Sunday Dinner

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Cheese Relish

Cornbread Crostini

Southern Fried Chicken

Rice and Gravy

Southern Green Beans

Tomatoes

Strawberry Poke Cake

It is the front end of strawberry season.  I have an itch to make a strawberry cake that needs scratchin'.  This cool little cake takes care of any and all cravings of the strawberry variety.  It is a white cake that has holes poked into the top after it has cooled-- hence the name.  A strawberry gelatin syrup is then poured over the top.  The holes act as tunnels for the syrup and all of its flavor to seep down and spread throughout the body of the cake.  A layer of strawberry is spread over the top before a generous layer of whipped cream completes the construction.   

You'll note in the recipe that I call for a packet of whipping cream stabilizer. I do this so I can make the entire cake ahead of time without any weeping from the luscious cream layer.  But if you plan on making the cake and eating it immediately without any leftovers, you can omit the stabilizer.

This is strawberry shortcake in sheet cake form and a great way to serve a delightful dessert for a crowd.

Sunday Dinner one year ago

Margarita Cream Cake

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Normally I like to end the week with something sweet, but after enjoying this dessert this past Sunday, I wanted to share this cream cake with you ASAP.  If there are any of you who will be hosting a Cinco de Mayo fiesta this weekend, you are looking at a cake with the potential to bring the house down.  And it is not as hard to make as it looks.

This cake covers a lot of territory.  Taste?  The tang of the cream cheese is joined by flaky coconut, a tropical note of lime, and, yep, the terrific twin terrors of tequila and triple sec!  The texture is of three levels.  The luscious, creamy body of the cake is topped with a shimmering disc of margarita flavored gelatin.  The cake rests on a crunchy crust that names crushed pretzels as its main ingredient.  It is a yummy stand-in for the salty rim of the traditional cocktail.

Finally, the presentation intrigues the eye and the tongue, making refusal of at least a bite slice virtually impossible.  Now you can have your drink and eat it too!

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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I know that I'm jumping around with the recipes this week, but we enjoyed this cake last Sunday and it will be some time before I make it again and I want to get it out there.  Why will it be some time before I make it again?   Well, there are just too many other delicious dessert recipes to make and try☺.  That, and I have had a few requests for a carrot cake recipe.  This one is outstanding!

Normally, carrot cake recipes are incredibly moist due to the carrots and obscene amounts of oil.  I mean 1 1/2 cups of oil-- really?!  I am not one who is afraid of a little fat, but I don't care to have greasy lips after taking a bite of cake.  To eliminate that problem without sacrificing taste and texture, I replace 1/2 cup of oil with buttermilk and use a full pound of carrots.  Now that is a carrot cake.

I keep the spices and frosting traditional, but I give the finished cake an updated twist (literally).  Instead of a 9x13-inch cake pan with a simple frosted top that many of us probably grew up with, I like to make this cake into a two tiered cake with crisp candied carrot curls on top.  Completely optional, but it does make for a nice presentation and a great snack for the kids.  However, a simple 9x13-inch pan is still a good and equally tasty option.  Speaking of options, the nuts are optional too, but I do like the bit of texture that they add.  You can even add the nuts to the cake batter instead of using them as a garnish.

                     

Like many cake recipes, it can be made several days in advance and kept in the refrigerator.  Just bring it to room temperature before serving. 

Lamingtons

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Finally, another magazine tear-out that I can dispose of.  The page that is, not the recipe.  In fact, this is a recipe that I will visit more often (with variations) in the future. With Easter and Spring celebrations around the corner, I thought this would be a lovely recipe to share.  A batch of these cakes set out on a dessert buffet would certainly be well received.

Lamingtons are popular items at Australian bake sales and church events.  They deliver a combination of flavors sure to intrigue the taste buds of the lucky grabber. They are made from a basic sponge batter with a layer of jam or cream that is sandwiched between two cake halves.  Once chilled and cut, they are dipped in a thin chocolate icing and rolled in coconut.  A more traditional version would be to use unsweetened, dessicated coconut, but I happen to love the taste and texture of shredded, sweetened coconut. Due to the light crumb of the sponge cake, the jam layer and chocolate icing are absorbed into the cake keeping the cake moist for several days.

