Carrot Cake

 

Happy Almost Easter!

 

I made this yummy carrot cake for "company" for supper last nite. It was so easy and very similar to making a fresh apple cake. You just can't go wrong with an Ina Garten recipe. Except, I can't always find the ingredients she calls for where we live! Since I could not find marscapone in our grocery, I used a simple Cream Cheese Icing recipe from my other favorite, Southern Living. I'll post both and you can take your pick. I did add the crystallized ginger and thought it gave a nice "kick" to the taste of the icing. However, I would not rush out to purchase it just for this recipe. I keep it on hand for Christmas baking and those wonderful Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars.

Confession time, I made the carrot decorations from Royal Icing on waxed paper. Do NOT ask why I didn't just make them on the cake! For some reason, I thought they would look cuter if attached to the sides of the cake. Learn from my mistakes. Make them ON the cake. The carrots came off the wax paper just fine. The leaves didn't. Since this was for close friends, I used them anyway and I have to admit the ones popping up above the sides of the cake were cute!

Ina Garten's Carrot Cake with Marscapone Ginger Icing

2 cups  sugar
1⅓ cups vegetable oil
3 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups plus 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 pound carrots, grated by hand, not in food processor
1 cup raisins (you can omit these, if you prefer)
1 cup chopped walnuts (of course, I used pecans!)

Frosting:
12 ounces Italian mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
⅓ cup minced crystallized ginger (not in syrup), plus more for garnish
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400°. Grease two 9 x 2 round cake pans, grease and flour the pans,line the bottoms with parchment paper (or waxed paper).

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sugar, oil, and eggs together on medium-high speed 2 minutes, until light yellow and thickened. Stir in vanilla. In another bowl, sift together 2 cups flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low, slowly add dry ingredients to wet ones.

In a medium bowl, toss carrots, raisins, nuts, and remaining 1 Tbsp. flour. Stir into batter with a rubber spatula. Divide batter between prepared pans and smooth tops. Bake 10 minutes, lower heat to 350°, and bake 30 to 35 minutes more, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Set aside 15 minutes to cool in pans, turn out onto a baking rack, and allow to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat mascarpone, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, cream, and vanilla about 1 minute, until light and fluffy. Add crystallized ginger and salt and beat 30 seconds more.

Place 1 cake on a flat serving plate, rounded side down. Spread half the frosting on top only (not the sides). Place the second cake on top of the first, rounded side up. Frost just the top of the second cake. Sprinkle with crystallized ginger. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve (if cake is refrigerated, let it come to room temperature before serving).


Helen's Note
Here is the icing recipe I used. It made enough to go between the layers and on the sides of the cake. I did not sprinkle with more ginger. I did add the chopped crystalized ginger to the frosting along with a teaspoon of lemon juice. I like lemon juice in cream cheese icing to "cut" the sweetness. (That's one of Mama's special cooking terms.)

Basic Cream Cheese Icing
1 (8-oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound powdered sugar

Cream the cream cheese and butter until soft and fluffy in electric mixer. Add vanilla. Add powdered sugar a little at the time until all is added and mixture is spreading consistency. If needed, add milk or cream to make the icing softer.

Country Ham and Shrimp on Grits

Forest Gump, move over! Here comes a very Southern dish! This is so good it would make Forest run for sure. When I think of Shrimp and Grits, I think of Spanish moss hanging from giant oak trees, warm summer days, lazy rivers, front porches, lemonade in tall glasses with sprigs of mint and the scent of magnolia blossoms wafting on the breeze. My goodness, Scarlet just may show up for dinner!

We lived in Jacksonville, Fl right out of college for 10 years. I was in heaven with all the fresh seafood and fish. We used to go to the docks at Mayport and buy shrimp as it came off the boat, heads on for $1 per pound! Oh! My! That WAS a long time ago!! When I was little, my godmother lived in Long Beach, MS literally across Hwy 90 from the Gulf coast. She taught me to eat whole flounder at an early age and ingrained in me a love of all things from salt water. A few years ago, Bill and I went to San Juan, PR and ate at a small local restaurant where I had traditional paella, complete with eyes looking back at me! That was almost too much! But, I still loved every bite even though I couldn't look at it!

I truly believe there are those of us that no matter where we live, we will always have a little sand in our shoes. And for those of you who don't, you will still love this recipe!

