Peach Cake

As I sat in my apartment last night watching the food network I realized I bought WAY too many peaches on the weekend. Like I bought one of those containers with 3lbs of peaches in them. I like peaches - but I can only eat like 1 a day. Needless to say I had a lot of peaches to use up before they got attacked by fruit flies. I wasn't in the mood to make a pie - so I decided to make a cake. I have never eaten a peach cake. I am sure such a thing exists but it is not something I have experienced or baked before. It turned out pretty well I must say - I did a variation on about 3 fruit cake recipes I have seen...

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 peaches - peeled and mashed
splash of milk
1 cup flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp salt
3 peeled peaches cut into slices (for on-top of cake)

Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add in the egg and beat until blended. Add in the mashed peaches. Pour in half of the flour mixture, add a splash of milk, add the remaining flour mixture - mix until blended. Pour into a greased 9" pan. Arrange the peach slices on top of the batter and bake in the oven for 25 min @ 350.

Meanwhile, cut together with a fork:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 0.5 tsp cinnamon
-0.25 tsp nutmeg

After 25 minutes open the oven and crumble the sugar/butter mixture over your cake. Let bake for another 8 minutes until cake is firm to the touch and topping has distributed over the cake.

I think this would taste really good served warm - it was late at night so I let it cool and brought it into work. It's yummy!

Boozy Fudge

I made fudge last night. I started around midnight and I chose fudge because it doesn't take that long to make. Around 12:15 I realized I didn't have enough of any of the ingredients the recipe called for - so I decided to just make the recipe up. I like the fudge, good consistency, yummy, just super boozy. A cup of liquor sure does make some fun fudge (especially when you feed it to your co-workers/clients).

Fudge:

- 3 cups of chips (I had about 2 cups of chocolate chips and 1 cup of butterscotch chips)

- 1/4 cup of butter

- 3 cups icing sugar

- 1 cup cream liquor (I used Starbucks cream liquor because that's what I had in my cupboard)

- 1.5 cups coconut

I melted the butter and chocolate together over medium heat until melted through. I then took it off the heat and added in the icing sugar and booze. Mixed it all together, added the coconut and mixed until consistent. Then I placed in a 9x9 pan and put it in the fridge overnight to harden.

Carrot Cake

I made carrot cake for Easter dessert. My logic was that since bunnies like to eat carrots this was the right cake choice. This is one of the best cakes I have ever made - I know I say this every time but seriously this cake is moist and delicious.

Carrot Cake

2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp all spice

4 eggs

3/4 cup canola oil

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

3 cup shredded carrots - lightly packed

Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour to 9" round cake pans.

Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and all-spice together - put aside.

Whisk eggs, oil, sugars and buttermilk.

Add flour mixture to egg mixture and mix until smooth. Fold in carrots.

Evenly divide mixture between two pans and bake for 40 min.

Cream Cheese Frosting

500g cream cheese (two packages)

6 tbsp unsalted butter

1+1/4 cup icing sugar

1+1/2 tsp vanilla

Make sure cream cheese and butter are at room temperature - mix until smooth. Slowly add icing sugar, once mixed add vanilla. Once icing is smooth and cake is cool - ice away.

Cowboy Cookies

These are basically kitchen-sink cookies, probably one of the best versions I have ever made.

3/4c chopped toasted pecans

1c unsalted butter

2/3c brown sugar

1/2c white sugar

2 eggs

1.5 tsp vanilla

2c flour

1 1/4tsp baking soda

1/2tsp salt

2c oats

1/4c unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2c chocolate chips

Bake for 10 min at 350 degrees.

Chocolate Chunk Macaroons

These are by far the BEST macaroons I have ever made. I think the secret is that the recipe doesn't call for condensed milk, which gives the macaroon that gooey, heavy consistency. These ones are light, fluffy and crunchy on the outside.

2.5 cups sweetened shredded coconut

2 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp sugar

pinch salt

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl. Add 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks. Bake for 15 minutes at 325.

Chocolate Meringues

I love meringues - they are so simple to make, you just need time cause they do take about 2 hours in the oven.

Preheat oven to 175.

4 egg whites

pinch cream of tartar

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup Dutch unprocessed cocoa powder

Place the egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar in a double boiler. Whisk constantly until mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar has dissolved (approx. 3 min).

Pour mixture into the mixer fitted with a whisk - beat for approx. 10 minutes until stiff peaks form.

Sift cocoa into mixture - fold in leaving streaks of cocoa. Put into piping bag fitted with a #825 star-tip.

Pipe mixture onto parchment paper, bake for 2 hours until they come of parchment easily.

Fudge

3/4c butter
2c brown sugar
1c white sugar
2/3 evaporated milk
1.5c chocolate chips
2c marshmallows
2tsp vanilla

I melted the butter then added the sugar and milk. I brought it to a boil and kept it at a rolling boil for 9 minutes. After 9 minutes it should be a smoother texture - remove it from the heat and add the chocolate chips, marshmallows and vanilla. Mix until smooth and then place in a 9x13 greased pan - let cool and cut into squares.