Desserts
Here are a few very special dessert recipes that are regularly seen in our home, loved by family & friends and by the community at our local farmers market.
chocolate pound cake
Ingredients
3 cups AP flour
3 cups white sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup Crisco (1 pre-packaged stick)
1 cup cocoa
1 cup milk
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray bundt pan and coat with thin layer of flour, shaking out excess.
Sift baking powder, flour and salt in a separate bowl, set aside
Sift sugar and cocoa together, add to mixer
Add Crisco and butter, cream together
Add eggs one at a time to mixer
Add vanilla
Add milk and flour alternately until gone
Cook for 1 hour 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean or with very few crumbs
Let cool for 10 minutes before turning out
Cool on rack thoroughly before adding icing
Icing
2 cups powdered sugar, or more as needed
2 tablespoons hot water, or more as needed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 splash vanilla
Mix together in a small bowl, drizzle over cooled cake.
vanilla layer cake
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray two 8 or 9 inch pans, line with parchment.
In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the softened butter and oil together until mixed.
Slowly add the sugar to the mixer then beating on high until the mixture is light and fluffy and turns a very pale yellow, about 3 minutes.
With the mixer on low, add eggs one at time, scraping down the bowl in between. Add the vanilla extract. Beat the mixture on high for 3 minutes to incorporate more air.
In separate bowl sift together the cake flour, salt, and baking powder. Alternate mixing in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk in 4 batches.
Split the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes or until the cake is a lightly golden brown and springs back when pressed. Take out of the oven and transfer to a cooling rack until cool enough to handle. Turn out cakes onto cling wrap and wrap tightly and continue to cool in the fridge.
royal icing
Ingredients
2 pound bag of icing sugar
90g Meringue Powder
½ cup water (+/-)
1 tbsp corn syrup
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp extract - Vanilla/Lemon/Almond
Instructions
Sift the icing sugar to remove any lumps.
Combine the icing sugar, meringue powder, and salt in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer to low and mix until combined.
Stir in the water, extract, and corn syrup. Turn off the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl. Add more water as needed until no more dry sugar is visible.
Mix on low for 3-5 minutes until the frosting has peaks.
OUTLINE: add water until the frosting is similar to that of toothpaste, 25 second ribbon.
FLOOD: add water until the ribbon disappears into itself, 9-12 seconds.
SINGLE: ribbon disappears within 15 seconds *only use this consistency if you are doing a simple one-dimensional design
Add icing to piping bags, tie off, and label O, F or S
Once ready to use, cut a very tiny hole and cut more if needed. Decorate!
chocolate chunk pistachio
Ingredients
1 cup butter (16 tbsp), melted but not bubbling
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups AP flour
2 tbsp malted milk powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp smoked sea salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 (12 oz) bag semisweet chocolate chunks
1 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
Maldon salt for topping
Instructions
Heat oven to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, stir together the butter, brown sugar, and regular sugar with a wooden spoon until well combined, about 1 minute.
Add in the egg and vanilla, and stir until well combined, about 1 minute.
Stir in the flour, milk powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, mixing until just barely combined.
Mix in the chocolate chips and pistachios, stirring until evenly distributed.
Using a 1/4 cup scoop or spring release cookie scoop the dough onto a prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2-3 inches between cookies.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Sprinkle Maldon Salt on top immediately.
Let cool a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
streusel topping
Ingredients
1/3 cup (77 g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (69 g) light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 g) salted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/2 (193 g) cups all-purpose flour
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl mix the sugar, brown sugar, salt, butter, and flour together until combined.
Spread on the prepared baking sheet. Separate into large crumbs with your fingers.
Bake for 10 – 15 minutes until lightly golden.
Allow the topping to cool completely, then break apart and package in an airtight container to store in the fridge.
cobbler crust
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup AP flour
1 1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cup whole milk, room temp
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
Directions
In a small bowl, microwave unsalted butter on a low setting until liquid, set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add milk, vanilla and melted butter. Whisk until no visible flour.
