Can you really go wrong with any Paula Deen recipe? Needing a cake recipe for a get together last Thursday night, I turned to Ms. Paula! She’s never let me down, and she pulled through for me here too. First things first, I used a bundt pan and it worked just perfectly. The cake rose beautifully. If you go this route, let it bake for about 50 minutes, checking occasionally of course. I also read reviews of bakers who baked it in a 13×9 pan for 42 minutes. You could also use this recipe for buttercream frosted spiced cupcakes!

This cake is perfectly suited for those cool autumn or winter days, and would be great to make for a holiday party. What I liked about its texture was that it wasn’t overly moist. Where many recipes I find for quick bread or cake now include a load of vegetable oil, the moisture in this cake comes from buttermilk…classic! Don’t let the word “spice” in the name turn you off; its not too overpowering. And for the frosting, oooh Lord this buttercream frosting is fantastic! It’s very sugary, but its a wonderful contrast to the flavor of the cake. Sugar and Spice and everything nice!

I adapted Paula’s recipe from FoodTV online.

INGREDIENTS FOR CAKE

• 3 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• Finely chopped nuts, for garnish
• Cocoa powder, for garnish

INGREDIENTS FOR QUICK BUTTERCREAM

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup shortening
• Pinch salt
• 6 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions for Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour three (8-inch) round cake pans.

2. In a small mixing bowl whisk together dry ingredients: cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground cloves.

3. Cream the butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy with an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

4. When the batter is well mixed and smooth, divide it among the three prepared cake pans and bake about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes come out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out to cool completely. If the cake layers have domed a little during the baking process, slice off the tops with a long, serrated knife so they are flat and even.

5. Place the first layer, cut side down, on a cake pedestal or serving plate. Spoon about 3/4 cup of buttercream onto the center of the cake. Spread it almost to the very edges with an offset spatula. Repeat with the remaining two layers. Garnish the top of the cake with finely chopped nuts and cocoa powder.

Directions for Quick Buttercream:

Beat the butter, shortening ,and salt together until creamy with an electric mixer. Add half the confectioners’ sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Then gradually beat in the remaining confectioners’ alternating with the vanilla and cream until it is all incorporated and the frosting is very light and fluffy.

I encourage everybody and their mother to try this recipe in the next week. Recently I have made 6 loaves of this to give out as gifts, and I swear to you that every single person I gave this pumpkin bread to got in touch with me to rave about it and tell me how goooooood it is!

I made the first couple of loaves with the addition of pecans. I love nuts in my baked goods, but I learned the hard way, the not everyone does. One of the loaves I made for friends who just got back from their honeymoon. My husband cooked them a meal and I baked them cookies and this loaf of bread so they wouldn’t have to worry about making dinner the weekend they got back from their honeymoon. Our friend Robin, the groom, is a very picky eater, so of course he does not like pecans, but he went through the trouble of picking out the pecans just so he could devour the bread!

I adapted this recipe from All Recipes, where everyone who has made this bread raves about it saying its the BEST they’ve ever made! 3 words from me: Moist, Spicy, Delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 3 cups white sugar
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (Optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup chopped pecans (Optional)

All these apples we still need to use up! While I waited for my hubby to come home tonight, I decided to bake him something nice and his favorite is anything with a streusel like topping. I like this recipe because of the way the filling is made. It reminded me of making my own apple pie filling, without spending $3.50 at the grocery store for a high calorie canned version.

What we liked about these bars was the crunchy crust that melts in your mouth and the apple filling that is soft, smooth, and full of flavor. Although, we both agreed there should be more apples in the filling. Next time I will prepare 3 medium apples to spread in the middle. Yes, there will be a next time, and experiments with other fruit fillings to come. By the way, while the apple-cinnamon filling is simmering, and the bars are in the oven….who needs a candle?!

Ingredients:

Crumb Mixture

• 1 Cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt (optional)
• 1/2 cup butter

Apple-Cinnamon Filling

• 2-3 medium apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (more is better)
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Start by making the apple-cinnamon filling. Peel, core and slice 2-3 medium apples. In a medium saucepan combine apples, water, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Bring apple mixture to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 8-10 minutes or until apples are tender. Remove from heat.

2. While apples are simmering, in a medium mixing bowl combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Using a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingers, cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1/2 cup of the crumb mixture.

3. Press remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of an un-greased 8×8 inch baking pan. Spread with apple-cinnamon filling. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake in 350º oven for 30-35 minutes or until top is golden brown. (Mine was perfect at 32 minutes.) Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Devour plain jane style, or with whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream, or…

I have never cooked with dates, but I thought, ‘Tis the season! I’m a big softy for old fashioned bakery treats. These bars are loaded with old fashioned oats, and a moist and sweet dried fruit filling. Are you thinking fig newton? Yes, but these bars are 10x more scrumptious and satisfying!

I’ll be making these again, but next time I’m adding the only thing that can make anything better…chocolate

Ingredients:

Date Filling:

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pitted dates
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crust/Topping:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced, room temperature

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8×8-inch metal baking pan, or line pan with aluminum foil for easy cutting and serving.

