strawberry rhubarb jam and an apology...

first - the apology. i am sorry about my serious absence on my blog. the quality of the photos i have been trying to take for the website have been very disappointing. they all have this funky 1970's sepia tone quality because of the lack of light in my house. this has definitely put a damper on my blogging. but this will all be remedied soon...

because we are moving a month. to a real house with a killer kitchen. i can't wait. this place was owned by a chef and he re-did the whole kitchen. gas stove. marble counters. and windows! with actual light which is amazing for pictures. i'm so excited. better light = better pics for my blog...

so in preparation for the big move - i have been trying to clean out my freezer. i have a couple of canning projects dwindling in there. a big quart sized container filed with apple/pear juice from the fall that didn't become jelly. and a huge bag of strawberries that never became jam...



on top of that, i have about 15 stalks of rhubarb just languishing in my fridge from the csa through my job. that rhubarb has been sitting and staring at me for over a week. i started to feel a little guilty. so i broke out the canning pot...

i used liquid pectin for this jam. i had some floating around from last year so i decided to give it a try. this is my first time making jam with liquid pectin. it works very well. my jam is really jelled. almost a little to much for me. but i didn't follow any recipe exactly. i modified the one on the pectin box - so that's what ya get. the original recipe was right off the recipe packet in the pectin box...


strawberry rhubarb jam

3 cups crushed strawberries (about 1 1/2 quarts)
1 1/2 cups diced rhubarb
6 1/2 cups sugar
a couple of tablespoons of fresh lemon juice



start the boiling water/sterilizing process first. you want to at least have the jars in before you start the jam. keep your water boiling..

the original recipe called for 4 total cups of fruit (2 1/4 cups of strawberries and 1 3/4 cups of rhubarb). i had more strawberries then that so i tweaked it. hull and crush your strawberries 1 layer at a time. i ended with a little more then 3 cups of crushed strawberries and at least a cup of strawberry juice..

then i diced up about 5 smallish stalks of rhubarb. this should give you about a cup and a half. throw fruit into a heavy bottom pot and add the sugar. turn the heat on medium and let the jam come to a boil stirring frequently...

i let the jam cook for about 15 minutes to thicken it (because i added the extra juice). then i added the liquid pectin and continued to stir until the jam came to a boil again. let the jam boil for a full minute and then turn off the heat..

fill up you sterilized jars a 1/4 inch from the top of the rims. wipe the rim with damp cloth. place lids and rings on jar and twist until finger tight (not too tight). slowly lower the jars one by one into the boiling water.

let the jars boil for at least 7 minutes. remove the jar from the pot and set on a dish towel to cool. you should hear the lids pop as the jars cool.

tada! you have canned for the first time and are a hard core pioneer woman. go enjoy that jam.

red velvet cupcakes...

so i made this new year's resolution to bake less and get back into the gym...

so here i am - up in the gym busting my ass on the elliptical machine on my lunch break. now most days i have my ipod but today i don't. so i turn on the tv attached to the machine and sure enough i end watching food tv while working out. ridiculous right. sweating and drooling at the same time. it is the most exquisite torture...

so i am watching sunny making her grandma's red velvet cake... now valentine's day is right around the corner. which is a perfect excuse to bake guilt free cupcakes. but they are for valentine's day i say. i am going to bring them into work. it is perfectly innocent...

fast forward to later that evening - me making cupcakes at 11pm...

so the cake batter came together pretty easy. the frosting on the other hand - not so much. i really struggled with the traditional cooked frosting. it never got as light and fluffy as the recipe promised. the best i got was thick and opaque frosting-like substance. it tasted delicious on the cupcakes but it wasn't as pretty as i wanted. so i also made some cream cheese frosting to go on the other half of the cupcakes. i will give you both recipes...



here is the cupcake recipe and the original frosting recipe...

red velvet cake

2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 ounces red food coloring
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
pinch salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
2 sticks butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (optional)

preheat oven to 350 degrees f.

cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. then make a paste out of the red food coloring, cocoa and salt in a small bowl. remove bowl from stand mixer and mix in paste by hand to the creamed butter. stir eggs with buttermilk in a measuring cup. place bowl back in mixer and add egg mix to batter. mix in vinegar and vanilla, and then add flour and baking soda. mix until combined but do not over mix...

grease two layer cake pans or put cupcake liners into two muffin tins. pour batter evenly into pans. bake cake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 minutes for layer cakes and 25 minutes for cupcakes.

to make the frosting: heat all ingredients in a medium saucepan. whisk until sauce thickens- about 15 minutes. let cool slightly before using.



so i definitely had some issue with the cooked frosting in this recipe. what i ended up doing was making basic cream cheese frosting for the other half of the cupcakes. here is my basic cream cheese frosting recipe...

cream cheese frosting

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 pound of powder sugar (sifted)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tbsp milk or half & half

mix the cream cheese and the butter in a mixer with the paddle attachment. add the vanilla. sift the powder sugar. put mixer on low speed and add the powder sugar cup by cup until incorporated. use milk about halfway through to keep the mixture from getting clumpy. i usually double the frosting if i am making a layer cake.

rosemary focaccia...

i love to bake bread on a sunday...

sundays are a lazy day for me. i sleep a little later then usual. then take the dogs for a nice walk. and i just have a nice slow day ahead of me to bake anything i want. i had made a big pot of wedding soup the night before - and you can't fully enjoy a bowl of soup without a slice of bread. so i planned to throw some bread together today...

bread is defiantly on the time consuming end of things but nothing is worth your time more then fresh baked bread. the smell it fills your house with beyond compare. it makes a house feel warm and homey. a fresh baked loaf of bread gives you such an old fashioned sense of accomplishment. you feel so proud just watching it cool on the counter...

so yes, baking bread does take some time - but it is alot of hands off time. and don't be intimidated by the wordy-ness of the recipe. you just throw together the dough, knead it for a bit and then just to wait around for it to rise. focaccia is a very easy bread and it has such a nice texture - very chewy crust with a soft interior. the salt and herbs really add a nice flavor. try it this out on your next lazy sunday...




basic focaccia
about 3 hours for rising time
about 25 minutes of baking

sponge
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105* to 115*F)
3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour

dough
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105*-115*F)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt

topping
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
couple of fresh rosemary springs
dried rosemary, thyme and oregano

to make the sponge:
whisk the yeast into the warm water in a large mixing bowl and let it stand about 10 minutes until creamy. stir in the flour. cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise about 45 minutes until very bubbly and has doubled.

to make the dough:
whisk second teaspoon if yeast into cup of warm and let it stand about 5 - 10 minutes until it is creamy. with a wooden spoon, stir the yeast mixture and olive oil into sponge and mix well.

if making the dough by hand:
add salt to flour. whisk in 1 cup of the flour at a time into mix until dough is well blended. knead on a lightly floured surface until soft and velvety, about 8 - 10 minutes.

if you are using a mixer:
add the sponge, dough mixture and olive oil into the mixer with the paddle attachment and blend on low. add the flour and salt and mix for about 2 minutes until everything is thoroughly mixed. change to the dough hook and knead at medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes until the dough is soft, velvety and sticky. finish by sprinkling 1 tablespoon of flour on your work surface and kneading the dough briefly until it comes together nicely.

first rise:
please the dough in lightly oiled bowl. cover this tightly with plastic wrap. let it rise 1 hour and 15 minutes until it is doubled.

shaping and second rise:
at this point the dough will be soft and full of air bubbles. flatten it into a well oiled 9 x 13 inch pan or on an oiled 11x 17 inch baking sheet. press it out with oiled hands. if the dough doesn't cover the bottom of your pan, let it rest for 10 minutes and then stretch it again until it reaches the edges. cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour.

baking:
preheat the over to 425*F about 30 minutes before you plan to bake.

