Butternut Miss it Cake

Quite awhile back, I ran across a cake at Dozen Flours Blog, where she raved about this cake. I came across some cubed butternut squash the other day at the grocery store, and picked it up with this cake in mind.  (Isn’t it funny how we will find recipes and store them in the back of our mind until such time as we run across the ingredients while shopping. )  While she suggest making this cake 1 to 2 days ahead of time for the reason that it improves in flavor, I did not plan ahead far enough for that. Still, the cake was delicious.  My sister-in-law and I both thought the cake was very good.  Super moist,  with a nice tight crumb. I can’t imagine how much better the cake would have been, had I waited another day to cut it.  I can tell you that I came back to another slice later in the evening and found it even better that when I had cut it.  I do believe, as mentioned in Dozen Flours post that fresh grated nutmeg is the way to go in this cake.  Powdered nutmeg, while still good just won’t give it the justice it deserves in this recipe. Would I make this again?  Absolutely! Delicious cake!  My sister suggested cinnamon, while it might be nice, I think if you use the freshly grated nutmeg and let your cake sit a day or two, you’ll be rewarded for your patience, without the addition of any other spices.  Try it both ways, I’d love to hear how the cake came out with cinnamon and nutmeg. I followed the recipe as given over at Dozen Flours blog, and although I had the candied ginger, I opted for a Toasted Almond Crunch sprinkled over the top of it instead.

Butternut Miss it Cake

Slightly adapted from Dozen Flours

3 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

1/2 tsp. Ground Ginger

1/4 tsp. *Freshly* Grated Nutmeg

1 stick Unsalted Butter, softened

1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup Canola or Vegetable Oil

2 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract

2 Large Eggs, room temperature

1 Tbsp. Distilled White Vinegar

3/4 Cup Buttermilk

2 1/4 Cups peeled & Grated Butternut Squash, about 8 ounces.   (I used a 12 oz. pkg. Cubed Butternut squash, shredded in the food processor)

Icing:

1 Cup Powdered Sugar

1 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract

2 to 4 Tbsp. Buttermilk (I used 3 Tbsp.)

1/4 tsp. *Freshly Grated* Nutmeg

1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt

1/4 tsp. Finely Chopped Crystalized Ginger (Optional) or Toasted Almond Crunch

Directions:

Cake:

1. Center a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 10 cup Bundt cake pan. (I used Cooking spray for baking.)

2.  In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, and freshly grated nutmeg.  Set aside.

3.  In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter for 1 minute until thoroughly softened. Add the sugar and beat on medium speed until well combined.  Add the oil, and beat for another minute. Scrape down the bowl and beaters.

4.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds before adding the next.  Add the vanilla and vinegar; mix until just combined.  Scrape down bowl and beater.  Add half of the flour mixture, beating just until combine, then add half the buttermilk, mixing again until combined. Alternate with the rest of the flour, and rest of the buttermilk; mixing until just combined. Scrape bowl.

5.  Stir the squash into the batter in two parts, mixing on low-speed.  Mix entire mixture on medium high-speed for 5 seconds.   Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt pan, and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

6.  Bake in the preheated 325 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Cool cake in bundt pan for 30 minutes.  Turn cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Icing:

1.  Whisk the powdered sugar, nutmeg, and salt together in a small bowl.  Add the vanilla.  Add the buttermilk a Tablespoon at a  time (I used 3 Tbsp.) until the icing is of pourable, but still thick consistency. Drizzle over cake. Sprinkle cake with the candied ginger, or in my case the toasted almond crunch. Let cake sit for at least 45 minutes before serving to let the icing soak into the cake a little bit.  Serve.

Cinnamon Caramel Crumble

Cinnamon Caramel Crumble, Fresh out of the oven.

Recently I had seen a post somewhere about the book: “Small Sweet Treats: Sassy, Savory and Sweet” by Marguerite Henderson.  Following the link to amazon, I found that the book has a nice preview. Always a sucker for a good preview, I got to looking around in the book and came across this recipe for Cinnamon Caramel Crumble.  It sounded divine. This book looks to be a keeper and certainly will go on my wish/want list. Go take a peek. Find my notes for this recipe at the bottom of the post.

