Irish Guinness Oatmeal Cake

(Makes 8 to 10 servings)

Cake Ingredients

• 1 cup McCann’s Irish oatmeal
• 1 ¼ cups Guinness
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 8 tablespoons unsalted Irish butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup [Domino] Demerara cane sugar
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon orange zest
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest

Topping Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted Irish butter
• ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ⅔ cup sweetened condensed milk
• 4 tablespoons slice almonds, toasted

Cake Directions

1. In medium bowl, combine oatmeal and Guinness. Let soak for about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 325° F. Generously grease a 9-inch springform pan.
2. In large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.
3. In medium bowl, cream butter and sugars with electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and then stir in vanilla, orange zest, and lemon zest. Fold in flour mixture, than stir in oatmeal mixture.
4. Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack. Pour topping over cake and let cool. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until topping is set.
5. To serve, remove side of pan and then cut cake into slices. Serve warm with ice cream.

Topping Directions

1. In medium saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, sugar, and milk. Bring slowly to a boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth.
2. Remove from heat and stir in oatmeal and almonds.

Aunt Mary Ann’s Four-Layer Whiskey Cake

Ingredients:

Cakes:

• 1 cup room-temperature butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 1/4 cups sifted flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 8 egg whites

Icing:

• 8 egg yolks
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups chopped pecans
• 2 cups finely chopped, seeded currants
• 1 3/4 cup shredded coconut
• 2 cups of finely chopped candied cherries (use a 50/50 mix of red and green to make it extra festive)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup whiskey

Directions:

Cakes:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cream butter with electric mixer and gradually add in sugar. Beat mixture until light and fluffy; mix in vanilla.

Still using the electric mixer, slowly add in flour, baking powder, and salt. To keep the batter at a manageable consistency, alternate adding dry ingredients and splashes of milk. Beat batter until smooth.

In another bowl, beat egg whites (set aside egg yolks for the icing) with electric mixer on high until they’re stiff but not totally dry. Fold egg whites into cake batter with a spatula. Batter will be very thick.

Spoon batter evenly into four round, 9-inch, pre-greased baking pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean; remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before turning cakes out on wire cooling rack.

Icing:

While cakes cool, beat egg yolks with a fork and put them in a saucepan with sugar and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes or until sugar is all dissolved and mixture has thickened slightly. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining icing ingredients. Let stand until cool.

Assembly:

Spread cooled icing between cake layers and on top of assembled cake.

Place the iced cake in an airtight container for 3 or 4 days to allow it to flavor before serving.

Spicy Apple Tea

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

• Equal parts water and fresh apple cider or bottled apple juice
• 1 spiced herb (rooibos) tea bag or 1 teaspoon loose tea per 8-ounce serving
• Cinnamon stick (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring water/apple cider mixture to boil. Remove from heat.

2. Add tea and steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove tea bag or strain, if using loose tea.

3. Serve immediately. For added sweetness, add a cinnamon stick to each cup of tea.

Marion’s Dream Bars

Makes about 30 bars

Ingredients for Crust

• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 cup flour

Ingredients for Topping

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup sweetened coconut
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

2. Prepare crust by blending butter, sugar, and flour until they form a dough. Pat the dough into a 9×9-inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes until slightly brown.

3. Cool crust to room temperature.

4. Prepare topping by beating eggs lightly. Add brown sugar and beat well. Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to mix together.

5. Add coconut, walnuts, and vanilla to topping mixture. Pour batter over baked crust.

6. Bake at 350° F for 30 minutes. Test with toothpick or cake tester in middle of pan. If it doesn’t come out clean, continue baking for another 5 minutes, then test again. If the tester still doesn’t come out clean, bake for a further 5 minutes.

Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp

(Makes 6 to 8 servings)

“Rhubarb and strawberries is a classic duo that appears in farmers’ markets and grocery stores at the same time each year, letting us know that spring has officially arrived. Look for rhubarb stalks that are deep red and firm to the touch, and deep red berries that are firm, fragrant, and not bruised.” —Emeril Lagasse

• 1 pound rhubarb, diced
• 1 pound strawberries, halved or quartered if large
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease deep dish pie pan or other shallow 1 ½- to 2-quart nonreactive baking dish and set aside.
Combine rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice in medium mixing bowl and toss to combine. Transfer to prepared baking dish and set aside while you prepare topping.

