Quick bread is fun and easy to make. This recipe is one of my favorite for flavor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (unless you like more)
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup strawberries
3/4 cup walnuts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grease your pan and preheat the oven to 350

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wash your berries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hull the berries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chop the berries and set aside

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dump flour into mixing bowl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add baking powder and baking soda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add salt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the cinnamon and mix well then set aside

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a separate bowl dump in softened butter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add in the sugar and brown sugar and beat by hand for a minute to combine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the eggs into the butter sugar mixture and mix to combine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add in the sour cream

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add in the vanilla and mix again. Stir in the flour mixture just until all moistened

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fold in the chopped strawberries and nuts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mix gently

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pour into your greased bread pan and bake at 350 until done

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let stand 10 minutes then remove from the pan. This is what it will look like

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is what it looks like when you cut it open hot. I couldn’t wait until it cooled down!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With butter while it is hot it is extra yummy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This quick bread is really good! I like it with more cinnamon than the original recipe. Why not try 1 teaspoon cinnamon instead for extra flavor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great for breakfast or anytime you have a sweet tooth

This is an easy and elegant dessert

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 quart water
1 1/3 cup sugar
4 pears
cinnamon stick

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get some parchment paper ready to cut into a round shape

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fold the parchment paper into a triangle and folding over again

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Measure the pot and cut off the excess

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You now have a round shape to cover the pears in the pot… yay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the water, sugar and cinnamon to a saucepan, heat until the sugar is dissolved

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pick out some pears

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peel the pears

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add whole pears to the saucepan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover with parchment paper and simmer the pears until cooked through (knife goes in easily). This will take 15 to 25 minutes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remove the pears and let cool

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To core: cut a pear in half, take a spoon, scoop and pull out the core

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Core all the pears

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For a fancy dessert plate whole with reduced sauce. It looks even more fancy when poached in red wine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plate them cut open with ice cream, reduced sauce and chocolate syrup…yum!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can plate them sliced or use for something like pear tart

Go check out my pear tart at http://www.hauntedchef.com/2011/10/10/pear-tart/

To keep: refrigerate in their own syrup

 

To share or not to share that is the question! I really like this recipe and would really like to keep it a secret. On the other hand I am all about sharing all my secrets. haha! Just ask any of my former cake students or friends. So here we go… this is my super duper, top secret, easy peasy pear tart. Now say that 5 times fast! Can’t you tell I have watched way too many cartoons with my kids over the years 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar, divided 1/3 cups each (brown or white)
1 cup flour
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 fresh pears (1-1/4 lb.), peeled, sliced and poached
1/4 cup sliced almonds or walnuts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grease your pie plate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get butter ready

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add flour into bowl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the sugar and mix

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the butter until the dough comes together

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Press in the bottom of pie pan and flute the edges

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next crack an egg into the mixing bowl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beat it with a fork or whisk  and add vanilla

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next into the bowl goes the softened cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mix it up until it is smooth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pour it into the crust

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get every bit in there because it is really good

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poached pears should be ready to cut. Go see my recipe for step by step poaching pears http://www.hauntedchef.com/2011/10/20/poached-pears/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slice up the pears thin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overlap the pears on the tart until the are gone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon and nuts (optional) bake in a preheated 350 oven for 30-35 min

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yummy! All I can say is this is really good!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a refreshing and light way to eat dessert. Enjoy!!!

Do you ever get a craving for chocolate so bad it becomes an emergency? Have you ever gone out in the middle of the night just for chocolate? Try this recipe!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 minute chocolate cake!

4 tablespoons cake flour
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 large egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips
a cap of vanilla

Glaze
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 tablespoon milk warm
a cap of vanilla
2 teaspoons butter * optional to give more flavor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gather your ingredients

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Grab a microwave safe mug

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Measure all dry ingredients to into the mug and stir

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Add the egg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Measure in the milk and oil and mix well

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Add the chocolate chips, vanilla and mix again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put the mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes. The cake can puff above the top of the mug

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Eat it straight out of the mug or plate if desired

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Next gather your ingredients for the glaze

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mix everything together until smooth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Pour it over the top of the cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serve it with whipped Cream

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garnish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The way my son likes to eat his

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16 ounces  (1 pkg) mini marshmallows
2  tablespoons water
2 pounds (8 cups)  confectioners sugar
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
* optional 1/8 Teaspoon candy flavoring and decrease the water by 1/8 Teaspoon

Did you know that confectioners sugar, icing sugar and powdered sugar are the same? Once I actually had a student who used granulated sugar to make buttercream. It was sparkly looking and strange. I got the opportunity to play with it because she brought it to class to work with. She even iced her cake with it thinking it was fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grease your microwave safe bowl or the fondant will just stick to the sides

