Coconut Rum and Amaretto Liqueur Pound Cakes

During the holidays, I participated in a Secret Santa gift exchange. It was hosted by the magnificent Joy, author of Gourmeted,  Thank you Joy!!!

She sent everyone a “Santa Baby” name and address so we could send something fabulous, whether  it be homemade or bought,  And in true Christmas style, it wasn’t about the money, it was about the thought!

I received my package from the lovely Lindsey who writes the blog Scoop: Adventures in Ice Cream. It’s all about ice cream and she has some good looking scoops that I’ll be trying during the hot days of summer.

She sent me some delicious homemade Cowboy Cookies that didn’t last long in my house. My daughter even said, :You should get the recipe for these mom!” So Lindsey, if you wouldn’t mind? :)

She also sent me some killer candied nuts that had a hint of orange and pepper. They were good right out of hand but I managed to sprinkle some on a salad for a light killer lunch.

And look at this adorable apron! 

Yep!!! She sent me that too.

Thank you Lindsey for being my Secret Santa and for  the wonderful things you sent. I loved them all.

Now!

Who and what did I send my Secret Santa Baby you ask?

My package went to the talented Amy of She Wears Many Hats.

Among with some other things, I sent her a pound cake!

And not just any pound cake!

It was Coconut Rum Soaked Liqueur Pound Cake!

It’s a rich and delicious cake soaked in liqueur. Because they store well unrefrigerated, they make perfect gifts to leave under the tree or to send to friends far and near.

I made  Coconut Rum and Amaretto Pound cakes.

But they would be equally delicious if you used an orange liqueur or hazelnut. You can even make chocolate ones and use a coffee liqueur. So many options!

You could even make them now. Then you could have a few little loaves for Super Bowl and save some for Valentines Day. Trust me, it would be a  a win win situation!

Liqueur Pound Cakes

• 1 1/2 cups butter, at room temp.
• 1 pound powdered sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 3/4 cups cake flour
• Liqueur Syrup (recipe follows)

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter till creamy. Sift powdered sugar, gradually, add to creamed butter beating untill mixture is light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Gradually mix flour into creamed mixture.

Scrape batter into four 3 1/2 x7 inch loaf pans. Smooth top of batter.

Bake at 300 degrees until a wooden toothpick inserted into center comes out clean (about 50 minutes). Let cool in pans on a rack for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of each pan and turn cake out; immediately return cake to pan. With a wooden skewer or a fork, poke 1 inch deep holes all over the top of the cakes. Immediately pour equal amounts of liqueur syrup over each cake. Let cool on rack for about 30 minutes.

Liqueur Syrup

In a 2 to 3 quart pan, combine 2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup corn syrup, and 3/4 cup water. Stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a simmer. Continue heating, without stirring, until mixture comes to a boil. Cover and continue to boil until sugar is dissolved and liquid is clear-about 1 minute. (If you don't cover the pan and if you stir while syrup boils, crunchy sugar crystals will form in the finished cake)

Remove from heat, uncover, and let stand until it’s slightly cooled (about 5 minutes). Stir in 1 1/4 cups rum or almond, hazelnut, or orange flavored liqueur. Use; or let cool, then cover and let stand at room temperature till the next day. Makes 3 1/2 cups.

Chocolate Liqueur Cakes

Follow directions for Liqueur Pound Cake, but decrease powdered sugar to 3 cups. Combine butter and sugar, then add 5 ounces melted semi-sweet chocolate. Cakes will develop a thin crisp top crust as they bake.

Prepare Liqueur Syrup as directed, but decrease water to 1/2 cup and increase rum or liqueur to 1 1/2 cups. Options include almond, hazelnut, orange, coffee, or chocolate flavored liqueurs. As syrup soaks through cake, top crust will soften. 

 

Note: Wrapped and stored in a cool area, they will last for up to 2 weeks. In the refrigerator, up to 1 month, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Martha Monday: Warm Vanilla Apple Cider Recipe

In the Sierra Foot Hills, about an hours drive outside Sacramento, is a place known as Apple Hill. Come here on any Autumn day and you’ll find  about 50 ranchers sharing not only their  many varieties of apples, but apple pie, apple strudel, apple jelly, and apple bread.

You’ll also find pumpkins and crafts,  music and pony rides, wineries, and pure unprocessed apple juice. That’s the kind that would make this Vanilla Cider perfect! Fresh, farm picked, unprocessed apple cider. But I haven’t made it to Apple Hill this year, YET! So I picked up a bottle from the grocery store to make this perfect seasonal treat. Warm Vanilla Cider by Martha Stewart!

I love to make cider in the crockpot too. Perfect for days like Thanksgiving or Christmas, the crockpot keeps it warm all day and it’s ready for drinking when your family and friends are. Or how about having a nice warm drink when you get back from apple picking? The crockpot and this recipe can help!

