Carrot Cake - Adrienne's Tropical version

Carrot cake is one of my FAVORITES.  I pretty much try every carrot cake in all cities around the world.  Best one so far is London's Prete a Manger.  This one is lovely and moist...the macadamia nuts add a great crunch.  Made for the sweet Bikman family leaving to return to the USA after 2.5 great years together in Singapore.

3 cups grated carrot

1 cup chopped pineapple, fresh or canned

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cups macadamia or walnut pieces (optional)

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 1/2 -Adrienne cups sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. or 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, toss together the carrots, pineapple,  and coconut with 1/2 cup of the flour to coat them—keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the cake batter.

Sift together the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.

In a mixer with a whip attachment, mix the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy then slowly add the vegetable oil. Fold in the dry ingredients and pour over the carrot mixture. Fold carefully to blend, then pour the batter into a buttered, 2 or 3 floured 10-inch round pans containing a circle of wax paper in the bottom. Bake until firm to the touch in the center, about 45 min-1 hour.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. Cream Cheese

½ cup butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

½ tsp coconut extract

Layer and frost cake, top with a ½ cup toasted coconut.

Choco Nut Oatbars

Seems like I'm into making BAR cookies lately, but they are useful in Singapore for outings b/c we're out and about in the heat and taxis.  This recipe is from Phyllis Sperry - I met the Sperry family when I was ten years old and they had such a wonderful influence on our family.  Made these for a picnic at Botanical Gardens Symphony with the Robison and Dozier families.  Sweet Jack Dozier just loved these so I'm posting this for him.

1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk

2 oz unsweetened chocolate (I doubled this b/c I'm Swiss)

1 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used 1 cup only)

1 cup butter

1 1/4 cup brown sugar (I halved this)

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 cups rolled oats (old fashioned NOT quick cooking)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, grease 9x13 pan.  Melt chocolate in condensed milk on low heat, stirring constantly.  Stir in nuts, set aside.  Beat together butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add flour, salt, and baking soda.  Blend thoroughly.  Stir in oats, mix until crumbly.  Press half of oat mixture in pan, spread evenly with chocolate mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture, pressing into chocolate.  Bake 25 minutes until golden brown on top.  Cool and cut into squares.

Tartelettes au Citron

 

Tartelettes au Citron

2 oeufs

120gr. de sucre          

jus de 2 citrons pressés

150gr. de beurre tempéré

Mélanger les oeufs, le sucre et le jus de citron et faire chauffer au bain-marie pendant quelques minutes.  Ajouter le beurre et remuer pendant 10 minutes au bain-marie (jusqu'à épaississement).  Voilà, c'est tout simple, régalez-vous :o)  Patricia (Firmenich colleague)

Lemon Tarts (translated)

*I tripled this recipe to make 36 mini tarts

Mix 2 eggs, ½ cup sugar, and the juice of two lemons in a double boiler for a  few minutes.  Add ¾ cups of butter and stir over low heat for ten minutes until it thickens.  Pour into little store-bought tarts and they’re ready to go!

 

Oatmeal Coconut Cake

Mix all these ingredients in a bowl:

1 cup oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon

Add:

2 eggs
1/2 cup cut up butter
1 1/2 cup boiling water

Beat well, batter will be thin, pour in greased/floured 9x13 pan.

Spread this on top:

1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cream
1 cup chopped nuts

Bake at 350 degrees for an hour

Seven-layer Cookie Bars

I've been in a cookie bar mood. I thought I'd make these for Mother's Day.

Melt 1 cup butter (250 grams), Mix 1 1/2 packets of butter cookies (In Singapore I use German ones Leuwenz in yellow package)

Press into a 9x13 pan.

Sprinkle with:
1 packet of sweetened coconut (American kind, so moist, blue packet)
1 packet of chocolate chips (I use Van Hounten b/c they are mini)
1 cup chopped pecans (I skip this step, hubby doesn't care for nuts)

Pour 1 can of sweetened condensed milk.

Bake in the oven at 180 degrees C for 20 minutes.

Jonna's Brownies

Jonna said after I use this brownie recipe, I'll never buy a brownie mix again. She's right! This recipe is so simple/fast. Note to self - I really need a new 8x8 b/c this 9x9 made them too thin and it baked too fast in the oven. Underbaked is definitely much better!

¾ cup melted butter

1 ½ cups sugar

1 ½ tsp vanilla

3 eggs

¾ cup flour

½ cup unsweetened baking cocoa

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips (I use Ghiradelli bittersweet)

Melt butter. Add sugar & vanilla; mix with wooden spoon. Add eggs & mix well with spoon (don’t use mixer).

Add flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt gradually to egg mixture, beating with wooden spoon until well-blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spread in well-greased 8” square baking dish.

Bake at 350’ F (180'C) 40-45 minutes.

Jonette's Taste of Italy Pasta Salad

We loved this simple salad - so fresh - perfect for a picnic in the park!

1 box of good penne pasta
1 container of honey cherry tom or any cherry tom
1 container of yellow cherry tom
1 bunch of basil
fresh mozzarella (I used Polenghi in a little bag w/water from cold storage)
course sea salt or other nice larger grain salt ( I used the course sea salt from CS I think it only cost 60 cents a bag)
olive oil

Cook pasta, cut tom in half, cut basil, cube mozzarella and salt. I assemble the salad about an hour before serving or less.....

It is really a made up salad but that is the gist of what it is :) Jonette

Raspberry Cream Cheese Cake

Recipe originally from Judy Kirkham in Geneva Ward Cookbook. Made for April 2011 picnic at Macbeth Singapore with Jeff/Michal, Jonna/Anna, Rochelle, Jessie, Jonette/Martin. I did 1 1/2 times the recipe to fill a 9x13 pan, otherwise I usually do a 9 inch circle pan. Next time I think I'll add salt in the crumble, also not bother adding half an egg if I increase recipe b/c it became more flan than cheesecakey.

Crust:
2 - 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup margarine
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 tsp. almond

Combine flour & sugar in large bowl. Cut in margarine to resemble coarse crumbs. Set aside a cup of this mixture. To remaining mixture, add baking powder, baking soda, sour cream, egg and almond extract. Blend, chill 15 minutes.

Filling:

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1 Tbsp. water

Combine cream cheese, sugar, egg and peel. Best well, set aside. In separate bowl, combine raspberry jam and water. Set aside. Grease ad flour your pan. Spread crust batter on bottom and up sides. Pour in cream cheese mixture. Top with raspberry mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes.