Cuisine: Dessert
Elvis Presley’s Favorite Pound Cake
My friend Chris made Elvis Presley's Favorite Pound Cake. It was really the best pound cake I have ever had. It has such a great texture and the vanilla really shines. According to legend, Elvis could polish off the entire cake in one sitting. This somehow doesn't surprise me! There seems to be many versions of this cake, but Chris's is the bomb!
By - Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 1 hrs 30 mins
- Yields: Makes 1 - 10
Citrus Pound Cake
I found this recipe from Melissa Clark in The New York Times. It's a great recipe because you have the option of using olive oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, melted butter, whatever you’ve got, and plain yogurt or buttermilk or sour cream, or whole milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. I have tons of citrus growing in my backyard, so I decided to make it. I always make 3 little loaves instead of one big one and freeze one for later.
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 45 mins
- Yields: Makes 1 loaf
Instant Pot New York Cheesecake
Believe it or not, you can make smooth, creamy and rich New York Cheesecake in an Instant Pot. You don’t have to worry about cracked tops or water baths. You can either use a 6" springform pan or a 7” Fat Daddio's Round Removal Bottom Cheesecake Pan, which you can order from Amazon. If you like cheesecake as much as I do, you have to give this a try.
- Prep: 5 mins
- Cook: 40 mins
- Yields: 6 - 8 Servngs
Gege’s Banana Bread
Gege's Banana Bread recipe is from my husband's grandmother. It was always made in this Cane Mixing Bowl by Mason Cash. I guess it just tastes better if you make in this bowl. I always seem to have several overripe bananas lurking on the counter. This recipe makes one loaf of bread, but I like to make 3 small loaves and freeze some.
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 45 mins
- Yields: Makes 1 loaf or 3 small loaves
Black-and-White-and-Green Cookies
These Black-and-White-and-Green Cookies are a cross between the New York classic Black and White and Thin Mints. Fresh mint gives it a vibrant green hue and the flavor intensifies if you make it ahead.
- Prep: 2 hrs
- Cook: 10 mins
- Yields: Makes 24 cookies
Pecan-Rye Pumpkin Pie
My daughter Zoe made this very complicated Pecan-Rye Pumpkin Pie. Here is her take on it -
I'll be the first to admit that I am not great at handling crust, especially one that requires you to take it out of the oven three times just for the blind bake...but something came over me around 8 am and I dove right in, only to look up at the clock about 4 hours later. Mixing pumpkin and pecan together intrigued me enough to dedicate my morning to this task and I happen to be a sucker for heavily spiced pumpkin (not in my coffee, please). I certainly owe my mother's arsenal of little jars nestled on shelves built by my father a major shoutout here. All in all, this pie's wow factor really is in the time (and love!) you put into it. And don't even think about making this day-of.
Maple Pear Upside Down Cake
I have no idea why I decided to make this Maple Pear Upside Down Cake. For me, this is ADVANCED baking! It's a bit complicated and includes making granulated maple sugar out of maple syrup, which are is an exact science of bringing it to 265° F. I was in shock when it worked. Anyway, this cake is exquisite, with a subtle hint of cardamom.
- Prep: 45 mins
- Cook: 1 hrs
- Yields: 8 - 10 Servings
Maple Sugar
Making Maple Sugar is not as hard as you might think. It is just maple syrup that's boiled to 265° F, and then cooled and ground into granulated sugar.
- Cook: 15 mins
- Yields: Makes 2 cups of sugar
Apple Mille-Feuille
My daughter Zoe made this Apple Mille-Feuille for dessert. It's a rather odd way of using puff pastry by baking it between to baking sheets on top of each other. The end result is astounding. It's topped with a luscious bourbon laced whipped cream.
Pan Banging Chocolate Chip Cookies
Anyone who’s been on social media in the last year has probably already seen Sarah Kieffer’s perfectly imperfect “pan-banging” chocolate chip cookies. As a cookie lover who errs on the chewy side, I was excited to try creating my own mesmerizing ripple effect (as well as the cheap thrill of slamming a sheet pan against a hot oven rack). What I wasn’t trying to do, however, was open my oven 5 - 6 times while the ambient temperature in my house was 90° F. Now that we are slowly (and I mean sloooowly) easing into fall here in Southern California, I thought I’d give these a try. Let me tell you, they are definitely worth the warm kitchen.
- Prep: 40 mins
- Cook: 35 mins
- Yields: Makes 10 cookies