Bring 1 1/2 cups water to simmer in medium saucepan. Add dates; simmer until very soft and thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Stir in vanilla.

Combine flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in large bowl; stir to blend. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub in until moist clumps form. Press half of oat mixture evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Spread date mixture over. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture; press gently to adhere. Bake until brown at edges and golden brown and set in center, about 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Cut into bars and serve.

Tip: 1/2 cup of chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, can be added to the oat bar mixture if desired.

This recipe was adapted from Epicurious.

I was recently asked by one of my greatest friends, Linda, what I would bake if I could only bake one more time. With only a few seconds of hesitation I ultimately answered, scones! I am a sucker for anything pumpkin spice…lattes, cappuccinos, cake, muffins, etc. Scones make such a special treat for yourself or gift for others. They are best when served warm, but they are just as easy to warm up, up to about 5 days after baking.

These scones are downright delicious, not to mention they will fill your home with an irresistible fragrance. The best thing about these scones? They taste like donuts holes! Soft and chewy, and when the sweet glaze sinks into all corners of your mouth, you’ve got to sit down before drifting away to heaven. Ooh donuts….now I’m side-tracked and my mouth is watering.

In review, these scones are more soft, unlike how a true scones texture should be. Scones should have a crisp crust, be crumbly and only slightly moist. Just ask anyone from Scotland, where the scone isn’t just a quick tea bread, it’s a national institution.

Overall, this is a must try recipe that was brilliantly created by the editor of Pinch My Salt. Bravo!

Ingredients:

Scones:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup raisins (optional, I did not use)
1/3 cup pumpkin puree (Libby’s)
1/3 cup heavy cream
6 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Cinnamon Icing:
1 C. powdered sugar
2 T. milk
1/4 – 1/2 t. cinnamon (to taste)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the butter into small pieces, put it in a small bowl and put it back in the refrigerator. In a medium bowl, combine both flours, baking powder, salt, and all spices. Whisk together well. Place bowl in freezer, or refrigerator if no freezer available.

In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin, heavy cream, brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk together well. Put this bowl in freezer (or refrigerator) and take the other bowl back out. Get the butter pieces out of the fridge and dump them into the bowl with the flour mixture. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender or rub it in with your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs (dough will start to clump together). Stir in the raisins (if using).

Get the liquid mixture out of the freezer and pour into the flour mixture all at once. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is just moistened. The dough will be very crumbly, this is the way it should be. Turn the mixture out onto the counter and push the pile together with your hands. It should stick together fairly well. Knead it just a couple of times until everything is together. Don’t knead it too much or the dough will get too sticky.

Pat the dough out into a rough circle, 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Cut it like a pie into 8 pieces. Place pieces on the baking sheet so that they are not touching. Bake scones for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees. They should be light brown on the bottom, the tops will darken as they cool.

While scones are in the oven, mix together icing ingredients. When scones are right out of the oven, apply icing. Place scones on rack to cool, or enjoy when warm!

Icing: For cinnamon icing, mix together 1 C. powdered sugar, 2 T. milk, 1/4 – 1/2 t. cinnamon (to taste). Adjust amounts to change consistency. Icing can be brushed on or drizzled.

Aaahhh, apple picking! Near St. Louis, there is a well known good ‘ol country farm called Eckert’s. Its where you go to get in the spirit of the season, pick your own fruits, hold up a massive turkey leg and eat it with pride, and indulge in the fresh baked goods at the Country Store.

I knew when my mom was in town last weekend, she would thoroughly enjoy the apple picking experience, and I was right! We rode the hay wagon through the trails (over the river and through the woods, ha!) until we reached the middle of the field. In season were Honey Crisp and Fuji! Fuji are better for baking in my opinion, but I cannot stop snacking on the Honey Crisp! I am not the kind of girl who grabs a piece of fruit when I want a snack, but after I go apple picking at Eckert’s, that changes. It’s like a sense of pride I have, because I picked and chose each delicious apple…silly, right?

Now I have to save some apples and put them to my favorite use, baking! For a recent dinner date with our friends Andy and Marie Lange, I of course took responsibility for the dessert, and chose to make this irresistible Crisp Apple Cheesecake. A graham cracker crust is filled with a heavenly brown sugar heavy cheesecake filling then sprinkled with a topping reminiscent of an apple crisp. Stop drooling already, and bust those cream cheeses out of the fridge!

This recipe comes from my very trusted book that’s never let me down, 125 Best Cheesecake Recipes by George Geary.

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

• 4 pkgs (each 8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Topping:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tbsp packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup thinly sliced peeled apples

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a springform pan with 3-inch sides, or use a 9-inch cheesecake pan, ungreased.

1. CRUST: In medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of cheesecake pan and freeze. In the meantime…

2. FILLING: In a large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese and brown sugar on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla and lemon juice. Pour over frozen crust.

3. TOPPING: Combine sugar, cinnamon, cloves, brown sugar and flour. Toss apple slices with sugar mixture. Arrange slices decoratively on top of batter. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until the top is light brown and the center has a slight jiggle to it. Cool on a rack for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving.

