Surf's up!

Hi, I'm Crabby! Well, no, not really...but I could be. It's been cake city around here, and that's why I've been a tad MIA these days here at the 'ol blog. I posted on Facebook and Twitter recently that I make cakes and wouldn't ya know, people came a callin'!


This cake was for little Kade who recently turned one. His mom said they were having a surfboard themed party, drawing inspiration from his party invitations. So, using the invitation as a guide, I molded and slightly carved the surfboard out of Rice Krispy treats. Later I covered it in fondant to match the invitation.



Mr Crabs here I molded out of white fondant and rested him on my coffee scoop to harden a bit. Later I painted him with various food colorings until he got that mottled look.


I formed starfish and sand dollars out of fondant, letting them rest on various sized measuring spoons. That gave them more of a realistic shape. I painted, then sprinkled them with a bit of edible glitter to give them that slightly wet, shiny look.



Of course, every little surf boarder has to have some surfwax so he doesn't fall off the board.



A bit of golden sugar crystals on top of tons of real buttercream give us that sandy beach effect.



From crab, to surfboard, to cake, all completly edible...



I know 'ol Ace of Cakes and the Cake Boss can whip their cakes out at a moments notice with a team of plenty. Not me though. I'm just a team of one. Think I can get a show..? I'll even do my own dishes...

Black Bean and Beef Empanadas

It used to be every few days or so, I take a walk to the mailbox, excited to get a treasured piece of snail mail. Now, I have a tendency to wait a week, or more, due to the sheer volume of junk mail. I feel like all I am doing is emptying a junk drawer, right into the trash. Or, more often than not, I fling it on my counter until I have time to sort through it and make sure I didn't miss the occasional, yet rare bit of important news.

I had some company coming over, and so I was forced into cleaning up the counters a bit and actually looking at the papers that decorated that side of the kitchen. In doing so, I came across a small circular from my local grocery store, Fry's, celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. On the cover was a delicious looking chorizo and black bean empanada.

Already wondering what I was going to make for dinner that night, this seemed to hit the right flavor button. I had to make a few adjustments to the ingredients, but I think the changes turned out really well. I substituted some ground beef for the chorizo, and added some chorizo seasoning instead. I added some frozen corn I had on hand, and instead of using the recommended ready made pie crust, I made my own. If I can encourage you in any way, please, make your own crust! Homemade crust is so much flakier and flavorful. That said, I won't fault any of you that haven't mastered that task, or aren't connoisseur's of crust. However, I really feel it contributes greatly to the overall flavor of the empanada. My husband and Mother-in-law both thought these were fantastic!



It was when I was baking these though, that I realized my oven had a serious temperature problem- about 80 F cooler than the temperature I had set it at. You'll notice that in my last photo- the dough looks a little undercooked. Well, over a few weeks the burners on the stove top stopped working, too. But a few desperate phone calls and I discovered that my Home Warranty would cover the potential pre-Thanksgiving disaster, not to mention my sorely neglected blog~ whew!

Black Bean and Beef Empanadas
adapted from Frys Food Stores

1/2 lb ground beef
2 Tbs Chorizo seasoning
1/2 c chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 c cilantro, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1 15 oz can black beans, drained
1 c corn
3/4 c chicken stock
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
4 uncooked chilled pie crusts- home made preferably but ready made acceptable
Preferred toppings: sour cream, salsa, and guacamole

In a large pan combine ground beef with chorizo seasoning, onion, garlic, cumin, cilantro and salt. When beef is no longer pink, add black beans, corn and chicken stock, simmering about 5 minutes or until not too runny. Remove from heat and add 1 c of the shredded cheddar and mix well. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, roll out dough on a well floured surface. With a cookie cutter or bowl, make 6" circles. Place a generous Tablespoon of filling just off center in circle of dough. Sprinkle lightly with some of remaining cup of shredded cheddar. Fold the dough over the filling, forming a half circle, and crimp the edges with a floured fork to seal. Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. If desired, brush tops of empanadas with an egg wash.

