Orange Layer Cake with White Chocolate Frosting and Shavings

There is nothing like a family get-together and this past weekend we had one in celebration of my big brother's birthday!  I wanted to do something extra special for him as he is an extra-special guy!  I don't know why, but it struck me that I'd love to do an orange cake with white chocolate frosting and white chocolate shavings.   My frosting recipe was inspired by the new Philadelphia Indulgence White Chocolate Cream Cheese Spread, which I discovered when recently grocery shopping.  You'll find my method of making the chocolate shavings or curls really easy once you've done it.  Children of all ages just seemed to love this cake and I'm delighted to share it with you!

                                   A Really Sweet Way To Celebrate!

I adapted the recipe for the layers to orange cake layers (from Lucy M. Clark's 1-2-3-4 Cake in her Delightfully Southern Cookbook).

Ingredients

The 3-Layer Cake

• Non-stick baking spray for pans
• 1 c. butter (2 sticks)
• 2 c. sugar
• 4 eggs
• 3 c. all-purpose plain flour, sifted
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1 c. milk
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. orange extract
• 1/4 c. unsweetened orange juice w/pulp
• 1 TB orange zest

The Frosting

• 2 lbs. powdered sugar
• 1/2 c. butter (1 stick), room temperature, cut into large cubes
• 8 oz. tub Philadelphia Indulgence White Chocolate Cream Cheese Spread
• 1/4 c. + l TB evaporated milk
•  2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 (6 oz) pkg. premium white chocolate baking squares (for shavings garnish on frosting)--optional
• 2 tsp. orange zest (for garnish on frosting)

                             Any Way You Look At It...It's Delicious!
                           

Directions

First Things First...The Shavings

1. Though you only need about 4 oz. of chocolate, to simplify the process, melt the whole pkg. of white chocolate in a 1 qt. microwave-proof bowl for 30 seconds on high.  Stir and melt again for 30 seconds on high.  Stir until all the chocolate is melted.  
2. Pour onto a parchment-lined small shallow pan, forming about a 1/4" layer with a spatula.  Refrigerate about 25 minutes, or until soft set...watch carefully so the chocolate does not get completely hard.  It should be somewhat giving when lightly pressed with your finger, without sticking to your finger. 
3. Carefully turn the chocolate onto a parchment-lined cutting board.  Working close to a counter edge, run a vegetable peeler just deep enough to make about 1" shavings that will hold.  Flip your chocolate as necessary to make more shavings. (You can use this same process to make curls...just form curls from about 1" strips with the vegetable peeler as you run it across the chocolate.)
4. Let the shavings harden on the counter before you use.  If you have extra shavings, you can store them in the refrigerator in an air-tight, plastic container.  Store extra chocolate block in the fridge or pantry in an air-tight plastic container or bag.

The Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350º.
2. Spray 3 ea.  9" cake pans with the non-stick baking spray.
3. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then scrape the bowl.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each just until the egg color disappears and scrape the bowl again.
5. Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder.
6. Mix the vanilla with the milk.
7. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk and vanilla mixture.
8. Mix the orange extract with the orange juice and add to the batter.
9. Stir the orange zest into the batter.  Scrape the bowl and give the batter one last quick mix.
10. Pour the batter equally between the pans. (To achieve this, I weigh each pan with the batter and divide the batter as necessary until each filled pan weighs as close as possible to the same weight.)
11. Bake about 25 minutes, or until light-golden brown and the layers spring back when lightly touched with the finger and a toothpick comes out clean.
12. Cool in the pans about 30 minutes, then carefully turn out onto racks to finish cooling.

The Frosting

1. If you have one, add a mixer shield to your mixer to avoid the powdered sugar flying.
2. Beat the powdered sugar well with the butter, then beat in the white chocolate spread.
3. Add the evaporated milk and vanilla and mix well.
4. Divide and spread the icing between the layers, saving a good amount to frost the top and sides. (Do a thin layer of frosting initially on the outside and let set to avoid crumbs showing through the icing.)
5. Finish icing the cake, then sprinkle the top and sides with the orange zest.  Randomly press, very lightly and with care, the white chocolate shavings into the frosting. Decorate the plate by placing any smaller extra shavings around the bottom of the cake.

Carefully guard your cake, as tempted hands will try to steal the chocolate shavings off your creation!  Enjoy!

                                May I Have Another Piece, Please!

