Carrot Cake Muffins TWO ways

This is a great carrot cake recipe I have been making for more than 20 years. Back in the day when I was a buyer, one of our vendors sent me a cookbook to place in our stores . . . don't remember if I ever bought this particular one, I think I did, but I found this recipe and loved it! The book is Bobwhite Quail & Buttermilk Biscuits.
When the kids were little I would make it for Easter. I have a bunny head shaped muffin pan that was perfect and we would ice and decorate. Recently, I baked them as regular muffins but still wanted that cream cheese flavor without icing them and turning them into more of a cupcake. This is what I came up with. . . a cream cheese filling adapted from another recipe and it worked beautifully. I have included all of the icing variations offered in the book. I have never tried the Glaze, but now that I have taken a closer look, I may have to try it soon!
I also love that this batter can be mixed so easily by hand.



INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 C Salad Oil, I use Canola or Vegetable oil
2 C Sugar
2 C Cake flour, I use all purpose
2 tsp. Baking Powder
3 C Grated Carrots
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Salt
4 Eggs
1 C Chopped Pecans, optional

PREPARATION:
Grease and flour 3, 9 inch round cake pans, or line muffin pans with paper liners, or grease and flour a shaped pan, your call.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Combine oil and sugar in a large bowl, mix well. Sift together the dry ingredients. Sift half of the dry ingredients into the sugar/oil mixture. (I don't double sift as it describes in the recipe, I sift once then follow the remaining directions.) Sift remaining dry ingredients alternating with the eggs one at a time. Add carrots and mix well. Stir in pecans. Pour batter into the prepared pans. If baking muffins, fill cups 3/4 full, bake plain or add a teaspoon full of the cream cheese mixture. I did half and half.
Cake: Bake for 25 minutes, rotating if necessary and test with a toothpick. Muffins: bake approximately 15 minutes, I always rotate half way through baking and test a couple of minutes prior to test for doneness. Every oven bakes differently, so get to know yours and adjust temperatures and cooking times accordingly.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
1 Stick Butter, softened
8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
1 C Finely Chopped Pecans
1 box Confectioners Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla, I also like almond extract for a change
I don't put nuts in both the cake and the frosting, I think it is a little overkill.

PREP: Combine butter, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Add nuts and spread on the cake.

CARROT CAKE GLAZE:
1 C Sugar
1/2 C Buttermilk
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 T. Light Corn Syrup
Dash of salt

PREP: Place all ingredients in a saucepan and cook until thickened, about 2 or 3 minutes. That is all the recipe says, I am guessing you just pour or spread it over the cake layers??? I will have to try this.

CREAM CHEESE FILLING:
5 1/2 oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature
1 egg, room temperature
1/3 C powdered sugar

PREP: Mix cream cheese and egg until combined well. Mix in the powdered sugar. Scoop a full teaspoon into the center of each muffin and bake.

Profiteroles/Gougeres

Fresh from the oven: profiteroles, can be eaten just as they are or stuffed with just about any filling you can imagine. They also freeze wonderfully and re-crisp easily in the oven. I prefer to re-crisp them even when serving the same day.

Tiny ham stuffed gougeres make a fantastic appetizer.




INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup finely grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese
1 C water
5 T butter
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 C AP flour
5 Large eggs
Special tools: a 40, 70 or 100 cookie scoop
I like to use a 40 scoop if filling or use 100 to serve all by themselves. I almost always double the recipe for a party . . . you will get 24 sandwich size from a single batch. I bake more and fill with a variety of fillings.

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grate the cheese. In a medium sauce pan heat the water, butter, salt, and pepper over medium high heat and bring to a boil. When butter is completely melted, remove from the heat and add all the flour to this mixture in a stand up mixer bowl. If you don't have a stand up mixer, you can mix right in the pan with a wooden spoon, but be ready for a workout!
Beat on medium high with your paddle attachment until the dough leaves the side of the pan. The texture should somewhat resemble mashed potatoes.
Add the cheese and beat until incorporated. Beat in 4 of the eggs, ONE AT A TIME, until each is absorbed by the dough. Continue to beat until the dough is shiny, smooth and when pinched between finger and thumb, it will stretch.
Scoop onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Beat the last egg with 1/2 T. water and brush the tops of the uncooked puffs.
Bake in the upper third of the oven for about 20 minutes an golden brown. You can tap them to test doneness, they should sound hollow. Remove from the oven and serve or store air tight or freeze in baggies to re-crisp and serve later.

