Peanut Butter Cherry Bars

This recipe can be found HERE. The difference is that I substituted whole-cherry preserves for strawberry jam.

Sunday Cake

This cake is so simple and delicious! The recipe for the cake can be found in this book. The recipe for the frosting is found HERE.

Chocolate Butterball Cookies

The recipe for these cookies is found HERE.

Ginger-Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies

The recipe for these cookies can be found HERE.

Mimsy's Caramel Apple Birthday Pudding

My birthday pudding!

Mimsy's Caramel Apple Birthday Pudding

Cake:
2 large granny smith apples, peeled and sliced
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Mix butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and mix. Sift dry ingredients and add to butter mixture. Combine until wet. Fold in apples. Place in 9 x 13" pan and bake at 325ºF for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Poke holes in cake with skewer. Top with Apples in Caramel Sauce and allow cake to absorb the sauce.

Apples in Caramel Sauce:
3 large granny smith apples, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup brandy

Cover sliced apples in water , cinnamon and brown sugar. Cook until tender. Remove apples with slotted spoon. Add butter and cream and simmer until thickened. Return apples to sauce and add brandy and vanilla. Pour over hot cake. Serve warm.

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Cream Cheese Filling

This cookies are based on a recipe from this cookbook, only with slight ingredient and method alterations and a completely different filling.  THESE ARE NUMMY so get your noms on.  They are quick and easy to make and you won't regret it.  Besides, just look how adorable they are.  Who wouldn't want to grab one of these at a party?

Chocolate Cookies 
1 1/4 sticks of unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add egg and beat until nearly white.  Combine dry ingredients separately, then add to butter mixture.  Beat together until well-combined.  Roll into 20 2-inch balls.  Roll in sugar, place on a cookie sheet and then flatten.  Bake for 8 minutes or until cracked.  Remove from oven and cool completely on rack.  Sandwich cream cheese filling between cookies (flat sides together).  Serve immediately, or store in refrigerator in sealed container.

Cream Cheese Filling
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
8oz cream cheese
3 Tbsp salted butter
1 tsp vanilla

Beat together until smooth and fluffy.

Lemon Cake with White Chocolate Lemon Buttercream and Lemon Curd Filling

 This cake is rich and refreshing and delicious!  I'm not going to lie to you.  My cake fell a bit and looks like a... cake wreck.  So don't be like me and over-beat your cake.  Also, remember to adjust for high altitude if you live at 5,000 ft elevation like I do. This I forgot.   In spite of looking a bit frumpy, the cake was wonderful.

Lemon Cake with White Chocolate Lemon Buttercream and Lemon Curd Filling

This cake is based on a lemon cake from the book Rose's Heavenly Cakes

Cake

6oz White Chocolate

6 large egg yolks

1 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

3 cups cake flour

1 cup sugar

3/4 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp lemon zest

9 Tbsp unsalted butter

Start by making the Lemon Curd and then the White Chocolate Lemon Buttercream (below).  They need to be made 4 hours ahead of time.

Preheat oven to 350ºF

For cake, melt white chocolate and set aside to cool.  Mix egg yolks, milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Add butter and mix until well combined.  Add egg mixture a little at a time until combined.  Add melted chocolate and mix until smooth.  Don't over-mix.  Spread into two 8" cake rounds (greased and floured).  Bake at 530ºF for 25 minutes or until done. Cool completely.  Fill layers with lemon curd and frost with buttercream.

Lemon Curd Filling

3 Tbsp lemon zest

7 large egg yolks

1 cup sugar

6 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 cup lemon juice (from about 3 lemons)

1/4 tsp salt

In a medium sauce pan, whisk the yolks, sugar and butter until well blended. Whisk in lemon juice and salt. Cook over medium-low heat until curd is thickened.  Do not allow to boil or it will curdle!  This might take some patience.  I suggest listening to an audiobook or watching a show while doing this.  I was over the stove for 20+ minutes. Allow curd to cool in refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 hours.

 

White Chocolate Lemon Buttercream  

10.5 oz white chocolate
20 Tbsp unsalted butter (divided)
4 large eggs

Melt white chocolate without much heat (over double boiler if possible).  Whisk in eggs and heat to 140ºF while stirring.  Cover and refrigerate.  Stir the mixture every 15 minutes until cool to the touch. whip in butter (using whisk attachment on mixer) until peaks form. Refrigerate, covered, for 3 - 4 hours.

Right before frosting cake, whip again and add about 1/2 cup of the lemon curd to the buttercream icing.