Speaking of days, the cakes should be baked, cooled, and filled with the jam at least a day in advance so they can be frozen before icing.  I like to freeze the entire cake slab before cutting.  This allows for a clean cut and keeps the jam layer from oozing.  The original recipe called for strawberry jam, but I am particularly fond of a chocolate/raspberry combo.  You can use any jam of your preference.  Come to think of it, apricot would be quite nice.

Whether you enjoy them on a plate with a fork paired with a cup of tea, in a bowl with a scoop of ice cream (not traditional, but preferred), or eaten casually out of hand with your fingers and a napkin, these tasty cakes should be enjoyed everywhere and not just down under.

Mardi Gras King Cake

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King Cake-- the preferred dessert/snack of Mardi Gras.  It wouldn't be Carnival without one.  From the Twelfth Night (January 6) to Fat Tuesday (date varies) King Cakes are baked and gobbled up all over New Orleans.

Although the name implies cake, it is essentially a sweetened, enriched bread dough similar to a brioche.  Think coffee cake (yes, you can eat it for breakfast, too☺).  They are glazed with a simple confectioners' sugar mixture, then colored sugar or crystals in Mardi Gras colors crown the top; purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power. The King Cakes I enjoyed in my youth were all filled with a cinnamon filling, but nowadays there are other versions filled with cream cheese, praline, and even one with a coconut filling and chocolate icing--yum!

To add to the fun and festivities, a plastic baby or figurine is hidden in the cake (added after the cake has baked).  The one who receives the piece with the trinket is responsible for hosting the next party and/or providing the next King Cake.  Just warn your guests about the hidden treasure.  You don't want to be responsible for any dental bills!

Banana Streusel Snack Cake

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I try to eat and cook as seasonably as possible, but when it comes to the banana (not really sure if there is a banana season), I use it all year long. We enjoy it in hot and cold cereals, fruit salads, sandwiches, frozen desserts, and of course, all by itself for a quick potassium boost.  But my favorite way to use bananas is in baking.  Banana bread is without a doubt the top baked banana good in our house, but this recipe is close behind.  It is lighter in texture than banana bread, yet it retains that great banana baked flavor.  Topped of with a sweet and buttery streusel (I ♥ streusel), this is a treat to enjoy not just as a snack as the recipe implies, but all day long.

Chocolate Éclair Cake

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Did you really think I would put this dessert on our Sunday dinner menu and then not share it with you?  Wow, was this ever good (and hard to stop eating)!  It is simply an ice box cake of homemade vanilla pudding that is lightened up with whipped cream, then layered between graham crackers and topped with a chocolate glaze.  Once assembled and refrigerated, the crackers become soft like the pâte à choux of a traditional éclair.  The mousse-like filling is deliciously creamy and light while the chocolate glaze tops it all off.  Made in a 9x13 inch baking pan, this dessert feeds a crowd.  Whether that crowd is big or small, I guarantee that there will not be a crumb or spot of cream left in that pan.  Any leftovers will be stealthily removed and given a very temporary home in a dark corner of the fridge.  One bite and you will understand the middle of the night, first thing in the morning, and just about all day temptation to dig right into the pan with a spoon-- no plate or forks required:)

Sunday Dinner and Happy New Year!

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Mini Crab Cakes 

Apricot and Brown Sugar Glazed Ham

Hoppin' John

Southern Collard Greens

Baked Cheese Grits

Hot Chocolate Layer Cake with Homemade Marshmallows

I have already spoken about the tradition of eating black-eyed peas and greens on New Year's, but what I haven't told you about is the importance of starting off the New Year with a big, decadent piece of chocolate cake.  O.k.-- no real importance, it is just my rule:)

Even though there is still no snow on the ground, the weather is a bit chilly and perfect for a hot cup of cocoa.  I could think of no better way to end our New Year's Day Sunday dinner and start 2012 than with this cake.  Although the name of the cake implies that there is hot cocoa flavor, this cake is more an excellent excuse to eat a fantastic piece of chocolate cake with homemade marshmallows on top.

