Fiori di Sicilia Buttermilk Pound Cake

This is no doubt the best pound cake I’ve ever made. Soft and fluffy, but still a perfect pound cake. The glaze just makes it perfection. P.S. Fiori di Sicilia is a extract flavored with a combination of citrus and vanilla.

Ingredients: Buttermilk Pound Cake

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon Fiori de Sicilia

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup buttermilk

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

5 tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon fiori de sicilia

Recipe: Buttermilk Pound Cake

Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9×9 loaf pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, beat the butter until pale; add in the sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the extracts and eggs, one at a time.

Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet batter until almost completely combined.

Mix in the buttermilk.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Glaze

Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Pour on warm cake.

Enjoy!

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Kumquat Glazed Honey Oat Cookies

Picture this: A soft and chewy oatmeal cookie with a deep honey flavor- doesn’t that sound delicious? They were but they needed something more. Like a glaze. A citrus glaze. A tangy yet sweet super amazing kumquat glaze. Which brings you to perfection.

Ingredients: Cookies (adapted from Giant Honey and Oat Cookies in Betty Crockers Ultimate Cookie Book)

1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cups honey

1 large egg

1 large egg white

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 and 1/3 cups quick-cooking oats

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Kumquat Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup kumquat juice

Recipe: Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350F and grease two baking sheets.

On low speed, mix together the sugar, butter, honey, egg, egg white, and vanilla for about 2 minutes. Then mix on medium speed until smooth and combined.

In a separate bowl, mix together the oats, flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add to the wet batter on low speed.

Scoop dough into 1/4 cup measurements.

Bake for 10 minutes- they will still be very soft on top and look undone. They’re not! Let cool before glazing.

Kumquat Glaze

Whisk together all ingredients!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Glazed Almond Cupcakes

Ohmigod. I cannot believe how perfect these cupcakes are. These cupcakes are fancy cupcakes, like, wedding worthy cupcakes. They have the moistest golden almond cake you will ever have (seriously) and are topped with a rich dark chocolate ganache. Perfection.

Ingredients: Almond Cupcakes (the tiniest bit adapted from here), makes 18

1 and 1/3 cups granulated sugar

7 ounces almond paste

1 cup all-purpose flour, divided and spooned in and leveled

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed

1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

6 large eggs, at room temperature

Chocolate Ganache Glaze

1 and 1/3 cups chocolate chunks

1 cup heavy cream

Recipe: Almond Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 325F. Line 1 1/2 cupcake tins with liners.

In a food processor, grind the sugar, almond paste, and 1/4 cup of flour until the mixture resembles sand.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup of flour, baking powder, and salt.

To the almond mixture add the butter and the vanilla and almond extracts, then process until the batter is smooth and creamy.

Add the eggs one at a time, processing a little in between. After you add all the eggs, the mixture might look curdled- that’s okay.

Transfer the batter to a bowl and mix in half of the flour mixture Stir in the other half until the dry ingredients are just incorporated.

Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake tins and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the top is a deep golden brown.

Let cool before dipping in the ganache.

Chocolate Ganache Glaze

Put the chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside.

Pour cream into a small saucepan over medium heat. When the cream comes to a simmer pour over the chocolate and whisk until smooth.

Let sit the ganache for 20 minutes before dipping the cupcakes unto it.

 

 

Enjoy!

Cranberry Spice Muffins

These are my favorite muffins. Soft, fluffy, a little spicy, and bursting with tart cranberries. They are so easy to make and infinitely adaptable. I give you the recipe for a really delicious spiced sugar topping, but it’s not in the pictures- but use it!

Ingredients: Cranberry Spice Muffins (adapted from here)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

4 tablespoons toasted wheat germ

1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon apple pie spice

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons orange zest

1 and 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup packed shredded apple

1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped cranberries

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup boiling water

Spicy Sugar Topping

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Recipe: Cranberry Spice Muffins

Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup and level with a knife.

With a spoon, combine first 8 ingredients in a large bow.

Stir in oats, shredded apple, dried cranberries, and cranberries.

Make a well in the middle of mixture. Combine buttermilk, orange juice, oil, vanilla, and egg; add to the dry mixture, stirring just until moist.

