Little Cranberry Tea Cakes & a Special Give-Away in Memory of Kelly

I know Thanksgiving is just barely five weeks away, but I couldn't help myself when I saw the first cranberries in the supermarket.  Bounce berries, as we called them because they do bounce, are one of my favorite fruits to bake with and when the weather turned very fall-like this weekend, I did just that.

Cranberries are one of the only three fruits indigenous to North America and one of the healthiest fruits to add to your diet.  As a woman, I've known of their properties to prevent UTI's (urinary tract infections), but did you know that it ranks in the top for antioxidants too?  Antioxidants are essential to optimizing health by helping to combat the free radicals that can damage cellular structures as well as DNA.

Native Americans enjoyed cooking with cranberries and probably sweetened them with honey.  For sure, they were on the Thanksgiving table.  By the 1800s, they were imported to England where they were also used as a poultice for wound healing and as a dye.  Surprisingly, there is an article in the November FoodNetwork magazine on dyeing napkins with this versatile berry!

Little Cranberry Tea Cakes
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-8oz. pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans* (optional)
2 cups fresh cranberries, sliced in half

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray a decorative mini bundt pan with a baking spray or line a muffin pan with papers.

Wash and dry on paper towels fresh cranberries.  Slice each berry in half.

 
 In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together thoroughly.  Add the sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, while the mixer is running on low, then, turn up to medium and beat until fluffy.  Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then, turn it on again and add the eggs one at a time, incorporating them completely.  Again, scrape down the sides.  
Whisk together the dry ingredients lightly in a separate bowl and add to the mixture.  Mix on low just until combined.  Stir in the nuts, if using and cranberries.  (*Pecans are a big part of Southern cooking, which I'm embracing wholeheartedly!)

Scoop the batter into the prepared pan.  

 Bake in the preheated oven for 25-28 minutes (depending on what pan you're using).  Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5 to 7 minutes, then, turnout onto a rack to cool completely.
For Tea Cakes, I mixed up a simple glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 T light Karo syrup
3-4 T hot water
...and drizzled over top of the cakes.

  
I couldn't let October pass without a special give-away in memory of Kelly; she was the epitome of giving.  I have mentioned before that The Vera Bradley Breast Cancer Foundation has been a focus for me to see a cure for breast cancer--100% of the donation goes to research. I attended a preview night at the store in our area recently and I chose this Tote Bag in Bittersweet that will be given to a lucky recipient this month.

It's perfect for on the go and I love this size especially to hold my knitting projects...and of course it's in the colours that Kelly loved!  Just comment on posts over the next few days and on the 31st, I'll announce the winner.

The fall weather is upon us and Little Cranberry Tea Cakes are wonderful treats--Enjoy!

Kelly's Heath Bar Biscotti

This month brings back a flood of memories about Kelly; it's not just her birthday month, but the month she started a 12-week course of chemo in 2009.  I was thinking about the day before she was starting this ordeal and remembered we had driven to the drug store to pick up the meds that would hopefully make it a little easier.  I went in to get them and on the way out, added two Heath bars for us to have.  Health bars were Kelly's favorite candy and when I got back to the car and handed her one, she smiled and said, "here's to kicking cancer's butt!"  We both enjoyed the rich toffee covered chocolate and had so much hope that phrase would be true.

Well...I was thinking about that and asked my hubby to pick up some Heath bars this morning on his coffee run so I could create something that would honor Kelly.  He brought me home 13--a baker's dozen, but the recipe I created only needed 4 to make the biscotti I had decided on.

A deep chocolate dough, because Mom always said, "you can handle anything with chocolate," and the crunch of those chocolate-covered toffee chunks makes this a very decadent cookie that will hold up to dunking.

Kelly's Heath Bar Biscotti
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 T espresso powder
2 T very hot water
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1 T baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 cup coarsely chopped Heath bars (about 4)
3/4 cup mini Chocolate Chips

1 egg
2 T cold water
Sparkling Sugar

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Stir the espresso powder into the hot water.

In a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.  Add the espresso and the vanilla and beat once again.  Add the eggs, one at a time.
Add the dry ingredients and beat on low just until combined--DON'T OVER MIX!
Stir in the Heath bar pieces and mini chocolate chips.  Spoon mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and pat into a 18" x 3" mound.

Mix the egg wash and brush onto the top of the dough, then, sprinkle with the sparkling sugar. 

Bake in the preheated over for 25 to 30 minutes (mine took 30).  The dough top should show cracks and be set.