This is a pretty intense chocolate cake.  The cake is very moist and flavorful and the frosting is right at the top of the "best chocolate frosting ever" list (at least that is what my husband claims).  The cake itself is rather straightforward and simple, and is made in a bowl and mixed by hand. The frosting, however, utilizes a different method which I take one step further by straining it through a fine-mesh sieve to ensure a completely smooth consistency.  It is cooked on the stove top and cooled in a 9x13-inch baking pan before being whipped until fluffy and smooth.  I changed up the recipe slightly by adding a bit of espresso powder to the cake batter and frosting and by using semisweet instead of bittersweet chocolate.  The recipe also calls for a few not so common ingredients, like vanilla bean and Lyle's Golden Syrup, but they can easily be found in most grocery stores.  Cake, frosting, and marshmallows may seem like a lot of work, but each step can be made in advance.  The cake can be made and stored at room temperature for up to one day or frozen for up to one month.  The frosting can be made and refrigerated for up to three days and the marshmallows (you only need half of a batch, so save the rest for s'mores:) can be made one month in advance.  So, on the day the cake is to be served, all you need to do is frost and mound with marshmallows and indulge.

Speaking of indulgence, since this is a "hot chocolate" cake, I go over the top and serve this cake with a dollop of whipped cream on the side.  I know-- completely unnecessary, but trust me, it really provides a nice counter to the richness of the cake.  Any leftovers are enjoyed the next day with a tall glass of cold milk.  Whether you start preparation one month in advance or the day before, whatever you do, don't wait, don't bookmark, please make it soon and get your New Year off to a "sweet" start!

Sunday Dinner one year ago

Sunday Dinner {take two}

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Catfish Fingers with Tomato Tartar Sauce

Turkey and Sausage Gumbo

Green Salad with Apples and Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

New Orleans French Bread

Triple Ginger Layer Cake

Cinnamon Ice Cream

Sunday Dinner {take two}??  My parents are on the road today heading South for the winter, so we shared a "Sunday dinner" with them last night for one more get together.  But, I made sure to make enough for us to have tonight, hence the {take two}.  The whole meal was delicious, but we were so busy visiting, sharing, laughing, and crying (miss you Mom and Dad), I only took a picture of the cake.  Since tonight will be a little more laid back, I will fry up some fresh fish and toss a fresh salad and snap a few photos to share recipes down the road.

I haven't made this cake in over seven years.  As good as it was then, I knew that a few changes would really make this cake shine.  My two major changes were in the triple ginger and the texture.  I didn't understand how it could be called triple ginger when there were only two types of ginger.  Wanting to stay true to the name, I substituted some of the ground ginger for fresh, giving it a real ginger taste.  The addition of fresh ginger serves to increase the amount of sugar without making it too sweet.  As far as texture, the original recipe was very dense.  With the thick cream cheese frosting, I wanted something a little lighter.  So, I added an extra egg and increased the baking soda slightly for a fluffy and tender texture.

I am not usually a fan of the classic cake and ice cream combo, but after one bite last night, I headed to the freezer for a container of ice cream-- boy was that good!  I am not happy that I won't see my parents for some time, but I am happy that there is enough cake and ice cream leftover for us to have tonight.

Sunday Dinner one year ago

Pumpkin Cake with Orange-Cream Cheese Frosting

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My birthday was a few weeks ago and I had a hard time deciding what cake I wanted.  But, after realizing that I had a printout of this recipe for nearly three years without ever making it, I figured that this cake's time had come.  

Just about any cake with a cream cheese frosting is a winner in my book and this cake is no exception. However, I did cut back on the original amount of frosting because, in my opinion, this cake is all about the tender and delicious pumpkin layers and I felt the extra cream cheese would weigh down the cake.  The original recipe made a maple-cream cheese frosting, but I love the combination of pumpkin and orange, like in these Spiced Pumpkin Muffins.  

