dessert

Spicy Thymes – Just Desserts

It was rainy week here in Des Moines, so when I learned that National Dessert Day is October 14th, it seemed like the perfect excuse to break out one my grandma’s old recipes. A few months ago, I texted my grandma to see if she knew where I could find good almond paste here in town. She wasn’t sure so instead she just mailed some from the bakery in her home town. I was able to freeze most it, making several Dutch treats over the summer.

I put on Dana Schwartz’s Noble Blood (Marie Antoinette did NOT say ‘Let Them Eat Cake’) and decided on an Almond Butter Cake. 

This cake has a pretty simple ingredient list, the hardest part of “making” it is having to wait for it to finish baking. I was feeling a little “extra” and decided to top my cake with sliced almonds and sugar. That part may not be traditional, but a little crunch goes a long way in my book.

I love being able to share recipes with you all, but this one stays in the family. Just know if you’ve ever had almond butter cake, my grandma’s is better. Mine is no where near as good as hers, but I do my best. It’s more about the chance to revisit the memory of learning to bake with her. My love of baking was born in my grandma’s kitchen. She taught me the importance of choosing high quality ingredients, taking your time, and adding a little bit of love.

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Funnel Cake

INGREDIENTS

1/4 Cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp Sweet Caramel Seasoning
1-1/2 Cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 tsp brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp Apple Pie Spice
1 egg
3/4 Cup milk
1 tsp Vanilla Paste
4-6 Cups frying oil

 

STEPS

Heat oil in a deep fryer (or in a heavy, deep cast-iron skillet) to 360°F.  Combine powdered sugar and Sweet Caramel Seasoning. Set aside.

In one bowl, mix together remaining dry ingredients. In yet another bowl, mix together wet ingredients.

Whist together these wet and dry ingredients to form the cake batter. Transfer the mix to a squeeze bottle or to a plastic ziplock bag with a small cut in the corner.

Squeeze cake batter into the boiling oil in a circular motion, zig-zagging back and forth. It smells really good!

As soon as the batter “sets,” flip the funnel cake and cook until the second side is golden brown.

Use a slotted heat-proof spoon (or long-handled tongs) to remove the cake and allow the excess hot oil to drain on a paper towel-lined plate to cool for a minute. Sprinkle warm funnel cake with the sweet caramel / powdered sugar mixture and enjoy!

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Brownie Hummus

INGREDIENTS
1 15oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4 Tbsp coconut milk
5 Tbsp Organic Cocoa Powder
3 Tbsp Barrel Aged Runamok Maple Syrup
1 Tbsp Blood Orange Olive Oil
1 tsp Vanilla Extract, Tahitian
1/4 tsp Sea Salt, Fine

STEPS
Combine ingredients in a food processor fitted with the purée blade, and pulse until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula, as needed.

Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

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Bananas Foster à la AllSpice

INGREDIENTS:
2 ripe bananas, peeled and cut into quarters
1/4 Cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 Cup light brown sugar, packed tightly
4 Tbsp Butternut Squash Seed Oil
1/4 Cup dark rum (optional) or 1/2 tsp Rum Extract
1 quart pistachio or french vanilla ice cream
Ground Korintje Cinnamon for garnish

STEPS
Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add Butternut Squash Seed Oil and heat, stirring to combine with melted butter. Add brown sugar, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. When mixture begins to bubble slightly around the edges of the skillet, add banana slices and fully coat the fruit in the pan with the hot butter-sugar mixture, about 30 seconds. Add the rum (if desired) or rum extract. Use caution when adding the rum! Step away from the stove as you pour on the rum, as the pan may briefly flame up.

Scoop one generous serving of ice cream onto each dessert plate. Add sugared banana slices, and pour remaining pan sauce over the ice cream and bananas. Sprinkle each serving with a little cinnamon for garnish.

Serves 4.

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Beignets

INGREDIENTS
1/4 oz active dry yeast (usually 1 envelope)
1-1/2 Cup warm water (105° to 115°F)
1 Cup evaporated milk
2 large eggs (slightly beaten)
1 tsp of Kosher Salt
1/2 Cup + 1 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 Cup of shortening
7 Cups flour
Vegetable Oil (for frying)
1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 tsp Sri Lankan Cinnamon (Rory says: this is my twist, because I love cinnamon and truly believe it should be in everything)

STEPS
Sprinkle the surface of 1/2 Cup warm water (105º to 115º) with the yeast, and 1 tsp sugar in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer; let stand 5 minutes to allow yeast to “proof.” Add evaporated milk, eggs, salt, and remaining granulated sugar. Mix on lowest speed for one minute to combine.

Take an additional 1 Cup of hot (115°-ish) water, and stir in shortening until it has completely melted. Add to bubbly yeast mixture, and mix at low speed. While mixer is running, add, a little at a time, 4 Cups flour, mixing after each addition until dough is smooth.

Gradually an additional 2-1/2 – 3 Cups more flour (for a total of around 7 Cups), beating until a sticky dough forms. Transfer sticky dough to a lightly-oiled bowl; turn dough to grease entire surface, including top. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 and up to to 24 hours.

After dough has chilled, turn dough out onto a prepared floured surface; use a rolling pin to roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a sharp knife to cut rolled dough into 2-1/2-inch squares.

In a small bowl, combine powdered/confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon, stir so that cinnamon is incorporated throughout, before transferring to a flour sifter.

Add vegetable oil to a depth of 2 or 3 inches to a deep, heavy skillet or Dutch oven. Use a candy thermometer to carefully heat oil to 360°.  Fry dough squares, in small batches, 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until beignet surface is golden brown. Use heatproof tongs or slotted spoon to remove finished beignet to drain on a wire rack.  Dust beignets immediately with the sifted powdered sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Serve as soon as beignets are cool enough to handle with bare hands. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: New Orleans Beignets
Dummy’s Guide to New Orleans Beignets

Test Kitchen Secret: You can keep the freshly-fried beignets warm in a 200° oven up to 30 minutes, as you cook up the whole batch. To make beignets ahead of time, store the dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to one week.

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