Everyone has a recipe for carrot cake….this is similar and the colour will fool you. When making the batter it is, of course, red (looks like a red velvet cake) ..when it is baked, it is not. As far as taste and flavour go, it is hard to beat (excuse the pun). Truly a delicious cake and the icing….WOW!
This recipe is from the Walnut Beach Resort Chef, Justin.
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cup Crisco oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 up brown sugar
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla
- 3 cups grated beets (peeled and grated raw – wear gloves)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees or set your barbecue (that is right) with indirect heat with the far left burner on high and the burner next to it on low. Grease and flour 2 x 8 or 9 inch cake pans.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the eggs, oil, sugars and vanilla together.
In three stages, stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until they are just mixed together.
Fold in your grated beets and divide the batter between the two pans equally.
Bake 40-45 minutes in the oven or bake with the lid closed on the barbecue , checking every 15 minutes until done. Test with a toothpick.
Remove and allow to completely cool.
Icing
9 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sifted icing sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups rhubarb
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Take the rhubarb, sugar and water and place in a small pot on the stove. bring to a boil.
Lower the temperature and cook until it becomes thick, like jam. About 30 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, whip the ceam cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy. Add the sifted icing sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth and fluffy.
Scrape the sides of the bowl down and add the cooled rhubarb jam and mix in.
Add as much of the rhubarb mixture as you like to taste. Put about half of the icing on the top of the bottom layer, place the second cake on top and finish icing.
If making two separate cakes, make the icing 1.5 times to ensure you have enough for both.
Garnish
Take one beet (medium size) and peel then slice very thin on a mandolin (if you have one). In a saucepan of 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar, boil for 4-5 minutes to thicken and cook the beets.
. On a parchment lined cookie sheet, lay out the slices and bake in a 250 oven for 45 minutes or so. They will appear to be a little limp when you first remove them from the cookie sheet, but as they cool, they crisp up (like chips). Put a handful on top of the cake. You devil you, who knew you were so clever?
This is amazing…..try it and I know you will like it.
Chicken Liver Pate With Brandy
This recipe is a great go-to when you are preparing a gathering of the clan or some kind of special celebration. Read it, try it and become the “star” hostess. When you add a decoration set in the butter topping, you will get oooohs and aaaahs and you can say to yourself “damn I did this”.
- 3 tbsp. butter, plus an extra 1/4 cup for sealing in the pate
- 1 cup finely chopped shallots
- 1 tbsp. finely chopped garlic
- 1 tbsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 3/4 tsp. allspice
- 3/4 cup brandy
- 1 1/4 lbs. chicken livers, rinsed
- 2 tsp. sugar
- pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp. heavy cream
Heat 3 tbsp. of butter in a saute pan and saute the shallots, garlic and thyme until the shallots are translucent (about 4-5 minutes). Do not brown.
Add the allspice and brandy to the pan, reducing until the brandy thickens slightly (about 40-45 seconds).
Increase the heat to medium and add the chicken livers. Saute until the livers are cooked on the outside but still pink on the inside (about 5 minutes). Do not cook through all the way.
Immediately scrape the liver mixture into a food processor, add the cream, sugar, salt and puree until smooth. Scrape this into a 1 1/2 cup ramekin or pretty bowl. Place the edible flowers in a pretty pattern or herb leaves on top of the pate.
Melt the remaining butter and let it the milk solids settle. Skim the froth off the top and discard. Pour the clarified butter over top, covering the design. Set in the fridge until it becomes solid. Cover with plastic wrap, letting it sit for a day or two for the best flavours.
This will keep for a week…..but trust me, you won’t have any leftovers. This pate will serve 6.
Honey Cakes With Pears And Sauce
This allows each person to have their own small cake. It is a recipe for 8 people. It can be you and 7 family/guests or friends OR 8 of you….that means you really like it and don’t want to share. Shame on you! Lucky you!
Poached Pears
- 1 bottle of Gewurztraminer white wine
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 3 inch long piece of fresh ginger, sliced
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 4 pears, peeled, halved and cored
Bring wine, sugar, ginger, cinnamon sticks and lemon juice to a boil in a heavy sauepan. Add pear halves and simmer until just tender (12 minutes). Drain well.
Transfer to a work surface and slice lengthwise in 1/2 inch wide wedges. Place 1 sliced pear half in each of the ramekin cups and fan out.
Cakes
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of ground cloves
- 1 cup honey
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter 8 ramekin cups.
Whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and cloves in a bowl to blend. Using your eletric mixer, blend together the honey and butter in a large bowl to completely blend. Beat in the sour cream.
