I lived in England for a while in my 20s and fell in love with these bad boys.  Top them with some clotted cream, butter, and jam.  Yes, all three.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup of wheat germ

4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons shortening

3/4 cup cream

1 egg

1 handful of dark raisins

1 handful of golden raisins

Garnish:

egg wash

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon wheat germ

1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, wheat germ, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix well. Cut in butter and shortening. In a separate bowl, combine cream with beaten egg then add to dry ingredients. Stir in raisins. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Roll dough out and cut into biscuit size rounds.

Brush wih egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon, wheat germ, and turbinado sugar mix. Bake for 15 minutes or until brown.

I adapted this recipe.

Some people would say it is hard to get teenager’s attention. Just make them these.  My nephews loved them.  They even helped make ’em.

Chocolate Cake

3 ounces of good semisweet chocolate

1 ½ cups hot brewed coffee

3 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)

2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

3 large eggs

3/4 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Marshmallow Frosting

2 large egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

2 tablespoons water

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Crushed Graham crackers

Preheat oven to 300°F. and grease pans. Line muffin tins.

Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add butter, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well.

Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well.

Pour batter into muffin cups and cook for approximately 45 minutes until the toothpick comes out clean.

While cooling, combine frosting ingredients with a pinch of salt in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and beat with a handheld electric mixer at high speed until frosting is thick and fluffy, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and continue to beat until slightly cooled.

Sprinkle crushed Graham crackers over cooled cupcakes.  Put frosting in a pastry bag and squeeze on top .  Use a kitchen torch to toast the marshmallow frosting.

I got the recipe here.

When you love cheesecake and pumpkin pie why not combine them?  Not only does it save time, it tastes twice as good.

INGREDIENTS

For crust

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (from five 4 3/4- by 2 1/4-inch crackers)

1/2 cup pecans (1 3/4 ounce), finely chopped

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For filling

1 1/2 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin

3 large eggs

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

For topping

2 cups sour cream (20 ounces)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Garnish: pecan halves

DIRECTIONS

Make crust: Invert bottom of a 9-inch springform pan then lock on side and butter pan.

Stir together crumbs, pecans, sugars, and butter in a bowl until combined well. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and 1/2 inch up side of pan, then chill crust, 1 hour.

Make filling and bake cheesecake: Put oven rack in middle position and Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk together pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, cream, and vanilla, in a bowl until combined.

Stir together granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in large bowl.

Add cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, then add pumpkin mixture and beat until smooth.

Pour filling into crust, smoothing top, then put springform pan in a shallow baking pan. Bake until center is just set, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool 5 minutes.

Make topping: Whisk together sour cream, sugar, and liqueur (if using) in a bowl, then spread on top of cheesecake and bake 5 additional minutes.

Cool cheesecake completely in pan on rack, about 3 hours.

Chill, covered, until cold, at least 4 hours. Remove side of pan and bring to room temperature before serving.

I followed this recipe.

I couldn’t let Thanksgiving week go by without making Bobby Flay’s adaptation of a holiday favorite.

INGREDIENTS

2 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

1/4 dark brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped and reserved

Maple Whipped Cream

1 1/4 cups very cold heavy cream

1/2 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped and reserved

2 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup

For the crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Add all the ingredients for the crust to a food processor and pulse until combined; it should feel like wet sand, and just come together.

Spread the mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie pan, using your finger tips or the flat bottom of a glass. Firmly press the mixture over the bottom and sides of the pan.

Put the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until the crust is light brown and firm to the touch, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

For the filling:

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

Whisk together the eggs, yolks and sugars in a large bowl. Add the butter, pumpkin, cream, spices, salt and vanilla seeds and whisk to combine. Strain the mixture into a bowl.

Pour the strained mixture into the baked pie crust and bake until almost set, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove and let come to room temperature. Refrigerate until chilled, if preferred.

Cook’s Note: The filling makes more than what is needed to fill the pie shell. You are able to freeze the excess. We made a double batch and it filled 3 pie shells very comfortably.

For the whipped cream:

Combine the cream, vanilla seeds, and syrup in a large chilled bowl and whip until soft peaks form.

Garnish each piece of pie with a dollop of the whipped cream before serving.

I got the recipe here.

Kicking off the Thanksgiving holiday with this delicious spicy and chewy cookie.

INGREDIENTS

3/4cup butter, at room temperature

1cup granulated sugar

1/4cup molasses (not blackstrap!)

