Sunday, December 18, 2011

Coca Cola Cake

This cake was so ugly I was embarrassed that I was bringing it to my friend's birthday party. Don't look. It's ugly. But it was GOOD. It was so so so good. I brought it for a friend (obviously turning 21--I kinda stuck that on with a plastic bag, which is why I didn't go in detail with his name or anything since it was hard enough to get the pink frosting out to write a number) who loves soda, so I figured a Coke cake would be good. It didn't really taste like coke, but it was really really good. People thought it was delicious albeit a little sweet. I might not ever make this cake again (because it turned out so ugly! Maybe cuz I didn't garnish it with nuts?), but it was definitely good!


Coca Cola Cake
Recipe from Southern Living

1 cup Coca-Cola
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
Coca-Cola Frosting
Garnish: 3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Combine Coca-Cola and buttermilk; set aside.

Beat butter at low speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar; beat until blended. Add egg and vanilla; beat at low speed until blended.

Combine flour, cocoa, and soda. Add to butter mixture alternately with cola mixture; begin and end with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended.

Stir in marshmallows. Pour batter into a greased and floured 13- x 9-inch pan. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes. Pour Coca-Cola Frosting over warm cake; garnish, if desired.

Note: Don't make the frosting ahead--you need to pour it over the cake shortly after baking.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Chocolate-Pumpkin Layered Brownies


I've made these before. You can find the recipe here. I just want to emphasize HOW. AMAZING. THESE. ARE. You should make them, right now. You don't need an occasion. They are just too good. I made these to use up the rest of my pumpkin after making the pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving...in order to not eat the whole batch, I quickly had people come over to eat some and then brought the rest to one of my friends.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Pumpkin Pie

This is wayyy late, I know. I made this for Thanksgiving alongside the Cornbread Muffins I made last year. I really liked the pie filling, but I wasn't so big on the crust. If I made this again, I'd use a different crust recipe. But the filling was great and really easy! I served the pie with homemade whipped cream, and made the pie a day ahead. You can store it at room-temperature.





Pumpkin Pie
Recipe from The New Best Recipe, found here

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, chilled
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
4 to 5 tablespoons ice water

For the Pie Filling:
2 cups canned pumpkin puree (not canned pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger*
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon*
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg*
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves*
*(Alternatively, use 2 tablespoons homemade pumpkin pie spice)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup milk
4 large eggs

For the Pie Crust:
Place the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and process until combined. Add the shortening and process until the mixture is the texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds. Drop the butter pieces into the machine and process again until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with butter bits no large than small peas, about ten 1-second pulses. Transfer to a medium bowl.

Fold 4 tablespoons of the ice water into the flour mixture. Combine just until a dough forms. Add another tablespoon of ice water if needed. Flatten dough into a 4-inch disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

Remove the refrigerator (if refrigerated more than 1 hour, allow to stand on the counter top until malleable). Working on a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough to a 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate by rolling the dough around the rolling pin and unrolling it over the pan. Lightly press the dough into the pan corners. Trim the dough edges to extend about 1/2 inch beyond the rim of the pan. Fold the overhang under and flute the dough edges using the index finger of one hand the the thumb and index finger of the other. Refrigerate until firm, about 40 minutes, then freeze until very cold, about 20 minutes.

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the pie dough from the freezer and press a doubled 12-inch piece of heavy-duty foil inside the pie shell. Fold the edges of the foil to shield the fluted edge. Distribute 2 cups ceramic or metal pie weights (or dry rice) over the foil. Bake until the dough looks dry and is light in color, 25 to 30 minutes. (Meanwhile, prepare the Pie Filling by following the instructions below.) After the pie shell bakes 25 to 30 minutes, carefully remove the foil and weights, then continue baking until light golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes.

For the Pie Filling:
While the crust is baking, prepare the pie filling. Process the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, spices, and salt in a food processor for 1 minute until combined. Transfer the mixture to a large saucepan. Bring it to a sputtering simmer over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and shiny, about 5 minutes.

As soon as the pie shell comes out of the oven, adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Whisk the heavy cream and milk into the saucepan and bring to a bare simmer. Process the eggs in a food processor until the whites and yolks are combined, about 5 seconds. With the motor running, slowly pour about half of the hot pumpkin mixture through the feed tube. Stop the machine and add the remaining pumpkin mixture. Process 30 seconds longer.

Immediately pour the warm filling into the hot pie crust. Bake the pie until the filling is puffed, dry-looking, and lightly cracked around the edges, about 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour.

Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Top with whipped cream, if desired.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Black-Bottom Coconut Bars

Sorry for taking so long! I actually made these with a friend the week before Thanksgiving, so....a while ago. I guess I've been slacking off a little. These were really good, I think probably better the day after, but still deliciousss. They were also really easy--I definitely want to try making these again!


Black-Bottom Coconut Bars
By Martha Stewart, found here

FOR CHOCOLATE BASE:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

FOR COCONUT TOPPING:
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 package sweetened shredded coconut (7 ounces), 1/2 cup reserved for sprinkling

For chocolate base: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a slight overhang; butter bottom and sides of foil (not overhang).

Place butter in a large microwave-safe bowl; melt in microwave. Add sugar and salt; whisk to combine. Whisk in egg, then cocoa and flour until smooth. Spread batter in prepared pan.

Bake just until sides begin to pull away from edges of pan, 10 to 15 minutes (do not overbake). Let cool slightly while preparing coconut topping. Keep oven on for topping.

For coconut topping: In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with sugar and vanilla. Gently mix in flour and coconut (except 1/2 cup reserved for sprinkling).

Drop mounds of mixture over chocolate base; spread and pat in gently and evenly with moistened fingers. Sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup coconut.

Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Lift cake from pan, peel off foil, and cut into 24 bars. Store in an airtight container 3 to 4 days.