After taking my first bite-- yum, there were so many flavors bouncing around; spices, citrus, sweetness, not to mention pumpkin and cream cheese.  It was an instant love-hate relationship.  I was in love with the cake, but I hated myself for waiting this long to make it. Please, don't wait like I did.  Just go make this cake!

Chocolate Espresso Cake

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With three children, it is safe to say that I have spent my fair share of time waiting, and waiting, and waiting in the doctor's office.  Fortunately, there have been a few times that I have been rewarded for the long waits.  These rewards have come mostly from flipping through magazines for ideas and recipes. This recipe is one of those rewards.  It came to me when I was pregnant with my third child over seven years ago and we have enjoyed it many times since. If you are a reader, you will remember that my now teenage son celebrated his birthday this past Sunday.  This was the cake he chose (good choice!) and I couldn't let the week go by without sharing the recipe.

It is a chocolate cake flavored with espresso powder and baked in a baking sheet instead of the usual cake pan.  Once cooled, the sheet cake is cut into thirds and then layered with a delicious buttercream that is again flavored with espresso and a wee bit of Kahlùa because I like it.  Once chilled, a luscious semisweet ganache is poured all over.  You could stop there and enjoy it as is, but when I roll out this recipe for a special occasion like a birthday, I like to make it all purrty with chocolate curls and shavings.  With layers of cake, cream, and chocolate, this cake is a trio of different layers and flavors that will have your fork telling tales in the dishwasher.

Sunday Dinner

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Shrimp with a Chipotle Dipping Sauce

Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri 

Roasted Corn Salad with Manchego and Lime

Black Beans and Rice

Coconut Pound Cake with a Lemon-Mint Glaze
served with macerated pineapple

We are spending this weekend with family, so I needed a menu that would feed a crowd.  Plenty of shrimp, a couple of flank steaks to be grilled, and some fresh local corn oughta do the trick.  With all the strong savory flavors for the meal, a refreshing simple dessert was in order.  This pound cake is flavored with coconut and lemon.  A lemon-mint syrup glaze coats the flavor-packed outer crust.  The cream cheese in the cake makes for a rich underpinning of flavor.  The glaze keeps it moist, delivering the lemon and mint notes.  Served with some macerated pineapple, this is the perfect ending to our Sunday dinner.

Sunday Dinner

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Hickory Bacon and Roasted Corn Gougères

Roast Chicken
Caramelized Shallots

Potato Gratin with Tomatoes, Gruyère, and Thyme

Simple Green Salad

Yogurt Cake with Currant-Raspberry Sauce

With freshly picked ripe red raspberries and jewel-like currants from my garden, there was only one thing to make for dessert this Sunday.

This cake was featured in the last August issue (2009) of Gourmet magazine.  Once I made it and, most importantly, tasted it, I knew that I would be making it again and again. The cake is made with plain yogurt, which makes for a tender and tangy cake.  A sweet, thick white icing is poured over top and it is served with a fresh currant-raspberry sauce.  After two weeks away at camp, I knew this summery cake would be well received and appreciated by some happy-to-be-home campers.

Strawberry Dream Cake

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If you could take all the flavor of homemade strawberry ice cream and turn it into a cake, the end result would be this cake.  It is a cake that tastes just as the name implies.  Pink and  dreamy.

Fresh and frozen strawberries are used for maximum strawberry flavor.  The frozen ones are pressed of their juice. The juice is then added to the batter and the pulp is added to the frosting.  The fresh strawberries are sliced and sandwiched between the cake layers.  Then it is all frosted with a strawberry-cream cheese frosting that might have been the genesis for the phrase "to die for".

Before strawberry season gets away from you, please make this cake. 

 ♪♬ Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream...

Oh, drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream ♪♬.

