This simple, delicious apple cake may be my new favorite fall dessert.  It is moist, tender, packed with tart apples and cinnamon, and very easy to prepare.  What’s not to love?

On a whim, I decided to update the popular Blueberry-Strawberry Buttermilk Cake with fall flavors by swapping in apples, cinnamon and extra vanilla for the blueberries and strawberries.  But the result of the experiment was so much better than the original, I’m not sure if I’ll ever make the other version of this cake again.  It’s that good.

Although the cake is excellent on its own, you could dress it up by drizzling slices with a salted caramel sauce and serving with dollops of freshly whipped cream.  At the moment,  I really can’t think of anything more appealing than that.

I really hope you give this cake a try, but if not, you should drop by my house.  I have a feeling it’s going to be a weekly standard for the next couple of months.

Apple Cinnamon Buttermilk Cake
Adapted from Gourmet

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup peeled and chopped baking apple (I used granny smith)
heaping tablespoon of raw sugar (demerara, turbinado or Sugar in the Raw)
extra cinnamon for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan* (or spray with Baker’s Joy or equivalent).

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.  In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about two minutes.  Add vanilla and egg and beat well.  With the mixer set to low speed, beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture.  Add half the buttermilk and continue beating on low speed until incorporated.  Scraping down sides of bowl as necessary, beat in another 1/3 of flour mixture then remaining buttermilk.  Finally beat in the last 1/3 of the flour mixture until just combined.

3. Scrape batter into the cake pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.  Scatter apple pieces evenly over the top of the cake batter then sprinkle evenly with raw sugar.  Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.

4. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.  Cool in the pan for ten minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool until warm.  Invert onto a plate.  Serve plain, or with whipped cream and salted caramel sauce.

*You may use a 9-inch cake pan, if you don’t have an 8-inch one.  The cake will be a bit thinner than it appears in my photos and will bake slightly faster.

Yield: 8 servings

Around the Web:

• Mom’s Apple Cake from Smitten Kitchen
• Cinnamon Apple Pecan Crumb Bars from What We’re Eating
• Gluten-Free Sour Cream Apple Cake from Karina’s Kitchen
• Apple Coffee Cake from Simply Recipes
• Whole Wheat Apple Pear Cake from Kalyn’s Kitchen

Although this was my first time making them, I’m beginning to think that these warm and spicy pumpkin doughnuts are going to become a fall tradition around here.  Filled with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and even a hint of cardamom, these doughnuts will warm your soul on a crisp autumn morning.

Have you ever made doughnuts from scratch?  The closest I had ever come to making doughnuts was back in my college days when I learned how to make faux doughnuts (fauxnuts?) by poking holes in refrigerated biscuit dough rounds and frying them up in a skillet.  They were pretty good if you dipped them in sugar and ate them warm, but not quite the real thing.  Ok, not even close.

I have memories of the real thing, though.  You see, my mom made homemade doughnuts for us once.  They were yeast-raised doughnuts, the kind which are lightly glazed or sugar-crusted on the outside, but only slightly sweet and impossibly soft and fluffy on the inside.  Though I was small, and the recollection is a bit fuzzy, I know in my heart that they were the best doughnuts I’ve ever tasted.  While the “hot now” sign at Krispy-Kreme may make your heart flutter, I’m telling you that nothing compares to a doughnut fried up in your own kitchen.  My mom only made doughnuts once that I can recall, but that one memory fills me with so much warmth, I know that I have to make doughnuts from scratch one day for my own children.  Yes, food memories are powerful.

My favorite doughnuts are yeast-raised and glazed, and rarely do I stray from that standard when visiting a local doughnut shop.  But after deciding to make doughnuts at home, I thought it would be best to start with a simple cake doughnut on my first go-round.  And while I generally prefer plain cake doughnuts to flavored ones, I decided to give pumpkin doughnuts a try when I noticed that the leaning tower of organic canned pumpkin that had been perched precariously on my counter since that last trip to Trader Joe’s (when rumors of canned pumpkin shortages briefly got the best of me), was finally threatening to topple and, perhaps, hurt someone.

After looking through several pumpkin doughnut recipes, I chose to use one from Bon Appetit found on Epicurious. And since I can never leave a perfectly good recipe alone, I made a few changes like doubling all the spices and adding a touch of molasses.  I also chose not to add the white glaze, and instead dusted the finished doughnuts lightly with powdered sugar mixed with a bit of pumpkin pie spice.  They were absolutely delicious!

The dough is very sticky when it’s first mixed, so you need to chill it in the refrigerator for a few hours before you can work with it.

The next step reminded me a lot of making biscuits, and in fact I did use a biscuit cutter.  Just dump some of the dough out onto a lightly floured surface,  then pat it out lightly with your hands.

Since the dough is still rather sticky, even after refrigeration, I dipped the cutter in flour before cutting each round.

After you cut out some rounds, it’s time to cut the holes.  I wasn’t sure what to use, since I don’t have a one-inch round cutter like the recipe specified.  But I do have an apple corer, and it worked well, even though the holes were a bit smaller than one inch.  Again, I made sure to dip the apple corer in flour before cutting each hole.