Bake at 375 F for approximately 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole. Makes approximately 25 empanadas. Sometimes you may have a bit of leftover filling. Served with some warm tortilla's, it is just as delicious! Enjoy!

Spicy Cilantro- Lime Roasted Acorn Squash Soup with Roasted Shredded Chicken

Last February my sister brought me an entire case of acorn squash. Now, I absolutely love it but, it was February. It was a whole case. The holidays were over and, to be quite honest, I was sick of anything that required the addition of cinnamon, sugar, and whatever spice blazed a trail through Thanksgiving and Christmas. Faced with an entire case that was close to seeing better days, I gave as many away as I could, then hopped online to find something, anything, that wasn't sweet and "Holiday-ish". I came across a recipe over at The Traveler's Lunchbox, which had been adapted from Gourmet's October 2006 issue. Happy, happy, joy, joy! It was spicy!



So I made the recipe and was in Heaven. With it's spicy tart combination, I knew I wouldn't get sick of this anytime soon. I made, and ate quite a few.

My oldest daughter ended up coming over later in the day, and in her usual fashion, scoured the pantry and then proceeded to pour through the refrigerator. She pulled out the squash, heated some up, and while she was talking on her cell phone ( always, I tell you...) managed to utter a, "Wow, these are good", in between bites. When she finally removed the phone from her ear, she said, "You know, those were really good, but I think it would taste even better if you made it into a soup... and throw some chicken in it too!" Okay then.

The following day I played with acorn squash, using my daughters suggestions, and by adding the additional flavors of smoky paprika, cumin, a touch of Pinot Grigio, and half and half. The Tepin chiles are spicy, but if you use only the 3 whole ones that I have specified, you will find a spicy, pleasant flavor rather than heat. You can usually find the Tepin Chiles in the Hispanic food section of your local market, within the celophane bagged spices area, for around a dollar.

Topping off this soup with some additional cilantro, and a nice handful of crumbled cojita cheese, made this a fantastic addition to my line up of favorite fall soups!

Spicy Cilantro- Lime Roasted Acorn Squash Soup with Roasted Shredded Chicken

3 large Acorn Squash, halved and seeds removed (approximately 6 c mashed)
Olive oil, for brushing
Kosher salt, to taste
Crushed black pepper, to taste
7 c chicken stock
2 Tbs Honey
1/3 c chopped fresh Cilantro
3 whole Tepin chiles, crushed
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/8 tsp Smoky Paprika
Juice of 1 large lime
3/4 c Half and Half
1/2 c Pinot Grigio (optional)
2 c shredded roast chicken
Cojita cheese, crumbled for garnish
Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Brush a baking sheet with olive oil or non-stick spray. Set aside. Brush halved acorn squash with olive oil. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Lightly sprinkle with smoky paprika. Place upside down on baking sheet and roast in oven at 375 F for approximately 35 to 40 minutes, until tender and can fluff with fork. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. After cooling, remove all squash from shell and place in a large stock pot. Mash with potato masher until somewhat smooth, leaving a few small chunks (I prefer a bit of texture). Add chicken broth, and combine. Place over medium heat, and add chopped cilantro, crushed tepin, cumin, paprika, and lime juice. Bring to a slight boil, stirring well, then reduce to a simmer. Blend in half and half. Add shredded roast chicken, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with Cojita cheese and chopped cilantro. Makes approximately 8 servings.

Apple Coffee Cake

Don't you just love this time of year?! Changing colors... falling leaves... falling temperatures- well, in some parts of the country that is. Here, in the Valley of the Sun, we were told triple digits are still in our future- ugh! But at least our evenings are cooling down enough to open our windows, and allow some fresh air back in again.


What I do love about this time of year is the over abundance of apples . More than any other, they are my absolute favorite fresh fruit. Gala apples to be specific. Always crisp, with the perfect touch of sweetness, they are my favorite snack as well as my favorite baking apple.



