Pumpkin-Gingerbread Cake with Streusel Topping

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Hints of fall are just starting to appear here. While the leaves have yet to drop, they are beginning to fade as the once emerald landscape moves towards shades of khaki and olive green. This morning, the mist which normally hovers over the ridgeline refused to lift and we spent most of the day under a cloud cover that never did burn off. Squash and wild mushrooms have edged out berries and tomatoes in our markets and while corn is still available, the fields still standing will soon be cut and sculpted for  mazes that are a sure sign that  Halloween is just around the bend.  I love the kitchen at this time of year. There is something wonderfully comforting about the aromas that come from the fall kitchen and the smell of cinnamon dusted apples could put  Proust's madeleines to shame. The early apples are not great for baking, so the first of the desserts to come from my kitchen at this time of year  are usually made with pumpkin. This simple cake is one of my favorites. It is mildly spiced and made wonderfully moist by the pumpkin that is added to the cake batter. When I make this for my family, I like to serve it warm with a drizzle of butterscotch or caramel syrup. I have found, however, that this is also a wonderful cake to tote to meetings and church suppers where a sprinkling of powdered sugar is all that is needed to make it a standout. I know those of you who try this cake will be delighted. Here is how it is made.

Pumpkin-Gingerbread Cake with Streusel Topping...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Land O' Lakes Recipes

Ingredients:
Streusel
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
2 tablespoons cold butter Butter
Cake
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup full flavor (dark) molasses
2 eggs
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Topping
1 cup caramel ice cream topping, heated

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
2) Combine all streusel ingredients except butter in small bowl; cut in 2 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
3) Combine sugar and 1/2 cup butter in large bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add all remaining cake ingredients. Beat until well mixed.
4) Pour cake batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle evenly with streusel. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
5) Serve cake warm or cool with ice cream topping. Yield: 16 servings.

If you have enjoyed your visit here, I hope you'll take a minute to...

      

One Year Ago Today: Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Brown Butter

Two Years Ago Today: Uppakra - Swedish Potato Cookies

Three Years Ago Today: Green Tomato Mincemeat

Four Years Ago Today: Balsamic Onion Marmalade

Dutch Spice Cookies

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From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Should you have any doubts, I am here to tell you that Murphy is alive and well and has recently been parked outside my kitchen door. I'll be swapping coasts come Wednesday and have been working on recipes to feature while I'm gone. Things were going swimmingly, until I heard a knock on my door and inadvertently let the devil  in. Shortly thereafter, I went to take  a tray of cookies from the oven and heard a wrenching screech as the door was opened.  It wasn't until I tried to close it that I realized the door springs had broken. Suffice it to say,  our repair man did not consider my plight an emergency, so the Silver Fox had to create a prop that would allow me to continue cooking. It is not a perfect solution, but God love him, it works and I was able to get  my work done. These cookies were among the treats that were baked with the propped oven door. The recipe for the cookies came from the Taste of Home Baking cookbook and while the cookies are delicious, the dough used to make them is very soft and difficult to work with, even when it is cold. The surface on which you roll the dough must be well-floured or you will not be able to transfer the cookies to trays for baking. If you like spicy, European-style, cookies you will love these. They are a bother to make, but they are delicious and keep really well. Here's how they are made.

Dutch Spice Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Taste of Home Baking

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon crushed aniseed
1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger, nutmeg and cloves
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons 2% milk
1 cup finely chopped slivered almonds

Directions:
1) In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Combine flour, spices, baking powder and salt and gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Stir in milk and almonds.
2) Roll dough into a 16 x 10-inch rectangle between two sheets of waxed paper. Cut into 2-inch squares. Cover with waxed paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3) Place squares 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 375 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 40 cookies.






