Carrot-Cake Cookies

Before being filled, the cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. The filling can be made ahead and chilled for up to five days.

Prep: 30 minutes / Total: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients:

For the filling:

• 2 ounces car cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For the cookies:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup packed, finely grated, peeled carrots
• 1/3 cup dried currents

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Make filling: With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add sugar and lemon juice; beat until combined. Cover; chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make cookies: In a large bowl, whisk together butter, sugars, and egg yolk. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir until combined. Mix in oats, carrots, and currents.
3. Drop dough by level tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheets. Flatten with the palm of your hand. Bake until edges are crisp, rotating baking sheets halfway through, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
4. Turn half the cookies over, bottom side up; dollop each with about 1 teaspoon chilled cream-cheese filling. Top with remaining cookies, pressing gently to spread filling to edges. Serve immediately.

Easy Cranberry & Apple Cake

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over for stems
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and medium-diced
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest (2 oranges)
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 1/8 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Combine the cranberries, apple, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. With the mixer on medium, add 1 cup of the granulated sugar, the butter, vanilla, and sour cream and beat just until combined. On low speed, slowly add the flour and salt.
4. Pour the fruit mixture evenly into a 10-inch glass pie plate. Pour the batter over the fruit, covering it completely. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle it over the batter. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a tooth-pick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean and the fruit is bubbling around the edges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

True Love Chocolate Cake Recipe

24 Servings / Prep: 35 min. Bake: 35 min. + cooling

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1-2/3 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup baking cocoa
• 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-1/4 cups water
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Frosting:

• 1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed

Topping:

• 3/4 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup candy hearts

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in applesauce.
2. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add to the butter mixture alternately with water, beating well after each addition. Fold in chips. Pour into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
4. For frosting, in a bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Fold in whipped topping. Frost cake. Refrigerate until serving. Just before serving, sprinkle with coconut and candy. Yield: 24 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 piece equals 238 calories, 9 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 29 mg cholesterol, 201 mg sodium, 39 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein.

Plum cake with Red Wine

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 200 g. flour
• 1 tbsp. l. with a hill of sugar
• pinch of salt
• 100 g butter
• 1 egg
• 2-3 tbsp l. cold milk

Flour mixed with sugar and salt. Add butter and mash with a fork. Add the egg and slowly pouring the milk dough. Distribute it to the form (28 cm) and put into the refrigerator for at least half an hour.

Filling:

• 400 g plums
• 1 tbsp. l. brown sugar (if sour plum to add more to taste)
• 1 package vanilla wine
• 3 eggs

Plums cut in half, remove seeds and add to saucepan. Add sugar and simmer until the plums are not fully softened. Cool. Skins can be removed or, as I have to leave. Grind to paste. Add the vanilla sugar, wine and eggs, mix well. Mold with the dough to remove from the refrigerator, often prick with a fork, pour the filling. I am in this time still trim edges of dough with a knife after pouring the filling. Bake at 180 degrees C for about 30 minutes. Cool.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe

16 Servings / Prep: 40 min. Bake: 45 min. + cooling

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Batter:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• Confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon; set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream.
2. Pour half of the batter into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan; sprinkle with half of the pecan mixture. Gently top with remaining batter and pecan mixture.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. Yield: 16 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 slice equals 333 calories, 18 g fat (9 g saturated fat), 66 mg cholesterol, 177 mg sodium, 40 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.

Chocolate Pumpkin Marble Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 up packed dark brown sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened*
• 5 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 3/4 cups cake flour, divided
• 3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. baking powder, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, divided
• 1 tsp. salt, divided
• 3/4 cup Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/3 cup regular or low-fat buttermilk, divided

*if you don’t care about fat/calories, bump this up to 1 1/2 cups. if you do care, you could reduce it to 3/4 cup and it should still be ok, but it won’t be as moist.

Cream Cheese Glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 4 oz. (1/2 cup) regular or low-fat cream cheese
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 tbsp. milk (or more if you want a thinner glaze)

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Rub a 10 tube pan or 12-cup bundt pan with butter (or spritz with cooking spray) and dust with 1 tbsp. flour until the interior is covered. Tap lightly to shake loose extra flour. Set aside.
2. Spread pumpkin puree over two laters of paper towels and press more layers on top. let sit for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large mixer bowl cream butter until light. Add both sugars in a steady stream and mix on medium for about 5 minutes.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add in vanilla.
5. Transfer half of the mixture into another large bowl (another mixer bowl would be helpful, but any large bowl will work). Set aside.
6. Scrape the pumpkin off of the paper towel and add it to the first bowl. Mix well.
7. In a smaller bowl combine 1 3/4 cup flour, pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/4 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt.
8. Add half of the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Mix in 1/3 cup buttermilk. Then add the remaining flour and mix until combined. Set aside.
9. In the smaller bowl combine 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup cocoa, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/4 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt.
10. Add half of the flour/cocoa mixture to the other large bowl and mix with a whisk or your mixer. Mix in 1 cup of buttermilk. Then add the remaining flour and mix until combined.
11. Spoon 1/3 of the pumpkin batter into your prepared pan. Drop heaping spoonfuls of the chocolate batter around the pan (not completely covering all the pumpkin). Spoon in the remaining pumpkin and chocolate batters. Gently swirl a knife around the pan several times.
12. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (make sure you’re checking in both the pumpkin and chocolate parts, I noticed large chocolate sections needed a few additional minutes). Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool for another 10 minutes on a rack.
13. Meanwhile, to make the glaze, mix powered sugar and cream cheese until well blended. Beat in vanilla and milk, 1 tbsp. at a time. Drizzle on the warm cake. Let cake cool completely.

12-16 servings.

