Stuffed Carrot Cake with Orange Glaze

CREAM CHEESE STUFFED CARROT CAKE WITH ORANGE GLAZE

 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups peeled and grated carrots*
• 
  Dry Ingredients
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup pecans, finely chopped (I use my food processor)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 
  Wet ingredients
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt (full fat)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons orange extract
• 
  Cream Cheese Filling
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 
  Orange Cream Cheese Glaze
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 
  Optional Decorative Garnishes
• roasted pecans, roughly chopped
• orange zest

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Butter and flour a 10” bundt cake pan (or use nonstick-spray with flour in it). Set aside.**
2. To make the Cream Cheese Filling, beat the cream cheese and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in remaining Filling Ingredients until smooth. Set Aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix all of the Dry Ingredients together. In a separate bowl, gently whisk eggs then stir in remaining Wet Ingredients just until combined. Don't overmix.
4. Stir Wet Ingredients into Dry Ingredients just until moistened, then stir in carrots until evenly combined (I use my clean hands to stir in the carrots).
5. Spoon 3 cups batter into prepared bundt cake pan. Spoon Cream Cheese Filling over batter and gently smooth, but do not touch the sides of the pan. Top with remaining batter.
6. Bake at 350F degrees for 45 minutes, cover with foil then reduce heat to 325 and bake an additional 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
7. To make the Orange Cream Cheese Glaze, using an electric mixer, cream together all of the Glaze ingredients EXCEPT the powdered sugar on medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until completely smooth. Add sifted powdered sugar and beat until very smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before using.
8. When cake has cooled, drizzle Glaze over cake or individual servings, whisking in additional orange juice/milk if Glaze has become too thick upon standing.
9. Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

NOTES

*To easily shred carrots, use the grater on your food processor. If you don't have the grater blade, you can also finely chop in your food processor.
**When "flouring" my pan, I use cocoa powder instead of flour because the cake is brown.

State Fair Funnel Cakes

Yum

State Fair Funnel Cakes

Ingredients:
3 large EGGS
1/4 cup Sugar
2 cups milk
3 2/3 cups Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoon Baking Powder
Vegetable oil

Instructions:
Beat eggs and sugar together and then add the milk slowly--beat. Add the dry ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy.

Pour batter into a funnel and at the same time, use your finger to plug the hole. In a large cast iron pot, add 2 inches of oil to the bottom.

When the oil becomes hot, move your hand over the pot and slowly release your finger so the batter can start cooking.

Move the funnel around to make designs.

Brown on both sides--then immediately remove and drain extremely well.

Top with cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar.

Cauliflower Gratin

Ingredients

•        4 tablespoons unsalted butter
•        3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•        2 cups hot milk
•        3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
•        1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
•        Pinch cayenne pepper
•        1 large head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
•        3 tablespoons bread crumbs
•        Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
2. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add a pinch or two of salt, followed by the cauliflower florets. Let them cook for five to six minutes – you want them to be tender but still firm. Drain the cauliflower and set aside.
3. While the cauliflower is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon for about two minutes. Then, add the hot milk and stir everything until it starts to boil.
4. Whisk the milk for about a minute, until it thickens, and then take it off the heat. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, cayenne, Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 cup of Gruyere. Stir everything together until blended well.
5. Spray an 8x11 baking dish lightly with cooking spray, then add about 1/3 of the sauce mixture to the dish. Then, add all of the drained cauliflower, followed by the rest of the sauce.
6. Mix the remaining Gruyere cheese with the bread crumbs and sprinkle the mixture on top of the dish. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the top as well.
7. Sprinkle salt and pepper over top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned.
8. Enjoy!

Ultimate Mac ‘n’ Cheese Casserole

Ooey-gooey, cheesy and bacon-y pasta: It’s all here, and it will surely tempt you. Why? Because the orecchiette pasta is covered with the silkiest sauce of Gruyère and sharp white cheddar. Because crispy bacon pieces are sprinkled throughout the dish AND on the top. Need I say more? The orecchiette pasta is the perfect shape for this dish because the cheese and bacon nestle into the pasta’s earlike grooves to give you the ultimate mac ‘n’ cheese experience. And perhaps best of all, in keeping with the Party of Two theme, this recipe feeds two people, which means that you won’t end up with a heaping amount of leftovers, as is often the case with classic casseroles.



Ingredients:

2 cups orecchiette pasta
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 slices of crispy bacon, finely chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease a 2-quart ovensafe casserole dish. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente, following the directions on the pasta package. You’ll want it to still have a bite to it because it will finish cooking in the oven.

In the meantime, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes while whisking vigorously so it doesn’t burn. Continue to whisk as you add the milk, then let the mixture gently come to a simmer and thicken, about 5 minutes.

Add the Gruyère and white cheddar cheeses to the skillet and stir together with a spatula until all the cheese has melted. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Remove the skillet from the heat.

At this point, the pasta should be done cooking. Drain well and add to the cheese sauce. Gently toss the pasta with the cheese sauce until everything is covered. Sprinkle half the bacon mixture into the skillet and toss to incorporate.

Pour pasta mixture into prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining bacon pieces, and then place, uncovered, in oven to bake for 30 minutes, or until mixture is bubbly and pasta is cooked through.

After 30 minutes, remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Scarpaccia

Scarpaccia

Ingredients
3 Tbsp 100% Organic Extra Virgin Olive oil
6 Zucchini
16 oz  flour
4 eggs
4 oz- Butter
4  oz- Parmigiano
basil
thyme
parsley
salt

Preparation
Wash zucchini, cut into rounds.
Mix the flour with the eggs and add the butter, Parmigiano, chopped herbs, salt and a bit 'of water, add the zucchini and mix well.
Grease a baking dish, pour the mixture and bake in a preheated oven at  350 ° F for 30 min.
Remove from oven and serve.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

You'll never want store-bought enchilada sauce after making this super easy, no-fuss homemade version!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk in flour until well combined, about 1 minute.
• Stir in tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar and 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

CINNAMON ROLL SUGAR COOKIES RECIPE

CINNAMON ROLL SUGAR COOKIES RECIPE

 

These cookies taste JUST like a cinnamon roll! The cookies are soft and chewy and the frosting is FABULOUS!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1½ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Cinnamon Roll Frosting

• 16 ounces cream cheese
• 4 cups powdered
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In large bowl cream sugar and butter. Add egg and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add to sugar mixture and beat until just combined. Dough may be a little crumbly, press together and refridgerate for 30 minutes.
2. Roll dough ¼ to ½ inch thickness and cut with circle cookie cutter.
3. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 7 to 8 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Cinnamon Roll Frosting

1. In a medium bowl beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla until creamy. Pipe frosting onto cookie using a pastry bag or a large baggy with the corner snipped off.
2. Garnish with cinnamon sugar mixture.