Some years ago, I was given this recipe by a man that had done some repairs on my car. We had gotten on the subject of holiday baking, and he said that this cake was his favorite fall treat. His mom had baked it every year for as long as he could remember, calling it "Raw Apple Cake". I don't know about you, but that struck me as odd. I mean, don't most ingredients start out as "raw"? Of course, once baked, the apple no longer would be. To me, the name had to go. I figured since there was a significant amount of coffee in the recipe, Apple Coffee Cake had a much better tune.


I love the subtle flavors of Fall in this cake. Not overly spiced, the flavor of the apple shines through. Combined with the textures of the nuts and the raisins, and a light sprinkle of coconut, it's a really great breakfast treat... or a really late night time snack- with a lot of butter. Yeah, it's butter season, too ;-)

Apple Coffee Cake

1 c unsalted butter
2 c sugar
4 eggs
1 c cold coffee
3 c flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c raisins, soaked 15 minutes in very hot water, then drained
3 c peeled, sliced apples
1 c walnuts
1/2 c shredded coconut

Combine baking soda and coffee; set aside. Combine flour and spices; set aside.

Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl, creaming well. Add eggs, one at a time until well blended. Alternately add the flour mixture with the coffee mixture to the butter, making sure it is completely blended. Then fold in raisins, apples, and walnuts.

Pour batter into a large loaf or cake pan that has been lightly greased and floured. Sprinkle top with coconut. Bake at 350 F for approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, depending on your oven. Let cool completely before serving.

Giveaway Winner!

We have a winner! Lisa of Chocolate and, you are the lucky winner of Peet's French Roast Whole Bean Coffee and the book Dinner Parties, inspired recipes and party ideas for entertaining, by Williams- Sonoma. Drop me an email with your mailing address, and I'll get that out asap! Thanks for stopping in everyone! With the holidays coming there will be more giveaways soon!

Fig, Pecan and Rosemary Crusted Goat Cheese- and Giveaway to follow!

When I think of Fall and all the holidays that will be here so fast, fresh herbs, specifically rosemary, come to mind. It has such a fragrant, woodsy aroma, I can't help but think of holiday parties and good times with good friends.

I purchased some the other day, and when I opened the package, immediately remembered this fig, pecan, and rosemary crusted goat cheese. Combined, these flavors just beg to be served by a warm fire with your favorite glass of wine.

I first saw this recipe a few years ago in my local market, attached to a jar of fig spread. After placing the jar in my cart, I realized that it came with a pretty hefty price tag for such a small amount. So after thinking about it for a bit, and realizing that I had a package of dried figs in my pantry, I opted to put the jar back, go home and make my own. In my opinion, the taste of homemade is far superior anyway.

Goat cheese is one of my absolute favorites. It's tartness, combined with the sweetness of the figs, aromatic rosemary, and crunch of the toasted pecans just seem to be a match made in Heaven. I also know that anything fig sends my friend Stacey into a state of "figgy bliss", so it is with her in mind that I post this today...

This recipe will be more than enough for 8 ounce log of goat cheese, or two 4 ounce rolls. I like to make one for now and save one for unexpected guests. The remaining spread is fantastic on toast.

Fig Spread

3/4 lb dried figs
1/3 c sugar
1-1/2 c water
1 Tbs lemon juice

Remove stems from figs and chop very coarsely. place into a 2 quart saucepan and cover with water. Add sugar. Bring figs to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pan with lid and then simmer on low for about 30 minutes. Liquid should reduce by about 2/3rds.

Place figs into a food processor and puree until smooth. Add lemon juice, and process to a smooth, sticky, jam like consistency. Set aside to cool. Store in a covered container in refrigerator until ready to use.

Fig, Pecan and Rosemary Crusted Goat Cheese
adapted from Dalmatia Fig Spread

1 cup pecan halves, toasted
4 Tbs fig spread, divided
2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1- 8 ounce or 2- 4 ounce logs goat cheese, chilled

In food processor place pecans, 2 Tbs fig spread, rosemary, and kosher salt. Pulse until mixture is the size of small peas. Set aside.

