Category Archives: Dessert

Hummingbird Cake

09 Monday Dec 2019

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Humminbird Cake

Ingredientswrks4me_terry_tested-11

Cake

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 can crushed pineapple (NOT DRAINED) (8 ounces)
  • 2 cups chopped bananas (1 1/2 cups mashed) or 3 bananas
  • Shortening (for greasing pan)
  • 1 cup chopped pecans (toasted pecans)

Icing

  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2-3/4 cup(s) flaked coconut (depending on your taste)
  • 1-2 package(s) of cream cheese (8 ounces ea., depending on your taste)
  • 1/2 cup of butter
  • 4 cups of icing sugar (16 ounces)
  • 1-2 teaspoons vanilla (depending on your taste)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in a large bowl
  3. Add eggs and oil, stir until ingredients are moistened
  4. Stir in vanilla, pineapple, bananas and 1 cup of chopped toasted pecans (put pecans on a baking sheet and put under the broiler for a minute or two while stirring to ensure they don’t burn)
  5. Pour batter into 3 well-greased and floured 9-inch cake pans
  6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes our clean.
  7. Remove from pans after cooling for about 10 minutes and then cool cake completely before icing (about 1 hour)
  8. Cream butter in mixer and add vanilla and gradually add icing sugar. Stir in coconut.
  9. Spread 1 cups of cream cheese icing over first layer and top with second layer and top with another cup of icing, then top with last layer and frost the top and sides with remaining icing. Decorate top with pecan half’s and pecan pieces

Note: I know prefer to use two jello roll pans (these pans are smaller than a cookie sheet) lined with parchment paper instead of cake pans. I use an ice cream scoop to divide the batter between the pans. This makes 4 equal layers. Back around 15-20 minutes instead of 30 minutes as they are less thick. Once each layer is cooled enough I simply cut them in half including the parchment paper and stack them onto of each other til I’m ready to frost them. I then remove the parchment paper and ice each layer but not the sides. I then trim each side to make it nice and neat. To serve cut the cake down the middle and then serve 1-2 inch slices.

Original Recipe Link

 

Apples 101

21 Monday Oct 2019

Posted by in Baking, Dessert, Salads, Side Dishes, Snacks, wrks4me - Recipes

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apples 101

Good to know?

  • Apples are members of the rose family
  • Apple trees take about 4 to 5 years to produce fruit
  • Apple trees may be propagated by budding or grafting
  • Pour a little citric juice (ie. lemon, lime, grapefruit or apple juices) or even saltwater over peeled apples to prevent them from browning
  • Smaller apples keep longer than larger ones
  • Store baskets or bushels of apples covered with perforated plastic in the dark in a well-ventilated room 32-39 degrees F. (0-4 degrees C) to prevent shrivelling
  • It takes about six medium apples about 2lbs (900g) for a 9″ pie or 3 cups (700ml) of apple sauce

Uses for Common Apples

Eating Whole

 Salads Baking Sauce

Cider
Ambroisia

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Braeburn

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Cortland

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Empire

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Fiji

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Golden Delicious

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Granny Smith

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Honey Crisp

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Idared

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Jonathan

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Johnagold

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Mcintosh

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Northern Spy

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Pink Lady

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Red Delicious • •
Royal Gala • •
Spartan • •

Soda Cracker Crust and Easy Lemon Pie

26 Friday Jul 2019

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Soda Cracker Pie

Ingredients:

For the crust:wrks4me_terry_tested-11

  • 1 1/2 sleeves of salted soda crackers (about 6 ounces or 60 crackers)
  • 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • Optional: 1 Tablespoon of lemon zest

For the filling:

  • 2 (300 ml) cans of sweetened condensed milk
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1/2 – 3/4 cups of lemon or lime juice or a mix of the two
  • 1 cup Fresh whipped cream, for garnish plus 2 tablespoons of sugar
  • Coarse sea salt (or Kosher salt), for garnish

Directions:

Option 1

For the crust:

  1. Put crackers into a plastic bag and crush them fine
  2. Put crushed cracker into a bowl and add cold butter and sugar
  3. Mix together til looking like coast meal
  4. Press into a pie shell up the sides and bottom
  5. Refrigerate for 15 minutes before baking in a preheated 350 degree F. oven
  6. Put into oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until crust is golden brown

For filling:

  • Put condensed milk, yolks, lemon and optional lemon zest into a bowl and whisk or beat till smooth
  • Bake for 14-16 minutes or until filling is set
  • Refrigerate until cold
  • Serve topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of kosher salt

For whipped cream:

  • Put whipped cream into a cold bowl along with sugar and whip till cream reached stiff peaks.

Option 2 (Easiest method – food processor)

For crust:

  • Put crackers, butter and sugar into food processor and pulse until well mixed
  • Press into a pie shell up the sides and bottom
  • Refrigerate for 15 minutes before baking in a preheated 350 degree F. oven
  • Put into oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until crust is golden brown

For filling:

  • Put condensed milk, yolks, lemon and optional lemon zest into food processor and pulse until smooth
  • Bake for 14-16 minutes or until filling is set
  • Refrigerate until cold
  • Serve topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of kosher salt

For whipped cream:

  • Put whipped cream into a cold bowl along with sugar and whip till cream reached stiff peaks.