When deep-frying, you need to make sure you control the temperature of the oil.  Although it’s hard to keep it at the same exact temperature all the time, you should adjust the heat to try to keep the oil between 365 and 370 degrees as much as possible.  If it’s too cool, the doughnuts will absorb too much oil and if it’s too hot, the doughnuts will brown too fast and the middles won’t be fully cooked.  Make sure you have a thermometer clipped to side of your pan to make it easy to monitor the temperature of the oil.

Cook the doughnuts in batches, without overcrowding the pot.  Adding too many doughnuts at once will cause the oil temperature to drop rapidly, resulting in greasy doughnuts.

Cook the doughnuts until they are golden brown, then remove with a slotted spoon to a tray lined with paper towels.

After the doughnut holes have cooled, they can be rolled in cinnamon sugar, or whatever topping you decide to create.

I decided that I like these pumpkin doughnuts plain, but I did sprinkle a few with powdered sugar and a dash of pumpkin pie spice.  Perfect!

Pumpkin Doughnuts
(adapted from Bon Appétit)

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon molasses
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
Canola or Peanut Oil (for deep-frying)

toppings:
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
powdered sugar

1. Whisk first 9 ingredients (flour through cardamom) in a medium bowl to blend well; set aside.

2. Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended (mixture will be a bit grainy). Beat in egg, then yolks, then vanilla. Gradually beat in buttermilk and molasses, then beat in pumpkin, in four additions.

3. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture in 4 additions, blending gently after each. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least three hours.

4. Lightly flour two baking sheets.  When dough is well-chilled, lightly flour a work surface.  Starting with about 1/3 of dough, gently press it out to a round that is 1/2- to 2/3-inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch-diameter round cutter, cut out dough rounds. Using 1-inch-diameter round cutter, cut out center of each dough round to make doughnuts and doughnut holes.  Arrange doughnuts and holes on the baking sheets as you go.  Gather dough scraps. Press out dough and cut out more dough rounds until all dough is used.  If dough is very sticky, dip the round cutters into flour before cutting each doughnut.

5. Line two baking sheets with several layers of paper towels.  Pour oil into large deep skillet or dutch oven to a depth of 1 1/2 inches. Attach a deep-fry thermometer  to the side of the pot and heat oil to 365°F to 370°F.  Fry doughnut holes in 2 batches until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 2 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.  Fry doughnuts, 3 or 4 at a time, until golden brown, adjusting heat to maintain temperature, about 1 minute per side.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer doughnuts to paper towels to drain.  Cool completely.

While doughnuts are cooling, mix sugar and cinnamon.  Roll doughnut holes in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.  Lightly dust doughnuts with powdered sugar, if desired.

Related Recipes:

• Pumpkin Pancakes
• Pumpkin Scones
• Pumpkin Spice Cake
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll
• Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Around the Web:

• Pumpkin Doughnuts from A Mingling of Tastes
• Pumpkin Donuts with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting from Pete Bakes!
• Baked Pumpkin Donuts from Culinary Cory
• Pumpkin and Hazelnut Doughnuts from Canelle et Vanille
• Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts from Recipe Girl

Click any of the photos above to be taken to the recipe.  Enjoy!

Did you know that cantaloupe and ginger pair well together?  I didn’t, but I do now!

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about chilled soups.  I like to eat them, but for some reason I’ve never made one for myself.  I keep buying vegetables thinking I’m going to throw them into my fancy new blender and create some amazing new soup, but then I forget and use the vegetables for other things.  The most recent example is celery.  I was thinking about making a light cream of celery soup and chilling it.  But then I had this bizarre celery craving and literally ate the entire bunch of celery in two sittings.  Yes, there was homemade blue cheese dressing involved, so perhaps that had something to do with it.  Regardless, the celery was gone and I had no soup.

So when I heard on twitter that another virtual lunch was planned, this time centered around chilled soups, I knew I had to jump in.  Do you remember our virtual BLT Lunch from a while back?  Well, the usual suspects are at it again today.  Cheryl, who resides in New York, is today writing from Singapore about her Mum’s Green Bean Soup Recipe, while Ellise writes from Paris about Zucchini-Cilantro Soup.  And of course there are many more.

My original plan was to create a cucumber cantaloupe soup with fresh ginger and mint.  But, as you might have guessed, I accidentally used all my cucumber and mint making something else (tzatziki, to be exact).  So when I remembered last night that I needed to create a soup for today’s lunch date, I didn’t have much to work with.  But there was no need to worry, this ‘minimalist’ Cantaloupe Ginger soup is delicious and refreshing and I’m kind of glad that I didn’t add the extra ingredients.

I think this soup would work equally well as a starter or a dessert if you want to serve it in the evening.  But today, it will be lunch.  As with all of my recipes, this one should be customized to suit your own taste.  I added a bit of half & half at the end and felt that it smoothed out the flavors nicely, but feel free to experiment and see what works for you.

Chilled Ginger Cantaloupe Soup

1 cantaloupe, seeded and cut into chunks
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger (or to taste)
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tablespoon of honey (or to taste)
small pinch of salt
1/4 cup milk, half & half, or cream (optional)

Put cantaloupe, ginger, lemon juice and honey in a blender, and process until completely smooth.  Add half & half (if using) and blend until combined.  Taste and adjust amounts of honey, ginger or lemon juice if desired.  Serve well chilled.

