Macadamia Coconut Cake
Ingredients & Directions FOR CAKE 3/4 Stick unsalted butter; -softened (6 ; tablespoons) 1 c Sugar 1 1/4 c Cake flour; (not -self-rising) 1 1/2 ts Baking powder 1/2 ts Salt 1/2 c Milk 1 ts Vanilla 3 lg Egg whites -FOR FILLING- 1/3 c Plus 3 tablespoons sugar 3/4 c Macadamia nuts 3 lg Egg yolks 3/4 c Milk 2 tb Cornstarch 3/4 ts Vanilla 1/4 c Chilled heavy cream -FOR FROSTING- 1 c Sugar 1/4 c Water 2 lg Egg whites 1/4 ts Salt 1 c Sweetened shredded coconut -for coating ; cake Macadamia nuts brushed with -honey for ; garnish Make cake: Preheat oven to 350F. Line bottom of a buttered 9- by 2-inch round cake or springform pan with a round of wax paper and butter paper. Dust pan with flour, knocking out excess. In a bowl with an electric mixer cream butter with 2/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Onto a sheet of wax paper sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir flour into butter mixture alternately with milk in batches, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in vanilla and blend batter until just combined well. In another bowl with clean beaters beat egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Beat in remaining 1/3 cup sugar gradually and beat meringue until it holds stiff peaks. Stir one fourth meringue into batter to lighten and fold in remaining meringue gently but thoroughly. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan and bake in middle of oven 30 to 35 minutes, or until cake begins to pull away from side of pan and a tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Invert cake onto rack and cool completely. Cake may be made 1 day ahead and kept at room temperature, tightly wrapped. Make filling: In a dry heavy skillet cook 1/3 cup sugar over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Cook, stirring with a fork, until melted completely and a light caramel. Add macadamia nuts and cook, stirring, until nuts are coated well and caramel is deep golden. Pour praline onto a sheet of foil and cool completely. Break praline into pieces and in a food processor grind fine. (Do not puree to a paste.) In a small saucepan whisk together remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, egg yolks, milk, and cornstarch. Bring pastry cream to a boil over moderate heat, whisking, and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Whisk in vanilla. Transfer pastry cream to a bowl and chill until cold, its surface covered with plastic wrap. (Pastry cream will be very stiff.) In a bowl beat heavy cream until it just holds stiff peaks. Whisk pastry cream to loosen and whisk in praline. Fold in whipped cream and chill while making frosting. Make frosting: In a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water whisk together frosting ingredients until mixture is warm and sugar is dissolved. With a portable electric mixer on high beat frosting 6 to 7 minutes, or until thick and fluffy. Remove bowl from heat and beat frosting until cooled slightly. Assemble cake: With a long serrated knife cut cake horizontally into 3 layers. Spread filling between layers on a cake plate and spread cake with frosting. Coat cake with coconut. Cake may be made 6 hours ahead and chilled, covered loosely. Garnish cake with macadamia nuts. Yields 1 servings
Coffee-caramel Ice Cream Pie
Ingredients & Directions 1/2 c Semisweet chocolate chips; -melted 1 Purchased chocolate cookie -crust 1 1/2 pt Coffee ice cream; slightly -softened FOR HOT CARAMEL SAUCE 1 1/4 c Firmly packed light brown -sugar 2/3 c Light corn syrup 2/3 c Whipping cream 1/4 c Unsalted butter; (1/2 stick) 1/8 ts Salt Spread melted chocolate over bottom of crust. Freeze until set, about 5 minutes. Spoon ice cream into crust; smooth top. Freeze until very firm, about 4 hours. (Can be prepared 4 days ahead.) Serve pie with Hot Caramel Sauce. To make Hot Caramel Sauce: Combine brown sugar, corn syrup, whipping cream, butter and salt in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Boil sauce without stirring until mixture registers 238F (soft-ball stage) on candy thermometer, about 11 minutes. Cool slightly. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat over low heat, stirring constantly.) Makes about 2 cups. Serves 8. Yields 1 servings
Swiss Cheese Bread
Ingredients & Directions 12 oz Beer 1/2 c ;Water 2 tb Sugar 2 tb Butter 18 oz Swiss cheese; grated 5 c Flour; divided 2 pk Yeast In a large saucepan, heat the beer, water, sugar, butter, and grated cheese. Stir until the cheese just begins to melt, then remove from heat; cool to about 115 F. Add two cups flour and the yeast to the cheese mixture and beat with mixer for about three minutes. Stir in the remaining flour by hand to make a stiff dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic. Let rise until doubled in size. Punch down, divide in half, and put in greased loaf pans to rise again until doubled. Bake at 350 F for 40 to 45 minutes. Yields 12 Servings
Pecan Streusel Coffeecake
Ingredients & Directions 10 tb Unsalted Butter 3/4 c Granulated Sugar 2 c All-Purpose Flour 2 lg Eggs 1 ts Baking Powder 1 ts Vanilla Extract 1/2 ts Baking Soda 1 c Sour Cream, Reduced-Fat Or 1/4 ts Salt Regular -STREUSEL TOPPING- 1 c Pecans — chopped coarse 3 tb Unsalted Butter — at room 1/2 c Packed Light Brown Sugar -temperature 1/2 c All-Purpose Flour 2 ts Vanilla Extract Heat the oven to 325 F. Grease a 9- or 9 1/2-inch springform pan. Start the cake: Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan (or in a bowl in microwave). Remove from the heat can cool slightly. Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Stir to mix well. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla to the butter; whisk to blend well. Stir in sour cream. Put all the topping ingredients into a small bowl. Work with your fingers or a fork until the mixture is in coarse crumbs. Add the sour-cream mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until well blended (batter may be slightly lumpy). Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the topping over the surface. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 65 to 75 mins. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 to 20 mins. Loosen the edges of the cake with a knife and remove the sides of the pan. Let cool. If not serving the same day, wrap airtight and store overnight at room temperature, or freeze. YIELD: 12 portions. Yields 12 servings
Moravian White Christmas Cookies
Ingredients & Directions 2 c Butter 3 c Sugar 5 ea Egg, well beaten 1 c Cream 1 ts Soda 1 x *dissolved in: 1/4 c Water, boiling 4 c Flour Cream butter and sugar together until well blended. Beat the eggs and add. Stir in the dissolved soda. Sift the flour and add alternately with the cream. Mix thoroughly. Dough must be stiff enough to roll- add more flour if needed. Chill for several hours. Roll out thin on floured board and cut with fancy cookie cutters. Bake at 350-F about 12 minutes. Yields 1 Servings
Biscuit Tortoni
Ingredients & Directions 3/4 c Crushed Macaroons 3/4 c Cream 1/4 c Confectioners Sugar Salt 1 c Whipping Cream 1 ts Vanilla 4 Candied Cherries Combine macaroons, cream, sugar and a few grains of salt and allow to stand for an hour or so. Whip whipping cream until thickened but not stiff. Fold into the macaroon mixture along with the vanilla and set in paper cups. Place in freezer. Serve with a cherry set in top of each cup. Joel Ehrlich on rec.food.cooking From Yields 4 Servings
Honey Cakes No Sugar
Ingredients & Directions 1/2 c Shortening 1 c Honey 1/2 ts Salt 1 Egg, beaten 1/2 c Sour milk 2 c Flour 1 ts Baking soda 1/2 ts Cinnamon Cream shortening. Add egg and honey; stir well. Sift flour with baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add alternately with milk to creamed mixture. Bake in a well- greased 9 x 13 in. pan at 375 degrees for about 50 minutes. From Yields 1 Servings
