Cuisine Diva

Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe

Above: pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting.

Delicious Dessert Recipe

Here is a recipe for a pumpkin spice sponge cake with cream cheese frosting. The recipe can be found on the inside label of most canned pumpkin pie filling. The recipe was originally meant to be made as a pumpkin roll, but I've had problems in the past with the filling oozing out and making a big mess. So I prefer to make the cake as directed, but instead of filling it with the icing and rolling it up, I cut the cake in half to make a double layer cake.

Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe Variations

You may add 1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the cake recipe if desired, before baking. I made mine without nuts. Any pumpkin pie spices can be used in this recipe, choose from allspice, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and even Chinese five spice powder, for a total of 1 teaspoon.

Pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting would make a delightful culinary addition to a tea party or bridal shower.

Above: canned pumpkin. Leftovers can be used to make pumpkin pancakes.

Pumpkin Spice Cake Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree

Pumpkin Spice Cake Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease and flour a 15 x 10 x 1 inch jelly roll pan.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a large bowl.
4. In a small bowl, beat together the sugar and eggs.
5. Stir the pumpkin into the sugar and egg mixture.
6. Add the liquid ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until mixed through.
7. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.
8. Let the cake cool to room temperature.
9. Cut the cooled cake in half.
10. Add one half of the cake to a large platter and spread with half of the cream cheese frosting mixture.
11. Top with the other half of the cake and spread with the remaining cream cheese frosting.

 

Above: enjoy pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting along with a cup of coffee or hot tea.

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

• 1 eight ounce package cream cheese - room temperature
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine - room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar - sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting Directions

1. Add the cream cheese and butter to a mixing bowl.
2. Beat with an electric mixer until creamy.
3. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Coffee House and Tea Party Ideas

Happy party guests at our coffee house fundraiser.

My husband and I do a lot of fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through our local Team in Training chapter. We recently hosted a Coffee House at our house, to help us with our fundraising goals as we train for the 2010 winter season's century bike ride with TNT. My husband is one of the cycle team coaches, and I am training for the Cocoa Beach century ride which takes place on October 31 in Cocoa Beach, Florida.

 

Team in Training fundraising table setup at coffee house.
 

Serve Lots of Yummy Food

Here is a list of food which I made to serve at the party. I've posted many of these recipes online, and have included links to those recipes where appropriate. I've also hosted various tea parties at our house throughout the years, and all of these recipes are also perfect for serving at a tea party, luncheon or bridal shower.

Bounty of party food.

Coffee House and Tea Party Recipes

• Deviled eggs
• Egg salad finger sandwiches
• Walnut chicken salad finger sandwiches
• Ham & cheese quiche - with Swiss cheese and green onions
• Bacon & cheese quiche - with cheddar cheese and fresh thyme
• Lemon bars
• Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting
• Party cookies with chocolate chips & almonds
• Peanut butter cookies with Hersey's Kisses
• Pecan pie bars
• Pumpkin spice muffins

Even more food.

 

Make Ahead and Freeze

When hosting parties at my house, I like to make as much food ahead of time as possible. Certain recipes, such as cookies with a lot of butter in them, can be made ahead and stored in the freezer for up to two weeks before the party. Simply take them out of the freezer the day of the party, and they will thaw out at room temperature in an hour or two.

In the case of the crab canapes and asparagus roll-ups, leave them in the freezer until you are ready to bake them. The instructions for those two appetizers are for cooking them directly from the freezer. Other foods, such as the quiche, can be made a day or two ahead of time, and stored in the refrigerator until the day of the party.

Fussy Food Handling

More fragile food, such as deviled eggs, egg salad finger sandwiches and walnut chicken salad finger sandwiches are best assembled the day of the party. I cooked the hard boiled eggs the day before the party, so they would have enough time to cool down. But I didn't actually make the deviled eggs, or assemble the egg salad sandwiches until the day of the party. Our party went from 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM, which gave me plenty of time to do last minute cooking, assembly and cleaning before the party started.

 

Another group shot.