One Year Ago Today: Vintner's Grape Cake














Two Years Ago Today: Spring Vegetable Soup














Three Years Ago Today: Greek-Style Yogurt Pie with Fruit Preserves
















Four Years Ago Today: Old-Fashioned Blackberry Pudding

Honey Spice Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I had some help in the kitchen Sunday morning. One of our neighbors was running a local marathon and wanted to keep her children occupied while she completed the 26 miles. The kids enjoy visiting with us and they are great cookie bakers, so the plan for their entertainment included some kitchen time and a batch of chocolate chips. It also ended up including several loaves of their mother's favorite honey bread,  meant as a warm bouquet to soothe her throbbing feet and pounding head.  This moist cake-like bread has much to commend it. It is not as sweet as the traditional cake that is eaten on the Jewish New Year and it is much easier to prepare. So easy in fact, that my eight and ten year old visitors were able to make it by themselves, and that will make it sweeter still to those for whom it was made. Honey cakes are not universally popular. They have a distinctive taste and texture that can be off-putting to many, but this one overcomes those problems and, if allowed to age a day before serving, is downright tasty. The use of honey in breads and cakes began centuries ago in Egypt, where flour and honey were mixed together and allowed to ferment for a month or so before baking. Over time additional ingredients were added and something resembling a recipe was developed. Cakes made using these early formulas were very sweet and the honey kept them fresh for a remarkable length of time. The first real honey cakes were made in Germany, but the honey bread of France, the classic pain d'epices, became the gold standard by which all others would be judged. This is not pain d'epices, but the recipe does make a nice honey cake that is fuss-free to prepare. If you let the finished loaves sit overnight, you'll find the cloying taste of honey dissipates and the flavor of the spices comes more into play. This is a nice cake that is easy to make and portable. It travels well, so it is a natural candidate for tea or a morning coffee. Here's how it is made.

Honey Spice Bread...from the kitchens of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup 2% milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup canola oil
Glaze
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons 2% milk

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously spray an 8 x 4 x 2-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
2) In a small saucepan over low heat, cook and stir brown sugar and milk for 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.
3) In another bowl, combine eggs, honey, oil and brown sugar mixture. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Pour into prepared pan.
4) Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
5) Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Combine confectioners' sugar and milk and mix until smooth. Drizzle over bread. Yield: 1 loaf (12 slices).

One Year Ago Today: Chinese Chicken with Cashews

Two Years Ago Today: Smooshed Potatoes

Three Years Ago Today: Fry Bread

Four Years Ago Today: Thai Cucumber Relish - Ah Jaht

Honey and Poppy Seed Hearts

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Christmas is over, but just as the last of the decorations have been put away, Valentine's Day comes barreling around the corner. This was a major holiday when my children were young, but these days it is a far more subdued affair. I do a little baking and send off some cards, but that is about it. That makes the baking I do even more important to me and I like to try new recipes. I've wanted to make these cookies for a while now and since I was housebound for the day, this seemed like the perfect time to give them a try. The cookies were once part of a holiday collection put together by Midwest Living magazine. I suspect they were lost among the more sparkling holiday cookies featured in the collection, because I've never seen them on any of the other blogs. They were designed to form a garland when strung together and draped on a tree or mantle. Having just removed yards of garlands, I had no intention of using them for decoration, but a quick read of the recipe convinced me I was dealing with a cookie that would be perfect to serve with coffee or tea. The cookies proved themselves to be mildly spiced and crisply perfect for tea, but I encountered some small problems as I made them. When the dough is rolled to the specified thickness, the recipe will never yield the 36 cookies it promises. If the dough is rolled thinner than that, the cookies will be crisp and brown rather than the creamy beige promised by the site photos. These are minor problems and I think you'll enjoy the cookies. If you are looking for a new cookie, you might want to give the hearts a try. Here's how they are made.

Honey and Poppy Seed Hearts...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens and Midwest Living magazines

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon or orange peel
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons poppy seed

Directions:
1) Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Set aside.
2) In a large mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed about 30 seconds. Add sugar, honey, lemon or orange peel, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour.
3) Divide dough in half. Cover and chill about 2 hours or until dough is easy to handle.
4) On a lightly floured surface, roll half of dough at a time to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2-1/2- to 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out dough. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. To later be able to string cookies together with a ribbon, use a straw to make a hole in center of each cookie.
5) In a small bowl beat egg white with water. Brush tops of cookies with egg white mixture and sprinkle with poppy seed.
6) Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are golden. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool. Makes about 36 (2-1/2-inch) cookies.

