Pistachio~Cranberry Bundt Cake & November's Apron Winner

Baking cakes in a mold actually began in Europe; Gugelhupf, a brioche-like cake, formed in a particular shape pre-dates this North American version introduced in the late 50s and 60s.  The credit goes to the Dalquist brothers, H. David and Mark, who co-founded the Nordic Ware Company in 1940.  In 1950, along with engineer Don Nygren, they came up with this mold done in cast aluminum.  However, it wasn't until Ella Helfrich, in 1966, would make it popular with her Tunnel of Fudge Cake for a Pillsbury Bake-Off.  Suddenly, there were over 200,000 requests for the cake mold and to date, more than 60 million have been sold!  Just so you know for next year, November 15th, is National Bundt Day:-D

I created this Bundt Cake to  celebrate the holidays, not only with cranberries, but added pistachios to give it the familiar red and green colors we've come to associate with the season.  I have to say, the flavors combine wonderfully and my hubby couldn't help but remark how amazing it looked.

Pistachio~Cranberry Bundt Cake
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room tempreature
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugare
3 large eggs
1-3oz.pkg. Instant Pistachio Jell-O Pudding
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. Pistachio Flavoring  or 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. Kosher salte
1 cup buttermilk (you can add 1 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar to milk if you don't have buttermilk)
1 1/2 cups cranberries, halved
1/2 cup pistachios, chopped

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 T light Karo Syrup
2-3 T hot water
1-2 drops of green food coloring, if desired
1/4 cup pistachios, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray a 12-cup Bundt Pan with a baking spray.
 

Cut washed, dried and picked over cranberries in half

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter, oil and sugar together until fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating them into the batter.  Add the flavorings and the pudding mix and beat at medium speed for 1 minute.  Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.

Mix the dry ingredients and mix, alternately with the buttermilk (or soured milk), starting and ending with the dry ingredients.  Stir in the cranberries and chopped pistachios.  Spoon into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out cleanly when poked into the center.

 I love seeing that pale green color, dotted with the red cranberries!  Allow the cake to cool about 10 minutes before turning out onto a serving platter.

Mix up the glaze and slowly pour over the top of the cake.  Sprinkle with additional chopped pistachios to complete the dessert.

Now, for the important part of this post--November's winner of the apron is Mrs. Sparrow! Please email me your address so I can send this gift from my heart to you!

I will have December's apron up this weekend, for sure; life is a little hectic finishing up projects for the big trade show I attend in January, picking out finishes for our home...I did kitchen cabinets, countertops and tile this week, and of course, holiday shopping.  Stay warm and bake. Enjoy!

Lemon~Pistachio Tea Cake

Sunshine brings out a different baker in me and we're finally had having our share here in the Pacific Northwest!  I reached for some lemons and thought about what I could make; my favorite pairing with lemons is pistachios and I really enjoy tea cakes, so I had a plan..."A."

This cake not only incorporates pistachio nuts, but also, paste.  I had bought a can of Pistachio Paste a while back and had just enough to give the right texture to the cake.  I found it online and it's added so much flavor to not only this cake, but cookies I've made as well.

 I can't believe it's Friday already--just about two weeks before the grands arrive.  Just in time for the nice weather:-D!

Pistachio~Lemon Tea Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1/2 cup Pistachio paste
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
zest of one lemon
1 cup Queen Guinevere Cake Flour (or pastry flour)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped pistachios (optional) 

Lemon Glaze:
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
juice of one lemon
1 T light Karo syrup

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray a 10-cup bundt pan, a large loaf pan*, or mini bundt pan with a baking spray and set aside.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.  Add the pistachio paste, extract and zest and beat again.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scrapping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Sift the dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture.  Stir in the nuts, if using.

Now, here's where I went wrong!  I used a 9" x 5" loaf pan and this batter came up to almost three-quarters to the top.  I held my breath that it wasn't going to run over and it didn't, but it took longer to bake than I had anticipated and I had to lower the temperature to 325F-degrees after 30 minutes because the edges were browning too quickly.  I suggest a 10-cup bundt pan or even the mini bundt cakes.  The cake in this loaf pan took 60 minutes to bake when I was originally thinking 45 to 55 minutes!

To rectify the problem of the dark edges, I inverted the pan on a parchment-lined rack and with a sharp, serrated knife, removed them. (BTW, they were yummy to eat!!)

I liked the looks of this "squared-off" loaf, so I left it bottom-side up to add the glaze to.  Mix up the ingredients for the glaze and after the cake has cooled slightly, pour over the top.  Use an off-set spatula to make sure the sides get covered.

As a final touch, I sprinkled additional nuts on top to show what the cake has in it.

The finished tea cake looks pretty and no one has to know about "Plan B."  My mother always said, "there are no failures in baking, just good first tries!"  And, besides, this cake tastes great and is perfect for an afternoon tea on the porch, maybe doing a little knitting and enjoying the Sun!

My husband couldn't resist and didn't wait for afternoon tea!  Enjoy!!