Party Foods That Freeze Well

• Crab canapes
• Asparagus roll-ups
• Cocoa spice drops
• Pistachio shortbread
• Lemon poppy seed teacakes

A Variety of Beverages

Not everyone likes coffee, and I knew a few children would be attending our coffee house party, so I had a variety of beverages available. I let my husband be in charge of all the coffee making. He is a great fan of coffee and I was quite busy with last minute food prep, and meeting and greeting guests as they arrived, so not having to deal with coffee preparation was a huge weight off my shoulders.

1. Hot coffee - we have a regular coffee pot, cappucinno machine and two French press pots, so we were able to make a variety of coffee throughout the party.
2. Iced coffee - we brewed up an extra strong pot of coffee the night before the party, let it cool to room temperature, then stored it in a coffee carafe.
3. Sweat iced tea
4. Soda - a friend of ours brought a variety of soda to the party for everyone to enjoy; rootbeer, orange, lemon lime and a diet cola.
5. Ice - my husband took one of our coolers in to his office and filled it up with ice. Guests could fill their cups up with ice if they were drinking water, iced tea, iced coffee or soda. His office has a large, hotel sized ice maker in the back, which is convenient anytime we host parties at our house.

I'd love to hear about the types of food and beverages you like to serve at coffee and tea parties. Or have you been to a favorite restaurant or tea house for their tea service? I would love to hear about it!

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Review of Total Tea Products

 

January is National Hot Tea month. I was recently contact by Copco, a Wilton Products Company, that designs and manufactures a variety of tea kettles, kitchen products and food preparation tools. They wanted to know if I would be interested in receiving a sample of one of their Total Tea Products to test and review for the Cuisne Diva blog.

I have a large collection of loose leaf teas, so I'm always looking for innovative products to help me brew my tea into the perfect cup of tea.

Total Tea products

Tea Making Accessories

I received a sample of the Total Tea basket tea infuser and their stainless steel thermal. I really like the stainless steel thermal, it makes a terrific travel mug. It features a twist-to-stop steeping feature incorporated directly into the lid. Simply fill the infuser with loose leaf tea, pour hot water over the tea leaves, let steep, then twist the lid to stop the steeping process.

Total Tea stainless steel thermal travel mug

Top of travel mug removed, showing removable tea infuser

Fill the removable infuser with your favorite loose leaf tea

 

Turn infuser lid to steep, in/out or stop

Suggested Retail Prices

Here's a list of some of the products available in the Total Tea line, along with their suggested retail price.

• Snap open tea infuser - $9.99
• Basket tea infuser - $7.99
• Lily pad tea ball - $6.99
• Twisting stick infuser with lily pad - $8.99
• Soft grip tea thermal - $10.99
• Stainless steel thermal - $14.99

A variety of Total Tea gadgets also available including an infuser ball, tea bag squeeze with stand, a honey/sugar bottle and a stainless steel tea scoop.

Finding Total Tea Products

Total Tea products and accessories can be found at a variety of retail stores including Target, Sears, JC Penney, Kmart, Walmart, Linens & Things and Macy's.

Website: www.copco.com

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA Cuisine Diva

Recipes for a Tea Party

My daughter and I have hosted a number of tea parties at our house over the years. Last year we held a tea party, called the Girl's Club Tea Party, for mom's and their daughters. I used the tea party as a way to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Societies Team in Training program.

 

Lemon ricotta cheesecake

I am always looking for unique and delicious treats to serve at the tea party. These recipes could also be served at bridal showers, breakfast buffets, or even as part of a holiday dessert party.