 

Printable Recipe

Chewy, Crunchy Oatmeal Cookies with Dark Chocolate, Cherries and Toasted Almonds

Say you're my everything and I plan to keep you around a while with these delicious and healthy oatmeal cookies!  Loaded with cherries, almonds and dark chocolate, they'll devour every morsel of these thick, chewy and crunchy delights!  Surprise them with a couple for breakfast in bed on Valentine's...they'll feel so pampered!

                                         Dessert For Breakfast!
                                 

                              
                                    Better Than a Five-Star Hotel!

Approx. 32 large cookies

Ingredients

• 1 c. packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 c. granulated white sugar
• 3/4 c. butter, cut into large chunks
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 3 c. old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 c. unsifted all-purposed flour 
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 c. unsalted, dry-toasted, slivered almonds (available at Trader Joe's in an 8 oz. pkg.), coarsely chopped
• 1 c. tart, dried cherries--broke apart with your fingers (can substitute dried cranberries)
• 10 oz. bag dark chocolate morsels (1 c. for batter and remainder for drizzle)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Line a couple of cookie sheets with parchment paper.
3. Beat the sugars and butter well and scrape the bowl.
4. Add the water, egg and vanilla and mix well; scrape the bowl again.
5. In a separate bowl, using a whisk or fork, combine well the oats, flour, baking soda, salt and spices.
6. Add the almonds, cherries and 1 c. of the chocolate morsels to the dry mixture and stir well with a wooden spoon or spatula.
7. Incorporate well the dry mixture with the fruit, nuts and chocolate into the wet mixture...you can use your electric mixer on a low speed. 
8. Using an ice cream scoop, drop the batter onto the parchment-lined cookie sheets, about two inches apart each scoop.
9. Bake approximately 16-18 minutes or until light-golden brown.
10. Let stand on the pans about one minute.  Carefully slide the whole sheets of parchment paper with the cookies onto racks to cool.  Once cooled, carefully place the paper with the cookies back onto the cookie sheets.
11. Melt the remaining chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl for about 45 seconds on medium-high (70%) power.  Stir well.  If not completely melted, return the chocolate to the microwave for another 10 to 15 seconds and stir well again.  Working quickly, use a whisk to drizzle the melted chocolate onto the cookies.  
12. To set the chocolate, freeze the cookies on the cookie sheets for about 15 minutes or refrigerate them for about 30-45 minutes.  Store in an air-tight container.

Share your love on Valentine's with these scrumptious cookies, and you'll get lots of hugs and kisses for sure!  Enjoy!

 P. S.
                                           You're My Everything...

                                                  Forever!

Printable Recipe

Hash-Brown Salmon Cakes with Lime-Dill Sauce

This is how an everyday dish becomes not so everyday!  The hash-brown binder gives these salmon cakes an extra crispiness.  Squeeze some lime juice over them and add a nice dollop of the lime-dill sauce...oh, yummy for the tummy!  Whether you serve them as an entree or as a salmon burger, you'll love how easy this dish is to prepare (especially for weekdays) and find them a real family and friends' pleaser!

                               They'll Dream About These All Day...

          

                       Hope There's Not Too Much Rush-Hour Traffic!

Makes 6 large cakes

Ingredients

 

The Cakes:

• 2 TB finely chopped green onions, tops and all (about 3 stalks)
• 2 c. frozen hash-brown potatoes (thawed)
• one/ea. 14.75 oz. can wild pink salmon, or two/ea. 6 oz. cans skinless and boneless wild pink salmon (I used Trader Joe's)
  
• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 tsp. dried dill weed, or 2 TB cleaned and minced* fresh dill weed
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• about 3 TB vegetable oil for frying (I actually love avocado oil the best for this recipe)
  

The Sauce:

• 1/2 c. sour cream (I use reduced fat)
• 1/2 c. mayonnaise (I prefer Hellmann's light mayo)
• 3 TB lime juice
• 1 tsp. dry dill weed, or 1 TB cleaned and minced* fresh dill weed
• 1/16th tsp. (pinch) freshly ground black pepper

The Garnish:

• 3 whole lime, quartered into slices

Directions

Forming The Cakes:

1. In a large bowl, combine the hash browns with the chopped green onions.
2. Drain the salmon and flake with a fork.  (Remove any black skin from the salmon and keep the bones.  This is a personal preference, if your product has skin and bones.)
3. Add the salmon, eggs, dill weed, mustard, pepper and salt to the hash-brown and onion mixture and combine well. Using your hands, form the mixture into six equal patties and refrigerate them...you can refrigerate either just the mixture or the cakes overnight if you prefer.

The Sauce:

Whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce and refrigerate.