One Year Ago Today: Coconut Pudding: Trembleque

Two Years Ago Today: Crock-Pot: Southwestern Sausage and Hominy Stew

Three Years Ago Today: Kou Xiao Gao - Laughing Mouths Open

Double Ginger Snaps

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It somehow all gets done, and while I had my doubts this year, the house sparkles and the decorations, save for a small glitch with the color of poinsettias that were delivered, are everything what I wanted them to be. Christmas has come to this Oregon hillside. We've even had a bit of snow and for the last two mornings, the ridge line that fronts our home has been a pristine white. Oregon snow, at least at our elevation is a rare and short lived event, so it is especially nice to have it fall at Christmas time. The baking for our Sunday brunch is done and the breads and cookies I'll be serving are in the freezer waiting for the big thaw. The savories will involve a last minute push, but I'm up to that now that I can see all else is done. I'm actually looking forward to my own party. As I surveyed my kingdom tonight, I realized only one thing kept the moment from being perfect. The house needed cinnamon and ginger to balance the fragrance of the fir that was permeating the rooms on its first floor. The double ginger snaps I'm featuring tonight come from a recipe developed for Williams-Sonoma. They are next to no work to make, so I decided to bake a batch. While I combined wet and dry ingredients, the Silver Fox chopped ginger and our combined effort put cookies in the oven in less than 20 minutes. We were like kids waiting for them to cool. Simplicity has become important to me as I grow older and I love easy recipes that produce delicious result. This is one of those recipes. It makes a chewy, fragrant holiday cookie that I think you'll enjoy. My only caution regards the amount of time it takes to bake them. Time in the original recipe was grossly understated and my cookies needed almost 20 minutes to bake. These are wonderful with milk or a freshly brewed cup of coffee. I do hope you'll try the recipe. The cookies are easy to make and they are a wonderful old-world addition to your holiday cookie tray. Here's how they are made.

Double Ginger Snaps ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup canola oil
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup dark molasses
1 whole egg, lightly beaten, plus 1 egg white
3/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 cup coarse sugar crystals

Directions:
1) Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper.
2) Sift flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3) In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to stir oil, brown sugar and molasses until they are well blended. Add whole egg and beat to combine. Stir in flour mixture
In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, stir together the oil, brown sugar and molasses until well blended. Add the whole egg and stir until blended. Fold in flour mixture, then stir in crystallized ginger.
4) Beat egg white in a small bowl. Spread sugar crystals in a shallow bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls with dampened hands. Brush each ball lightly with egg white and roll in sugar to coat lightly.
5) Place cookies 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until tops of cookies are set and crackled, about 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cool for 5 minutes, then remove cookies from pans and place on wire rack until completely cool. The cookies will firm as they cool. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

One Year Ago Today: Figgy Pudding

Two Years Ago Today:  Fresh Fettuccini with Corn Pesto

Three Years Ago Today: Linzer Cookies

Spiced Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...When the scent of apples and spice start wafting through my kitchen, I'm reminded of just how alluring I find this time of year to be. The other seasons have their charms, to be sure, but for those of us who love to cook, the promise of fall bounty lures us to the fields and orchards and ultimately back into kitchens that have been on hiatus for the summer. My favorite apples are now ripe and ready for the picking, so we spent some time today picking apples and plotting what to do with them once we had them home. I have a real weakness for apple desserts and this applesauce cake came to mind. It is pleasing to both the eye and the palate and it is not difficult to make. I'll go on record as saying this is my all-time favorite applesauce cake, at least for tonight. The cake was developed Andrea Albin for Gourmet magazine and it is a fantastic fall creation. The cake is moist, spicy and topped with a layer of a cream cheese icing so good that it's been known to make grown men weep. This is the kind of cake that, once tried, you'll make over and over again. It really will be love at first bite. The cake is easy to make and, on the odd chance you have leftovers, you'll be happy to know it is a great keeper. Do make sure the spices you are using are still at the peak of flavor. While spices can't go bad, they can lose their oomph and fall is a great time to replace them. I really hope you'll give this recipe a try. Here's how this cake and its icing are made.