Tip: In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice in cold water and store the prepared apple slices until ready to toss with spices. This will prevent them from discoloring.

Variation: Pecan shortbread cookie crumbs are a delicious crust alternative to graham cracker crumbs. They also combine well with crisp apple flavors.

It’s beginning to feel a lot like….Autumn! And I’ve got a big ‘ol grin on my face because its my favorite season. The crisp air, the shades of orange in the leaves that I never knew existed, the spooky aura when dusk hits, and of course…the distinct flavors that are only appropriate in baking this season.

I wanted to start this Fall’s baking binge with a bang…White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal cookies, with lots of cinnamon! This recipe is adapted from Recipezaar except I added more cinnamon because it compliments the ingredients so well. It gives them that classic oatmeal cookie flavor.

Next time I will double the recipe as it only made me 18 cookies. Even when doubling, it needs no more white chocolate. The white chocolate is wonderful, however very over powering and sweet. Nonetheless, these cookies got rave reviews from all my friends, especially the next day as the flavors had a chance to sit together. Warning: Keep a towel with you while these are in the oven to catch your drool, as you won’t be able to control your mouth watering!

Ingredients

• 3/4 C sugar
• 1/4 C packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 C unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 C all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 C quick-cooking oats
• 3/4 C dried cranberries
• 6 ounces white chocolate, chopped (I used Bakers)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer combine the sugar, brown sugar and butter; mix well to cream together. Add in egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add the cinnamon, baking soda, salt and flour and mix well.

Fold in the oatmeal, dried cranberries and white chocolate chips- making sure that all ingredients are uniformly distributed.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 3 inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes, just until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer cookies to cooling rack.

Sorry Sorry Sorry its been too long since my last post, but…life calls! I had been working an overnight shift, AND planning my wedding. Now with the wedding under our belt, and having just quit the overnight position (Hallelujah!), I’m ready to finally be a newly-wed and bake Bake BAKE!!

That being said, after trying for months to cut bread out of my diet, a few weeks before the wedding, not only was I going through baking withdrawal, but this girl was craving bread! Whole wheat banana bread came to mind as I was craving something wholesome yet sweet and scrumptious!

Having not a ton of time to research, I turned to the king of flour for a recipe I could trust. This recipe came from The King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook. I was so impressed with the flavor of this bread. Jordan and I agreed that the whole wheat added a ton of flavor. We loved the flavor so much that I just picked up another bag of whole wheat flour to experiment with. This straight forward recipe needs no frills, and does not disappoint. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 C. (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 1 C. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 C. mashed ripe banana (2 or 3 bananas)
• 1 t. vanilla
• 2 C. King Arthur Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 C chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs, bananas and vanilla and beat well. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. At this point, add the chopped nuts if using. Pour this mixture into the prepared 9×5-inch loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then take it out and let cool on wire rack.

It’s smart to keep bananas in your freezer as they come in handy for some very flavorful baked goods. But bread isn’t the only thing that you can make. Bananas add a different element to cookies, a very scrumptious and wholesome element. Upon tasting them, the guys both loved the addition of the chocolate chips because they were sporadic and not overpowering. It’s not necessary to use a whole bag of chocolate chips for every batch of cookies; sometimes half a bag is just the right touch. The oatmeal leaves these cookies hearty enough to enjoy for breakfast, and the bananas help maintain the moistness for, well…however long they might last (not long!).

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter-flavored shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in bananas, oats and chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoon-fulls onto greased baking sheets. (Make them as large as you want! Feel free to use an ice cream scoop for evenly sized cookies.) Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes, 15 minutes for larger cookies. Immediately remove cookies to wire racks to cool.

Adapted from the Taste of Home Baking Book.

Who doesn’t love a good blondie? A blond brownie is what I’m talking about! This sensational recipe satisfied two of my cravings at once… for chewy blondies, and for chewy ginger cookies (recipe also on my blog). They practically melt in your mouth, and are bursting with the down to earth ginger and spice flavors. Add white chocolate chips or chunks to the mix, and we’ve got a very original twist on a classic blondie.

My fiance’s best friend from back home in Green Bay, and best man for our upcoming wedding, Mike, has been living with us for the past couple of weeks. While he gets on his feet here in St. Louis, he’s been a great tester of my treats and a great foodie companion all together. Mike, a self-proclaimed blondie snob, made a good point in mentioning that the ginger flavor here is not over-bearing and he enjoyed the addition of the white chocolate chunks which add the perfect degree of texture…and sweetness!

Ingredients:

• 2 ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
• 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
• 1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks) butter, room temperature
• 1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 ¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 ¾ cups white chocolate chips/or chunks (Baker’s brand)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 13×9 baking dish by lining with aluminum foil and spraying with cooking spray. Set aside.

Whisk together flour, soda, salt, and spices in a bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until creamy and pale, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and yolk one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla and molasses and mix on medium speed until combined.

Add flour mixture on low speed until combined. Stir in white chocolate.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and bake until golden around edges and toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan; remove from pan with foil, and cut into bars. Blondies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.

Adapted slightly from My Kitchen Cafe