Add the dry ingredients and beat to blend. Pour a generous 1/3 cup over the pears and bake for about 25 minutes, until golden . Cool slightly and invert on pretty dessert plates.
Caramel Sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup whipping cream
Stir the water, sugar and lemon juice over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and WITHOUT stirring watch it until it becomes a deep amber (7-8 minutes). Swirl it around the pan and remove from heat.
Slowly add the cream (it will bubble up). If you find any hard caramel bits, simply reheat on low and stir. Drizzle, generously, over the cakes.
Yum, Yum, Yum.
Easter Breakfast Salad
This can be used also as a side dish if you are planning a buffet for breakfast or for a dessert by adding whipped cream. Either way, it is a winner and everyone will love the flavours.
- 2 limes
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 large mangoes or 4 ataulfo mangoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 3 cups fresh blueberries
- 1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
Grate the zest of a lime. Squeeze 3 tablespoons of juice from the limes and set aside. Put the lime zest into a saucepan along with the sugar and water and boil, stirring constantly until the sugar has all dissolved.
Boil for another 3 minutes, remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Let this sit for about 25 minutes and remove the zest with a slotted spoon and discard.
Toss the mangoes, blueberries and syrup in a large bowl and sprinkle with the ginger. Serve in your prettiest bowl(s).
If having this for breakfast, drizzle some homemade creme fraiche over the top. All I can say is….yum!
Orange Brittle For Ice Cream Splendor
Ic cream is ice cream….or is it? You can buy toppings or you can make your own and make it special. Try this and let me know how much you loved it.
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp. fennel seeds, toasted
- 1 tsp. finely grated orange zest
Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and spray with a non-stick cooking spray.
Cook the sugar in a skillet over moderate heat, without distrubing ,until it begins to melt. Stirring occasionally, continue to cook until it becomes a golden caramel.
Immediately remove from the heat, quickly add the toasted fennel seeds and zest and then pour onto the tin foil spreading with the back of a spoon before it hardens.
Cool for about 5 minutes. Break into pieces (save some shards) and put the rest in the food processor until a coarse grind.
Scoop ice cream into a bowl, place a shard on the side and sprinkle some of the ground brittle over the top. If you wish a much crunchier brittle, just break into small pieces rather than put in the processor.
Enjoy! Summer is on its way.
Berry Mash Cocktails
If you thought I had given up on my ‘signature drinks’, think again….here’s another one. It makes 2 drinks so be sure to add on when making more.
- 1/2 cup fresh raspberries or blackberries
- 3 tablespoons of Chambourd
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 bottle of any semi-dry sparkling wine of your choice
Gently stir the raspberries, sugar and Chambourd in a bowl, mascerate and let sit, covered, in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.
Spoon 2 tbsp. of the raspberries and some juice into champagne flutes, and slowly top up with the sparkling wine.
Toast each other and enjoy!
Chilled Summer Fruit Gazpacho
The sun is beaming, the clouds are scarce and it is time to eat. Well, set the table on the deck/patio and get ready to enjoy the coolest gazpacho you have ever had. Play on words? Perhaps…..
- 3 1/2 cups fresh raspberries (blackberries would be a good choice, as well)
- 20 oz. unsweetened frozen raspberries, thawed
- 3 tbsp. berry sugar
- 2 cups sparkling water, lime flavoured (try Costco’s Sparkling Ice lime flavoured water)
- 5 kiwi fruit, peeled
- 2 1/2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1 cup finely diced honeydew melon (to match the colour of the kiwi)
- 1 cup finely diced watermelon, seeds removed *
- Zest from 1 large lime
Blend the raspberries and sugar until smooth. Strain through a sieve to catch all the seeds. Lightly press through the sieve making sure not to break the seeds up. Pour into a large bowl and add the sparkling water. Stir to blend well. Cover and place in the fridge while you continue on.
Process the peeled kiwis (remove the centre white ‘core’) and lime juice in the blender and puree until smooth.
Set out 6 pretty soup bowls and pour equal amounts of the raspberry puree into the bowls. Now, here’s the fun. CAREFULLY pour eual amounts of the kiwi puree into the CENTER of the raspberry puree.
Sprinkle the honeydew melon pieces on the raspberry puree and the watermelon over the kiwi. Scatter a little bit of the lime zest on top.
Make sure the purees are cold and the soup bowls are thoroughly chilled.
*I much prefer the gold kiwi and this would really work with the blackberries as far as flavour and contrast would be. The gold kiwi are not as tart or sometimes even bitter as the green kiwi.
If you can get the yellow watermelon absolutely go for it. They have much more flavour, are a bit sweeter taste and oh, so good. Your taste. Your choice.
