Pumkpin Sheet Cake

Tim rated this as one of my top  5 all time deserts.  Guess I'll be making this again.  !

Ingredients

• 2 sticks  Butter
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 cups Pumpkin Puree
• 2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 3/4 cups Boiling Water
• 2 cups Flour
• 2 cups Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/2 cup Buttermilk
• 2  Eggs
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 tsp  Maple syrup ( the real stuff only please)

Frosting

• 8 ounces, brick of Cream Cheese, Softened
• 1 stick Butter, Softened
• 1 pound Powdered Sugar, Sifted
• Dash Of Salt
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp Milk (more If Needed For Thinning)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a sheet pan with butter or spray and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt 2 sticks butter. Whisk in pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice until it's totally combined. Whisk in boiling water until mixture is smooth and combined. Set aside.
In a small bowl , combine buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, vanilla, and maple extract. Whisk and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Pour in the pumpkin mixture and stir until halfway combined. Pour in the buttermilk mixture and stir until combined. Pour into the pan and bake the cake for 20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

To make the frosting, mix together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and salt until smooth. Add half and half and check the consistency. It should be somewhat thick but thin enough to spread in a thin layer.
Spread the frosting all over the surface of the cake. Cut into squares and serve. Keep leftovers in the fridge, as frosting will get soft.

source

Maple Syrup Pie with Crème Fraîche

Delicious and easy

Definitely would make again

Cover-to-Cover: Holiday Cookies: "Thai Peanut Butter Cookies"

 

I signed up for the Bitten Word's Cover-to-Cover: Holiday Cookies Project and got assigned the   Vegetarian Times "Thai Peanut Butter Cookies".   A quick peak in my cupboard, confirmed that  I had all the needed ingredients on hand when the assignment came in.   Since Tim was off in India again, I jumped right in and made a batch . 

 

Results:  The cookie reminded me of Willy Wonka’s famous "3 course meal" in  a stick of gum with each flavor being unique and  having a time release on the tongue.  The cookie starts on the palate as a  classic peanut butter cookie, followed by a creamy coconut note, and ends with the surprising bite of heat from the curry.  This is great refrigerator roll cookie that will stand out from the crowd - a real keeper but use the kitchen aid instead of recommended mixer.  These cookies are  much too dense for an  electric mixer  and not really a Christmas cookie, but I will make again.

Turkey Day 2014 - The Menu and Scoring

Cardone Lasagne

I have seen Cardone at Somerset farms every year at this time.  The other day I noticed a lovely older woman buying a few stalks.  So, I had to ask, how do you cook it   ..   She said just like a veal parmagiano and said it tasted a lot like artichoke.  Hmm.  .