Monday, November 24, 2014

Pumpkin Cake -- and Proud of It

Would you like a piece of cake right now? For Goodness Cake is here for you. Every week, we'll be sharing recipes that prove why cake should be its own food group.
Today: A pumpkin cake that isn't ashamed of who it is.

I am going to admit something that I might not have admitted two years ago (especially not on the capital-I-Internet where words live for eternity). I like pumpkin spice things. I would not turn down a pumpkin spice latte. I would not turn down pumpkin spice French toast.

But don't scoff at me just yet -- I'm not even finished confessing. You see, I also like Uggs, another autumn hallmark both revered and mocked. I could imagine wearing Uggs while drinking a pumpkin spice latte and eating the latest pumpkin spice whatever. I'd do this in public. I'd do this smiling -- humming, even.



I am well aware that as a consumer and an eater, I have been programmed to eat pumpkin during this time of year. While squirrels and bears prepare for hibernation by hoarding acorns and berries, I ready myself by making sure that every food I eat that could be pumpkin-flavored is pumpkin-flavored. Yes, it's the product of advertising, but it's come to feel almost evolutionary.
More: Make a pumpkin spice latté that's actually made with real pumpkin.

So I’m giving in. I’m going to eat pumpkin spice popcorn and pumpkin spice Oreos and pumpkin spice pumpkin and pretend that I live in a colonial-style house outside of Boston and that I spend Saturday afternoons raking leaves and rubbing my mittened hands together for warmth. And I'm going to make a pumpkin cake that is unapolgetic in its glory. I'm going to put that cake in the center of my table where it will get the attention it deserves. I'm going feed it to my friends and I'm not going to let anyone say that pumpkin is passé or, even worse, "basic."

I am indebted to Tartine Bakery and their pumpkin tea cake for the original recipe. This adapted version yields an unmistakably cakey cake without any of the wet sponginess (in the best possible way) of a quickbread -- a dessert that you'd serve at a dinner party rather than a loaf cake you'd eat with your morning coffee. By separating the egg yolks and the egg whites, whipping the whites until they're frothy, and then folding them into the batter at the last minute, a dense tea cake gains height and lightness.

More: Transform banana bread into the lighest, purest banana cake you'll ever meet. 
Because a proud cake needs some decoration, I turned to Dorie Greenspan's classic cream cheese frosting, omitting the lemon zest and coconut and reducing the sugar for a tangy topping that offsets the airy cake. For texture's sake (and because I am a fussy human), I coated pumpkin seeds in caramel and sprinkled them over top, crowning the cake and, if I'm getting analytical, paying homage to the seed from whence it came.
If you can't wait for the cake to cool before adorning it, your impatience will be rewarded: You'll have a warm, melty mess perfect for eating out of a bowl or, as I prefer, out of a Tupperware on the subway.
Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Icing and Caramelized Pumpkin Seeds
Makes one 9-inch cake
For the cake:

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (9 ounces) pumpkin purée
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 1/3 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature, yolks and whites separated

For the frosting and the caramelized pumpkin seeds:

9 tablespoons butter, divided, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (raw or toasted)



Article Saurce: food52

Friday, November 7, 2014

Stand 'N Stuff™ Chicken Fajita Tacos




Enjoy these easy chicken fajitas in a taco shell! Top with shredded cheese, and this meal is complete! 

Stand 'N Stuff™ Chicken Fajita Tacos
  • Prep Time 15 min
  • Total Time 20 min
  • Servings 2

1
package (20 oz) Old El Paso™ frozen chicken fajitas
4
Old El Paso™ Stand 'N Stuff™ taco shells (from 4.7-oz package)
1/2
cup shredded cheese (Cheddar, pepper Jack, or other variety)
Fresh toppings, as desired (tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, avocado, jalapeños, lettuce)

 

Directions

  • 1 Make chicken fajitas as directed on package.
  •  
  • 2 Heat taco shells as directed on package.

  • 3 Divide chicken fajitas equally among heated taco shells; top with shredded cheese. Add fresh toppings. Serve immediately.
  • Saurce: bettycrocker 

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Pizza Pasta Bake

Pizza Pasta Bake
  • Prep Time 20 min
     
  • Total Time 30 min
  • Servings 8

Ingredients

1
package (16 oz) penne pasta
3
links sweet Italian sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1
medium green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
1
medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1
can (15 oz) Muir Glen® organic pizza sauce
1
can (6 oz) pitted ripe olives, drained, sliced
1
can (4 oz) Green Giant® mushrooms pieces and stems, drained
1
large bunch fresh basil, stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped
2
cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
1/2
cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2
cup sliced pepperoni




Directions


  • 1Heat oven to 450°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package, using minimum cook time.
  • 2Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, cook sausage, bell pepper and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are crisp-tender.
  • 3In baking dish, mix pasta and pizza sauce. Add sausage-vegetable mixture, olives, mushrooms and basil; toss until well combined. Sprinkle with cheeses; top with pepperoni.
  • 4Bake uncovered 8 to 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted.
  • Saurce : bettycrocker

Chocolate Cookie Pizza

Chocolate Cookie Pizza
  • Prep Time 15 min
  •  
  • Total Time 60 min
  • Servings 16

Ingredients

1/2
cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2
cup packed brown sugar
1/4
cup granulated sugar
1
teaspoon vanilla
1
egg
1 1/4
cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1/2
teaspoon baking soda
1
bag (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)
2
tablespoons butter or margarine
3
tablespoons milk
1
cup powdered sugar
1/2
cup pecan halves
1/2
cup candy-coated chocolate candies
1/4
cup shredded coconut, toasted, if desired
2
oz white chocolate baking bars (from 6-oz package), melted


Directions


  • 1Heat oven to 350º F. In large bowl, mix 1/2 cup butter, the brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla and egg until well blended. Stir in flour and baking soda (dough will be stiff).
  • 2Pat dough in ungreased 12-inch pizza pan or into 12-inch round on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool about 30 minutes.
  • 3In 2-quart saucepan, heat chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons butter and milk over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until chocolate is melted; remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar. Beat with wire whisk until smooth, glossy and spreadable. (If not glossy, stir in a few drops hot water).
  • 4Spread chocolate mixture over baked layer. Immediately sprinkle with pecans, candies and coconut; press lightly. Drizzle with melted baking bars. Let stand until set. Remove from pan if desired. Cut into wedges.
  • Saurce : bettycrocker

Chicken Taco Pizza

Chicken Taco Pizza
  • Prep Time 20 min
     
  • Total Time 30 min
  • Servings 4

Ingredients

1
package (10 oz) prebaked thin Italian pizza crust (12 inch)
1/2
cup Old El Paso™ taco sauce
2
cups chopped deli rotisserie chicken (from 2- to 2 1/2-lb chicken)
1 1/2
cups shredded mozzarella and Cheddar cheese blend (6 oz)
1/2
cup sour cream
1
cup shredded lettuce
1
medium tomato, seeded, chopped (3/4 cup)
1/2
cup crushed nacho-flavored tortilla chips


Directions

 


  • 1Heat oven to 450°F. On cookie sheet, place pizza crust. In small bowl, stir taco sauce and chicken.
  • 2Spread chicken mixture over pizza crust, leaving 1-inch border. Top with cheese. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and pizza is thoroughly heated.
  • 3Drop sour cream by teaspoonfuls over pizza. Top with lettuce, tomato and tortilla chips. Cut into 8 wedges.
  • Saurce : bettycrocker