Cooking A to Z: Dacquoise

My first exposure to a dacquoise was via Martha Stewart. This year on her Christmas issue, there was a gorgeous dacquoise surrounded by gingerbread townhouses. I did attempt it, and while the dacquoise came out just fine. . .I can’t say the same for the gingerbread houses. I am just not Martha Stewart I suppose. But a dacquoise is one of those desserts that you should make just once in your life. It is a French dessert that consists of several layers of nut flavored meringue, filled with sweetened whipped cream or buttercream. It is always served chilled and is … Continue reading →

Coke is IT in Carrot Cake

This one is for you Valorie. Recently, Food Blogger Valorie posted a pork chop recipe that called for a cup of Pepsi. She then wrote of her preference for Pepsi over the perennial cola taste test winner Coke. Personally, I can’t really tell the difference between the two, but then again I rarely–if ever–consume carbonated beverages. However, I am not opposed to using them as an ingredient in recipes. The following recipe is one I stumbled across when I was looking for unique ways to use up all the raw carrots I have sitting in my refrigerator. It’s from my … Continue reading →

The Serious Chocolate Lover’s Chocolate Cake

Have you ever seen the gigantic chocolate cake that Costco sells? It is a 5 layer chocolate cake, with chocolatey whipped frosting and then it is smothered in chocolate shavings. Even one small piece is enough to send you on a sugary induced high and it’s one of the few cakes that’s too rich for even me to have a big piece. (But, I never said anything about bites here and there.) In any case, I’ve been searching for a recipe that is similar. I’ve been looking for a recipe for the kind of chocolate cake that stands up and … Continue reading →

A Very Red Christmas Velvet Cake

Nothing says Christmas like a festively decorated dessert that features the traditional colors of the season. If you are like me and are tired of making (and eating) the same red and green Christmas cookies this next recipe might get you back in the holiday spirit. It’s a take off on the traditional southern favorite red velvet cake. The recipe for the cake is untouched save for the festive green frosting that borders the deliciously moist red interior. You could stick with the traditional white frosting, but I enjoy hearing the oohs and ahhs from my family members as I … Continue reading →

Spicy Gingerbread

When most people think of gingerbread, they think of gingerbread houses, or gingerbread cookies shaped like little men. . .or to be more ecumenical, little ‘people’. . .but gingerbread actually has it’s origins as bread and not cookies. It wasn’t until much later that the notion of shaped cookies came and interestingly it was popularized by the famous fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel. (Some food historians believe that gingerbread cookies as we know them, originated from Germany while cake like gingerbread was popular in other places in Europe.) Regardless of its origins, traditional cake like gingerbread makes a wonderful … Continue reading →

Frozen Peppermint Cheesecake

I love peppermint and of course, my darling spouse hates it. He was only too thrilled when they started making orange and cinnamon flavored toothpaste so that he never had to endure the minty taste of peppermint again. So as much as I hate to say it, this dessert will never grace my table. On the other hand, today marks the beginning of a massive, several days long, menu planning session that will include feeding a crowd of fifty, as well as a couple of potlucks and some other gatherings that require food. So if I want a taste of … Continue reading →

Abandon the Pumpkin Pie: A Pumpkin Torte

I mentioned in another blog that I’m not a fan of pumpkin pie. I rarely cook my own Thanksgiving dinner thanks to the in laws but I do end up baking a lot during the holiday season. Consequently, I have quite a collection of desserts that are perfect for Thanksgiving, but move beyond the pumpkin pie. This dessert will have people oohing and aahing over your dessert table because it looks so elegant. It is elegant, but it’s not that hard to put together. Since it’s made from a yellow cake mix, this is one dessert that will make you … Continue reading →

Brown Sugar Angel Food Cake

There’s something about food that is almost philosophical to those of us who truly enjoy cooking. It’s not just something to slap on the table for dinner, but something to think about and ponder. There are feelings and memories attached to certain recipes. Good, well thought out meals, bring people together. In fact, I often joke that it was the food that convinced my husband to marry me. Yesterday I shared my 5 life lessons learned from making an angle food cake from scratch. Today, I’ll share the recipe so you to can bask in the glow of well made … Continue reading →

Double Lemon Cake

I remember once upon a time for my birthday, my husband made me a lemon cake with lemon frosting. I remember it well because that is exactly the type of cake that he wants. Me? I like a good German chocolate cake. We get a good laugh over it now but rest assured I will never forget that his favorite cake is lemon with lemon frosting. He’d probably like lemon drops on top too. So when I stumbled across this recipe in my Cook Pleasures magazine, into the ‘try’ pile it went. We had it tonight for dessert and it … Continue reading →

Calling All Peanut Butter Lovers! Peanut Butter Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting

Can you say mmmmmmm???? This is a unique cake because it is actually a peanut butter cake. Most cakes have peanut butter in them or you can catch a hint of peanut butter in a few bites. . .but this is all peanut butter flavor baby! My husband says it tastes like a giant Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. Whatever. It’s delicious and of course its rich texture screams out for a glass of milk! (This is a version of a recipe I found in Cooking Pleasures Magazine.) For the cake you will need: 2 1/2 cups cake flour 1 teaspoon … Continue reading →