SUZIE SWEET TOOTH

Cakes, Treats, and Everything Sweet

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    • Blueberry Coffee Cake

      As a kid growing up in Michigan my friends and I would pick blueberries in the summer to try and earn some cash.

      I say try because we were not really good at making any money.  Somehow the berries would end up making it into our mouths more than the bucket. It was a social gathering with all of our friends  lined up along a row of blueberry bushes talking, plucking, eating and dropping a few berries into a bucket.  After our one bucket was collected, which seemed to take an eternity; we would collect our meager cash and head home on our bikes with our bellies full of blueberries.

      I still think that Michigan has the best blueberries ever.  I admit, I may be a little biased in that thinking.  Living in California now I am fortunate to have a wide range of wonderful ripe fruit but there is something about a Michigan blueberry or any blueberry  that brings up fond memories of my summers growing up in Michigan.  When the season of blueberries was coming to a close, my Mother would always buy the last bit of wonderful berries she could find (in large quantities I might add) and squirrel them away in the freezer so we had berries during the winter.  There are about a million recipes  for blueberry buckle or coffee cake and this is just my version I’ve come up with.  I hope you enjoy it.

      Blueberry Buckle (Blueberry Coffee Cake)

      3/4 C sugar

      6 Tablespoons butter, softened

      1 egg

      1/4 C milk*

      1/4 C sour cream (*if you don’t have sour cream, you can use all milk and bump up the amount to total 1/2 cup)

      1 tsp. vanilla

      1   1/2 C all-purpose flour

      2 tsp. baking powder

      1/2 tsp. salt

      2 Cups fresh blueberries; washed and drained

      Crumble:

      1/4 C sugar

      1/4 C light brown sugar

      1/3 C all-purpose flour

      1/2 tsp. cinnamon

      1/4 C butter, softened

      1/3 C chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

      1. Preheat the oven to 375º F.

      2. Prepare an 8 inch square pan with a parchment sling and lightly spray with baking spray, or grease the pan. You know about my obsession with parchment slings, right?

      3. In a medium large bowl, cream the sugar and butter until combined.  Add the egg and mix until combined.

      4. In a small bowl combine  the dry ingredients:  1  1/2 cups  flour, baking powder, and salt.

      5. In a one cup measuring cup whisk the sour cream, milk and vanilla together; set aside.

      6. To the creamed mixture from step one, add in 1/2 half of the dry ingredient mixture from step 4, alternating with the milk mixture, ending with the last of the  flour mixture.

      7.  Gently fold the blueberries into the batter.

      8. Spread the batter [it will be quite thick] into the prepared pan.

      9. Prepare the crumble: combine the sugars, flour, cinnamon, butter with a pastry blender, then mix in the nuts. Sprinkle over the batter.

      10. Bake at 375º F  for about 50 minutes until the top is golden brown.

      Note: you can double this recipe and use a 9 x 13 inch pan if you have a large posse to feed.

      Happy Baking

      Suzie

      Printable Recipe:

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/14KO7wVV0QoMWM224JnfyK-McIT9tV1EvPBZsTJkK77k/edit?hl=en_US

    • Sweet Corn Ice Cream with Blackberry Swirl

      Do you frequent the grocery store on a  Friday or Saturday night between 10:00 Pm-12:00 Am? I’ve noticed  almost everyone in line is buying beer or ice cream.  I know, right??

      Also, I noticed the flip-flop to shoe ratio is clearly 4:1

      Just an observation~

      Okay, what am I doing at the grocery store on a Saturday night at 11:30 Pm? well… buying beer with my husband.

      Is it just me, or does every stock boy give you that dirty look  when you try to manuever their GAUNTLET of towering cereal boxes  and peanut butter?

      Yeah, I thought so. Just checkin’

      Also, listen up single girls! there are a lot of  cute men in the frozen pizza section staring mindlessly as if they are caught in a trance…this is your chance!

      Word.

      Back to the ice cream.

      You have to try this recipe. Seriously, it’s gonna knock your socks off. Corn is in season. Blackberries are in season. You have no excuses. Okay, okay, so you don’t have an ice cream maker, borrow one. Aunt Mildred has one. What else you got? Come on…you will impress your friends. Do it. Be brave. You can do it!  At least once in your life you have to make home-made ice cream. Here’s the thing. Make this, and then ask people to guess what flavor the base is. They will never guess corn ice cream. Try it. Have fun. Report back to me.  Now go rescue that cute guy in frozen foods….careful the gauntlet.

