German Chocolate Cake

make the cake layers

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Butter pans and dust with cocoa powder (instead of flour which leaves white splotches on the chocolate layers), shaking off the excess.

In a double boiler, melt dark chocolate. Remove from heat and cool. Quicken this step by cooling chocolate in the refrigerator.

In a medium bowl, sift the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together coffee and buttermilk.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy, about three minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping sides of bowl down after each addition. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the coffee/buttermilk mixture. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Remove the bowl from the mixer and using a spatula, fold in the melted chocolate.

Divide the batter evenly between the three pans. Batter should fill pans about half to two-thirds of the way full. Smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer cakes to a wire cooling rack for 20-30 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack and remove pans and parchment to let cool completely.

make the filling

In a large saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, evaporated milk and vanilla until well blended. Add sugars and butter and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 12 minutes, until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat. Mix in coconut and pecans. Cool to room temperature.

assemble the cake

Trim tops of cakes to level out surface, if necessary. Place first cake layer on platter or cake stand. Spread one third of filling on top. Add second layer and spread another third of filling on top. Follow with final layer and top with remaining filling.

Rhubarb Oat Muffins

make the muffins

Line two muffin pans with muffin liners, and set aside. Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, mix together by hand brown sugar, oil, egg, vanilla and buttermilk. In a large bowl, whisk together oats, flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, gently incorporating just enough until ingredients are combined together. Be careful not to over-mix. Then, add in rhubarb and the pecans.

make the streusel topping

In a small bowl, stir together melted butter, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger. The topping should be slightly wet and form a coarse, slightly sticky meal. Adjust butter amount if needed.

finish the muffins

Pour the batter in lined muffin pans, filling each cup about 3/4ths full. Sprinkle the topping over each filled muffin pan. Place muffins in oven and immediately drop oven temperature to 400 degrees F (dropping the temperature like this will help with their rise since oat flour tends not to rise as well) . Bake at 400 degrees F for 11-13 min., or until a toothpick comes out clean. Once muffins have cooled slightly, remove them from the muffin tin and place them on a cooling rack.

Strawberry Chocolate Galette

make the pastry

Whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Place ingredients in the refrigerator to chill. Once chilled, remove ingredients from refrigerator and add butter. Quickly cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until butter chunks are about the size of peas. Slowly mix in the ice water, being careful not to overwork the dough. Form the dough into a ball, adding a little more water if the dough is too crumbly. Once a ball is formed, flatten it to a disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. If desired, chill your rolling pin at this time as well.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough and place on a floured surface. Roll into approx. an 11-inch circle and transfer to the baking sheet.

make the ganache

Roughly chop chocolate and place in a bowl. In a saucepan, bring cream to a boil over medium heat. Remove cream from heat and pour over chocolate. Let stand for about 5 minutes and then stir with a whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature. Spread ganache on pastry, about 1 inch from the edge.

make the filling

In a medium bowl, combine strawberries, lemon juice, sugar and cornstarch. Using a slotted spoon, pile strawberries into the center of the pastry. I avoid using the leftover juices because they can tend to run and make the crust soggy. Spread strawberries about a 1/2 to 1 inch from the edge of the chocolate ganache. Fold about 1 inch of edges of pastry around the filling, overlapping as needed.

finish the pastry

In a small bowl, whisk together egg and water. Using a pastry brush, apply egg wash to the surface of the pastry. Then, sprinkle raw sugar on the pastry crust.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden yellow. I love to serve the galette warm with vanilla bean ice cream.

Mascarpone Swirled Brownies

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch baking pan. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a saucepan over low heat, melt semisweet and unsweetened chocolate with butter. Once melted, remove from heat, and whisk in 1 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of vanilla. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Whisk the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture until batter is smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk the mascarpone cheese with the egg yolk and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Pour half of the brownie batter into the baking pan. Spread half of the mascarpone mixture on top. Then add the other half of the brownie batter. Spread the remaining mascarpone mixture on top. With a knife, swirl the batter together a few times to acheive a marbled effect.

Bake brownies for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Brownies can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Kumquat Tea Bread

make the kumquat tea bread

Place quartered kumquats in processor; puree 3 minutes. Reserve 1/3 cup puree for glaze.

Preheat to 350 degrees. Spray two loaf pans with nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, tea powder, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Using an electric mixer, blend 1 1/4 cups sugar and oil. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. Then, mix in vanilla, 2/3 cup kumquat puree and pineapple with juice. Gradually add dry ingredients, beating just until blended. Do not over mix. Fold in walnuts. Divide batter between loaf pans.

Bake bread until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes-1 hour. Cool 5 minutes, then turn bread out on rack, top side up. Cool completely.

make the kumquat glaze

Place reserved 1/3 cup puree in large bowl. Whisk in butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt. If glaze is too thick, thin by whisking in a little water. Drizzle glaze over bread loaves. Top with kumquat slices. Let stand until icing sets. Store at room temperature.

Apple Fritters with Sour Cream & Honey Dip

make the apple fritters

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, butter and vanilla. Whisk in one third of flour mixture. Then whisk in one third of beer. Repeat mixing in by thirds until combined. Set aside batter and let rest for 30 minutes.

While waiting on batter, peel, core and slice apple in 10 rings. Mix together 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Spread apple rings out and sprinkle sugar mixture over top of the rings. Let rings sit and soften for 20 minutes.