Yield: 2 servings

Other Chilled Soups from the ‘Let’s Lunch!’ Crew:

• White Gazpacho from Serve it Forth
• Chilled Poached Pear Soup from Blog Well Done
• Chilled Strawberry Soup from The Naptime Chef

Don’t forget to search Twitter for #LetsLunch to see what the rest of the group is bringing to the party!  And I just have to tell you one more time:  I love my blender!

As you all know, I am a huge fan of simple recipes.  What you might not know is that buttermilk is a staple in my house and I am almost never without it.  I even keep powdered buttermilk in the pantry for those rare times when I don’t have the fresh stuff in the fridge.  It adds such a nice flavor and texture to baked goods that I’ll often adapt recipes to include it even when it’s not originally called for.  So when I saw a recipe in last month’s Gourmet magazine that was simple, included buttermilk on the ingredient list, and looked absolutely delicious, of course I had to try it.

The recipe I’m referring to is Raspberry Buttermilk Cake.  I didn’t have any fresh raspberries on hand, but I did have a handful of blueberries and a pint of strawberries in the fridge, so I decided to adapt.  Although I know the raspberry version is probably delicious, I’m really glad I opted to use the berries I had on hand.  Not only was it a great combination, but this would be a perfect Red, White, and Blue Cake for a Fourth of July barbecue.  Served with whipped cream and extra berries, it would be both festive and delicious.

The ingredient list is simple: flour plus leavening, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk and fresh berries.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in egg and vanilla then add flour (plus leavening and salt) and buttermilk alternately in batches.  You’ll have a nice fluffy batter at the end.

Scrape the batter into a cake pan that has been buttered and floured (I like to make it easy by just spraying the pan with Baker’s Joy).

Smooth the top with a spatula.

Then sprinkle your fresh berries evenly over the top.  You can use whatever berries you have on hand, or even chopped peaches or nectarines.  You want to use about a cup of fruit.

Now sprinkle the raw sugar over the top of the fruit.

Bake the cake until golden, about 25 minutes.  As you can see, the cake rises up and over the berries so they end up in the middle of the cake.

After it has cooled in the pan for ten minutes, turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

I decorated mine with extra fresh berries and if I would have had some whipped cream or ice cream on hand, I would have served it with that.

But it was delicious all by itself!

Blueberry and Strawberry Buttermilk Cake
Adapted from this recipe in Gourmet

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries
heaping tablespoon of raw sugar (demerara, turbinado or Sugar in the Raw)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan (or spray with Baker’s Joy or equivalent).

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.  In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about two minutes.  Add vanilla and egg and beat well.  With the mixer set to low speed, beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture. Add half the buttermilk and continue beating on low speed until incorporated.  Scraping down sides of bowl as necessary, beat in another 1/3 of flour mixture then remaining buttermilk. Finally beat in the last 1/3 of the flour mixture until just combined.

3. Scrape batter into the cake pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.  Scatter blueberries and strawberries evenly over the top of the cake batter then sprinkle with raw sugar.

4. Bake until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.  Cool in the pan for ten minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool until warm.  Invert onto a plate.  Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries on the side.

Related Recipes:

• Coconut Lime Cake
• Red Velvet Cake
• Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Easy Lemon Cake
• Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

Around the Web:

• Vanilla Buttermilk Cake from A Whisk and a Spoon
• Buttermilk Cake with Berries from Food Mayhem
• Dark Chocolate Buttermilk Cake from Christine Cooks
• Buttermilk Cake with White Chocolate and Dried Apricots from Sweet Sins
• Vanilla Buttermilk Cake with Instant Fudge Frosting from Sticky, Gooey, Creamy,Chewy

With today’s modern ice cream makers, frozen fruit mixtures like granitas and sorbets can be whipped up in no time! Usually containing only fresh fruit, water and sugar, Sicilian granita is one of the simplest frozen desserts breakfasts you can make.

We moved back to the California from Sicily a year and a half ago and one of the things I miss most is the granita from Catania. I can’t believe that it took me this long to figure out how simple it is to make granita at home!

My first attempt at granita was a few weeks ago, when I made brioche for The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge.  Since I was making brioche for the first time, it only made sense that I attempt some homemade granita. In Sicily, granita and brioche are eaten together for breakfast during the hot months of summer.  It might sound strange, but don’t knock it til you try it!  You’ll also see Sicilians eating ice cream sandwiches of brioche and gelato, another tradition of which I highly approve!

So as I was saying, I made some fresh strawberry granita to go with my brioche.  It was good, but the fruit/water/ sugar ratio wasn’t quite right, so I need to give it another try.  It was the following week that a friend and food writer from Catania showed up unexpectedly on twitter.  And guess what she was tweeting about?  Brioche and granita!  She even shared a quick Lemon Granita recipe.  Of course I had to try it!

Although the textures vary from province to province, the granita I grew accustomed to eating in Catania is somewhat soft and slushy, rather than granular and icy.  By processing it in an ice cream maker until semi-solid, it is quick and easy to replicate the texture of the granita I know and love.

Like anything, the lemon granitas in Sicily vary in sweetness and tartness from bar to bar. Some are almost unbearably tart (I love those!), some are almost too sweet.  I’d say this one falls somewhere in the middle.  Please feel free to adjust the amounts of lemon juice and/or sugar to suit your own taste.

Now I just need someone to teach me how to make granita di mandorla (almond granita) and I’ll be even happier!