      Sweet Corn Ice Cream with Blackberry Swirl

      Corn Ice Cream (recipe from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home)

      (Yield: one generous quart)

      1 ear of sweet corn, husked and cleaned

      2 Cups whole milk

      1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. cornstarch

      1  1/2 oz (3 Tbsp.) cream cheese, softened

      1/4 tsp fine sea salt

      1  1/4 Cups heavy cream

      2/3 Cups sugar

      2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

      Blackberry Sauce* (recipe below)

      Prep: Slice the kernels from the corn cob, then “milk” the cob by scraping it with the back of your knife to extract the liquid; reserve the kernels and liquid.

      Mix about 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry.

      Whisk the cream cheese and salt in a medium bowl until smooth.

      Fill a large bowl with ice and water.

      Cook: Combine the remaining milk, the cream, sugar, corn and juices, and corn syrup in a 4-quart saucepan, bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and force the mixture through a sieve into a bowl, leaving the corn “cases” behind. Return the mixture to the saucepan and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Bring back to a boil over medium-hight heat and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

      Chill: Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes.

      Freeze: Pour the ice cream base into the frozen canister and spin until thick and creamy.

      Pack the ice cream into a storage container, alternating it with layers of the blackberry sauce and ending with a spoonful of sauce; do not mix. Press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface, and seal with an airtight lid. Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

      * Blackberry Sauce:

      2 Cups Blackberries (rinsed well)

      1 Cup Sugar

      Combine the berries and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 220º  F (5-8 minutes). Let cool slightly, then force through a sieve to remove the seeds. Refrigerate until cold before using.

      p.s. Corn Ice Cream with Salted Caramel version:  Before I mixed in the blackberry sauce I tried some of the ice cream with salted caramel, which was amazing as well! See my recipe for salted caramel~

      Enjoy!

      Suzie

      Printable Recipe:

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ViCCk-4GC23gDVnJTUlYNLMNiGbYw0BbE0sgBT7-nCo/edit?hl=en_US

    • S’mores with Salted Caramel and Ganache

      I love not camping.

      Please don’t send me hate mail. It’s just not my thing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a nature hater, I just don’t fancy sleeping in a small bag for more than 48 hours. The Husband and I have an agreement. I will camp for 3 days max and then I need a hotel. Or a motel. You see, I prefer to take a shower without bugs dangling from a shower head. Call me crazy. Maybe if I was one of those kids that camped when I was growing up it would make a difference.

      Or not.

      There are some things about camping that I do love. I like meeting new people and the easy conversation that you usually find in people who camp. A total stranger will loan you almost anything you forgot to bring. I love that. I wish people could be like this all the time.

      I dig the whole fire thing.  It brings out my primal side.  I dig sipping a good Merlot while watching the fire. Okay, that part may not be exactly primal, but I do love grilling or cooking over the fire and of course, MAKING S’MORES.

      I’ll be the first to admit I’m not exactly the camping type.

      The Husband is total camping type. Like hard core camping. Like camping in Death Valley in the dead of spring in 115 degree heat camping. Yeah….that’s a story for another time. The marriage survived that one some how.

      The Husband caught me making home-made marshmallows in preparation for our camping trip once. He thought I was a little crazy.

      Husband: “Uh, honey, what are you doing???”

      Me: “Making marshmallows” “We need to have stuff for s’mores”.

      Husband: “Why do we need s’mores?” (we’ll cut him some slack on this- he grew up in Taiwan, and s’mores are not exactly part of his childhood).

      Me: “Because….it’s like camping law. You just don’t go camping without s’more product.  You need to have marshmallows if you go camping”.

      Husband: “Yeah, that’s why they have Safeway”. “You buy them”.

      Never go camping with a pastry chef.

      This recipe for home-made marshmallows is from Alton Brown from “Good Eats” and it is tried and true. I have made it several times.

      Enjoy!

      Suzie

      Home-made marshmallows (Recipe by Alton Brown)

      Ingredients

      • 3 packages unflavored gelatin
      • 1 cup ice cold water, divided
      • 12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
      • 1 cup light corn syrup
      • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
      • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
      • 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
      • 1/4 cup cornstarch
      • Nonstick spray

      Directions

      Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.

      In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.

      Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.

      Combine the confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.

