  7. Beat in eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, throughly combining after each addition and scraping down bowl as needed.
  8. Add pistachio mixture in 3 batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with pistachios mixture.
  9. Divid batter evenly between cake pans’ smooth tops with an offset spatula.
  10. Bake, rotating pans once, until tops spring back when lightly touched, 30 – 35 mins.
  11. Transfer pans to a wire rack; let cool 10 mins. Turn cakes out onto a rack; remove parchment paper and let cool 1 hour.  wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hr or overnight.

Filling

  1. Meanwhile, combine ricotta and cream in a bowl of food processor;  process until smooth.
  2. Add salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and confectioner’s sugar; process to combine.
  3. Transfer mixture to a bowling stir in chopped chocolate and orange peel.
  4. Refrigerate in an airtight container at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

Assembly

  1. Cut each cake horizontally into 2 layers.  Stack on a cardboard cake round or a plate;.
  2. Brush edges with melted chocolate, then pat some of the reserved pistachios onto chocolate.
  3. Separate, then refrigerate in a single layer until set, 10 minutes.
  4. Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand, bottom-side down; spread 1 1/2 cups filling evenly over top, then place second layer on top.
  5. Repeat with remaining filling and cakes, finishing with a cake layer, bottom side up.
  6. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
  7. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and remaining reserved pistachios.

Ginger Pound Cake

Cakes and Cookies

Although ground ginger is made from the same rhizome as ginger, it has a different flavor, so using fresh ginger is key in this cake.  When buying ginger, look for a root with smooth skin that is not dried out.

ginger pound cake                          

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serves 16

  • 1            cup butter
  • 5            eggs
  • 1            cup milk
  • 3            cups all-purpose flour
  • 1            tsp baking powder
  • 1/4         tsp baking soda
  • 1/4         tsp salt
  • 2            cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4         cup packed brown sugar
  • 2            tsp vanilla
  • 1/2         cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
  • 2            tbsp grated ginger
  •               Citrus Topping(optional)

Instructions

  1. Allow butter, eggs and milk to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  2. Grease and lightly flour 1 10 inch tube pan; set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
  5. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Gradually add granulated sugar and brown sugar, beating until combined.
  6. Beat in vanilla.
  7. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition and scraping sides of bowl often.
  8. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low to medium speed just until combined after each addition.
  9. Gently stir in crystallized ginger and fresh ginger.
  10. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  11. Bake for 60 – 70 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centre of cake comes out clean.  Cool in a pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan;  cool completely on wire rack.
  12. To serve, place cake on a serving platter.  If desired, spoon Citrus Topping over cake.

Citrus Topping Ingredients

  • 1-1/2       cups granulated sugar
  • 1               cup water
  • 1               cup thinly sliced kumquats
  • 1               orange thinly sliced
Instructions
  1. In a medium saucepan, combine granulated sugar and water.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Boil gently for 15 to 20 minutes or until mixture reduces to about 1 cup of thick syrup, stirring frequently.
  2. Add fruit to syrup.
  3. Return to boiling, reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes or just until fruit is tender, gently turning fruit in syrup several times.
  4. Using a slotted spoon, gently remove fruit from syrup.  Continue to boil syrup, uncovered, for 10 – 15 minutes more or until reduced to 3/4 cup.
  5. Cool about 15 minutes.
  6. Arrange fruit on cake; drizzle syrup.

Hamantashen

Cakes and Cookies, Sweets

Hamantaschen is a filled pocket or pastry recognizable for its triangular shape, usually associated with Jewish holiday of Purin.  The shape is achieved by folding in the sides of a circular piece of dough with a filling placed in the centre.  Hamantaschen are made with many different filling, including poppy seed(the oldest and most traditional variety), prunes, nut, date, apricot, raspberry, raisins, apple, fruit preserves, cherry, fig,  and chocolate.

Ingredients

  • 2                cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2             cup granulted sugar
  • 4                tsp poppy seeds
  •  1               tbsp lemon or orange zest
  • 1/ 2            tsp baking powder
  • 1/4             tsp salt
  • 1/2             cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 2                egg yolks
  • 1                egg
  • 1                tsp vanilla
  • 2/3             cup apricot or raspberry jam
  • 1                tbsp milk
Instructions
  1. Whirl flour, sugar, poppy seeds, lemon zest, baking powder and salt in a food processor.
  2. Add butter and pulse until coarse crumbs form.
  3. Whisk yolks, egg and vanilla in a bowl and pour through feed tube. pulsing until dough starts to come together.
  4. gently knead into a ball and divide in half.
  5. Wrap in plastic wrap and press into discs.  refrigerate at least 1 hour or unto 3 days.(bring to room temperature before rolling).
  6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
  7. Roll dough on a lighty floured surface to1/4” thickness.  Use a 3” round cookie cutter to cut out dough, rerolling scraps.  Scoop a scant 1 tsp jam into centre of each round.
  8. Lightly brush edges of rounds with milk.  Pinch in 3 corners to seal, forming a triangle, leaving jam centre open.
  9. Refrigerate for 15 min.
  10. Bake in a preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Chocolate Palmiers

