Pistachio Cake from scratch with Cream cheese frosting!

Sunday was my nephew’s birthday ! We celebrated his birthday with rocket theme. I still cannot believe he turned two years old! Wow how time flies! My sister requested a pistachio cake with cream cheese frosting. This is what I came up for the big day. I wanted to stay away from the traditional yellow cake box with jello box of pistachio pudding (no offense). The traditional pistachio cake is one my husband’s favorites for sure! This recipes just less processed.

Yields a two layered 9″ cake

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cup cake flour
3/4 cup AP Flour
1 cup of pistachios
1 stick (8 TB) unsalted butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup canola oil
1 TB baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 TB Mexican vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup graduated sugar
1 1/2 cup iced water
2 eggs at room temperature
3 egg whites at room temperature
1/4 tsp cream of tarter

Frosting:
24 oz cream cheese (8 oz regular & 16 oz 1/3 fat reduced room temperature)
12 TB unsalted butter (room temperature)
3 cups powdered sugar
1.5 tsp Mexican vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

1) parchment paper line two 9″ round cake pans and spray with combination cooking spray/ flour spray such as Baker’s Joy. I like to place a metal flower nail in the center to help the cakes bake evenly.

Set aside.

2) In a food processor pulse until fine 1 cup of roasted pistachios.

3) Sift together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, stir in pistachio powder. Set aside

4) In a stand mixer with paddle attachment with spatula beat butter and shorten together until creamy (takes about 1 minute).

5) Add 1 1/2 cup of sugars & vanilla and beat until mixture is fluffy (this can take 3-4 minutes on medium speed). Now turn mixer to low and add whole egg (save the 3 whites for below). Beat until well incorporated.

6) Now alternate between adding the flour mixture and ice cold water. Make sure you start and end with flour. Mix until well combined.

7) In a clean bowl for stand mixer with whisk attachment whisk egg whites and cream of tarter on medium speed .

Whisk until foamy.

8) Now add remaining sugar and beat until soft peaks form (please be carful not to over beat!)

9) Take egg whites and gently fold them into the cake batter.

10) Once batter is prepared divide between the two pans. I like to weigh the pans to have accurate measurements which mine came out to 29.3 oz each.

11) Make sure to lightly bang the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles. And if you are using flower nails make sure they are center for placing your pans into the oven. Place both pans in oven staggered from one another. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.

12) Leave in pan for 20 minutes and allow to cool on wire rack. Remove from pan and continue to allow to cool on wire rack.

13) After the cakes cool completely wrap in plastic wrap and place back into the pans.

Place in freezer overnight. This prevents crumbs from getting in the frosting.

Prepare frosting:
Place butter and cream cheese in stand mixer beat until fluffy.

Add vanilla. Add powered sugar in small amounts (1/2 cup portions works well) .

Lay flat of cake side down. Place a small amount of frosting in the center.

Now lay round portion of the cake on to frosting. Which would allow the flat surface appear on the top. Frost to your liking.

Enjoy!

Serves 12 to 16 servings (really just depends on how you cut it)

Pork Tenderloin and Sauerkraut

This has to be one of husband’s all time favorite dinners. It is a nice hearty supper! Not to mention it can be left in the slow cooker all day and ready for when you get home from work! Who doesn’t like that? This recipe is my mother in laws and she has been making it for years so it’s tried and true! Plus another bonus is there are only 5 ingredients!!

Ingredients;
1 pound pork tenderloin
1 32 oz bag of sauerkraut
1/3 to 1/2 cup brown sugar (not packed)
1 TB unsalted butter
Freshly cracked Pepper to season

Directions:
1) heat a large sauté pan on medium to high heat and melt butter

2) Once butter melted add pork tenderloin to heated skillet.

3) Season with pepper. Let meat brown up on one side (about 3-4 minutes) on medium to high heat.

4) flip over to other side and repeat.

5) Place the pork in the slow cooker on low heat.

6) Now cover with sauerkraut.