Cinnamon Caramel Crumble

Slightly adapted by: Small Sweet Treats: Sassy, Savory, & Sweet

By: Marguerite Henderson

This crumble captures the flavors of an Autumn day at the farmstand- apples and pears baked with citrus and caramely brown sugar and topped with a crumbly cinnamon layer.  It’s a perfect fall confection craving satisfaction. Marguerite Henderson.

4 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored & thinly sliced

2 D’ Anjou Pears, peeled, cored & thinly sliced

Juice & Zest of 1 Lemon

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

3 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, cut in pieces

2 Tbsp. Cornstarch

1 tsp. Salt

Crumble Topping:

1 Cup All Purpose Flour

1 Cup Quick Cooing Oats (I used Granola)

4 Tbsp. Unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup Chopped Walnuts (Personal preference, I left this out)

1/4  Cup Brown Sugar

1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

Raisins, Optional (I added these, per request from my hubby)

Vanilla Ice or Whipped Cream

Directions:

Combine the apples, pears, lemon juice, zest, sugar, butter, cornstarch, and salt (and raisins if you’re adding these) in a bowl and mix well; transfer to eight individual baking dishes or 1 cup ramekins.  In a bowl, combine all topping ingredients except the ice cream and crumble with your hands or a pastry cutter to make sure it is well mixed.  Spoon crumble evenly over the apples in the ramekins.  Set ramekins on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 375 degree F. oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown.  Serve topped with vanilla ice cream or shipped cream.

Notes:  This dessert is so quick & easy to put together. Tasty too.  I thought, it had a little too much lemon, and I will cut back on that next time, probably omitting the zest to allow for more of the apple flavor then the lemon. This is just a personal preference. Overall, this dessert was delicious and I would definitely make this again.  Vanilla Ice Cream is mandatory! (Grin)

Sweet & Spicy Cookies

What a busy, busy, September, (daughter and niece got married), October, November, December and most of this January has been for me! Please forgive me as this blog has been put on the back burner as life had taken over.  And even in all that hustle, bustle, bake-a-thon that went on here, I have only a few pictures to account for it. Sad, I know.  Anyways, I wanted to post and let you know that I have not abandoned my blog here, and I will be back, with excitement, baked goodies and a  burning desire to share it with all of you.

A favorite recipe that I had come across in the Holiday season is a cookie recipe, that quite frankly has replaced MOST of my sugar cookie recipes. Unless requested, this is the cookie dough that I make almost every time now.  This recipe has nutmeg in it, so you if have anyone with nut allergies, leave it out and continue with the recipe. Once you try this, you may not go back to regular sugar cookies. The recipe comes from a Red book magazine.

My daughter's wedding test picture

Sweet & Spicy Cookies (Snowflakes)

Slightly adapted From: Redbook

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 1 hour plus cooling

Makes about 54 cookies

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I start with 3 cups and add up to 1/2 cup more if needed)

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 cups eggs

Another Test picture for my daughter's wedding - Miette Style

Directions:

1.  In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, salt, cloves, and nutmeg.  In a large bowl, beat butter, shortening and sugars until creamy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time.  With mixer on low-speed, beat in flour mixture, half at a time, until blended.  Divide dough into thirds; wrap in plastic wrap and press into a disk shape.  Refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 2 hours.  (I skip this process, as you can roll these without them being refrigerated.)

2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease several large baking sheets.  Roll 1 piece of dough  at a time, on lightly floured surface with floured rolling-pin, to scant 1/4 inch thickness.  With 3 to 4 inch snowflake (or any desired cookie cutter), cut out cookies.

My beautiful niece & husband cutting their cheesecake

Cookies, my sister in law and I did for Grand kids to take to school!

3.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned at edges.  Cool on wire racks.

Note:

If you’d like to make the snowflake cookies, you will need a straw, royal icing, coarse sanding sugar, silver dragees, and ribbon.  When cutting out the cookie dough, use a straw to make a hole in the top of the snowflake.  Bake as directed.  Decorate snowflake with royal icing, sanding sugar and silver dragees.  When cookies are dry, run a ribbon through the hole at the top of the cookie.  Makes beautiful tree decorations.

So there you have it.  Some of my baking escapades these past months. I wish I had pictures of everything I had made, the blog wouldn’t have been neglected  this long. Such is life. I’ll be seeing you soon!

My daughter, sister-in-law and I made these coffee cakes for the holidays. I’ll be posting the recipe soon!  (Look for Nanna’s Old World Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake Recipe! It is a delicious coffee cake.)

Holiday Coffee Cakes