Cherry Pound Cakes

Are you in a baking frenzy ahead of the Christmas holiday? If you’re like me, you’re practically done. Admittedly, I’ve had to be a little obsessive-compulsive this year with preparations, since there was so much going on in my life this month — my dad’s 100th (yes, 100th) birthday party; a three-week-long visit from London by my five-month granddaughter and her parents; and a new addition on the house that has me dizzy with all the decisions to be made. Still, getting organized is the best way not to stress, so I’ve made this large cherry pound cake to tuck away in the freezer for one of the Christmas eve desserts, and these minis to gift to friends and neighbors. 

I confess, we’ve eaten a few of the minis and they are so delicious, with their tender crumb and subtle almond flavoring, that they’re going to become a regular Christmas tradition. I saw the minis last year on Annie’s blog  and tucked away the idea for the future.

The original recipe is from a 2004 edition of Southern Living, and while it’s not low-calorie by any means, if you limit yourself to a small slice, you won’t burst your waist buttons. And they make such a lovely small gift that anyone would be happy to receive one. I bought these disposable tins at the grocery store and they were perfect for individual cakes.

I frosted them right in the pans, which came with a clear, plastic lid that didn’t smush the frosting, and made it easy to deliver them to neighbors.

But for a large crowd, bake the cake in a tube pan.

I froze mine, frosting and all, and will remove it from the freezer hours ahead of serving it. I already tested freezing and thawing a mini cake, and that worked well, so I am confident that when we sit down to slice into this beauty on Christmas eve, it will taste as fresh as when I baked it. The holly leaves and berries (made from purchased marzipan and a squirt or two of food coloring) aren’t necessary, but they do say “Merry Christmas” in a most festive way, don’t you think? I hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful Christmas and that the Covid menace doesn’t find its way to your house.

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Mini Cherry Pound Cakes

printable recipe here

Ingredients

• 1 10-ounce jar maraschino cherries (or use a 16 ounce jar for more cherries)
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup shortening
• 3 cups sugar
• FOR THE CAKE:
• 6 large eggs
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• FOR THE CHERRY GLAZE:
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 ( 3-ounce ) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup cherries
• FOR THE DECORATION:
• 1 tube marzipan
• food coloring

Instructions

1. Drain jar of cherries, discarding juice.
2. Chop cherries, and set aside.
3. Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
4. Gradually add sugar, beating 1 minute.
5. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.
6. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
7. Beat at low speed just until blended.
8. Stir in flavorings and 1/2 cup chopped cherries.
9. Spoon batter into 7 greased and floured 5 3/4” x 3″ mini loaf pans. (I used PAM and it worked just fine.)
10. If using one large tube pan, grease and flour that.
11. Bake at 300 degrees for 55 minutes (both the minis and the large cake need this time) or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean.
12. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.
13. Remove cakes from pans, and place on wire racks set over wax paper.
14. To make the glaze:
15. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy.
16. Gradually add powdered sugar and milk; beat until smooth.
17. Stir in vanilla and cherries.
18. Drizzle Cherry Glaze over slightly warm cakes.
19. Decorate with marzipan leaves and berries, if desired
20. Refrigerate cakes to let glaze harden before wrapping.
21. TO MAKE MARZIPAN LEAVES:
22. Place a few tablespoons of marzipan in a small bowl and mix in some food coloring.
23. Blend with a spoon until the color is uniform.
24. Shape into leaves by hand, or with a small cookie cutter.
25. Make berries by rolling little balls in your hand.

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Chocolate Rugelach

Have you been baking cookies this holiday season? Although these rugelach, originally from the Jewish community of  Poland, were never part of my Christmas cookie traditions growing up, they’ve been a favorite of mine for decades. I finally got around to making them this year, and they are melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I’m going to have to tuck these away in the freezer or I’ll eat the whole batch before company arrives for the Christmas holiday.  I followed the basic dough recipe from Ina Garten, but instead of using the traditional raisins, jam and nuts filling, I opted for a chocolate filling. I also lowered the temperature to 325 degrees, and kept them in a little longer, since at 350 degrees, some of the interior dough wasn’t thoroughly cooked.