Sunday Dinner

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Roasted Garlic Shrimp Cocktail

Aged "Cowboy Cut" Ribeye

French Fry Chips

Green Salad with a Sun-dried Tomato Vinaigrette

Chocolate Kahlúa Whoopie Pies 

with a Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Cream Filling

This Sunday Dinner is a rare one.  What do I mean by that?  There are no children present.  Remote location accessible by pack mule only (o.k. not really, but if you have kids you get the point).  Knowing that the children are engaged in fun activities far, far away, naturally one's thoughts turn to---food.  And what first comes to mind is making whoopie ("pies" that is).  Bob Eubanks' favorite dessert, the once humble whoopie pie.  I say once humble because this Suzy-Q predecessor has recently become one of the "it" desserts amongst the hip culinary set.  Don't let the hype turn you away.  The reward here is worth the effort.  


These soft chocolate cakes are flavored with Kahlúa and filled with a vanilla bean mascarpone filling.  I enhance the chocolate flavor of the cakes with a bit of espresso powder.  The original recipe made 10 pies, but I manage to get fifteen by using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop.  Meaning more to enjoy, so embrace its cakey, creamy pleasures. 

*One note- the pies are best when allowed to set out for about 30 minutes allowing the cakes to come to room temperature and the filling to retain a slight chill. 

Sunday Dinner

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Bacon and Tomato Dip with Black Pepper Potato Chips

Hickory Smoked Barbecue Pork Ribs

Baked Beans

Coleslaw

Almond Coconut Mousse Cake

The conditions outside right now (50º F and drizzle-- what happened to the 90º F?!) are not very optimal for firing up the grill and smoke box, but only extreme and dangerous weather conditions would stop me from making this meal today.  Why??  It is my husband's birthday and I have made ribs for him every year for at least the last decade.  As much as I would like to share the rib recipe with you today, the birthday cake is the Sunday feature.

It is a toasted almond sponge cake that is layered with a light and creamy coconut mousse. The recipe requires two 9-inch cake pans and one 9-inch tight fitting springform pan.  The cakes are sliced horizontally creating four layers, but only three are used.  Leave the fourth for snacking;) I added some vanilla extract to the cake batter and some coconut extract to the mousse to bump up that coconut flavor.  I also use coconut lite milk in the mousse, but you can certainly opt for the full fat.

This cake is the perfect finish to this stick to your "ribs" (pun intended) Sunday meal.  It is also nice because it can be made up to a day in advance in order for the mousse to set, which gives me time to tend to the hickory logs and the birthday boy.

Sunday Dinner

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Brie, Apricot, and Lavender Fillo Cups

Roasted Leg of Lamb

Flageolets with Garlic Confit

Simple Salad

Country Bread

Raspberry-Swirl Angel Cake with Crème Fraîche

 

Recently, my mother and I went on one of our "playdates".  These are times where we can walk for good health, talk for good measure, and shop for fun kitchen treasures.  The book, Chicken and Egg by Janice Cole, where this recipe came from, is our latest treasure.  Standing in the back of the store, we each had a copy in hand.   Flipping through its pages, I got to page 131 and declared, "SOLD"!  She was on the same page.  I looked at her and said,  "I love you and I want you to have this".  My mother looked at me and said, "I love you too and want you to have this".  We made our purchases, exchange our treasures, and gave each other a big hug and kiss and laughed.

I am not able to be with my mother this Sunday for Mother's Day.   To honor her, I wanted to make the recipe on page 131.  It is a delicate angel food cake that has a sweetened raspberry purée swirled throughout.  Sliced and served with a whipped crème fraîche-- it is angel food cake kissed by the heavens.  My only changes were to add a bit of fresh lemon juice to the raspberry purée and, wanting to keep that "pretty as the picture" raspberry-swirl look, I layered the purée between the cake batter and dragged a long, thin knife throughout to create the swirl.  I also made enough purée to have extra to serve on the side.  These changes made for one beautiful cake that tastes as good as it looks. The crème fraîche might SEEM like it could be optional, but hoo-boy does it ever bring it to the next level of goodness.  The only thing that would make this cake better is if I had my mom with me to enjoy a slice or two.

Happy Mother's Day, Ma.  

Every time I open this book I will think of you.

