Busy Brunette Bakerista

After reading the entire New York Times Cookbook , I decided to try the most requested and published recipe from the Times archives. Initially a Purple Plum Torte, I made this instead with peaches and it was easy, sweet, and moist. I can see why it is so popular! Great for fancy parties or casual sleepovers.  Peach Times Tart 1 cup all-puporse flour 1 teaspoon baking powder large pinch of salt 1 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 Tablespoon depending on the tartness of the fruit 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 2 large eggs 12 peaches (sliced and pitted) 2 teaspoons fresh lemon nice 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside. Cream 1 cup sugar and softened butter into a large bowl with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add sifted dry ingredients and then the eggs.  Spoon the batter into an ungreased 9-inch springform pan (the kind you use for making cheesecak...

My homemade coffee cake recipes don't call for actual coffee but they are delicious. Well, I tired another recipe in the fabulous cookbook Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook and this coffee cake is moist, light and has the sweetest crumble in the middle (also has no coffee ). It does take a while so remember to follow the directions to every detail. Enjoy! BITDB Coffee Cake Streusel Ingredients ¼ cup packed light brown sugar ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt 3/4 cup chopped pecans (optional) 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes Cake Ingredients 2 ½ cups cake flour (not self-rising) 2 teaspoons baking powder, preferably aluminum-free ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon fine sea salt ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom (I used pumpkin pie spice to give it a little more texture) 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 3 large eggs,...

These crunchy pecans are the tastiest appetizers ever! I’ve been making them since I first got married and they are simply delicious. They are great in salads, for gifts in little jars, or in a dish on a table at a party! Slow-Roasted Snacky Pecans Makes one pound of pecan nuts ¼ cup butter ¼ cup light corn syrup 3 T. of water   1 t. kosher salt 1 pound of whole pecans Preheat oven to 250 ° F Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil including up the edges. Melt butter, corn syrup, water, and kosher salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add pecans and stir to coat nuts.   Spread out evenly on the lined baking sheet.  Now this is important – bake for one hour stirring every 10 minutes. If you don’t, they won’t cook evenly and stick together in one large ball...unless you want them in a shape of a football. Let pecans cool for three minutes then transfer to a dish, bowl, Mason ...

This soup is so good we serve it during special holidays in our family. During these times when we are at home cooking more for our families...it's a good soup to make and freeze as well. You can adjust the seasonings but it’s awesome just plain by itself! I’ve had lots of tortillas soups, and this one is the best . Chicken Tortilla Soup de Ortega Serves about six 7 T. vegetable oil 10 corn tortillas chopped 6 cloves garlic (minced or through a garlic press) ½ cup chopped cilantro 1 yellow onion chopped 1 (28oz.) can diced tomatoes 2 T. ground cumin 1 T. chili powder 3 bay leaves 6 cups chicken broth 1 t. salt ½ t. cayenne pepper 4 cooked chicken breasts or 6 cooked chicken thighs 1 lemon toppings:  shredded cheese,  avocado slices It’s important to cook the chicken first to give the soup great taste! Place chicken in a pot and cover with water. Slice one lemon and add slices to the pot along with a little sa...

Every day is Valentine's Day when you make these treats for someone special. Gooey, sweet, and salty popcorn balls are just the right size for party favors, a dessert buffet, or hostess gift for any time of year . I’ve made them with different colored candies for every holiday:  red and pink for Valentine’s Day,  green for St. Patrick’s Day,   black and orange for Halloween,  green and red for Christmas, and multi-colors for our summer birthdays. Sweet Sweetheart Treats 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (plus more for your hands) 1 bag (10oz.) mini marshmallows ¼ cup packed light brown sugar 12 cups popped   popcorn (about 3 (3oz.) bags) 1 cup M&Ms, or Reece’s Pieces* parchment paper Cook popcorn to measure out to 12 cups and pour into a large bowl. Remove any kernels that may have not popped. Set bowl aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Melt butter in a large heavy-bottom large pot on low heat . Pour in marshmal...

The perfect dessert for summer! This cake is so fresh, sweet, and tastes just like a banana split with ice cream. It is worth every minute of preparation. This is my  “go-to” cake for birthday parties and neighborhood pot-luck gatherings. My former  co-worker Amanda tasted it and said, “oh yes, this cake rocks!”  So of course I had to rename it after her.   Amanda’s Banana Split Cake 3 cups of graham cracker crumbs (you can either buy them in a box or chop them up a food processor. See steps in instructions below). 1 ½ butter, melted 2 (8oz.) packages of cream cheese, at room temperature 1 ½ cups of sugar 5 bananas, sliced (1 large can of crushed pineapple, drained – optional) 1 – 2 large cartons of strawberries, sliced 1 large container of Cool Whip topping Chocolate syrup Caramel syrup - optional Chopped peanuts or ice cream nut toppings - optional Measure out 3 cups of graham cracker crumbs. If you are using w...