Spiced Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Andrea Albin and Gourmet

Ingredients:
Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1-1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup walnuts (optional), toasted (see Tips), cooled, and chopped
Frosting
5-oz. cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
1) Move rack to center of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 or 9-inch square cake pan.
2) To make cake: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in applesauce. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined, then stir in walnuts (if using). Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto a plate. Reinvert cake onto a rack to cool completely.
3) To make frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Sift confectioners sugar and cinnamon over cream cheese mixture, then beat at medium speed until incorporated.
4) Spread frosting over top of cooled cake. Yield: 6 to 9 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Chicken Thighs with Garlic and Lime

Two Years Ago Today: Clam Chowder

Three Years Ago Today: Kobe Kiwi Wings with Japanese Relish

Craig Claiborne's Cardamom Crisp Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This lovely adult cookie is Maida Heatter's riff on Craig Claiborne's Cardamon Crisps. The recipe for the cookies  first appeared in his book, An Herb and Spice Cookbook, and she included it in her  book, The Brand-New Book of Great Cookies.  The cookies have an unusual taste and a unique texture that comes from the addition of cardamom and cream of tartar. Their texture is a bit like that of a ginger snap, but they taste more like the Dutch spice cookies called  speculaas. Maida  Heatter's recipe calls for grinding  fresh cardamom seeds. If you really enjoy European cookies, I hope you will try her recipe as it is written. The cookies are wonderfully fragrant when made with the freshly ground spice. Unfortunately, my life doesn't always afford me  time to grind the seeds, so I can assure you the recipe works well even if you use a commercial  spice powder.  The cookies should be rolled and cut, but I have found it faster and much easier  to form the dough into small 1-inch balls that can be  flattened directly on cookie sheets that are lined with parchment paper. I use the palm of my hand or a cookie embosser  to flatten the balls to a thickness of  1/4-inch.  Baking time must be increased if you make your cookies any thicker thicker than that. The cookies are great keepers when stored in an  airtight container, but I suspect they'll be gone long before they can stale.  They are wonderful with afternoon coffee or tea,  but I love them with a cold glass of milk. I give myself permission to dunk, though I swear I can hear my mother's voice admonishing me whenever I do so. I was never a good listener. I hope you'll try these cookies. Here is Maida Heatter's recipe.

Craig Claiborne's Cardamom Crisp Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Craig Claiborne and Maida Heatter

Ingredients:
A few teaspoonfuls whole cardamom (to make 3/4 teaspoon ground)
2-1/4 cup sifted unbleached flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 packed cup light brown sugar
1 large egg

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with baking parchment or aluminum foil, shiny side up; set aside.
2) The cardamom pods may be green or bleached. The green will have a little more flavor than the bleached, but they're both good. To prepare them, work on a cutting board. With a sharp knife cut a few teaspoonfuls of the pods in half the long way. Then either shake the seeds (they will be black and/or gray) out of the shells, or, if necessary, use the point of a small knife to nudge them out. Discard the shells. Grind the seeds in an electric grinder; you could use a coffee grinder or a pepper mill (I use a Cuisinart Mini-Mate). Strain through a fine sieve. Measure 3/4 teaspoon; set aside.
3) Sift together the flour and cream of tartar; set aside.
4) In the small or large bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter until soft. Add the ground cardamom, baking soda, and salt; beat to mix. Beat in the sugar, then the egg. Finally, on low speed, add the sifted dry ingredients and beat until incorporated.
5) Flour a pastry cloth and a rolling pin. Work with half the dough at a time. Roll out the dough until it is 1/4 inch thick. Cut with a round cookie cutter (I use a 2-inch round cutter). Place the cookies 1 1/2 inches apart on the lined sheets.
6) Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes, reversing the sheet front to back once after 5 minutes. The cookies will rise and puff up during baking, and then they will begin to settle down a bit just when they are done. When done, they will be a light-golden honey color all over.
With a wide metal spatula transfer to racks to cool; when cool, store in an airtight container. Yield: 3 dozen cookies.