7) Sprinkle brown sugar over top and cover with lid .

8) Let pork cook on low for 8 hours.

Enjoy with some mashed potatoes!

Pumpkin Pie

One of my husband’s favorite pies is pumpkin! Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without a piece of pumpkin pie.

Ingredients:
2 cups of pumpkin purée
1/2 cup fat free half and half
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz of 1/3 fat reduced cream cheese
1 tsp of high quality pumpkin pie spice
1 cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 tsp Mexican Pure Vanilla extract

Crust:
1 cup AP Flour
1/3 cup plus 1 TB of shortening
1-3 TB ice cold water
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Crust Directions:
Mix flour and salt together. Add shortening and using hands cut shortening into flour mixture or use a pastry cutter but I prefer hands. Cut until dough has pea sized particles.

Start to add water in small amounts. Knead with hands until dough is no longer sticky or dry. Adding more shortening and water as needed. Start with first amount as listed above and increase to max amount as necessary.

Cover in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out chilled dough in a circle shape on to a lightly floured surface.

Roll dough onto rolling pin and center over a 9 inch pie dish and crimp edges.

Blind bake with pie dough weights in foil for 20 minutes.

In the meantime beat the cream cheese with paddle attachment.

Add pumpkin.

Beat together. Add sugar, salt, add eggs mix until incorporated.

Add heavy cream, half and half and melted butter and mix.

Add pumpkin pie spice and vanilla and mix to blend spices throughout.

Pour filling into the prepared pie crust.

Place pie in oven and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the center is firm.

Remove from oven and let rest on wire rack.

If you have left over dough; roll out and use cookie cutter molds to make leaves for fall. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Once cooled place on top of fully cooked pie.

Mile High Spiced Apple Pie

Nothing says traditional Thanksgiving like a homemade apple pie. I was lucky to have apples leftover from grandfather’s orchard. Everyone always has their own family recipe and opinion on what apples to use. Honestly use what is on sale or what you have and I can guarantee it will turn out amazing !

This recipe yields 6 to 8 slices

Filling Ingredients:
3 pounds of apples (peeled, cored, and sliced thin) ( I used a variety (Granny Smith, Red Delicious, and Johnny Gold)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (not packed)
1/4 cup flour
1 TB Lemon juice
1 tsp of high quality Vietnamese cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground mace
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice

Pie dough:

2 cup AP (aka all purpose) Flour
2/3 cup plus 2 TB shortening
1 tsp kosher salt
3-6 TB ice water

Topping:
1 tsp skim milk
1 tsp vanilla sugar

Crust Directions:
Mix flour and salt together. Add shortening and using hands cut shortening into flour mixture or use a pastry cutter but I prefer hands. Cut until dough has pea sized particles.

Divide dough into 2 balls, one slightly larger then the other. Cover in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

In meantime peel, core and slice apples.

Add lemon juice, flour and spices toss until well incorporated.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and move oven rack to lowest 3rd of the oven.

By now your dough should be chilled. Use the larger dough ball for the bottom crust. Roll out in a circle shape on to lightly floured surface.

Roll dough onto rolling pin and center over a 9 inch pie dish and trim the overhang to 1/2 inch. Brush small amount of water on edges to seal top dough.

Add apple mixture to pie dough and create a mound in the center.

Roll out second dough ball and roll onto pin place over apples.

Trim over hang to 1 inch.

Fold the top crust edge under to bottom crust edge and press to seal.

Cut four slits in the top to allow the steam to escape.

With leftover dough trimmings, roll out dough and cut out leaf dough shapes and place over the pie if desired. The milk will help the cutouts stick to top crust.

Take milk and brush dough and sprinkle with vanilla sugar.

Place in oven on cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Decrease temperature to 375 degrees. And bake for an additional hour. Or until bubbles start to come out.

You may need to cover dough edges with a pie crust saver to prevent burning (check half way through).

Place on wire rack to cool completely before severing! WARNING your house will smell absolutely divine!