To Re-Crisp: Preheat oven to 350 degrees, place on a parchment lined baking sheet, heat 3-5 minutes if room temperature or 5-8 if frozen. Check for crispness often during reheating as ovens may vary.

Slice 3/4 of the way through with a serrated knife and fill with you favorite sandwich pairings. Here are a few I enjoy: ham with spicy mustard aioli, roast beef with sundried tomato aioli, chicken salad, curried chicken salad, turkey with lemon arugula mayonnaise. You can also switch the cheese to 1 1/2 C Parmesan and play with the seasonings as well, adding curry powder, garlic powder and nutmeg. NOT ALL AT THE SAME TIME THOUGH!

Nectarine Basil Lemonade

This was one of my favorite recipes when we created the Dallas Dish cookbook, I need to make it more often. I was shocked while Beep, Bo and I were at an Italian dinner, when Bo announced that he loved basil. I never knew! Then it dawned on me, I make Bo nearly every fruit flavored lemonade I can think of, but have never made him this. He was so little when I was working on the book, I would have never imagined that he would like it. And just like all the planets coming into alignment, I happen to have a basil plant the size of barn. Things could not be more perfect. So, here is an oldie, but a goodie from Dallas Dish. Below is the actual photo we shot for the book, I think Brook and Dave do a much better job with the styling and photography, but then I am just in a normal kitchen with natural lighting and my dinky fuji waterproof camera. My pictures are the other ones, it's pretty easy to tell them apart.


INGREDIENTS:
2 C Water
1 C Fresh Basil leaves
1 Nectarine, chopped do not peel
3/4 C Sugar
1 1/2 C Cold Water
1 C Fresh Lemon juice
Additional Nectarine and basil for garnish
I doubled the recipe, simply because I had SO much basil and nectarines are wonderful and plentiful this time of year. Bo, also, will finish it off in no time.

PREPARATION:
Combine 2 Cups water, 1 Cup basil, the chopped nectarine and the sugar in a saucepan and mix well. Place the pan over medium high heat and bring the mixture to a boil, until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let stand until cool.
You can juice lemons while the mixture is cooking or you can cheat like I did and buy freshly squeezed. I got a 16 oz. bottle at our local Central Market for about $3, it doesn't pay to buy the lemons and squeeze them at that price and it was perfect for my double batch.
Once cool, strain the mixture through a fine sieve over a pitcher, pressing all the liquid out of the fruit. Discard the remaining solid fruit. Stir in the cold water and lemon juice, serve over ice or chill for later. YIELDS: 6 Cups, I ended up with just over 2 Quarts after pouring Camille a glass.



Camille and Cameron both turned up their noses, looking at the nectarine and basil stew that was brewing on the stove top, but Camille was converted, Cam, well he will take a bit more arm twisting. Don't doubt these flavors, your tongue will thank you!


My, not quite finished product, this is before adding the additional water, so it is a bit darker than the true lemonade. The color is amazing, although my picture, as promised is slightly less professional than the one in the book! HA HA, if I took the time to garnish and worry any more about presentation recipes would never get posted.

Baked Goat Cheese with Salsa

 

So, my brother-in-law thinks this might be a twist on queso that may only fly in the "Park Cities", possibly, but it is one of the yummiest things you will taste, sophisticated palate or not! Love you Chris, I am making it for you next time I see you and we'll see if you can resist it's creamy deliciousness.INGREDIENTS:1 1/2 C roasted salsa (previous post)8 oz. goat cheese8 oz. cream cheese1/4 C pine nuts, toastedtoasted tortilla or pita chipsPREPARATION:Allow cheeses to soften, cream together and add toasted pine nuts. Form cheese mixture into a disc approximately 1/2 inch thick, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. Set oven to 350 degrees. In a shallow oven safe dish, remove plastic wrap, place goat cheese disc in the center and top with salsa. Bake approximately 10-15 minutes until warm and slightly bubbly. Serve warm with chips.Toasting pine nuts: I do it on the stove top so I don't neglect them and end up with burnt pine nuts. In a saute pan toast nuts lightly tossing over medium heat, just until they begin to become golden. 3-4 minutes at most.Toasting chips: Cut pita or flour tortilla chips into triangles, arrange in a mostly single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast in the oven until crisp, flipping or slightly stirring the chips if necessary. 10-15 minutes depending on thickness of your pita or tortillas. If you are really lazy, pop open a bag of your favorite brand of chips! You really can't beat the homemade ones though, they can be done the day before and kept in an airtight container.

Homemade Salsa

 

This is my adaptation of a salsa recipe from Salsas That Cook, by Rick Bayless

IGREDIENTS:
12 Roma tomatoes
2 Jalapenos
6 Garlic cloves, peeled
1 Large yellow onion, sliced
2-3 T. Cider vinegar
1/4 t. Cumin powder
1/4 t. Celery salt
Salt & Pepper to taste
Cilantro fresh, chopped and to taste

Preparation:
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Place all veggies, first four ingredients on a shallow baking sheet lined with parchment. Roast veggies for approximately 40 minutes, until the skins begin to darken and split. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Meanwhile set up food processor and a fine mesh strainer with a bowl underneath to catch tomato juices.
This is where things get messy . . . peel tomatoes and remove the seeds and core over the strainer so you can retain the juice. Add "meat" of the tomatoes to the food processor along with garlic, onion slices and peeled(remove as much of the skin as possible) and seeded jalapeno. Process, add cilantro and pulse a few more times to combine.
Pour salsa into a storage container and mix in spices and vinegar. Add the reserved tomato juice. Serve now or store in an air-tight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze a portion for later use. This salsa is also used in a warm goat cheese dip, that is unbelievable!! (That recipe to follow at a later date.)

creme brulee

By far one of my all time favorite desserts, this is a simple recipe that works like a charm. This recipe is from Dallas Dish, the Junior League book I helped to create. Another great thing about this recipe is that it makes 12 desserts, and has a couple of flavor variations, it is easily cut in half if you don't have a crowd or split the mixture prior to adding the flavorings and make two different flavors. I have done both with absolute success. I, as usual, have made one small change to the recipe in the book, it is listed below. Note: Please use the BEST ingredients you can find/afford, when a recipe has so few ingredients it makes such a difference.

Ingredients
4 Cups Heavy Cream, Chilled
2/3 Cup Granulated sugar
Pinch of Salt
12 egg yolks, I use high quality eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract, I use a vanilla bean*
1/4 Cup Turbinado or large grain sugar for dusting, I also use regular granulated
12 4 ounce ramekins

Variations:
White Chocolate:
8 ounces White Chocolate, chopped

Praline:
1 1/2 tsp. Praline liqueur
12 Pecan halves, toasted


Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees, move oven rack to lower third of oven. Prepare a baking dish that fits 12 ramekins or two with 6 ramekins each. Place a tea towel in the bottom of the baking dish and place ramekins on top. Bring a large teapot of water to a boil. This will be used to pour into the baking dish for a water bath.
Separate egg yolks into a mixing bowl and whisk, set aside.
In a small saucepan bring 2 cups of the cream, 2/3 c.sugar, vanilla bean and salt to a temperature of 155 over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in remaining cream and fish out the vanilla bean. Slowly stir warm mixture into the egg yolks while whisking. Split the bean with a sharp knife, scrape seeds, add them to the custard and mix well.
Pour an equal amount of custard into each ramekin and place baking dish on the oven rack. With the oven open, pour enough boiling water into the baking dish to reach 2/3 of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake 30-45 minutes. The centers should be set but show no color.
Remove ramekins to a wire rack to cool. Once the ramekins are at room temperature, place on a large baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap to refrigerate. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. This can be done up to 2 days ahead.
Remove custards at least 30 minutes prior to serving. Just before serving, blot any moisture from top of custard and dust with 1-2 teaspoons of sugar and caramelize the sugar using a kitchen torch or under your broiler. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
For the variations, add the flavoring to scalded milk and stir to incorporate. Be certain to melt and combine the chocolate completely. To garnish the praline, place a toasted pecan halve on the melted sugar before it hardens. Have fun with it and invent your own flavors!