This recipe calls for country ham. If you don't have it or chose not to use it, substitute pancetta, thick bacon or smoked ham. Just realize that country ham gives that smoky, salty flavor that adds depths of flavor to this dish.

The worst sin of cooking seafood is overcooking! Shrimp are done as soon as they turn pink. Period. If you cook them longer, you might as well serve rubber bands. And, that is all I have to say about that.

Serve the shrimp over grits, but not just ordinary grits and PULEEZE, NOT instant grits (which to true Southerners are not grits at all!). Stone ground grits with some texture and flakes of crunchy corn husks will make all the difference in elevating this dish from plain to gourmet!

This is a special occasion meal. Serve it for company who will (hopefully) appreciate this Southern specialty. I plan to make it for my sister-in-law from Maine when she visits.

Country Ham and Shrimp on Grits
1 stick butter
12 oz. country ham, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 cup brandy
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 teaspoon sage
1 1/2 pounds small shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
Hot cooked grits

Melt butter in large, heavy nonstick skillet over high heat. Add ham and saute quickly. Add garlic and green onion. Saute for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in brandy. Return to heat and stir in cream, cayenne and sage. Cook for 3 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Add shrimp and simmer for 2 minutes or until the shrimp turn light pink. Stir in the parsley and serve over hot grits.
Yield: 4 servings.

Mississippi Mud Cake

There's a lot to be said for old recipes... especially desserts. Mississippi Mud Cake has been around for years and years and really can't be beat for a quick, easy and dependable chocolate cake. Baking in a 9x13 pan makes it easy to serve and store. The original recipe used a package of miniature marshmallows sprinkled over the top of the hot cake. You can add those or not. Either way, you'll have a rich chocolaty cake with silky smooth icing.

I came across this handwritten on a recipe card by a friend who lived in Jackson, MS. You just can't get much more Southern than that! It's an old standby and well worth saving.

Mississippi Mud Cake
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 cup chopped pecans ( toasted!)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 pkg miniatute marshmallows, optional

Generously grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt butter, add cocoa and stir until melted. Remove from heat and add sugar, eggs, flour, salt, nuts and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Bake 30 minutes. If using marshmallows, sprinkle on top of cooked cake and return to oven just until they melt. Cool completely.

Icing
1 stick butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 (1-lb) box powdered sugar
7 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans (toasted!)
Melt butter and cocoa. Remove from heat.  Add sifted sugar, milk and vanilla. Beat until fluffy. Frost cooled cake. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Cheesy Ham and Hashbrown Casserole

Today was my annual mammogram as well as the year for a bone density test. So, I scheduled them  mid-afternoon and it turned out to be a sunny day for a drive to the "big" hospital 30 minutes away. Bill went along only because I agreed to go in ample time to visit Home Depot, too. If you have NOT scheduled a mammogram in a year, go immediately to the phone and do it NOW! It can literally save your life. It's not comfortable, but neither is a trip to the dentist and I do that every 6 months without fail.

As we wandered the aisles of Home Depot lined with BBQ grills, I realized how ready I am for grilled food! My mouth watered at the thought of big juicy hamburgers, BBQ ribs, grilled chicken breasts, tzatziki pork..... Oh! Man! Then I heard the weather report for the next week. We will NOT be grilling out anytime soon. Sigh.......

 I realize that winter is the best time for slow cooked foods, warm soups and casseroles. All those things that by next fall, I'll be craving. So, back to the kitchen and the warmth of the oven baking something yummy.

Quick and easy casseroles sprang to mind. But not ones loaded with "cream of" soups. How about ham and potatoes with cheesy sauce? Served with a bowl of green beans (canned last summer from my friend's garden) and a side of applesauce.... yuuum... winter comfort food!

Give this one a try. I think you'll like it! It's also great for brunch.

Cheesy Ham and Hashbrown Casserole
5 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups chopped ham
3 cups frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1/2 cup chopped onions (I like to saute mine in butter until transparent)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (shred it yourself, the pre-shredded stuff doesn't melt!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Stir in ham, hash browns, onion and 1 cup cheese.
Pour into prepared dish and bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top and return to oven until cheese melts. Remove from oven and let set for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutella Meringues

Meringues literally melt in your mouth, like clouds of egg white and sugar. Add Nutella and you've got a real winner! Meringues should be made on a day with low humidity. That would rule out most of the days lately! Wait for a sunny day and try this fun and easy recipe.