The Honeyed Walnuts were a great addition to this. I loved the flavor of the sweet from the honey and the salty from the course sea salt. It would also make a perfect sprinkling on top of  a salad, with lets say, apple slices?

Warm Vanilla Cider

By Martha Stewart

Printable Recipe

6 Cups fresh apple cider
2 TBSP packed brown sugar
2 whole nutmeg seeds
1 Vanilla Bean-split and scraped
6 0z Bourbon (optional)
Whipped Cream
Honeyed Walnuts
In a medium saucepan, combine ingredients. Gently simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and discard solids. Divide among 6 heatproof glasses and top with with a dollop of whipped cream and a few honey walnuts.

Honeyed Walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine 1 cup walnuts with 3 TBSP honey and a pinch of course sea salt in a bowl. Toss to coat and spread on a parchment lined baking tray. Bake tossing occasionally until toasted, about 15 minutes Let cool.

Makes 6 cup.
Time: 15 minutes.

Chocolate and Vanilla

First for the chocolate! I was one of the lucky recipients of Amano Chocolate from Blake Makes. I received three bars in the mail and tucked them away for the perfect time. I wanted to do a chocolate tasting. Since I received different bars, I wanted to know the difference. First we checked out the Amano site and found a Chocolate Tasting Guide.

Opening our bars, we felt a little like we had just won a Willy Wonka Contest. The chocolate was wrapped in a beautiful gold foil. It looked decadent.

With our glass of water to cleanse our palate, and the T.V. turned off to prevent distraction, we were ready to taste.

The first one we tried was the Ocumare bar.

It's hard to let a piece of chocolate just melt on your tongue with out wanting to chew. But I resisted(most of the time). As it was melting, I felt like I had my nose in the box of cocoa. I thought of fudgy brownies. This was the very essence of chocolate.

The second bar was the Madagascar bar.

Right away we could tell it was a little sweeter. Maybe fruity is more the word I'm looking for. I just know that this would be the bar I would pick to go with a bottle of good red wine. It was my favorite!

The last bar was the Cuyagua *Limited Edition*

My husband said it was like green beans. He swears by his description. How can chocolate taste like green bean? I cant say that, but! I will give him earthy. It was definitely earthy. It was my least favorite of them all, but, come on, it's chocolate. It was still delicious.

A big thank you to Amano Chocolates and to Blake for the opportunity to taste this amazing chocolate. And if you want to buy some amazing quality chocolate, click here!

Now on to the vanilla.

I just wanted to show you my vanilla extract brewing. The big vodka bottle one was indeed made with cheep vodka. It started out crystal clear and now look at that color. It's a little darker then the Southern Comfort. It has been brewing for about 3 weeks.

I just added vanilla beans to the whisky today so that's it's natural color. I just found some brandy in the cupboard and I thought about starting a third bottle. I found some cute little bottles at World Market to package the extract in.


It's gonna be verry happy vanilla extract come Christmas.

Dont forget to enter out *Taste Like Home* goodie swap event!
Sign-ups close June 27th.


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More chocolate recipes:
Dream Bars
Macaroon Bars
Mock Hostess Cupcakes
Chocolate Chili
Chocolate Chipotle Truffles

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I Love Vanilla Beans!

Recently I had a few people inquire about vanilla beans. On a recent trip to the supermarket, I priced these aromatic beans. One supermarket had two different brands of the gorgeous beans.

One brand was $9.99 for one bean. ONE BEAN!

The other was $13.29 for two beans. INSANE!

So, where do I get my vanilla beans you ask?

Online!

I have used the Arizona Vanilla Company on E-bay twice now and have been very happy with excellent quality and prompt service. Not to mention the steal of a deal I got. I almost feel guilty.

Almost!

I received my order of beans today.
I got 49 certified organic, grade A Madagascar Vanilla beans with shipping!

I won two actions.

15 beans@$2.26
1/4lb (34 beans)@$1.04
Combined shipping@4.50
Total:$7.80

That's a steel!!!

What will I do with so many beans? I'm making vanilla extract!

It makes a great gift for friends.

VANILLA EXTRACT

10-12 Vanilla Beans (cut into large pieces
2 Cups Vodka (cheap stuff is fine
1/4 cup simple syrup (1/8 c. sugar, 1/4c. water)
(The simple sugar is just to take the edge off the alcohol
Combine the vanilla and vodka in a large container with a tight fitting lid. Let steep at room temperature for 4-6 weeks, shaking it about twice a week. The longer the beans hang out in the vodka, the happier the extract will be! Strain through several layers of cheesecloth and then add the syrup if you wish. The extract will keep for several years


For more recipes using vanilla beans:
French Vanilla Cake
Ricotta Pound Cake
Vanilla Bean Thins
Bostini Cream Pie

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