1. Lemon Poppy Seed Teacakes; Recipe for a Cookie-Like Treat Enhanced with Citrus and Poppy Seeds.
2. Ham and Cheese Quiche; Recipe for a Hearty Egg Custard Pie.
3. Banana Bread and Banana French Toast; Two Recipes for Sweet and Delicious Recipe Dishes.
4. Walnut Chicken Salad with Herb Butter; Delicious Finger Food to Feature at a Tea Party or Bridal Shower.
5. Rosy Jellyroll Cake; Recipe for a Raspberry and Vanilla Cream Filled Dessert.
6. Blueberry Muffin Recipe; A Sweet Treat with a Cinnamon Enhanced Strudel Topping
7. Sage, Lavender and Mint Desserts; Shortcake, Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies and Lavender Custard Recipes.
8. Quick Bread Recipes; Chili Cheese Cornbread, Garlic Herb Bread and Parmesan Cheese Biscuits.
9. Gingersnap Cookie Recipe; How to Create a Soft and Chewy Ginger Flavored Dessert.
10. Orange Thyme Teacake; Recipe for a citrus enhanced dessert.
11. Pumpkin Spice Muffins; Recipe for an easy to prepare, moist and spicy muffin.
12. Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake; Recipe for a creamy citrus and herb enhanced dessert.
13. Quick and Easy Tart and Creamy Lemon Bars; Recipe for a classic lemon dessert.
14. Vanilla Bean Dessert Recipes; Learn how-to make vanilla pudding, vanilla flavored sugar and vanilla infused hot chocolate.

Quiche

Try making one or more of these goodies for your next party.

 

Lemon tea cake

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

How to Brew Tea

Basic Tea Brewing Methods
For each serving of tea you want to make, bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a non-metallic pan. An enameled, non-stick or glass pan works well. Remove the pan from the heat and add 1 teaspoon of dried or 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs to the pan. Let this mixture steep for between 3 and 4 minutes. This shorter infusion time yields a refreshing beverage, letting the mixture steep any longer may result in a bitter tasting beverage.

Place a lid on top of your container while it steeps to prevent it from cooling off too quickly. Strain the herbs from the water and pour the infusion into your favorite mug or tea cup. You could also use a French press, or tea pot with a built in infuser basket when making larger amounts of tea. Just be sure to adjust the amount of herbs you use according to how many cups of tea you are making. Those little tea balls you find in some kitchen gadget stores can also be used to make a single cup of tea.

Making Iced Tea
If you prefer iced tea, double the amount of herbs used. Don’t double the amount of time you steep the herbs, as the tea could end up developing a bitter taste. Use 2 teaspoons of dried or 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs for each cup of water you are using when making iced tea. The extra amount of herbs used allows for dilution by the melting of ice cubes that you have added to your iced tea.

Additions to Your Tea
I’ve never been a fan of adding milk or cream to my tea. A cup of coffee, definitely, but I prefer to serve my tea with a bit of honey and sometimes add a slice of lemon. You may add any of the following ingredients, in moderation, to help enhance the flavor of your herbal tea:

• honey
• white sugar
• sugar cubes
• peppermint candy pieces (kids love this idea)
• brown sugar
• demerara sugar
• lemon slices
• orange slices
• lime slices
• stevia*

*Read the Tea Diva's article: Zero Calorie Stevia Sweeteners on the Suite101 website.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Blueberry Muffin Recipe

Above: Plate full of blueberry muffins.

How to Make Blueberry Muffins

Here's a recipe for an easy to make blueberry muffin, with a streusel topping. I used vanilla soy milk in place of the milk. The oil, egg and milk mixture should equal one cup of liquid. I used a 2 cup glass measuring cup and added the egg and oil, then added enough milk to equal one cup. Then I used a small whisk to mix everything together, before adding the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients.

Above: Stir blueberries into muffin batter.

Blueberry Muffin Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Above: Fill muffin tins 2/3 full with batter.

Blueberry Muffin Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.
3. In a small bowl whisk together the oil, egg and milk.
4. Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients, and stir until well blended.
5. Stir in the vanilla extract and blueberries.
6. Spray a 12 compartment muffin pan with non stick cooking spray.
7. Fill each muffin compartment approximately 2/3 with batter.
8. Top each muffin with approximately 1 tablespoon of the streusel topping.
9. Place the muffin pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Above: Use pastry knife to blend struesel topping ingredients together.

Streusel Topping For Blueberry Muffins

This topping makes a sweet and nutty crispy topping for the blueberry muffins.