Simple Lemon Granita
adapted from this recipe

1 1/2 cups water
scant cup of sugar
juice of 2 1/2 lemons

Heat water and sugar, stirring, until sugar dissolves.  Let cool completely.  Stir in lemon juice and refrigerate until cold.  Process in an ice cream maker until slushy, but not frozen completely.  Serve immediately.

Yield: approximately four servings

Recipe notes: Lemon juice and sugar amounts can be adjusted to suit your own taste.  You may freeze leftovers, but keep in mind that it will freeze solid.  Just let it sit out at room temperature for 20 minutes or so, then stir with a fork until slushy again before serving.

As you can see, twitter is increasingly becoming the place to talk about food!  Have you joined yet?  If so, you can follow me here.  And don’t forget to follow Alessandra, perhaps she’ll tweet some more of my favorite recipes from Sicily!  And here’s a list of several other food bloggers on Twitter.

This post marks a couple of firsts for me.  This is the first time I’ve ever used rhubarb and it’s also the first time I’ve ever made homemade turnovers.  You probably won’t be surprised to learn that I now love them both!

I’m not sure how I’ve made it 34 years without ever touching fresh rhubarb.  We just didn’t eat it growing up.  I don’t think there was any particular reason for it, we just didn’t.  I know I’ve probably tasted Strawberry Rhubarb Pie at some point in my life, but I can’t really recall ever knowing what rhubarb even tastes like.

Luckily, my friend Allen suggested that I try making something with rhubarb. If he hadn’t put it in my head, I probably would gone another year without giving it a go.  And once he suggested it, I started noticing rhubarb recipes everywhere.  It seemed like I was the only in the world not eating rhubarb on a daily basis.  I was determined to give it a try.

But I wasn’t really sure where to find it.  I knew it was in season, and living in California, I generally have access to just about any fruit or vegetable imaginable.  But I really didn’t recall seeing rhubarb at the markets.  My friend Caron assured me that I would be able to find it here, since she grew up eating lots of rhubarb in Southern California.  We headed out to one of our local farmer’s markets and sure enough, there it was!

I snatched up two bunches of the scarlet, celery-like vegetable (or is it a fruit?).  Caron suggested I try using it to make a simple compote, and I thought that sounded like a good way to get to know this ingredient.  I chopped it up, tossed it with some sugar and let it macerate for a while since I had read that it would release liquid.  When it didn’t release as much liquid as I expected, I tossed in a spoonful of water and heated it on the stove.  The rhubarb softened much faster than I expected, and all of a sudden I had a pot full rhubarb mush, instead of the chunky compote I was hoping for.  Rhubarb FAIL.

Well, instead of being disappointed with my failed compote, I decided to turn it into a sauce.  I tossed in a handful of fresh raspberries, half a vanilla bean, and a few cardomom pods and let it simmer for a bit.  Then I removed the vanilla bean and cardmom, passed the mixture through my food mill and ended up with a beautiful red sauce that tasted great over my Greek yogurt as an afternoon snack.  Although the sauce was good, I wasn’t really satisfied with my first rhubarb experiment.  Luckily, I still had a bunch in the refrigerator!

It took me about a week to get back to the rhubarb, but I am so glad that I did!  The Rhubarb Blueberry Turnovers that I finally ended up with are the best pastries I’ve ever made.  I got the idea while looking through my newest baking book, The Art and Soul of Baking. If you can believe it, I received the beautiful book as a free gift when I recently attended the International Food Blogger Conference in Seattle.  Lucky me!  The book is filled with gorgeous photos and there are tons of recipes I want to try (Lemon Mascarpone Layer Cake, anyone?).  But back to the Rhubarb!   I ended up adapting a Summer Berry Turnover recipe to include rhubarb and blueberries since that’s what I had in the fridge.

What I loved most about this recipe was the simple cream cheese pastry dough.  As long as you have a food processor, the dough comes together in minutes!

First, cut a stick of cold butter into small pieces (put it back in fridge to keep it cold).

Then do the same thing with an 8-ounce block of cream cheese.

Next, combine flour, sugar and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine the ingredients.

Remove the butter from the fridge and add it to the flour mixture.

Press the pulse button several times until the butter/flour mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.

Now add the cold cream cheese.

Pulse again, several times, until the dough clumps together in a shaggy mass.

Next, dump the shaggy dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.

Knead the dough briefly until you have a cohesive dough, then pat it out into a square.

Wrap the dough in plastic, then chill in the refrigerator for 3o minutes.

Meanwhile, chop and measure out one cup of rhubarb and one cup of blueberries.

In a medium bowl, combine rhubarb, blueberries, sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon and cardamom.

Mix the filling ingredients together well, then set aside.

After the dough has chilled, roll it out into a big square, a little larger than 15 inches all around.

Using a ruler and a knife (or in this case, a pizza cutter), trim the dough into a 15-inch square.

Then mark the dough in 5-inch increments on all sides and cut into 9 (5-inch) squares.

Divide the filling between each square, placing spoonfuls of it in the center of each one.

Although I forgot to do it, you should brush the edges of the squares with egg was before folding them over to form a triangle.  Gently press the edges together with your fingers.

Then use a fork to seal and crimp the edges.

Divide the turnovers between two baking sheets, then brush each one lightly with egg wash.

After brushing with egg wash, sprinkle coarse sugar over the tops of the turnovers.

