Browsing Category DESSERTS
Anita’s New Year Caramel Candy Cake
Ingredients for Cake
2 cups cake flour
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
1 cup soften butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon maple extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk, room temperature
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 350 grades Fahrenheit. Spray a spring-form 8 inches round cake pan with baking cooking spray. Set aside.
- Cream together butter, light brown sugar and granulated white sugar until fluffy.
- Incorporate eggs one at a time beating until well combined. Add vanilla and maple extract.
- Add cake flour in batches alternating with the milk. Add baking powder and mix just until well combined.
- Pour cake batter into the cake pan. Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes or when inserted toothpick into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool in pan for about 15 minutes. Then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Drizzle Caramel Candy Icing while warm from the microwave to be able to drizzle smoother. Let it set for about 2 hours.
Ingredients for Caramel Candy Icing
16 pieces Original Soft Caramels
2 Tablespoon milk
Preparation:
Microwave Original Soft Caramels and milk together for about 2 minutes. Do not forget to stir every 30 to 40 seconds until completely softened and melted.
For the Beautiful Sugar Garnish
Melt 1 cup of granulated white sugar in a sauce pan with 4 Tablespoons of water at medium heat, not stirring until sugar has dissolved and slightly turned into a golden brown caramel color. 
Place foil paper over a baking sheet and spray it slightly with some cooking spray. With a spoon drizzle caramel sugar over foil paper and let your imagination fly to create sugar crystal shapes of your choice.
Let them set and dry completely to easily be able to peel off . 
Time to show your ART creation and decorate your beautiful New or any time of the Year cake.
Celebrate Health and Good Times.. Good bye 2020, and Happy New Year 2021!
Anita’s Delightfull Anise Cookies (LEBANESE KAAK BE-YANSOON)
Ingredients
3 cups of All-purpose unbleached flour
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon orange blossom water
2 Tablespoons freshly ground anise seed
1 Tablespoon whole anise seeds
1/3 cup fine semolina
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 grades Fahrenheit.
- Use a small saucepan and slightly warm up the milk. Remove from heat and add yeast and 2 Tablespoon of the sugar. Stir to dessolve and set aside for the yeast to bloom.
- Over a large bowl sift together flour, semolina, rest of sugar. Add ground and whole anise seeds. Incorporate yeast previously dissolved in the milk. Add orange blossom water.
- Mix with your hands and incorporate extra virgin olive oil until dough is all well combined and soft. It might be a little sticky but this is the consistency to look for. Let dough rest for about 15 minutes.
- Using your hands shape the dough into a 10 to 12 inches long rope over a plastic cutting board surface. Then, cut each rope into 3 to 4 inches length of cookie dough at a time. It could be smaller depends on how big you want your anise cookie to be.
- Bring both ends together . Press and pinch dough to form the ring.
- Repeat process with remaining dough. You can also use your imagination on creating shapes or use a cookie cutter.
- Gently remove cookie rings from cutting board and place over baking sheets. Brush top with egg wash (whisk 1 egg+ 1 teaspoon milk )
- Bake in the middle rack of oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool cookies over a wire rack.
- Store into a cookie tin or airtight container up to three weeks.
- Enjoy next to a warm cup of tea and get cozy!
Anita’s Favorite Caramel Pineapple Upside Down Bundt Cake
Ingredients
For the Caramel:
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 (20 ounces can) pineapple slices cut in halves, drained
(do not discard juices)
Maraschino cherries, optional
For the Cake:
2 cups of cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup of Heavy cream, room temperature
1/4 cup can pineapple juice syrup
4 large eggs, room temperature
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 grades Fahrenheit. Grease a bund cake pan with baking butter spray.
- Use a small saucepan and melt 1/2 a cup of butter over medium heat . Incorporate the cup of light brown sugar and keep whisking until mixture bubble up and caramel slightly thickens. Remove from heat and very carefully pour into prepared greased pan.
- Cut slices of pineapple in half and locate them facing up over light caramel. Place the Maraschino cherries in between pineapples slices. (I found this personal way of placing the pineapples, better for the serving and cutting so each guest will get a complete slice of pineapple). Set aside.
Preparation for the Cake Batter: - Whisk in a large bowl by hand or using an electric mixer, softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy.
- Add eggs one at a time and beat until pale. Stir in vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients: cake flour mixed with baking powder alternately with heavy cream and pineapple juice. Beat slowly until well combined.
- Pour creamy batter over caramel-pineapple in Bundt cake pan.
- Bake for about 50 to 55 minutes or until top of the cake is golden brown or toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean.
- Remove from oven. Let cake cool in pan for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Turn the cake out into a platter.
Let it cool completely before serving. Enjoy!