Cakes and Cookies

Chocolate Palmiers        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Makes 72 Cookies Ingredients Filling

  • 1                  8oz package Cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2              cup sifted powdered sugar
  • 1/4              cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2                  tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2                  tbsp coffee liqueur or hazelnut liqueur
  • 1/2             cup finely chopped pecans or hazelnuts, toasted(optional)
Cookie Dough
  • 1/2              cup butter, softened
  • 1/2              cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2              cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2              tsp baking powder
  • 1/2              tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4              tsp salt
  • 1                  egg
  • 3                  tbsp milk
  • 1/2              tsp vanilla
  • 2 3/4          cups all-purpose flour

Instruction For the Filling

  1. In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, the 2 tbsp flour, and the liqueur.  Beat with electric mixer on low to medium speed until smooth.  Stir in nuts.  Cover and set aside.
  2. For dough, in a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla.  Beat in as much of the 2-3/4 cups flour as you can with the mixer.  Using a wooden spoon,  stir in remaining flour.  Divide dough in half.  If necessary, cover and chill about 30 minutes or until easy to handle.
  3. On a lightly floured surface, roll one portion of the dough into 12 x 8 inch rectangle.  Spread the half of the filling, stopping within 1/2 inch of each long edge.  Roll both long edges,  scroll fashion, to meet in centre.  Brush seam where dough spirals meet with water; lightly press together.  Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
  4. Wrap each roll in plastic wrap.  Place on a tray or cookie sheet.  Chill for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
  5. Preheat oven to 375 degree.  Greese cookie sheets; set aside.  Using a thin-bladed knife, cut rolls into 1/4-inch-thick slices.  Place slices 2 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets.  Bake about 8 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are slightly browned.
  6. Transfer to a wire rack and cool.

Chocolate-Walnut Banana Bread

Cakes and Cookies

Chocolate-Walnut Banana Bread

Posted on July 5, 2012
1

This is a recipe I found in the chatelaine magazine of March 2011.  The bread is very tasteful and moist. Makes 12 slices Prep time 5min Total time 1 hour 40 min

Chocolate Banana Walnut Bread

Ingredients

  • 3                   large very ripe bananas
  • 1                   cup all-purpose flour
  • 1                   cup whole-wheat flour
  • 2                   tbsp ground flax seeds (optional)
  • 1                   tsp baking soda
  • 1/2                tsp salt
  • 1/2                cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2                cup brown sugar
  • 2                   eggs
  • 2                   tbsp dark rum (optional)
  • 2                   tsp vanilla
  • 1/2                cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2                cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Lightly oil or spray a 9 x 5- in. loaf pan.
  3. Mash bananas in a medium bowl.  They should measure about 1 1/2 cups.
  4. Stir both flours with ground flax seeds, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
  5. Beat butter with sugar in a large bowl until combined, then beat in eggs, rum and vanilla.  Stir in Bananas.  Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture just until combined.  Do not over mix.
  6. Gently fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.
  7. Scrape batter into prepared pan.  Smooth top.
  8. Bake in centre of oven until a cake tester or skewer inserted into centre of loaf comes out clean, 50 to 60 min.Cover loosely with foil for the last 15 min if top browns too quickly.
  9. Remove pan to a rack to cool for 10 min.
  10. Run a knife around inside of pan to loosen loaf.
  11. Carefully turn out loaf, then turn top-side up on a rack.

295 calories per slice.

Bread will keep well at room temperature up to 3 days or frozen up to  two months.

Variations

Keep it simple:

Omit chocolate chips and walnuts.

Dress it up:

Melt 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and drizzle over baked loaf.

Kitchen Tip:    Got more ripe bananas than you can bake?  Peel and freeze in freezer bags or simply put in the freezer with peel on.  When ready to bake, defrost and use all the banana pulp, including the black liquid that appears if peel was left on – it makes the bread even more flavorful.

 

Kifli

Cakes and Cookies

Kifli is a Hungarian cookie.  You may find a few different recipes for it.  These melt in your mouth morsels feature soft flaky pastry around a sweet walnut filling.

Makes 60 cookies

Ingredients

  • 2             cups  all-purpose flour
  • 1             tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1             tsp baking powder
  • 1/4          tsp salt
  • 1             cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1/2          cup sour cream
  • 2             egg yolks
  • 1             tbsp icing sugar

Filling:

  • 1               cup finely ground walnuts
  • 1/3            cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2            tsp finely grated lemon rind
  • 2               tsp lemon juice
  • 1               tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2            vanilla essence
  • 1               egg white

Instructions

  1. In a bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
  2. With a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until in coarse crumbs.
  3. Whisk sour cream with egg yolks; stir into flour mixture just until dough comes together.
  4. Divide dough in half; flatten into discs.
  5. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

or

If using a food processor:

  • In the bowl add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and butter and pulse a couple of minutes until the mix is like crumbs.
  • Add the sour cream and egg yolk and pulse till the dough comes together.

