SUZIE SWEET TOOTH

Cakes, Treats, and Everything Sweet

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    • Fudgy Brownies with Milk Chocolate Frosting

      Years ago when I lived in Michigan I worked at this hospital that had these amazing brownies with chocolate frosting. They used to park those suckers [all neatly wrapped in plastic wrap] right next to the cashier so you saw them when you were checking out with your boring chicken ala king. Yeah, just try to ignore those beauties, that chocolate frosting glistening right through that plastic.  I worked night shift for 11 years. You know the 4:00 Pm lull you get everyday when you think you can’t hardly make it until 5:30? Well working night shift, it’s that 3:00 Am slump that is the equivalent. Let me tell you, there is nothing like a thick, rich, chocolatey brownie iced with frosting at 3:00 Am when you are draggin butt. Just add coffee and you’re good to go. I dedicate this brownie to all the Nurses and any other hardworking souls working grave yard shift out there- and you know with us Nurses- CHOCOLATE  IS A FOOD GROUP.

      Fudgy Brownies with Milk Chocolate Frosting

      (Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking)

      Brownies:

      10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened to room temp

      5 oz. bittersweet chocolate

      2 oz. unsweetened chocolate

      1 Cup sugar

      2 tsp. vanilla

      pinch of salt

      2 large eggs, at room temp

      1 large egg yolk, at room temp

      2/3 Cup all-purpose flour

      1/2 Cup chopped walnuts (optional)

      One recipe chocolate frosting* (see below)

      1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8-inch pan by lining with a parchment paper sling; both sides. Lightly spray the parchment paper with baking spray.

      2. In a medium microwave safe bowl: Combine the  butter, and both chocolates and place in the microwave at 50 % power and melt the chocolate mixture starting at 1 minute-stop and stir, continue as needed at 15 second intervals; stopping after each 15 second burst to stir and check until the chocolate is melted. Let the chocolate cool slightly and whisk in the sugar until blended, then add the vanilla and salt. The mixture will look grainy; that’s okay. Mix in the eggs one at a time then the egg yolk, stirring after each addition. Add the flour and beat until the batter is thick and smooth; about 1 minute. Stir in the nuts if you like.

      3. Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the pan yields a few moist crumbs but not wet batter. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Make the frosting as below.

      4. Lift the whole slab of brownies out of the pan using the sling to grab onto and remove the parchment paper from sides and bottom. Frost the brownies. Cut into bars.

      Chocolate Frosting:

      1 stick butter, softened

      1/4 Cup cocoa powder, sifted

      2 Cups confectioners sugar, sifted

      1 tsp. vanilla

      3 Tbsp. heavy cream+ more as needed

      Place the softened butter in a mixing bowl. Add the cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla and heavy cream. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Add more heavy cream as needed to achieve desired consistency.

      Printable Recipe:

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Hpi0sk7e0kRoEE4mpJzOUQ-Z56n0al7nUpX9zt7Xh5U/edit?hl=en_US

       

      Happy Baking,

      Suzie

    • Easy Apple Galette

      Apples of all kinds are popping up in the stores. It is nice to see all of the different varieties of apples now a days. One of my favorite apples for pie is the pink lady. I think the secret to a good apple pie is using a combination of different apples. If I’m making a big pie I like to use up to 4 different types of apples. I must have made this apple galette like a million times. I somehow figured out several years ago that I like golden raisins and almonds in my pie; but play around with the recipe and make it your own. Omit the nuts if you don’t care for it. I like a bit of texture in my apple pie and the surprise of the thin crunch of sliced almonds gives it a nice contrast to the tender apple filling inside.

      My parents were visiting one Fall and we were leaving for the airport in a couple of hours and I made this galette right before they left. It was a nice send off for the flight so their bellies were full and they were happy. The only problem was a few days later my Mom called and said “I’d give anything for a piece of that darn pie right now”. If you follow my recipe for pie crust you can double this filling and make 2 galettes and take one to a friend (or your Mom) or bring it a church potluck.