Honey Wheat Dinner Rolls

This year I was assigned the dinner rolls for Thanksgiving! I always like to try a new recipe and I am always trying to add wheat flour to traditional recipes. But I like to add the whole grain flour in small doses because not everyone likes the nutty flavor of wheat.

This recipe yields 3 dozen rolls.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water
1 1/2 cup warm skim milk (not hot it will kill the yeast)
4 1/2 tsp yeast (2 packets)
1/2 cup sugar
1 TB kosher salt
1/3 cup shortening
2 eggs (farm fresh or egglands best)
6 cups of AP (all purpose flour)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 TB honey

Directions:

Place the yeast in the half cup of water and allow to foam ( the process can take up to 5 minutes)

If the yeast doesn’t foam you have bad yeast and throw it away and buy new.

Combine milk, sugar, honey , salt in a separate bowl and stir to dissolve.

Place milk mixture, yeast mixture, along with shortening,eggs, 1 cup of flour and beat until smooth with whisk attachment.

Add remaining flours (save 1/2 cup to add gradually and also for when you knead onto hard surface).

Using stand mixer knead with dough hook for 5 to 10 minutes on medium speed (gradually work your way up to medium if not flour will go everywhere!)

Remove from mixer once the dough no longer sticks to sides of bowl.

Lay the dough on a clean lightly floured surface.

And knead by hand for a minute until dough is smooth, elastic and no longer sticky.

Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and roll dough in the bowl to cover with the dough completely with the oil. Place parchment paper in top of the dough with a warm damp cloth.

Allow the dough to rise in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Or go straight to allowing the dough to rise for 1 hour and form into shape desired for roll. Form dough into large grape sized balls and cover with plastic wrap and let rise again for another hour. As shown I divided them into 3 balls and placed in cooking sprayed muffin tins to rise.

They should double in size before baking.

Preheat oven to 375. Place oven rack in center of oven.

Bake for 14 to 15 minutes.

Let cool in place for 5 minutes and serve.

These go well with canned hot peppers or apple butter!

Say it isn’t so ….Pumpkin Alfredo

I am been working on trying to make all the canned pumpkin recipes that FN had in their October 2013 Magazine. The other night I was making my pumpkin granola bars and had some left over fresh roasted pumpkin puree. I don’t like to waste food, so I decided now was as perfect time as ever to make this Alfredo for dinner. I made a few modifications to lighten up the recipe and add some whole grains as well.

Ingredients:

12 ounces of Whole Wheat Penne Pasta (if you do not like the nutty flavor of whole grain go with Dreamfield’s pasta or Smart Taste made by Ronzoni) both of these pasta’s cook white and trust me no one will know the difference!!
1 Cup of fresh pumpkin puree
1 Cup of Fat Free Half and Half
2 TB of Butter
10-12 Fresh Sage leaves
a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions on box.

2. In the meantime whisk pumpkin puree, half and half & nutmeg in a 2 qt sauce pan on medium heat allow to simmer for 5 minutes. In a small sauté pan melt butter and add sage leaves sauté for 2 to 3 minutes add to pumpkin puree mixture, whisk until incorporated.

3. Drain the pasta and add the penne to the sauce.

4. Add freshly grated cheese to taste and serve.

Enjoy !

Pumpkin Granola Bars

If you didn’t know it by now, I’m sure you would have eventually guessed…I love pumpkin! My husband does too! I even made pumpkin Alfredo tonight for supper!

Tomorrow at work we are having a lunch and learn (without the lunch) unfortunately everyone is having to cut back. The plus side packing a lunch is less expensive and can be healthier! That said I decided to make us a fall snack for during the webinar. I cannot think of anything better than this wholesome snack.

Ingredients:
4 cups of old fashion oats
1/2 cup brown sugar (not packed)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 roasted pumpkin seeds (chopped)
1 TB of high quality pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp of kosher salt
3/4 cup purée pumpkin (I used fresh)
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 honey
1 TB milled flaxseed
1/2 TB of pure vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Line a 9 by 13 pan with foil & spray with cooking spray.