While waiting on batter, use a wide bowl to mix together remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, remaining 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of kosher salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer, whisk egg whites in a cold, clean bowl until soft peaks form. When batter is rested, gently fold egg whites into the batter until fully incorporated.

Fill a skillet or pot with 1-1/2 to 2 inches oil. Heat the oil to 375 degrees. Or, insert the end of a wooden spoon into the oil to test it. If bubbles immediately form around the spoon, the oil is ready. In batches, dip the apple rings into batter. It helps to loop the apples around your finger when dipping, for more coverage.

In batches, drop rings into oil. Turn each ring once, using tongs. Fry a few minutes on each side, until rings are golden. Remove and place on paper towels to drain. Immediately place in cinnamon-sugar mixture and toss to coat.

make the sour cream & honey dip

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, honey and cinnamon.

Serve fritters fresh and warm with the dipping sauce. If you have leftovers as we did (since I doubled the recipe), reheat in a toaster oven. Then toss in some of the leftover cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Cherry Almond Pudding Cake

*if buying for this recipe, you will need 4 total cups of frozen cherries (3 cups for cake and 1 cup for sauce)

make the pudding cake

Unthaw 4 cups of cherries and drain them into a bowl, reserving their juice for later. Save 1 cup of cherries for later as well. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixer, cream butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, until well mixed. Add almond extract. Add half the amount of milk. Then add half of the flour mixture. Repeat until all are mixed together. Fold in cherries and toasted almonds.

Pour batter in pan. Sprinkle brown sugar over top of batter. Then, pour boiling water over top of batter. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Due to the boiling water, the cake will have a pudding-like consistency which makes it a little more difficult to discern when the cake is finished. As long as a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, it should be fully baked.

make the cherry sauce

In a small sauce pan, mix together the reserved cherry juice, 1 cup cherries, lemon juice, sugar, water and cornstarch. Bring to a boil and stir until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and add almond extract, if desired. If cherry sauce is too thick, place back on stovetop and add a little water to thin out.

make the whipped cream

Pour cold whipped cream into a cold mixing bowl. If you have a stand mixer, use the wire whip attachment. Start beating slowly and speed up until you see soft peaks. Add sugar and continue beating until cream forms stiff peaks.

Serve the pudding cake warm and pour warm cherry sauce over cake. Top with fresh whipped cream and serve.

Cherry and Pistachio Biscotti with White Chocolate

make the biscotti

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Place cherries in a small bowl and add hot water until covered. Let stand until plump, about 10-15 minutes. Drain, and set aside. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the 3 eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed until combined. If desired, coarsely chop cherries. This step simply makes it easier to cut and eat the biscotti. Mix in cherries and pistachios.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape each piece into a 16-by-2-inch log, and transfer to prepared baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. With the palm of your hand, flatten logs slightly. You can also use a spatula to smooth tops out slightly. Brush beaten egg over surface of the dough logs, and sprinkle with sugar. If you use a coarser sugar, the granules will be more distinct.

Bake about 25 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through, until logs are slightly firm to touch. Transfer logs on parchment paper to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Place logs on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut logs crosswise on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices or 3/4-inch-thick slices (I went with 3/4-inch for a thicker slice). Place a wire rack in a large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange slices, cut sides down, on rack. Bake until firm to touch and pale golden brown, about 15-20 minutes on each side. Remove pan from oven and let biscotti cool completely on rack.

make the white chocolate

In a double boiler, melt white chocolate. If white chocolate is too thick for dipping, add shortening or butter until chocolate becomes a dipping consistency. Dip bottom cut side of biscotti in white chocolate and place chocolate side up on the cooling rack until chocolate hardens.

Store in an airtight container. Or, wrap in cellophane and tie with a ribbon for homemade holiday gifts.

Grasshopper Bars

chocolate topping

make the brownie layer

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour (use cocoa powder for a cleaner look) an 11×17-inch baking pan with a rim. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar until thick. Add cocoa, flour and peppermint extract until just combined. Then stir in butter. Pour mixture into pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Watch these carefully, as you do not want to overbake. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting. Or, speed up the process by quickly cooling them in the fridge or freezer.

make the peppermint frosting

In a stand mixer, cream powdered sugar with butter and cream cheese, if using. Add in peppermint and food coloring. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until a spreading consistency is reached. With a spatula, spread frosting over brownie/cake portion of bars. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour. Hardening the frosting makes spreading the chocolate topping easier.

make the chocolate topping

Melt butter and chocolate over a double boiler or in a microwave. I prefer the results from the stovetop method. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can make one by simply placing a metal bowl over a saucepan filled with a little water. As the chocolate melts, whisk the mixture to remove any lumps. Using a pastry or silicone brush, spread topping over frosting. Refrigerate to harden. Cut into 1×2-inch bars.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Dog Treats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together peanut butter, honey, oil and chicken broth. In a separate bowl, combine flours and oatmeal. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Place dough on flour dusted surface. Roll or press dough out to about 3/8” inch thick (mine varied somewhere between 1/4” and 1/2”). Use a small bone cookie cutter to cut out cookies. My cookie cutter was 2”x3/4”, but for larger dogs you may want a larger cookie cutter. Roll out leftover scraps and cut out as many as possible. Put cut out cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 14-16 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.

For gifts, once bones are cooled, place them in cellophane bags and tie with ribbon. Note, these will be more the consistency and softness of a cookie, not a biscuit.