      Apple Galette

      1 pie crust; rolled out to 14 inches diameter (see my recipe for Fearless pie crust)

      Apple Filling (enough for one galette)

      2 Granny Smith apples

      2 Pink Lady apples (or Gala, Honeycrisp or Fuji)

      1 Golden Delicious apple

      1/2 Cup Sugar

      1/3 Cup flour (if filling is too runny; add a couple more Tbsp. flour)

      1/2 tsp. kosher salt

      Juice of 1/2 lemon

      1 tsp. Apple pie spice

      1/4 Cup golden raisins

      1/4 Cup sliced almonds

      Streusel: (optional)

      1/4 Cup all-purpose flour

      1/4 Cup walnuts, chopped (optional) (I know it’s kind of weird to have 2 kinds of nuts in this recipe; but I love it)

      2 Tbsp. brown sugar

      2 Tbsp. sugar

      1/4 tsp. cinnamon (I swear by Saigon cinnamon-McCormick makes a nice one)

      pinch of salt

      3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

      Half n Half (for brushing the crust once galette is assembled)

      1. Roll out your pie crust to 12-14 inches and place on a parchment lined sheet pan; keep cold in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble.

      2. Peel all the apples and cut off the “cheeks” of the apples; leaving behind the core. Cut each apple cheek into 1/4 inch thick slices and toss in a large bowl with the lemon juice. Toss the apples with the rest of the ingredients: Sugar, flour, apple pie spice, salt, raisins, and nuts.

      3. Make the streusel topping and set aside.

      4. Remove your pie crust from the refrigerator and mound your apple filling in the center of the crust;leaving a border of about 2 inches for folding in the crust. Sprinkle the streusel over the filling.

      5. Fold the edges of the crust around the filling to enclose. Brush with half n half and sprinkle with sugar.

      6. Bake at 400º for about 40-50 minutes.

      Happy Baking!

      Suzie

      Printable Recipe:

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qZfhTqJqfMqTHz4pkdMQwIRuQLV8PNvE9cGSPaZv8ac/edit?hl=en_US

    • Fearless Pie Crust

      Just stop it already. Stop it!

      Stop fearing the pie crust.

      Do not buy ready-made. I beg of you!! You can make your own pie crust.

      Seriously…

      You only need a few ingredients and a large bowl or food processor. I almost always have frozen pie crust in the freezer. We are coming into serious pie season with the Holidays approaching and it is so nice to have pie dough at the ready.

      You ready??? Here we go…..

      Homemade Pie Crust

      Ingredients:

      2 1/2  Cups all-purpose flour

      1/4 Cup sugar

      1 /2 tsp. salt

      2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed; kept cold

      1/4-1/3 Cup ice water

      Note: for savory pies; omit the sugar and bump up the salt to 1 tsp.

      Bowl Method:

      1. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.

      2. Blend in the cold butter with a pastry blender aka “pastry cutter” until the mixture resembles pea-sized meal.

      3. Stir in the ice water- not all at once- start with 1/4 cup of it and add the water until the dough adheres to itself but is not sticky. Grab a large piece of plastic wrap and dump out the dough onto the plastic wrap and while grabbing the sides of the plastic wrap (don’t use your hands because your hands are warm) bring together the dough by pushing and pressing together the loose bits of dough until the mass is together. Cut the dough into two equal portions. Flatten each portion into a disk and wrap them in fresh plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes before attempting to roll. You can freeze the dough also and keep it frozen for up to 2 months. If I make savory pie dough I like to simply label it “savory pie”.

      Suzie tip: write the recipe on an index card and tape it to the inside of your cabinet so it is handy.

      Food Processor Method (my fave)

      1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt; pulse to combine.

      2. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs wtih some larger pieces still remaining; about 10 seconds.

      3. Ice water in hand; with the machine running, add ice water through the feed tube in a slow and steady stream, just until the dough comes together but not wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test the dough by squeezing a small amount in your hand and if it is still too crumbly add a tablespoon of water at a time until it is the correct texture.