Remove dough, including the parchment paper, to a cutting board and use a serrated knife to slice 3/4-inch wide cookies (about 18-20).  Place the cookies back onto the baking sheet and return to the oven for 8-10 minutes more.

If you're feeling like there's not enough chocolate in these (teehee), you can mix 1 cup of chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon each of butter and shortening in a double boiler.  Melt the chips and dip the end of the cookie into it, then, sprinkle additional chopped Heath Bar pieces over it.  

I didn't do that this morning because we were meeting the builder at our lot to decide what trees will be removed.  A warm, almost sunny day of 75-degrees and I can almost imagine the home on this lot.

I will definitely be posting the progress as the building begins.  Enjoy! 

Southern Sweet Potato Pound Cake & October's Give-Away Apron

I bet you didn't know that North Carolina is the leading state in sweet potato production (38.5%); California and Louisiana are second and third.  Furthermore, the town of Benton, Kentucky celebrates sweet potatoes annually in their Tater Day Festival on the first Monday in April. (Whohoo, my Kentucky grandson would like that one!)

I know that my mother loved baking with sweet potatoes and quite often chose to bake a sweet potato pie rather than a pumpkin on several occasions.  This sweet, starchy tuber is rich in complex carbohydrates, beta carotene, and dietary fiber to name a few of the benefits so, understandably it was my choice when coming up with this pound cake.

Sweet potatoes are a reliable crop and grown all over the world for their resistance to the many common pests that plague other vegetables.  In addition to not requiring pesticides, they can be grown in somewhat poor soils without adding fertilizers.  That makes them one of the best "organically grown" vegetables we can eat.

Southern Sweet Potato Pound Cake
1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter at room temperature
1-8oz pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 1/2 cups (about 4 medium) mashed sweet potatoes
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour

Peel and cut into 1-inch chunks, the 4 sweet potatoes.  Cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer on a low boil until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray a tube pan with a non-stick baking spray and set aside. 

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together.  Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

Add the mashed sweet potato and mix together, then add the cinnamon and vanilla and beat on medium for 1 minute.

Sift the dry ingredients and add to the mixture on low speed.  Beat 1 minute more to incorporate thoroughly.  Transfer mixture into the prepared baking pan.

I placed the baking pan on a parchment lined baking sheet and placed in the oven for 65 to 70 minutes.  Allow to cool in the pan about 10 minutes, then, lift the bottom up and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

I used a metal spatula to loosen the bottom and around the "cone" then transferred the cake to a serving plate and dusted the top with confectioners' sugar. 

I remember my mother telling me how much more dense the sweet potato was than baking with pumpkin, so I can assure you that the cake transfers quite easily.

To serve, I whipped up heavy cream with 2 T confectioners' sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla.

 Now, finally the apron.  I've found this lovely quilt shop in Raleigh that had the perfect fabric for this month's apron.  The soft orange chrysanthemums revel the season and speaks volumes of the colours that Kelly loved.  She once said to me, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer..."you know, Mom, I really don't like the colour pink!"  We laughed and was reminded of a line from the movie Legally Blonde, when Reese Witherspoon says, "whoever said Orange was the new Pink!"  Well, that would be Kelly.

I'm back from traveling for work and should have quite some interesting recipes to share for the remainder of the month.  Just comment on any of the posts for October and you're entered to win this beautiful and memorable apron. Enjoy!    

Pumpkin Patch Muffins & September's Give-Away Apron

The kitchen smelled wonderful this morning with the aroma of these muffins; bringing back memories of the last October that Kelly was with us.  She loved pumpkin and I baked these with her in mind.

I just returned this week from an event in Houston where I taught classes on my next line out in October.  One lovely woman in my workshop asked me, "how do you go on after losing a child?"  That's a question I've yet to answer, but I said, "she made me promise to continue sharing."  Kelly had a tremendous heart and always put others first, so how could I not honor her request. Understanding loss is not in the human nature, but it is part of life.


Pumpkin Patch Muffins
1 cup orange juice, heated slightly in the microwave (about 40 - 60 secs)
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cardamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Lightly greased specialty muffin pan (or line a muffin pan with paper liners)

I used this mini swirl bundt pan because its shape reminded me of a pumpkin!

Allow the cranberries to plump in the warmed orange juice for 15 minutes before starting the batter.

In a large bowl, measure all the dry ingredients and whisk together.  Add the "wet" ingredients and use a rubber spatula to mix together until smooth.

 Use a 1/4-cup scoop to measure batter into the muffin wells.

