Cherry Almond Fizz

Here is a fun little mocktail with a bright pink color (think:  Valentine's Day for the kids)  Personally, we have a Soda Stream and love it!  Therefore, we are never left without seltzer water in our household. 

Cherry Almond Fizz

Yield:  1 Mocktail

Ingredients:
1 - 2 Tablespoons Maraschino Cherry Juice 

1 Teaspoon Sugar or Sugar Alternative (I prefer to use 1 Stevia packette)

1/2 Teaspoon Almond Extract

2-3 Tablespoons Half & Half or Cream

Club Soda or Seltzer Water

Ice

1-2 Maraschino Cherries for Garnish

Step 1:  In a tall glass, place 3-4 ice cubes and then add the Maraschino cherry juice, sugar and almond extract.  

Step 2:  Fill with club soda - but leave about a 1/2 inch empty from the top.  Do not fill to the top or you will not have room for the cream!

Step 3:  Stir gently.  Top the drink off with the cream and garnish with Maraschino cherries.

Italian Cream Cake

Many moons ago I worked in an absolutely wonderful coffee shop while attending college.  I loved working there;  I loved my coworkers, I loved the owners, I loved the customers, I loved the beverages and even the food.  Each day we had a cake of the day.  It would be a beautiful cake displayed on a pedestal cake stand and when it was gone, it was gone.  Whenever I would open the shop up for the day, you can guarantee that I had a slice of the cake du jour for breakfast.  After all, it displayed best with 1 slice missing so that the customers could see the luscious, tender inside of the cake.  Am I right, or am I right?  It really was  a service ;)  

Of all the cakes served, my favorite was the Italian Cream Cake.  It's mild flavor of butter and vanilla mixed with shredded coconut, cherries, cream cheese and nuts made for a party of absolute delight on my palate.  No one ingredient out-shined the other. It was just soooooooo good.  

And the other day, I woke up and thought to myself, "Self, I could really go for some Italian Cream Cake from Moxie."  And then it began.  I don't live in that state any more, so I had to find a recipe to replicate it.  I think the flavor of this recipe nailed it.  However, I would have like the texture to have been a teensy bit air-ier.  Is that even a word?  Basically, it wasn't as fluffy as I would have liked.  So, I will likely make this again and experiment a bit.  In the meantime, try this version. I am addicted.

Italian Cream Cake
Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Butter, Softened
1/2 Cup Shortening
2 Cups Sugar
5 Large Eggs, Separated and Room Temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 Cups Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 Cup Flaked Coconut
1 10 oz Jar of Maraschino Cherries

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 8-oz Brick of Cream Cheese
1 Pound Powdered Sugar (approximately 4-5 Cups)
1/2 Cup Butter (1 Stick)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Cup Toasted Nut of Choice (Walnuts, Pecans or Hazelnuts)

Cake Directions:
Step 1:  Prepare your cake pan of choice with grease and flour.  Set aside and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2:  Drain the Maraschino cherries and reserve the juice for a later date (aka - add it to a cola for a cherry cola!).  Dry the cherries on a paper towel - they need to be super dry.  At this point, you can either leave them whole or cut them in 1/2.  I prefer to cut each on in half. Next, in a small bowl add 1 TB of flour.  Add the cherries and stir to coat; set aside.

Step 3:  In a bowl, stir together flour and baking soda; set aside.

Step 4:  In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar, shortening and butter until well combined.   Add the egg yolks and vanilla; beat until combined. Alternately, add flour mixture and buttermilk to butter/sugar mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Gently fold in coconut.

Step 5:  In a clean bowl with clean beaters, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight up). Fold about one-third of the egg whites into cake batter.  Then, fold in the remaining whites. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle the cherries over the top of the batter (they will sink to the middles while baking).

Step 6:  If using a 9x13, bake about 35 - 45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool the cake completely before frosting it.

Frosting Directions:
Step 1:  In a large mixer bowl, add the cream cheese, butter and vanilla.  Beat until well combined.  Add a 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and beat until well combined.  Add in another 1/2 cup and beat again until well combined.  Continue doing this until all the powdered sugar is added and the frosting is rich and creamy.

