BASIC VANILLA CAKE

It is tempting to use cake mixes. From-mix cakes turn out moist while from-scratch ones often do not. However, once one studies the ingredient list on a cake-mix box, one may vow to never go there again. That's what I did and thus began my search for tried-and-true basic vanilla and basic chocolate cake recipes. I have made this recipe only as cupcakes, but they were tasty.

Basic  Vanilla  Cake

Serves 12

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup butter at room temperature

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs at room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

½ cup water at room temperature

¾ cup heavy cream at room temperature

1. Butter two 9-inch-diameter, round cake pans, and line the bottoms with parchment or waxed paper cut to fit bottoms of pans. Butter papers, and then dust pans with flour, tapping out excess.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in medium-sized bowl until combined.

3. Beat butter in large bowl, using stand-mixer on medium-high speed.

4. Gradually add sugar, and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

5. Reduce mixer speed to medium. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed.

6. Beat in vanilla. The mixture may look separated at this point.

7. Mix water with cream in measuring cup intended for liquids.

8. Stir flour mixture into creamed mixture in three batches, alternating with half of cream-water mixture. Do not over-stir.

9. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake in 350°F. oven until cakes are lightly golden on top and centers spring back when lightly pressed, about 25 minutes. If anything, undercook slightly, since cakes will continue to cook in hot pans. Cupcakes will need 10 to 12 minutes.

10. Transfer pans to racks, and let cakes cool 10 minutes. Then run knife around the edges of pans, and turn cakes onto racks to cool cakes completely. Remove paper from cakes’ bottoms. You may trim tops of cakes with long serrated knife to make them level before frosting.

Recipe from Food Network Kitchen

FAITH DURAND'S BEST CUT-OUT SUGAR COOKIES

Too many sugar cookies look nice but don't have much to recommend them as a dessert. This recipe makes a delicious cookie, and, another plus, the dough is easy to handle, important for a rolled cookie.

Any holiday is an excuse for making sugar cookies ... if you need an excuse. Older children can make and bake the dough. Nearly any child can decorate them.

Faith Durand's  Best  Cut-Out  Sugar  Cookies

2 to 3 dozen

1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature for 1 hour

2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest, optional

1  1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups flour

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese.

2. Beat in granulated sugar. Beat for several minutes or until light-colored and fluffy.

3. Beat in egg, vanilla and almond extracts, and, if using, orange or lemon zest.

4. Beat in baking powder and salt.

5. Gradually add flour until fully incorporated and soft dough is formed.

6. Divide dough in half and wrap flattened balls of dough in plastic wrap. To freeze plastic-wrapped dough, put in freezer bag and freeze up to 1 month. To thaw, leave in refrigerator overnight and then proceed with recipe. If not freezing dough, chill at least 1 hour or as long as overnight.

7. Let chilled dough sit for about 15 minutes at room temperature. Cut cookies out of dough rolled to 1/8" to 1/4" thick and place on ungreased baking sheets about 1" apart. Cookies will rise when baked.

8. Bake in 350°F. oven for about 8 minutes, depending on thickness. Let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove to wire rack.

9. Cool completely before icing or decorating, and store in tightly covered container.

NOTE: The dough handles beautifully. The cookies are quite sturdy after baking. They are delicious without the zest. 

Sugar Cookie Decorating Ideas

•    Ice with a sugar glaze; then sandwich with Nutella between two cookies.

•    Glaze with warmed jelly; then sandwich with another cut-out cookie on top. (Valentines' Day hearts)

•    Drizzle with melted chocolate.

•    Ice with royal icing and stick on candy dots for decoration.

•    Use a glaze made from sifted confectioners' sugar and milk. Paint it on with a pastry brush. It's easier than spreading a buttercream frosting and will not cause the cookies to get as soft. These cookies don't need softening.

EASY LEMON or LIME PIE

This is an easy pie in the Key-lime-pie tradition. Even young kids could make it under a small amount of supervision.

To get the maximum from your citrus, poke it with a fork and then microwave it until just warm before juicing it. Using orange juice probably would make too sweet a pie. On the other hand, some will think that the lemon version is too tart.

Easy  Lemon  or  Lime  Pie

Serves 8

36 vanilla wafer cookies (about 5 ounces)

1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon grated lemon or lime peel

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

¾ cup fresh lemon or lime juice

Dash of salt

2 large eggs

Yellow or green food coloring

Whipping cream

Powdered sugar

1. Finely grind vanilla wafers in food processor.

2. Add 1 teaspoon lemon peel and pulse a few times. Then carefully pour in melted butter while processor is running. Run just until moist crumbs form.

3. Open processor and make sure that butter has reached all crumbs. Press crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of ungreased, shallow, 9-inch, glass pie dish, using plastic wrap as aid. Crust will be thin.

4. Bake crust in 350°F. oven just until crust begins to turn golden on edges, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, maintaining oven temperature.

5. While crust is baking, prepare filling by whisking together sweetened condensed milk, lemon or lime juice, 1 tablespoon lemon or lime peel, and dash of salt in small bowl.

6. Whisk in eggs, one at a time.

7. Judicially add yellow or green food coloring to subtly color filling.

8. Pour filling into warm crust and bake in 350°F. oven until filling is set, about 20 minutes. Cool pie at room temperature.

9. Refrigerate pie until chilled, about 3 hours. Then cover carefully with foil and continue to refrigerate until ready to serve.

10. Immediately before serving, whip cream, adding small amount of sugar to sweeten. Serve each wedge of pie with a dollop of whipped cream on top or to the side. Or whipped cream can be piped onto pie slices or entire pie.

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Few ingredients, few instructions—what could be easier? Rolling the truffles between your palms is a messy, but not difficult, process, yielding delicious results. Children may enjoy helping, and, if you're going to make a mess, you may want to double the recipe. Use good-quality chocolate, stocking up when it goes on sale. Then make these and enjoy an easy, elegant dessert.

Chocolate  Truffles

Makes 15

1/3 cup heavy cream

6 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped

2 tablespoons butter, very soft

Cocoa powder, sifted

1. Bring the cream to a boil.

2. Pour boiling cream over chocolate placed in small bowl.

3. Wait 1 minute. Then whisk until the mixture is smooth and shiny.

4. Add very soft butter and whisk to blend completely. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm.

5. Scoop out using small ice-cream scoops, making level, not rounded, scoops.

6. Roll each scoop between your palms to form balls. If chocolate is too hard to shape, leave it at room temperature for 20 minutes. If chocolate is too soft, return to refrigerator.

7. Roll the truffles in a small bowl of sifted cocoa powder. Then toss from hand to hand to shake off the excess cocoa powder.

8. Place truffles in small fluted paper or foil cups, cover, and refrigerator until ready to serve. They may be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.