Remove goat cheese from refrigerator and spread with remaining 2 Tbs of fig spread, except for the ends. If it does not seem to coat evenly or enough, feel free to add a bit more until nicely coated.

Place nut mixture on a plate and flatten. Place log of goat cheese on top, and roll to coat, packing and smoothing as necessary.

Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. Best served with a non-salty cracker such as Table Water or whole grain .

Now for the giveaway! If you are like me, many of you have started thinking of your holiday menu's and table scapes. Some of us are up late into the night or beginning early in the morning. In any case, we usually need a jolt to keep us thinking, and a few ideas to inspire us. So for one lucky person, I have a bag of Peet's French Roast Whole Bean Coffee, and the book Dinner Parties, inspired recipes and party ideas for entertaining, by Williams- Sonoma.

All you have to do is leave me a comment on my blog (if you are reading this via Facebook, please use the link to my blog and leave a comment there) telling me your favorite holiday tip- from wrapping gifts to creating recipes. Entries must be received no later than Thursday October 1st, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. PST, with the winner to be announced sometime Friday morning, October 2nd. Good luck everyone!

Zebra Birthday Cake for Alex

Remember turning 13? I sure do. Way back when shorts were short, socks were longer than knee high, and "Earth shoes" were all the rage. I had a pair, and I thought I was so cool. Unfortunately, the only real cool thing about me was that my birthday was in December- and it was cool. Well, actually it was freezing. That was the extent of my coolness.

Birthdays back then meant a cake from the local Waldbaums bakery department. A 2 layer round white cake, dry as a bone, with an abundance of shortening based frosting- fluffy pink frosting. Oh, and a big fat pink rose that for some reason everyone would fight over. Ewwwww....



Pink is soooo yesterday these days. Teenage girls of today want a much more modern, hip, and stylish approach to their birthdays. Seems as though the days of pretty in pink are gone and Zebra patterns are in.

My friend Jennifer's daughter, Alex, turned 13 today. Alex is all about zebra patterns and the color red, and really wanted a tiered cake that she could share with 25 of her closest BFF's. So from the inside out, Zebra it was. I alternated white and chocolate cake batter in 1/4 cup increments (beginning with the white batter) directly on top of each other. Working quickly, the batter naturally spreads into a zebra like pattern- no need to shake or tap. Once baked and sliced into, you get a beautiful zebra patterned design.




I wasn't at the soiree that was held this evening so I don't have a photo of the sliced cake. But I think you 'll get the idea from the batter above.




Topped off with homemade vanilla- orange butter cream, embellished with vanilla flavored fondant stripes, piped polka dots, and a shiny red ribbon, this birthday cake made one 13 year old girl pretty happy, according to the text I received from her mom:

"The cake is a HUGE hit- Alex didn't even want me to cut it because she loved it SO much! All her friends and their moms wanted to know what bakery I got it from!"

Happy 13th Birthday, Alex! Thank you for letting me make a very special part of your day!

Cardamom Meringues

I have always loved meringue cookies. Oh so sweet, melt in your mouth, fat free meringues... a dieters dream for this gal. Until now though, always a store bought indulgence. Light and crisp, they have always satisfied my need for a sweet treat. Available in either vanilla or chocolate star tipped shapes, they've been a perfect size treat for a not so perfectly sized person.




Lately, in an effort to create from availability in my pantry, and to avoid splurging on yet another food magazine in an ever growing stack, I returned to my supply of cookbooks for sweet inspiration.

One that I had purchased awhile ago, yet really never looked through was Swedish Cakes and Cookies , published by Skyhorse Publishing. I've had it for years, and for the life of me can't figure out why I haven't looked through it sooner. It has so many mouth watering cookie, cake, torte, and pastry recipes that I will absolutely be turning to it this holiday season for many of my baked goods.