Cranberry Orange Walnut Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 stick/113 gram soft butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp of orange zest
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

1. Line and grease a large loaf pan or two medium size loaf pans. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Shift the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and set it aside. Combine the orange juice and sour cream. Mix well and set it aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy for 5-6 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time and beating continuously until well incorporated. Slow down the speed of the mixer and slowly add in the flour in 3 batches alternating with the orange juice - sour cream mixture. The last edition should be the flour. Do not over mix.
3. Stop the machines, using a spatula fold in the fresh cranberries and walnuts. Mix well. Pour into the baking pan and bake for 55 - 65 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let it rest on the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out on the cooling pan.
4. Let it cool completely. Combined the glaze ingredients and spread it over the top of the cake. Cut and serve.

Note: This cake improves in texture and taste after a day or two.

Tropical Carrot Cake Squares

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt

-

• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 pound carrots (6 to 7 carrots), peeled, and grated in a food processor
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar (10 1/2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Frosting:

• (can be doubled to frost a double layer cake)
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened but still cool
• 5 Tbsp unsalted butter softened, but still cool
• 1 Tbsp sour cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 c. confectioners’ sugar (4 1/2 ounces)

Method:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle postition; heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 by 9-inch baking pan.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in large bowl; set aside.
3. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or in large bowl and using hand-held mixer), beat granulated sugar and brown sugars and eggs on medium-high until thoroughly combined, about 45 seconds. Reduce soeed to medium; with mixer running, add oil in slow, steady stream, being careful to pour oil against inside of bowl (if oil begins to splatter, reduce speed to low until oil is incorporated, then resume adding oil). Increase speed to high and mix until mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 45 seconds to 1 minute longer. Turn off mixer and stir in carrots and dry ingredients by hand until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.
4. Pour into prepared pan and bake until toothpick or skewer inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time. Cool cake to room temperature in pan on wire rack, about 2 hours.
5. When cake is cool, mix cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla at medium high speed in clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment until well combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add confectioners’ sugar and mix until very fluffy, about 1 minute.
6. Frost cake as desired and cut into squares. Enjoy! and remember, carrots are good for you - to a certain degree.

Duncan Hines Recipe: Cherries in the Snow

Hands-On Time: 20 minutes / Total: 1 hour and 45 minutes / Servings: Makes 16 to 20 servings.

Recipe Description: Luscious layers of a cream cheese filling alternate with light-as0air Duncan Hines Angel Food Cake. Crown this Cherries in the Snow Dessert with whipped topping and cherry pie filling - what a masterpiece!

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg Duncan Hines Angel Food Cake Mix
• 1 (8 oz.) pkg cream cheese
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 (12 oz) container frozen non-dairy whipped topping, thawed
• 1 can (21 ounces) Comstock or Wilderness Cherry Pie Filling

Baking Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare bake and cool cake following package directions. Cut cake into 16 slices.
2. Combine cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in small bowl. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer until smooth.
3. To assemble, spread half the whipped topping in bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Arrange 8 cake slices on whipped topping: press lightly. Spread with cream cheese mixture. Arrange remaining cake slices on cream cheese mixture; press lightly. Spread with remaining whipped topping. Spoon cherry pie filling evenly over top. (Pan will be filled to the brim.) Refrigerate for 2 hours or until ready to serve. Cut into squares.

Cafe Au Lait Cake (Gluten Free)

Enjoy your java by the forkful! This cool and delicious chocolate dessert features the popular coffee flavor found at coffee shops everywhere!

Prep Time: 30 Min / Total Time: 3 Hr 30 Min / Makes: 10 Servings

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 tablespoons instant espresso coffee powder or granules 
• 1 cup water
• 1 box Betty Crocker Gluten Free devil’s food cake mix
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3 eggs

Frosting:

• 2 tablespoons instant espresso coffee powder or granules
• 1 tablespoon cool water
• 1 cup Betty Crocker Whipped milk chocolate frosting
• 1 1/2 cups frozen (thawed) whipped topping

Garnish:

• Chocolate-covered espresso beans, if desired

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (or 325 degrees F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of 8-inch or 9-inch round pan with shortening.
2. Dissolve 1 tablespoon coffee in 1 cup water. In large bowl, beat coffee mixture, cake mix, butter and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl constantly. Pour into pan.
3. Bake 8-inch or 9-inch pan 43 to 48 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around side of pan to loosen cake; remove from pan to cool rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
4. Dissolve 2 tablespoons coffee in 1 tablespoon cool water. Stir 2 teaspoons of the coffee mixture into frosting. In medium bowl, mix whipped topping and remaining coffee mixture; gently stir in 1/4 cup of the frosting mixture.
5. Cut cake in half horizontally. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on serving plate. Spread with half of the whipped topping mixture (about 3/4 cup) to within 1/4 inch of edge. Place other cake layer, cut side down, on top. Frost side and top of cake with frosting. Pipe remaining whipped topping mixture around top of cake. Refrigerate 1 hour or until chilled. Garnish top of cake with espresso beans. Store covered in refrigerator.

Did You Know? If this cake is served just after chilling, the espresso flavor will be mild. The flavor develops more fully as it continues to chill, and if served the next day, the flavor will be stronger.

Cooking Gluten Free? Always read labels to make sure each recipe ingredient is gluten free. Products and ingredient sources can change.

Nutrition Information:

1 Serving (1 Serving)

• Calories 370 
  • (Calories from Fat 160);

• Total Fat 17g
  • (Saturated Fat 10g,
  • Trans Fat 1g);
• Cholesterol 90mg;
• Sodium 370mg;
• Total Carbohydrate 51g
  • (Dietary Fiber 1g,
  • Sugars 31g);
• Protein 3g;