Four Layer Pumpkin Cake

Four Layer Pumpkin Cake
Go to kraftrecipes.com for the recipe. :-)

Cameroonian Banana Bread

Cameroonian Banana Bread

This recipe is from my friend, Megan at The books that would be written.

Ingredients:

3-4 ripe bananas

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

1 1/2 cups flour (white or wheat)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a medium bread tin. Peel the bananas and break into chunks, adding to mixing bowl. Add butter and sugar. With electric mixer, mix until mostly smooth. Add eggs and mix until blended. Add baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon and beat until well-mixed. Gradually add flour and mix, just until well blended. Pour batter into tin and bake for about an hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Mother's Day

My whole family came to visit my apartment on Mother's day, and I made a nice spring dinner. For dessert, I made this recipe for Strawberry Tiramisu, but didn't realize till I had made it that it needed to cool overnight. So I made chocolate mousse from a package for that day instead, and my roommate and I enjoyed the tiramisu during the week. Mother's day dinner still turned out great. :-)

Menu:
Sauteed Chicken with Tomato Vinaigrette on Frisee
Parmesan Garlic Noodles
Strawberry Tiramisu



Sauteed Chicken with Tomato-Saffron Vinaigrette on Frisse
From Bon Appetit

Ingredients
3 tablespoons white basalmic vinegar or rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons hot paprika, divided
1/8 teaspoon crumbled saffron
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 cup minced shallots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
1 1-pint basket cherry tomatoes, havled
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1 head of frisee, torn apart

Directions
Mix vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and saffron in medium bowl. Mix in 3 tablespoons oil, shallots, and 1 tablespoon thyme. Stir in tomatoes, Season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken breast halves with remaining 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 tablespoon thyme, and salt and pepper. Add to skillet; saute until cooked through, turning often, about 12 minutes. Transfer chicken to work surface. Divide frisee among 4 plates. Slice chicken; fan atop frisse. Spoon vinaigrette over.

**Note: I did not include the saffron when making this recipe and use regular basalmic vinegar. It still turned out delicious. Great recipe for impressing people with not too much work since it's not too hard but has great presentation!

Strawberry Tiramisu
From Bon Appetit

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups strawberry preserves
1/3 cup plus 4 tablespoons Cointreau or orange liqueur, divided
1/3 cup orange juice
1 lb mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 1/3 cups chilled whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 lb fresh strawberries, divided
52 (about) crisp ladyfingers

Directions
Whisk preserves, 1/3 cup Cointreau, and orange juice in 2-cup measuring cup. Place mascarpone cheese and 2 tablespoons Cointreau in large bowl; fold just to blend. Using electric mixer, beat cream, sugar, vanilla, and remaining 2 tablespoons Cointreau in another large bowl to soft peaks. Sitr 1/4 of whipped cream into mascarpone mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining whipped cream.

Hull and slice half of strawberries. Spread 1/2 cup preserve mixture over bottom of 3-quart oblong serving dish or 12x9x2-in baking dish. Arrange enough ladyfingers over preserve mixture t ocover bottom of dish. Spoon 3/4 cup preserve mixture over lady fingers, then spread 2 1/2 cups mascarpone mixture over. Arrange sliced strawberries over mascarpone mixture. Repeat layering with remaining ladyfingers, preserve mixture, and mascarpone mixture. Cover with plastic and chill at least 8 hours or overnight.

Slice remaining strawberries. Arrange over tiramisu and serve.

**Note: I didn't use any of the liqueur since it is expensive and it is not a cooked dish (the alcohol wouldn't cook off). It was delicious anyway! I took some home for my mom since she couldn't have any on mother's day, and she LOVED it.

Easter Brunch, Dinner, and Dessert

I was so excited to be in charge for the Easter menu that I went a little overboard: I made brunch, dinner, and cake for dessert. Luckily, everything turned out great!

Menu:
Brunch: Paula Deen's Baked French Toast Casserole
Dinner: Dearborn Ham, Grandma's Hot German Potato Salad, & Steamed Asparagus
Dessert: Todd's Orange and Raspberry Cake




Paula Deen's Baked French Toast Casserole:
From www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

• 1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash salt
• Praline Topping, recipe follows
• Maple syrup

Directions

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

**NOTE: We found that the maple syrup wasn't necessary at all, this french toast is sweet enough!

Grandma's Hot German Potato Salad:

Unavailable now but coming soon!

Todd's Orange and Raspberry Cake:

From www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

Cake:

• Butter, for greasing the pans
• Flour, for dusting
• 1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix (recommended: Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe)
• 1 large orange, zested, about 1/4 cup
• 1 1/3 cups no pulp orange juice
• 3 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Frosting:

• 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup creme fraiche
• 1 pound powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup raspberry jam
• Water, as needed
• 1/4 cup raspberry jam
• 1 (6-ounce) container fresh raspberries

Directions

For the cake: Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour the bottom and sides of 2 nonstick, 8-inch round, baking pans. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the cake mix and orange zest. Mix for 20 seconds at low speed until the zest is incorporated. Add the orange juice, egg whites, and vegetable oil. Blend at low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula, as needed. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake until golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 to 32 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool the pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely, about 1 hour.

For the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and creme fraiche at high speed until smooth, about 10 seconds. With the machine running at medium-low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar until incorporated. Add the raspberry jam and increase the speed to high. Beat until the frosting is smooth and spreadable, adding water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed.

To assemble the cake: Arrange 1 cake layer, flat side up, on a cake stand. Using a spatula, spread a thin layer of frosting on top leaving a 1/2-inch border. Spread 1/4 cup of raspberry jam on top of the frosting. Arrange the other cake layer on top. Using a spatula, frost the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with fresh raspberries. Cut the cake into wedges with a slightly wet knife and serve.

Store the cake in a plastic container in the refrigerator. Allow the refrigerated cake to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

**If you like citrus-flavored cake and homemade frosting, this cake is to die for!