Note: You can use this pie crust for other pie fillings as well, such as a coconut or banana cream pie. Chocolate or butterscotch pie, or if you prefer, a key lime pie instead of a lemon.

Enjoy

 

 

 

 

Cannoli Filling

27 Sunday Jan 2019

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The trick is to balance the right sweetness to the richness of the Ricotta cheese Cheese. The ratio is 3 parts of Ricotta cheese to 1 part of sugar.

cannoli

Ingredientswrks4me_terry_tested-11

  • 475 Grams (2 1/3 cups) of Smooth Ricotta Cheese
  • 160 grams (3/4 cup) of regular sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla
  • 4 oz of Mini Chocolate Chips

Directions

  1. Cream the Ricotta cheese
  2. Blend in sugar and vanilla til smooth
  3. Fold in the Mini Chocolate Chips
  4. Put into a piping bag and pipe into prepare Cannoli Shells

Enjoy

 

 

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

09 Sunday Dec 2018

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Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredientswrks4me_terry_tested-11

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (use only half if you use salted butter)
  • 4 ounces milk chocolate squares (chopped)
  • 4 ounces of chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup or (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DirectionsDouble Chocolate Chip Cookies 2

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt (if using unsalted butter) into a bowl (put aside)
  3. Over medium melt butter and add chopped chocolate into a pan. Cook until all is melted
  4. Put melted chocolate mixture into a mixing bowl and add sugar, eggs, and vanilla; mix on medium speed until combined.
  5. Reduce speed to low and gradually mix in flour/cocoa mixture.
  6. After all is mixed fold in chocolate chips.
  7. With a cookie scoop (1 1/2 inch) scoop batter onto a lined baking sheet (I prefer a silicon pad)
  8. Bake approximately 15 minutes or until cookies are flat and surfaces begin to crack.
  9. Let cool on wire racks.

Options: Add your favourite chopped nuts (ie. Walnuts or Pecan) along with the Chocolate Chips

Enjoy

Old Fashioned Apple Pie

24 Sunday Dec 2017

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Old Fashioned Apple Pie

Ingredientswrks4me_terry_tested-11

  • 4-8 apples 20 oz (I use Gala)
  • 2 Tablepoons of lemon juice
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Crumble Topping

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Directions

  1. Peel and slice apples and add lemon juice to prevent browning
  2. Combine all dry ingredients and toss together with apples
  3. Put into a prepared unbaked pie shell
  4. Top with pie pastry and add slits to allow steam to escape or top with a Crumble Topping.
  5. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes then turn down to 350 degees F for 45 minutes. If the edges are getting too brown, place strips of foil around the edge while baking.

Directions for Crumble Toppings

Mix together all ingredients until they resemble course meal and sprinkle on top of pie mixture

Pecan Snowball Cookies

24 Sunday Dec 2017

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Pecan Snowball Cookies

Ingredientswrks4me_terry_tested-11

  • 1 cup of flour
  • 1 cup finely chopped pecans
    (you can also toast them)
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 3 Tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup of powdered icing sugar for coating cookies

Directions

  1. Put all ingredients (except icing sugar) into a bowl
  2. Mix all together with your hands
    (you can put in refrigerator for 1/2 hour if cookie mixture are too soft to roll into balls)
  3. Roll cookies by hand into 1 inch balls (1/2 Tablespoon)
  4. Place on a cookie sheet lined with either parchment paper or silicone pad
  5. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
    Watch them carefully as they can burn
  6. After they are cooked, roll them hot into the icing sugar which will “melt” over them. Once they are cooled, rolled them again (gently) in powdered sugar. Store loosely covered.

To Toast Nuts: Place them in an ungreased baking pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Let them cool and then chop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Directions

  1. Put all ingredients (except icing sugar) into a bowl
  2. Mix all together with your hands
    (you can put in refrigerator for 1/2 hour if cookie mixture are too soft to roll into balls)
  3. Roll cookies by hand into 1 inch balls
  4. Place on a cookie sheet lined with either parchment paper or silicone pad
  5. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
    Watch them carefully as they can burn
  6. After they are cooked, roll them hot into the icing sugar which will “melt” over them. Once they are cooled, rolled them again (gently) in powdered sugar. Store loosely covered.

 

To Toast Nuts: Place them in an ungreased baking pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Let them cool and then chop

 

Apple Orchard Bread Pudding

31 Tuesday Oct 2017

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Bread Pudding

Ingredients

  • 7 sliced of thick bread, cubed (5 cups/120 ml)wrks4me_terry_tested-11
  • 2 cups peeled and cored apples chopped
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 (385 mL) can of 2% Evaporated Milk
  • 1 cup water
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
  • Maple syrup to drizzle overtop

Directions

  1. Combine bread crumbs and apples in a large bowl
  2. Beat eggs and stir in evaporated milk, water, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon
  3. Pour over bread mixture. Moisten bread completely.
  4. Sprinkle with chopped nuts
  5. Place in greased 8” square baking dish
  6. Place in a larger pan. Fill pan with hot water to 1” up the sides of the pudding dish.
  7. Baked at 350 degrees F for 60-65 minutes or until st and top is golden
  8. Serve warm with maple syrup

To test for doneness, insert knife in center and it should come out clean.

