Grandsons Favorite Mini Pumpkin Loaves

No need to use a mixer for these easy loaves.  I mix everything with a whisk and wooden spoon.  My grandsons (Max, Owen and Levi)  love these and are so happy when I make them as a treat for them.  I use the non-stick mini loaf pans from Williams Sonoma. The recipe will make 6 mini loaves, personal size pumpkin loaf.  

3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup canola or safflower oil
One 15 ounce can pumpkin (I use organic pumpkin)
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350.

Spray each mini loaf pan with PAM baking spray that contains flour.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside.  (Yes, sift together, it makes a better bread).

Whisk together the sugar, eggs, and oil in a separate bowl until well blended.  Stir in the pumpkin, water, and vanilla and mix well.

Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir just until all the ingredients are moist and blended.  Do not overtax.

Pour the batter evenly into the prepared 6 mini loaf pans and place on a larger baking sheet.  Bake for 40 - 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each loaf comes out clean and the top begins to crack slightly.

Let rest for 10 - 15 minutes before removing from the pans.  

These loaves can be frozen.  

Lemon Pound Cake

I love pound cake in a Bundt pan, especially lemon ones!  

Cake:

3 sticks butter (1 1/2 cups), room temperature
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
6 eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
3 cups granulated sugar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon buttermilk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325.  Prepare bundt or tube pan by spraying with PAM baking spray with flour.  Set aside.  

Cream together butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time.  Add lemon juice and zest and combine well.  Add flour, salt and vanilla.

Mix until just well combined but do not over mix.

Pour into the prepared bundt or tube pan.  

Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until golden brown and tester inserted into middle of cake comes out clean.

As the cake is cooling, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and buttermilk to make the glaze.  Allow to sit until cake has fully cooled then drizzle over top of cake.



*adapted from addapinch.com

Seafood "Cataplana" with Saffron, Vermouth and Sorrel

We had this in a restaurant on the beach Praia Da Rocha in Portugal in 1990.  

I made it one since we moved back to the USA, Paul III especially loved this dish.  

This dish is named after the copper Portuguese cooking vessel, the data-lana, in which it is traditionally served.

4 garlic cloves

1 small shallot

1 small onion

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 small vine-ripened tomato

16 small hard-shelled clams (littlenecks, preferably)

30 mussels (preferably cultivated)

16 large shrimp (about 1 pound)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup dry vermouth

2 cups dry white wine

1/2 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads

2 cups fish stock or bottle clam juice

1 cup heavy cream

sea salt

30 thawed frozen cooked crayfish tails (about 1/2 pound)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sorrel leaves

Mince garlic and finely chop shallot and onion.  Cut bell peppers into julienne strips.  Cut tomato into 1/4 inch dice.  Scrub clams and mussels and remove beards from mussels.  Shell and devein shrimp.

In a 4 quart shallow heavy kettle with a tight fitting lid cook garlic shallot, onion and bell peppers in oil, uncovered, over moderate heat, stirring, 5 minutes or until bell peppers are softened.  

Add vermouth, wine and saffron and boil, uncovered until liquid is reduced to about 1/3 cup.  Add stock or clam juice and cream and bring to a boil.

 

Immediately add clams and simmer until they just begin to open, about 3 minutes.  Stir in mussels, shrimp, tomato and sea salt and pepper to taste and stir until well combined.  

Simmer cataplana, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes and discard any unopened clams or mussels.  

Transfer seafood with a slotted spoon to a large bowl and boil cooking liquid, uncovered, until reduced by about half, about 5 minutes.  Return seafood to cooking liquid and stir in crayfish and sorrel.  

Heat cataplana over moderate heat until just heated through.

Serves 4

*from epicurious.com   

French Onion Soup

I made this soup for our starter at our Christmas Eve 2017 meal.  I found the recipe on Food Network.  

It says it served 4 but it easily served 5-6.

1 stick unsalted butter
6 cups thinly sliced sweet (Vidalia) onions (I sliced them ultra thin in the food processor)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup dry sherry
5 cups beef stock
6 sprigs fresh thyme
8 slices Gruyere cheese 
2 cups coutons

Directions

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onions all at one and a small splash of water.  Season the onions with salt and pepper.  Bring the onions to a simmer, stirring often.  Reduce the heat if the onions begin to cook too fast.  Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 15 minutes.  (If you want a sweeter soup, continue to cook the onions until they caramelize to the richness of your preference.)

Add the flour and cook for 3 minutes.  Add the sherry and cook for a few minutes longer.  Add the beef stock and bring to a very low simmer; simmer for about 35 minutes.

Preheat the broiler to finish the soup.

Add the thyme to the soup and simmer for 5 more minutes.  Season with salt and pepper as needed.  Remove the herbs.

Ladle the soup into 4 soup crocks.  Place some croutons (recipe below) on top of the soup then cover each crock with 2 slices of cheese. 

Transfer the crocks to a baking sheet and place under the broiler until the cheese bubbles.  

Croutons:

2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 cups (1" dice) sourdough bread
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large (10") saute pan until hot.  Add the bread and cook over medium heat, tossing frequently, until the bread is evenly toasted and browned.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Best Apple Cake Ever

I made this recently and it was so moist and delicious with the tasty apple chunks throughout.  

Cake:

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs 
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
3 large apples, peeled and cut into small chunks

Glaze:

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla

Preheat oven to 325.  Grease and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon,  nutmeg and salt.  Sift two additional times and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine oil and both sugars and mix well until well blended.

Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.  Add vanilla and mix again.  

Add the sifted dry ingredients to the batter and mix thoroughly.  Bay hand, fold in the apples and mix until evenly coated.

Spoon the batter into the prepared bundt pan.  Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  

Remove cake from the oven and allow to cool in the bundt pan for 20 minutes.  

While the cake is cooling, prepare the glaze. 

In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine all of the glaze ingredients.  Bring to a boil and allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute.  

Remove the cake from the pan, onto a serving plate.  Spoon the glaze over the warm cake.

Cool for little longer before serving.



*adapted from afamilyfeast.com

Classic Icebox Cake

Paul said his Mom made this for he and his siblings when he was growing up.  A quick delicious treat!  Buy these chocolate wafer to make.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 (9 ounce) package chocolate wafer cookies

Directions:

Beat cream in a large bowl with electric mixer.  Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla continuing to beat until the cream holds stiff peaks.  

Spread a generous teaspoon of whipped cream on each cookie.  Press cookies together to make 3 inch stacks.

Spread a 1" wide line of whipped cream down the center of a serving platter.  Assemble cookie stacks into a log on platter following the line of whipped cream.

Frost cookie log with remaining whipped cream.

Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.  

To serve, slice diagonally to create striped pieces.

No Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake

So easy, so delicious, kids and grands love!

19 ounce box graham crackers
2 pounds fresh strawberries
3 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 banana, sliced thin
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Cream powdered sugar, vanilla and salt with the heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Beat until the cream mixture holds stiff peaks.

Spread a thin layer of heavy cream mix in a 9 x 13" pan just to coat the bottom.

Layer 5 graham crackers across the center of the pan, then 2 more, breaking them as needed to fit around the top and bottom edges.

Spread a thick layer of heavy cream mix over the grahams and top with a hearty layer of sliced strawberries.

Place graham crackers on top of strawberries, then heavy cream mix, then layer of thinly sliced bananas.

Repeat the graham-strawberries-cream layers 1 more time (3 times total) and you should reach the top of the pan.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight until the graham crackers have softened completely.  Top with a few sliced strawberries or whole strawberries.

Serve chilled.