Cooking The Cakes:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Carefully place the patties into the pan. (I use my hands to avoid their falling apart too much.) Don't crowd the patties. 
3. Cook both sides of the cakes until well-browned and heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.  If necessary, keep them warm in a 200º oven.

*Tip

• I use kitchen shears to finely cut the fresh dill weed.

Serve the cakes with the lime wedges and lime-dill sauce as an entree or as burgers.  (I like to eat them with a lot of lime juice and a nice dollop of the sauce!)  Absolutely delicious and sure to haunt you!  Enjoy!


Printable Recipe

Mouth-Watering Oven-Barbecued Beef Ribs and Barbecue Butter For Asparagus

Hankering for some meat?   How about some fall-off-the-bones, crispy, sticky, barbecue beef ribs!  Simple...

                                             Got It Right Here...

                                      Bring Out The Napkins!

Ingredients

• Meaty beef ribs (allow about 3 ribs per person, depending on appetites)
• Worcestershire sauce
• garlic powder
• seasoned salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• Your favorite barbecue sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Barbecue Sauce--available at grocery stores)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 250º.
2. Line the bottom and sides of a baking pan with foil.
3. Pat the ribs dry with a paper towel on both sides. Place the ribs in one layer on the foil in the pan. 
4. Lightly sprinkle the Worcestershire sauce on both sides of the ribs and rub in with the back of a spoon.  Lightly sprinkle both sides of the ribs with the garlic powder, seasoned salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Place the ribs meaty side up.
5. Tightly cover the pan with more foil.  Bake at 250º for 4 hours, then remove from the oven.  Increase the oven temperature to 350º.
6. Carefully (because steam will escape) uncover the ribs.  Drain accumulated fat and juices.  Brush, or spread with the back of a spoon, your favorite barbecue sauce on the ribs. Return the ribs to the oven and brown, uncovered, for about 1/2 hour.
7. In a covered microwave-proof bowl, heat a little extra barbecue sauce briefly (maybe 10 to 15 seconds) on medium high in the microwave.

Serve with your favorite side(s), or how about some asparagus with barbecue butter (see recipe below)!  Smack away and enjoy!

Barbecue Butter for Asparagus

As Adapted from Pat and Gina Neely as seen on the Food Network

(I prefer oven-roasted asparagus and The Pioneer Woman's recipe looks good, but the Neelys offer a recipe...see link above...for pan-grilled asparagus if you'd like to try that.)

Use 1 TB of the seasoning for the barbecue butter and store the rest in an airtight container for future use.  The seasoning will keep in the pantry for up to six months.

The Barbecue Seasoning:
1 TB sugar
1/4 c. paprika
1/4 tsp. onion powder

The Butter (enough for 2 lbs. asparagus+)
1 stick slightly softened salted butter
1 TB barbecue seasoning

Mix the 1 TB of barbecue seasoning with the slightly softened butter; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve with your asparagus.  So unique and perfect with your ribs!

                             How Do You Make Asparagus Better?...

                                      With Barbecue Butter!

Printable Recipe

The French Toast English Muffin with Grand Marnier

I was delighted to receive a gift of Wolferman's large English muffins recently, and I immediately imagined these muffins as orange French toast!  The delicate orange flavor which the soak infuses in the French toast is enhanced by topping the toast with orange marmalade.

                                               Pamper Yourself...

                
                                      And Anyone Else You Care To!

Ingredients

Muffin Per Serving:
1/2 to 1 whole Wolferman's Original English Muffin (or 1 whole smaller English muffin, such as Thomas)

Soak (makes enough For 3 Wolferman's Original English Muffin halves (or 4 smaller English muffin halves):
1 egg
1 TB milk
1 TB orange juice
1/8 tsp. orange zest
1 tsp. Grand Marnier (triple orange liqueur) or 1/8 tsp. orange extract
1/16 tsp. (a dash) of ground mace spice

For The Skillet Per Serving:
Butter-flavored cooking spray
1 TB butter

Garnish per serving:
1 tsp. powdered sugar, sifted
about 1/4" orange wheel slice

Topping per serving:
about 1/3 c. orange marmalade

Directions

1. Whisk together the ingredients for the soak in about a 9" shallow cooking pan or dish.  Split the English muffin(s) with a fork and lay each half in the soak.  Let the halves absorb the egg mixture until wet but not completely soaked.
2. Spray a non-stick skillet with the butter-flavored cooking spray.  Add the butter to the skillet and melt over medium heat.  Using a fork or cooking tongs, lift each English muffin half from the soak and gently shake off any excess mixture.  Transfer the muffin(s) to the skillet and cook, flipping once, until golden brown on each side.
3. Garnish with a dusting of sifted powdered sugar and a slice of orange.  Serve orange marmalade for topping.  