 

Death by Chocolate Bundt Cake

26 Wednesday Jul 2017

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Death by chocolate cake

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of flourwrks4me_terry_tested-11
  • 1 3/4 cups of sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
  • 1 cup of unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup of cocoa powder
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1/2 tsp of salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (or use yogurt, cream, buttermilk)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Death by chocolate cake 2

FOR GANACHE

  • 4 ounces of a dark chocolate Bar (sweetened) or milk chocolate bar
    (DO NOT USE Bakers – unsweetened chocolate squares – WILL BE BITTER)
  • 1/4 -1/2 cup of whipping cream (2 oz to 4 oz)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Combine flour, sugar and baking soda into a bowl
  3. Put butter in pan and melt over medium heat, add cocoa powder, water and salt and heat till butter is melted and everything is incorporated (use a whisk)
  4. Make a well into the flour mixture pour in 1/2 of the cocoa mixture and whisk. Add remaining chocolate mixture and continue to stir
  5. Add one egg at a time and then the vanilla and finally the sour cream. Mix well with a whisk and pour into a oil sprayed silicon bundt pan preferably. Put the bundt pan on a cookie sheet and put in preheated oven
  6. Bake for 50 minutes and test with a wooden skewer
  7. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack

To make Ganache

  1. Heat whipping cream  in a microwave til very hot
  2. Pour whipping cream over chocolate and stir til smooth and glossy
  3. Pour over top of cake
  4. Note: Start with small amount of whipping cream and stir. If too thick add more cream until smooth. As it cools it will thicken up more.

Optional Cream Cheese Icing

  • 2 cups of icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup of butter
  • 1 (250g) package of cream cheese

Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat until smooth with a hand mixer

Serve and enjoy

Original recipe & video directions

 

Strawberry Mousse Cake

26 Wednesday Jul 2017

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Strawberry mousse cake

Ingredientswrks4me_terry_tested-11

  • 1 (28 oz) Gelatin powder
  • 30 grams of boiling water
  • 135 grams digestive cookies
  • 40 grams of melted butter
  • 450 grams of whipping cream
  • 60 grams of sugar
  • 1 teaspoons of vanilla
  • Lady Finger6-8 Giant Lady Fingers (ie Milano brand)
  • Half strawberries for lining the sides of the springform pan (see photo above)
  • Strawberries pieces for middle
  • Sliced Strawberries for decoration of top

Strawberry mousse cake 2

Start by making Strawberry Purée

  • 3 tablespoons of sugar
  • 200 grams of frozen or fresh strawberries
  • 3 tablespoons of cold water
  • 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
  • 9″ springform pan
  • 28 grams of gelatin powder
  • 30 grams of boiled water

Directions

  1. Prepare gelatin by adding 30 grams of boiled water to 1 (28 gram) package of Gelatin in a heat proof bowl
  2. Let sit for 10 minutes


Continue to make the rest of the cake 

STEP 1

  1. Put Digestive cookies in a plastic zip bag and crush
  2. Put into a bowl
  3. Add 40 grans of melted butter
  4. Press into the bottom of a 9″ springform pan
  5. Take the strawberry halves and arrange them along along the bottom and touching the sides of the pan facing out (see photo above)

STEP 2

  1. Put 200 grams of frozen or fresh strawberries in a food processor and dice
  2. Put strawberries, lemon juice and sugar in a pot
  3. Heat on low heat
  4. Add gelatin to warm strawberries
  5. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes
  6. Make sure the strawberries are a purée or use a hand blender to smooth it out
  7. Cool down as the purée will be added to the whipped cream mixture

STEP 3

  1. In a cool bowl add 450 grams of whipping cream
  2. Whip cream with a mixer until soft peaks form
  3. Add the 45 grams of sugar and the 2 teaspoons of vanilla  a little at a time until peaks are glossy

STEP 4

Fold the cooled strawberry purée into the whipped cream and mix carefully

STEP 5

  1. Pour half of the mouse mixture into the bottom of the springform pan
  2. Layer the soft lady fingers on top the mousse mixture
    (if using hard lady fingers dip the both sides into some milk with a little vanilla in it)
  3. Add a small amount of mousse and then add the diced strawberries as a layer
  4. Add the remaining strawberry mousse mixture and spread the top flat

Step 6

  1. Arrange sliced strawberries starting from the outside in rows.
  2. For the second row start the strawberries row by layering strawberries over the first row and offset them between the first row strawberries
  3. Continue with additional rows and finish with a single whole strawberry in the middle (check photo above)

STEP 7

Cool overnight to set

Serve cold and enjoy