Red Velvet-Raspberry Tiramisù Trifle

• 1 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 1/4 cup black raspberry liqueur
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 
• 2 (8-oz.) containers mascarpone cheese
• 2 cups heavy cream 
• 1/3 cup sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• Red Velvet Madeleines, without powdered sugar** see below
• 3 (6-oz.) containers fresh raspberries 

Preparation

1. 1. Whisk together first 3 ingredients in a small bowl.
2. 2. Stir together mascarpone cheese in a large bowl.
3. 3. Beat heavy cream at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy; gradually add sugar and vanilla, beating until soft peaks form. Stir one-fourth of whipped cream into mascarpone using a rubber spatula; fold in remaining whipped cream.
4. 4. Arrange one-third of Red Velvet Madeleines in a 3-qt. trifle dish; drizzle with one-third of jam mixture, top with 1 container of raspberries, and dollop with one-third of mascarpone mixture. Repeat layers twice. Cover and chill 4 to 24 hours before serving.

**Red Madeleines

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 3 large eggs 
• 2 egg yolks 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 3/4 cup butter, melted 
• 2 tablespoons red liquid food coloring
• 1 1/3 cups cake flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Powdered sugar (optional)

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 400°. Beat first 4 ingredients at medium-high speed with an electric mixer 5 minutes or until thick and pale. Add butter and food coloring, beating until blended.
2. 2. Sift together cake flour and next 3 ingredients; fold into egg mixture. Spoon batter into 2 lightly greased shiny madeleine pans, filling three-fourths full (about 1 Tbsp. per madeleine).
3. 3. Bake at 400° for 8 to 10 minutes or until centers of madeleines spring back when lightly touched. Immediately remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 20 minutes). Dust with powdered sugar just before serving, if desired.

Tennessee Jam Cake (Bundt)

CAKE
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, softened
4 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups seedless blackberry jam
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Shortening

CARAMEL FROSTING
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
Garnishes: Fresh mint leaves, blackberries

1. Prepare Cake: Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 30 minutes). Reduce oven temperature to 325°.

2. Beat granulated sugar and 1 cup butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

3. Stir together flour and next 5 ingredients. Stir together buttermilk and baking soda. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Add jam and vanilla, and beat just until blended. Stir in toasted pecans. Grease (with shortening) and flour a 10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan. Pour batter into prepared pan.

4. Bake at 325° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 20 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 2 hours).

5. Prepare Frosting: Bring brown sugar and next 2 ingredients to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly; boil, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth. Gently stir 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture begins to cool and thicken. Immediately pour frosting over cooled cake.

Red Velvet Brownies

1 (4-oz.) bittersweet chocolate baking bar, chopped

3/4 cup butter

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 (1-oz.) bottle red liquid food coloring

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Small-Batch Cream Cheese Frosting

Garnish: white chocolate curls

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.
2. 2. Microwave chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals. Whisk in sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking just until blended after each addition. Gently stir in flour and next 4 ingredients. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
3. 3. Bake at 350° for 44 to 48 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 2 hours).
4. 4. Lift brownies from pan, using foil sides as handles; gently remove foil. Spread Small-Batch Cream Cheese Frosting on top of brownies, and cut into 16 squares. Garnish, if desired.

Note: Line pan with foil by trimming two long foil pieces to a 9-inch width. Fit strips, crossing each other, in the pan.

Pumpkin Pie Muffins

• Cooking spray
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole-grain pastry flour or whole-wheat flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 3 Tbs. unsulfured molasses
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/4 cup English walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, the baking soda, salt and spices.

Whisk together both flours, baking soda, salt & spices.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, molasses, oil and one of the eggs until combined.  Add the other egg,  Whisk away.  Whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla.  Stir (you can keep whisking if you want) the flour mexture in 2 bathes and alternate with buttermilk. Just until combined.  Don't beat this.  If you need something to beat, try your children. 

Pour batter into sprayed muffin pan and sprinkle walnuts on each muffin.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Don't tell anyone these are only 205 calories each or I will kill you.

Roasted Cabbage Slaw with Hazelnuts & Lemon

1/2 head red cabbage
1/2 head Savoy cabbage
Olive oil
1 1/4 cup hazelnuts
1 lemon, juiced, about 3 tablespoons
1 teaspoon honey
Flaky salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 ounce Gruyere cheese, optional
Heat the broiler (top element) of your oven.
Core both cabbage halves. Roughly shred the cabbage, using a sharp knife, a mandoline, or the shredding blade of a food processor. Place in a large bowl and toss, lightly, with olive oil and spread in one thick layer on a big baking sheet.
Broil for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the tips of the cabbage shreds begin to char. Stir thoroughly to turn the cabbage, then broil for an additional 5 minutes. You're not cooking the cabbage completely through — you're trying to add as much color and crispiness to the edges as possible.
Remove the cabbage from the oven and set aside to cool for a few minutes. Turn the oven to bake and down to 350°F. Roughly chop the hazelnuts and spread in a baking dish. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted (watch closely — the size of the hazelnuts, the baking dish, and your oven will all determine the actual roasting time).
Whisk together 1 tablespoon olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon, and the honey.
Toss the semi-cooled and wilted cabbage with the dressing and salt and pepper to taste. Toss with 1 cup of the toasted hazelnuts. Spread on a large platter and garnish with the remaining 1/4 cup of hazelnuts. If desired, also garnish generously with shaved Gruyere cheese. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Vermont Maple Pecan Cake

• 1 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 6 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
• GLAZED PECANS:
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/3 cup pecan halves 
• FROSTING:
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 8 tablespoons butter, softened
• 4  tablespoons maple syrup
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking soda and salt. Combine the buttermilk, butter, syrup and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until combined. Fold in chopped pecans.
• Pour into two 6-in. round baking pans that have been greased and floured.  Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
• In a small saucepan, bring corn syrup to a boil. Cook and stir for 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in pecan halves until coated. Place in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Cool.
• For frosting, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and syrup until smooth. Beat in confectioners' sugar. Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with second layer; frost top and sides of cake. Garnish with glazed pecans. Store in the refrigerator.

Gnocchi with White Beans

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 package (16 ounces) potato gnocchi
• 1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach
• 1 can (15 ounces) white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

• In a large skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add gnocchi; cook and stir for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown. Stir in spinach; cook until spinach is wilted.
• Add the beans, tomatoes and pepper; heat through. Sprinkle with cheeses; cover and remove from the heat. Let stand for 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted. Yield: 6 servings.

** Look for potato gnocchi in the pasta or frozen foods section.