Bake in the preheated oven, 20 to 25 minutes until the tops "spring back" when you touch them with finger tips.  Allow to cool about 7 minutes before transferring the muffins to a rack to cool completely.  The recipe makes 12 large muffins.

Next, before I get to far behind, the winner of September's Give-Away Apron is Stamping Sue.  I'll be sending this out to you shortly for you to enjoy.  I would like to try to promise to get October's Apron up, but with another trip on Monday, I'm not sure if I'll get it done before I leave.  However, I will get one up and some special gifts to honor Kelly.  Enjoy!
 

The Art of the Care Package & Luscious Lemon Shortbread

The impact of CARE Packages were acknowledged in 1962 by President John F. Kennedy--the Cooperative for American Remittances in Europe, an organization founded in 1945 to aid Europe after WWII.  He said, "Every CARE Package is a personal contribution to the world peace our nation seeks.  It expresses America's concern and friendship in a language all peoples understand."

At 12 years old, that statement had a definite impact on my life...not that I started sending CARE Packages to Europe, but the part of expressing friendship and for me, love to the ones who live far away and how they are missed has stuck with me.  I saw first hand, many times from my mother, packaging up goodies to send to my brothers when they entered the Marine Corp and then, of course, there were the goodies she'd have my dad deliver at Christmas to our family doctor, dentist, and friends in the area.  A language of friendship for sure.

For me, I started sending care packages to Dad after my mother passed away in 1987.  I had returned to California and wanted him to know that I was thinking of him.  It also became a fascination of our local town as well since Dad had gotten a post office box because vandals had taken out his mailbox with a baseball bat.  He'd come in to the post office and the postmistress would holler, "Mr. Tierney, you have a care package in your box," before he even stuck his key into the hole!  I labeled the box...TO: Dad and listed at the bottom what number this one was...1, 2, 3, etc.  Not only did he love the homemade treats, photos, cards, etc., he loved the attention from the staff wanting to know what his daughter had sent him.

I continued to send him care packages throughout his remaining life and to my own daughters when they went off to Mount Holyoke College.  They loved the treats too, but just knowing a piece of home came in a box, meant something even more. I continued to send packages to both my girls and now my grands--it makes us both smile.

I was thinking of those moments when I decided to send a care package to my great-niece Samantha, who started her freshman year in college this September.  Letting her know she has family with her with this next phase of her adult life is important.  I created Luscious Lemon Shortbread (like her mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and me...we love lemon!), made some granola, then, filled the rest of the box with entertaining reading material, and snacks.

Off it goes to the post office...labeled, of course, Care Package #1!

Luscious Lemon Shortbread
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
zest of 1 lemon (reserve to juice for the glaze)
4 T graham cracker crumbs
2 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
juice of 1 lemon (about 2-3 tablespoons)
2 T Karo light syrup

Preheat oven to 325F-degrees.  This recipe makes a 9" x 13" pan of shortbread--I made an 8" x 8" pan and 5 individual ones for my great-niece.

In a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and zest together thoroughly.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix on low until the dough comes together as moist crumbs!  You don't need to have greased the pan(s) -- transfer crumbs to the desired baking pan(s) and pat with your hands.  Use a fork to prick the surface--this helps bake the shortbread.

Bake in a preheated oven 25 to 30 minutes.  The individual pans took just about 25 minutes, the larger 30.  The surface should be a golden brown.

While still warm, I use a paring knife to "score" cut lines in both the individual (made one diagonal) and the larger pan, into squares.  Allow to cool before adding the glaze.

Adding a special tag I made and wrapping up the individual baking containers was all I needed to finish a box that will arrive with love to a very sweet great niece.  Enjoy! 

Getting My Groove Back...September's Give-Away Apron & Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

I use to be good at moving; we've done it enough times.  However, maybe I was in one place too long (almost 12 years) and this move took a lot out of me!  Happily, I'm recuperating and "getting my groove back."

The first item on my agenda, this past weekend, was to sew an apron for the Give-Away.  Admittedly, this is actually the fabric I bought for an apron for August, but I think it's bright, cheery feel is perfect for an end-of-season last hurrah as the weather changes to chilly nights and rainy days.  You know the rules...just comment on any of the posts for the month of September and you're entered.

Now, on to baking.  That's been a challenge in a new kitchen that doesn't have nearly the cabinet space I had, so organization has been my biggest chore.  However, September brings a new school year beginning and I wanted to do a cookie that was reminiscent of when I was a child coming home to share the excitement of my class with my mother and finding homemade cookies awaiting.

