Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

make the filling

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and flour two 6-cup large muffin tins. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, stir the softened cream cheese until it is smooth. Add the sugar and cinnamon and mix until combined well. Then add the egg and mix until combined well.

make the streusel

In a small bowl, mix sugar, flour, pecans and cinnamon. Then drizzle on the melted butter. Toss together until it is evenly mixed and set aside.

make the batter

In a large, shallow bowl. Combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, all spice, sea salt, baking powder and baking soda. In a separate large bowl, using an electric mixer beat the eggs, pumpkin, olive oil and vanilla together. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the pumpkin mixture into the well. Mix the ingredients together using a fork, just until combined.

build the muffins

Using a tablespoon, place two tablespoons of the batter in each muffin cup. Then place one tablespoon of cream cheese mixture in each muffin cup on top of the batter. Then top with two tablespoons of the batter. Top each muffin cup with the streusel, covering most of the batter. Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted in the muffins and comes out clean. Then cool on wire racks.

Peach Sour Cream Puff

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a 10-inch oven-proof skillet, melt the butter. Add the peaches, 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat for 12-15 minutes until thickened slightly. If your peaches are quite juicy (mine were), depending on their juiciness, pour between 1/2 cup to 1 cup of the liquid into a small bowl and reserve for later. Then, pour 1/2 of the remaining peach mixture into another bowl.

In a mixing bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and pale yellow. Beat in sour cream, lemon zest and vanilla.

In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks, with tips curling over. Gradually add the remaining sugar and beat until it forms stiff peaks, with tips standing up straight. Fold in the egg yolk mixture. Pour over peach mixture in skillet. Pour remaining peach mixture on top.

Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes until puffed up and top is golden brown. Sift powdered sugar on top. If you have reserved the extra liquid, now drizzle that over the top. Serve immediately.

Spiced Bundt Cake with Orange Butter

make the bundt cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour the bundt pan. In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and fill the well with the remaining ingredients. Using a whisk, mix thoroughly. Pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Use a toothpick to check if the cake is done. Try and remove the cake from the oven right before the toothpick comes out clean. The top of the cake should be golden brown. Let the cake cool slightly. Then turn the cake out onto a serving plate and dust with powdered sugar.

make the orange butter

Using a mixer, beat the butter and orange zest until smooth. Then add the orange juice concentrate and beat until combined. Add the powdered sugar in increments and beat until smooth. Add more or less powdered sugar to taste. Serve in a bowl to spread on warm bundt cake.

Chocolate Mint Pixies

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small saucepan over low heat, or in a double boiler, melt together chocolate and 3 tablespoons butter. Set aside and cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, mix together flours, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Mix in peppermint flavoring and cooled chocolate mixture. On low speed, add half of flour mixture. Slowly pour in milk. Finish with remaining flour mixture. Place in refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. If you don’t have time for the chilling step, the cookies will spread and be flatter.

Pour powdered sugar into a small bowl. Remove batter from refrigerator. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, portion and roll dough into 1-1/2 inch diameter balls. Roll dough balls in powdered sugar to coat. Place on cookie sheets and bake for 12-14 minutes. Cookies should still look a little moist in the center so that they retain their softness. Place cookies on a rack to cool.

PUMPKIN BARS WITH MAPLE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

make the pumpkin bars

Lightly grease a 10-inch x 15-inch jelly roll pan. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together sugar, oil, applesauce, eggs and pumpkin puree. In a separate bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Pour batter in jelly roll pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place pan on a cooling rack and cool bars completely.

make the maple cream cheese frosting

In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together the cream cheese and butter. Slowly add in the powdered sugar. Mix in maple syrup. Refrigerate frosting for at least 30 minutes. This step is important. From experience, if you don’t refrigerate the frosting, it’ll slide right off the bars. After frosting is chilled, ice the bars. Sprinkle pecans on top of the frosted bars.

Caramel Apple Nut Rolls

*may replace with olive oil

make the rolls

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a saucepan over medium to high heat. Heat until just before boiling. Remove from heat. Transfer to a new bowl to bring the temperature down quicker and let cool for 1 hour until the mixture is just warm. Add the active dry yeast and let it sit for a few minutes. In increments, mix in 8 cups of flour. Cover and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Mix 1 cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to risen dough. If desired, cover dough and refrigerate until you are ready to make the rolls. The dough will last for up to one week.

