Stephanie LeAnn

Yes, I understand it is February and no, I will never stop making desserts with pumpkin in them except maybe around July or August. Besides, I had a can of pumpkin I needed to use up. This cake is delicious, moist, and spiced perfectly. The instructions prompt using a hand or standing mixer, but this could be done with a wide wooden spoon and just a bit of elbow grease. I found that the confectioners sugar is a perfect compliment, but feel free to top this guy with any kind of icing you come up with. Perhaps a maple or cranberry glaze? Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake from Martha 4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for dusting 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 T ground ginger 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 2 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar 4 large eggs 1 cup buttermilk 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12 or 14-cup Bundt pan. Dust with flour, and tap out excess. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Beat butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl on medium speed until distributed. Reduce speed to low. Add the eggs, beating well after each one and scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Add pumpkin puree, and beat until just combined. Do not over mix or cake will become tough and chewy. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until golden and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55-60 minutes. Let cool on for 30 minutes. Carefully turn cake onto wire rack too cool completely. Before serving, dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Yes, I understand it is February and no, I will never stop making desserts with pumpkin in them except maybe around July or August. Besides, I had a can of pumpkin I needed to use up. This cake is delicious, moist, and spiced perfectly. The instructions prompt using a hand or standing mixer, but this could be done with a wide wooden spoon and just a bit of elbow grease. I found that the confectioners sugar is a perfect compliment, but feel free to top this guy with any kind of icing you come up with. Perhaps a maple or cranberry glaze?

Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake from Martha

4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for dusting
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 T ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12 or 14-cup Bundt pan. Dust with flour, and tap out excess.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

Beat butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl on medium speed until distributed. Reduce speed to low. Add the eggs, beating well after each one and scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Add pumpkin puree, and beat until just combined. Do not over mix or cake will become tough and chewy. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake until golden and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55-60 minutes. Let cool on for 30 minutes. Carefully turn cake onto wire rack too cool completely. Before serving, dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Red Velvet Hot Chocolate from A Beautiful Mess. 4-5 cups milk (I recommend either using soymilk or whole milk for hot chocolate) 1 cup dark chocolate chips 2-3 drops red food coloring Heat the milk over medium heat, add the chips and stir constantly, incorporating them into the milk as they melt. Add the syrup or dye. Pour into two glasses and enjoy! Red Velvet is my guys favorite kind of cake, needless to say this will be waiting for him when he comes over next Tuesday.

Red Velvet Hot Chocolate from A Beautiful Mess.

4-5 cups milk (I recommend either using soymilk or whole milk for hot chocolate)
1 cup dark chocolate chips
2-3 drops red food coloring

Heat the milk over medium heat, add the chips and stir constantly, incorporating them into the milk as they melt. Add the syrup or dye. Pour into two glasses and enjoy!

Red Velvet is my guys favorite kind of cake, needless to say this will be waiting for him when he comes over next Tuesday.

Last night I went to bed with the worst coconut craving. So I spent the morning making Coconut Macaroons. They are simple, straightforward, and so delicious. I urge even the most wary bakers out there to try whipping up a few dozen of these beauties.

I pulled the recipe straight from Martha herself, though I noticed almost every bag of shaved coconut has some sort of macaroon recipe on the back.


Coconut Macaroons

3 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
14 ounces sweetened flaked coconut (about 5 1/3 cups)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or coat generously with nonstick cooking spray/butter.

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar, and salt until a nice froth has formed. (Don’t worry, don’t get your blender out. It only takes a couple minutes of vigorous whisking to get the job done.) Stir in coconut until all is combined.

Drop packed tablespoons onto baking sheet. Bake until they just begin browning, 20-25 minutes.

And yeah, that’s Steve Martin lurking in the background of the third photo, as you can see by the fourth.

I am always so over zealous when it comes to buying fruit at the market. Ten apples? I’ll eat them! A dozen clementines? They’ll be gone in three days! But I can never get through my bananas in time. They always get too spotty, too mushy and I end up just throwing them in my smoothies as an after thought to get them off my counter. But today, I made banana bread. This is my grandmothers recipe, to which I’ve taken the nuts out and added a few more spices. 3 ripe bananas 1/3 cup salted butter, melted 1 cup light brown sugar 1 egg, beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1 1/2 cup of flour Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel bananas and put in medium mixing bowl. Mash with either a blender or pastry blender. Pour butter into the mashed bananas, followed by the sugar, egg, and vanilla, then the spices. Mix together with the baking soda and salt. Add the flour last, slowly combining it into the mixture. Pour into a greased 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour. Remove from pan to cool on rack. Slice to serve!

I am always so over zealous when it comes to buying fruit at the market. Ten apples? I’ll eat them! A dozen clementines? They’ll be gone in three days! But I can never get through my bananas in time. They always get too spotty, too mushy and I end up just throwing them in my smoothies as an after thought to get them off my counter. But today, I made banana bread.

This is my grandmothers recipe, to which I’ve taken the nuts out and added a few more spices.

3 ripe bananas
1/3 cup salted butter, melted
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cup of flour

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Peel bananas and put in medium mixing bowl. Mash with either a blender or pastry blender. Pour butter into the mashed bananas, followed by the sugar, egg, and vanilla, then the spices. Mix together with the baking soda and salt. Add the flour last, slowly combining it into the mixture.

Pour into a greased 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour. Remove from pan to cool on rack. Slice to serve!