Use a small sharp knife to cut several slits in the top of each turnover.  This will allow steam to escape during baking.

Bake the turnovers in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through the baking time.  Remove from the oven when they are golden brown.  The turnovers will leak, but that’s fine!

Move them to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy warm or at room temperature and try not to eat the whole batch in one sitting!

Rhubarb Blueberry Turnovers
adapted from The Art and Soul of Baking

Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (one stick), cut into small pieces
8 oz. cold cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces

Filling:
4 oz. rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)
4 oz. blueberries (1 cup)
6 tablespoons sugar
zest of one lemon (about 2 teaspoons of zest)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)

Egg wash:
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk or cream

Sanding sugar, turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw), or granulated sugar for sprinkling on the turnovers.

1. Place flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to blend the ingredients.  Add the cold butter pieces and pulse several times until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.  Add the cream cheese and pulse until the mixture starts to clump together in a shaggy mass.

2. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured board or counter and knead briefly until the dough comes together.  Pat the dough into a square (about 3/4 inch thick) and wrap in plastic.  Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up until 2 days.

3. Just before removing dough from the refrigerator, prepare the filling:  In a medium bowl, stir together rhubarb, blueberries, sugar, lemon zest, and spices; set aside.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place two baking racks close to the center of the oven.

4. Unwrap dough and place on a lightly floured surface.  Roll dough into a large square (slightly larger than 15 inches all around), about 1/8 inch thick.  Using a large knife, trim dough to a 15-inch square.  Use a ruler to mark 5-inch increments along each side of the dough then cut into 9 (5-inch) squares.*

5. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and milk; set aside.  Add a spoonful of rhubarb-blueberry filling in the center of each pastry square (try to divide filling between the squares as evenly as possible). Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of the squares with the egg wash.  Fold the dough over the filling to form a triangle and gently press the edges together with the side of your hand or fingertips.  Use a fork to crimp the edges.

6. Divide the turnovers between two baking sheets that have been lined with either parchment or silicone baking mats. Brush the tops of the turnovers with the egg wash then sprinkle with sugar.  Using the tip of a small knife, cut several slits in the top of each turnover.  Place baking sheets on two baking racks in the center of a preheated 350-degree oven.  Bake for 15 minutes then rotate the sheets from front to back and switch them between the racks to ensure even browning.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer until the turnovers are golden brown.  Transfer pastries to a cooling rack.  Serve turnovers warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Notes: *At this point, the squares can be stacked (with pieces of parchment or waxed paper between layers), wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to two days or frozen (place in a plastic freezer bag) for up to two months.

These were some of the best turnovers I’ve ever tasted!  They are sweet, but tart and the crust is flaky and flavorful.  I’ve already made them twice and can see myself making them again and again in the future.  Any type of berry filling would work great in these turnovers, and according to Recipe Girl, cherries work great as well!

Related Recipes:

• Apple Galette
• Whole Grain Sour Cream Blueberry Pancakes
• Strawberry Shortcake

Around the Web:

• Buttermilk Rhubarb Bread from Eating Out Loud
• Rhubarb Cobbler from Smitten Kitchen
• Balsamic Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp from Karina’s Kitchen
• Red Wine Poached Rhubarb from David Lebovitz
• Rhubarb Margarita from Andrea’s Recipes

Every time I read a food magazine, I find tons of new recipes I’d like to try.  But very rarely do I get around to making any of them.  Most of the recipes I read in magazines and books just get filed away in my head somewhere and when I’m in the kitchen, I pull bits and pieces of information and inspiration from that jumbled library I call a brain.  But every once in a while, I find a recipe like the Key Lime Coconut Cake in the latest issue of Gourmet that must be made immediately.

There were so many things about the cake recipe that appealed to me: the simplicity, the flavor combination, the similarity to my favorite lemon cake.  But the main reason I made the cake was to give to my friends Amanda and Tyler as a thank you for helping me survive the first week of my husband’s deployment to Iraq.  I’ve spent as much time at their house as my own lately and have taken advantage of their open dinner invitation more times in the past week than they might have expected.  And if you’ve ever visited either of their food sites, you know that dinner made by Amanda is a special treat!

So, knowing how much Amanda loves coconut cake, I decided that I would follow through and actually give this recipe a try.  I did make some substitutions, such as using regular limes instead of key limes, and cake flour and leavening rather than self-rising flour.  I also used buttermilk rather than whole milk.  The result was a moist, tender and buttery cake with a hint of coconut and a tart lime glaze that penetrates down through the top inch of the cake.  Delicious!

Whether you decide to try this version, or the original recipe at Gourmet.com, I know you won’t be disappointed with this simple and delicious cake!  And thanks again, Amanda and Tyler, I hope you enjoyed the cake as much as I did!

Coconut Lime Cake
(adapted from Gourmet’s Key Lime Coconut Cake recipe)

2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut, divided
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
5 tablespoons lime juice, divided
1 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the middle.  Butter a 9-inch round cake pan, line bottom with a round of parchment paper then butter the parchment paper.

2. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Measure out 1/2 cup of shredded coconut and process in a mini food processor until very finely chopped (you can also finely chop it with a knife). Stir the chopped coconut into the flour mixture and set aside.  Combine buttermilk and 2 tablespoons of lime juice; set aside.

