Home Party Dessert Recipe
12/19/2011
Chocolate Layer Cake
For cake:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups milk
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
3 eggs
1 1/4 t baking powder
1 t vanilla
For frosting:
6 to 8 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
1/4 cup butter
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
6 T Creme de Cacao
2 eggs
1 T vanilla
pinch of salt
1 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts
For decoration:
10 to 12 chocolate coated coffee beans
>how to make<
(for cake)
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
*Grease three 9" cake pans.
*Sift flour into large bowl.
*Add sugar, butter, 3/4 cup milk, chocolate, baking soda and salt, and beat with electric mixer 2 minutes at medium speed.
*Add remaining milk, eggs, baking powder and vanilla and beat 2 minutes more.
*Pour into prepared pans and bake in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until cakes test done and have pulled away slightly from sides of pan.
*Allow to cool completely on rack.
(for frosting)
*Soften chocolate and butter in top of double boiler over hot, not boiling water.
*Stir in remaining ingredients.
*Place top of double boiler in bowl of ice and beat frosting with electric mixer about 5 minutes, or until it reaches spreading consistency.
(for assembling)
*Place first layer on plate and frost.
*Sprinkle with half the chopped nuts.
*Repeat with second layer, using remaining chopped nuts.
*Top with third layer and frost top and sides of cake.
*Decorate top of cake with chocolate coated coffee beans.
For cake:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups milk
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
3 eggs
1 1/4 t baking powder
1 t vanilla
For frosting:
6 to 8 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
1/4 cup butter
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
6 T Creme de Cacao
2 eggs
1 T vanilla
pinch of salt
1 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts
For decoration:
10 to 12 chocolate coated coffee beans
>how to make<
(for cake)
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
*Grease three 9" cake pans.
*Sift flour into large bowl.
*Add sugar, butter, 3/4 cup milk, chocolate, baking soda and salt, and beat with electric mixer 2 minutes at medium speed.
*Add remaining milk, eggs, baking powder and vanilla and beat 2 minutes more.
*Pour into prepared pans and bake in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until cakes test done and have pulled away slightly from sides of pan.
*Allow to cool completely on rack.
(for frosting)
*Soften chocolate and butter in top of double boiler over hot, not boiling water.
*Stir in remaining ingredients.
*Place top of double boiler in bowl of ice and beat frosting with electric mixer about 5 minutes, or until it reaches spreading consistency.
(for assembling)
*Place first layer on plate and frost.
*Sprinkle with half the chopped nuts.
*Repeat with second layer, using remaining chopped nuts.
*Top with third layer and frost top and sides of cake.
*Decorate top of cake with chocolate coated coffee beans.
Labels: chocolate cake recipe, chocolate frosting, layer cake recipe
12/06/2011
Portuguese Butter Cookies and Spanish Sandwich Cookies
-Portuguese Butter Cookies-
6 T sugar
5 oz unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
grated zest of 1 lemon
7 oz all purpose flour
a pinch of salt
>how to make<
*Beat the sugar and butter together until they are light and fluffy, about 5 or 6 minutes with a handheld mixer or 4 or 5 minutes with a heavy duty electric mixer.
*Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, incorporating one thoroughly before ading the next.
*Stir in the lemon zest and blend well until smooth.
*Sift the flour and salt together directly into the bowl and stir into the butter mixture until a dough is formed.
*Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
*Prepare buttered or parchment paper lined baking sheets.
*Divide the dough in half and cover the portion you are not using.
*Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a 1/4" thick rectangle.
*Cut out disks with a heart and a snowflake cookie cutter.
*Repeat with the second piece of dough and then reroll the scraps.
*Set the cookies on the prepared baking sheets.
*Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
*After they are completely cooled, decorate as you wish.
-makes about 2 dozen-
Note: This recipe was adapted from "In Nonna's Kitchen".
=======================================================
-Spanish Sandwich Cookies-
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 t cream of tartar
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
8 T unsalted butter, very soft
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 T brandy or rum
1 cup Dulce de Leche
>hot to make<
*Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
*Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and mix together thoroughly with a whisk or fork.
*With a large spoon in a medium mixing bowl or with a mixer, mix the butter with the sugar until smooth and well blended but not fluffy.
*Add the egg and brandy and mix until smooth.
*Add the flour mixture and mix until completely incorporated.
*Shape heaping teaspoons of dough into 1" balls, or shape level teaspoons of dough into smaller balls.
*Place the cookies 2" apart on the lined or ungreased pans and flatten to about 1/2" thick .
*Bake for 14 to 16 minutes for larger cookies or 12 to 15 minutes for smaller cookies, until the edges are lightly browned.
*Rotate the pans from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking time.
*Cool the cookies completely before filling.
*Sandwich cookies with a generous dab of dulce de leche.
-Portuguese Butter Cookies-
6 T sugar
5 oz unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
grated zest of 1 lemon
7 oz all purpose flour
a pinch of salt
>how to make<
*Beat the sugar and butter together until they are light and fluffy, about 5 or 6 minutes with a handheld mixer or 4 or 5 minutes with a heavy duty electric mixer.
*Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, incorporating one thoroughly before ading the next.
*Stir in the lemon zest and blend well until smooth.
*Sift the flour and salt together directly into the bowl and stir into the butter mixture until a dough is formed.
*Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
*Prepare buttered or parchment paper lined baking sheets.
*Divide the dough in half and cover the portion you are not using.
*Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a 1/4" thick rectangle.
*Cut out disks with a heart and a snowflake cookie cutter.
*Repeat with the second piece of dough and then reroll the scraps.
*Set the cookies on the prepared baking sheets.
*Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
*After they are completely cooled, decorate as you wish.
-makes about 2 dozen-
Note: This recipe was adapted from "In Nonna's Kitchen".
=======================================================
-Spanish Sandwich Cookies-
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 t cream of tartar
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
8 T unsalted butter, very soft
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 T brandy or rum
1 cup Dulce de Leche
>hot to make<
*Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
*Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and mix together thoroughly with a whisk or fork.
*With a large spoon in a medium mixing bowl or with a mixer, mix the butter with the sugar until smooth and well blended but not fluffy.
*Add the egg and brandy and mix until smooth.
*Add the flour mixture and mix until completely incorporated.
*Shape heaping teaspoons of dough into 1" balls, or shape level teaspoons of dough into smaller balls.
*Place the cookies 2" apart on the lined or ungreased pans and flatten to about 1/2" thick .
*Bake for 14 to 16 minutes for larger cookies or 12 to 15 minutes for smaller cookies, until the edges are lightly browned.
*Rotate the pans from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking time.
*Cool the cookies completely before filling.
*Sandwich cookies with a generous dab of dulce de leche.
Labels: Christmas Cookies recipe, Portuguese Butter Cookies recipe, Spanish Sandwich Cookies recipe