Angel Food with Lime and Pistachios
I sometimes like simple and by using an angel food mix, the rest is a total breeze.
Bake the cake according to the instructions and invert to cool. Everyone knows not to butter the cake pan. If you do, it won’t rise up and will fall out when you invert the pan to cool.
Lime Syrup and Glaze
- 4 tbsp. fresh lime juice, divided
- 1/2 cup unsalted, shelled pistachios, chopped fine
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
Combine the sugar and 3 tbsp. lime juice in a small saucepan. Stir over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Brush syrup all over the top and sides of the cake. Immediately press the pistachios into the top and sides, pressing lightly for the nuts to adhere.
Stir the powderd sugar with the remaining 1 tbsp. of lime juice until completely smooth. Drizzle over the top of the cake, letting some slide down the sides. Let stand until it sets (about 10-15 minutes).
Transfer to a pretty plate and slice. No licking the plate either.
YUMMY!
Peach and Plum Galette
Besides using a packaged pie crust (if you wish), this is made with peaches and plums . When made with both, it is truly phenomenal tasting.
You need pastry for double crust 9 inch pie (even though it is a free form dessert you should measure it out.
- 3 cups sliced red or purple plums
- 3 cups peeled and sliced peaches
- 1/2 tsp. almond flavouring
- 1/3 cup berry sugar
- 3 tbsp. flour
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp milk
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 4 tbsp red currant jelly, melted
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out the pastry to about 14 inches and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.
In a large bowl, toss the fruit with 1/3 cup of sugar, flavouring and the flour. Place fruit on the pastry, mounding in the middle and within 2 inches of the edge. Fold the pastry up over the fruit to create a border, leaving the fruit exposed.
Sprinkle the pastry and the fruit with the 2 tbsp. of sugar. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes or until the fruit is tender and the pastry is a light golden brown.
Remove from oven and brush the pastry with the melted jelly. The secret here is to serve it warm and with a generous dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Coffee anyone?
Anglaise Coconut Creme With Almond Waffles
Company’s coming and you need easy and quick but luscious fare for your guests (yes, even family). Here is one of them.
- 1 – 14 oz. tin coconut milk
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 egg yolks
In a pot stir together the coconut milk, whipping cream and half the sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat.
In a bowl whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until it becomes thick and very pale. While still whisking, slowly add the milk mixture until totally blended.
Pour mixture back in the pot and heat until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain through a sieve and cool in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally. If not using immediately, store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Marinated Clementines
- 1/2 cup ribbon coconut (long, fancy)
- 4 Clementines, cut into segments , removing skin
- 1 tbsp. Grand Marnier
Place coconut on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven, for about 7-8 minutes. Do not burn. Remove from oven, allow to cool down and then put in a small bowl, mixing with the Grand Marnier and Clementine segments.
Make your waffles according to your favourite recipe and top with the Almond Creme Anglaise and Clementine segments.
Fresh Coffee anyone? ooooh Yummy…
Sausage Bake
We always are looking for something new to serve guests and always fall for the same old thing. If you are looking for something new to try, here it is. This recipe is 20 plus years old, given to me by a neighbor when we first moved to B.C.
- 2 lbs. cooked and drained pork sausage meat (Italian, if you choose)
- 12 well beaten eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup cream
- 4 or more slices of cubed bread
- 2 cups shredded cheese ( your choice) Monteray Jack is really good, if fresh
- 3/4 tsp. dry mustard
Combine the meat, eggs, milk/cream, bread, cheese and mustard. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and pour into a buttered 9 x 13 inch baking dish. If you wish, add more cheese on top.
Cover and refrigerate overnight and in the morning, remove from the regrigerator and let sit for about 30 minutes before baking in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until set. Let sit for a couple of minutes before serving.
Cut and serve with slices of fresh fruit, juice and coffee. Voila! You did it again. Damn!
Rhubarb Coffee Cake
What a wonderful time of year – Spring….when all things are new again. With Spring, comes rhubarb and this is a great way to use it.
- 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup Crisco Oil
- 1 large egg
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2 1/2 cups rhubarb, cleaned and chopped
- 1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup berry sugar
- 1 tbsp. butter
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar, oil and egg together.
Blend flour, buttermilk, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and vanilla. Blend with the egg mixture. Fold in the rhubarb and nuts.
Place in 2 greased 9 x 5 loaf pans. Combine sugar and butter brush over the top of the loaves. Bake for 1 hour. Remove to rack and cool for 10 minutes before removing. Cool completely.
Either ask all your friends over for coffee and freeze one wrapped in parchment paper and tin foil over that to seal in, or you will eat it all up.