Brownies

This recipe is from Betty Crocker's Cooking Basics. It's really easy and possibly my absolute favourite brownies because they're perfectly moist and chocolate-y.

ingredients 
shortening or butter and flour to prepare the pan
1 1/2 C sugar
3/4 C all-purpose flour
3/4 C melted butter
1/2 C baking cocoa
1 1/2 t vanilla
1/4 t salt
3 eggs
 chopped walnuts (optional)

method
Heat the oven to 350F/180C/160C forced air. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9" round pan or 8" square pan. Sprinkle a small amount of flour over the greased surface, shake the pan to distribute the flour evenly, then turn the pan upside down and tap the bottom to remove the excess flour.

Mix the sugar, flour, butter, cocoa, vanilla, salt and eggs (and walnuts, if using) in a medium bowl with a spoon or wire whisk. Pour into the greased and floured pan.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until the top appears dry.

Cool the cake 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan and place on a wire cooling rack. Or you can leave the cake in the pan.

Queen of Sheba's Cake

This is one of my all-time favourite cakes. It's so rich and chocolaty and not too sweet. We used to have it for dessert every time it was someone's birthday at IVP.

ingredients
100g (3.5oz) plain dark chocolate

60g (1/4C) butter
2 T water

125g (1/2C + 2T) sugar
50g (1/2C) ground almonds
2 T rice flour

3 egg yolks

3 egg whites
pinch of salt
pinch of cream of tartar

cocoa powder and/or icing sugar to garnish

whipped cream

method
Butter and line a 22cm springform cake tin. Preheat the oven to 180C (160C forced air).

Chop the chocolate. Melt it in the top of a warm double-boiler. Stir.
Add the butter and water. Keep.

Mix the sugar, ground almonds and rice flour in a bowl. Add the chocolate to the dry ingredients and mix. Add the egg yolks and mix.

Whisk the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar together until stiff. Fold into the chocolate mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake on the first rung from the bottom of the oven for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack.

Once cooled, sift cocoa powder onto the top of the cake. For a less chocolaty finish, sift icing sugar on top. Once, for Valentine's Day, I sifted cocoa powder on top, then icing sugar in the shape of a heart using a cutout piece of paper. It was really cute. Serve with freshly whipped cream.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Here are two recipes from really good baking blogs. I used the first one for Zara's first birthday cake and it was delicious. I think the second one would be good too.

http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/search/label/frosting%20recipes

http://glorioustreats.blogspot.com/2010/02/cream-cheese-frosting-recipe.html

Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

I got this recipe from a friend who used to be a chef at Martha Stewart and who now develops recipes at Good Housekeeping. It's easy, versatile and very forgiving. It keeps in the fridge for a long time and can be frozen as well. If you need it to be stiffer, just add more sugar.

Makes about 5 cups.

You can substitute other flavourings for the vanilla, like almond. For coloured frosting, stir in food colouring drop by drop until desired colour is achieved. You can also use coloured paste, one dot at a time. If you don't colour it, the frosting is a light creamy colour.

ingredients
2 C unsalted butter, softened (do not let it get too soft or melt)
6 C confectioners' sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract
dash of salt

method
Put butter in a bowl of an electric mixer or mixing bowl. Beat with paddle attachment or hand blender on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium; add sugar 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well, about 5 minutes total. Add vanilla and salt. Raise speed to medium high; beat until smooth, about 1 minute more.

Ganache Glaze

The longer the ganache sits undisturbed, the thicker it gets. Let it sit just long enough to remain easy to pour but not runny.

ingredients
1 lb bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 1/2 C heavy cream

method
Place the chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl.

Bring the cream just to a boil over medium-high heat; pour directly over the chopped chocolate. Allow to sit 10 minutes; use a rubber spatula to gently stir in the chocolate and cream until combined. Allow to sit at room temperature until it is the consistency of corn syrup, about 15 minutes. Use immediately.

Whipped Ganache

Makes 1 quart.

Ganache will not whip properly unless it is cold.

ingredients
1 pound bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 1/2 C heavy cream

method
Place the chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl.

Bring cream just to a boil over medium-high heat; pour over chocolate. Allow to sit for 10 minutes; use a rubber spatula or a small whisk to gently stir the chocolate and cream until combined.

Transfer the ganache to the refrigerator to chill; stir every 5 minutes until the mixture is cool to the touch, about 30 minutes (watching carefully and stirring so that it remains a uniform temperature). Remove the bowl from the refrigerator; whip the ganache with a wire whisk until it just barely begins to hold its shape and is slightly lighter in colour. Do not overwhip, or the mixture will become grainy. The ganache will keep thickening after you stop whisking. Use immediately.

Luscious Chocolate Cake

This cake is from the Martha Stewart cookbook that Cassandra gave me for Christmas a few years ago. I made it for Zara's first birthday, and it's really delicious! I used buttercream frosting between the layers and for the crumb coat, and cream cheese frosting for the outside, but I've used the whipped ganache for another cake and it's heavenly. The frosting and ganache recipes are posted individually.

Makes one 9-inch 3-layer cake; serves 8-10.

You will need 3 9x2-inch cake pans. If you want to use 8-inch cake pans for this (you will have batter left over), fill them halfway, and place them on a baking sheet before sliding them in the oven.

I used a 7-inch springform pan to make 2 layers, and it seemed to turn out ok, although I had batter left over.

ingredients
1 C plus 2 T unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans and parchment
1/2 C plus 1 T best-quality cocoa powder, plus more for pans
1/4 C plus 2 T boiling water
3/4 C milk
2 1/4 C sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 3/4 C sugar
2 t pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Whipped Ganache
Ganache Glaze
or
Buttercream Frosting
or
Cream Cheese Frosting

method
Preheat the oven to 350F/180C/160C convection with two racks centred. Butter three 9x2-inch cake pans, and line with parchment paper; butter and dust the bottoms and sides of the pans with cocoa. tap out the excess. Sift the cocoa into a medium bowl; stir in the boiling water until smooth; gradually whisk in the milk. Set aside to cool.

