Christmas Cinnamon Squares

 Dough

1/4 cup warm water (105° to 115°F)

Two 1/4-ounce packets active dry yeast

2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups milk, warmed

8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted and cooled, plus softened butter for the dough and pans

2 large eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon kosher salt

6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

Filling

2 cups pecan halves

1/2 pound (2 sticks) salted butter, cut into pieces and chilled

2 cups packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Glaze

2T melted butter

1 c powdered sugar

1/4 c milk (ish)

In a large bowl, stir together the water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let stand until foamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the remaining sugar, milk, butter, eggs, and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until well blended. Add the flour and stir until the dough comes together. Rub softened butter on top of the dough and around the bowl. Cover and let stand in a warm spot for 1 hour.

Using a food processor, combine the pecans, butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and process until the mixture is well blended and paste-like.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Punch down the dough and place it on a floured surface. Roll it out into a 16 x 24-inch rectangle.

Spoon two-thirds of the filling mixture over the dough. Spread it to cover the dough to the edges. Starting on a short side, fold the sheet of dough in half, pressing the two short sides together to make sure they stick together and to flatten it slightly (you’ll have a roughly 14 x 16-inch rectangle).

Spoon the remaining filling on top of the dough and spread it to cover the dough. Starting at a short side, fold the dough in half, bringing the two short sides together to cover the filling. Use your hands to flatten the rectangle into approximately 12 x 18-inches.

Place the rectangle onto the baking sheet and cut the dough into 24 3-inch squares. Optional - Brush the tops of the squares with beaten egg.

Bake until lightly golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Combine butter powdered sugar and a little milk. and drizzle over slightly warm squares. 

Chokeberry "Sloe" Gin Fizz

2 oz chokeberry infused gin

1 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 oz simple syrup

Shake with ice

Pour into glasses and add ice

Add about 3 oz of sparkling water

White Velvet Layer Cake with Strawberry-Raspberry Mascarpone Buttercream

 For the Cake

2 1/2 cups (280 grams) sifted White Lily® Self-Rising Flour

2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick/113 grams) butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup (48 grams) shortening

1/4 cup (56 grams) coconut oil, or favorite vegetable oil

1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature

3/4 cup (180 grams) egg whites (about 6), at room temperature

2 teaspoons (10 ml) almond extract

1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract

 

For the Frosting

1 to 1 1/2 recipes Strawberry-Raspberry Mascarpone Buttercream (if making a rosette cake)

 

Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper circles.

 

Using an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix self-rising flour and sugar on low speed (stir) until well combined and aerated, about 1 minute. Add butter, shortening and oil and mix on slow speed until thoroughly combined. Mixture will be very thick.

 

In a 2-cup glass liquid measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk, egg whites and extracts using a fork until well blended. Slowly add half of the liquid mixture to the batter and mix on low speed. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides of bowl as necessary with rubber spatula, about 2 minutes. Add remaining liquid mixture and beat just until smooth and thoroughly combined, again scraping down the sides of bowl as necessary, about 1 minute.

 

Pour batter into prepared pans dividing evenly (a little over 2 cups of batter per cake pan). Smooth tops evenly with rubber spatula and then rap each pan on counter surface 2 to 3 times to expel any air bubbles. This step will create a nice level cake.

 

Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes.

 

Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely. Wrap each cake layer tightly in plastic food wrap and keep at room temperature until ready to fill and frost.

 

For the Frosting:

2 cup butter, softened, unsalted

4 oz mascarpone cheese chilled

6 tbsp Strawberry-Raspberry Sauce (below)

2 tsp pure vanilla extract, optional

4 to 4-1/2 cup powdered sugar

Pink food coloring, optional

 

Beat butter on medium speed using an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment until creamy.

Add mascarpone cheese, Strawberry-Raspberry Sauce and vanilla.  Beat until fully incorporated.  Gradually increase mixer speed to high and continue beating until light and fluffy.  Scrap down the sides of bowl as necessary with rubber spatula.  Gradually add powdered sugar until well combined, beating on low-speed.

Beat on high-speed about 2 min until well combined and smooth.  Tint buttercream with pink food coloring if desired.

 

Strawberry-Raspberry Sauce

8 oz raspberries, red, fresh

8 oz strawberries, hulled, fresh

1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

 

Puree the berries using a food processor.

Press berry puree through a fine mesh sieve into medium saucepan.  Discard the seeds.  Stir in lemon juice.

 

Bring fruit pulp and juices to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium.  Cook for 5 min while skimming foam from sides of saucepan using a slotted spoon, stirring frequently.

 

Original Recipe Source: WickedGoodKitchen.com