Company coming over? Well, here at our home, we always offer a ‘signature martini’ to start the evening.
- 2 parts vanilla vodka
- 1 part amaretto liqueur
- 1 part franjelico liqueur
- 1 part dark chocolate liqueur
Pour ingredients into a shaker filled with ice and shake well. Strain and pour into martini glasses and garnish with a couple of unsalted hazelnuts or almonds.
It sounds like a lot, but the bottles will keep in the cupboard until the next time you make them. (May be sooner than you think as this is yummy.)
Taste Rating: 9
Red Velvet Cake
- 2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour, sift first, then measure.
- 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tbsp. red food colouring
- 1 tsp. distilled white vinegar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
Preheat oven to 350F.
Sift the flour, adding cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
Whisk buttermilk, food colouring, vinegar and vanilla in a small bowl to blend.
Using a mixer, beat sugar and butter mixture in a large bowl until well blended and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk mixture, finishing with flour.
Divide batter between 2 8-inch round pans. Bake approximately 27-30 minutes. Cool on rack for 10 minutes and turn cakes out, cooling completely.
Cream Cheese Buttercream Icing
- 1 package cream cheese, softened
- 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 4 cups sifted icing sugar
In a large bowl cream all the ingredients except for the icing sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sifted icing sugar and beat to a spreading consistency.
This is one of the better cake recipes for company. It is perfect.
Taste Rating: 9.5
Biscotti
This is a great ‘dunker’ for coffee or a sweet dessert wine.
- 1/2 cup soft butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 3 cups flour, sifted
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp. liquid anise flavouring
- grated zest from1 lemon and 1 lime
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup white chocolate pieces, chopped
Preheat oven to 350F. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well, now add the vanilla. Combine the sifted flour, baking powder and salt and add slowly until mixed.
Add remaining ingredients and blend well.
Divide dough into 4 parts and shape into rolls about 1 1/2″ in diameter. Place each roll on a separate parchment lined cookie sheet, flatten top slightly and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cut each roll in 3/4″ diagonal pieces.
Place cut side down and return to the oven for 15-20 minutes. You want them cooked through.
I have a convection oven so I am able to put all the trays in at once. Be sure to move the trays around half way through the cooking times and on the second timing, turn the slices over.
They won’t be the really crisp biscotti until the second day, but trust me they are soooo good you will sample a few. I’ll bet you can’t wait, we couldn’t.
Taste Rating: 8.5
Pumpkin Turtle Pie
Even with a few packaged foods, it is still from scratch.( If you made it, it’s from scratch) A great NEW pie for Thanksgiving Dinner. Try it!
- 1 graham pie crust (ready made)
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. caramel ice cream topping
- very generous 1/2 cup pecan pieces, divided
- 1 cup cold milk
- 2 pgs. each (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding
- 1 cup pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 2 cups sweetened whipped cream
- Shaved chocolate (optional)
Pour 1/2 cup of caramel topping on the pie crust bottom and sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped pecans on top.
Beat milk, pudding mixes and spices with mixer on low just until well blended. Gently fold in one cup of whipped cream and spread into crust. Refrigerate at least one hour.
Just before serving, top with remaining whipped cream, sprinkle with remaining pecans (this time chopped fine) and drizzle remaining caramel topping across the top. Now you can add the shaved chocolate.
Note: If you stand just before serving all the calories will disappear!