मंगलवार, 16 नवंबर 2021

Fruit Cake

Fruit cake is a classic holiday dessert that you’re going to love! With this recipe, you’ll get a moist, flavorful treat every time!

Not only are these types of bread delicious, but they’re great for gifting! Apple, lemon, and blueberry banana bread are more fruit-filled desserts that will be loved wherever they go!

Fruit cake cut into slices on a white serving dish.

Amazing Holiday Fruitcake Recipe

I’m going to be honest here. I don’t get the hate for fruit cake! If made properly, fruit cake can compete with the best of them. Get the idea that fruit cake is hard and flavorless out of your head! At its core, fruit cake is just a quick bread with more mix-ins added. It can be as soft, moist, and wonderful as your favorite banana bread! This tasty fruit cake has a melt-in-your-mouth brown sugar bread base. From there, you add in all of your favorite fillings! From dates to dried pineapple, raisins to cherries, the sky is the limit! The best part of it all is that you can soak them all in your favorite liquor for added flavor! This recipe is easily customizable.

I’ve been making this fruit cake for friends, family, and neighbors and they have all been loving it! It’s a great way to spread a little holiday cheer. Delicious, too! Once you take a bite of this cake filled with the flavors of caramelized brown sugar, zesty citrus, and rich fruit, you’ll be hooked! There’s a reason it’s been hanging around since ancient times! This rustic recipe is incredible and bursting with so much flavor. Let’s make some fruit cake!

Fruit Cake Ingredients

This ingredient list is on the longer side, but the good news is most of them are mix-ins! Not a fan of some of them? You can easily swap them out for other toppings or omit them entirely. See my tips below for more suggestions on what to add to your fruit cake!

Cake Base

  • All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour has a low protein content so it’s good for keeping your fruitcake on the lighter side. Flours with too much protein will make it hard and dense.
  • Baking Soda and Baking Powder: A combination of both is necessary for a fruit cake that raises properly.
  • Salt: Added to enhance all flavors!
  • Unsalted Butter Unsalted, room temperature butter will mix into your dough perfectly and add a rich flavor.
  • Granulated Sugar and Dark Brown Sugar: I like using a mix of granulated and dark brown sugar in my fruit cake. Granulated for sweetness, dark brown sugar for a deeper flavor. They’ll give you the best caramelized flavor when baked.
  • Sour Cream: The secret ingredient for moist cake and a hint of tangy flavor!
  • Egg: Used to bind everything together. Make sure it’s room temperature! It will mix together more smoothly.
  • Lemon and Orange Zest: I love adding citrus zest to balance out sweetness. It’s nice and aromatic, too!
  • Finely Diced Crystalized Ginger: Crystalized, or “candied” ginger is going to give your cake a sweet flavor with a hint of spice. Perfect for the holidays!

Mix-Ins

  • Liquor: Traditionally, dark rum or brandy is used. You can also substitute for apple juice or orange juice if you don’t want to use alcohol.
  • Glazed Cherries: Also known as candied or maraschino cherries, these are a wonderful addition to your sweet cake!
  • Chopped Dates: Dates are sweet and moist with an almost caramel-y flavor. Perfect for a sweet bread!
  • Golden and Dark Raisins: I like using a mix of golden and dark raisins. It not only gives your bread more color, but tastes great, too! Golden raisins are tart while dark raisins are rich. They make a great combination!
  • Dried Pineapple: Sweet and tangy, dried pineapple adds a great flavor and texture to your bread.
  • Chopped Nuts: I love using a blend of almonds, walnuts, and pecans.

How to Make the Best Fruit Cake

You’re going to love how simple it is to make this fruity treat! Just a few minutes of prep and then it’s hands-off in the oven! I love anything that will put a little time back into my day. Especially around the holidays! But be warned: this fruit cake smells absolutely divine when it’s baking and may give you a case of Christmas cheer!

