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Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake

Cake
2 3/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup unsalted butter, soften
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup dried cranberries
Orange Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons orange juice

heat oven to 350F. Generously grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.
In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In another bowl, whisk sour cream, orange zest, juice and vanilla.
Beat butter and sugar together on medium speed in a bowl of a standing mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until blended.
Reduce the speed to low and beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by half of the sour cream mixture. Repeat with another 1/3 of the flour mixture and the remaining sour cream mixture. Beat in the remaining flour mixture until just incorporated.
Fold in dried cranberries.
Pour the mixture into the prepared bundt cake pan and spread evenly.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for about 10 minutes before inverting on rack. Let cool completely.
To make the orange glaze, whisk together powdered sugar and orange juice, a tablespoon at a time, until it becomes thick and smooth. Pour over cake.

Saturday, October 7, 2017

Peppermint Patties

  • 1/4 cup softened butter
  • 1/3 cup light corn syrup
  • 1-2 tsp peppermint extract*
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 cups dark dipping chocolate**
  • chocolate jimmies, if desired
  1. Combine butter, corn syrup, extract and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes, until ingredients are well combined and are holding together.
  2. Remove dough from bowl and break off about 2 teaspoon-sized sections. Roll into a ball and gently flatten with your hands. Put patties down on a pan lined with wax or parchment paper. Once all patties are made, place pan in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
  3. Melt chocolate in microwave for 1 minute 20 seconds. Let sit for an additional minute in the microwave. Remove and gently stir. Remove peppermint patties from freezer. Use a fork or a handy Winton Dipping tool like I did to dip each patty in the chocolate, flip to coat the other side, then tap to remove any excess. Transfer chocolate coated patties to wax paper to cool. Top with chocolate jimmies if you’d like.
  4. Store in an airtight container, refrigerate if preferred but it’s not necessary. Yields 40 mints.