Celebrate the New Year with this wonderful orange-flavored, English muffin French toast and enjoy!

Printable Recipe  

                 
                                                 My Granddaughter...

                                              Says Happy New Year!


And so do I!

Wholesome Buttermilk Scones with Whole Wheat (Fruit Optional)

When I was young, a very large pear tree grew outside our kitchen window.  From that tree, my mother made pear preserves which I'll never forget.  When she made biscuits, I'd pile those crisp, thick slices of pear preserves on top of my biscuit halves.  I was in pure, pear-pleasure heaven!  Now, my brother has pear trees and recently very generously shared a large jar of his preserved pears, reminiscent of Mother's.

We agreed that the best way to enjoy these coveted preserves was on top of biscuits.  In pursuit of a more healthy version, I set out to make whole-wheat biscuits.  After a couple of attempts, I decided the biscuits made with all whole-wheat flour were too much of a good thing and that scones made partially with bleached, all-purpose flour would be a better alternative.

I am particularly delighted to share with you my wholesome, light and tender, whole-wheat scone creation.  My favorite way to eat these scones is split and toasted, which brings out the nutty flavor of the whole wheat.  Of course, I have to spread them with a little butter and pear preserves!

                                       Big, Bold and Beautiful...

                               
                                    This Scone Is No Wimp!

8 Large Scones

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 c. bleached, all-purpose flour
• 2/3 c. whole-wheat flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 TB light brown sugar
• 1/4 c. + 2 TB cold butter
• 1 slightly beaten whole egg
• 1 c. buttermilk*
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• about 1/2 c. bleached, all-purpose flour for kneading
• butter-flavored cooking spray 
• 1 slightly beaten egg white
• 3 TB turbinado sugar (Sugar In The Raw)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450º.
2. Sift the first 5 ingredients together in a medium-large mixing bowl.  Blend in the light brown sugar with a fork or whisk.
3. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or fork until you have very coarse crumbs or the butter is pea size. (Don't over process...it's better to have larger, rather than too small, pieces of butter!)
4. Make a well in the center of the mixture.  Add the slightly beaten whole egg, buttermilk and vanilla. Mix just until moist.
5. Kneading Process:  Flour your hands and a medium-large cutting board.  Turn the dough out onto the board...it will be very sticky.  Sprinkle a little of the all-purpose flour on top of the dough.  Using a floured pastry scraper, scrape the edges of the dough toward the center to incorporate the flour. Then start lightly kneading with your hands.  To achieve moist scones, add as little flour as possible as you knead, utilizing the pastry scraper as necessary.  Knead about 8 times.
6. Pat the dough into about a 3/4" thick, 6 1/2" to 7"circle. Using your floured pastry scraper or a very sharp knife, and without sawing, cut the dough into 8 equal wedges.  (If you cut straight down without a sawing motion, the scones will rise better.)
7. Spray a baking sheet with the butter-flavored cooking spray.  Place the wedges in opposite directions about 1" apart on the sheet.  If necessary, reshape the wedges a little with your fingers.
8. Brush each wedge with some of the slightly beaten egg white and sprinkle liberally with the turbinado sugar. Very lightly press the sugar into the scones with the back of a plastic spoon.
9. Bake for 10 minutes or until the scone tops are light golden brown and the bottoms are golden brown when slightly lifted.

Tips

These would be good with one of the following options stirred in just before adding the wet ingredients:
                     1 tsp. orange zest and/or 1/2 c. dried cranberries
                     1/2 c. golden raisins
                     1/2 c. blueberries
                     1/2 c. chopped, dried apricots
                     1/2 c. peeled, chopped apple

*See my Morning Muffins with Bran and Raspberries where I explained the powdered blend for buttermilk, which I often use in lieu of regular buttermilk, because the blend has a better shelf life.

This recipe is the basis for a good scone.  For a more traditional American scone, just use 2 c. bleached, all-purpose flour and omit the whole-wheat four.

For a festive-holiday look, try sprinkling the scones with colored sugar in lieu of the raw sugar just before baking.

If toasting, make sure you place the top of the scone with the sugar coating facing up, so it will not stick to the toaster rack!


                                           My Favorite Way...

                               

                                    Toasted, With Pear Preserves!


This healthy and nutty-flavored scone is sure to help Santa and Chanukah Harry power through the holidays!  Enjoy!

Happy Holidays!

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