Raspberry Almond Cake

This cake could easily be served in a ritzy restaurant.  It is beautiful and the flavors are divine. 

2 cups flour
1 T. baking powder
½ t. salt
¾ cup butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
2 t. vanilla
1 t. almond extract
1 cup milk
5 egg whites, room temperature
¾ cup raspberry preserves or jam
Fresh raspberries for decoration

Frosting:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
¼ cup butter, room temperature
(it called for ½ cup but less seemed better)
1 1/2 to 2 lbs. powdered sugar
1 ½ t. vanilla
1 ½ t. almond extract
Cream or milk

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 2 round 8-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper and lightly butter. (I found pre-cut round parchment at Gygi's and Spoons 'n Spice - they are so slick!)

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. In a bowl, beat butter with electric mixer until light. Gradually add the sugar, beating until well blended. Beat in the vanilla and almond flavors. Reduce the speed and add the flour and milk, alternating each, beginning and ending with flour. In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the beaten whites into the batter until just incorporated. Spread half of the batter in each prepared pan; smooth with a spatula.

Bake cakes at 350° until just baked through, about 30 to 35 minutes. Take out of oven and let cool completely. I have found that it works so much better if I bake the two cake layers the day before and then take them out of the pans to slice and assemble. Otherwise, they are too difficult to work with and tend to fall apart.

To prepare the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter and beat until smooth. Add the flavorings, powdered sugar and cream until a smooth consistency. I used about 3 – 4 T. cream and then added powdered sugar until it was smooth and creamy but not stiff.

Cut each cake in half horizontally. Place one layer on a serving plate. Spread the top with frosting then a layer of raspberry preserves. Top with another layer and repeat two more times. Top with the fourth layer, spread with frosting and decorate with fresh raspberries. (The recipe said to frost the sides but I prefer not) This is easiest to put together if the cake is baked the day before you assemble it - it won't crumble and break. Refrigerate before serving. Serves 12.

Tuscan Tomato Soup thanks Jenn

3 T olive oil
2 large onions, diced (I put in my food processor)
5 cups diced seeded tomatoes (may use canned)
3 cups chicken stock
1 jar (6 to 10 oz) roasted red peppers
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 cup basil pesto (Costco has this for amazing bulk price vs. the small expensive jars you can buy at the grocery store but you need to use the Costco one up fast/ share with a friend?)
salt and pepper to taste (love my fresh cracked black pepper, and sea salt!)
1 package tortellini (optional), cooked to package directions
Croutons / or homemade rolls

Heat oil. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add tomatoes and allow to warm and simmer. Add chicken stock and red peppers and simmer about 15-20 minutes. Add cream and pesto and blend to desired consistency in food processor*. Return to pot and add tortellini (if desired). Salt and pepper to taste.

*If you don't have a food processor a blender works great *It's yummy served with croutons or homemade rolls for dipping

testimonial:
so I have always HATED tomato soup until I had this after the delivery of Robert from my MBA wife friend Jen Anderson... Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe. It's great in winter, a fun appetizer, and I love the bold red holiday color. It tastes more like spaghetti sauce soup to me and a crowd pleaser for kids adults alike. It makes a ton so it's fun to share, make for a dinner party, or freeze and re-use later.
In fact I plan to make next week - any one want to sample??

Parmesan Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup flour
1 t. kosher salt
½ t. freshly ground pepper
2 large eggs
1 ¼ cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup butter, melted
¼ cup olive oil

Slice chicken breasts into 4 or 5 strips. Mix butter and olive oil. Brush baking tray generously with butter and olive oil. Mix flour, salt and pepper. Beat eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. Mix bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Dip chicken strips into flour, then egg mixture and then bread crumbs. Place chicken on baking tray. When they are all coated, brush lightly with butter and olive oil. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Serve hot. Serves about 8.

I had a baugette that I wasn't going to use so I dried it in the oven, put it through my Bosch grater (like grating cheese) or you could put it in a food processor and pulse. I used that for my crumbs and added freshly ground dry Italian bread dipping seasoning. You can get it at specialty food shops.

Chive Biscuits

2 cups flour
1 T. baking powder
1 t. kosher salt
1 t. sugar
1 stick cold butter
¾ cup half and half
¼ cup fresh chives, chopped

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until it is about the size of peas. Add the cream and chives and mix with a fork. If it is a little dry, add a bit more half and half. Mix until just combined. Dump dough onto a well floured tea towel. Knead lightly until it holds together. Sprinkle with a little flour. Roll into a rectangle ¾-inch thick. Cut into 2 ½-inch rounds and place on a baking tray lined with parchment. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until they are lightly brown. These are light and yummy.  These are also very tasty if you substitute about a half cup of shredded cheese for the chives.
Makes 12 biscuits.

Mixed Berry Pavlova

A divine recipe from Ina Garten.  Beautiful to serve and delightful to eat.

Meringue:
6 large egg whites at room temperature
½ t. cream of tartar
Pinch salt
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ T. cornstarch
1 ½ t. vanilla extract

Cream:
1 pint cold heavy cream
¼ cup sugar
1 t. vanilla

Berries:
1 (14 oz.) pkg. Birds Eye frozen mixed berries, partially thawed (You could also use fresh raspberries, blueberries and sliced strawberries)
½ cup seedless raspberry jam

Place rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 275°. Draw a 10-inch circle on a sheet of parchment paper. Flip it over and place on a baking tray. (That way you don’t get pencil on the meringue)Place the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix sugar and cornstarch. Beat the egg whites on medium speed until egg whites are firm and the egg white bubbles are very small and uniform. Slowly add the sugar and cornstarch with the mixer running. Beat until it makes firm, shiny peaks. Add vanilla.

Spoon the meringue onto the middle of the parchment and smooth out to fill the circle. Mound it up on the outside edge like a nest so that it is easier to fill. Bake at 275° for 70 minutes maybe even 75. Remove from the oven. Meringue will be lightly browned.

While this is cooking, put the raspberry jam in a pan on the stove on medium to warm and melt. Remove from heat. Whip the cream, then add the sugar and vanilla, whip until firm.

Place meringue on a plate and spread the top with whipped cream. Spoon on the berries. Spoon warm raspberry jam over it all and serve. I have seen it served cut in wedges but I like to serve it with a serving spoon.

Serves 12.

One of the tricky parts is to get the meringue onto a serving plate without it falling apart. Stacie had a great suggestion: place two pieces of parchment in the baking tray, overlapping about ½ inch in the middle. When the meringue is baked, loosen it from the paper and slide the two pieces out from either side. Great idea.  (I tried it that way and it is brilliant!  I put the meringue on the serving plate, slid a flat spatula under it to loosen it, slipped out the parchment and there it was.)

You can also make mini pavlovas by piping the meringue onto parchment in 2-inch rounds. Bake at 300° for 25 minutes.

It is beautiful done with fresh fruit when fresh fruit is in season and more reasonably priced.

I just discovered heavy cream a few months ago. It has the same calories as regular cream but is a bit more expensive. It will hold up for a longer period of time and you can also pipe it with a star tube. I love it's versatility.