Preparing Batter

  1. Soak Toppings: (Optional) Prepare at least 24 hours before baking by soaking your dried fruit mixture in dark rum or brandy. If you prefer the cake to be non alcoholic, you can use apple juice or orange juice instead. Use enough to cover all the fruit completely. Cover and let soak overnight, or even several days.
  2. Preheat Oven, Prep Pan: Next, preheat the oven to 325° fahrenheit and line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  4. Mix in Remaining Ingredients: In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and add the sour cream. Mix until combined.
  5. Add Egg and Citrus Zest: Add the egg, lemon zest, and orange zest and mix until combined. Then, add the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix until just barely combined.
  6. Mix in Nuts, Fruit, and Ginger: Next, mix in the crystalized ginger, chopped nuts and the soaked fruit along with any leftover liquid from the fruit. Fold in by hand until everything is evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Baking

  1. Bake: Pour the batter into your prepared pan and place on the middle rack of the oven to bake. Bake for 1 ½-2 hours—until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the loaf.
  2. Cool: Let the cake cool for about 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan and cooling the rest of the way on a cooling rack.
  3. Wrap and Age: (Optional) If you would like to age the cake, soak cheesecloth in brandy or dark rum and wrap well around the cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and store in an airtight container in a dark place. Rewrap the cake in freshly soaked cheesecloth every week until serving. It will keep for months as you continue to age it!
Process shots of preparing batter and adding to loaf pan.

Tips for Making Fruit Cake

This essential holiday dessert can be enhanced with just a few simple tips and tricks! Really, making a successful fruit cake is so easy and delicious! You’ll want to keep this recipe on repeat over the next couple of months.

  • Toss in Flour: To ensure that your mix-ins don’t sink to the bottom of your loaf pan, toss them with a bit of flour before adding to your batter!
  • Adding Spice: To add even more flavor to this tasty dessert, sometimes I’ll throw in homemade pumpkin pie spice to the batter. This combination of warm spices definitely checks the boxes on that perfect holiday flavor!
  • Adding Applesauce: If you struggle to get your fruit cake to retain moisture, add a dollop of applesauce to your batter!
  • Use a Serrated Knife: Because fruit cake can be on the crumbly side, it’s best to use a serrated knife for nice, uniform slices.
  • More Mix-ins: More toppings that taste absolutely delicious in this recipe are: cranberries, figs, dried apricots, plums, prunes, cashews, coconut and blueberries! Mix and match to create the perfect fruit cake for you!

Storing Leftovers

The great thing about fruit cake is that it has a longer shelf life than most desserts! Here’s how to store it for best results. You’ll love coming back for a slice this holiday season!

  • At Room Temperature: This is my personal favorite way to store fruit cake. Wrap in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. It will stay good for up to 1 month. I’ve found that storing at room temperature helps to retain moisture and keep it from getting too hard and dense.
  • In the Refrigerator: Fruit cake will last in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 6 months. Note: the longer it stays in the fridge, the harder it will become. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
  • In the Freezer: A fruit cake will last in the freezer for up to a year when properly sealed in a freezer safe bag. Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Closeup shot of a slice of fruitcake.
Print

Fruit Cake

Fruit cake is a classic holiday dessert that you're going to love! With this recipe, you'll get a moist, flavorful treat every time!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword fruit cake, fruit cake recipe
Prep Time 1 day 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 1 day 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 12 slices
Calories 416kcal
Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

  • 3/4 Cup Chopped Dates
  • 1 Cup Golden Raisins
  • 1 Cup Dark Raisins
  • ¾ Cup Chopped Glazed Cherries
  • 1 Cup Chopped Dried Pineapple
  • ¾ cup dark rum or brandy apple juice or orange juice if don’t want to use alcohol
  • 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
  • ½ Teaspoon Salt
  • ½ Cup Unsalted Butter room temperature
  • ½ Cup granulated Sugar
  • ½ Cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
  • 1 Tablespoon Orange zest
  • 2 Tablespoons Finely Diced Crystalized Ginger
  • ½ Cup Chopped nuts Almonds, Walnuts, or pecans