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Melt marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in the microwave for 30 second at a time until melted. It will take between 2 – 2 1/2 minutes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By machine: Dump into a greased KitchenAid bowl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dump in the rest of the ingredients and mix for 10 minutes on #2 setting on the KitchenAid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most of the time I make it by hand as it is faster for me

By hand: Grease your spoon and mix

Dump 1/2 of the confectioners sugar into melted marshmallow mix

Add the other half of the confectioners sugar and mix until it clumps together

Dump onto a greased counter and knead with greased hands until smooth. Do not use butter flavored Crisco unless you want yellow colored fondant. You can even pull it like it is taffy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After any method you will now do this next step. Wrap in plastic wrap and place into a ziplock bag. Did you know air is the enemy of fondant? Protect all that work you just did by protecting it from getting hard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let it sit to “ripen” overnight. You can use it right away but it is not as elastic as it will be later. Use as you would any commercial fondant

Tylose is an alternative product to use in making gumpaste instead of gum tragacanth. The advantage of the tylose is that the paste is less expensive,, easier to make, holds up better in humidity and is whiter in color. The 55g container makes approximately 3 pounds of finished gumpaste. The following recipe will make approximately 2 pounds of gumpaste.

4 – Large Egg Whites
1 – 2 lb. bag 10x powdered sugar
12 – Level teaspoons Tylose
4 – Teaspoons shortening (Crisco)

1. Place the egg whites in a Kitchen Aid mixer bowl fitted with the flat paddle.
2. Turn the mixer on high speed for 10 seconds to break up the egg whites.
3. Reserve 1 cup of the powdered sugar and set aside.
4. Turn the mixer to the lowest speed and slowly add the remaining sugar. This will make a soft consistency royal icing.
5. Turn up the speed to setting 3 or 4 for about 2 minutes. During this time measure off the tylose into a small container.
6. Make sure the mixture is at the soft peak stage. It should look shiny, like meringue and the peaks fall over. (If coloring the entire batch, add the paste color at this stage, making it a shade darker than the desired color.)
7. Turn the mixer to the slow setting and sprinkle the tylose in over a five second time period. Next, turn the speed up to the high setting for a few seconds. (This will thicken the mixture.
8. Scrape the mixture out of the bowl onto a work surface that has been sprinkled with some of the reserved 1 cup of powdered sugar. Place the shortening on your hands and knead the paste, adding enough of the reserved powdered sugar to form a soft but not sticky dough. You can check by pinching with your fingers and they should come away clean. Place the finished paste in a zip-top bag, then place the bagged paste in a second bag and seal well.
9. Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours if possible before using to mature the paste.
10. Before use, remove from refrigerator and allow the paste to come to room temperature. Take a small amount of shortening on the end of your finger and knead this into the paste. If you are coloring the paste, add the paste color at this stage.
11. Always store the paste in the zip-top bags and return to the refrigerator when you are not using the paste. Will keep under refrigeration for approximately 6 months. You can keep the paste longer by freezing. Be sure to use zip-top freezer bags. If you will be freezing a batch of paste, allow it to mature for 24 hours in the refrigerator first before placing into the freezer.

1 tablespoon Meringue Powder
1 tablespoon water

Mix Meringue Powder and water together in a very small container (1 or 2 oz. size recommended). Add more water if mixture is too thick. The consistency should be that of heavy cream. Mixture should be thin and transparent when brushed on petals and leaves. It should not be too thick so that it leaves a buildup. Brush on decorations. Cover and refrigerate any remaining adhesive. Mixture may be kept for 4-5 days if needed.

VARIATION: Break off small pieces of Ready-To-Use Gum Paste and add to 1 tablespoon water. Let rest for 30 minutes or until gum paste is softened and dissolved.

3 tablespoons Meringue Powder
4 cups (about 1 lb.) confectioners’ sugar
6 tablespoons warm water

Beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7-10 minutes at low speed with a heavy duty mixer, 10-12 minutes at high speed with a hand-held mixer).

NOTE: Keep all utensils completely grease-free for proper icing consistency.

makes 3 cups

1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon water
1 pound (4 cups) confectioner’s sugar sifted
2 tablespoons Color Flow Mix

With electric mixer, using grease-free utensils, blend all ingredients on low speed for 5 minutes. If using hand mixer, use high speed. Color flow icing “crusts” quickly, so keep bowl covered with a damp cloth while using. Stir in desired icing color.

makes 2 cups