Pour over prepared cobbler.
Sprinkle turbinado sugar overtop.
Bake per cobbler instructions.
shortbread scones
Ingredients
2 cups AP flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup cold heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
GLAZE (OPTIONAL): 1/2 cup powdered sugar + water to desired consistency
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, pulse once to mix.
Add the butter cubes. Pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal.
Add heavy cream and vanilla extract. Pulse until dough has gathered away from the sides. (ADD-INS HERE).
Turn out dough ball onto baking sheet, divide into two flattened discs about 1/2-2 inches thick. Using a sharp knife, slice vertical and horizontal in one motion downward into 4 triangles.
Bake the scones for 14 minutes or until the bottoms are slightly golden.
ADD-INS AT STEP 4 USING 1/3 CUP: chocolate chips, sprinkles, nuts, freeze dried fruits.
sugar cookies for decorating
Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour (480g)
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter softened (227g)
1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla.
With the mixer running on low, gradually add in the flour mixture and mix until everything is well incorporated.
Divide the dough in half, shape into disks, and tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 2 days. (if chilling longer than 2 hours, let the dough sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes or until slightly softened for the next step.)
Once the dough is chilled and you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375F.
Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch-thickness. Cut out shapes using 2½-inch cookie cutters. Re-roll scraps as needed for more cookies.
Place the cut-outs on a silicone baking sheet or parchment-lined baking sheet 1 inch apart.
Bake for 10 minutes or until the bottom edges start to turn brown. Let cool for a few minutes on the pan then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
chocolate mayo cake
Ingredients
1/4 cup/25 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup boiling water
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cup/150 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups/190 grams all-purpose or cake flour
Flavorless oil or another grease, for the pan
Confectioners’ sugar, for finishing
Directions
To a large mixing bowl, add cocoa powder and chopped bittersweet chocolate (if using). Pour in boiling liquid, and let it sit for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. The chocolate will have melted, if you used it, and the cocoa dissolved.
Whisk in mayonnaise, salt, baking soda, ¾ cup granulated sugar until smooth. Then whisk in a teaspoon of vanilla extract, if you have it (or a dash of Bourbon or brandy or just leave it out entirely). Finally, whisk in 1½ cups flour (either all-purpose or cake flour), mixing vigorously to eliminate any lumps.
Grease an 8- or 9-inch pan (square, round, star-shaped, anything is good). Pour the batter into the pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 40 minutes, until the top springs back when the center is lightly pressed. The deeper the pan, the longer it will take to bake through.
Let cool, and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar to finish.
all butter pie crust
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (300 g grams)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
20 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
4-8 tablespoons ice water, as needed
Directions
In a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt. Add butter and pulse until the mixture forms lima bean-size pieces. Slowly add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough just comes together. It should be moist, but not wet.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a ball. Flatten into a disk with the heel of your hand. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Lay 2 sheets of parchment paper over the dough and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Set on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
Bake until edges are golden brown and bottom is opaque (carefully lift parchment to check), 30–35 minutes.
Reduce oven to 300°F. Lift out parchment and weights. Bake crust until evenly chestnut brown all over, 10–15 minutes.
italian meringue buttercream
Ingredients
213 g egg whites
353.5 g white sugar
595 g unsalted butter, room temp
Vanilla to taste
Directions
In the bowl of a kitchenaid mixer with whisk attachment, add egg whites, turn to speed 2
Use a very clean pot, add sugar, add a bit of water so that the sugar resembles wet sand, bring to rapid boil
Brush sides of pot with clean water using a pastry brush
Once sugar reaches 238°, turn mixer on high and slowly pour sugar into whipping egg whites
Mix on high until meringue has reached the top of the mixing bowl
Add butter in small chunks until incorporated, whip until light and fluffy
Add vanilla
Decorate cake!