Something Sweet on Sunday/An Orange Cake to Die For

Back before Christmas, I received the weekly email from Kevin Lee Jacobs. That particular week, he showcased a boiled orange cake that uses the entire orange. Yes, the peel and all!!! I was intrigued! As it turns out, the basic recipe is quite old. He changed up the original recipe a bit by using almond flour, so it's gluten free.

Begin by boiling 2 oranges for at least an hour. Boiling them for a little longer really helps to reduce the bitterness of the orange  peel. Once boiled, just quarter them and then place them in a food processor and puree. 

As usual, I can't leave well enough alone. After I made the first cake, I decided to dress it up a bit with a slivered almond crust. Once the pan has been buttered and floured, sprinkle on a layer of slivered almonds.

I did add 1 other ingredient, and that was 1/2 cup of  shredded coconut. Love it!!!

Cook the cake as directed, place it on a serving plate, and dust with powdered sugar. As you can see, I was quite generous with the powdered sugar. 

The cake is moist, sweet, tangy, and most of all...DELICIOUS! I served the first cake that I made at a dinner party with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Everyone loved it. The second cake was not only eaten as a dessert, but for breakfast too! Why not? ;) 

You can find the recipe HERE. 

It's a cake that can be frozen and served at a later date. I have 6 oranges in the refrigerator that I have already boiled. Such a great way to use up oranges before they go bad. 

Enjoy!
I know you will!!!
 Rhonda

A Little Something Sweet On Sunday/Easy Apple Tart

After a little absence, I'm back with something sweet and so, so easy to make. If you are in need of an easy dessert that will still impress, this apple tart is a must!  

Easy Apple Tart

1 Sheet puff pastry

3 Granny Smith Apples peeled and sliced

1 12 1/2 oz. can Almond Cake and Pastry Filling

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar

3 Tablespoons butter melted

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Begin with 3 large Granny Smith apples. Peel and slice. Set aside.

Roll out 1 sheet of puff pastry to fit a 9" x 13" baking sheet. Make sure that the edges overlap the edge of the baking sheet. Lightly grease pan before laying out pastry.

Take 1 can of almond cake and pastry filling and spread evenly over puff pastry.

Arrange sliced apples over almond filling.

Sprinkle cinnamon over apples.

Sprinkle sugar and slivered almonds over apples and cinnamon.

Crimp edges of the puff pastry inside the baking sheet. This is a rustic tart, so the edges don't need to be perfect.
Brush melted butter over apples and the edges of the puff pastry.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake tart for 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the almond filling is bubbling between apples. 

This will yield 8 slices.
Serve as is, or if you like, serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. I like it just as it is :) 
Enjoy!
Rhonda

Sunday Brunch

So sorry about missing in action the last few days.One of our former exchange students arrived yesterday from Italy. What a joy it is to have him with us for a few days. Needless to say, I had a lot to do to prepare for his visit, like clean my house!!! So something had to give and sadly, it was the blog.
Like any good mom, when you have a returning child, the kitchen is a busy place, preparing foods that you know they will enjoy. I actually made this recipe for the first time on Mother's Day. I found it in the March issue of Country Living magazine.

They had an article devoted to a Mother's Day brunch. Everything looked wonderful, especially this picture of  Almond Cinnamon Buns.

 Even better, the ingredients were easy, like store bought crescent rolls,

 almonds, almond paste, cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, yum!

Here's the recipe;
Almond Cinnamon Buns
1 cup slivered almonds, finely chopped
4 ounces almond paste finely mashed
6 tablespoons light-brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 (8-ounce) packages unbaked crescent rolls
1 stick butter, at room temperature
Cooking spray
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon whole milk

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In  a medium bowl, stir almonds, almond paste, brown sugar, and cinnamon to combine. Set aside.
2. Working on a sheet of parchment paper(I used waxed paper), unroll 1 package of crescent roll dough to a rectangle and smooth seams. Evenly spread half the butter over dough and then sprinkle half the almond mixture. Beginning on one long side, tightly roll up dough. Slice into 6 pieces. Repeat with remaining dough, butter and almond mixture.
3. Spray 2, 6-cavity muffin tins with cooking spray. Place buns in each cavity and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
4. Remove pans from oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Transfer buns to a wire rack, drizzle with icing, and serve immediately.  

**I made a few changes to the recipe.
1.I did not use anywhere near the amount of butter that the recipe calls for. I just spread enough butter over the dough to cover it.
2. I cut each crescent roll into 12 pieces rather than 6.
3. I did not add the icing and I did not miss it.
4. I did not use the cooking spray. I put a muffin wrappers in each cavity. I'm lazy and would rather not spend a ton of time scrubbing out each cavity!!!

 My buns ;) YUM!!!

I only made up one package of crescent rolls and I froze the remainder of the almond mixture for another time. The buns are obviously great for brunch, but they make a nice afternoon treat and will accompany a summer lunch time salad beautifully as well.
I found the almond paste in the baking aisle of my grocery store. If I remember correctly, it was a little less than $5.00 for the can. The can will make enough for 4 packages of crescent rolls, so less than $2.00 per can of crescent rolls.
If you like the taste of almonds, I think you'll love these buns. I know I do!