COCONUT POUND CAKE

Here is a little something to bake and take as a hostess gift or give to a good friend to share with over a cup of tea.

Ingredients:

2 cups of all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened

1-1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

1-1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut toasted and cooled

(To toast coconut, bake in a 350 degree oven in shallow baking pan 5-10 minutes, or until golden around the edges.)

Put rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Butter a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan, dust with flour and shake off excess.

Whisk together 2 cups of flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes with a stand mixer or 8-10 minutes with a hand mixer. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in extracts.

Reduce speed to low, and then mix in flour mixture until just combined. Fold in coconut gently but thoroughly with a rubber spatula. Spoon batter evenly into loaf pan, smoothing top. Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center comes out clean, 1 to 1-1/4 hours.

Cool cake in pan 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge of cake, then invert onto a rack and cool completely.

Whoopee Pies

The name says it all! Who can resist a whoopee pie? This is a fun treat to make with little helpers.

Ingredients:

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup natural cocoa powder, such as Hershey’s or Scharffen Berger

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon fine salt

18 large marshmallows (not minis)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet.

Put the unsweetened and semisweet chocolates and butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl; heat at 75 percent power until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir, and continue to microwave until completely melted, about 2 minutes more. (Alternatively, put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching the water, and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.)

Whisk the sugar, eggs and vanilla into the chocolate mixture until smooth.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into another bowl. Gradually whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until moistened. Switch to a rubber spatula and finish folding the batter together; take care not to over-mix.

Use a small cookie scoop or spoon to drop a heaping tablespoon of batter onto the prepared pan. Repeat to make 36 cookies, spacing them about 1-inch apart. Bake until the cookies spring back when lightly touched, about 6 minutes.

Cool the cookies slightly. Transfer half of the cookies to a rack. Turn the remaining cookies on the pan over, so they lay flat side up. Place a marshmallow on top of each flipped cookie and return pan to the oven. Cook just until the marshmallow begins to soften and puff, about 3 minutes. Cool marshmallow topped cookies slightly, about 2 minutes. Top with the remaining cookies, pressing lightly to make sandwiches. Cool whoopee pies completely on wire racks. Serve.

Store in tightly sealed container for up to 1 week.

Cheese Blintzes with Broiled Pineapple

Recipe courtesy Gale Gand

Cheese blintzes are a yummy and fun brunch item. Get the kids and family visiting for Christmas in the kitchen to help make them.

Ingredients for crepes:

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/2 cup flour

Unsalted butter

Ingredients for cheese filling:

1/2 cup chilled heavy cream

1/2 cup ricotta

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

Confectioners’ sugar

Ingredients for broiled pineapple:

1/3cup light brown sugar

1 cup toasted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1 whole pineapple, peeled and sliced

Directions for crepes:

Whisk the eggs and milk together in a medium bowl. Whisk in the salt, granulated sugar and flour. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Set the oven to 200 degrees F. and put a platter in the oven to heat.

Melt about 1/2 teaspoon of butter in a nonstick 8 to 10-inch skillet over medium heat. When it foams, pour or ladle in about 2 tablespoons of batter. Lift and swirl the pan so the batter coats the bottom. Replace the pan on the burner and cook just until set and the underside is lightly browned. Transfer to the warmed platter. Repeat until the batter is used up.

Directions for cheese filling:

Whip the cream until stiff and refrigerate. Mix the ricotta and cream cheese in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer) until as smooth as possible (it will remain a bit grainy, from the ricotta). Add the sugar, vanilla, and zest and mix. Fold in the whipped cream. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Directions for broiled pineapple:

Mix the sugar, nuts, and butter. Sprinkle on top of the pineapple slices and broil.