Yummy Desserts

 

I call oranges the sunshine fruit, whether it is sweet Valencia oranges cute little Clementine, or the slightly tart Tangerines, I love them all…

This upside-down caramel orange cake brings out the flavors and beauty of the season's oranges…

Orange juice and orange zest perks up a simple vanilla cake batter and creates something irresistible...

Upside down orange cake dripping with golden caramel sauce, when baked and flipped over, the caramel sauce is what gives the cake a shiny gloss and makes the cake sinfully delicious too…

Lining the bottom of the pan with parchment paper will give your cake a smooth and beautiful cake, the caramel and fruit make a topping to the sponge cake beneath…

prep time, 30 mins

cook time, 50 mins

total time 1 hour 20 mins

serves 12

YOU WILL NEED

FOR THE TOPPING

3/4 cup Sugar

6 tbsp. Water

1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

2 tbsp. Orange juice

4 tbsp. Butter softened

2 large Oranges, peeled and sliced thinly

FOR THE CAKE

2 cups all-purpose Flour

1 & 1/2 tsp. Baking powder

1/2 tsp. Baking soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 cup Butter, softened

1 cup Sugar

3 Large Eggs

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 tsp. Orange Zest

1/4 cup Orange juice

3/4 cup Buttermilk

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 350-degree F. Grease and flour a 9" round cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Make caramel sauce first. Take water and sugar in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat till sugar melts. Keep cooking on medium-low heat till it caramelizes and turns a golden-amber color. This can take anywhere between 8-12 minutes.

Remove from heat. Add vanilla extract and orange juice. Whisk in butter till melted. The sauce will be thick now. Pour this caramel sauce into the prepared cake pan.

Place the thinly sliced oranges on top in any pattern you wish. You may need 1-2 large oranges for this. Set aside while you prepare the batter next.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy, around 2 minutes. Add eggs and beat till well combined.

Add vanilla extract, zest, orange juice, and buttermilk and mix well to combine.

Add the dry ingredients and mix till just combined. Do not over-mix.

Pour this batter carefully over the caramel and orange slices in the pan. Smooth the top with a spatula and bake for 40 minutes or till the cake passes the toothpick test.

Remove cake from oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cake with a knife or thin spatula. Invert the cake onto a cake stand or serving platter. Cool slightly and serve cake warm or at room temperature.

Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge. The cake can be reheated slightly in the microwave before serving.

NOTES

Do not use a metal spoon to stir the sugar while making the caramel sauce. This might cause the sugar to clump up. The sauce will thicken after whisking in the butter, so pour the sauce into the lined pan immediately.

You can divide the caramel sauce, orange slices, and batter among 6-oz ramekins to make mini cakes. You may need to reduce the baking time to 20-25 minutes.

Don’t forget to scoop up every large drop of warm caramel sauce left in the pan. And do not skimp on the oranges either. The caramel and oranges pair well so together to make the best topping ever to an already delicious cake.

 

 

These chocolate chip cookies are chewy and soft, with tons of gooey chocolate chips! Extremely easy to make…

Makes 3 dozen

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup vegetable shortening, or melted butter

1 & 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg

 2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

HEAT oven to 375F. In a large bowl, beat shortening, (or the melted butter, if using), brown sugar, milk and vanilla with a mixer on medium speed until well combined. Beat in egg. Stir flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl, and gradually beat into the creamed mixture until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips, and nuts optional.

DROP or scoop cookie dough by a rounded measuring tablespoonful, 3 inches apart onto a baking sheet. Scoop the cookie dough balls before chilling. The dough is easier to scoop that way!

CHILL the dough covered with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes before baking,

BAKE in a preheated oven at 375F degrees approximately 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies.

COOL 2 minutes on the pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

NOTE:

Chilling the dough does a few things to the cookie

• Allows the butter to go hard again, ensuring your cookies don’t spread too thin.
• Allows for a chewier outside AND soft inside.
• Allows the flavors to develop as they sit.

 

Strawberry Cream Pie is the perfect summertime dessert. A delicious, fluffy, creamy, cloud of strawberry silky filling topped with fresh strawberries.

INGREDIENTS

Pastry

1 & ¼ cups all-purpose Flour

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/2 cup Butter, chilled and diced

1/4 cup ice Water

Filling

3/4 cup boiling Water

1 package (4-serving size) Strawberry-flavored Jello

1 tsp. grated Lime Peel

1/2 cup Lime Juice (4 limes)

1 & 1/2 cups Whipping Cream

3/4 cup Powdered Sugar

1-pint (2 cups) Strawberries, slightly crushed

Whipped Cream, if desired

Strawberry halves, if desired

FOR THE CRUST

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter using steel wire pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle with iced water 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture gathers and forms into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet workable.  This allows the butter to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry flakier. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.

Heat oven to 475°F. With a floured rolling pin, roll pastry into round, 2 inches larger than the 9-inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Press firmly against bottom and side of the pie plate. Trim overhanging edge of pastry. Prick bottom and side of pastry thoroughly with a fork. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown; cool on a cooling rack.

FOR THE FILLING

In a large bowl, pour boiling water over Jello; stir until Jello is dissolved. Stir in lime peel and lime juice. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until very thick but not set.

Beat gelatin mixture with electric mixer on high speed about 4 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally, until thick and fluffy; set aside. In a chilled large bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar on high speed until stiff. Gently stir whipped cream and crushed strawberries into Jello mixture. Pour into crust. Refrigerate about 3 hours or until set. Garnish with whipped cream and strawberry halves. Store in refrigerator.