Anita’s Delicious Maple Glazed Apple Bundt Cake
Ingredients
3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup Plain Yogurt, room temperature
1 cup Vegetable oil
2 Tablespoon unsalted butter
2 large apples peeled and diced
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1/4 teaspoon turmeric, ground
1/2 teaspoon allspice, ground
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preparation
- Preheat oven at 350 grades Fahrenheit. Prepare and grease with nonstick spray or butter and flour a 9 to 10 inch Bundt cake pan. Set aside.
- Use a skillet and at medium heat melt a tablespoon of butter. Add diced apples. When apples release their juices, add 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar. Cook until apples are slightly tender. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Whisk together in a large bowl, cake flour, cinnamon, allspice, baking powder, baking soda, turmeric, and salt. Set aside.
4. Use another bowl and whisk together eggs, light brown sugar, granulated sugar till yellow pale. Add vegetable oil, plain yogurt, and combine all ingredients well. Incorporate this mixture into the flour mix ingredients and whisk well until batter is creamy and smooth.
5. Fold in the cooked apples drained from juices. Pour batter into greased Bundt cake pan. Bake cake for about 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and let it cool completely before applying glaze. Meanwhile prepare The Maple Glaze: Use a sauce pan over medium heat and add 1/2 cup of Organic Maple Syrup with two tablespoon of salted butter. Add 1/4 cup of heavy cream. Stirring consistently and bring it to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in 1/2 teaspoon of rum extract. Mix and incorporate slowly 1 to 2 cups of powder sugar. Whisk well until smooth and add 5 to 6 drops of Orange color food coloring. Mix to incorporate color very well. When cake is completely cool drizzle maple glaze on top and let it set for 10 minutes, and apply over a second coat of icing if you like. Enjoy!
Anita’s Most Delicious and Simple Homemade Baklava
Baklava Filling:
16 ounces pack Phyllo Dough, thawed
1 1/2 cup walnuts, grinded coarse
1 1/2 cup pistachios, finely grinded
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
Hint of cloves, ground (optional)
1 cup melted butter, unsalted
2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of Rose Water (recipe on my site or store bought)
1 teaspoon of Orange Blossom Water
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 375 grades Fahrenheit.
- Using a food processor pulse and grind all nuts, separately.
- Incorporate cinnamon, sugar, rose water and orange blossom into the combined nuts. Mix and place aside into a bowl.
Assembling Baklava:
1. Place one sheet of thawed Phyllo Dough on the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking pan, and brush it lightly with the melted butter. You can trim the dough a little bit to fit in your baking pan.
2. Repeat the process by placing 5 more Phyllo dough sheets on top of another brushing lightly each one with melted butter.
3. Spread 1 cup of the nuts mix over in a single layer.
4. Add another 4 layers of Phyllo dough brushing each one with melted butter .
5. Spread another one cup of nuts mix over the top. Repeat process with another 4 layers of phyllo dough brushed with melted butter, last cup of nut mix over the top. Another 6 layers of phyllo dough. So you will have approximate in total used 20 sheets of phyllo dough with 3 layers of nuts filling in between. (You can add more layers if you want). I prefer a Baklava piece not too thick.
6. Using a very sharp knife, cut baklava before baking into equal size squares.
7. Brush top with the remaining of the melted butter.
8. Bake Baklava for about 35 to 40 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Meanwhile prepare The Syrup: Use a saucepan and incorporate 2 cups of sugar dissolved into 1 cup of water. At medium heat stirring occasionally let it simmer and add the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Lower the heat and keep stirring for about 10 minutes until syrup thickened. Add 1 Tablespoon of Orange Blossom water. Remove from heat.
9. Remove Baklava from oven and while is hot pour warm syrup(Atur) over the top. 
Garnish top of your delicious Baklava with some coarsely grind pistachios.
Enjoy!
Note: Let the Baklava absorbed the syrup and will be ready to serve when completely cool after 2 to 3 hours. Baklava can be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container for 2 to 3 weeks.
Anita’s Easy Napoleon Pastry
Ingredients
1 (17.5 ounces) package puff pastry thawed (if frozen)
2 Tablespoon of corn syrup or granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups of whole milk
1/2 cup of heavy cream
3 extra large egg yolks
1 teaspoon of vanilla or vanilla bean
4 Tablespoon sugar
3 Tablespoon of corn starch
powder sugar to dust
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375 grades Fahrenheit.
- Line a baking sheet with a silicon sheet or parchment paper.
- Cut the sheet of puff pastry in 3 equal rectangular pieces.
- Place cut rectangular pieces on your prepared baking sheet. Prick dough with a fork lightly. Sprinkle with granulated sugar or brush with corn syrup. Cover cut pieces with another parchment paper on top and place another baking sheet on top to avoid over puffing.
- Bake for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and bake with no sheet on top for another 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and place pastry sheets over a rack to cool completely. Set aside.