Instructions

  • Prepare at least 24 hours before baking by soaking your dried fruit mixture in dark rum or brandy. If you prefer the cake to be non-alcoholic, you can use apple juice or orange juice instead. Use enough to cover all the fruit completely. Cover and let soak overnight, or even for several days.
  • Preheat the oven to 325° and line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a mixer beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and add the sour cream. Mix until combined.
  • Add the egg, lemon zest, and orange zest and mix until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix until just barely combined.
  • Add the crystallized ginger, chopped nuts, and the soaked fruit along with any leftover liquid from the fruit. Fold in by hand until everything is evenly distributed throughout the batter.
  • Pour the batter into your prepared pan and place it on the middle rack of the oven to bake. Bake for 1 ½-2 hours—until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the loaf.
  • Let the cake cool for about 10-15 minutes before removing it from the pan and cooling the rest of the way on a cooling rack.
  • If you would like to age the cake, soak the cheesecloth in brandy or dark rum and wrap well around the cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and store in an airtight container in a dark place. Rewrap the cake in freshly soaked cheesecloth every week until serving. It will keep for months as you continue to age it!

Nutrition

Calories: 416kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 211mg | Potassium: 366mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 328IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 2mg


from The Recipe Critic https://ift.tt/3Ce12yw
https://ift.tt/3qHdJ2Q

सोमवार, 15 नवंबर 2021

Strawberry Cream Cheese

This strawberry cream cheese is rich, creamy, and full of delicious flavor! It’s simple to make and will have all of your breakfast bagels tasting SOO GOOD!

I love adding a good spread to my bread, muffins, and bagels! Try out this Jam, Honey Butter, and this Maple Plant Butter. They all go so well with everything!

Strawberry cream cheese in a bowl with a butter knife.

Strawberry Cream Cheese

I love it when I can add any sort of spread, or butter to my meals! This strawberry cream cheese is the perfect addition to my morning bagel! It is SO easy to make that I don’t even have to remember to do it ahead of time. It’s a tried and true recipe that is totally fail-proof. In fact, while you are toasting up your bagels, have your kids go ahead and make this for you!

This recipe only uses 3 ingredients and takes less than 5 minutes to make! If you really want to see this cream cheese shine then you should make these homemade bagels to put it on. The smell will wake up everyone in your house and they won’t be mad about it! My kids love this as much as I do. In fact, I have to make sure that I keep the ingredients on hand at all times because we make it so much!

Ingredients You Need to Make Strawberry Cream Cheese

This recipe only takes 3 (yes, 3!) ingredients! It makes your bagel taste so fresh and sweet! See the recipe card below for a list of exact ingredient measurements.

  • Cream cheese: I used regular cream cheese for this recipe. Make sure to get it to room temperature before you mix it! That makes it smooth!
  • Sugar: The sugar is added to balance out the tart cream cheese.
  • Strawberries: These add the most fresh taste to this cream cheese!

How to Make Strawberry Cream Cheese

If you have 10 minutes then you have enough time to make this AND eat it up! Go ahead and give it a try… You will never eat plain cream cheese again!

  1. Soften, mash and mix: Let cream cheese soften. Mash the strawberries and mix together with the cream cheese and add the sugar. I used my kitchen aid mixer and it worked great.
Cream cheese being served with a butter knife.

Change it Up

This strawberry cream cheese is so easy to change up! Here is a list of other fruits that you can use instead of strawberrries! Make them all so that you can have a new one every morning!

  • Raspberries
  • Peaches
  • Blueberries
  • Blackberries
  • Pineapple

Or, you could take a few different fruits and mix them all together in one! Then you can have your own mixed berry cream cheese! Just make sure that you only have 1 cup total of fruit when you are mixing it all up.

Strawberry cream cheese on a bagel.

How to Store Leftovers

This cream cheese is great to make and use all week! Just make sure that when you are done that you put it in an airtight container and keep it in your fridge. It can last in there for 10 days!

Print

Strawberry Cream Cheese

This strawberry cream cheese is rich, creamy, and full of delicious flavor! It's simple to make and will have all of your breakfast bagels tasting SOO GOOD!
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Keyword stawberry cream cheese
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 152kcal
Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces cream cheese 1 package
  • 2 Tablespoons Sugar
  • 1 cup strawberries

Instructions

  • Let cream cheese soften. Mash the strawberries and mix together with the cream cheese and add the sugar. I used my kitchen aid mixer and it worked great.