One Year Ago Today: Celery and Apple Soup

Two Years Ago Today: Light Rye Sandwich Buns

Applesauce Spice Cakes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This simple recipe makes one of the best applesauce cakes I've ever tasted. The cake was originally featured on Food52 where it was drizzled with a caramel glaze. I prefer to serve it with a butter cream icing or, better still, warm and naked from the oven with a scoop of good ice cream alongside. Because there are usually just two of us to enjoy a cake like this, I make cup cakes rather than a single large bundt. What's not eaten is frozen and saved for another day. The recipe for the cake as it was featured on Food52 can be found here. My abbreviated version appears below. The only change I've made to the original ingredient list is to substitute nutmeg for the allspice. My palate is especially sensitive to allspice and I replace it with nutmeg or mace whenever I can. I hope you'll give this cake a try. It is quick, easy and delicious. I know that those of you who try this will be very pleased.

Applesauce Spice Cakes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Food52

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1-1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 10 Texas-size muffin cups. Fill remaining two cups with three tablespoons each water.
2) Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, pepper and spices and set aside. In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a standing mixer, beat eggs with both sugars until light. Mix in applesauce, oil and vanilla until smooth.
3) Using a spatula, fold in dry ingredients, being careful not to over-mix. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 25 to to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cakes for 10 minutes before turning out. Cakes can be served warm with ice cream or frosted when completely cool. Yield: 10 servings.








One Year Ago Today: Killer Nachos


















Two Years Ago Today: Lemon Poppyseed Bread

Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Icing

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Once pumpkin recipes begin to appear in magazines, you know the holidays can't be far behind. For the past several years, I've been seeking recipes that present old favorites in different ways. Today's recipe is a perfect example of what I mean. It is not new, but it combines elements of old recipes in such a way that it seems to be new. A standard spice cake is enhanced with pumpkin and then served warm, dripping with a sweet caramel sauce that is a wonderful counterpoint to the moist and spicy cake. It is an easy dessert to make it and it's always well received. It is perfect for the Halloween and Thanksgiving holidays. Here's the recipe for those of you who'd like to try this lovely seasonal cake.

Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Syrup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 cup canola oil
Caramel Sauce
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Dash salt
1-1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.
2) Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl.
3) Combine eggs, pumpkin and oil in another bowl and beat until smooth.
4) Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until well-blended, about 1 minute.
5) Pour into prepared baking pan. Bake fe a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center of comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
6) To make sauce: Combine brown sugar, flour and salt in a small saucepan. Stir in water and butter and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cut cake into squares and serve with warm sauce. Yield: 12-16 servings.









One Year Ago Today: Pickled Pepper Relish


















Two Years Ago Today: Colcannon - An Irish Halloween Tradition







You might also enjoy these recipes:
Pumpkin Cupcakes - The Four Points Foodie
Mum's Pumpkin Bread - A Foodie and Her Family
Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal - The Hungry Housewife
Double Ginger Pumpkin Tart - Inspired2Cook
Peanut Butter-Pumpkin Blondies - My Baking Heart

Masala Chai

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Bob and I don't normally drink tea. It's simply not our beverage of choice. That, however, changed, at least temporarily, while we were in India. Brewed coffee was extremely difficult to find and, rather than have a cup made from instant granules, we switched to tea. Our tour guide introduced us to Masala Chai at a rest stop en route from Delhi to Agra. It wasn't bad. Better still, he shared his family recipe for the tea with us. While it's a bit more work that your standard cuppa, the recipe is really simple and nearly foolproof. Use a teaspoon of tea leaves for each cup of tea you want to brew and don't forget to add another for the pot. Spice and sugar up or down as personal taste dictates. Indian Chai tends to be very sweet, but you can cut back if you like. The tea is good enough that the recipe should not be kept a secret. I hope you'll give it a try. It's a great alternative to English tea.