Love, Cole

                            

Lemon Poppy Seed Lady Cake

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If you are still undecided about what dessert you will be making this weekend, here is another idea to throw into the mix.  We had dinner with family this past weekend and I offered to bring dessert.  A nice byproduct of bringing dessert was the opportunity to make this cake.  This is one of those recipes that I tore out years ago (Martha Stewart Living, April 2003, page 207 to be exact) and filed away in my stack of to-dos.  It is a simple white cake studded with poppy seeds, layered with lemon curd that is lightened with whipped cream, then blanketed in a white, marshmallowy seven-minute frosting.  It is light, lemony, sweet, and just perfect for this time of year.  

The only change I made was to use a packet of whipping cream stabilizer for the heavy cream to keep it from weeping once folded with the lemon curd.  Overall this is a great recipe, but preparing the cake does require a bit of time in order for the filling to set properly.  However, the filling and the cake can be made the day before, then assembled the morning of and frosted.  Just remember-- due to the lemon curd filling, the cake needs to be chilled.  I don't know why it's called "Lady Cake".  I do know that this layered beauty gets a thumbs up from men and women alike.

Chocolate Guinness Caramel Cake

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Woah--seems like lots of you enjoy your St. Paddy's Day dinners.  I received many requests for the other Sunday Dinner recipes.  I had not intended to blog about them this week, but I just couldn't say no.  I was going to save this recipe to share next year.  Why? I have many recipes other than Sunday Dinner ones that I want to share; breakfast, lunch, kid-friendly food, snacks, staples, and everyday sweets.  I suppose I will get to them all in due time.  Today, I give the people what they want.

I created this cake years ago for my husband, lover of all things chocolate, caramel, cream cheese, and beer.  Over time it has found its way to the table in many incarnations; double decker, completely frosted, and a version with alternate layers of frosting and caramel.  They all worked in their own way, but I always come back to this version; a simple, one layer chocolate cake filled with caramel and topped with a caramel cream cheese frosting.  I just love the way it looks, too--a simple chocolate cake oozing with caramel (not too much), topped by waves of caramel cream cheese frosting--it makes me want to dive right in.  It is sticky, gooey, and creamy all in one bite.

To create this cake, I make a basic chocolate snack cake, but use Guinness in lieu of the liquid.  I slice it in half and fill it with a homemade salted caramel.  Then I whip up a fool-proof cream cheese frosting that I flavor with a bit of the caramel to create a pillow of goodness on the top.  You will find yourself with more frosting than you need (I use only 1/2-2/3 of the recipe), but I think you can figure out what to do with the rest--frosting shots anyone??

*I received many requests for the Parslied Potatoes as well.  If you are interested, stay tuned--with some small Yukon Gold potatoes and fresh flat leaf parsley on hand. 

New York-Style Crumb Cake

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Weekend mornings in my house, especially Sundays, are all about sleeping in, lingering at the breakfast table, and reading the newspaper (yes, the one with the mashed pulp and ink that ends up on my walls by the light switches).  Since we eat a later breakfast, I like to serve  something that will fill us up until happy hour.  This crumb cake certainly does the trick.  

I have never been to New York and I don't know the first thing about New York crumb cakes, but I do know that this recipe is delicious.  This cake is all about the crumb topping--little pebbles of brown sugar and butter sweetened with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon.  The cake, although dense, is the perfect base to support the heavy crumb layer.  The recipe calls for cake flour; please do not substitute.  Using all-purpose flour will make a dry, tough cake that you could probably use as a hockey puck or dangerous projectile rather than a delicious breakfast or break-time treat.  I do recommend baking this the day before.  The resting time gives the cake that "next day better" taste and it will give you more time to enjoy that weekend newspaper.  Oh, and even though I am not a big coffee drinker, I do break out my French press for this--it is a tasty pairing.

Note:  If you are a  regular reader, you will notice that I like to use extra large eggs in my recipes.  I like them because I think you get a little more for your dollar and the end result when using extra large eggs in baking is a little nicer.  But, you can certainly use large eggs if that is what you have on hand.