Place all the dry ingredients into a large bowl.

Whisk dry ingredients together until incorporated.

In a separate large bowl add the wet ingredients together.

Whisk until mixed well.

Add dry mix to wet batter. Fold in the dry ingredients until there are no signs of dry crumbs.

Add the batter into the foil lined baking dish.

Press the batter evenly into the pan using a spatula.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes.

Let cool completely. Use excess foil as handles to help you remove the granola from pan.

Cut into 12 bars

Pierogi Pizza

My husband and I love pierogi. The other night I wanted to make pierogies and I didn’t have any in the freezer. I made a pot roast instead with some garlic mashed potatoes. We had mashed potatoes left over so I made some pizza crust (TOH whole wheat) and thought well I can make a pierogi pizza. Now it is a favorite!

Ingredient:

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~1-1/2 cups of cheddar cheese

~1 cup left over seasoned mashed potatoes (I used roasted garlic)
~1/4 tsp garlic salt
~1/2 chopped onions sautéed in 1 tsp butter
1 TB cornmeal

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven with pizza stone at 500 for one hour.
In the meantime get your crust recipe going or thawing if you are using a store bought dough frozen or fresh)

Roll out dough and sprinkle cornmeal on either a pizza peal or back of a sheet pan and set dough on top of the spread out cornmeal this makes it easier to slide the dough onto the hot pizza stone. Sprinkle garlic salt over the dough and make fork marks in the dough to prevent the dough from bubbling up in the oven. Now place the dough in the oven.

Let the dough bake for 5 minutes and then remove from the oven.

While the dough is pre baking sauté up the onions. Get a pan hot (medium heat) and melt the butter and the onions. Cook until the onions are transparent about 5-8 minutes.

Spread out the mashed potatoes on top of the dough. Sprinkle the sautéed onions. One top of the onions sprinkle the amount of cheese you would like on top and bake pizza for 10-15 minutes.

Be careful the mashed potatoes are a good insulator and make this pizza hot.

Rich Brownies (dietitian not recommended)

Sometimes you have to spurge and go all out. I have been looking for a good fudgy brownie that’s not out of the box and without all the extras. I think I found a winner.

Ingredients:

3 oz 70% dark chocolate
3 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 stick of butter
1 tsp instant coffee granules
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup AP flour
1 cup of sugar
2 tsp vanilla pure extract
3 eggs (farmer fresh or egg-lands best)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Foil line an 8 by 8 pan, make sure to leave extra over sides to serve as a handles. Spray pan with cooking spray.

1. Mix the flour, baking powder, instant coffee , and salt in a medium bowl. Set a side.

2. Place butter, & chocolates in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 15 second intervals using spatula to scrape down sides in bowl each time. Make sure not to burn the chocolate.

If you rather you could use a double boiler or glass bowl over simmering water bath (I’ll leave that up to you). I prefer microwave less pans to clean.

Once the chocolate mix is melted smoothly add in vanilla & sugar.

Add one egg at a time.

Whisk after each egg addition.

Add flour blend to chocolate batter.

Mix with whisk until fully incorporated.

Pour batter into pan and spread evenly with spatula.

Bake in center of the oven for 35 minutes. You want a soft crumb on your toothpick when testing the brownie to see if finished.

Let sit in pan for 5 minutes. Remove from baking dish and let cool on wire rack.

A Pinch of Luv

from scratch baking and cooking blog

Pistachio Cake from scratch with Cream cheese frosting!

Pork Tenderloin and Sauerkraut

Pumpkin Pie

Mile High Spiced Apple Pie

Honey Wheat Dinner Rolls

Ham and Cheddar Popovers

Say it isn’t so ….Pumpkin Alfredo

Pumpkin Granola Bars

Pierogi Pizza

Rich Brownies (dietitian not recommended)