Filling:

  1. In a bowl, mix walnuts, sugar, lemon rind and juice, cinnamon and vanilla.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk egg white until stiff peaks form; fold into filling.
  3. On lightly floured surface roll out each piece of dough into 12 x 10 inch (30 x 25 cm) rectangle.  Cut each into thirty 2-inch (5 cm) squares.
  4. Place 1/2 tsp filling in the centre of each square.  Starting at corner, roll cookies to opposite corner.  tucking point under.  Bend to make crescent shape.
  5. Bake on parchment paper-lined baking sheets in top and bottom thirds of 400 degree oven, rotating and switching pans halfway through, until golden, about 15 minutes.  Let cool on pans on rack for 5 minutes.  Remove to racks; let cool.
  6. Dust with sugar.

(Make ahead and store in airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 weeks).

Cuccidati

Cakes and Cookies

These Sicilian treats have a spiced fig-and-nut filling enclosed in a cookie crust and finished with candy sprinkles.

This recipe is from Canadian Living Special Issue Fall 2008.

Makes about 48 cookies.

Ingredients

  • 2             cups all purpose flour
  • 1/3          cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4          tsp baking powder
  • 1/2          tsp salt
  • 1/2          cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 2             eggs, beaten

Filling:

  • 2             cups stemmed chopped dried fig
  • 1/2          cup raisin
  • 1/3          cup candied orange peel
  • 1/3          slivered blanched almonds
  • 1/3          cup dark rum or orange juice
  • 1             tsp finely grated lemon rind
  • 1/2          tsp each cinnamon
  • 1/2          tsp ground cloves

Icing:

  • 1 1/2        cups icing sugar
  • 3              tbsp milk
  • 1/2           tsp vanilla
  • 1              tbsp candy nonpareils or sprinkle

Instructions

  1. In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
  2. Add butter; pulse until in fine crumbs.
  3. Add eggs; pulse just until dough comes together.
  4. Divide dough into quarters; flatten into discs.
  5. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Filling:

  1. In food processor , finely chop together figs, raisins, orange peel, almonds, rum, lemon rind, cinnamon and cloves.  Set aside.
  2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough into 14- x 3- inch rectangle.  Place one-quarter of the filling in 1-inch strip lengthwise down centre of the dough.
  3. Bring sides of dough up over filling and pinch edges together to seal; gently roll into log.
  4. Place log, seam side down, on cutting board; cut diagonally into 1-inch thick slices.
  5. Bake on parchment paper-lined baking sheets in top and bottom thirds of 350 degrees oven, switching and rotating pans halfway through, until lightly golden, about 20 minutes.
  6. Remove on racks and let cool completely.

Cooies can be frozen in an airtight container for 2 weeks.

Icing:

  1. In a bowl, combine icing sugar, milk and vanilla.  Spread scant 1/2 tsp over each cookie; top with a few sprinkle. 
  2. Let stand on racks until icing is set, about 1 hour.

Iced cookies can be stored  layered between waxed paper in airtight container for up to a week.

92 Calories per cookie

Linzer Cookies

Cakes and Cookies, Sweets

This is a crisp nut cookie, sandwiched together with raspberry filling..  I found this recipe in Womans Day Magazine in late seventies.

Linzer Cookies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Makes 4 dozens

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2                  cups butter, softened
  • 1                        cup sugar
  • 1                        egg
  • 1                        egg yolk
  • 1                        tsp grated lemon rind
  • 1/2                     tsp vanilla essence
  • 3 1/3                  cups finely ground hazelnuts or
  •                           almonds
  • 3 1/3                  cups cake flour or all purpose flour
  • 1                        tsp baking power
  • 1 1/4                  tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1                        jar (12 oz) raspberry jam.
  • 1                        cup icing sugar

Instructions

  1. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy; beat in egg, egg yolk, lemon rind and vanilla; stir in nuts.
  2. Stir in flour, baking powder and cinnamon, blending well to make a stiff dough; wrap in wax paper; chill several hours, or overnight.
  3. Cut dough in half(refrigerate other half).  Roll out dough between sheets of wax paper to slightly less  than 1/4 inch thickness.  Remove top sheet of wax paper.
  4. With a 2 inch round cookie cutter, cut out as many circles from the dough as you can.  Carefully remove circles from bottom sheet of wax paper; place cookies on ungreased cookie sheets .
  5. Repeat with other half of the dough, cutting out an  equal number of 2 inch circles as from the first batch.  Place on ungreased cookie sheets.  With a 3/4 in cookie cutter, cut out centre of each of the second batch of cookies.  Use any scraps of dough for second rolling.  Roll scraps of dough out for second rolling.  Cut out equal number of solids circles and circles with open centers.  (You can also use a Linzer Cookie Cutter).
  6. Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for 12 min, or until edges are golden brown.
  7. Remove cookie sheets from the oven.  Let it cool.
  8. Spread each of the solid cookie completely with a thin layer of raspberry jam.   Top each with a cut-out cookie; press gently to make a sandwich.
  9. Place on a wire rack.  Sprinkle tops of cookies with icing sugar.
  10. Spoon dab of preserve in opening of each cookie, let preserve set slightly.  (Optional)

.