Notes

Updated on November 15, 2021
Originally Posted on May 30, 2012

Nutrition

Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 122mg | Potassium: 89mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 508IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg


from The Recipe Critic https://ift.tt/3FltRv4
https://ift.tt/3FcFcNC

रविवार, 14 नवंबर 2021

Creamy Lemon Garlic Seafood Pasta

Creamy lemon garlic seafood pasta has the most delicious flavor and texture all in one dish! It’s SOO GOOD that you can bet that your guests won’t be able to resist coming back for seconds!

If you love the mix of seafood and pasta then you MUST try these other seafood recipes! Start with this Shrimp Alfredo, this Mac and Cheese, and or these delicious Scallops!

A pan filled with pasta and shellfish, ready to eat.

Creamy Lemon Garlic Seafood Pasta

Ok, before you make this recipe, you are probably wanting to know exactly what seafood is in it! This seafood pasta has some of my all-time favorite shellfish in it. Mussels, scallops, and shrimp. Not only are they mouthwatering in taste and texture but they are some of the easiest seafood choices to cook! We’re talking 30 minutes and they are done and ready to eat! Add in some creamy lemon garlic pasta and you will be dying for this dish to finish cooking!

This seafood pasta is so rich and filling that you don’t need too much more to make it a meal! I would add some garlic bread and some asparagus or maybe a salad and then call it good. That way, you have something for everyone! This dish not only tastes insanely delicious but it looks so fancy! Cook it up for a dinner party with your family and friends and they will all be asking for the recipe by the end of the night! Happy eating!

Ingredients You Need to Make Seafood Pasta

This seafood pasta will be one of the most simple pasta recipes that you can make. It’s a great one to try if you’ve never cooked with shellfish before! See the recipe card below for a list of exact ingredient measurements.

Ingredients  

  • Linguini noodles: I like to use liguini noodles because they are wider. But you could use any noodles that you have on hand!
  • Butter: Try and use unsalted butter for this recipe.
  • Scallops: These should be fresh, rinsed and patted dry.
  • Large shrimp: You will want to make sure that your shrimp is peeled and deveined before starting this recipe.
  • Mussels: I like to debeard my mussels immedietly before cooking so that they stay as fresh and alive as possible.
  • Salt and pepper: I used these to taste!

Creamy Lemon Garlic Sauce

  • Butter: Unsalted butter is the best so that you don’t have any added salt taste to worry about.
  • Cream: Heavy whipping cream works fine for this!
  • Chicken broth: Using chicken broth instead of water will give this dish more flavor!
  • Cream cheese: This is what gives the sauce that delightful and creamy texture.
  • Parmesan: This cheese adds in the perfect extra taste to this recipe.
  • Lemon: You can use juice from a fresh lemon or bottled lemon juice. Whatever you have will work!
Mussels, shrimp and scallops cleaned and ready to cook.

Let’s Cook Up Some Delicious Seafood Pasta!

Once you’ve cleaned and prepped your seafood then you should get excited because it’s cooking time! And after cooking time is eating time.., Which is the best of all!

  1. Boil and cook pasta: Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water.
  2. Add scallops and then the shrimp: In a medium sized saucepan over medium high heat add the butter. Add the scallops and cook for 2-3 minutes and add the shrimp the last 1-2 minutes and cook until no longer pink. Remove and set aside on a plate.
  3. Steam the mussels in pasta water: Add the reserved water to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the mussels and reduce to a simmer and cover. Let the mussels steam for 5 minutes. Discard the ones that didn’t open. Set aside with the shrimp and scallops.

To Make the Creamy Lemon Sauce

  1. Heat and stir: Add ¼ cup butter to the saucepan, heavy cream, chicken broth, and cream cheese. Stir until cream cheese has melted and is smooth and creamy. Add the parmesan cheese and juice of one lemon and let simmer until it has thickened.
  2. Add in pasta and seafood: Stir in pasta and seafood and stir until heated through. Serve with fresh chopped parsley and parmesan cheese if desired.
4 pictures showing steps on how to cook shellfish and lemon garlic pasta.

How to Pick Out Seafood

In order to make this amazing seafood pasta turn out then, you need to pick out the best seafood! It will make or break this dish! Here are some tips on how to pick out the best shrimp, scallops, and mussels.

