Pumpkin Lemon Pie

                                                    

Who doesn't love pumpkin pie? 
Most think of this as strictly a holiday delight, but some of us like it all year round. Unfortunately, in the heat of the summer, pumpkin pie can be a bit too heavy. To lighten the richness, I added a lemon sour cream topping that lends perfectly to this traditional favorite. 

 

Pie Filling

            2 eggs, slightly beaten

            16 oz. pumpkin

            2/3 c sugar

            1 tsp cinnamon

            ½ tsp salt

            ½ tsp ginger

            1 1/3 c half and half

Sour Cream Topping

            1 c sour cream

            2 T brown sugar

            1 T lemon juice

            1 T lemon zest

            ¼ c pecans, chopped

Directions

Pie filling: Mix all ingredients of pie filling. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 45 minutes. Cool 20 minutes.

Sour cream layer: Blend sour cream, brown sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Spread mixture over pie. Bake 10 minutes Sprinkle with chopped pecans.



An Ode to Coffee!

Like many others, I am addicted to coffee. It began long before I started working at the coffee shop. The varieties of drip coffee we serve are fantastic (personal fav: Santa Clara), to the point that I will no longer brew my own. To me, not getting my morning fix throws off my whole day. It feels as if chaos has been unleashed on my normal routine. I lose track of time, stay in bed too long, miss appointments, ect. So, to show my appreciation, and share the joy of coffee with others, I decided to make these scrumptious coffee kisses.

These little delights are perfect for a morning pick-me-up or after dinner snack. The cookies are moist and soft. Make sure not to over bake them because they will become crispy. Not the best thing to bite into with a buttercream filling. Speaking of the coffee buttercream frosting, it is great with not only these cookies, but also anything chocolate!

Coffee Kisses

3 c self-rising flour (substitute below)                      1 tbsp instant coffee (or espresso if available)

5 1/2 oz unsalted butter, chopped                             1-2 tbsp iced water

1/2 caster sugar                                                         3 1/2 oz white chocolate

1 egg lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.

Sift the flour into a large bowl, and rub butter into the flour with your figure tips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add combine sugar, eggs, and coffee (dissolved in water), all at once. Mix with a flat blade knife until ingredients come together to form a soft dough. Knead lightly until smooth.

Roll out the dough to a 1/4in thickness. cut into 2 in round with a fluted or round cookie cutter. Place on prepared baking trays and bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden. Once baked, transfer to cooling rack. 

Adapted from Homestyle Cookies, Muffins, and Cakes, Bay Books.

Coffee Buttercream

1/2 c unsalted butter, softened                                         1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1-1 1/2 c confectioner's sugar                                           3 tsp strong brewed coffee or espresso

Place butter in electric mixer, beat until smooth. Add sugar, beating until light and creamy. Add coffee and extract, and beat until combine.

Place buttercream in a piping bag, fitted with a fluted nozzle. Pipe cream onto half the cookies. Top with the other half of cookies. Drizzle or pipe melted white chocolate over the top.

Colleen's great sign!

 Enjoy!

Lovin' the Lemon

Lemon Bundt Cake with Raspberry Glaze

As many can attest to, I love almost anything lemon. There is nothing that says summer to me quite like a citrus punched cake, topped with fresh berries. This cake is a great example. It creates a beautiful presentation with the glossy raspberry glaze. Great for all sunny occasions.

This being my first bundt cake, I was a little frightened of the outcome. Unsure of the way the pan would effect the heating process of the batter, I followed the recipe to the word for word. The crumb came out heavenly, moist and delicate. Among my other trepidations was the cake's turn out from the mold due to a couple of disastrous instances in my early baking days. Crossing my fingres, I flipped the cake out onto its pretty blue plate, and it worked! I was thrilled, and I hope you will be too! This is a recipe that I will absolutely be expanding on in the near future!

Ingredients

3 1/4 cups cake flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup sour cream
Finely grated zest from 1 lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions 

  1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Generously brush the bundt pan with shortening and dust with flour.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl and set aside. In another bowl, whisk the sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla and set aside.
  3. Whisk the eggs and sugar together in another bowl, stirring vigorously to lighten the eggs. Gradually whisk in the oil until evenly combined. Add the sour cream mixture and stir together. Add the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon just until combined but still a bit lumpy. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  4. Bake the cake until it pulls away from the sides of the pan and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. (Check it at 45 mins) Cool 10 minutes; then unmold cake onto a rack placed over a baking sheet. Cool. (The cake can be prepared to this point a day ahead.)

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Simple Raspberry Glaze

1 cup raspberry jam, All Nature (the fewer ingredients the better)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

In a medium sauce pan, heat jam, lemon juice, and vanilla, whisking until smooth. Remove from heat. Before presentation, drizzle as much or as little as you would like over the bundt cake, saving some for each serving.

Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes w/ Vegan Frosting and Blueberry Sauce

I'm quite new to the blogging phenomenon. But as it is, I can talk about anything cooking or baking related for hours on end, so I decided to give it a shot. Currently, I am working for an amazing coffee house in Tulsa, OK. I am very lucky to have such a wonderful place that allows me to express my creative side and broaden my culinary education. Some of my postings will involve things we do at the shop, and others will be my experiments at home.

These cupcakes are some of my favorites. They may seem a little plain jane, but not only are they delicious, they make a great template for decoration. I adore the hint of almond and the moist texture. In the past two days, I have made as many batches and sold them before they even hit the case!

Cupcakes

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

1 ½ c vanilla soy milk

2 c AP flour

1 c sugar

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ c canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp almond extract

 Combine vinegar and soy milk in a measuring cup. Let stand until curdled, about 5 mins.

 Whisk together flour and next 4 ingredients.

 Whisk together soy mixture, oil, and extracts in a small bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture; stir until just blended.

 Fill cups 2/3rds full. Bake 12-15 mins. Makes 24 cupcakes or 6 large cupcakes.

Frosting

1/2 cup vegetable shortening (softened)

1/3 cup soy milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt
4 cups powdered sugar

  Add the shortening to electric mixer, and beat until smooth. Add next three ingredients, continue beating until combine.
  Turn mixer on low, add powdered sugar slowly. Check consistency after incorporated, and add more sugar if needed. 

Blueberry Sauce

2 cups frozen or fresh blueberries
1/2 cup water, plus 2 tbsp water
2 tbsp cornstarch

 In a medium sauce pan, bring blueberries and water to a boil, reduce to simmer. Stir berries to break them up.
 In a small bowl, add 2 tbsp to cornstarch to make a slurry. Mix well, then add to berry mixture. stir well and cook until thickened. Approximately 5 min. 
 Once sauce has thickened, pour into a strainer to remove skins and seeds. Let sauce cool. 

 

I usually put the blueberry sauce in a squeeze bottle to apply on top of the cupcakes, and add fresh berries. Also, this recipe works very well with other berries.

For those that have not done much vegan baking, you would be suprised how simple and delicious it can be. I know I was! It is a great way to reduce fat and feel good (or alright, at least) about eating sweets. I hope you enjoy!!