Last week my family and friends went camping. I HAD planned on making my "ultimate cake design", but things got in the way so I was only left with a simple cake. Carrot cake is one of those "simple" recipes. I found this new one before and I hadn't make carrot cake for at least 3 years. This one had added ingredients such as pineapple and apple sauce. I don't usually put these "extras" but I was like, "well, hell with it." :P
CARROT CAKE:
4 eggs 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans
Extra Ingredient Tips:
1C white sugar and 1C brown sugar (substitute)
Extra tsp of vanilla
Add one 8oz. can of pineapples (squeezed and blended)
1/4 nutmeg
Extra 1tsp of cinnamon
3/4 C canola oil and 1/2 C apple sauce (substitute)
Any nuts (ex: walnuts, almonds, etc)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, apple sauce, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir in carrots and pineapples. Fold in nuts. Pour into prepared pan.
3.Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
4. To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped nuts. Frost the cooled cake.
Tips:
-I didn't have Canola oil so I simply used normal vegetable oil. Worked out fine.
-Don't over-beat the mixture or it'll become hard.
-I used tinfoil bread pans so they took a little longer to bake. Most people just use round cake pans.
-Of course, the cake goes better with a cream cheese frosting. :)
Links:
Carrot cake: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/carrot-cake-iii/detail.aspx
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
Scones/Biscuits
This recipe I found online is when buying scones from Tim Hortons was a little too pricy. When I made this, it was SUPER EASY. And its fairly quick. I like to but raisins in my scones, but u can add dried fruits, nuts and cheese.
SCONES
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening (reviews say that using half butter and half shortening tastes much better)
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg with milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
2. Turn onto a well-floured surface; knead 20 times. Roll to 3/4-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.
TIPS:
-If you don't have the tools to create coarse crumbs, using two butter knives work well too.
-For a golden touch, spread milk on top of the biscuit dough right before putting it in the oven, OR beat an egg with a little bit of water and spread that on the dough instead.
LINKS:
Biscuits: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fluffy-Biscuits/Detail.aspx
SCONES
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening (reviews say that using half butter and half shortening tastes much better)
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg with milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
2. Turn onto a well-floured surface; knead 20 times. Roll to 3/4-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.
TIPS:
-If you don't have the tools to create coarse crumbs, using two butter knives work well too.
-For a golden touch, spread milk on top of the biscuit dough right before putting it in the oven, OR beat an egg with a little bit of water and spread that on the dough instead.
LINKS:
Biscuits: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fluffy-Biscuits/Detail.aspx
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Here is the recipe for chocolate chip cookies. I have found my recipes for this but this one comes out nice and soft and chewy. It simply is better than other ones I have tried. Enjoy. :)
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
TIPS:
-make sure to completely cool the cookies to keep them chewy (unless you eat them right away)
-MELT the butter, DON'T FORGET THE EGG YOLK, and DON'T OVER BEAT YOUR EGGS
-if you find the cookies too sticky before putting into the oven, you can refrigerate for an hour.
-I find the cookies a little sweet so I cut back on the sugar by half a cup.
LINKS:
Chocolate chip cookies: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Big-Fat-Chewy-Chocolate-Chip-Cookie/Detail.aspx
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
TIPS:
-make sure to completely cool the cookies to keep them chewy (unless you eat them right away)
-MELT the butter, DON'T FORGET THE EGG YOLK, and DON'T OVER BEAT YOUR EGGS
-if you find the cookies too sticky before putting into the oven, you can refrigerate for an hour.
-I find the cookies a little sweet so I cut back on the sugar by half a cup.
LINKS:
Chocolate chip cookies: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Big-Fat-Chewy-Chocolate-Chip-Cookie/Detail.aspx
CORN MUFFINS
Today my friend is sleeping over so we're going to make corn muffins, raisin scones, and chocolate chip cookies. I will put up the other recipes along with this one. I've tried other corn muffin recipes before but none of them were great. They always turned out stiff or rough. So I now always depend on the corn recipe I got when I took a cooking/baking class in middle school.
CORN MUFFINS:
- 1 1/2 C flour
- 3/4 C cornmeal
- 1C sugar
- 1 tbp & 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- dash of lemon zest (1/2 tsp)
- 1 C milk
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1/4 C oil
- 2 tbp sugar (for garnish)
- 1 C fresh or frozen berries (optional)
1. Sift dry ingredients into large mixer bowl.
2. Whisk together milk, vanilla and lemon zest.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Fold wet ingredients (including egg) into dry ingredients. (OPTIONAL)Gently fold in berries until all dry ingredients look moistened.
5. Line muffin pan with paper cups until 3/4 full. Pour batter into cups and sprinkle with a dash of sugar.
6. Place in oven for 18-20 minutes.
TIPS:
-DO NOT MIX THE INGREDIENTS TOGETHER FOR TOO LONG. Doing so may thicken the batter too much and the muffins will become hard.
CORN MUFFINS:
- 1 1/2 C flour
- 3/4 C cornmeal
- 1C sugar
- 1 tbp & 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- dash of lemon zest (1/2 tsp)
- 1 C milk
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1/4 C oil
- 2 tbp sugar (for garnish)
- 1 C fresh or frozen berries (optional)
1. Sift dry ingredients into large mixer bowl.
2. Whisk together milk, vanilla and lemon zest.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Fold wet ingredients (including egg) into dry ingredients. (OPTIONAL)Gently fold in berries until all dry ingredients look moistened.
5. Line muffin pan with paper cups until 3/4 full. Pour batter into cups and sprinkle with a dash of sugar.
6. Place in oven for 18-20 minutes.
TIPS:
-DO NOT MIX THE INGREDIENTS TOGETHER FOR TOO LONG. Doing so may thicken the batter too much and the muffins will become hard.
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