  • How to pick shrimp: For this recipe, you will want to get some large shrimp that is already peeled and deveined. This will save you SO much time in your prepwork. Plus, its not fun to do so just make it easy on yourself! When you are buying shrimp, smell it! Make sure that it doesn’t smell like ammonia. You will also want to avoid shrimp that is limp, slimy or falling apart. That means they are old! If you don’t have access to fresh shrimp then frozen will work fine. Just make sure to thaw them in your fridge before cooking.
  • How to pick out scallops: When you are picking out your scallops, you are going to look for a couple of things. They should be firm and dry. In fact, they should have a feel and texture similar to a pork chop! Also, don’t buy any that are wet, shiny or soft. These won’t taste good!
  • How to pick out mussels: The mussels are trickier to buy since they are in their shell. Always buy extra because some will be cracked or decaying and you won’t know that until you start cooking! Good mussels will look wet and smell like ocean water. They won’t be fishy at all. Make sure that they are all tightly closed. You don’t want any that are open!
Lemon garlic seafood pasta all mixed and ready to eat!

How to Clean and Prep Seafood

A key to a good seafood pasta dish is preparation! Don’t let this part scare you. It’s super easy and it will pay off when you go to eat this dish!

  • How to prepare shrimp: To make sure that your shrimp is ready to cook for this recipe then you need to make sure that is peeled, deveined and the tails have been taken off. If you didn’t buy them like this then thats ok! You can do it yourself! Start by pulling off the head and legs. Then, remove the shell and the tail. To devein the shrimp (this means to take out the large, black vein in the back… this is the shrimps intestinal track) then you will cut along the outer edge of the shrimps back. Cut it about ¼ inch deep. grap the vein with your fingers or knife and pull it out. Now, your shrimp is ready to cook!
  • How to clean and prep mussels: Once you have your mussels, you want to make sure that you RINSE them (don’t soak them in water… they need to breath!) in cold water. Using a scrub brush or your fingernail, remove any dirt on them. Next, you will see on the outside of the shell a stringy, black tag. This is called a beard. You want to remove this right before cooking. To remove it, pull it towards the hinge of the mussel and it should come right off! Then, you are ready to cook some mussels!
  • How to prepare scallops: These are super easy to prepare! Just give them a good rinse in some cold water and pat them dry. Then you are done!
Seafood pasta in a bowl with a fork in the bowl.

Storing Leftovers

This is a great dish to eat for lunch or dinner the next day if you are lucky enough to have some leftovers! Here is how you can safely store it.

  • Refrigerator: Once your seafood pasta has cooled, then place it in an airtight container in your fridge. It will last about 3-5 days.
  • Reheat: To reheat this seafood pasta, you will want to do it on the stove. Place your leftovers it on a skillet. Add a little bit of water and your seafood pasta and cover it with a lid. Simmer it and steam it all until it’s heated through.
Print

Creamy Lemon Garlic Seafood Pasta

Creamy lemon garlic seafood pasta has the most delicious flavor and texture all in one dish! It's SOO GOOD that you can bet that your guests won't be able to resist coming back for seconds! 
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword seafood pasta, seafood pasta recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 694kcal
Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces linguini noodles
  • 1 Tablespoon Butter
  • 1/2 pound scallops
  • 1/2 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 pound mussels
  • salt and pepper

Creamy Lemon Garlic Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 cups cream
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 4 oz cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan
  • Juice of a lemon

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water.
  • In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat add the butter. Add the scallops and cook for 2-3 minutes and add the shrimp for the last 1-2 minutes and cook until no longer pink. Remove and set aside on a plate.
  • Add the reserved water to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the mussels and reduce to a simmer and cover. Let the mussels steam for 5 minutes. Discard the ones that didn't open. Set aside with the shrimp and scallops.

To make the creamy lemon sauce:

  • Add ¼ cup butter to the saucepan, heavy cream, chicken broth, and cream cheese. Stir until cream cheese has melted and is smooth and creamy. Add the parmesan cheese and juice of one lemon and let simmer until it has thickened.
  • Stir in pasta and seafood and stir until heated through. Serve with fresh chopped parsley and parmesan cheese if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 694kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 172mg | Sodium: 592mg | Potassium: 389mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1780IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 144mg | Iron: 2mg


from The Recipe Critic https://ift.tt/3ndyvF2
https://ift.tt/3ovHfWi