1egg

2 1/4cups flour

1/2teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2teaspoons cinnamon (I use Saigon cinnamon)

1/4teaspoon kosher salt

1/2teaspoon ground ginger

1/4teaspoon ground nutmeg

Turbinado sugar, for coating

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the molasses and egg and beat until incorporated, stopping to scrape down the bowl now and then.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the turbinado sugar and mix until just incorporated. Put the dough in the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.
3. A bit before you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375° F. Scoop the dough in tablespoon-sized balls, and roll each one in sugar, then place on a parchment-lined sheet (you need the parchment; they will stick!). Leave at least 2 inches between each cookie.
4. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven when the cookies are golden brown all over (the edges will be considerably darker but that’s okay as long as they aren’t burnt). Let cool on the sheet until firm enough to move to a baking rack to finish cooling.

I got the recipe here.

Since I can’t go to Mueller’s Bakery in Bay Head, NJ, these will have to do. And they do just fine.

Cake

2 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ sticks butter, softened

1/1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 ¼ cups buttermilk

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

Topping

1 ½ cups brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

2 ½ sticks butter, melted

3 cups flour

½ cup powdered sugar for dusting

TOPPING:

Mix both sugars, cinnamon, and salt in medium mixing bowl. Add the warm melted butter and stir to blend.

Add flour and mix with a fork until moist clumps form. Squeeze a handful of the topping into your hand, if it doesn’t clump together, add some more melted butter until it does. Set aside.

CAKE:

preheat the oven to 350f/175c

Grease 13×9 inch baking pan

In a medium mixing bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Beat the softened butter in large bowl until light.

Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition.

Add buttermilk and vanilla, beat just until blended.

Add flour mixture in 3 additions, beating just until blended after each addition.

Transfer cake batter to prepared baking pan; spreading it evenly over the pan.

Hand squeeze small handfuls of topping together to form small clumps. Drop topping clumps evenly over cake batter, covering with a thick layer of topping.

Bake 1 hour or until tester comes out clean and topping is deep golden brown and a little crisp.

Cool cake in dish on rack at least 30 minutes.

Dust with powdered sugar and cut into squares to serve.

I got the recipe here.

I hear that twinkies can last through a nuclear war.  You don’t have to worry about that with this recipe. This one will be eaten before you can can say “nuclear war”.

INGREDIENTS

Cake

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 large yolks (save the 2 whites for filling, below)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup buttermilk

Filling

2 large egg whites

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 10-cup Bundt pan, either with butter or a nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl between each, and then yolks. Add vanilla. Sprinkle batter with salt and baking powder and mix briefly to combine. Add about 1/3 of flour, mix to combine, then half of buttermilk, mixing again just to combine, repeating with next 1/3 of flour, remaining buttermilk then remaining flour.

Dollop batter into prepared pan and spread so that the top is smooth. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out batter-free. Let cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto rack and let cool absolutely completely.

When cake is completely and totally cool, invert it again. If your cake had domed quite a bit in the oven, you can use a serrated knife to level it a little. Then, using a melon baller small spoon or paring knife, scoop out several mounds of cake through the underside, being sure not to cut through top or sides of cake. 8 sections should be perfect.

Filling: Combine egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl and place this over a pot of gently simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar dissolves and whites are lukewarm to touch, about 3 minutes. Remove bowl from simmering water and use an electric mixer to beat with a whisk attachment on low speed, gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 4 to 7 minutes. Add vanilla and mix to combine.

Scoop filling into a large piping bag fitted with a large, round tip or plastic bag with the corner cut off and fill the indentations of the cake. Center your cake platter over the cake and invert your filled cake back onto it. If desired, dust lightly with powdered sugar before serving.

I got the recipe here.

Is there something wrong with me if I see the muffin tin and then some berries and automatically start baking?

INGREDIENTS

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

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

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup milk

2-1/4 cups fresh berries

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar for about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and almond extract. The batter will look a little grainy.

Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, beating on low speed to combine. Add the berries to the batter and fold gently with a spatula until evenly distributed. Do not overmix.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin, they will be very full. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar evenly on top of the muffins.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until lightly golden and tester comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each muffin to free it from the pan if necessary (the blueberries can stick), then transfer the muffins to a rack to cool completely.

I worked with this recipe.

  
Happy 240th Birthday to the United States Marine Corps.  They are semper delicious. 

Chocolate Cake

3 ounces of good semisweet chocolate

1 ½ cups hot brewed coffee

3 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)

2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

3 large eggs

3/4 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

 

Marshmallow Frosting

2 large egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

2 tablespoons water

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300°F. and grease pans. Line bottoms with wax paper.

Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add butter, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well.

Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well.

Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Cool completely in pan. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool completely.

While cooling, combine frosting ingredients with a pinch of salt in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and beat with a handheld electric mixer at high speed until frosting is thick and fluffy, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and continue to beat until slightly cooled. Use frosting the day it is made.

Slice cakes in half and fills with marshmallow frosting.

I got the recipe here.