Pumpkin Cake with Cannoli Cream Frosting

I did Paper Chef again for September. I think I am too late with my entry but I wanted to share the recipe anyhow. I really liked the cake. The frosting needs work. I made cannolli cream frosting. It turned out so bad that I will not pass along the recipe but I would like to perfect it, so I will get back to you on that. Here's a few tips though that I learned. When experimenting go small to avoid lots of waste. More sugar to thicken frosting is NEVER a good idea. Way too sweet.

Pumpkin Cake
this is a definite make again.

2 cups white sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups canned pumpkin or 1 - 15 ounce can
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a jelly roll pan and a miniature loaf pan with cooking spray or brush with oil. Mix sugar and oil together. Add in vanilla and pumpkin and finally the eggs. Stir baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices and flour together. Mix into wet ingredients. FIll jelly roll pan about 1/2 way and the rest pour intot he loaf pan. Bake for 25 to 40 minutes until cake begins to pull away from the sides and toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Paper Chef: August

Bloggersville is just filled with all kinds of cooking and baking groups. I like that. With many choices you can pick a group that is perfect for you or you can start your own. Which is what Temperance and I did for Recipes to Rival. While I love our group, Paper Chef offers a unique experience than a lot of the other baking groups. Basically, you just stop by for any given month, see what the ingredients are for that month and create a dish with those ingredients. You can participate as little or as much as you like.

I haven't done Paper Chef in quite some time. I was glad to see this months pick- couscous, chilies, peaches and rosemary. Good choice Javaholic. I am very pleased with how this dish came out. Very tastey and I actually would make it again.

Rosemary Scented Toasted Israeli Cous Cous Timbales with Chili Peach Sauce
Lori's Lipsmacking Goodness

1/2 pound Israeli Cous Cous
2 cups chicken broth
2 sprigs rosemary
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
s and p
3 ounces Empire Jack cheese or some other nice melting cheese, grated
1 egg
1/2 cup parsley
1/2 cup sliced green onion
1 cup cooked broccoli, chopped small

Sauce:
1/2 heavy cream
1 cup peach puree
1/2 of an anaheim chili
s and p

In a saucepan melt butter and let brown, add cous cous and rosemary and cook in butter until the cous cous is toasted. Meanwhile, heat the chicken broth. Add the chicken broth and salt and pepper when the cous cous has become a little toasted. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, until the cous cous becomes tender. Drain. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk egg a little- add cheese, parsley and green onion. Mix in couscous and broccoli. Pour into sprayed muffin tins or ramekins. Bake at 350F for about fifteen to twenty minutes, depending on the size of your pan. You want to see it pulling away from the sides a little. Remove and let cool.

While the cous cous timbales are baking make the sauce. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan heat cream with a chunk of chili until it is just about to boil. Remove from heat, cover and let cool. Remove the chile after the mixture has cooled. In a blender, puree about two or three peaches. Add the heavy cream.

PAPER CHEF: March

It's Paper Chef time. I am so excited because it has been several months since I participated. This month the ingredients of choice were: anchovies, figs, polenta and mint. I didn't like my first creation, although if I played with it more I probably could have come up with something more suitable. The second creation was pretty good. Great for bruschetta.
And Lawd! I have to tell you that polenta fries are awesome. Crunchy and corny, they were awesome with the tapenade and this (below) raspberry salsa.


This pic is a rockin' Saturday night date with my hubbie. Bailey's Irish Cream, polenta fries and a game. This is how we spend most Saturday nights. Usually it's Scrabble but we decided this past weeked to live on the edge and play Battleship. Yeah Baby. But seriously, when you are married with young children this is a great, free date! Works for us!

On with the recipes.

Minted Fig Canapes

1 clove garlic, minced
8 dried figs
1/2 cup of port
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried
1 1/2 anchovies
1 tablespoon capers, reserving a few for decoration

Combine figs, port, water, mint, anchovies in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Heat until the figs are plump. Add capers and pulse in a processor until coarsely chopped. Heap onto polenta rounds and top with reserved capers.

Polenta Rounds and Fries

In a large sauce pan heat 4 cups of water with 1 teaspoon salt. In a bowl combine cornmeal and 2 cups water. Add to salted water when it comes to a boil. Boil for about twenty mintues until it is thickened. Pour into a greased cookie sheet. Cool overnight in the refrigerator. Cut into rounds the following day. Or cut into sticks for fries.