3. Beat together butter, sugar, and lime zest with an electric mixer until very fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Turn mixer to low speed, add one third of the flour mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

4. Spoon batter into the buttered cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula.  Bake in the center of a preheated 350 degree oven until golden and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes.  Cool to warm, then turn out of pan and discard parchment.

5. Whisk together powdered sugar and the remaining three tablespoons of lime juice.  Poke top of cake all over with a fork then pour glaze over the cake.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of coconut.

Recipe notes: Although I toasted the coconut for the cake you see pictured, I decided that I would have preferred it not toasted for this cake, as the above recipe reflects. If you prefer toasted coconut, spread it out on a baking sheet and place in the 350 degree oven for a few minutes. Watch closely, it goes quickly from light brown to burnt!  I like to finely chop the coconut that goes into the cake because I think the cake ends up with a better texture.  Mini food processors do a great job, but you could also chop it up with a knife, or just skip that step entirely.

Related Recipes:

• Easy Lemon Cake
• Carrot Cake
• Simple Yogurt Cake
• Orange Yogurt Bread

Around the Web:

• Wooly Coconut-Lime Birthday Cake from Sweet and Savory
• Key Lime Coconut Cream Tapioca Pudding from The Well-Seasoned Cook
• Coconut Lemon Lime Tassies from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
• Coconut Lime Cupcakes by Cupcake Bakeshop

Intimidated by baking, assembling, and decorating a homemade red velvet cake for Valentine’s Day?  Give cupcakes a try instead!

As you probably know, I have already written about my husband’s family recipe for a gorgeous Red Velvet Cake.  But when I noticed that lots of readers were asking questions about how to turn the cake recipe into a cupcake recipe, I decided it was time to give it a try myself!

At first I was going to try a version using less red food coloring than the cake recipe, but at the last minute I decided to stay true to the original.  These aren’t pink, they aren’t reddish-brown, they are a dramatic RED, perfect for Valentine’s Day!  And in addition to the beautiful color, these little cakes are light, tender, and downright delicious!

There are several different types of red velvet cake. Some are heavier on the chocolate flavor than others, some use less food coloring, and some use beets instead of artificial coloring.  This one does not taste like a chocolate cake, although there is a subtle hint of cocoa.  The flavor is unique and delicious, and I prefer it to the red velvet cakes that contain more cocoa powder.  And as I’ve already mentioned, this cake recipe does not shy away from the food coloring!

Although red velvet cake is definitely a Southern tradition, it’s popularity has never been limited to the South.  The recipe I’m going to share today is also called Waldorf-Astoria Cake, and is supposedly based on a red velvet cake that was popular at the New York hotel in the 1920’s. For more on the history of red velvet cake, check out this great New York Times article.

But regardless of where the cake originated, red velvet cakes and cupcakes have become an American tradition that is holding on strong.  Whether it’s Christmas, Valentine’s Day, a birthday, or even a wedding day, red velvet is a wonderful way to celebrate!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 oz. red food coloring (two bottles)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

2. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.  In a small bowl, mix food coloring and cocoa powder to form a thin paste without lumps; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about three minutes.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla and the red cocoa paste, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go.  Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

4. In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda.  Yes, it will fizz!  Add vinegar mixture to the cake batter and stir well to combine. Using an ice cream scoop, fill cupcake cups with cake batter (they should be 2/3 – 3/4 full).  You may not fill all the cups, I ended up with 20 cupcakes.  Place muffin tins on the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree oven.  Bake for approximately 20-22 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Check early and don’t overbake!

5. Cool the cupcakes in their tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove and allow to cool completely before frosting.  Frost cupcakes with cream cheese icing (recipe below) and decorate with red sprinkles if desired.  The cupcakes above were decorated using the Wilton Cupcake Decorating Kit and Valentine’s Sprinkles. They can usually be found at craft stores like Michaels or Joann.

6. Enjoy the cupcakes with those you love!

Recipe Notes: *Sift cake flour once before measuring, then sift again with the other dry ingredients per recipe instructions. Wear an apron and be careful with the red food coloring–no matter how hard I try, I always end up staining something!  As you’re mixing the cake batter, use a spatula to scrape down the bowl frequently throughout the entire process.  Since the batter is fairly thick, I have found that an old-fashioned ice cream scoop works best for filling the cupcake wells (also great for muffin batter!).  Since all ovens are different, make sure you check the cupcakes a little early.  Mine were ready in just over 2o minutes, yours may be done sooner, or they may take a minute or two longer.

Cream Cheese Frosting

16 oz. cream cheese (2 packages), softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter (one stick), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
pinch of salt

With an electric mixer, blend together cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Turn mixer to low speed and blend in powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract.  Turn mixer on high and beat until light and fluffy. Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.  If refrigerated, the frosting will need to be brought to room temperature before using (after frosting softens up, beat with mixer until smooth).

Recipe Notes: If you prefer a sweeter and/or stiffer frosting, more powdered sugar can be added (up to four cups). But remember, the more sugar you add, the less you’ll be able to taste the tangy cream cheese!