In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle, combine remaining ingredients and process on low speed until mixture is crumbly and coarse. Sprinkle topping over fruit and place the baking dish on low-sided baking sheet (to catch juices that may bubble over). Transfer to oven and bake until topping is golden brown, crisp, and juices are bubbly and glossy, 40 to 45 minutes.

Roasted Tomato Tapenade

(Makes 2 cups)

“I used heirloom Roma tomatoes for this recipe, but at the height of tomato season when there are so many varieties to choose from, I think just about any variety of small, sweet tomato will work well here. Roasted tomatoes have a concentrated flavor, so remember, the better the tomato, the better the flavor. Use this tapenade as a spread for roasted vegetable sandwiches, tossed with pasta and olive oil for a quick pasta sauce, or on crostini for a quick hors d’oeuvre.” —Emeril Lagasse

• 1 ½ pounds roma or plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 sprigs each, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup finely chopped kalamata olives, (about 10 olives)

Preheat oven to 450 F.

In medium size mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange herbs on baking sheet or shallow baking dish. Dot inside of each tomato half with some garlic. Lay tomatoes, cut-sides down, on top of herbs. Roast tomatoes for 20 minutes, or until skins are crackly. Remove tomatoes from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Place tomato halves and garlic on a cutting board. Discard the whole herb sprigs. Add any juices, garlic, and herb leaves that remain on pan to cutting board with tomatoes. Run knife over tomatoes three or four times in chopping motion until tomatoes are uniformly chopped. Transfer to small bowl. Stir in vinegar, olives, and remaining tablespoon olive oil. Transfer to nonreactive container, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. Tapenade will keep up to 1 week in refrigerator.

Fig and Lavender Honey Yogurt Pie

Recipe from Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens by Jennifer Schaertl
(HCI Books; April 2010; Trade paperback/$18.95)

Serves 10 to 12

• 1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 1 cup Greek-style yogurt
• 1/2 cup lavender honey
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
• 12 purple mission figs, quartered lengthwise

Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, oats, brown sugar, and salt until moistened. Press into bottom of 6-inch spring form pan and half way up sides (or press crumb mixture into 9-inch pie pan), packing tightly with your fingertips so it is even and compacted.

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in small sauté pan and let soften for 2 minutes. Whisk together yogurt and honey in medium-size bowl. Set small sauté pan over the lowest flame possible while stirring constantly, just until it melts. Whisk melted gelatin into yogurt mixture until smooth.

Whip heavy cream until it holds stiff peaks. Gently fold half of whipped cream into yogurt mixture, taking care not to deflate cream. Now fold last of whipped cream into yogurt mixture. Gently spoon mixture into prepared spring form pan, then cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely set, at least 6 hours and up to one day.

Hold small knife under hot tap water, and then run it along sides of pie to help release it from pan. Open the spring and slice pie into wedges. Serve each slice on dessert plate. Place 2 pieces of fig on top of each slice, and scatter a few fig pieces on plate. Serve ice cold.

Swap It:
You can substitute low-fat “Greek-style” yogurt in this recipe with fantastic results. It has a thicker, creamier consistency than regular yogurt because it has been strained to remove the excess liquid.

Apple Oatmeal Squares

(Makes 12 servings)
Recipe courtesy of The Food Channel

• 2 large tart apples, peeled, cored, and diced
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking (not instant) oats
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Lightly grease 9×12-inch baking pan. Combine apples and baking soda in non-metalic bowl and set aside. Cream sugars, butter, and egg in mixing bowl. Beat in flour and spices, then stir in oatmeal, apples, and nuts. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until cake begins to shrink from edges of pan and a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan about 20 minutes, then cut into squares. Serve immediately.

Baked Apples

(Makes 4 servings)

• 4 apples
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup raisins
• ¼ pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 425 F.
Cut tops off apples. Core and hollow, leaving ½ to 1 inch of space around the edges. Drizzle lemon juice over apples. In a small bowl, mix remaining ingredients and stuff into each apple. Place the tops back on the apples and back for 20 to 25 minutes.

Apple Pie

(Makes 1 pie)

• 2 9-inch pie crusts (store bought or homemade)
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• dash of salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6 cups of thinly sliced apples.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, and salt. Stir in apples. Place into pie crust and top with small pieces of butter. Place top crust over apples and thinly slice to vent steam. Seal the edge by pressing the ends together between fingertips. Cover edge of crust with foil. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until crust is golden brown. Let cool.