For polenta fries, spray with cooking oil and bake at 375F until they become crisp. Turning over to crisp up on other side.

Fig and Olive Tapenade

Using the above mixture, I added 2 more cloves of garlic and about 8 large green olives.I processed it until it was ground finer.

PAPER CHEF: December

Paper Chef is a fun challenge that Ilva over at Lucullian Delights continues. Each month you are given a list of ingredients. Then from the list you have total freedom to create a dish using those ingredients. Such fun!

Anyway, my first thought was empanadas. I had a Spanish theme idea in my head. So I paired capers and saffron with the rice and shrimp from the ingredient list. For the sauce, I used the oranges and brandy from the ingredient list and added pomegranate juice. The sauce was amazing. We all agreed that it would be heavenly on ice cream as well. The results were good.

Afterwards I had enough filling leftover to stuff into these spring rolls. I don't usually fry food but wanted to do it with these. These were very delicious. I was very pleased with the results. So pleased in fact that I would make it again!



SHRIMP and RICE EMPANADAS
Lori's Lipsmacking Goodness Original

For the filling:

1 1/2 cups sushi rice
1 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
pinch of saffron
1 egg white
2 tablespoons capers
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 gloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups mini shrimps

Stir saffron into water in a heavy saucepan. Add rice and cook until boiling. Reduce flame tolow and cover. Cook rice until the water is absorbed. Try not to open the top too often.

When done, add remainder of ingredients. Let cool.

for the Pomegranate Orange Sauce:

2 oz brandy
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
the zest of two oranges
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 cup water

In a sauce pan combine all the ingredients except for the cornstarch and water. Heat the mixture until boiling. In a little cup combine cornstarch and water. Mix untilt here are no lumps. Pour the mixture into the sauce. Simmer for one minute more.
For the empanadas:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1stick), cold and cut into 12 pieces
1 lightly beaten egg
4-5 tbs ice water

In a food processor or with a pastry blender, combine flour, salt and butter. If using a processor put in flour and salt. Drop in butter while processor is running. Add egg. Add ice water, one tablespoon at a time until dough forms.

PAPER CHEF NOVEMBER Turkey and Lentil Burger

I participated in Paper Chef before and its a lot of fun. The idea is that you find out what the ingredients are and then you come up with something and post it before the due date. You can check it out here.

The ingredients for this months challenge, were turkey, anahiem peppers, lentils and winter squash. Of course I was all over this one because I have a TON of butternut squash to use!

I know it was probably not the most inventive entry but it was fun nevertheless. The taste was okay. We liked it but we didn't love it. Here's my recipe if you would like to try it or perfect it. I think next time I would have made the roll with butternut squash or something.

Ilva over at Lucullian Delights always cooks up something amazing and this month is no different. Check out all the others too.

TURKEY LENTIL BURGERS
Lori's Lipsmacking Goodness Original

1 cup of cooked urad dal lentils (the black lentils with white insides)
1 lb ground turkey
1 cup cubed and roasted butternut squash
1 garlic clove minced
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 of an anaheim chili, roasted and diced

Combine all ingredients except for squash in a bowl. Add s and p to your taste. When thoroughly combined gently fold in butternut squash pieces, being careful not to mash up. Fry in olive oil and serve on a roll.

I mixed the remainder of the roasted anaheim chili with mayo and spread it on the bun.

PAPER CHEF CHALLENGE

I ran across this Paper Chef challenge at Scottish Cow. Whats really cool about these challenges is that they give you a list of ingredients and you have to produce a recipe. Like Iron Chef. This was my kind of challenge. I just read about it last night and just so happened to have all the ingredients.

The list of ingredients is as follows:
quinoa
rice wrapper
tomatoes
yogurt

Rice Wrapper Filling

eggplant, about two cups roasted
juice of one lemon
s and p
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
2 cups quinoa

Roast eggplant in a 450 degree oven. Peel and cut in strips and roast until softened. Place in a covered dish with a tablespoon of olive oil. The steam will soften them further.

Place garlic in processor, mince. Add eggplant and pulse. Dont puree. Remove and stir in remainder of ingredients.

Place rice wrappers in hot water in bowl to soften, one at a time. Place filling in lower third of wrapper. Roll once, fold in sides and continue to roll.

Cover with a damp paper towel as your oll the remainder or cover in plastic wrap.

For the yogurt portion of this recipe you can follow my link to raita.