Stir in boiling water. Let batter stand 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Spoon batter into a greased muffin tin. Bake for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center.

Spicy Sugar Topping

Mix together the sugar and spices.

Dip the muffins in the melted butter and then in the sugar.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts

These are the most delicious doughnuts you will ever eat. Ever. They’re incredibly fluffy and light, like little doughnut clouds and covered in cinnamon sugar. Yum!

Ingredients: Doughnuts (from here)

3 tablespoons active dry yeast

1 cup whole milk, heated to 110˚F

2 to 2 and 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for the work surfface

2 tablespoons superfine sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large egg yolks

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Vegetable oil, for frying

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

1 and 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1-2 teaspoons cinnamon (to taste)

1 stick butter, melted

Recipe: Doughnuts

In a medium bowl, dissolve 2 tablespoons of the yeast in 3/4 cup of the warm milk. Stir in 3/4 cup of the flour to create a smooth paste. Cover and let rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes.

Combine the remaining milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Add the flour mixture along with the sugar, salt, vanilla, and egg yolks. Mix until smooth. Turn off the mixer and add 1/2 cup of the remaining flour. Mix on low for about 30 seconds.

Add the butter and mix until it becomes incorporated, about 30 seconds. Switch to a dough hook and, with the mixer turned off, add more flour, about 1/4 cup at a time. Knead the dough on medium speed between additions until the dough pulls completely away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth and not too sticky. It will be very soft and moist, but not so sticky that you can’t roll it out. (You may have flour left over.)

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.

Line a baking sheet with a lightly floured dish towel. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. With a doughnut or cookie cutter, cut out 3-inch-diameter rounds with 1-inch-diameter holes. (Note: If making filled doughnuts, clearly, don’t cut out the holes.) You can re-roll the scraps and cut out additional holes.

Place the doughnuts at least 1 inch apart on the baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rest in a warm spot to proof until they almost double in size, 5 to 20 minutes, peeking every five minutes. To test whether the dough is ready, touch it lightly with a fingertip. If it springs back immediately, it needs more time. If it springs back slowly, it is ready. If it doesn’t spring back at all, it has over-proofed, in which case you can punch it down and re-roll it once.

While the doughnuts are proofing, heat a heavy-bottomed pot with at least 2 inches of oil until a deep-fat thermometer registers 360˚F (182°C). With a metal spatula, carefully place a couple of doughnut holes or doughnuts in the oil, being careful not to crowd the pot.

Fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until light golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on a wire rack over a paper towel, and let cool slightly before glazing. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts and holes, keeping the temperature consistent.

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon together on a plate or shallow bowl.

While the doughnuts are still warm, dip each of the doughnuts in the melted butter (either or both sides) and then in the cinnamon sugar.

Enjoy!

 

Mini Lemon Bundt Cakes

So I got a mini bundt pan, I’ve been wanting to get one forever. I couldn’t decide what to make with it so I just went with the recipe which came with it “Lemon Anniversary Cakelets”  the recipe came from NordicWare (my pan if that’s not clear). It is a light, fluffy, lemon cake with a sweet beautiful lemon glaze. And I love the word cakelets so…

Ingredients: Cake

1/2 cup butter, softened  (one stick)

1 and 1/4 cups granulated white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used Wegmans whole milk yogurt)

1/2 cup buttermilk (I used low fat as I couldn’t find any other kind)

2 cups cake flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Glaze

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 and 1/2 cups sugar (I used granulated)

2 tablespoons corn syrup (I used light)

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350F In a medium-large bowl, blend butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice. When those are combined add the flour, baking soda, salt, yogurt, and buttermilk. Blend on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then mix on medium speed until well blended.

Grease and flour the pan. (This was very hard for me- grease and flour well) Divide the batter evenly among cavities, filling 3/4 of the cups. You will probably have extra. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for ten minutes in pan and then invert onto wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. While you’re waiting for the cakes to cool prepare the glaze: In a (small) saucepan, combine all glaze ingredients. Stir constantly over low heat until sugar dissolves. It should take about 5-10 minutes. Let cool for 2-3 minutes and spoon over cakelets.