James Bond Special...VODKA CAKE recipe

OK, now this is truly something different and it is Stirred not shaken.
A wonderful combination of pecans or walnuts, butter and crystallized ginger.

makes a 11 x 4 1/2 x 3 inch cake (loaf pan)
Greased and bottom lined with parchment.

1 cup crystallized ginger
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
3 cups all purpose flour
3tsp baking powder
1 cup softened butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
6 large egg whites
3/4 cup 80 proof vodka

Rinse the ginger in hot water then cut into tiny pieces (best to use kitchen scissors).
In a small bowl mix the ginger pieces, nuts and 1/2 cup flour.
Sift together the remaining 2 1/2 cups flour and baking powder.
Cream butter and sugar and then whip in the egg whites in 3  additions.
Gently add half the flour and baking powder mix , folding in with spatula.
Gently stir in half the vodka, the mix will look "curdly" but it is fine.
Add the rest of the flour mix, folding in well.
The fold in the remaining vodka.
Turn into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
Bake in preheated 300f oven middle shelf for 1 hour & 35-40 mins.
Cool completely in loaf pan, then remove and wrap in foil or plastic wrap and serve the next day.
Serving the next day lets the flavors mature and the top crust softens for easy slicing.

Cream Cheese and Chocolate Fudge Pancake recipes for Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras

In England Shrove Tuesday is the day everyone eats pancakes with lemon and sugar or jam.
it is also a tradition for folks to hold pancake races, tossing the pancake as they run.
This dates back to the Catholic Church and the beginning of Lent, when all rich ingredients ( eggs, milk, sugar, butter) were eaten, before 40 days and 40 night of fasting (or foods being given up ) begins.

Here are some very rich recipes, that you may not wish to give up.....



Basic pancake mix Gobsmacked style ( crepe really)


makes 12  x12 pancakes
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
1 cup purpose flour ( or whole wheat flour and add 2 cups milk)
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp melted butter, marg or oil

Whisk the eggs and milk to blend well.
Add the flour and salt,melted butter and beat for 2-3 mins, even with a hand blender (this is to work and stretch the gluten).
Set aside, covered for 2-3 hours ( this may even be made the night before).
heat a large skillet with a small amount of oil (butter burns )
pour 2 tbsp batter in middle of hot pan and swirl with wrist to spread to sides of pan.
Cook until the top is dry and then flip/turn over and cook the other side for 10 seconds.
Stack wrapped in cotton towels, to keep flexible.




 Cream cheese with warm jam sauce serves 6


12 pancakes/crepes

1/2 cup sugar
1 pound cream cheese
3/4 cup sour cream
1tbsp vanilla, almond or lemon extract
1 cup butter
3 tsp lemon,(or any citrus) zest 


Preheat oven 350F middle shelf

 
using an electric hand blender, beat all ingredients together, then place in center of each pancake and roll as with a burrito, ( fold sides in , then top to bottom).
Place in a buttered, oven proof dish.
Bake in oven uncovered, 15-20 mins.
Remove to warm serving dishes and pour over the warm jam.

Variations add soaked raisins or any dried fruit, these are also good with chopped fresh fruit mixed into the cream cheese mix.


1 cup any jam/preserve
1/4 cup lemon, orange or apple juice
Mix together and heat in a small saucepan, until just bubbling, serve at room temp.

 Variation: add any liqueur of your taste, and even some  fresh fruit to match the jam.

Chocolate pancakes

Add 
2 1/2 tbsp cocoa
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp sugar
 to basic pancake batter, before resting.
Make as for the regular pancakes



Chocolate-coconut pancakes  serves 6
 12 pancakes
melt 1 pound milk chocolate or semi sweet chips
in 2/3 cup water 
2 tbsp butter.
Mix well to blend then add
2/3 cup whipping/single cream
1 1/2 cups sweetened dessicated coconut

Fill each pancake with the  mix and serve immediately



Chocolate Fudge pancakes with chocolate ice cream 6 servings

12 chocolate pancakes

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1tsp instant coffee or espresso
1 cup cream (whipping or single)
1/3 unsweetened cocoa powder
2tsp vanilla extract

chocolate ice cream

chopped nuts (optional)

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the sugar, cocoa and coffee.
Stir well together then add the cream, and stir over medium heat for about 5 mins.
Remove from heat and add the vanilla.

