Dying for a Donut (Laurel McKay Mysteries Book 5)
Page 24
APPLE TOFFEE CAKE (Lavonne Giordano)
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp rum flavoring
4 medium apples chopped to make 2 cups
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cups nuts chopped ( optional, but pecans are great!)
6 oz. bag of butterscotch chips (optional)
Cream butter, sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and flavoring, beat well then add apples and blend together.
Sift dry ingredients and add to apple mixture, mix until well blended. Batter will be thick.
Spread in a greased 13″ x 9″ x 2″ pan. Sprinkle chips and nuts and Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
Rum Sauce
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon rum flavoring
1/8 tsp. salt
In a 1 quart saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water to blend, and cook at medium heat to thicken. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter, rum flavoring and salt.
Serve warm over warm cake.
IN THE BAG APPLE PIE (Maureen Rumsey)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6-8 tart apples (My favorite is Apple Hill Jonathans)
Slice apples into bowl and mix with cinnamon mixture Dump into single pie crust
Mix together:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
Mush it all together and sprinkle over top
Put uncooked pie into a brown grocery bag, fold over the top and secure with a paper clip Bake at 425 degrees for 1 hour.
APPLE WALNUT COBBER (Patricia Scharrer and Margaret Scharrer)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
4 cups tart apples, thinly sliced
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup melted butter
Lightly butter a 9 inch cake pan then line cake pan with apples. Put the mixture of 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon and half the chopped walnut on top of the apples. Mix the other ingredients and spread on top.
Sprinkle with remaining chopped walnuts.
Bake at 325 degrees for 45-50 minutes.
Garnish with whipped cream.
CARMELIZED UPSIDE-DOWN PEAR TART (Polly Schack)
YIELD: Makes 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
4 large firm-ripe Bosc pears (2 pounds total)
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butte
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pastry dough
PREPARATION
Peel and halve pears, the core (preferably with a melon-ball cutter). Heat butter in a 9- to 10-inch well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then stir in sugar (sugar will not be dissolved). Arrange pears, cut sides up, in skillet with wide parts at rim of skillet. Sprinkle pears with cinnamon and cook, undisturbed, until sugar turns a deep golden caramel. (This can take as little as 10 minutes or as much as 25, depending on pears, skillets, and stove.) Cool pears completely in skillet.Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 12-inch round and trim to a 9 1/2- to 10 1/2-inch round. Arrange pastry over caramelized pears, tucking edge around pears inside rim of skillet. Bake tart until pastry is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cook on rack 5 minutes.
Invert a rimmed serving plate (slightly larger than skillet) over skillet and, using pot holders to hold skillet and plate tightly together, invert tart onto plate. Serve tart warm or at room temperature.
PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE SNICKERDOODLES (Cathy Ann Adkins)
3¾ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. freshly-ground ground nutmeg
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Filling Ingredients:
8 ounces pumpkin spice cream cheese
Cinnamon-sugar coating:
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
Dash of allspice
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Set aside.
In a kitchen aid mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugars on medium high speed until fluffy about 2-3 minutes.
Blend in pumpkin puree, beat in egg and then add vanilla. Slowly add dry ingredients on low speed just until combined. Cover and chill dough for an hour.
Preheat oven to 350 and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and spices for the coating and set aside.
To make the cookies, take a tablespoon of the cookie batter. Flatten it like a pancake and place a teaspoon of the cream cheese in center. Form another tablespoon of the cookie batter into a flat pancake shape and place on top of the cream cheese. Pinch the edges together sealing in the cream cheese and roll into a ball. Roll in the cinnamon sugar coating and place on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart.
Repeat until the dough is gone and flatten the cookie dough balls with a heavy bottomed glass or measuring cup.
Bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes or until the tops start to crack. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack. Enjoy!
Note: if you can’t find the pumpkin spice cream cheese, make the cream cheese filling, by blending 8 oz. cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla together. Chill for an hour.
PUMPKIN ROLL (Sharon Bitz)
CAKE
1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on a towel)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup pure pumpkin filling (I use canned filling)
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
FILLING
1 pkg cream cheese (room temperature)
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
6 tbs softened butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
Powdered sugar as an optional decoration
DIRECTIONS
For Cake: preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 15 x 10″ jellyroll pan and line it with waxed paper. Grease and flour the paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.
COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a small bowl. Beat the eggs and granulated sugar in a large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.
BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until the top of the cake springs back when touched. (if using a dark colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) immediately loosen and turn cake on to prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.
For Filling: beat cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake, reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.
COOKING TIP: be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolli
ng up the cake so it will not stick.
Enjoy!
ORIGINAL APPLE HILL CAKE (As submitted by Linda Westphal)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp soda
4 cups apples, diced
Combine sugar, oil and eggs, then add diced apples. Sift together the flour, salt, spices and soda, add to apple mixture. Pour into 9×13-inch greased cake pan and bake for one hour in a preheated oven at 350 degrees. Serve hot, warm or cold. Try it plain, frosted or with whipped cream.
APPLE CHRISTMAS CAKE (Cyndee Johnson)
Use 4 small loaf pans
Use one 8x12 pan or four small loaf pans
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 cups flour
1 tsp soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 can apple pie filling
Beat eggs, add all dry ingredients, Mix well
Fold in pie filling
Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees (for 8x12 pan), or for 40-45 minutes (4 small loaf pans)
PEAR ALMOND CUSTARD PIE (Gemma Juliana)
This only takes 10-15 minutes to prepare and yields 8 servings. Total time: 1 hour 20 min
Pre-heat the oven to 350o and spray a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray.
STREUSEL PIE-FILLING
½ cup almond flour
¼ cup oats, old-fashioned or quick-cooking
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp butter
PIE-FILLING
½ cup almond flour
1/3 cup white sugar
½ cup milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp butter, softened
2 eggs
3 medium pears, peeled and sliced
Streusel prep first. Stir almond flour, nutmeg and brown sugar together in a bowl. Add soft butter to the mix and blend it in, either with a blender or by hand with a fork. Stop when it is crumbly instead of smooth. Set this aside.
Pie prep next. Stir all the pie ingredients with the exception of the pears with a fork or wire whisk. Pour this mix into the prepared pie dish and arrange the sliced pears evenly over the mixture.
BAKE TIME: 25 minutes for pie-filling only. Then add streusel topping (sprinkle) and bake 10-15 more minutes. An inserted knife should come out clean. Cool 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm on its own or with softly whipped cream. Bon appetit!
VARIATIONS & SUBSTITUTES: almond flour can be exchanged for coconut flour, plain flour or Bisquick; margarine can be used instead of butter; almond or rice milk can be used in place of milk. I use organic non-fat milk. Another great variation is to leave off the streusel entirely and just make the pie-filling with oats instead of flour.
PUMPKIN BREAD (Brenda Novak)
Ingredients:
4 eggs (beaten)
3 c. sugar
2 c. pumpkin
2/3 c. water
1 c. vegetable oil
3 ½ c. flour
½ t. baking powder
2 t. baking soda
1 ½ t. salt
3 t. cloves
3 t. nutmeg
3 t. cinnamon
Directions:
1. I just throw it all in a bowl and mix with beaters.
2. Grease and flour pans.
3. Bake at 325 for 1 ¼ – 1 ½ hours.
PUMPKIN MUFFINS (Madelyn Schwartz)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin cups with shortening or spray oil or line with paper baking cups.
Combine dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
In medium bowl, whisk eggs with fork, stir in pumpkin, oil and vanilla until blended.
Add liquid ingredients to dry and stir until blended. Do not over mix or muffins will be tough rather than tender.
Spoon batter into 12 prepared muffin cups filling 2/3 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
Tip pan to release muffins. Cool muffins on racks completely before frosting or package fir storage.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Have cream cheese cold and butter at room temperature for the best texture. Do not overbeat or the cream cheese breaks down.
8 ounces cream cheese
4 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 to 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted after measuring
Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a medium bowl until just blended. Add 1/3 of the sugar and beat until smooth. Repeat to incorporate all sugar.
MAN CATCHER BROWNIES (Kathy Sweeney)
These are to die for……
30 caramels, unwrapped
2/3 c evaporated milk
1 box cake mix, German chocolate
1/2 c butter, melted
3/4 c semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c chopped pecans or walnuts
Directions
Heat oven to 350 and line the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Melt caramels with 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk in a small saucepan, stirring mixture occasionally’ set aside.
Stir together cake mix, melted butter and remaining 1/3 cup evaporated milk to form a dough. Press 1 1/3 cups of the dough into the pan in an even layer. Bake until puffed but not cooked through, about 7 minutes.
Remove from oven and pour caramel sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the caramel in an even layer.
Top with remaining dough, crumbled into bits and scattered across caramel/chocolate chip layer. Sprinkle with nuts and return to the oven.
Bake until brownies are puffy and set, 10-11 minutes more. Cool and cut into squares.
APPLE FRITTER CAKE (Sandy Haeger)
This is truly the best fall dessert I have made to date. If you like apple fritters you will love this!
Ingredients:
For the filling-
2 heaping cups of sliced apples (Gala apples from Apple Hill!)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Small pinch Nutmeg
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons water
Plus-
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
For the cake-
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 and 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup sour cream
For the glaze-
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 Tablespoons Milk
Instructions:
For the filling-
Combine apples, water, sugar, cinnamon, and corn starch in a small sauce pan. Cook on low for 5-7 minutes stirring constantly until the apples are soft. Set aside to cool. While the filling is cooling, get a small bowl and combine the "plus ingredients" brown sugar and cinnamon
For the cake-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 baking dish.
Set aside.
Beat cream, softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add applesauce and vanilla then the
eggs one at a time. Add the dry ingredients slowly: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and sour cream. Beat together until just combined.
Pour half the batter evenly onto the bottom of the greased and floured 9x13 baking dish. Then carefully spoon the cooled filling on top of the batter. Now sprinkle 2/3 of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture on top of the filling. Cover with the remaining half of the batter.
Sprinkle the top with the rest of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.
Bake for 45-55 minutes. Your kitchen should start to smell amazing and you will probably start drooling. While your cake is baking, make the glaze.
For the glaze-
Mix the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk together. When the cake comes out, pour the glaze mixture over the warm cake. Spread evenly and allow to harden on top of the cake as it cools.
Enjoy!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Many thanks and hugs to the awesome friends who willingly read my early drafts: Cathy Allyn, Dee Brice, Jonathan Corbett, Lisa Dane, and Jana Rossi. As always, my critique group was there to answer my countless emails and what if scenarios: Kathy Asay, Pat Foulk, Rae James, and Terri Judd. Four of my favorite mystery authors, Heather Haven, Liz Jasper, Linda Lovely, and Mary Beth Magee chimed in with wonderful suggestions. And I have to mention Doretta Doyle, my excellent hair stylist, who spends many hours plotting with me.
A special thanks to Larry DeMates, Private Investigator, for letting me bombard him with questions.
A big thanks to High Hill Ranch for letting me take a tour of their kitchen. We sure love your donuts!