      4. Dump the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap and bring the sides of the plastic wrap to help you bring together the dough until it is combined. Cut the dough into 2 equal portions and flatten out into round shape and wrap in fresh plastic wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes or until ready to use. At this point you can also label them and freeze. Freeze for up to 2 months.

      Bring on the Holidays!

      Printable Recipe:

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/13KN3wUoI9Fqwy9Ajkpf79FmgjRym5YRgL1AYQ5R71CA/edit?hl=en_US

    • Buttermilk Biscuits and small batch Blackberry Jam

      My little Seth is a biscuit fiend. He loves a good biscuit, and quite frankly who doesn’t ??  I had some leftover buttermilk from the cake I made earlier in the week and I always try to use it up when I can before it goes bad, so I decided to treat him and make some biscuits.  I’m making chicken noodle soup today for dinner, so these biscuits will be a nice treat with the soup and for a quick breakfast with jam.

      This blackberry jam is stress free jam. No sterilizing, no canning, no pectin; just a few simple ingredients and some time on the stove stirring, and voila you’ve got something scrumptious to slather on a fresh biscuit. Blackberries can be quite pricey, so when I saw them on sale I grabbed a couple of containers which is just enough to make this lovely jam. The jam will last about a month in the fridge if it’s stored in an airtight container.

      Buttermilk Biscuits and Blackberry Jam

      Biscuits: (yield: 8 biscuits)

      1 Cup cake flour

      3 Cups all-purpose flour

      1  1/4 tsp.  sugar

      3  1/2 tsp. baking powder

      2 tsp. kosher salt

      1  1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inches pieces, (kept cold until ready to use)

      1  1/3 Cup buttermilk (kept cold until ready to use)

      half-n-half  (to brush on top)

      kosher salt (optional) for sprinkling on top

      1. Preheat the oven to 400 º  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

      2. Place both the flours, sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the chilled cubes of butter and with a pastry blender combine until the mixture resembles coarse peas. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add in the cold buttermilk and with a fork combine until it comes together.

      3. Turn the dough out on a floured surface and gently knead the dough a few times and pat into a thickness that is about 1-1 1/4 inch thick. Cut out biscuits with a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. Place the biscuits on the baking sheet and brush with the half and half. Bake for about 20- 25 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

      4. Remove the tray from the oven and brush the tops with butter and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt.

      5. Serve warm.

      Small Batch Blackberry Jam (yield: 1 generous cup)

      2 Cups fresh Blackberries; washed

      1 Cup sugar

      1 Tbsp. lemon juice

      1/2 tsp cinnamon

      1. In a small saucepan combine all the ingredients and with a heat proof spatula or wooden spoon; bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue stirring occasionally until the mixture is thick. Let the mixture cool slightly and strain through a strainer to remove seeds (or not if you don’t mind the seeds). Refrigerate any leftover jam in an airtight sealed container. It will keep about a month in the fridge.

      Printable Recipe:

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w78CP-YRbu89Xx3MzSlKndF14y0386zOfCOG7O8iSrY/edit?hl=en_US

      Happy Baking,

      Suzie

    • Pumpkin Orange Spice Cake

      Pumpkin Orange Spice Cake

      Fall is officially here according to the calendar. This is exciting for us San Franciscans because it means finally our fog is lifting and we are coming into our “Indian summer”. The sky is suddenly blue instead of white, the sun is shining, the days are shorter but the smell of fall is in the air, and it’s such a fabulous time. This means pumpkins and orange colors of every hue. Big pumpkins, orange pumpkins, white pumpkins, cute little mini pumpkins and everything pumpkin in terms of baking.

