Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove Cookbook (22 page)

1.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch spring form pan.

2.
In a medium bowl, toss apple slices with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and cinnamon. Spread in prepared pan.

3.
Melt butter in microwave. In a medium bowl, stir butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar and eggs until blended. Fold in flour and salt.

4.
Spoon batter evenly over apples in pan. Arrange date slices in a circle in the center. Bake 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Run a knife around edges to release from pan. Release pan sides. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

TIP

Refrigerate fresh dates in a plastic bag for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to a year.

1.
For crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Pulse cookies in food processor until finely chopped. Add melted butter; pulse until fine crumbs form. Press crumbs into a 9-inch pie dish. Bake 8 minutes, until firm. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

2.
For mousse: Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring whole milk to a simmer in a saucepan over low heat. Pour hot milk over chocolate; whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Cool to room temperature.

3.
In a large bowl, beat cream with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

4.
For caramel: Combine sugar and ¼ cup water in a heavy medium-sized saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high; boil without stirring about 8 minutes, until mixture is deep amber and a candy thermometer inserted in mixture reaches 350°F. Pick up the pan and swirl the mixture occasionally, but do not stir. Remove from heat; carefully add cream (mixture will bubble). Stir in the 4 tablespoons butter and salt until caramel is smooth. Pour into a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Cool 10 minutes. Pour warm caramel into crust. Refrigerate until completely cool, about 45 minutes.

5.
Spoon chocolate mousse over top of caramel. Using a pastry bag or small spoon, drizzle melted chocolate in stripes over tart. Store in refrigerator; let sit at room temperature at least 20 minutes before serving.

TIP

You must use a candy thermometer when making caramel. Once the temperature reaches 350°F, immediately remove the pan from the heat and add the cream and butter to thin the caramel.

1.
Sift flour and salt into a bowl. In a separate large bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat until blended. Add vanilla. Slowly beat in dry ingredients and pecans until combined. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.

2.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Form dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 15 minutes, until just firm to touch. Transfer to wire rack; cool 5 minutes. Roll warm cookies in confectioners’ sugar. Cool completely. Roll cooled cookies in confectioners’ sugar again. Store in airtight container.

TIP

Keep an eye on the cookies in the oven since they don’t really change color as they bake.

Cookies are done when they feel firm to the touch.

1.
Preheat oven to 325°F; set oven rack to lower-middle position. Butter a large Bundt pan and lightly dust with flour.

2.
For batter: In a large bowl, whisk sugar, flour, baking powder and salt until combined. Whisk in two whole eggs, five egg yolks (reserve whites), orange zest and juice, oil and vanilla until batter is just smooth.

3.
In a large bowl with electric mixer on high speed, beat reserved egg whites about 1 minute, until foamy. Add cream of tartar, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until thick and stiff, almost dry. (Depending on the mixer used, this will take from 5 to 10 minutes.) With large rubber spatula, fold whites into batter until completely blended.

4.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 55 to 60 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack; let cool at least 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan; turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.

5.
For glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk butter, orange juice, and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Let glaze stand 2 minutes to set. Slowly drizzle glaze over cake, letting excess slide down sides. If glaze is too thick, stir in additional 1 tablespoon orange juice. Let cake stand until glaze dries, about 30 minutes.

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For a completely smooth glaze, be sure to sift the confectioner’s sugar.

1.
Combine all ingredients in a microwave-safe medium bowl and place in microwave. Heat for 1 minute; stir. Heat for another minute; stir. Heat for 30 seconds; stir. Chocolate should be almost melted. Remove from microwave; continue stirring until completely melted and smooth.

2.
Pour into a glass jar or several small jars. Store in the refrigerator.

TIP

Store the sauce, tightly sealed, in the refrigerator, where it will keep for months.