      When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

      Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares. {Alton says to use a pizza wheel, but I actually like to use kitchen scissors and cut long strips and then cut into squares of your choice}. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

      S’more assembly~

      graham crackers or cookies of your choice {I found these really groovy cookies the other day that are vanilla and chocolate swirl and thought they were kinda cool.}

      • marshmallows

      • salted caramel

      • chocolate ganache

      • fire/flame/blowtorch {your choice} personally I like the blow torch- silly pastry chefs!

      Toast your mallow. Set aside. Smear one cookie/cracker with about 1 tsp. of caramel. Smear one cookie/cracker with 1 tsp. of ganache. Place the toasted mallow on top of the caramel cookie {It’s easier to assemble this way} then top with the other cookie.

      Enjoy!

      Printable Recipe:

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/15WhmresdDnJn8Re04-IadSDAnXTpyxKr117Iep5vaQI/edit?hl=en_US

    • Chocolate Kisses “Baci di Cioccolato”

      Okay, I have a confession. I’m kind of obsessed with this new cookbook~ Dolce Italiano by Gina De Palma.

      I don’t usually spend too much time making Italian desserts as a general rule, but some of the recipes in this book I thought were really interesting.

      Last week I went a little crazy at Borders Bookstore. They are closing all their stores which makes me very sad as the bookstore is very close to my house and I normally spend a lot of time there. I went a little hog wild buying cookbooks. Quite a few recipes in the book have caught my eye and this little cookie sounded like fun to make. I also like the fact that the cookie is sandwiched with chocolate ganache. I lot of times when I make ganache I have some left over and I usually throw it in the refrigerator;  so this is a great way to use up any leftover ganache.

      Chocolate Kisses “Baci di Cioccolato”

      (recipe from Dolce Italiano) by Gina De Palma

      Cookies:

      1/2 C whole blanched almonds  [Suzie tip: Trader Joe’s has blanched almonds that are already toasted and that’s what I used; saves time so you don’t have to toast]

      1 Tablespoon granulated sugar, plus more for rolling

      1  1/2 Cups plus 1 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour

      1/3 C unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder

      1/4 tsp. baking powder

      1/2 tsp. kosher salt

      1 Cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter; softened

      1 Cup confectioner’s sugar

      2 tsp. vanilla

      1 Tbsp. dark rum (oh yeah)

      Ganache Filling:

      8 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

      1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

      3/4 C heavy cream

      2 tsp. dark rum, grappa, cognac or your favorite liqueur (optional)

      Preheat the oven to 325º . Spread the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them until they are light golden brown and fragrant, 14-16 minutes. Remove the almonds from the oven and turn off the oven until you are ready to form the cookies. Allow the almonds to cool completely, then grind them in a food processor with the 1 tablespoon of sugar until they are finely chopped.

      In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

      Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and confectioner’s sugar on medium speed until creamy and light, about 2 minutes, then beat in the vanilla extract and rum and scrape down the sides of the bowl. On low-speed,  beat in the dry ingredients, followed by the ground almonds. Remove the dough from the bowl, flatten it into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and cill for about 1 hour, until it is firm enough to handle.

      Prepare to Bake: Line two baking sheets with either parchment paper or a Silpat liner. On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 3 pieces. Work with 1 piece at a time, keeping the others wrapped and refrigerated. Roll 1 portion of dough into a small log about 3/4 inch in diameter. Cut each log into 1/2 inch lengths and roll each piece into a ball, then roll the balls in granulated sugar to coat them completely. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets spaced 1/2 inch apart. Repeat with the remaining portions of dough.

      Bake: Bake the cookies at 325º rotating the sheets 180 degrees to ensure even browning, until they are puffed and cracking slightly on top, about 12-15 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for 1-2 minutes, then use a spatula to remove them gently to a wire rack to cool completely.

      Ganache: While the cookies are cooling, make the ganache filling: Place the chopped chocolate and butter in a medium bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until it comes to a boil and pour it over the chocolate and butter. Allow the mixture to sit for a few moments, then whisk until smooth and glossy. Whisk in the rum, if you like. Allow the ganache to cool, whisking it occasionally, until it is firm enough to pipe.

      Kiss Assembly: To assemble the kisses: pair up the cookies according to size. Turn one cookie upside down and, using a pastry bag fitted with a plain or star tip, pipe a small amount of ganache onto the flat side, then place the bottom of the second cookie on the ganache to form a sandwich; the two round tops of the cookies should be facing outward. Repeat until all the cookies have been used. Allow the ganache to firm up, at room temperature or in the refrigerator if necessary, then transfer the kisses to a serving plate.

