lemon basil sorbet

3/4 cup water
about 1 cup sugar, or less for more tart
grated zest of 2 lemons
1 3/4 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
basil - finely chopped 10 leaves
lemon shells optional
egg white beaten

Boil water, sugar, and lemon zest in a pan, stirring until the sugar has dissolved - about 5 min. Cool, chill, then add the lemon juice. Churn and freeze (if you have a ice cream maker).
You can make without an ice cream machine - pour mixture into flat freezer tray, allow to partly freeze, then beat to break up the ice crystals. The more you break it up the smoother it will be. When partially frozen mix in egg white thoroughly.
Zest Note: When peeling the zest, make sure no white pith is included, it will make the sorbet bitter.
Lemon Shells: Traditional way of serving, these are made by slicing a "lid" off the top of each lemon and removing insides, then freeze shells then pack them with sorbet and refreeze.

Pie crust -- no rolling, no weights?!

I just found this, but haven't tried baking it. I want to put it up for others to experiment, since it sounds too good to be true but FANTASTIC if it works like the article and comments say.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/08/23/FDJS1990BM.DTL&type=food

fix it all pumpkin spice cake

Pumpkin Spice Cake:

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups (270 grams) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup fresh or canned pure pumpkin (about 1/2 of a 15 ounce can)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups (200 grams) sifted cake flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk, room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter and flour (or spray with Baker's Joy) two - 8 inch (20 cm) cake pans.

Cake: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla and beat until incorporated.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to the pumpkin batter, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Divide the batter in half and then pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then invert and remove the cakes from their pans. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting: Place the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of your food processor (or use a hand mixer) and pulse until smooth. Add the maple syrup and confectioners' sugar and process to combine. Adjust syrup or sugar until you have the right consistency.

Assemble:

Place one of the cake layers, top side down, on a serving plate. Frost with a layer of icing. Place the second cake, top side down, onto the first layer and frost the top and sides of the cake. Garnish with chopped nuts, if desired. Refrigerate but bring to room temperature before serving.


*when confused about life bake this cake...it will make it all at least 60% better!

Blueberry Almond Muffins

Whoa these are good. Pretty much perfect for a weekend breakfast or a potluck. Great with coffee.

1.75 c all-purpose flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
0.25 tsp allspice
0.25 tsp cinnamon
0.25 tsp ginger
0.25 tsp cloves
0.5 c almonds, finely ground in a food processor (or you can whack them with a sturdy spoon)
0.75 c sugar
1 egg
1.25 c buttermilk
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
8 oz blueberries
2 Tbsp ground almonds (reserve some extra from above)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, and spices. Stir in ground almonds and sugar. In a second bowl, beat together egg, buttermilk, and melted butter. Stir dry ingredients into wet to make a smooth batter. Fold in blueberries. Spoon mixture into muffin cups in a standard size muffin pan until nearly full. Sprinkle the reserved ground almonds on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, checking towards the end. Remove and cool on a wire rack. Makes 12.

Rosemary and Salt Cookies

(adapted from Martha Stewart Holiday Cookies 2005-- much improved. There you go, Martha, how do you like me now??)

1 cup (1/2 lb) salted butter, room temperature (use unsalted if that's all you have)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 egg white, beaten (keep separate from other egg)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
11/4 teaspoon coarse salt (sea salt or kosher salt)
1/2 cup fine sanding sugar (aka "baker's sugar" but granulated is OK too)

1. Combine flour, rosemary and salt in a bowl, mix with fork. Set aside.

2. Combine butter and 3/4 cup granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in whole egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in parts and mix until combined (don't over mix).

3. Halve dough. Shape each half into a log, about 2" diameter. Roll in parchment and place in freezer for at least an hour.

4. Preheat oven to 375. Brush each log with beaten egg white, roll in sanding sugar. Cut into 1/4" thick rounds (you can vary the diameter of the logs cut them a little thicker/thinner for an entirely different look--a two bite cookie v. pop in your mouth size. Just don't slice any thinner than 1/4"). Lay on a lightly greased (PAM or butter) cookie sheet, and bake until edges are golden, approximately 18-20 minutes.

Red Velvet Cake (Marie's recipe)

(3 8" layers, or 2 9" layers)

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)
2 oz. red food coloring (this is 2 bottles, usually, so check the container size)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or three 8-inch round cake pans.

2. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. In a small bowl, mix food coloring and cocoa powder to form a thin paste without lumps; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla and the red cocoa paste, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl.

4. (You need your floured cake pans ready.) In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda. Add it to the cake batter and stir well to combine. Working quickly, divide batter evenly between the cake pans and place them in a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Check early, cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove from pan to allow cakes to cool completely before frosting. Frost with buttercream or cream cheese icing. (I prefer cream cheese!)

*Sift cake flour once before measuring, then sift again with the other dry ingredients per recipe instructions.

Cream Cheese Frosting

16 oz. cream cheese (2 packages), room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter (one stick), room temperature [use less butter if you want tangier frosting]
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
pinch of salt

With an electric mixer, blend together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Turn mixer to low speed and blend in powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Turn mixer on high and beat until light and fluffy. Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. If refrigerated, the frosting will need to be brought to room temperature before using (after frosting softens up, beat with mixer until smooth).

becca's red velvet cake

one of my favorites, but not for the faint of heart...

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
3 semi sweet chocolate squares OR 1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter at room temp
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 ounce red food coloring
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup sour cream
optional: pinch of nutmeg (no more than a pinch though)

Frosting:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1/2 c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. powdered sugar
Optional: 1/2 c. flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350. Grease three 9 inch round pans. Sift flour, salt and baking soda together and set aside. If using cocoa powder mix that with the dy ingredients too.

Melt semi-sweet chocolate with 1 tablespoon of milk. Set aside but do not let harden. Or if you are using coca powder just sift it in with the flour mixture.

Beat butter and sugar in a bowl together for approximately 5 minutes at medium speed. Add eggs one at a time and beat until smooth. Add the food coloring and sour cream, milk vanilla and butter flavoring and chocolate squares. At low speed add flour mixture a little at a time but do not over mix.

Bake in 350 oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick comes out clean.

For Frosting: Add all but the sugar and beat. Then gradually add the sugar.

Grapefruit Sorbet

• 3 large pink or red grapefruit, scrubbed
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 4 cups water
• 1 dash red food coloring (optional)

Use a vegetable peeler or large zester to remove 3 long strips of peel (just the zest, not the pith) from the grapefruits. Set aside. Squeeze out 2 cups of grapefruit juice.

1. In a saucepan, combine the grapefruit peel, sugar, corn syrup and water. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, and cook for about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool. Place in the refrigerator, or set in a bowl of ice for faster chilling. Discard the peel.
2. Strain the grapefruit juice through a sieve or strainer to remove the pulp. Discard pulp. Stir the sugar syrup into the grapefruit juice, and mix in food coloring one drop at a time to achieve a pleasing, believable pink. (In other words, don't overdo it.)
3. Pour into the container of an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a container and freeze until firm before serving.

• If you do not have an ice cream maker
• Pour into 9-inch square metal baking pan; cover and freeze, stirring occasionally, until partially frozen, about 4 hours. In food processor with knife blade attached, process sorbet until smooth but still frozen.