To Assemble:
Frost the cooled caked with the Cream Cheese Frosting.  Sprinkle with toasted nut of choice (I used hazelnuts).  Enjoy!  

Fruit Crisp

It seems that I have an excess amount of fruit around the house this week.  Totally my fault.  I bought too much. Oh, what a bummer (sarcasm).  And by too much . .. I really mean that I bought more than what my toddler and I can eat.  It makes me really note that it's the teenager who eats most of the fruit around the house.  And she's not here this week.  So, I've opted to make a crisp or crumble out of my surplus of fruit.  

Fruit Crisp
Ingredients:

For the Fruity Part:

6 Cups Fruit (cut into small, bite size pieces) - I used cherries, blueberries, rhubarb and apples

1 Tablespoon Corn Starch

1 Tablespoon Flour

1 Tablespoon Red Wine 

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/8 Teaspoon Salt

For the Crisp (Topping) Part:

3/4 Cup Oatmeal

3/4 Cup Cups Flour

3/4 Cup Cups Brown Sugar

1/3 Cup Butter, chilled

1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Step 1:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  You will also need a 8x8 pan with tall sides OR an extra-deep (deep) dish pie pan.

Step 2:  Combine the fruit, flour, corn starch, red wine, salt and cinnamon together in a bowl.  Toss together until all fruit is coated.  Set aside.

Isn't all this fruit gorgeous?  This photo was taken before mixing the dry ingredients with it.

Step 3:  Cut the butter into small pieces.  I usually cut it into tablespoon pats, and then quarter each square.

Step 4:  In a bowl, combine the small butter pieces, oatmeal, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon.

Step 5:  Stir the fruit again and then pour into the baking dish and level it out.  Then pour on the "topping".  Be sure to spread out the topping all the way to the edges.  Yuuuuuuuum!

Step 6:  Bake in oven for 45-50 minutes, or until fruit is soft and top is lightly browned.  Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Cherry Almond Pound Cake

So, my intent was to make a Cherry Rum Cake.  After all, it is cherry season.  And it's always rum season.  However, Ol' Mother Hubbard here got to my cupboard and I was out of rum . . . and rum extract.  Phooey.  And a trip to the store was not going to happen today, unlike this cake - which did happen today.  Without rum, I was left to my devices (the cherry-pitter) and (slightly against my will) I used almond extract instead of rum.  Not that it isn't delicious .. . .it's quite wonderful.  Give it a whirl.

Cherry Almond Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Butter

1 and 1/2 Cups Cup Sugar

1 and 1/2 Cups Flour + 2 TB

3 Eggs, room temp.
1/2 Cup Sour Cream

1/8 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/8 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla

1/2 Teaspoon Almond Extract

1 and 1/2 Cups Cherries (washed, pitted and quartered)

Please Note:  This recipe makes 1 standard loaf of pound cake.

Step 1:  Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease and flour 1 loaf pan.  Set aside.

Step 2:  You will want your butter slightly cold for this recipe - so take it out of the fridge and let sit for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, wash, pit and quarter the cherries.  Place them into a bowl along with the 2 Tablespoons of flour.  Gently mix with a spoon until all the cherries are coated.  This will prevent your cherries from sinking to the bottom of the cake while baking.  Set aside.

Step 3:  Grease and flour your favorite loaf pan.  As well, preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 4:  In the bowl of  a mixer, add the butter and sugar and beat until well creamed.  Add the eggs, one at a time and mix until well blended.

Step 5:  Measure out the flour, soda and salt.  Stir to combine.  Add to the butter/egg/sugar mixture and stir until just blended.  

Step 6:  Add the fresh cherries, the Vanilla and the Almond extract to the batter and fold until barely combined.

Step 7:  Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 90 minutes.  Let fully cool before removing from pan.

Serving Suggestions:  Serve slices of pound cake with any of the following:
- cherry sauce
- whipped cream
- sprinkling of powdered sugar
- spread a slice with butter
- vanilla glaze