Fill each pancake with ice cream and drizzle the hot fudge sauce over, serve immediately..sprinkled with nuts

APRICOT DELIGHTS...VEGAN FRUIT COOKIES/CAKES. ALL SEASONS RECIPE

These are fantastic and although they are Vegan, no one will judge you as being "a foodie trender" because they are SO good!
They are low sugar with intense, sweet fruit flavors!


This recipe makes 18-28 depending on size

3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground allspice
1stp ground cinnamon
1/2tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp sea salt (if using reg salt use 1/4tsp)
4 tbsp Vegan margarine (or reg margarine/butter)
3/4 cup cold ownmade apple sauce (I make mine in a slow cooker/crockpot with a little apple juice and no added sugar)

I also add ground cinnamon and cloves, This cooks the apples slowly and the flavors are intense.
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
1 cup sugar
2 cups apricot filling (recipe follows)


Preheat oven 375F middle shelf


In a medium bowl beat the sugar and margarine until light, then beat in the apple sauce and flavorings. Set Aside.
In another bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together, then add the wet mix to the dry, beating well.
Form into a stiff, but not dry, dough.
Set aside for 20 mins. (this produces lighter cookies)

With floured hands form the dough into 1 1/2 - 2 inch balls (I used a food scoop) and place on parchment lined cookies sheets.
Allow 2 inches between each cookie. ( I just did 6 cookies per cookie sheet)

Dip your thumb into sugar and press deep into the middle of each cookie, then add 1-1 /2 tsp apricot filling. ( by pressing deep it forms a sort of tart shell for more fruit filling).

Bake 15-20 mins until lightly golden, do not brown these cookies as they burn easy.

Cool on cookie sheet for 5 mins then transfer to a wire rack, wait 20 mins then top with more apricot filling.
Serve cold/room temp.
The applesauce makes these cookies tender and moist, they ARE delicious.

Apricot Filling:
1 cup apricot jam/preserve
1 cup reconstituted dried apricots (soak dried apricots in a little cold water overnight, use 2-3 tbsp water for the mix)

In a small food processor/chopper, grind the apricots in the juice, then add the jam and mix well.

Variation these are fantastic with any jam/preserve and use reconstituted dried fruit or fresh (seasonal)fruit, chopped fine before adding to the preserve.

 

FROZEN AVOCADO MOUSSE WITH PECAN or HAZELNUT PRALINE Recipe..perfect for Valentine's Day or any time you want to feel special

"And now for something completely different and wonderful".
This is a chilled dessert & candy!!

Smooth and silky avocado ice cream-mousse with toasted nut caramel.

Nut praline:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1tsp honey or agave syrup
Bring to boil & simmer until sugar dissolves.
Add 3/4 cup raw nuts (if using hazelnuts, remove any skin).
Continue on high simmer and cook until color of molasses.
Pour into an oiled cookie sheet and allow to cool and set.
Break into pieces and place in a plastic bag and hammer or crush with a rolling pin or hammer.
Store in air tight container.

The frozen avocado mousse makes 6 servings
2 cups avocado flesh, mashed well ( 2-3 medium sized ripe avocados)
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp grated lemon or lime zest
1/4 cup lemon or lime juice
1/4 cup Curacao or Grande Marnier (orange liqueur)
4 egg whites
2 cups heavy cream, whipped

Combine the avocado puree, sugar, salt, juice and zest, well, set aside.
In another bowl whip the egg whites until stiff but not dry, fold in the whipped cream, then fold this into the avocado mix.
Add 1 cup of the nut praline, fold in well then pour into a 2 quart dish/mold. (at this point you may also add some of the raw nuts that are in the praline)
Freeze until firm.
To serve..remove from freezer 2 hours before serving and allow to defrost in fridge to half firmness.
Scrape and mash with a fork, to make serving with ice cream scoop easier.
Top the servings with 1 cup more of the nut praline shared over 6 dishes.

Happy Valentine's Day, Or "Making me feel more special", night!

 

FRUIT CRUMB COFFEE CAKE..GLOBALLY ADJUSTABLE RECIPE

This is a fantastic recipe and can be made with all kinds of seasonal fresh fruit.
It is an adapted recipe from the 1970's and you may use good frozen and defrosted fruit too.
Please avoid canned pie fillings as they are full or chemicals and too much liquid.