Streusel Topping Ingredients

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Streusel Topping Directions

1. Sift together the sugar, flour and cinnamon.
2. Cut in the butter with a pastry knife, or a large fork, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Stir in the nuts.

Above: Top each muffin compartment with 1 tablespoon of the streusel topping.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Homemade Pecan Pie

Above: Homemade pecan pie.

Thanksgiving Desserts

A holiday meal at our house is not complete without one or more types of pie. I usually make a pumpkin and/or a pecan pie as part of our Thanksgiving Day meal. This year I decided to make 2 pecan pies. It's just as easy to make 2 pies, as it is to make 1 pie. I made the pies 2 days before Thanksgiving, so we had an extra pie to snack on. I wouldn't want anyone to starve to death in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.

Above: A pair of pecan pies, cooling off and waiting to be served on Thanksgiving Day.

Recipe to Make a Single Pecan Pie

I used Pillsbury's ready to bake, pre-made pie crust when making my pecan pies. You could also use a defrosted, frozen, ready to bake pie crust if desired, or make a pie crust from scratch. I used a combination of chopped and whole pecans when making my pies. I added the chopped pecans to the bottom of the pie crust, poured in the filling, then garnished the top of the pie with whole pecans before baking. I couldn't find my pie pans yesterday, so I used two metal cake pans, made the pie kind of look like a deep dish pecan pie.

• 1 ready to bake, pre-made pie crust
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups chopped or whole pecans

Above: Use a ready to bake, pre-made pie crust to save time when making pie.

Directions to Make a Single Pecan Pie

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Let the ready to bake pie crust come to room temperature.
3. In a large mixing bowl, stir in the corn syrup, brown sugar and granulated sugar.
4. Whisk the eggs into the sugar mixture.
5. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla extract.
6. Spray a metal pie pan or cake pan with non stick cooking spray.
7. Place the pie crust in the bottom of the pan.
8. Spread the chopped or whole pecans evenly over the bottom of the pie crust.
9. Pour the pie batter into the pan.
10. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 60 to 70 minutes, until golden brown on top.
11. Let cool slightly before serving. Fresh baked pecan pie comes out of the oven resembling molten lava, please let it cool down before trying to eat a piece, or you could end up burning yourself!

Above: A single serving of homemade pecan pie. Where's the vanilla ice cream?

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

 

Lemon Bar Recipe

Close up of a delicious lemon bar.

Lemon bars are a delicious and easy to make bakery treat. Serve lemon bars at your next luncheon, tea party or bridal shower. To make lemon bars, first make the shortbread crust, and pre-bake it in the oven before adding the lemon bar filling and returning to the oven.

Fresh lemon juice tastes best, but in a pinch bottled lemon juice can be substituted. This recipe makes 20 lemon bars. For an interesting flavor variation, try substituting another citrus juice, such as orange or lime, to make orange bars or lime bars.

Making lemon bars.

Lemon Bar Shortbread Crust Ingredients

• 1 cup, i.e. 2 sticks unsalted butter - room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Preparing shortbread crust.

Lemon Bar Shortbread Crust Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large bowl, add the softened butter and sugar, then cream together with a large spoon until smooth and creamy.
3. Sift in the flour and mix until well blended.
4. Add the shortbread crust to a greased 9 x 11 inch rectangular glass pan.
5. Smooth and press the crust evenly across the bottom of the pan.
6. Place the pan in the oven and bake until light brown, approximately 18 to 20 minutes.
7. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a heat proof surface.
8. Continue following the recipe to prepare the lemon bar filling.

Preparing lemon bar filling.

Lemon Bar Filling Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

Dust completed lemon bars with powdered sugar.

Lemon Bar Filling Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs.
2. Stir in the baking powder and flour.
3. Add the lemon juice to the bowl, and mix until well blended.
4. Pour the lemon bar filling into the pan with the prepared shortbread crust.
5. Place the pan back in the oven and cook for 17 to 20 minutes.
6. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a heatproof surface.
7. Let the lemon bars cool slightly, then dust them with the confectioner's sugar.
8. Once the lemon bars are completely cooled, cut them into 20 pieces.

Cut cooled lemon bars into squares.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva