4 Times The Taste Carrot Cake

This, I think anyway, is The BEST Carrot cake recipe. Its dense, moist and has lots of carrots, raisins, nuts and pineapple. Its makes a nice sized four layer cake so be sure to have family and friends over for dessert! This also freezes well.


6 cups grated carrots
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup raisins
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting (below)

In a medium bowl, combine grated carrots and brown sugar. Set aside for 60 minutes, then stir in raisins.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans.
In a large bowl, beat eggs until light. Gradually beat in the white sugar, applesauce, oil and vanilla. Stir in the pineapple.
Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, stir into the wet mixture until absorbed. Finally stir in the carrot mixture and the walnuts. Pour evenly into the prepared cake pans.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. When completely cooled, half each layer, frost with cream cheese frosting.

Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting:
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, cold (very important)
3/4 cup butter (1-1/2 sticks), softened
3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract


In a medium bowl, cream together the cold cream cheeses and butter until creamy.
Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

Lemony Lemon Bars

I made these tonight and boy are they good. Try them I think you will agree. I used 1% milk because that's all I had and it didn't seem to effect the recipe....

Lemony Lemon Bars
24 bars

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks), plus 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt plus a pinch
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice, strained
1/4 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons limoncello, or other lemon-flavored liqueur, optional


Lightly butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with 2 teaspoons of the butter and line with 1 sheet of parchment paper. Butter the top of this sheet of paper with 1 teaspoon of the remaining butter and then lay a second sheet of parchment or waxed paper crosswise over the first sheet. The parchment should be cut large enough so that the sides are even with the top of the baking dish; this extra paper will function as handles to help you remove the lemon squares from the pan later. Set pan aside.

In a large bowl combine 1 3/4 cups of the flour, 2/3 cup of the confectioners' sugar, the cornstarch, and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and mix thoroughly.
Cut the remaining 12 tablespoons of butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Using your hands, 2 forks, or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Transfer the butter-flour mixture to the prepared baking dish and press into an even 1/4-inch layer along the bottom and partly up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
While the crust is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake the crust until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
While the crust is baking, assemble the filling by combining the eggs, granulated sugar, flour, and lemon zest in a medium bowl and whisking until smooth. Stir in lemon juice, milk, optional limoncello, and remaining pinch of salt and mix well.

When the crust is golden brown, remove it from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Stir the lemon mixture again, then pour onto the warm crust. Bake until the filling is set, about 20 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Grasp the waxed paper that lines the 2 longest sides of the baking dish and remove the bars from the pan by pulling up gently. The entire dessert should easily dislodge and come away from the pan. Transfer to a cutting board and, using a clean knife, cut into squares, wiping knife after each cut. Place a small amount of confectioners' sugar into a small sieve, and sprinkle the bars with the sugar. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, wrapped with plastic wrap, up to 2 days, until ready to serve.

Lemon Meringue Pie

So lately I've been into this lemon kick. I have no idea why other than I love them and have a tree full of them. Anyway, a recipe for a nice lemon meringue pie.

Enjoy!
Bitsy~

Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Filling:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cold water
6 large egg yolks (save whites for meringue)
1 tablespoon lemon zest from 1 lemon
1/2 cup lemon juice from 2 to 3 lemons
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Meringue Topping:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 large egg whites (room temperature)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:
Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, and water in a large, nonreactive saucepan. Bring mixture to simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally at beginning of the process and then more frequently as mixture begins to thicken. When mixture starts to simmer and turn translucent, whisk in egg yolks, two at a time. Whisk in zest, then lemon juice, and finally butter. Bring mixture to a brisk simmer, whisking constantly. Remove from heat, place plastic wrap directly on surface of filling to keep hot and prevent skin from forming.

For the meringue:
Mix cornstarch with 1/3 cup water in small saucepan; bring to simmer, whisking occasionally at beginning and more frequently as mixture thickens. When mixture starts to simmer and turn translucent, remove from heat. Let cool while beating egg whites.
Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Mix cream of tartar and sugar together. Beat egg whites and vanilla until frothy. Beat in sugar mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time; until sugar is incorporated and mixture forms soft peaks. Add cornstarch mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue to beat meringue to stiff peaks. Remove plastic from filling and return to very low heat during last minute or so of beating meringue (to ensure filling is hot).

Pour filling into pie shell. Using a rubber spatula, immediately distribute meringue evenly around edge then center of pie to keep it from sinking into filling. Make sure meringue attaches to pie crust to prevent shrinking. Use spoon to create peaks all over meringue. Bake pie until meringue is golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature before refrigerating. (At least an hour) Chill at least 4-6 hours before slicing.

Bittersweet Chocolate Almond Torte

This recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine. Boy is this ever good!. It's similar to a moist brownie and oh so rich. It does take some time making but don't let the instructions scare you away. It's very easy to make. This is a flourless torte. (Complete easy to print recipe is at bottom of page.)

You will need:
10 ounces imported bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces (I used Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet chips)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
5 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup finely ground almonds (done in a food processor)
2 tablespoons cognac or dark rum (I had neither so used coffee liquor)
unsweetened baking cocoa, optional
Whipped cream, optional
Fresh raspberries, optional


Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. and butter well a 9-inch springform pan and line bottom with parchment paper.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot, not boiling water. When the chocolate is melted, turn off the heat and leave it over the hot water to cool slowly.

Meanwhile in a large bowl, beat the butter with 1/4 cup of the sugar until the mixture is fluffy and almost white.

Add egg yolks and beat for 1 minute.

Add the almonds and cognac and beat 2 minutes more.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until light and foamy

while gradually adding the remaining 1/4 cup sugar.

Continue beating the whites until they are stiff and shiny.

Add the melted chocolate to the egg yolk mixture and mix with a rubber spatula until well combined.

Fold in 1/4 of this chocolate mixture into the egg whites;

then gradually fold the egg whites back into the rest of the chocolate mixture, taking care not to deflate the batter.

Pour mixture into prepared springform pan

and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out covered with a thick, moist, not wet, and crumby coating. Allow cake to cool for 30 minutes in the pan.

Loosen the edges with a knife and carefully turn the cake out onto a plate. Remove the parchment paper. Sprinkle with unsweetened cocoa. Serve at room temperature or chilled with whipped cream and raspberries on the side.

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Bittersweet Chocolate Almond Torte

10 ounces imported bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces (I used Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet chips)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
5 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup finely ground almonds (done in a food processor)
2 tablespoons cognac or dark rum (I had neither so used coffee liquor)
unsweetened baking cocoa, optional
Whipped cream, optional
Fresh raspberries, optional

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. and butter well a 9-inch springform pan and line bottom with parchment paper.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot, not boiling water. When the chocolate is melted, turn off the heat and leave it over the hot water to cool slowly.
Meanwhile in a large bowl, beat the butter with 1/4 cup of the sugar until the mixture is fluffy and almost white. Add egg yolks and beat for 1 minute. Add the almonds and cognac and beat 2 minutes more.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until light and foamy while gradually adding the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Continue beating the whites until they are stiff and shiny.
Add the melted chocolate to the egg yolk mixture and mix with a rubber spatula until well combined. Fold in 1/4 of this chocolate mixture into the egg whites; then gradually fold the egg whites back into the rest of the chocolate mixture, taking care not to deflate the batter.
Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out covered with a thick, moist, not wet, and crumby coating. Allow cake to cool for 30 minutes in the pan.
Loosen the edges with a knife and carefully turn the cake out onto a plate. Remove the parchment paper. Sprinkle with unsweetened cocoa. Serve at room temperature or chilled with whipped cream and raspberries on the side.