dimple the dough with your fingertips leaving little indentations. drizzle olive oil over the dough. sprinkle with coarse salt. tuck little tufts of rosemary into the little indents all over the bread. you can also crush up some dried rosemary, thyme and a little oregano in a mortar & pestle and sprinkle over the top of the bread for a really nice herby taste.

place focaccia on the middle rack in the oven. spray the oven walls and floor with cold water from a spritzer bottle 3 times during the first 10 minutes of baking. bake until the crust is crisp and top is golden - about 20 - 25 minutes.

remove from the pan immediately and cool on a rack. see how long you last waiting for this too cool. we didn't last too long...

oatmeal cream pies...

so i am way overdue for a post. but i am back with something special...

i found these cookies when i was trolling blogs one night when i was hungry for dinner but to lazy to make it. i really loved how retro these cookies looked. the idea of cute 1970's children with little debbie snacks in their metal lunchboxes. the looked so gooey and tasty. i had to have them...

more importantly then how they look - the recipe for the filling has fluff in it. oh yes. marshmallow fluff. gooey delicious-ness in a plastic tub. a substance that must be kept out of my house unless it has a specific purpose. hehe...

so this my friends is not a cookie for the fainthearted. but the results are well worth it...

i think next time i would double the batch. there is definitely some work involved in making these. the cookies are nice and chewy and the middle is soft and sweet...

make a batch and then bring them to work the next day to get them out of your house. then burn the recipe.

=o)

oatmeal cream pies
adapted from recipe zaar

ingredients

1 cup butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp molasses
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cups rolled oats


cream filling

2 tsp very hot water
1/8 tsp salt
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow cream
1/2 cup shortening (i told you this recipe was old school)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla



combine flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in a bowl. cream butter and sugars in a large bowl. beat eggs in one at a time. finally beat in molasses and vanilla.

add to the flour mixture to creamed mixture and beat until just blended then mix in the oats with a wooden spoon.

drop dough by tablespoons (seriously - don’t go bigger than this - they spread out)on parchment lined sheets with plenty of space between. i fit two on a regular sized baking sheet. bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. cookies will look moist or until just starting to brown around the edges - don’t overcook. (10 minutes was perfect for me). let sit on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely...

while the cookies bake prepare the filling... dissolve the salt in the hot water in a small bowl. set aside and allow this to cool...

combine marshmallow cream, shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a bowl and mix on high until fluffy. the filling never really rises like an egg-white based frosting but you can tell it’s fluffier after 3-4 minutes...

add the cooled salt water and mix well...

spread filling on flat side of one cookie then press 2nd cookie on top...

makes 1 1/2 – 2 dozen

so i'm a slacker...

i have been so busy with setting up my multiple gardens that i really haven't had a chance to update... i know... excuses excuses... but i plan to do some serious blogging this weekend... including garden pics... molasses cookies... homemade oatmeal cream pies... and homemade oreos... cuz i love making cookies... and eating cookies... hahaa...

kate
=o)

plant update - strawberries...

we planted some strawberries into hanging baskets on our balcony. we planted 3 strawberries in each pot and filled two pots. we hung the baskets on the porch where they will get a lot of sun.



here are the tomatoes on week 5. they are getting big. i'm so excited. i grew my own tomatoes from seeds. and i have started hardening them off - which means you start putting your plants out for a couple hours a day to get them used to outside weather conditions until you transplant them in your garden. you eventually build up to leaving them outside full time - then you throw them in the garden.



soon our community plot is going to open and i can starting digging in the dirt - woohooo...

apple crumb coffee cake...

so i am sure by now it is well known that i have a baking problem... cookie issues... a pie addiction... and an ever growing waistline from eating all of the goodies i bake... so in an attempt to make something tasty but not super bad for me.

so i tried this very yummy looking coffee cake from one of my favorite blogs - everybody loves sandwiches...



so this cake is not without sugar or butter. but it has alot less then most crumb cake. especially a lot less butter but the oil really give the cake a nice texture. you could try other fruit in there like strawberries or peaches or blueberries. yum.

i had to work this saturday and it was so fucking tasty for breakfast with a big cup of coffee. you know since it was so healthy - i felt throwing a drizzle of icing on it was acceptable...



apple crumb coffee cake...

1 1/2 cup flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 granny smith apple, chopped

crumb topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
3 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup walnuts



preheat oven to 400. butter and flour an 8" round cake pan - shaking off any excess flour. make crumb topping in a medium-sized bowl. using your fingers mix in butter until you have pea size crumbs. set aside...

in a large bowl mix together dry ingredients. in a smaller bowl combine egg, milk and oil. add the wet to the dry and mix. add in apples and stir until combined. pour batter into prepared pan and top with crumb mixture. bake for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. let cool.

prepare a pot of your favorite coffee and go to town...

banana ice cream...

recently my girlfriend had to have surgery. so i wanted to make as many tasty things for her to eat as possible. this was at the top of the list for her as a must have comfort food. the entire batch was consumed within a few days. she can't stand watching alton brown - but she sure loves eating the food i make after i force her to :)

this ice cream is so good and so easy. there is no need to precook it to make a custard. you just throw the bananas and the ice cream maker bowl into the freezer overnight. the next day you mix everything into a food processor and then let the ice cream maker do all the work. you will thank me later...



banana ice cream...

6 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 vanilla bean, scraped or 1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
mini chocolate chips about 1/2 a bag (optional)
chopped walnuts - about a cup (optional)





peel bananas and put on a cookie sheet. place bananas in freezer and freeze overnight. remove bananas from freezer and allow to thaw for 45 minutes to 1 hour. place in bowl of food processor along with the lemon juice and process for 10 to 15 seconds. add corn syrup and vanilla bean seeds and turn processor on. slowly pour in the heavy cream and process until smooth.

chill mixture in refrigerator until it reaches 40 degrees. then throw into an ice cream maker. stir in any extras like chocolate chips and walnuts. steal a few spoonfuls - then put the ice cream in an air tight container and let harden.

sausage and peppers...

so my girlie is jewish and loves herself some pork. bacon, pork chops, sausage, pork chops stuffed with sausage - don't worry - we will definitely post that one too. so one of our favorite quickie dinners is sausage and peppers...

this recipe is one i just have messed around with until i got the results i wanted. sausage with lots of peppers and onions in a chunky, thick tomato sauce. throw it all on a crusty roll with some fresh mozzie and you got a hell of a sandwich...

this is also really great for parties. make up a big tray of this and big tray of ziti - and you got enough food to feed 15 people. or like 8-10 italians. i am going to write the recipe with enough for about 4-6 people. half it for 2 people and have some tasty leftovers. double the recipe for a 9x13 tray...



sausage and peppers...

2 pounds good italian sweet sausage (with fennel if you can find it)
1 cup white or red wine
olive oil
1 large red onion
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
3 cloves of garlic
1 can crushed tomato - 14oz
1 can whole peeled tomato - 28oz
basil
kosher salt
pepper
olive oil
red pepper flakes

nice crusty rolls or italian bread
a ball of fresh mozzarella cheese

cut the sausage into 2-3 inch pieces. put all the sausage in a frying pan over medium high heat. make sure to brown sausage on all sides to really get good flavor going on. you might need to do this in two batches...

while sausage is cooking start cutting up the veggies. slice the onions and peppers into strips. and throw into a bowl. mince the garlic...

once sausage is nice and crispy - add the wine to the pan. scrape all the little brown bits from the bottom of the pan and let this cook for a few minutes on medium heat. pour this all into a bowl and set aside...



add a tablespoon or 2 of olive oil to the pan. once it is hot add the garlic, onions and peppers. let them cook for 5 to 7 minutes to get all nice and cooked. then add the sausage and juices back to pan. cook for another minute to combine. then add crushed tomatoes to pan. open can of whole tomatoes and crush the tomatoes into the pan with your hands. it is always a good meal when your hands get dirty...

also add about a 1/2 cup of the tomato juice - discard the rest. season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes for a little heat. let this cook over medium heat until sauce has thickened. add a handful of torn up basil leaves right before serving...

slice open your roll, pile on a big scoop of sausage and peppers. top with a slice or two of fresh mozzie. grab yourself a bib and go to town. no really, i am serious about the bib - you are gong to get this everywhere. but it is worth it...