Oh! Cherry, Not All Alone Bars

One of my favorite songs, is "Oh, Sherry" by Journey...yes, I'm a Journey fan and Steve Perry's vocals for this 80s rock band was the inspiration for these cherry (instead of Sherry), white chocolate, and pistachio bars I baked today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysTjJaYX0WA

I discovered it's also the 100th Anniversary of the gift of the cherry trees (Sakuras), from Japan to our Nation, and in celebration of this beautiful gesture I wanted to honor this occasion with my recipe.  The unseasonably warm weather in Washington, D.C. brought out the blossoms early, but nonetheless, spectacular.  I've been lucky enough to have lived in the Maryland/D.C. area and visit Tokyo to witness this moment when Spring has indeed arrived.  Just driving down the Basin, you are in awe of these pink beauties standing in a rows as if they are debutante's at their coming-out ball.  All over Japan, they celebrate this time by having family picnics under the trees, called Hanami--literally means "viewing flowers," which is the primary reason for this event, but a variety of Japanese performing arts are also part of this tradition.

Oh! Cherry, Not All Alone Bars

2 cups + 1 T (4 sticks + 1T) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
3 1/3 + 2 T light (or golden) brown sugar, packed
2 T molasses
2 Vanilla beans, split and scraped or 1 T Vanilla extract
4 large eggs
4 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 1/4 cups dried cherries, soaked in 3/4 cup hot water with a Pomegranate/Cherry Green Tea bag
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped pistachio

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  

Melt butter and  use approximately 1T to brush the 12"x17" baking pan with, then line bottom with parchment and brush with more butter.

Bring 3/4 cup of water to a boil (I did mine in the microwave for 1 minute).  Add the tea bag (if using), then the dried cherries.  Let steep about 30 to 40 minutes.  Drain, reserving liquid and coarsely chop the cherries.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, measure the brown sugar, vanilla (beans or extract) and molasses.  Beat on medium to blend.  Add the slightly cooled butter while the mixer is on low to slowly incorporate.  When it looks like most of the butter has been absorbed by the sugar, raise the speed to medium and beat well.  Test the  bottom of the bowl, underneath, for temperature before adding the eggs (you wouldn't want scrambled eggs in your mixture:-)  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Scrape down the bowl and beat again.

Add the dry ingredients--flour, baking powder and salt and mix on med/low to incorporate--don't over mix.  Remove from the stand and with a spatula, make sure all the flour mixture is indeed incorporated.  Stir in the chopped, dried cherries, 1 cup of the white chocolate chips, and 3/4 cup of the pistachios.  
Spoon mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

Sprinkle top with the remaining 1 cup white chocolate chips and 3/4 cup of pistachios.

Bake for 10 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 325F-degrees and rotate pan.  Bake an additional 16 to 18 minutes, until golden brown.

Optional Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2-3 T reserved cherry/tea liquid
1 T light Karo syrup

Mix all the ingredients together and drizzle over the bars, if desired. 

Sharing the beauty of nature is truly a wonderful gift--Happy Anniversary Cherry Trees. Enjoy!
   

Happy Baking

Almost 2 days of baking and my cookie boxes are complete...whew! I made nine different cookies and a new candy called Brigadeiros, a Brazilian confection that is a cross between a truffle and fudge.

Some cookies are familiar ones I've made in the last few months--Red Velvet Triple C Cookies, Cardamon~Cranberry Crescents, and Pecan Tassies, but then I always like to try some new ones and this year I made up a Chocolate~Pistachio Ice Box Cookies with Orange Buttercream.

My Grandma Gladys introduced me to Ice Box Cookies which which got their name after the late 1800s, when the first ice boxes appeared.  These cookies were mixed up, formed in a roll, then, sliced and baked later.  Very convenient for the busy housewife.  I love them because they can be made up ahead of time, stored in the refrigerator or freezer and baked when needed.  I think Grandma Gladys started making these when she went to work after my mother and uncle went to school.  Anyway, ice box cookies are great on their own, but with a buttercream, ganache, or even Dulce de leche spread in between to make a sandwich cookie, it's even better.

Pistaschio Chocolate Ice Box Cookies with Orange Buttercream
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 cup finely ground Pistaschios

1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
2 large egg yolks
4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and confectioners' sugar for 3-5 minutes.  Add the salt and the pistachios and mix to blend.  Add the egg yolks, one at a time and beat well after each one.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.
Add the flour and mix on medium until the dough comes together.

 Divide the dough in half and drop dough on a piece of plastic wrap.  Form dough into a roll--I did mine in a square, but it could have been round too.

 I made the roll 1 1/2-inches x 1 1/2-inches, but again, it's your choice.

Chill dough at least 3-4 hours, but you can also place these rolls in a freezer bag and store them up to 6 months.

To Bake:  Preheat oven to 375F-degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Slice cookies 1/4-inch thick and place about  1 1/2 to 2 inches apart.  Bake until they look set, which for me was 8 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet.  Transfer to a rack and cool completely.

Orange Buttercream
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. grated orange zest
2-3 T fresh orange juice

In the stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, cream the butter and confectioners' sugar thoroughly.  Add the orange zest  Add the orange juice, one tablespoon at a time until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Use an off-set spatula to spread on the bottom of the cookie, then, top with a second cookie.

