Thursday, September 8, 2011

Apple Picking Cookies


In honor of apple picking time, I made these cookies for my church Activity Days girls and for my daughter's new teacher and of course I made some to share with my Food Critics (my family).  I just took a bite of a frozen one --- yum!  I love homemade frozen sugar cookies.



This is the last night for my Girard salad dressing giveaway -- a 4 pack of these premium dressings.  I had some Old Venice Italian for lunch -- it is one of my favorites.  Click HERE for the giveaway.

Click HERE for the sugar cookie recipe, Royal Icing recipe, and marbling technique.     I still have a lot to learn about Royal icing, but I really enjoy the creative part of decorating cookies -- it is relaxing to me.

Thanks for dropping by Red Couch Recipes.


Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Apple Picking Time Tablescape


Welcome to Tablescape Thursday and to Red Couch Recipes where we celebrate the beautiful color of red apples and green apples.  Yes, it is Apple picking time again:  is a little bit late here in Utah as June and part of July were unseasonably cold.  I relish this time of year -- how about you? 

If you would like, my 4-Pack of Girard Dressing giveaway is still open.  Click HERE to enter.



The tablesetting is simple.  Just some very versatile apple red plates along with my apple green salad plates and hob nail apple red bowls -- don't you just love hob nail?


These are A-Kane apples and they taste like biting into apple cider.  My father had an orchard and acquired an apple cider press.  Those were the days when he would be pressing fresh apples from the orchard!  The farmer sells them right on his front porch.  It is about 1-1/2 hours from where I currently live and just around the corner from my brother's home.  Yes, Fritz we did stop but you were off playing.  Every year we make the trip back to buy some apples from him.



A view of the Mums.


Of course I brought you some sweets -- some marbled-apple cookies.  I made these for my church Activity Day girls and for my daughter's teacher for "Back to School" night.


Apple Picking Time Tablescape Information
Placemats, Apple Red Dinner Plates, and Flatware:  Wal-Mart
Green Apple Salad Plate:  Smith's Grocery Store
Apple Red Hob Nail Bowl:  Michael's Arts and Crafts
Apple Red Goblets:  Costco
Red Plaid Napkins:  K-Mart
Napkin Rings:  Style Sisters



Grab a cookie before you go and thanks for dropping by Red Couch Recipes.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake



Seriously, when you add buttermilk to any dessert recipe, I am in!  This recipe,  inspired by a Gourmet 2009 magazine, didn't disappoint.  I found a sale on raspberries recently and bought 24 clam shells.  After making 3 batches of jam, eating them, and using them in my Buttermilk Pie Recipe, I scoured the Internet for a cake recipe.  When I saw the word buttermilk in this recipe, I knew it was the recipe for me.

Also click here to enter my giveaway for a 4 pack of Girard Dressing; the dressing really is delicious!




Like everyone else, I love cake and desserts in little individual pots -- they just taste better that way, don't you think?  I used 5 small ramekins from Pier 1.  I don't know what size these ramekins are considered so I measured the fluid capacity, in case you are interested in making individual cakes.  The ramekins hold to the indentation 1/2 cup, to the rim they almost, not quite, hold 1 cup.  This cake makes 6 servings, you may want to use six ramekins, but I loved how the cake spilled over the top of the ramekins when I used five.  You could also use other berries, peaches, etc.

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake Recipe

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup fresh raspberries -- about 1 clam shell.

1.  Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or 6 ramekins. 

2.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3.  Beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar (reserve 1-1/2 tablespoon sugar to sprinkle on top of cake batter before baking) with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then beat in vanilla. Add egg and beat well.

4.  At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined.

5.  Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar.  I used about 6 raspberries for each little ramekin. 

Waiting to be baked.


6.  Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate.  I baked the ramekins for about 23 minutes.  I left the cake in the ramekins for serving. 


Thanks for stopping by Red Couch Recipes.


Engageya