Related Recipes:

• Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
• Double Dark Chocolate Beet Muffins
• Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

Around the Web:

• Red Velvet Cake from Smitten Kitchen
• Red Velvet Cupcakes from Firefly Pie
• Red Velvet Cupcakes with Sprinkles Cream Cheese Frosting from Alice Q. Foodie
• Red Velvet Cupcakes from Off the (meat)hook
• Red Velvet Black and White Cookies from Joy the Baker

Thanks to everyone who contributed ideas for naming these cookies! Wow, what a turnout!  I never thought I would be able to choose between all the great submissions, but I finally decided on a name that is simple, catchy, and to the point:  Dark Chocolate Cherry Chews.  Thanks to E’Beth Garren for the winning submission!  I’ll be sending out a surprise gift, as promised.

So let me talk a bit about chocolate chip cookies.  I’m not one of those bakers who is on a quest to find the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe.  I generally use the recipe on the back of the Tollhouse bag and I think they’re great.  But as you well know, I do enjoy experimenting with recipes from time to time!

These cookies came about because I noticed I had a couple of  Starbucks dark chocolate bars hanging out in my pantry alongside half a bag of my favorite dried tart cherries from Trader Joe’s.  Since I’m in cookie mode due to the rapid approach of Christmas, I decided that there was no better place for the chocolate and cherries to end up.

Believe it or not, I’m not a huge fan of dark chocolate on it’s own.  I actually bought the chocolate bars to make some thick Italian hot chocolate from this recipe, but then never got around to it (this happens to me a lot).  But I have always liked dark chocolate combined with dried fruit, whether it be raisins, blueberries, or in this case, cherries.  We all know that the combination of chocolate and cherries is a classic one, so I’m not sure why it took me this long to combine them in a chocolate chip cookie!

This really is just a basic chocolate chip cookie, but made with dark chocolate chunks and chopped dried cherries rather than the semi-sweet morsels from the yellow bag.  I played around a little with the dough after reading through a couple classic chocolate chip cookie recipes.  This one uses a touch more flour than the Tollhouse recipe.  And I also decided to add some almond extract, which I thought would compliment the cherries.  I love the addition of almond extract! The flavor is not overpowering, but it gives the cookies that little something extra.

My husband prefers chocolate chip cookies with more cookie than chocolate, so I didn’t overload these with chocolate and cherries.  I added enough so that you get a good taste of dark chocolate and cherry in each bite, but you can still taste the buttery cookie.

And since this is the first chocolate chip cookie recipe I’m posting on Pinch My Salt, I thought I might share some of my cookie baking tips in the hope that the rest of you will chime in with your own hints, tips, and tricks!  First of all, and this goes for all baking, it’s important to preheat your oven early.  I always turn it on the minute I decide to bake something, even before I start prepping the ingredients.  Starting with an even baking temperature will ensure that your first tray of cookies will look similar to your last tray of cookies!

If you want your cookies to be similar in size and shape, a cookie scoop is your best friend!  My grandmother gave me one a couple of years ago and I loved it so much, I went out and bought two additional sizes!  Of course cookie scoops aren’t a necessity, but I highly recommend them if you have room in your baking budget!  The scoop I used for these cookies holds a little more than a tablespoon of dough (about four teaspoons).  But I also have one that’s twice this size for giant cookies, as well as an ice-cream sized scoop that’s perfect for measuring out muffin batter!

My favorite tip for cookie baking is to line your baking sheets with parchment paper (or, as in the photo above, a silicone baking mat).  What’s the benefit of lining your baking sheets?  Two things: your cookies will never, ever stick, and you won’t have to wash your baking sheets!  I hate washing baking sheets (almost as much as i hate washing cooling racks)!

Although I do own a Silpat baking mat, I almost always use parchment paper.  I’ve used the Silpat a few times, but for most things (like cookie baking), I just prefer parchment paper.  I can’t even explain why, it’s just a preference I have.  But during my last round of cookie baking I decided to try an experiment.  I know many bakers swear by Silpat, so I decided to do a side-by-side comparison of parchment paper, Silicone baking mat, and a plain ungreased baking sheet to see if baking sheet liners affect the quality of the cookies in any way.

I baked three trays of cookies on the same type of baking sheet (heavy duty aluminum half-sheet pan), at the same temperature (350 degrees) for the same amount of time (11 minutes).  The only difference was that one sheet was lined with Silpat, one was lined with parchment paper, and one was plain.

First was the Silpat:

Next up was parchment paper:

And finally, the ungreased baking sheet:

And here’s the side-by-side comparison:

The cookies on the left were baked on parchment, the middle cookies were baked on Silpat, and the cookies on the right were baked on an ungreased cookie sheet.

The results:

The cookies on the silpat baking mat browned a lot faster than the other two and they ended up with a wrinkled appearance along the edges.  They were also a tiny bit thicker than the other two.  The cookies baked on parchment were the thinnest of the three and browned the least, although they were cooked all the way through, just like the others.  I think the cookies baked on the ungreased baking sheet were the best looking of the bunch, although they stuck the pan a bit, and one of them broke as I was trying to dislodge it.  Texture-wise there wasn’t a huge difference, although I preferred the texture of the cookies baked on parchment (maybe because that’s what I’m used to).  I can honestly say that there wasn’t enough difference between the texture of the three types of cookie to really recommend one method over another.  You’ll have to base your decision on how the cookies look and the convenience of using a baking liner or not.

And this concludes my very UN-scientific experiment!

