Posted in Dessert

Minnesota Delights: Cafe Latte Turtle Cake

Cafe’ Latte is celebrating their 30th anniversary and last week they shared their Turtle Cake recipe on Kare 11. It’s to die for!!!!

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(Photo: Nancy Bundt)

Cake –
1 egg
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup good quality cocoa
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking soda
1 cup hot coffee

Frosting
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sugar
6 tbsp. butter
2 cups good-quality semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup caramel
1 1/2 cups toasted pecans

Directions – Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 (9-inch) cake pans. Cover each bottom with disk of parchment paper.

In bowl, combine egg, oil and buttermilk. In large separate bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Gradually add wet ingredients to dry until well mixed. Gradually add hot coffee. Scrape batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cake rest in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool.

To Make Frosting – Mix sugar and milk in saucepan. Add butter. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips to pan. Using wire whisk, mix until smooth. If frosting is too thick or grainy, add 1 or 2 teaspoons hot coffee.

To Assemble Cake – Place one cooled cake layer, top-side down, on cake plate. Spread with one-third of frosting, pushing it out gently from edges to make a petal effect. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans, Drizzle with 1/4 cup caramel. Add next layer, again top-side down. Repeat frosting and sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans and drizzle with 1/4 cup caramel. And final layer top-side up, frost with petal effect and finish with remaining pecans and caramel.

Posted in Catering

Catering: Tyler’s Rehearsal Dinner

It all turned out well for my brother Tyler’s rehearsal dinner just as I hoped it would. This past weekend’s wedding festivities were a lot of fun!

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I served…

Appetizers – Cucumber Rounds with Herbed Cream Cheese with Dill Garnish and Antipasti Kabobs

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Salads – Marinated Vegetables and Mixed Green Salad with Creamy Pesto Dressing

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Side Dishes – Creamy Chive Sweet Corn and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

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Main Dish – Zasugo (Italian Braised Beef Short Ribs and Pork Shoulder) with a side of Garlic Bread

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Dessert – Champagne Bride’s Cupcake with Strawberry Preserve Filling & White Chocolate Frosting

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and Dark Chocolate Groom’s Cupcake with Irish Whiskey Truffle Filling & Salted Caramel Frosting

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Cupcakes made by my lovely friend Courtney and food by myself.

Congrats to the my wonderful brother and his sweet bride!!!

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Posted in Tips and Tricks

Tips & Tricks: How to Caramelize Onions Quicker

How to Caramelize Onions in 20 Minutes or Less

I recently learned that adding a pinch of baking soda helps onions to caramelize much faster by raising their pH level. A higher pH level speeds up the Maillard reaction, which is responsible for the browning of the sugars in food. It can increase the browning rate by over 50%, and it doesn’t take much. Use about 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda per pound of onions.

Caramelized Onions

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The sweet, mellow flavor of caramelized onions will enhance any soup or main course, and they also taste great as a side dish.

1 medium yellow onion
1 to 2 tbsp. cooking oil of your choice
1 to 2 tbsp. butter
Salt
Black pepper
Sugar
Baking soda

Prep Day: Cut off the top of the onion. Slice it in half lengthwise and peel. Place half of the onion flat side down and slice it into thin half-rings ¼ inch wide. The thinner the slice, the faster it will cook.

To preheat the skillet by placing the oil and butter in a large skillet over low heat. When ripples appear in the oil, it’s hot enough.

Add the sliced onion and stir to coat evenly with oil and butter. Add a dash of salt and baking soda to draw out moisture and speed up the caramelization.

To enhance the flavor and sweetness, add pepper and a dash of sugar.

Let the onions cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Stirring too often will prevent the onions from caramelizing. They will darken as they cook.

Cover the skillet with a lid for the first few minutes to speed up the process. If they stick, deglaze the pan by adding a small amount of water and stirring.

Remove the onions when they have a deep golden color and are soft and melting.

You can freeze any cooled onions or leftovers for up to three months.