Masala Chai...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup water
4 teaspoons Darjeeling or other loose black tea
2 to 3 crushed cardamom pods
1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, smashed
2 cups milk
3 to 6 teaspoons sugar

Directions:
1) Place water in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a simmer.
2) Add loose tea leaves to water. Stir in crushed cardamom pods and smashed ginger.
3) Add milk and bring mixture to a rolling boil. Simmer, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes.
4) Add sugar to taste. Simmer for 1 minute longer, or until sugar is fully dissolved.
5) Strain mixture through a strainer into cups or tempered glasses. Yield: 3 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
How Do I Love Tea? Let Me Count the Ways - Home Cooking Rocks
How to Make A Perfect Cup of Tea - Noble Pig
Homemade Mystic Chai Mix Powder - My Favorite Recipes
Chocolate Chai Pie - The Sensitive Pantry
Mugi-Chai: A Japanese Twist on Masala Chai - La Fuji Mama
Chai Shortbread - Don't Forget Delicious
Chai - Simply Recipes
Chai Tea Cupcakes - Sunny-Side Up Recipes

Pumpkin Pecan Bread with Streusel Topping

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While spring is my favorite season, I love the aromas that drift from the fall kitchen. This bread is wonderfully fragrant and it's as tasty as its aroma promises. While it is delicious, I must warn you the bread is very sweet and that may be off-putting to some. The recipe was develop by Rebecca Rather, of Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe, and it can be found in her The Pastry Queen cookbook. The recipe makes two loaves of bread or enough muffins to feed the third world. Properly rapped the breads stays fresh for days and it freezes beautifully. I have several loaves in the freezer waiting for meetings and coming holiday parties. It is very easy to prepare and can be made without special equipment. The bread was new to me this season and I consider it to be a wonderful addition to my fall kitchen. Here's the recipe.

Pumpkin Pecan Bread with Streusel Topping ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Rebecca Rather

Ingredients:
Bread
1-1/2 cups pecan pieces, divided use
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin
1 cup water
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1-1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Topping
1/2 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces (above)

Directions:
1) To make bread: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast them in oven for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Reserve 1/2 cup of toasted pecans for topping.
Grease two 9 by 5-inch pans or 36 standard-size muffin cups with butter or cooking spray.
Whisk oil and sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs, pumpkin, and water and whisk until combined. Stir in flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Gently stir in 1 cup of the pecan pieces. Divide batter evenly between two pans or fill muffin pans almost to top with batter.
2) To make the topping: Stir sugar, butter, cinnamon, and the reserved 1/2 cup of pecan pieces in a medium bowl. Sprinkle topping liberally over the loaves or the muffins before baking.
3) To bake: Bake the loaves for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Bake muffins for 30 to 35 minutes.

You might also enjoys these recipes:
Raw Apple Bread - Living the Gourmet
Apple Caraway Bread - Eclectic Recipes
Okanagan Apple Bread - One Perfect Bite
Pumpkin Apple Bread - One Perfect Bite
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread - Two Peas and Their Pod
Pumpkin Molasses Bread - Tasty Eats at Home
Walnut Topped Pumpkin Bread - LA Easy Meals
Pumpkin Bread with Raisins and Pecans - That's Not What the Recipe Says
Pumpkin Bread with Dried Cranberries - No Fear of Entertaining

Apple Cider Quatre Quarts Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'm told this cake comes from the orchard regions of Quebec. Those who speak French call cakes of this type quatre quart, which literally means 4 fourths. The rest of us call them pound cake because they were originally made with a pound each of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. This is a seasonal version of the cake and it may not be to everyone's liking. It is lightly spiced and flavored with an apple cider reduction. Those who enjoy cider donuts will love this cake, others probably not so much. I must admit the cake grew on me and I liked it better on day three than I did on one. It was moist and fragrant , but it certainly was not as light or tender as I had been told it would be. For what it's worth, were I to make this again, and I probably won't, I'd used a mulled cider reduction for stronger flavor. The cake, with current spicing, offers the promise of cider season but really does not deliver. It was a disappointment. Here's the recipe.