      I make this cake every fall and I always make the marzipan pumpkins that go on top of the cake. I actually taught my son Seth how to make the marzipan pumpkins and once he starts there is no stopping him. Seth loves to make anything out of marzipan. Everytime I whip out the marzipan he begs me to get involved. Molding shapes out of marzipan is like playdoh for adults. I think that’s why Seth really likes the marzipan……..you see I sort of banned playdoh in our house when he was little. Don’t judge…It’s just that I got tired of picking pieces of hard gunk out of the carpet….but I digress. This cake is very moist because of the pumpkin in the batter. It is a great way to welcome in the beginning of Fall.

      Pumpkin Orange Spice Cake (yields 8 inch 3 layer cake, or 10 inch 2 layer cake)

      3/4 C Unsalted butter, softened (1  1/2 sticks)

      1 C Light brown sugar

      1 C Sugar

      3 Lg. eggs

      1 C Pumpkin puree

      1/2 C Buttermilk

      2 tsp. Vanilla

      2 oranges; zested

      2 C All-purpose flour

      2 tsp. Baking powder

      1 tsp. Baking soda

      1  1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

      1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

      1/4 tsp. Ground ginger

      1 tsp. Salt

      1/2 C Toasted walnuts or pecans (+ more for sides of cake)

      1/3 C candied orange peel* (optional) [around this time in the stores you can start to find it in little shallow tubs packed in syrup] or you can make your own. (I make my own; but that is a recipe for another time).

      Mascarpone cream cheese Icing (recipe below)

      1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Prepare your chosen pans by spraying with baking spray and lining with parchment circles; spray again lightly.

      2. Combine the pumpkin, buttermilk, orange zest, and vanilla. Set aside.

      3. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt; whisk to combine.

      4. Using a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars on medium  high speed until smooth and well combined.

      5. Add in the eggs one at a time; stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition.

      6. Starting with the flour, alternate adding the flour and pumpkin mixture; scraping bowl in between each addition and ending with the flour mixture.

      7. Divide the batter evenly into the pans and Bake at 350º for ~ 25-30 minutes or until the edges are browned and a toothpick coms out clean.

      8. Cool the cakes on a wire rack for about 15 minutes, then remove to cool completely on the rack. Ice the cake with the cream cheese icing when completely cool.

      Mascarpone cream cheese icing

      (3) 8 oz. bricks cream cheese; softened

      8 oz. container  mascarpone cheese; softened

      1/2 stick (1/4 C unsalted butter, softened)

      1  1/2 tsp. vanilla

      5 Cups confectioners sugar (measure, then sift)

      1. Sift the sugar, then set aside.

      2. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment; beat the cream cheese, mascarpone, and butter until smooth. Add in the sugar a little at a time on low speed until combined. Add the vanilla and beat on medium high speed until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

      Marzipan pumpkins

      Marzipan

      orange food coloring (gel type) * found at cake supply stores

      toothpicks

      whole cloves (or chocolate jimmies)

      Method: Wear latex free gloves or use a plastic bag to color your marzipan.  Add a little bit of orange coloring to the marzipan and knead in the coloring with your hands until desired color. I like to do two different colors of orange; one a bit darker. Once the color looks evenly distributed; pick off a ball of marzipan and roll into a ball. Using a toothpick rock the toothpick against the sides of the ball lightly to create pumpkin lines. Flatten the top of the ball slightly. Stick the whole clove or chocolate jimmy into the top. Warning; if you use the cloves; warn your guests not to eat the cloves; they are only for decoration or you can use the chocolate jimmy if you have small children or are concerned. I love to use the cloves because it the stem looks more real and also it gives off a nice scent.

      Happy Baking,

      Suzie

    • Pumpkin Orange Spice Cake

      Pumpkin Orange Spice Cake

      Fall is officially here according to the calendar. This is exciting for us San Franciscans because it means finally our fog is lifting and we are coming into our “Indian summer”. The sky is suddenly blue instead of white, the sun is shining, the days are shorter but the smell of fall is in the air, and it’s such a fabulous time. This means pumpkins and orange colors of every hue. Big pumpkins, orange pumpkins, white pumpkins, cute little mini pumpkins and everything pumpkin in terms of baking.