Butter two 9-inch pans. You can also use 5-inch wide, 2-inch deep, heat safe ramekins for single servings. Or you can use a combination of pans and ramekins. Cover the bottom of the pan with pecans. Then top the pecans with the apple pieces. Combine 1/4 cup of melted butter with two teaspoons of cinnamon. Brush the mixture evenly on the apples in each pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Divide the dough in two and form rectangles. On a large, floured surface, begin to roll out half the dough in a long rectangle. Dough should be rolled out about 1/4 inch thick. Then, leaving about 1/2 inch on the edge, spread half of the apple butter on the dough. Using a brush, add half the butter. Then sprinkle the dough with half the brown sugar and one tablespoon of cinnamon.

Then begin to roll the dough in a long cylinder shape. Roll tightly, tucking the dough as you go. Once the dough is rolled, cut it in rolls about 1-inch thick. If using ramekins, cut the rolls slightly thicker to account for the deeper dish. Place the rolls in the pans on top of the apples, leaving room for the rolls to expand. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 30 minutes. Bake the rolls for 19-22 minutes until they are golden. Remove them from the oven and within 5 minutes, turn the rolls over onto a plate so the pecans and apples are on top.

make the caramel icing

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the cream and brown sugar and bring to a boil for one minute. Remove from heat and whisk in half of the powdered sugar. Let it cool slightly, then add the remaining powdered sugar. Whisk vigorously until the powdered sugar is well combined. If you prefer it a little thinner, mix in 1 tablespoon of cream. Then drizzle the icing over the rolls.

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.

Blackberry & Marshmallow Semifreddo

make the marshmallow

Put the gelatin in a small bowl. Add 4 tablespoons of cold water. Let the gelatin sit until it becomes spongy.

In a small saucepan stir together the sugar, 1/4 cup of corn syrup and 1⁄4 cup of water. Don’t begin heating, just set aside. In a medium bowl add the rest of the corn syrup. Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, begin to whisk the syrup on low speed.

Heat the gelatin in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. Stir the gelatin to ensure it is completely melted. Then slowly add the gelatin to the corn syrup mixture. Keep mixer on low speed.

Begin to heat the sugar mixture on the stovetop on medium to high heat. Stir continuously. Use a candy thermometer to watch the temperature. When the thermometer reaches 235 degrees F, remove the saucepan from the heat.

The corn syrup mixture will be thick by this time. Turn the mixer up to medium for one minute, and then slowly add the sugar mixture. Begin mixing on medium-high for 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and salt. Mix on high for one minute. The mixture will be very fluffy. Set the marshmallow aside.

make the semifreddo and sauce

Prepare a 5×9 loaf pan with parchment paper. Cut two pieces of parchment paper, each wide enough to cover the bottom of the pan and extended over the sides vertically and horizontally. Ultimately you will use the parchment paper to lift the semifreddo from the loaf pan. Alternatively, you could serve the semifreddo in individual dishes. In that case, no additional preparation of those dishes in necessary.

Puree the blackberries in a food processor, blender or, my favorite, the Magic Bullet. Pour the puree into a mesh sieve and using the back of a spoon or ladle push it through the sieve, separating the juice from the seeds. Divide the juice evenly in two bowls.

In one bowl, make the sauce by adding 2 tablespoons of sugar. Juice the lemon and stir in 1 teaspoon of juice. Cover and chill.

In the second bowl of blackberry puree, add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.

In a small saucepan, add about an inch of water and heat to simmer.

Using an electric mixer beat the eggs, salt and 1/3 cup of sugar on medium to high speed for 5 to 8 minutes. The mixture will turn a pale yellow and will double in size.

Place the bowl over the simmering saucepan and insert a candy thermometer into the mixture. Beat with a handheld mixer or whisk vigorously until the thermometer reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from heat and chill mixture until it is cool. Softly, add in the blackberry puree. Mix until blended.

Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment beat the cream until it holds stiff peaks. Be careful not to over beat. Softly, fold the cream into the blackberry mixture. Once well combined, carefully add three to four spoonfuls of marshmallow to the mixture. You can add more or less marshmallow according to your preference. Stir just until the marshmallow is distributed fairly evenly.

Pour the semifreddo into the prepared loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer. It will be ready to serve in two hours. Serve within two days.

When semifreddo is frozen (it will still be a bit soft) and you are ready to serve, run a butter knife between the loaf pan and the parchment paper to loosen the semifreddo. Using the edges of the parchment paper, lift the semifreddo from the pan and transfer to a plate to remove the parchment. Serve with the blackberry sauce on a platter cut in slices or on individual plates.

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.