Apple Cider Quatre Quarts Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of about.com

Ingredients:
3 cups apple cider
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 eggs, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1) Bring apple cider to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil cider for 25 to 35 minutes, or until it has reduced to slightly less than 1 cup. Remove cider from heat and add maple syrup. Set aside.; set the mixture aside.
2) Preheat and oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 10-inch bundt cake pan and set it aside.
3) Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until mixture is light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, to mixture, beating for a few seconds after each addition. Stir together remaining dry ingredients (flour, spices, baking powder, and salt) and then add half to creamed butter-egg mixture and beat until most of flour is incorporated.
4) Add cooled apple cider-maple syrup reduction to batter, beat it for 30 seconds, and then beat in remainder of dry ingredients. Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
5) Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Shake it from side to side to loosen cake from pan (you should hear and feel a light thumping), and use a small rubber spatula to loosen any stubborn sides. Place a serving platter over top of cake and invert it, removing pan to allow cake to cool completely. Yield: 12 to 14 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake - Passionate About Baking
Blueberry Pound Cake - Keep Learning, Keep Smiling
Russian Pound Cake - Brown Eyed Baker
Best Sour Cream Pound Cake - Sweet Kat's Kitchen
Lime Buttermilk Pound Cake - Passionate About Baking
Citrus Almond Pound Cake - Cookie Madness

Moravian Spice Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our Christmas celebration begins the day after Thanksgiving with the making of at least one dessert or treat to be served during the Christmas holidays. That first dessert is usually a cake that requires aging, but we've also been known to make cookies that fall into a category we call "keepers". A "keeper" in our parlance is a treat that will not stale before the official holiday begins. Moravian Spice Cookies fall into that category. When I was a child we called these glass cookies, not because of their appearance, but because they were so thin they'd shatter if you dropped them on the floor. They were brought to the United States by members of the Moravian church who settled in colonial American communities established by church elders in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. The highly spiced cookies are flavored with molasses and are arguably the world's thinnest cookie. When properly rolled, a one inch stack will contain 16 cookies. I still haven't mastered that challenge, though I continue to try. Over the years, I've made some changes to the original recipe to accommodate the tastes of family and friends. Not everyone appreciates the bold taste of full-flavored molasses and dark brown sugar, so, while the dark versions are more authentic, I prefer to use light molasses and brown sugar. The cookies are simple to make and they are wonderful keepers. Be forewarned that the dough must be refrigerated before it can be rolled, so you'll have to plan your time accordingly. Here's the recipe.

Moravian Spice Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup molasses, light or dark

Directions:
1) Whisk flour, salt, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl. Set aside.
2) Using an electric mixer, cream butter in a small bowl. Add sugar and molasses and mix until combined.
3) Slowly add flour mixture and beat just until smooth.
4) Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 5 hours. Dough will keep several days if refrigerated.
5) Move a rack to upper third of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Set aside.
6) Divide dough into 4 parts. Work with 1/4 of dough at a time, keeping the rest refrigerated. Roll dough on a well-floured surface until it is paper thin - 1/16th of an inch thick. Work quickly because dough will become sticky and unworkable if out too long. Cut with a 2-3/4-inch round cookie cutter. Transfer cookies to prepared cookie sheet.
7) Bake until cookies darken slightly, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining portions of dough. Scraps can be reserved and rerolled following refrigeration. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container. Yield: 48 cookies.