After chilling the dough, quarter it and then roll each quarter to a circumference of about 9 or 10 inches. Spread the chocolate filling all around, cut into triangles, then roll up each triangle, starting from the wide end. Place the rolled cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, then brush with some beaten egg, and sprinkle with a little bit of sugar and a pinch of cinnamon.Bake for about 20 minutes at 325 degrees F., or until lightly golden. Let them cool, then sprinkle with a little powdered sugar (optional) and enjoy.

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Chocolate Rugelach

printable recipe here

Ingredients

• FOR THE DOUGH:
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2-pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 9 tablespoons
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• CHOCOLATE FILLING
• 8 oz semisweet chocolate
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ ground cinnamon optional
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• FOR THE TOPPING:
• an egg, lightly beaten with a teaspoon of water, to brush on top
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• a pinch of cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Cream the cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light.
3. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the salt, and vanilla.
4. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined.
5. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured board and roll it into a ball.
6. Cut the ball in quarters, wrap each piece in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
7. While the dough is chilling, melt the chocolate in a double boiler, then stir in the sugar, cinnamon and salt and mix well.
8. On a well-floured board, roll each ball of dough into a 9 to 10-inch circle.
9. Spread the dough with 1/4 of the chocolate mixture.
10. Cut the circle into 16 equal wedges, cutting the whole circle in quarters, then each quarter into four pieces.
11. Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge.
12. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
13. Brush each cookie with the egg wash.
14. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on the cookies.
15. Bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned.
16. Remove to a wire rack and let cool.

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Farro and Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

Fall is squash season, and although I love using all kinds of squash as side dishes, sometimes I let them take a starring role, as in this stuffed acorn squash recipe that makes a great main dish. I love a good bread or rice stuffing, but wanted to give farro a try this time, adding some sausage to give it a little extra oomph. If you’re a vegetarian, you could easily omit the sausage and it would still taste delicious. The recipe contains a number of steps, but if you plan well, you can make it all ahead of time and place it in the oven just before dinner. Start by roasting the squash in the oven, let it cool slightly, then scoop out the cooked squash.

Cut the squash into large chunks.

Add the chunks of squash to the cooked farro, sausage and cheeses.

Spoon the stuffing back into the squash.Sprinkle grated mozzarella on top. If you have more stuffing than will fit into the two halves (and most likely you will), butter a small casserole and place the stuffing inside.

Bake for about a half hour, then turn on the broiler for a few minutes to brown the top nicely. Be careful, it will burn easily!

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Farro and Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

Author: Ciao Chow Linda

printable recipe here

Ingredients

• 1 large acorn squash
• salt, pepper
• a few tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 links Italian sausage
• 1/4 cup onion, minced
• 1 stalk of celery, minced
• 1/2 cup farro
• 1 cup water
• 1 egg, beaten lightly
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• a couple of leaves of minced fresh sage
• a small amount of minced parsley

Instructions

1. Cut the squash in half, remove the seeds, rub the cut ends with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Place in a 350 degree oven, covered with aluminum foil and bake for about 45 minutes to an hour or until tender.
3. Let the squash cool.
4. Bring the water to a boil, add the farro and a pinch of salt.
5. Cover with a lid, and let simmer on low heat for about 20-25 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
6. Let the farro come to room temperature.
7. Take the casings off the sausage and break up the sausage into bits, cooking in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.
8. Add the minced onion and minced celery, and cook until softened,
9. Scrape the cooked squash from the interior of the squash, cutting into large pieces.
10. To the cooked and cooled farro, add the squash, the cooked sausage, onion and celery, the beaten egg, the parmesan cheese and most of the mozzarella cheese, keeping some aside to sprinkle on top. Season with salt, pepper and the minced parsley.
11. Mix thoroughly, then stuff back into the squash.
12. You will have more than will fit into the squash, so butter a small casserole and place the remaining stuffing inside,
13. Sprinkle more mozzarella cheese on top.
14. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.
15. At the end of 30 minutes, turn on the broiler for a few minutes to allow for greater browning on top, but keep an eye on it since it can burn easily,.

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