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Set aside. in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on low until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar, scraping down the sides twice. Beat in the vanilla.

Add the eggs, a third at a time, beating after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and the reserved cocoa mixture a little at a time, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Divide batter evenly among pans; spread with an offset spatula until level.

Bake, rotating pans if necessary, until a cake tester inserted into the centre of each cake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer teh pans to a wire rack to cool, about 15 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans, remove the paper, and return to the rack to cool, top-side up.

With a long serrated knife, trip the top of each cake layer until level. Transfer one layer to a cardboard cake round. (I transferred one layer to the bottom of my springform pan and it worked perfectly.) Spread about 1 1/4 C of the whipped ganache on the cake. Top with a second layer. Repeat. Spread the remaining whipped ganache evenly over the top and sides of the cake so seal in the crumbs and form a smooth surface. Chill until the crumb coat is firm, about 30 minutes.

Place the cake (still on the cardboard cake round) on a wire rack set in a baking pan. Pour enough ganache glaze over the cake to fully coat, shaking the pan gently to help spread the ganache if necessary. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes. The ganache in the baking pan maybe strained through a fine sieve and added back to the glaze. Pour the remaining glaze over the cake; allow excess to drip off sides. If top is not smooth, gently shake  pan, or run an offset spatula quickly over the surface. Allow to set at least 30 minutes before serving.

Sour Cream Orange Rolls

1 pkg. dry yeast (about 3 tsp)
1/2 cup warm water
1 3/4 cup sugar (divided)
2 eggs
1 cup melted butter
1 orange
1 cup sour cream (divided)
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt

Stir yeast into warm water. Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup sour cream, eggs, 6 Tblsp. melted butter, salt and 2 cups flour. Beat well. Gradually add enough flour to make a soft dough that can be kneaded. Knead until smooth and elastic.
Place dough in greased clean bowl, cover and allow to rise until double in bulk. Knead dough to remove excess air. Divide into 2 parts. Roll each portion into a rectangle, 1/ inch thick.
Spread with orange filling. Roll up and cut like cinnamon rolls. Place slices on well greased baking sheet, allow to rise 10 to 15 minutes. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Ice with glaze after baked.

Orange filling:
Cream together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cu butter, and grated zest of 1 orange. Spread over rolled out dough before rolling and cutting.

Orange glaze:
Combine 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup sour cream and 2 tsp orange juice in sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Pour glaze over rolls immediately after removing rolls from oven.

lemon-ginger drop cookies

I got this recipe from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (thanks Cassandra!) and these cookies are Jarom's new favourite treat! So good and so easy!

ingredients

8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 C + 2 T sugar (plus more for sprinkling)
1 large egg
1 T grated lemon zest
1 1/3 C all-purpose flour
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/4 C finely chopped crystallized ginger

directions

Preheat the oven to 350F with two racks centered. Line two baking sheets wtih parchment; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 mintues, scraping down the sides of the bowl twice. Add the egg; mix on high speed to combine. Add the zest; mix to combine.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, salt, and crystallized ginger; add to the butter mixture; mix on medium-low speed to combine, about 20 seconds.

Using two spoons, drop about 2 teaspoons of the batter on the prepared baking sheet; repeat, spacing them 3 inches apart (about 6 drops per sheet). Bake for 7 minutes. Sprinkle the cookies with sugar, rotate the sheets between the oven racks, and bake until just golden, about 7 minutes more. Cool the cookies on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

notes

I used a wooden spoon do do all my creaming and mixing because I don't have an electric mixer yet, and they still turned out fine. I think I forgot the extra 2 T of sugar too, so these aren't very finicky. You can add extra lemon zest if you want these to be more lemon-y.

Cookie Jar Ginger Snaps

These are some of my absolute favourite christmas cookies! They are really flavourful and a little crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.

ingredients
2 C white, all-purpose flour
1 T ground ginger
2 t baking soda
2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground cloves
3/4 C softened butter
1 C dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1/3 C molasses
granulated or coarse sugar for rolling the cookies in; you can also use coloured sugar

instructions
Preheat the oven to 350F. Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and molasses, mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix until the dough comes away from the sides and the flour is completely mixed in. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll into 3/4 inch balls and roll in a sugar. Cook on an ungreased, unlined cookie sheet for 8-9 minutes. Transfer immediately to a cooling rack.

notes
The dough can be refrigerated for 2-3 days before baking, although I prefer to use it within a day of making it. These cookies store well in an air-tight container, and also freeze well. You can adjust the baking time to make them softer or crunchier without ruining them.

Scones

ingredients

2 C all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 C unsalted butter, cold
2/3 C milk

instructions
Sift flour, backing powder and salt together. Cut butter into small pieces and rub into flour mixture until it's a sandy texture. Cut in milk with a knife until it forms a sticky dough. Either roll out the dough to 1/2" thick and cut with a scone or cookie cutter, or drop onto an ungreased cookie sheet to make 4 large or 6 small scones. Bake at 450F for 12 minutes. Serve hot or transfer immediately to a cooling rack; cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 1 day.

variations

• Brush the top of the unbaked scones with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
• Mix in fresh or dried herbs (oregano, basil, thyme...), grated cheddar cheese (or other hard cheese), and paprika (to taste) before you add the milk to make savoury scones.
• Mix in chopped apples and cinnamon before you add the milk.

notes

I love my scones fresh from the oven with butter and jam. If I'm eating them at room temperature, I prefer them with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.