One that I absolutely loved were the Cardamom Meringues. As I said earlier, I have only had meringues in vanilla and chocolate flavors, so when I saw the cardamom listed as an ingredient, I knew I had to give them a try. I had a great time piping them out with my 3 year old, turning it into somewhat of an "educational" experience as well by creating an alphabet of cookies! However, if you want something with a touch of class, and on a humble budget, create some elegant designs and these may be the sweet you are looking for.

Cardamom Meringues
adapted from Swedish Cakes and Cookies

3 egg whites
1/3 c granulated sugar
1/2 c confectioners sugar
2 Tbs cornstarch
3/4 tsp cardamom

Beat egg whites with half of the granulated sugar until slightly stiff peaks form.

Add the other half of the granulated sugar and beat until shiny and smooth.

In a separate bowl mix together the confectioners sugar, cornstarch, and cardamom, and then carefully fold into the beaten egg whites.

Place mixture into a pastry bag with a size 199 star tip and pipe out desired shapes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake between 50 and 60 minutes at 220 F, or until light in color and dry to the touch.

Princess Cake

My little baby girl turned 3 on Sunday. Hard to believe that much time has gone by! For weeks we have been getting ready for her party. This is the first she has been able to really have a say in what she has wanted for her big day- and believe me, she has spoken daily about it for over 2 months!

The biggest thing she wanted was a "Princess cake". She picked out the colors and designs herself, and told me to make "The best Princess cake everrrrrrr!!" Now, I don't know about the "everrrrrrr" part, but I do know my cake made her one happy little Princess- and in my house, if you have a happy Princess, then all her subjects are happy, too...

Roasted Halibut with Red Potatoes, Lemon and Tomatoes

The last few weeks I've been working on a lot of painting and home decor projects. One thing I'm pretty excited about is that I've finally been able to work on my family photo wall. You know, all the old pics you keep in boxes and swear you'll show off one day. I have dozens that I have pulled out and finally put into frames, giving them the sentimental place of honor they deserve.


When I came across this one of yours truly, age 4, I couldn't help but laugh and start thinking of some good times with my Dad. Around the time this picture was taken, my Dad took me on my first fishing trip. This was back in the late 60's, before every video game and high dollar toy was ever imagined, so the idea of going fishing was real exciting to me. We went to a little lake and Dad baited my hook for me- I wasn't quite ready to touch those worms yet. Dad helped me cast out my line, and then I waited. It wasn't more than a minute that my Dad told me to start reeling it in. I had caught a fish!! All of about 4" long, I was so excited, so proud, and so snotty to my older brother who hadn't caught one. Yup, I was cool...


For years I teased my brother with that. Then, somewhere around my teenage years when I was being bratty, my brother spilled the beans and totally burst my perfect fishy bubble. Dad, it seems, had placed that little fishy on my hook just before he helped me cast out my line. I never saw it. I never knew. I had never really caught a fish after all. I was crushed... Of course I survived and it's just one of those stories that gets brought up from time to time.



Remembering that story got me thinking of fish and how it would be perfect for dinner that night (and you thought I was going no where with this, huh?!). So I pulled out my copy of Roasting-A Simple Art, by Barbara Kafka, and adapted a dish that I've been wanting to try for some time, Roasted Monkfish Felix. Phoenix is not the place to find the best selection in seafood, so I had to rely on what was available at my market. Nothing there came close to Monkfish, so I settled on Halibut, and was quite pleased.



I loved the lemon in this dish, the rind being tender and completely edible. Roasted with the tomatoes and onions, it created a fantastic sauce that is deserving of a nice home baked crusty bread.