(guess who wants some)

lemon lime squares...

so my friend seth is having a birthday party tomorrow and i want to make him something tasty. his wife said he really likes citrus so i knew i had to bust out this recipe. i love these cookies. they are so light and fresh tasting. the mix of the lemon and the lime gives the cookies such great flavor. and they are really easy to make. bar cookies are really quick and feed a bunch of people. they were a hit at the party.




lemon & lime squares...

for the crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp grated lemon & lime zest
1 stick softened butter

for the filling:
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
confectioners' sugar for dusting
1/4 to 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut (optional)



preheat the oven to 350...

make the crust:
in a medium bowl mix together the flour, sugar, and zest. cut in the butter to make a dough the consistency of coarse cornmeal. or make the dough in a food processor mixing the dry ingredients and then pulsing in the butter. press the dough evenly over the bottom of an ungreased 8-inch square dish. bake the crust for 15-20 minutes until it is just beginning to turn golden around the edges...

while the crust is baking make the filling:
in a large bowl beat the eggs, sugar, and lemon & lime juices until light, about 2 to 3 minutes. mix in the flour and beat just until combines. pour the filling over the hot baked crust. bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the filling is set. cool completely on a wire rack. cut into squares using a small sharp knife. sprinkle with powered sugar and sprinkle with coconut. yum...

seedlings for week 4...

so my squash are gigantic and leggy - the stems are getting pretty long. mental note - you don't need to plant squash seeds 6 weeks ahead. anyway they are going need to be re-potted pretty soon - either into another large pot or into the ground. but it might be too cold for that this soon...



my beans and pea plant are also really tall and are ready to be re-potted too. so i need to figure out what to do with them. i went and bought two long planters about 3 feet long and 6 inches deep. one for the peas and one for the purple green beans. and i replanted them and put one on either side of my balcony...



(evil doyle is protecting my peas...)

chicken and dumplings...

so remember how we made all that chicken stock last week and put it in the freezer for later. well this is why my friends - so you can make kick ass chicken and dumplings in about a half hour...

now i lived in texas for almost 4 years. and i was under the impression i would get around to learning to make all the tasty home cooking... alas - i didn't learn to make all the biscuits, and fried chicken and pecan pie that made me gain 30 pounds. so of course when i got home - i learned how to make chicken and dumplings my damn self...

the recipe i used is based on tyler florence's recipe on foodtv.com. it got great ratings from most of the people who used it. i have made from start to finish and is delicious. but as i found out - when trying to make the entire thing in one night - the whole process will takes close to 3 or 4 hours making for some very hungry dinner guests...

but no worries. we have previously made frozen chicken soupy goodness at our disposal. for the meat for the stew i just used a store bought roasted chicken. they usually have them in the deli section of most super markets for about $5. this is great because it cuts out a huge step...



chicken and dumplings...
(the quickie version)

2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic - minced
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup flour
7 cups chicken stock (use your own frozen or really good store bought)
1/4 cup heavy cream
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
several springs fresh thyme and rosemary

in a dutch oven or deep pot melt butter and heat oil over medium heat. add carrot, celery, onion, garlic, and bay leaves. saute about 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft. stir in the flour to make a roux. continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes to coat the flour and remove the starchy taste. slowly pour in the chicken stock stirring well to prevent clumps. let sauce simmer for about 15 minutes until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon....

while the stew is cooking - pull all the meat off the chicken and set aside. make the batter for the dumplings using the recipe below. carefully drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the dumpling batter into the hot mixture. the dumplings should cover the top of the sauce but should not be touching or crowded. then fold the reserved shredded chicken into the sauce. let the dumplings poach for 10 to 15 minutes until they are firm and puffy. chop up the fresh herbs and sprinkle into stew. season with freshly cracked black pepper...