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound

Buttermilk Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...No picnic would be complete without something sweet to eat and I've been waiting for an excuse try this mildly spiced cake from Cook's Illustrated. I made the cake to their specifications and the recipe that appears here is an unaltered copy of the one that appears on their website. It produced a light cake with a tang from the buttermilk and cream cheese that's used in its preparation. While the cake is perfect for picnics or homely affairs on the deck, it's not easy to make and the end result is a good, not great, cake. I will make it again but will increase the quantity of spices that I use. Here's the recipe.

Buttermilk Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Cake
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (11 1/4 ounces), plus extra for dusting pans
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs at room temperature
3 large egg yolks at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar (12 1/4 ounces)
2 tablespoons light molasses or mild molasses
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 cup buttermilk , at room temperature
Frosting
5 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 5 pieces, softened
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar (4 1/2 ounces)
8 ounces cream cheese , cut into 4 pieces , softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)

Directions:
1) For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13- by 9-inch baking pan. Combine spices in small bowl; reserve 1/2 teaspoon for frosting.
2) Heat 4 tablespoons butter in 8-inch skillet over medium heat until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly, until butter is light brown and has faint nutty aroma, 2 to 4 minutes. Add spices and continue to cook, stirring constantly, 15 seconds. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
3) Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. In small bowl, gently whisk eggs, yolks, and vanilla to combine. In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream remaining 12 tablespoons butter with sugar and molasses at medium-high
speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl twice with rubber spatula. Reduce to medium speed and add cooled butter and spice mixture, ginger, and half of egg mixture; mix until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Repeat with remaining egg mixture; scrape down bowl again. Reduce to low speed; add about one-third flour mixture, followed by half of buttermilk, mixing until just incorporated after each addition, about 5 seconds. Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining buttermilk. Scrape bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at medium speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour.
4) Transfer batter to prepared pan; zigzag tip of metal spatula through batter, pulling it to pan edges. Lightly tap pan against counter 3 or 4 times to dislodge any large air bubbles; smooth surface with spatula.
5) Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 32 to 37 minutes. Cool cake to room temperature in pan on wire rack, about 2 hours.
6) For the frosting: In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar, and reserved 1/2 teaspoon spice mixture at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cream cheese one piece at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add vanilla and beat until no lumps remain, about 30 seconds.
7) Run paring knife around edge of cake to loosen from pan. Using spatula, spread frosting evenly over surface of cake. Sprinkle cake with walnuts, if using. Cut into squares and serve. Yield: 12 to 16 servings.

I'm going on a picnic and I'm bringing Buttermilk Spice Cake. My letter is B.

One Bowl Gluten-Free Spice Cake

Gluten is not a problem for me, but I know folks with Celiac's disease or allergies, whose diets must be free from the protein found in wheat, rye, barley and other such grains. It's a tough diet to follow. I came across this recipe and wanted to share it with you, but didn't want to pass it on until I made and tasted it. Today was the day. I really did not care for the cake. That may be due to my unfamiliarity with baked goods made from brown rice flour. I thought the cake was dry and dense. The number and quantity of spices give it a flavor that resembles a standard spice cake, but the texture is grainy - almost sandy. It might be a real treat for someone whose diet is restricted, but it's probably not for the rest of us. I made one change to the recipe. I substituted cardamom for ground cloves because I thought the cloves would overwhelm the other spices. The cake is simple to do and, if you know or love someone with a gluten problem, you might want to try this. I never realized how restricting a gluten-free diet can be. I'll keep looking for some decent recipes.

Gluten-Free Spice Cake

Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup soy flour
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2) In a large bowl, beat applesauce, honey, eggs, oil and vanilla until well blended. Combine rice flour, soy flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, allspice and cardamom in a large mesh strainer; gradually sift contents into applesauce mixture. Stir until blended. Fold in walnuts, apricots and orange peel.
3) Transfer to prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 32 minutes, or until or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Yield: 9 servings.

Recipe adapted Taste of Home Healthy Cooking 2009 Annual Recipes