Vanilla Pecan Sand Castle Food

YELLOW BUTTER CAKE FOR VANILLA-PECAN SAND CASTLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square cake pan. Line bottom with parchment paper; butter parchment. Dust pan with flour, and tap out excess. Sift cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
• Add eggs, milk, and vanilla to flour mixture. Mix on low speed until almost combined. Mix in the melted butter. Raise speed to medium. Mix until smooth, about 30 seconds.
• Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Run a knife around edges to loosen. Invert, and unmold onto wire rack. Peel off parchment. Flip cake; let cool completely. If using cake for the Vanilla-Pecan Sand Castle, wrap cake in plastic, and refrigerate until cold, up to 2 days (or freeze up to 1 week).

LAMINGTONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 9-by-13-inch baking pans; line bottoms with parchment; butter parchment. Dust with flour; tap out excess; set pans aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time; beat until incorporated.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; add to egg mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
• Divide batter between prepared pans. Place in oven; bake until a cake tester inserted into middles comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly on wire racks; remove from pans. Turn out cakes onto racks; cool completely.
• Spread one of the cooled cakes with the jam; place other cake on top. Using a serrated knife, trim edges of sandwiched cakes; cut into 24 two-inch squares.
• Place the coconut in a medium bowl; set aside. Place the bowl of chocolate icing over a saucepan filled with 2 inches of gently simmering water. Place a jam-filled cake squarein the bowl of chocolate icing; using forks to turn the square, coat all sides.
• Allow excess icing to drip off; transfer square to bowl of coconut (left bottom). Using clean forks to turn square, coat it with coconut. Transfer coated square to wire rack to stand until coating has set, about 15 minutes. Continue until all squares have been coated.

VANILLA-PECAN SAND CASTLE

Steps:

• Mix 2 1/2 pints ice cream in an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Quickly spoon ice cream into a 5 1/2 cup (5 1/2-by-5-inch) sand-castle mold, filling completely. Smooth surface. Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze until set, at least 10 hours (or up to 3 days).
• Trim domed top from the chilled yellow butter cake to make it level. Cut cake in half horizontally. Place the bottom layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Mix remaining ice cream with the electric mixer until smooth.Working quickly, spread about 2 1/2 cups ice cream over bottom layer; top with second layer. Spread remaining ice cream over top and sides of assembled cake. Chill in freezer until set, at least 4 hours (or overnight).
• Process cookies to form fine crumbs. Mound crumbs on a serving platter, reserving 1/4 cup for garnish. Reserve 16 pecan halves for garnish; break remaining nuts into small pieces.
• Transfer assembled square cake to the platter, centering it on top of the crumbs. Dip castle mold into a bowl of lukewarm water for about 15 seconds, being careful not to let water reach the rim. Pat mold dry. Remove plastic wrap; unmold ice cream castle onto the center of cake.
• Working quickly, line edges of castle with pecan halves and pieces. Chill cake in freezer at least 1 hour (or up to 5). Just before serving, sprinkle reserved cookie crumbs over castle. Let stand at room temperature 5 minutes before cutting.

VANILLA PECAN PIE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare crust as directed on package for one-crust pie using 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Beat cream cheese, 1 of the eggs, 1/4 cup of the sugar and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended and smooth. Spread evenly on bottom of crust. Bake 15 minutes.
• 2. Beat remaining 2 eggs and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Add corn syrup, butter, remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla and salt; stir until well blended. Sprinkle pecans evenly over baked cream cheese layer. Slowly pour corn syrup mixture over nuts.
• 3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until just set in center. Cool completely on wire rack.

SPICED VANILLA PECANS

Steps:

• Note: If you don't have superfine sugar (in Britspeak: caster sugar) then you can whirl regular granulated sugar in the food processor for about 5 minutes.
• You can skip this and just use granulated sugar, but please make sure it dissolves completely before leaving the pecans to sit.
• In a large pot, boil the pecans in the water for 1 minute.
• Drain well.
• While they're still hot, toss them in a large bowl with the sugar, melted butter, corn syrup and vanilla extract.
• Mix well and let the nuts sit, covered, for at least 12 hours, up to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven the 325 degrees F.
• Put the nuts on a cookie sheet (make sure it's rimmed so the nuts don't fall off).
• Bake the nuts for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
• The nuts should brown nicely.
• I know, they are brown already, what I mean is that they should be a little darker, and crisp looking.
• However, they won't actually get crisp until they cool.
• Meanwhile, combine all the spices in a large bowl.
• The minute, the actual instant that the nuts are done, add them to the spices and toss them until they are well covered.
• Pat the nuts back down on the cookie sheet in a single layer, so they can cool without clumping together.
• Cool thoroughly, and store in an airtight container.

NEW ENGLAND CRANBERRY DUFF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter bottom and halfway up sides of an 8-inch square glass baking dish using 2 tablespoons butter. Spread cranberries evenly over bottom of dish. Sprinkle pecans on top, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup sugar; set aside.
• Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat; set aside. Put egg and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until pale and thick, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium-low; gradually beat in flour, and then salt. Pour in melted butter in a slow, steady stream, beating until smooth.
• Slowly pour batter into pan to cover cranberries. Bake until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge to loosen, and invert to unmold onto a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan, and dust with breadcrumbs, tapping out excess. In a small bowl, stir together raisins, flour, and zests; set aside.
• With an electric mixer, beat ricotta, sugar, and salt until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture, and beat just until smooth (do not overmix).
• Pour mixture into prepared pan; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until cake is browned and jiggles only slightly when shaken, 60 to 70 minutes. Cool completely in pan; unmold to serve. Serve chilled or at room temperature.