The Family Dish

Poppyseed Cake

1 package yellow cake mix
1 small package instant vanilla pudding
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup poppy seeds

Mix all ingredients together until well blended. Pour batter into greased bundt pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour. Remove from oven. Allow to cool 15 minutes in pan. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Serve plain and yummy or with simple orange juice and powdered sugar glaze.

Pat-in-the-Pan Butter Crust

(makes one 9-inch pie crust)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Position rack in center of oven. 

Whisk together in a bowl:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Add:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Mash with the back of a fork until mixture resembles course crumbs. 

Drizzle over top:
2-3 tablespoons cream or half-n-half

Mix until it holds together and then press into pie pan.  Pat evenly over bottom and sides, forming a crust edge at the top.  Prick bottom and sides with a fork.  Bake until golden brown, 18 to 22 minutes, pricking the crust once or twice if it bubbles.  (If you are filling the crust with an uncooked mixture that requires further baking, whisk together an egg yolk and a pinch of salt to brush inside the crust and return to oven for 1 or 2 minutes before filling.

Coconut-Lime Cake

This cake is known as a butter cake, made by creaming butter with sugar until the mixture is soft, smooth and pale yellow in color. When adding the flour, eggs and other ingredients to the mixture, do not overwork it or you may destroy the air bubbles and the lightening effect of the creaming.

Ingredients:

For the cake:
3 1/4 cups cake flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cups milk
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
1 Tbs. finely chopped lime zest
4 eggs

For the frosting:

4 egg whites
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

Have all the ingredients at room temperature.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans; tap out excess flour.

To make the cake, over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the milk and vanilla; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sugar and lime zest and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat each addition just until incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, spreading the batter evenly. Bake until the cakes begin to pull away from the sides of the pans and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto the rack and let cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, using a handheld whisk, beat together the egg whites, sugar, corn syrup and salt just until combined, about 30 seconds. Place the bowl over but not touching simmering water in a saucepan and whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot, 2 to 3 minutes.

Set the bowl on the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat until the outside of the bowl is cool and medium-firm peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold in 1 cup of the coconut just until incorporated.

Place one cake layer, top side down, on a serving plate. Using an icing spatula or a knife, spread some of the frosting evenly on top. Place a second layer, top side down, on the first layer and spread some of the frosting evenly on top. Place the remaining layer, top side down, on the second layer. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Press the remaining 1 1/2 cups coconut onto the top and sides. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes before serving to set the frosting. Serves 12.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares

crust:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, diced
1 cup pecan halves
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats

filling:
1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese, room temp
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1 3gg
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger

topping
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Crust:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Line with parchment.  Blend first 4 ingredients in a food processor until coarse meal forms.  Add pecans, process until nuts are chopped.  Add oats and process until moist, but not clumping.  Press 3 1/2 cups crumbs onto bottom of prpared pan.  Do not clean processor.  Transfer remaining crumbs to lined baking sheet.  Bake crumbs until golden about 12 minutes.  Cool Crumbs.  Bake crust until golden - about 30 minutes.  Remove from oven while preparing filling.  Maintain oven temperature.

Filling:  Blend al ingredients in same processor until smooth (do not clean out from crust).  Spread over warm crust; bake until set, dry in center, and beginning to rise at edges - about 20 min.  Maintain oven temperature.

Topping:  Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.  Spread evenly over hot filling.  Bake until topping sets and bubbles at edges about 5 minutes.  Cool completely in pan on rack.  Sprinkle crumbs over topping; gently press into topping.  Cover; chill until cold - about 2 hours.

**This is a very yummy fall dessert - one of our favorites - very rich.

Glazed Strawberry Tart

1 cup sugar
3 T. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup orange juice
1 T. lemon juice
1 quart strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 cup heavy cream
powdered sugar
vanilla
baked tart shell

Combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt, orange juice and lemon juice in a saucepan.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, then continue to cook for about 10 min.  Or cook in the microwave until thickened (about 2-5 minutes)  Spoon into a bowl to cool.

Fill the baked and cooled tart shell with half the berries and cover with half the orange uice mixture.  Add the remaining berries and top with remaining orange juice mixture.  Before serving, whip the cream and sweeten to taste with the powdered sugar.  Spread over the berry filling and serve.

** This is great with any berry. We've tried it with fresh raspberries, also.

Chunky Applesauce

30 apples
1 1/2 cups - 2 cups apple cider

Peel and roughly chop apples.  Mix with cider in large pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 -2 hours until soft.  Stir 2-3 times during baking.  When done, add:

2-4 cups brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
5 teaspoons cinnamon

Fill hot bottles and process.

**If you're not into canning, you can make this and keep in the refrigerator.  This is really a dessert applesauce.  You can put some in a pie pan and top with cobbler or crisp topping and it makes a decadent apple crisp.  These jars are treasured at the Campbell household.

Cranberry Obsession Snow Cake

 

Time: 2 1/4 hours, plus cooling time.

Bakers' tip: To make a pure white cake, use your fingers to rub off the browned surface of each layer before assembling.

Yield

Serves 16

Ingredients

• Cake
• 10  ounce  unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for pans
• 3 1/2  cups  cake flour
• 4  teaspoons  baking powder
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 2 1/4  cups  granulated sugar
• 7  large egg whites, at room temperature
• Cranberry filling
• 3 3/4  cups  cranberries, divided
• 3/4  cup  granulated sugar
• 1 1/2  cups  cranberry or cherry preserves
• Buttercream
• 5  large egg whites, at room temperature
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/4  cups  granulated sugar
• 12  ounces  white chocolate (bars or a block, not chips), divided
• 1  pound  unsalted butter, cut into pieces and at room temperature
• Assembly
• 1/2  cup  colorless liqueur such as crème de cacao or kirsch
• About 2 tbsp. powdered sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Butter two 9-in. cake pans; set aside.

2. Make cake: In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together on low speed until light and fluffy. Add egg whites in 3 batches, scraping inside of bowl as needed. Beat in flour mixture in 5 batches, adding 1/4 cup water after each addition (you will begin and end with flour); make sure flour is completely blended each time before adding water. Pour batter into prepared pans, dividing evenly. Smooth tops with a spatula.

3. Bake until center of cake feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes completely in pans on a rack.

4. Meanwhile, make cranberry filling: Combine 3 cups cranberries, the sugar, preserves, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until cranberries pop and preserves melt, 5 to 10 minutes. Add remaining 3/4 cup cranberries, stir to combine, and remove from heat. Transfer to a small bowl and chill until ready to assemble cake.

5. Make buttercream: Fill a 2-qt. pan with about 1 in. water and bring to a simmer over low heat. Put egg whites, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine. Place bowl over hot water, making sure bottom of bowl isn't touching water, and heat whites, whisking constantly, until hot to the touch, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pan and bowl from heat.

6. Put bowl of warm whites on the mixer and whisk on high speed until tripled in volume and side of bowl is cool to the touch, about 10 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, chop 4 oz. white chocolate, put in a medium metal mixing bowl, and set in same pan of warm water off the heat to melt slowly, stirring occasionally. Remove bowl from pan and let cool to room temperature.

8. Reduce mixer speed to low and whisk butter into whites, about 1/4 cup at a time, until incorporated. Continue to whisk on low speed until smooth and fluffy, about 10 minutes (mixture may look grainy at some point but will come together).

9. With a rubber spatula, gently fold melted chocolate into buttercream until completely combined.

10. Assemble: Rub tops of both cakes gently with your hands to remove browned outer surface, then carefully invert cakes and rub undersides so that cakes are completely white. Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate, top side up. Using a pastry brush, brush top with half the liqueur. Spread about 1 1/2 cups cranberry mixture over layer with a metal spatula, leaving a 1/2-in. empty border around edge. Place second cake layer on top, flattest side down, and brush with remaining liqueur. Spread top and sides of cake with a thin layer of buttercream to seal in crumbs and chill 30 minutes. Cover with remaining buttercream, starting with the sides and covering the top last.

11. Use the palm of your hand to warm remaining chocolate. Shave smooth side of chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler to make thin curls; scatter curls over cake's top. Sift powdered sugar over cake. Serve with remaining cranberry mixture on the side.

Make ahead: Baked cake layers can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature or in the fridge up to 2 days ahead. Cranberry filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and chilled.

** This was our Christmas Eve Cake at our family gathering in December, 2008.

Cheesecake

by Cassi

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar

combine and press into the bottom and part way up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan, smoothing the bottom to even thickness.  Bake 5 minutes at 350 degrees.

2 lbs. cream cheese
3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup sour cream

Beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth and light.  Beat in the eggs one at a time.  Do not over beat.  Add vanilla and cornstarch just until thoroughly mixed.  Stir in the sour cream until the mixture is well-blended.  Pour the mixture onto the prepared crust.  Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, and then reduce to 200 for 45 to 50 minutes.  Allow to cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar for 3 hours or until cooled (could be overnight).  Remove sides from pan and chill until serving.

I like to make this recipe with double the crust and press the crumbs all the way up the sides of the pan.  This recipe is very gourmet and I've never had the cheesecake crack.

Desserts