This makes a 13 x9 x 2inch pan/ovenproof glass dish  and the pieces are cut into squares served as a cake for coffee or pudding with ice cream, custard sauce or cream.

You may use, any combination of:

Cored and chopped apples or pears
Peeled and chopped bananas
Stoned and chopped stone fruits (peaches, nectarines, plums & etc.)
Peeled and chopped oranges, tangerines and grapefruit
Peeled and chopped pineapple, mango
Washed and sliced berries
Washed and pitted cherries
Peeled and chopped rhubarb

METHOD:
FRUIT FILLING:
4 cups chopped fresh fruit
1 cup water or apple juice
2tsp lemon juice
1 cup sugar

Bring the fruit to a boil and then simmer gently for 5 mins.
Add the lemon juice and sugar and cook until sugar dissolves.
Mix 2-3 tbsp cornstarch/cornflour/arrowroot with  a little water and add to the fruit mix,stir to thicken and remove from heat and allow to cool.

Preheat oven 350F middle shelf

THE CAKE:
3 cups all purpose flour (or 50:50 mix with whole wheat*)
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2-3 tsp any mixed spices of choice, cinnamon, nutmeg,ginger, cloves, allspice, cardamon
Mix well together then cut in
1 cup butter or margarine to form "crumbs".


In another bowl, beat together
2 large eggs
1 cup milk (nut milk is fine..if using 50:50 add an extra 1/2 cup milk)
1-2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
Add this to the flour mix and blend in well.

Spread half the batter over a greased pan.
Cover this with the cooled fruit mix
Then top with spoonfuls of the remaining batter, covering as much of the topping without stirring it in.


Mix together
 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup any chopped nuts (optional)
again to form crumbs

Sprinkle this over the top of the dish.
Bake on a lined cookie sheet for 45-50 mins, or until cakes tests done.

Remove from oven and cool in pan on wire rack, cut into squares when cool/room temp

Chocolate-cranberry and almond, oatmeal cookies..basic recipe is in the book Gobsmacking Cookies and Other Treats, Recipes on Amazon Kindle

These are crisp and chewy, deep chocolate flavors and tangy dried unsweetened cranberries,and crunchy chopped almonds and cashews.

Fantastic recipe and almost always foolproof.

Perfect for any occasion and fresh hot cookies are ready to eat in less than an hour, from start to finish.

Apple-Cardamon Cake Vegan and so very different, a very moist cake

I love the flavors of cardamon and apple, so needless to say I love this cake.
There is also a secret and very healthy ingredient in this recipe, cooked white bean or chickpeas, and no one will be able to tell!


This makes 1 x9 inch round cake pan

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1tbsp vegan margarine
2 cups peeled,cored & cut into 1/2 inch slices crisp apples ( 2-3 medium apples)
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
2tbsp lemon juice ( juice of 1 lemon)
1/2 cup old fashioned oats ( heat in a dry skillet and lightly toast them then allow them to cool)
1 cup cooked and drained white beans or chickpeas
2 tbsp neutral oil ( grape seed, safflower & etc.)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cardamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves



Preheat oven 350F middle shelf

Lightly grease the cake pan and sprinkle with 1/2 the chopped nuts.
In a skillet melt the margarine  and add 1/2 cup sugar and the apple slices, also add the lemon juice and cook over medium heat until the apples release their juices and the sugar dissolves ( 3-4 mins).

Remove from heat.
Remove the apple slices and set aside.
Reserve the liquid from the pan.

When the apple slices are cool enough to handle..arrange over the chopped nuts in the pan in a nice design/concentric circles or overlapping slices.

Then top with remaining chopped nuts, and set aside.

In a food processor grind the toasted oats to a fine flour, remove and set aside.

In the processor bowl combine the drained beans, vanilla and 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquor (adding apple juice as needed to make up the amount).
Blend until smooth.
Add the toasted oat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices and remaining 3/4 cup sugar and process until well blended and smooth.

Scrape the batter down and pour over the apple slices in cake pan.
Bake immediately for 35 mins or until top is golden brown.


Cool on wire rack in pan for 30 mins.

Run a knife carefully round the edges of the cake pan and invert onto serving plate.
Revealing the apple slices and juices which have caramelized.

Best served warm or at room temp.