Roasted Halibut with Red Potatoes, Lemon and Tomatoes
adapted from Barbara Kafka

1/4 c olive oil
2 lemons sliced thin and seeds removed
1 medium (or 1/2 large) onion thinly sliced
6 small red potatoes, thinly sliced
1 Tbs dried thyme
5 Roma tomatoes, sliced and seeded
3/4 c canned crushed tomatoes with basil
1-1/2 lbs Halibut fillet
Kosher salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 F. Pour oil into a 13 x 9 roasting or baking dish. Layer one of the sliced lemons down the center of the pan. Layer onions around lemon slices. Layer sliced potatoes over top. Sprinkle with 1/2 of dried Thyme and a little kosher salt and black pepper. Layer tomatoes on top of potatoes. Top with remaining lemon slices, kosher salt, and pepper. Pour crushed tomato and basil evenly over top of vegetables and lemon. Place in oven for about 30-40 minutes, until potatoes are almost tender.

Salt and pepper Halibut, and sprikle with remaining thyme. When potatoes are almost tender, remove pan from oven and place halibut fillets on top of vegetables, and baste fish lightly with some of sauce in pan. Continue roasting an additional 15 to 20 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish, until fish flakes. Serves 2.

Vanilla Bean Cake with Vanilla Bean Lime Buttercream

In between painting and organizing my youngest daughters room this past few weeks, I have been craving something, anything, with a vanilla bean and lime combination. I have seen so many recipes using either of those ingredients from the grill to the dessert table, on various different blogs over the last few weeks, and those two flavors spoke strongly to me. I absolutely adore most anything lime. Isn't it funny, though, that I have never enjoyed any recipe for a key Lime Pie..? But if you feel you have one that is simply outstanding, please, let me know. I want to like it!


Another flavor that I am simply crazy over is vanilla. Specifically anything with fresh vanilla beans. The aroma is just so amazingly intoxicating, and I have always been so intrigued with how something that starts out as a simple green looking bean, has the ability to become such a complex, heavenly scent and flavor. Ever since I read last year about how amazing homemade bourbon vanilla is, over at A Yankee In A Southern Kitchen, I have always made my own, never to look back. The longer it sits, the more amazing it smells and tastes.

So while craving something rich and vanilla, I stumbled across this blog, Confections of a Foodie Bride, and her adaptation of Tahitian Vanilla Bean Cake. I had to adapt that recipe, somewhat, for what I had on hand, which resulted in a slightly dense, yet moist cake. I thought that would be a perfect combination with a lime buttercream. Now, I've made basic Italian Buttercream frosting for many years, but never thought to play with it and make a lime buttercream. Until now. Replacing the water in the recipe with fresh lime juice, zest, and vanilla bean resulted in a refreshing summertime buttercream. Not overly rich, not overly sweet. Just refreshingly "right".

Vanilla Bean Cake

3 c cake flour
1Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 c unsalted butter, room temperature
2 c sugar
5 eggs
1- 1/4 cups whole milk combined with 1-1/2 Tbs vinegar (or use buttermilk instead)
1 Tbs liquid vanilla

In medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter and vanilla scraped from pod. (You can use the remaining pod to make vanilla sugar by placing in a container with a cup of sugar and letting sit a few weeks). Beat butter and vanilla until very light and creamy.

Scrape bowl and add the sugar, about a 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl, then add eggs one at a time, until well combined.

Stir the liquid vanilla into the whole milk/ vinegar mixture. Then add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternatively with the milk mixture. Mix until combined well.

Pour the batter in 2 greased and floured 8" pans, and bake for about 45 to 55 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to wire rack for continued cooling.

Vanilla Bean- Lime Italian Buttercream

1/2 c fresh lime juice
2 -1/4 c sugar
5 large egg whites
2 sticks salted butter, cubed and very cold
2 -1/4 sticks unsalted butter, cubed, and very cold
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
Zest of 3 limes
Few drops of green food coloring, if desired

Candy thermometer necessary!

Pour the lime juice, scraped vanilla beans, and sugar into a 1 quart saucepan and place over medium heat. When you see bubbles starting to form, clip a candy thermometer onto edge of pan.

Meanwhile, place egg whites into large mixing bowl with whisk attachment, and whip on medium high until whites hold soft peaks. (A stand mixer works best).

