Pumpkin Cake
This cake is so easy to make. It is a nice dessert or can be eaten as a breakfast cake. You can put frosting on this cake if you like, but I don’t think that it needs it.
INGREDIENTS
3 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Olive Oil
5 Eggs
3 1/3 Cups Unbleached Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 ½ Teaspoons Salt
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1 Teaspoon Allspice
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2/3 Cup Water
15 Ounces Pumpkin Puree
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a Bundt pan or two 9x5x3 inch cake pans and set aside. In an extra large mixing bowl beat the sugar and oil with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well. Add the vanilla and set the sugar mixture aside. In another large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Alternately add the flour mixture and the water to the sugar mixture. Beat on low speed after each addition just until combined. Beat in the pumpkin and then spoon batter into the prepared pan(s). Bake for 1 hour until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan(s) and cool completely on a wire rack. Serves 8
Cranberry Apple Pie
This pie is such a nice holiday pie. Cooking the berries, sugar and orange peel with the flour before pouring it over the apples gives the pie a better texture and flavor. The chopped pecans add a nice crunch as well.
INGREDIENTS
Pie Filling
1 ½ Cups Chopped Cranberries
1 Cup Sugar
½ Teaspoon Grated Orange Peel
1 Tablespoon Unbleached Flour
1/3 Cup Cranberry Juice
6 Tablespoons Chopped Pecans
3 Peeled & Sliced Tart Apples
½ Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Butter
Pie Crust
3 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Teaspoons Sugar
½ Cup Shortening
½ Cup Cold Butter
9 Tablespoons Ice Water
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and sugar. With a pastry blender (or two knives or fingers) cut the shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles cornmeal. Dice the butter into cubes and cut in until the largest pieces are the size of a dime. Sprinkle the ice water over the flour & fat mixture. Toss with a fork and continue until the dough is moist enough to hold together. Roll into a ball and cut in half. Flatten with halves into two disks. Wrap the pieces of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate to give them a rest for 30 minutes or more before rolling out.
Preheat your oven to 425° F. Grease a 9 inch pie plate and line with half of the rolled out dough. Put the dough lined pie plate back in the refrigerator while making the filing. In a large saucepan, cook the cranberries with the sugar, orange peel, flour and cranberry juice for 20 minutes until the mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and cool. Remove pie plate from the fridge and sprinkle half of the pecans in the bottom of the prepared pie plate. Make 2 layers of apples on the top of the nuts. Sprinkle these with cinnamon and dot with butter. Pour the cooled cranberry mixture over the apples and sprinkle on the remaining pecans. Over with the remaining (rolled out) dough and crimp the edges. Bake for 30 minutes until the crust is golden and the berries are bubbly. Remove from the oven and cool before slicing. Serves 6
Penne alla Vodka
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
¼ Pound Diced Pancetta
1/3 Cup Vodka
28 Ounces Whole Tomatoes With Juice
1/3 Cup Heavy Cream
¼ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Pound Penne Pasta
½ Cup Freshly Grated Parmigianino Cheese
Italian Parsley For Garnish
Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Add the pancetta and stir until lightly colored. Turn the heat down and slowly add the vodka. Stir until most of the vodka has evaporated. Add the tomatoes and cream. Season with the salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 8 minutes until the sauce has become somewhat thick in consistency. In the mean time, cook the penne in boiling salted water according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and place in the skillet with the sauce. Add half of the Parmigianino and mix over a low heat until the pasta and sauce are combined. Remove from heat and serve. Garnish with a sprig of Italian Parsley. Serves 4
Dry Rubbed Pork Loin Roast
If you couldn’t tell by now I love rubs. Rubs really spice up the meat and make them much more tender. Here is such an easy recipe for basic pork loin roast. Use Victoria’s Dry Rub for this Pork Loin Roast. This recipe is great for Sunday dinners. Roast some potatoes, make a nice salad and you have a complete meal without a lot of work.
INGREDIENTS
½ Cup Victoria’s Dry Rub
2 Pounds Boneless Center Trimmed Pork Loin Roast
½ Cup Prepared BBQ Sauce
Preheat the oven to 425° F. Coat a wire rack and shallow roasting pan with olive oil. Rub Victoria’s Dry Rub all over the pork to coat. Set the pork on the rack in the roasting pan and roast for 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with the BBQ sauce if you like. Serves 6
Chocolate Cinnamon Cake
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1/3 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 ½ Teaspoons Baking Powder
¾ Teaspoon Baking Soda
2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Butter
1 ¼ Cups Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
4 Eggs
1 Cup Sour Cream
1 Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Chopped Pecans
¼ Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare a bundt pan. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and salt. Set aside. In a medium bowl beat the butter and 1 ¼ cups of sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on high until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in the vanilla. Next beat in the eggs one at a time. Reduce the speed to low and alternately beat in the flour mixture and sour cream. Combine just until blended. In a separate small bowl combine the chocolate, pecans, ¼ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon for the crumb mixture. Pour half of the batter in the bottom of the prepared bundt pan. Sprinkle half of the crumb mixture next and then the rest of the batter, ending with the last of the crumb mixture. Gently cut through the batter and crumbs with a knife. Bake for 45 minutes. Cover the top of the cake with foil and continue baking for 15 minutes longer until done. Remove from the oven and cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from the pan and finish cooling. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serves 14
Vanilla Babka
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 ½ Teaspoons Baking Powder
¾ Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Unsalted Butter
1 ¼ Cups Sugar
3 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
4 Eggs
1 Cup Sour Cream
Powdered Sugar For Dusting
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare a bundt pan and set aside. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and salt. Set aside. In a separate medium bowl beat the butter and 1 ½ cups sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and beat in the vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time. With the mixer on low speed, alternate beating in the flour mixture and the sour cream. Beat only until mixed in. Bake for 40 minutes. Cover the top of the cake with aluminum foil. Continue baking for 20 minutes longer. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Carefully loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Invert the cake onto a rack and cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar. Serves 12