      I make this cake every fall and I always make the marzipan pumpkins that go on top of the cake. I actually taught my son Seth how to make the marzipan pumpkins and once he starts there is no stopping him. Seth loves to make anything out of marzipan. Everytime I whip out the marzipan he begs me to get involved. Molding shapes out of marzipan is like playdoh for adults. I think that’s why Seth really likes the marzipan……..you see I sort of banned playdoh in our house when he was little. Don’t judge…It’s just that I got tired of picking pieces of hard gunk out of the carpet….but I digress. This cake is very moist because of the pumpkin in the batter. It is a great way to welcome in the beginning of Fall.

      Pumpkin Orange Spice Cake (yields 8 inch 3 layer cake, or 10 inch 2 layer cake)

      3/4 C Unsalted butter, softened (1  1/2 sticks)

      1 C Light brown sugar

      1 C Sugar

      3 Lg. eggs

      1 C Pumpkin puree

      1/2 C Buttermilk

      2 tsp. Vanilla

      2 oranges; zested

      2 C All-purpose flour

      2 tsp. Baking powder

      1 tsp. Baking soda

      1  1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

      1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

      1/4 tsp. Ground ginger

      1 tsp. Salt

      1/2 C Toasted walnuts or pecans (+ more for sides of cake)

      1/3 C candied orange peel* (optional) [around this time in the stores you can start to find it in little shallow tubs packed in syrup] or you can make your own. (I make my own; but that is a recipe for another time).

      Mascarpone cream cheese Icing (recipe below)

      1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Prepare your chosen pans by spraying with baking spray and lining with parchment circles; spray again lightly.

      2. Combine the pumpkin, buttermilk, orange zest, and vanilla. Set aside.

      3. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt; whisk to combine.

      4. Using a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars on medium  high speed until smooth and well combined.

      5. Add in the eggs one at a time; stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition.

      6. Starting with the flour, alternate adding the flour and pumpkin mixture; scraping bowl in between each addition and ending with the flour mixture.

      7. Divide the batter evenly into the pans and Bake at 350º for ~ 25-30 minutes or until the edges are browned and a toothpick coms out clean.

      8. Cool the cakes on a wire rack for about 15 minutes, then remove to cool completely on the rack. Ice the cake with the cream cheese icing when completely cool.

      Mascarpone cream cheese icing

      (3) 8 oz. bricks cream cheese; softened

      8 oz. container  mascarpone cheese; softened

      1/2 stick (1/4 C unsalted butter, softened)

      1  1/2 tsp. vanilla

      5 Cups confectioners sugar (measure, then sift)

      1. Sift the sugar, then set aside.

      2. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment; beat the cream cheese, mascarpone, and butter until smooth. Add in the sugar a little at a time on low speed until combined. Add the vanilla and beat on medium high speed until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

      Marzipan pumpkins

      Marzipan

      orange food coloring (gel type) * found at cake supply stores

      toothpicks

      whole cloves (or chocolate jimmies)

      Method: Wear latex free gloves or use a plastic bag to color your marzipan.  Add a little bit of orange coloring to the marzipan and knead in the coloring with your hands until desired color. I like to do two different colors of orange; one a bit darker. Once the color looks evenly distributed; pick off a ball of marzipan and roll into a ball. Using a toothpick rock the toothpick against the sides of the ball lightly to create pumpkin lines. Flatten the top of the ball slightly. Stick the whole clove or chocolate jimmy into the top. Warning; if you use the cloves; warn your guests not to eat the cloves; they are only for decoration or you can use the chocolate jimmy if you have small children or are concerned. I love to use the cloves because it the stem looks more real and also it gives off a nice scent.

      Printable Recipe:

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v0nbMDuqRWdNA6tnD3mHkacuwTM1OaJuP0BDr2Et6-c/edit?hl=en_US

      Happy Baking,

      Suzie