Some Recent Pet Tile Paintings...

It's that time of year when my customers start thinking about the Holidays. Now is the time to order your Pet Tiles. These little beauties are such a lovely gift to give as well as receive. Get yours today.

Warm Apple-Cornmeal Upside Down Cake

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• A fantastic recipe from Bon Appetit:
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 pounds Braeburn or Golden Delicious apples (about 4 medium), peeled, quartered, cored, each quarter cut into 2 wedges
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 1 1/2-inch-high sides; line pan with 10-inch-diameter parchment paper round (parchment will come 1/2 inch up sides of pan). Butter parchment. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in 10-inch-diameter nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup sugar and cook until sugar dissolves and mixture turns deep golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add apple wedges and gently shake skillet to distribute caramel evenly. Cover and cook until apples release their juices, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until apples are tender and caramel thickens and coats apples, stirring occasionally, about 13 minutes. Transfer apples and caramel syrup to prepared cake pan, spreading evenly.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in small bowl to blend. Place cornmeal in large bowl; pour 1/2 cup boiling water over and stir to blend. Add 6 tablespoons butter and 3/4 cup sugar to cornmeal mixture. Using electric mixer, beat until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture alternately with milk in 2 additions each. Pour batter over apples in pan.

Bake cake until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cake in pan 5 minutes. Run small knife between cake and pan sides to loosen cake. Carefully invert cake onto ovenproof or microwavable platter and peel off parchment. Cool 15 minutes. (Cake can be made up to 6 hours ahead. Rewarm in 350°F oven about 10 minutes or microwave on medium just until slightly warm, about 2 minutes.)

Cut cake into wedges, place on plates, and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The Most Amazing Banana Bread Ever!

Recipe to follow.

Pasta with Savoy Cabbage and Pancetta...

Pasta with savoy cabbage

serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 slices pancetta, cubed

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/2 head savoy cabbage, thinly sliced

1 cup vegetable stock

salt

pepper

8 oz pasta, cooked in salted water and drained

1/2 cup grated pecorino

Heat the oil in a saucepan.

Saute pancetta, shallots, garlic and mushrooms until the onion becomes soft.

Add cabbage, saute until it gets soft.

Add stock and simmer until half of the liquid is gone.

Taste with salt and pepper.

Serve over freshly cooked pasta.

Sprinkle with pecorino and serve.

Chocolate BLACK OUT cake!

I made this all time delish cake for my friend Rita's birthday bash.  It was amazing and received lots of OOH's and AHH's.

Be sure to give the pudding and the cake enough time to cool or you'll end up with runny pudding and gummy cake.

Serves 10 to 12.  

INGREDIENTS

Pudding
1 1/4	cups granulated sugar
1/4	cup cornstarch
1/2	teaspoon table salt
2	cups half-and-half
1	cup whole milk
6	ounces unsweetened chocolate , chopped
2	teaspoons vanilla extract
Cake
8	tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), plus extra for greasing pans
1 1/2	cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for dusting pans
2	teaspoons baking powder
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
1/2	teaspoon Table salt
3/4	cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1	cup strong black coffee
1	cup buttermilk
1	cup packed light brown sugar
1	cup granulated sugar
2	large eggs
1	teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. For the pudding: Whisk sugar, cornstarch, salt, half-and-half, and milk in large saucepan. Set pan over medium heat. Add chocolate and whisk constantly until chocolate melts and mixture begins to bubble, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in vanilla and transfer pudding to large bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 1 day.

2. 2. For the cake layers: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl.

3. 3. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cocoa and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Off heat, whisk in coffee, buttermilk, and sugars until dissolved. Whisk in eggs and vanilla, then slowly whisk in flour mixture.

4. 4. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool layers in pans 15 minutes, then invert onto wire rack. Cool to room temperature, at least 1 hour.

5. 5. To assemble the cake: Cut each cake in half horizontally. Crumble one cake layer into medium crumbs and set aside. Place one cake layer on serving platter or cardboard round. Spread 1 cup pudding over cake layer and top with another layer. Repeat with 1 cup pudding and last cake layer. Spread remaining pudding evenly over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle cake crumbs evenly over top and sides of cake, pressing lightly to adhere crumbs. Serve. (Cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

Meyer Lemon SCONES! Delish.

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into 10-12 small pieces
8 tbsp fresh meyer lemon juice
1 tsp meyer lemon zest

For Glaze:
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp melted butter
juice of one lemon (but you might not need all of it)

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add butter and toss to coat. Using your finger tips, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles very coarse sand. A few large bits are ok, but most should be smaller than a pea.

Add 5-6 tablespoons of lemon juice and zest and stir dough with a fork. Add remaining juice until dough comes together into a not-too-moist ball. Divide dough in to two balls and flatten onto baking sheet to for discs about 1-inch thick. Divide each disc into quarters and separate slightly.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until scones are a light golden color. A toothpick should come out clean, but color is a reliable indicator for these.

For glaze: mix the sugar, butter and juice of half the lemon in a bowl. Add more lemon juice as required to get the consistency you want for the glaze. Glaze the scones hot from the oven.

These are delish first thing in the morning with a cup of coffee.  Enjoy.

Blueberry Time!

My hubby surprised me and returned home with a big ol box of blueberries.  I have been making blueberry this and blueberry that.  If only I could share them with you.  Or at least scratch and sniff.