These not only taste fantastic, but they're a pretty additional to my Christmas box.  Lucky family and friends will receive their boxes tomorrow.  One more thing checked off the list.  Enjoy!

Holiday Pistachio~Dried Cherry Biscotti

One of the things I remember most about baking for the holidays with my mother was the early preparation she did to eliminate the mad-rush to get everything done for Christmas.  Some cookies were started as early as the second week following Thanksgiving and certainly, her fruitcakes would be made before December even crept in.  So, now that I'm home again, my thoughts turn to those memories as I begin my holiday baking.

Biscotti is a perfect cookie to consider for baking ahead.  This cookie, or as they were originally known as, biscotti di Prato, for the Italian city of origin, has become one of the most popular treats found in coffee shops. This twice-baked biscuit not only freezes well (up to 6 weeks) but can easily be stored for up to 3 weeks in an airtight container in a cool, dry environment.  Furthermore, they travel well, which for me when I'm shipping cookies to family, is an important factor. 

Today, I chose dried cherries and pistachios with a touch of lemon zest, but the combinations are endless when it comes to creating a favorite.

Although the original biscotti contained no yeast, fat (butter or oil) or milk, I typically bake an American version that does have butter or oil in combination with eggs.  Some of the popular additions to the dough are nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, or pistachios), dried fruit (cherries, cranberries, blueberries, currants), bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate bits or chunks, and of course cocoa, substituted for some of the flour.  The first biscotti I ever had was flavored lightly with anise and orange zest, which is still a favorite for me to bake.

Holiday Pistachio~Dried Cherry Biscotti

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut in small 1/2-inch cubes to soften
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup dried cherries, softened and coarsely chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Soak the dried cherries in boiling water for 15 to 30 minutes.  Drain and coarsely chop.  Coarsely chop the pistachios and set both aside.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides bowl in between.  Add the vanilla and salt.  Whisk the flour and baking powder together in a separate bowl, then, add to the creamed mixture, beating on low just until blended.  Stir in the pistachios and cherries.

 
Form the dough into a 16-inch x 3-inch log.  Wet hands to smooth the dough.  Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until golden.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes.  Lower oven temperature to 325F-degrees.

Transfer the baked log, using the parchment paper under it, to a cutting board.  

Using a sharp, serrated knife, cut the log diagonally into 3/4-inch thick slices.  Arrange the biscotti on the same baking sheet, covered with a new sheet of parchment, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Additionally, you can melt 12-ounces of white chocolate over a double-boiler to dip half of the cooled biscotti into.  Shake off the excess chocolate and place on a baking sheet until the chocolate sets.  You can refrigerate the biscotti for about 35 minutes to speed up the process.  

As panic sets in, as the holiday draws near, having a little help of baking ahead certainly calms me.  It will be one less last minute thing to be done before our grandson arrives for a visit.  Let the baking begin--Enjoy!

 

Lunch Box--Double Pistachio~Lemon~White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Children are heading back to school--some have already started and some next week, but it's a time to look over recipes and plan lunches.  For me, I could hardly sleep in anticipation.  New dresses my mother had sewn to choose from, new saddle oxfords, and school supplies I had purchased with my babysitting (or allowance) money.

My mother made our lunches that morning and the homemade cookies, usually the night before and I know I didn't appreciate her near enough until I was a mom doing the same thing for my daughters.  My mother went to work in the high school cafeteria as their baker when my youngest sister started junior high. It was the first time she had worked outside of the home since she got married in 1938.  She loved baking for the kids and enjoyed the compliments.  Our girls attended private schools, which didn't have a hot lunch program, so coming up with new and different lunches was always a challenge.  Likewise, for all the moms of home-schooled children, I think you can relate how tough it is to make  balanced lunches. 

These cookies maybe a little sophisticated in taste, but I believe the children today have been exposed to more things than us and will appreciate their unique blend of flavors.

Double Pistachio~Lemon~White Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 lemon--juice and zest
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1/2 cup pistachio flour*

1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 cup chopped pistachio
2 cups (11 or 12 oz) white chocolate chips
*You can grind your own pistachio flour in the food processor or VitaMix, but be careful not to let it go to "butter."  Alternatively, you can add a 1/4 to 1/3 cup more all-purpose flour instead of the Pistachio flour--you won't get the same intensity of flavor, but the cookies are still wonderful!

Preheat oven to 350F-degree.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the sticks of butter until creamy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the sugars, lemon juice, zest, and vanilla and beat well.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Again, scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the dry ingredients, including the pistachio flour and chopped pistachios and beat until combined.  Stir in the white chocolate chips.  
Scoop out the dough, with a 1/4-cup scoop, leaving about 2-inches between for spreading.  I like to use my finger-tips to press down lightly on the tops before they go into the oven.

Bake 12 minutes, rotating the pan once to insure even browning.  Remove from the oven and cool 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.  Makes 2 dozen.

The bright green pistachios and the white chocolate chips is a wonderful combination, but then, there's that hint of lemon that makes you take another bite and another bite and so on.  Your children will love these and Mom's--this makes a wonderful snack with a cup of tea or coffee when you get a break.  Enjoy!