- Prepare Pastry Cream: Heat the milk in a saucepan until just started to boil. Remove from heat and set aside. Mix sugar, egg yolks and corn starch in a large bowl. Add 3/4 of the hot milk slowly to this mix and whisk constantly. Pour over left milk in the sauce pan and heat at low until thickened. Remove from heat and place a plastic wrap directly on the surface of cream. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Assemble: Take one sheet of puff pastry and spread cool pastry cream over the top. Place another layer of puff pastry on top of filling. Add more cream and add last top of puff pastry. Refrigerate and sprinkle powder sugar over the top or make a simple glaze of 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 2 cups powder sugar with a drizzle of a chocolate using cocoa powder and powder sugar. Enjoy! 🙂
Note: Enjoy with Raspberries too 🙂
Anita’s Red Velvet Cake with Creamy Frosting
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups cake flour
4 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup sweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cup semi-sweet baking chocolate chips
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
red food coloring, gel
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 grades Fahrenheit.
- Prepare two 9 inch-cake pans grease with baking spray. Place cut round parchment paper to fit on bottom of the pans and coat again with nonstick spray. Set baking pans aside.
- Using a large bowl, whisk together cake flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment add the oil, eggs, vinegar, vanilla extract, and yogurt. Mix on medium speed until combined. Incorporate sugar and mix well.
- Turn mixer to low and add in the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda . Beat all ingredients until batter is creamy but still light. Do not over beat, avoiding cake to become dense.
- Add few drops of red food coloring to reach color desired. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and fold in gently the chocolate chips using a spatula.
- Divide batter equally into the two prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until tops are firm but still soft, as it will continue to harden in pan.
- Remove cakes from oven and let it cool in pan for 15 minutes before inverting in a rack to cool completely.
Mascarpone Cream Frosting
- Using a hand mixer or a whisker beat 16 ounces of room temperature mascarpone cheese with 3/4 cup of room temperature sweet butter until creamy and smooth.
- Add 4 to 5 cups of confectioner sugar slowly. Add 2 tablespoon of heavy cream and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Cream together till all ingredients are well incorporated. If frosting is too thin add more confectioner sugar. Set aside.
Assembling and Frosting the Cake
1. Use a serrated knife and slice thin layer of top of the cakes to have a flatten surface. 
You may crumble that piece of cake removed and set aside for décor later.
2. Place one cake layer on the cake platter. Spread creamy frosting over the top.
Top with second layer of cake. 
3. Spread left creamy frosting over the top of the cake. Use your leftover cake crumbles to decorate on top of frosting. Enjoy!
Anita’s Fresh Lemon-Blueberry Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
2 1/3 cups of cake flour
1/3 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
1/2 cup plain yogurt, room temperature
3/4 cup olive oil
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup fresh blackberries
4 or five small lemons, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoon light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoon of lemon zest
1 Tablespoon of Rose Water or orange blossom(can also use lemon extract if preferred)
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 grades Fahrenheit. Spray your 14 inches square pan with baking spray. Sprinkle over with brown sugar and lay slices of lemons overlapping on top of sugar. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs and olive oil until yellow pale. Add plain yogurt, milk , rose water and lemon zest. Whisk in sugar until well combined.
3. Incorporate cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat all ingredients and fold in the berries dusted with 1/3 of a cup cake flour so they will float all around the cake without sinking on bottom of your pan. 
4. Pour cake batter into your prepared cake pan.
5. Bake for about 45 to 55 minutes or until golden brown and tooth pick inserted in the middle of cake comes out clean.
6. Cool in pan for about 20 minutes. Invert into a wire rack and let it cool completely for another 20 minutes.
7. Transfer with care into a cake platter. Enjoy!
Anita’s Super Moist Yogurt Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
2 cups cake flour or All-purpose, sifted
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup plain yogurt, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup salted butter, room temperature
1 Tablespoon of instant coffee
1 teaspoon hazelnut or coffee liquor
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 grades Fahrenheit. Grease a 9-inch spring-form pan with baking spray. Set aside.
- Use a medium saucepan and combine butter, milk, espresso powder, cocoa powder. Heat at medium-low heat stir occasionally until melted. Set aside.
- Sift together flour, sugar, and baking powder into a large bowl. Add into this flour mixture the melted chocolate-butter mix from step 2, and beat for 2 minutes until well combined. Add hazelnut or coffee liquor and mix.
- Whisk in eggs and yogurt until very smooth.
- Pour your chocolate batter into your greased spring-form pan.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle of cake comes out clean.
- Let cake cool in pan for about 20 minutes. Invert into a rack.
Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Sift 1 cup of cocoa powder and 4-5 cups of confectioner’s sugar into a large bowl. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer, cream together 2 1/2 sticks of melted butter and add sifted cocoa powder and confectioner’s sugar in low speed for about 2 minutes. Mix until creamy and well combined.
- Add 1 to tablespoons of heavy cream and 1 teaspoon of coffee liquor(vanilla extract is ok too). Beat in high for another minute or using a whisker.
- Frost your chocolate delicious cake when completely cool.
5. Enjoy this piece of super moist chocolaty heaven!
