RECIPE: I'm in dessert mode so will post a few T&T's --REC: Praline-Pumpkin Torte

[wigs]

Praline-Pumpkin Torte

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup butter or margarine

3 Tbsp. whipping cream

3/4 cup chopped pecans

4 eggs

1-2/3 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin (NOT filling)

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsps. baking powder

2 tsps. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

Additional whipping cream for filling

Cook first three ingredients over low heat, stirring until sugar melts. Pour into 2 greased 9-inch round cake pans. (I've found it best to both grease & flour the cake pans AND also spray them with PAM after greasing & flouring in order to insure that this topping doesn't stick. CW) Sprinkle evenly with pecans. Cool.

Beat eggs, sugar and oil at medium speed of electric mixer. Add pumpkin and vanilla and mix well.

Combine flour with next 4 ingredients and sift together. Gradually add to pumpkin mixture, beating on low speed just until blended. Spoon batter evenly into pans.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 to 35 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool pans on rack 5 minutes (I only cool mine for 3 minutes.) and then turn out cakes to cool completely on wire rack.

Place one cooled cake layer on serving plate with pecan side up and spread with whipped cream. (I use 1 to 1-1/4 cups whipping cream which I've beaten to stiff peaks along with 1/2 tsp vanilla extract + some powdered sugar, to taste.) Top with remaining cake layer, pecan side up, and spread or pipe the top layer with additional whipped cream. Garnish with chopped pecans. Store in refrigerator.

This recipe was given to me by a friend, Jackie Jurrema, and I believe she found it in a Midwest Living magazine. Caryn

 

[wigs]

T&T REC: Chocolate Charlotte Russe Cake

Chocolate Charlotte Russe Cake

(Recipe was given to me by Susie Smith eons ago and again just this year by another friend, June Vinson.)

4 squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup whole milk
6 eggs, separated
1-1/2 cups butter (I use 3 sticks unsalted.)
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
1/8 tsp. salt
1-1/2 tsps vanilla extract
3 dozen ladyfingers, split
For garnish: 1 cup heavy cream, whipped; shaved chocolate; broken pistashio nuts

Melt unsweetened chocolate squares on top of double boiler over hot water. Mix together granulated sugar, milk and egg yolks. Add this to the melted chocolate and cook until smooth and thickened, stirring constantly (takes me about 10 minutes). Cool. (I usually put in bowl of cold water and stir often and watch so it doesn't become too firm.) Cream butter well. Add 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar and vanilla and cream together thoroughly. Add cooled chocolate mixture and beat well.

In separate clean bowl beat egg whites with salt until soft peak stage; gradually beat in remaining 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar to stiff peak stage. Lighten chocolate mixture by gently stirring in about 1/3 of the beaten egg white mixture and then fold the remaining stiffly beaten egg whites into the lightened chocolate mixture.

Line a deep 9-inch springform pan on the bottom and sides with split lady fingers, cut sides in. (I line the bottom with a parchement paper circle.) Put in alternate layers of 1/3 chocolate mixture and remaining ladyfingers. Chill overnight. Remove sides and bottom of springform and place cake on decorative serving plate or pedestal. Garnish with whipping cream, whipped (I sweeten the whipped cream a bit); shaved dark or semi-sweet chocolate; and broken pistachio nuts. Makes 12 servings.

NOTE from CW: I've made this using either a 9" or a 10" springform pan--either size will work--I've found it takes about 2 dozen ladyfingers for the 9" pan and about 2.5 dozen with the 10" pan. I also cut the cake into 16 slices since it's so rich.

 

[wigs]

T&T REC #3 is Fresh-Fruit Tart==>

Fresh-Fruit Tart
(from July 1994 McCall's Cooking School magazine)

Pastry
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sliced almonds, divided
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces

Filling
1 cup fresh orange juice, divided
1-1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin (such as Knox)
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt (I use reg. sour cream.)
1 tsp grated orange zest (colored part of peel)
1/2 cup heavy cream, cold

Topping
1/4 cup seedles raspberry jam
2 tsp fresh orange juice
1 pint strawberries, hulled
1/2 pint fresh raspberries
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
Confectioners' sugar for dusting
Orange-zest twists

1) Make pastry: In small bowl, with fork, beat egg yolks and vanilla until blended. In food processor, combine flour, 1/2 cup almonds, the sugar and salt; process until nuts are finely ground. Add butter; process 10 seconds or until mixture resembles cornmeal. Add egg-yolk mixture; process until dough forms a ball. (I quit processing BEFORE dough forms a ball and then press pastry ingredients together with my hands so it's not overmixed.) Grease an 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom; press dough into pan bottom and up sides. With fork, prick pastry on bottom. Sprinkle with remaining almonds; pat lightly into pastry. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake tart shell 18 to 20 minutes or until pastry is browned and baked through. Cool completely on wire rack. (Before baking I cover pricked pastry with parchment paper and metal beans and remove both after about 10 minutes of baking time has elapsed.)

2) Make filling: In small saucepan, heat 3/4 cup orange juice over low heat until hot. In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over remaining 1/4 cup orange juice; set aside to soften. In medium saucepan, mix egg yolks and sugar. Add flour; whisk to blend. Gradually whisk in hot orange juice; heat, whisking, until boiling and thick. Cook 1 minutes, whisking. Add gelatin mixture; whisk 1 minute, until melted. Remove from heat. Add yogurt and orange zest; whisk to blend. Pour mixture into medium bowl; place in larger bowl of ice and water. Chill, stirring frequently, until custard thickens enough to mound slightly; remove bowl from ice water.

3) In medium bowl, whip heavy cream until stiff; with rubber spatula, fold into chilled filling. Spread in bottom of tart shell; chill 1 to 2 hours.

4) Prepare topping: In small saucepan, heat jam over low heat until melted; stir in 2 tsp orange juice. Pour into small bowl; cool to room temperature. Quarter hulled strawberries lengthwise; arrange in two concentric rings around the edge of tart over the filling, with points facing out, alternating berries with cut sides facing up and down. Arrange raspberries and blueberries in center over filling. Brush or drizzle strawberries with jam mixture. Place confectioners' sugar in sieve; sprinkle over fruit in center. Garnish with orange-zest twists. Refrigerate until serving (the recipe says up to 1 hour B4 serving, but I've chilled it for as long as 3 or 4 hours B4 serving). Remove pan side; place tart on serving platter. Makes 12 servings.

"What went wrong?" Q: Help! I followed the recipe above, but my custard turned out lumpy, not smooth. Why?
A: Chances are, you didn't stir this mixture often enough as it was chilling. Because the bowl is placed in ice water to cool, the edges of the mixture firm up and "clump" much more quickly than the center. (When a custard contains gelatin, this thickening happens almost instantly.) That's why it's so important to stir the mixture (folding the outer edges into the center) every 30 seconds. This keeps the custard at an even temperature and ensures a creamy consistency. If you get distracted and your mixture does turn out lumpy, reheat and stir until smooth, then rechill.

 

[steve2-in-la]

Interesting, I got this recipe from my wife's Aunt in Mississippi. Durn, thought it was an original.

 

[wigs]

Hi, Steve2 in LA--Sorry 2 B the stoolie for yr aunt-in-law, but (more)

all the above recipes came 2 me thru friends but were originally from magazines. I'm practically positive the Charlotte Russe Cake was from a BA magazine back in 'aught 7 or so, but my friend wasn't absolutely positive so I just gave Susie credit. Hope you enjoy them all!