When the lime-sugar mixture reaches 250 degrees (soft ball stage), remove from heat, and very slowly, at the edge of mixing bowl, drizzle hot mixture into the continually beating egg mixture. Add lime zest. Beat the mixture until it resembles a glossy meringue, and gets warm but not hot, about 15 minutes.

When the outer part of bowl feels warm, stop mixer and add very cold cubed butter all at once (doing so will allow the mixture to cool immediately, and incorporated well, without melting. Mix on medium high until well blended and cool, about 15 minutes. Stop mixer, add food coloring (if desired), scrape bowl, and mix about a minute till all is blended well.

Place the buttercream in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, level top of cake by slicing off (eyeballing it) crowned portion of cake (Makes a fantastic "cooks treat"!). I then took each layer and torted, or sliced in half.

Once buttercream is nice and cool, place layer on cake platter and spread buttercream 1/8" to 1/4" thick, depending on preference. Once all 4 layers are stacked, frost cake completely, and decorate with remaining buttercream and garnish with lime zest, if desired.

Perfect with a tall glass of ice tea, or milk. Not too sweet. Summer citrus and vanilla bean at its best!

German Apple Pancake

This is the time of year that I try to convince myself that winter is only a stones throw away. People, it's HOT out here! Today, in the shade, it was 115 F. Just a tad warm, wouldn't ya say..? When I first moved here 32 years ago, I remember stepping off the plane and having the heat hit me like an oven door dropping open. Back then it truly was a "dry heat". Over time though, it seems like more and more humidity has crept in, and it's not as dry as it used to be.

This weekend, I was trying to think of something for breakfast that would make me feel like Fall was here. How can you think of Fall and not have crisp apples come to mind..?



My favorite variety are Gala apples. They have the perfect amount of sweetness, are nice and crisp, and hold up perfectly when baked, especially in a baked German apple pancake. Now I know many of you might think that turning on the oven here in the summertime is crazy. But my choice was to set my thermostat at 78 F and bake breakfast, or to stand in 115 F and grill it... not a difficult decision. With the addition of fresh grated nutmeg, and a bit of cinnamon to my apples, my delusion that Fall had arrived was complete.



Actually, I have been thinking about an apple pancake ever since we were on vacation in San Diego a few weeks ago, and had dined at Richard Walkers Pancake House. I had seen a waiter walking by with one ordered by another guest, and wished I had ordered it myself. I wasn't able to find their recipe, but remembered I had seen this recipe prepared by Emeril Lagasse on Good Morning America, so I gave it a try. I always love an excuse to use my cast iron pans.



What I really liked about it was that it had just the right amount of sweetness. Just a bit of brown sugar to carmelize and compliment the apples, and enough eggs to give a nice, custard- like texture. I liked it best dusted with a teeny bit of confectioners sugar.

Brrrrrrrrr baby, I'm feelin' a chill coming on....

Emeril's German Apple Pancake

4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup whole milk
1 cup all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 apples (large), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
pinch salt
powdered sugar, for serving
maple syrup, for serving

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, flour, and vanilla extract and whisk until just blended, being careful to not overmix. Set the batter aside to rest while you prepare the apples, at least 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

In a heavy, ovenproof (preferably nonstick)12-inch skillet (I used a cast iron pan), melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat. Add the apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are soft and lightly golden around the edges, about 6 minutes. Add the sugar and cook, stirring, until the apples are caramelized and very soft, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and stir to melt.

Working very quickly, pour the batter evenly over the top of the apples. Using oven mitts or potholders, transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the pancake is golden brown and puffed, about 15 minutes. Don't be alarmed when you see the edges of the pancake puff up and extend above the top of the inner edge of the pan – this is supposed to happen!

Using oven mitts or potholders, remove the skillet from the oven and serve the pancake, sprinkled with powdered sugar and drizzled with maple syrup, if desired.

Yield: One super-large pancake.