It makes me sad that so many children have a peanut allergy today and even a simple PB & J sandwich isn't allowed in the lunch box at most schools, especially private ones.  I know this because I spent 9 days with my granddaughters (a perk of living closer) and couldn't pack either one my favorite sandwich!

Me and My Girls! 

These Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies take it one step further by adding a filling of, yes, more peanut butter.  Something I would have definitely cheered for when I got home from school.  They also remind me of one of my grandfather's favorite cookies by Burry's, Gaucho Cookies, and a stop off at my grandparents house was also in order before walking up the path to our home.

Photo borrowed from internet

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

8T (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup crunchy (or smooth) peanut butter
1 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

Filling:
4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup crunchy (or smooth) peanut butter
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars thoroughly.  Add the vanilla, then, the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

Add the dry ingredients on low speed or fold in with the rubber spatula, as I did.  Let this dough chill at least 1 hour and overnight is okay too.

Preheat oven to 375F-degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Use a 1-ounce scoop and drop the dough onto the sheet, leaving about 2 inches apart.

Use a fork, dipped in granulated sugar to do the familiar "criss-cross" on top of the cookies.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Mix up the filling - place all the ingredients into a bowl and with a hand mixer, cream to combine.  Spread filling onto one underside of a cookie, then top with a similar sized one.

Oh, I'm feeling groovy now and back to almost my old self.  These cookies were a big hit when I my hubby took them to a mixed-doubles tennis gathering at the club we've joined...yeah! a place to share my baking habit with.  Enjoy!

Apple Snickerdoodles...now, it's Home & July's Give-Away Apron Winner...finally!

I've been so discombobulated these last few weeks with packing, traveling across country, and now unpacking to even think about doing anything like blogging, but receiving my copy of The Baking Sheet from King Arthur Flour and seeing a recipe for Apple Snickerdoodles made me smile.  Snickerdoodles are probably my favorite cookie from childhood; looking forward to my mother baking a batch when I got home from school is a fond memory.  These have a definite twist with apple, but the aroma coming from my kitchen made me feel like home again.

The difference in taste is the addition of Boiled Cider and Apple Pie Spice, but the cinnamon-sugared, crunchy cookie tells you it's a Snickerdoodle.

Apple Snickerdoodles
3/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup (4 T) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup Boil Cider
1 tsp. Apple Pie Spice*
1 large egg
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
2 3/4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. Apple Pie Spice*
2 tsp. Cinnamon

*The original recipe calls for 2 tsp. Apple Pie Spice with the sugar to roll the cookies in before baking.  I used 1 tsp. in the dough and 1 tsp. in the sugar mixture, plus I added 2 tsp. cinnamon.

Preheat oven to 400F-degrees (I bake using the Convection setting and lowered the temperature to 380F-degrees)  Line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the shortening, butter and sugar together thoroughly.  Add the egg, boiled cider, and apple pie spice and mix on medium to incorporate.  Scrape the sides of the bowl as need with a rubber spatula.

Add the dry ingredients and mix on low just until combined--don't over mix.  I actually used the rubber spatula to stir in the dry ingredients.  Prepare the sugar/spice mixture and scoop up some dough, roll into a ball, then, roll in this mixture.

Place balls onto the prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass or as I used, my "meat tenderizer."

Bake 9 to 11 minutes--with convection, it took exactly 9 minutes.

Remove pan from the oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring the cookies to a rack to cool completely.  

The crispness is delightful and the slight tartness of the apple is a nice touch, especially with Fall around the corner.  I'm missing Washington a little, but the more exploring we do, the more I'm liking beginning a new chapter in my life.  I promise photos of these beautiful area soon. Enjoy!

Now, the important thing...the Winner of July's apron is Happy Cottage Quilter.  Please email me your mailing information and the apron will be winging it's way to you, XOXO

I'd like to promise that there will be an apron up in the next few days for August, but with just a week left in this month, I'm shooting for September!


 

HOME!

After weeks of packing and 7 days of driving, we have arrived in North Carolina.  It was an interesting trip across our beautiful country and we managed to stay a step in front of any bad weather.  Before we rolled into the Raleigh area, we stopped in Lexington, Kentucky and visited with really good friends we met through Kelly.  It was difficult to be there, but remembering good times with friends helped.

The movers come today and by Tuesday, we'll have internet.  I will choose July's Apron Winner and try to get August's Give-Away up soon.  In the meantime, enjoy this song that my friend Els turned me on to.  We played it every time we crossed into another state--11 states!

Up and Running Soon...Enjoy!