Nutella Meringues

 

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

a pinch of cream of tartar

a pinch of salt

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon, granulated sugar

1/4 cup Nutella

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Make sure you have one oven rack in the bottom third of your oven and one in the upper third of your oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

 Place Nutella in a double boiler. Warm the Nutella through and then set aside. Let the Nutella cool as you make the meringue.

 

Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until completely foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt; continue whipping at medium-high speed until soft peaks form when you lift the whisk attachment. This should take a few minutes.

Increase the speed to high and begin adding the sugar a few spoonfuls at a time.

Once all the sugar is incorporated, the meringue should be very thick (almost stiff) and when you lift the whisk, firm peaks should remain.
 

Remove the bowl from the mixer and drop in all the Nutella. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the Nutella into the meringue three or four times. You’re aiming for a swirled effect so don’t overmix. This will also help avoid deflating the meringue. Using two spoons, drop the meringue onto the parchment-lined baking sheets in large dollops. Place in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, immediately lower the heat to 200 degrees F. and rotate the trays. Bake for an hour.

After an hour, check the meringues. If they are completely dried out then turn the oven off and leave the meringues in the oven for a few hours to cool with the oven. If the meringues still look a bit “wet”, then continue baking for another 20 minutes or so. Either way, once fully baked, turn off the oven and leave the meringues in there for a few hours.
 

When you remove the meringues from the oven they should be completely dry and cool and will sound hollow when you tap the bottoms.

The meringues will keep in an airtight container for a week.

 

Quick Chicken Cacciatore

Wow! Has it really been THAT long since I posted? I am so sorry! It's been a tough few weeks with death, illnesses, major surgeries on friends, a guest in our house fell down our stairs, etc............
To top it all off, my email was hacked, address book wiped out and then my eBay account was used to order numerous tech gadgets from iPads to phones. Thankfully, no real harm was done, just major inconveniences! So instead of thinking about yummy things to cook, I've been changing passwords, email address and recovering my address book contacts. None of this has been fun!

Now, let's get back to something fun and easy! Not sure how the weather looks at your house, but here it is spring one day and winter the next. It's a hard time to plan seasonal meals, so I will defer to our favorites. Pasta and chicken. This one is quick, easy and yummy!

Quick Chicken Cacciatore
1(8-oz.) pkg pasta, cooked
1 medium onion, cut into thin strips
1 medium green pepper cut into thin strips
1 medium red pepper cut into thin strips
1(8-oz) pkg sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 chicken tenderloins
1 ( 24-oz) jar Classico Cabernet Marinara Sauce ( or your favorite sauce )

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook vegetables for 5to6 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the same skillet over medium high heat. Brown chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side. Stir in pasta sauce and vegetables. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and cook 8 - 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve over hot cooked pasta.

Cream Cheese Poundcake

I know it's January and everyone is dieting- or at least "cutting back on sweets".  BUT it's my birthday this week and I believe a cake would be lovely! I can think of many complicated, fancy, frou frou cakes that would be yummy, but IF I have one, I will be the one baking it so I get to chose. My all time favorite is an old Southern favorite... Cream Cheese Pound Cake. It tastes best after a few days in a cool place (usually the formal dining room table covered in Grandmother's Depression glass cake dome.)  Cream Cheese Pound Cake becomes moist and the flavors "ripen.

Slice it thickly and top with fresh fruit and ice cream. Slice it thinly, slather it with butter and toast it for breakfast. Drizzle it with chocolate or lemon glaze. Dust it with powdered sugar. Frost it with caramel icing (ahhhh.. if only Mama were here to make it!). Dollop it with REAL whipped cream and  sprinkle with chocolate curls..........

However you serve it, you've first got to bake it! So, let's get to the kitchen! This is soooo easy....

Cream Cheese Pound Cake
1 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened (no substitutes!)
1 (8-oz.) pkg cream cheese, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups sifted cake flour (or use all-purpose, sift 3 times and remove 2T per cup)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract, optional

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously grease a 10-inch tube pan with Crisco (not Pam!).

Combine margarine, butter and cream cheese in large bowl of heavy duty electric mixer; beat well. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time; beat well after each addition. Add flour to creamed mixture; mix until well combined. Stir in flavorings. Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 mintues. Remove from pan and cool completely.