Most bakers use all three methods, letting the recipe and circumstances dictate which to use and when.  I stand by my choice of parchment paper in most cases.  I know it can be wasteful, but I do try to re-use the sheets as often as possible.  Here’s a tip for those of you tired of dealing with rolls of parchment paper:  you can buy pre-cut sheets! I used to buy it online through Amazon or The Baker’s Catalog until Amanda tipped me off to the much, much cheaper precut sheets at Smart and Final.  I’m sure you can also find them at a restaurant supply store, although I haven’t checked.  If you buy them from Smart and Final (or another restaurant supply store), the sheets will be sized for commercial baking pans, much larger than you want.  But I buy a pack of 50 full-size sheets and then cut them in half to end up with the 100 half sheets that I used to buy online.  And they are less than half the price of Amazon and about a quarter of the price of The Baker’s Catalog.

Here are a few other uses for parchment paper that you might not know about:  I put my pizza dough and loaves of bread on parchment to make it easy to slide in and out of oven (directly onto a baking sheet) without using messy semolina or cornmeal. I put a piece on the counter when I am measuring dry ingredients like flour and then just pick up the parchment and pour the excess right back into the bag.  It’s great for rolling out pie dough, and can be used for just about anything you would use waxed paper for.  There are many other uses for it, but those are a few of my favorites!

Now, if you are tired of washing baking sheets, are concerned with keeping waste to a minimum, but haven’t yet decided whether to take the plunge and buy some expensive silicone baking mats, here are a few pros/cons for you to consider (seasoned bakers, please leave comments with your own opinions, I’m sure I’m missing lots of pros and cons for each).

Parchment Paper

pros: inexpensive, easy clean up, completely nonstick, can usually be reused a few times, can be used for a million different things in the kitchen
cons: wasteful, rolls of parchment paper can be a hassle to deal with, might have to cut to size, it’s slippery so you have to be careful not to let it slide around when putting parchment lined baking sheet in the oven

Silpat (or silicone baking mats)

pros: can be reused (no waste), they last a really, really long time, completely nonstick, can put them on the countertop to help roll out sticky dough, doesn’t slide around on your baking sheet!
cons: big initial expense (usually cost $20 each), don’t have many uses outside of lining baking sheets or countertops

I say that if you can afford to buy silicone baking mats and you do A LOT of baking, they are definitely worth the investment.  But if you are just a casual baker, I think you can get by just fine with parchment paper.  And if you happen to love washing baking sheets, and you don’t mind the occasional stuck cookie, by all means, skip the liner altogether!

And finally, here’s the cookie recipe!

Dark Chocolate Cherry Chews

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
scant teaspoon almond extract (teaspoon not quite full)
8 oz. dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 cup dried tart cherries, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, soda, and salt; set aside.

3. Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Add eggs, once at a time, blending well after each addition. Blend in vanilla and almond extracts. Blend in flour mixture, a little at a time, until it’s all incorporated. By hand, stir in cherries and chocolate pieces.

4. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced at least two inches apart. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-13 minutes or until edges are starting to brown.  Let cool on baking sheet for ten minutes then move to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield: about four dozen cookies

Recipe Notes: These cookies are very flat and chewy, if you prefer a thicker, more cake-like chocolate chip cookie, this recipe might disappoint you.  I used dark chocolate bars from Trader Joe’s and chopped them up into small chunks, but you can use any kind of dark chocolate chips or chunks you wish.  The reason I like to chop them myself is that you get lots of little flakes of chocolate that melt into the cookie dough.  The cherries I used were Dried Pitted Tart Montmorency Cherries, also from Trader Joe’s. I loved the tartness of these cherries with the sweet cookie, but feel free to use other dried cherries if you can’t find that particular type.  And finally, feel free to add extra chocolate and cherries if you wish!

I just roughly chopped the cherries so that the pieces were a variety of sizes. I found it easiest to chop half of them at a time.

I chopped the chocolate bars into fairly small chunks, but again, the pieces are not uniform in size. Make sure you scrape up all the little tiny bits of chocolate to stir into the cookie dough!

By measuring out and whisking the dry ingredients together, you ensure that the baking soda and salt will be evenly distributed throughout the dough. If you do it first and have it ready to go, your workflow will be much smoother!

For ease of photographing, I mixed this batch of cookies in my stand mixer. But I generally use a hand mixer for cookie dough. You can also cream the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon and mix the remaining ingredients by hand. It's a bit more work, but the results are fine (I mixed the first batch by hand).

You just want to cream the butter and sugar together until it's all smooth. No need to beat it forever!

Beat the eggs in one at a time. I like to crack the eggs ahead of time and put them in a small bowl to avoid any incidents of eggshell in the dough! And no, I still can't manage to crack an egg and keep the shell intact!

Beat in the flour a little at a time on low speed (unless you want to end up wearing the flour!) until it's all incorporated

Now put down your mixer (don't forget to lick the beaters) and stir in the chocolate and cherries by hand.

Be sure to space the cookies a couple inches apart because these cookies spread like crazy!

I can fit 12 cookies on a half sheet pan.

I like to bake them until the edges just start to brown. In my oven, 11 minutes was perfect. I suggest checking them early if your oven tends to be hot. I leave them on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes to allow the cookies to set before removing to a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Now please feel free to share any cookie baking tips you have as well as links to your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes!  And I’d love it if you would share your reasons for loving (or hating) silicone baking mats and/or parchment paper for baking cookies.

We’re heading up to Oregon for Christmas (and SNOW!!), so in case you don’t hear from me until 2009, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a very happy new year to all!