dig in. then feel too full to leave the couch. awesome...

teaser for zucchini bread...

i love my friend mattyb... if only for the amazing tastyness of this zucchini bread. oh you have no idea. he pulled this out of his head one summer day when we were hanging out in my garden up in north hero. the boy has skills. it is so moist and damn good for breakfast with a cup of coffee...

i make this alot in the summer when i have a ton of zucchini from the garden. but i have been thinking about this since i planted my zucchini seeds. so i picked some up this week when it was on sale at price chopper...

sadly you are going have to wait and drool - because i am not going to post the recipe until i can coax matty to come and make this with me. seriously worth the wait...

banana caramel cake...

guest blog - my mom-in-law - louann...

there is nothing i love more then baking with people. and my mother in law is visiting this week. so we have been cooking and baking up a storm. this is a recipe she picked out of the martha stewart baking book. all of martha's recipes are pretty intense with alot of steps. it is really long and i had to type it out by hand - i hope you appreciate it...

so louann did the whole project - every ridiculously long martha step. except for the caramel sauce - which i burnt twice. *sigh* so much for my candy making skillz.

we had this delicious cake without the sauce. but it was still really good. especially the frosting. drool. the cake had really good flavor and the bananas in the middle were so tasty. we decide if we were to make this again we would throw a layer of frosting in the middle too...



banana caramel cake...

1 1/2 sticks, plus 3 tbsp butter, at room temperature
2 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 very ripe bananas, mashed, plus 3 ripe bananas sliced lengthwise for filling
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups plus 1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs

mascarpone frosting (recipe follows)
caramel sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9 inch round baking pans, then dust with flour. Set aside. Into a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, stir together mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla. Set aside.



In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat 1 1/2 sticks of butter and 1 2/3 cups sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, app. 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in 2 parts, beating until combined after each, about 2-3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the banana mixture, being careful not to overmix.

Divide the batter equally between the two prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool on wire rack (in pans still) for about 20 minutes, or until the pans are cool to the touch. Invert pans onto racks and let cake cool completely outside of the pans.



Meanwhile, sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of sugar into a large skillet. Cook over high heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until sugar is caramelized. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining 3 tbsp butter until melted. Return pan to heat. Add the sliced bananas, cooking until they start to brown. Gently turn bananas so that both sides are browned.

Place one cake layer on a cake plate. Arrange caramelized banana slices on top. Place remaining layer on top. Using a large spatula, spread Mascarpone Frosting over entire cake, swirling to completely cover. Drizzle Caramel Sauce over the top of the cake. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, covered for up to 3 days.




mascarpone frosting...

1 lb mascarpone cheese
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment - beat the mascarpone cheese, cream and confectioner's sugar until medium soft peaks form - 1 to 2 minutes. use immediately.



caramel sauce...

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream

prepare an ice water bath. cook sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat - until it starts to melt around the edges. shake pan to melt remaining sugar. continue to cook about 3 more minutes until sugar turns to an amber color. (this is where i burnt the caramel - twice - aim for two minutes if you are using an electric stove) remove from heat. stirring constantly - add cream in a slow steady stream. place caramel in a bowl in the ice bath and let stand until cool - stirring frequently.



so on top of doing all the baking louann also took all of the pretty photos. everything turned out lovely even though my house still smells like burnt caramel...

a little botanical maintenance...

so this weekend was so nice out we took the opportunity to repot some plants around the house and plant some of my seedlings...



alot of our house plants were in dire need of larger residences. we put a huge jade plant into a much larger container. we repotted a basil and a thyme plant i got at lowes into to little pots...



our big umbrella plant was put into a 16 inch square pot. we replanted a big rosemary plant i got at the winter farmer's market into a hanging basket...



and i planted all my snap pea seedlings into a long box planter because they were getting so big. i need to get another long planter for my green beans this week...



it was so nice and sunny today. it felt so good to get my hands in some dirt. i can't wait til it warms up enough start digging in my garden...