      The cookies can be stored, layered between sheets of parchment paper, in an airtight container kept in a cool place for up to 3 days.

      Printable Recipe:

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XYE8boIjdxovQ–e8f6YUdTnH_1zSlXNu99LMFzvYZU/edit?hl=en_US

    • Caramel Sauce

      One of the things I love about baking is that you can literally take 4-5  items and make something amazing. I’m talking about making caramel.

      I think I could write a book on uses for caramel sauce alone..

      1. the obvious; poured over ice cream

      2. caramel dip for apple slices

      3. use for sandwiching cookies; such as french macaroons

      4. sneak a little in your next s’more

      5. poured into coffee (the non salt version)

      6. drizzled over banana cream pie

      7. drizzled over banana pudding

      8. mixed with bananas tucked in a morning crepe

      9. mix a little into cream cheese frosting, spread over apple spice cake for a little change of pace

      10. waxing your legs. Okay, kidding;  just checking to see if you’re paying attention…

      Onto the recipe:

      Caramel Sauce

      1 C sugar

      1/4 C water

      3/4 C heavy cream; nuke until slightly warm

      2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

      1/2 tsp. fleur de sel (optional) if you want salted caramel sauce

      In a medium saucepan place the sugar and add the water and mix gently until the mixture resembles wet sand. Cook over medium high heat and let it come to a boil without stirring; until the caramel reaches a deep amber. Turn off the heat and remove the pan from the heat. Carefully pour in the cream, it will bubble and spout a bit; whisk carefully until combined. Whisk in the butter and then the salt if desired. Let cool.

      Enjoy

      Suzie

    • Spiced Blood Orange Marmalade

      Spiced Blood Orange Marmalade

      Blood oranges are one of those things when they are good, they are really good and when they are bad, well…. they are not that great.

      I’ve been stalking the markets lately  in hopes of finding some and yesterday I found some a the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market. I was so excited the moment I saw them. If you have never had a blood orange, you must try one if you get the chance!  When picking a good one, look for the reddish blush of color on the outside skin, if you don’t see any reddish hue; seek out another one. When they are ripe, they are really sweet. They are great sectioned into salads and when juiced, they yield a pretty ruby red color. One of the great ways to enjoy one is juice one and add to a glass with ice and fill with either sparkling soda, lemon-lime soda or skip the ice and replace with chilled champagne.

      I was in the mood for making marmalade but not the conventional way that takes a while and is a lengthy process. I found this recipe in the cookbook Dolce Italiano by Gina De Palma. Her recipe uses pink peppercorn and coriander seeds but I decided to go a different route and used cardamom, vanilla and cinnamon. The beauty of this recipe is that it is a small batch and it does not require too much effort. I like to call it “Lazy man’s marmalade”.

      Spiced Blood Orange Marmalade (recipe adapted from cookbook: Dolce Italiano by Gina De Palma)

      yield: About 2 cups

      3 Medium blood oranges

      2 Cups sugar

      1/2 Cup blood orange juice

      1/2 Cup freshly squeezed lemon juice ( I used one meyer lemon and 3 small lemons to equal 1/2 cup)

      1 tsp. vanilla bean paste

      1/2 tsp. cinnamon

      1/2 tsp. cardamom

      Wash the oranges well. Slice the oranges with their skin into rounds, then cut the slices into small, even dice.

      Notice the orange on the left side of the board; this one is a good example that is not that sweet; the skin on the outside did not have hardly any red hue to it and you can see the flesh inside is not red.

      Place the diced oranges in a large saucepan, then add the sugar, blood orange juice, and lemon juice. Stir well. Add in the vanilla bean paste, cinnamon and cardamom. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the marmalade to a simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent the mixture from scorching.

      Cook the marmalade until the peel of the oranges is tender and translucent and the liquid is thick and syrupy, about 30 minutes. Allow it to cool before storing in an airtight container. Keep refrigerated.

      p.s. I think this would be amazing spread on biscuits the next time you serve fried chicken, pull this out!

      Enjoy!

      Suzie

      Printable Recipe:

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-0LYoXZOhWob2_KHFKuQQeDLGXzIzBDPhcirV-vPjDY/edit?hl=en_US