Bundt Cake Revival

Sweet Potato Bundt

Ingredients

1 ½ cups firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup unsalted butter,roomtemp.,plus more for pan

2 eggs

1 cup cooked sweet potato

1 tsp. vanilla

2 ¾ cups all purpose flour

¾ cup milk

1/3 cup apple juice

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1tsp. pumpkin pie spice

½ tsp. cinnamon

¾ tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Butter and flour a 12 cup bundt pan.

In an electric mixer, mix together brown sugar, butter, and eggs until very light and fluffy. Add sweet potato and vanilla, beat to combine. Add flour, milk, apple juice, baking powder, pie spice, and salt; mix just until incorporated. Add chopped pecans to bottom of cake pan. Pour in cake batter.

Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.

Let cool 10 minutes, turn out of pan and place on baking rack to cool completely.

Top with powdered sugar.

This is a really good holiday dessert to leave out for the family to munch on.

Milk for your Bechamel

The medicinal effects of garlic are best brought out by simmering the garlic in milk. So here is my technique, to turn a classic bechamel into a stunningly exceptional, and slightly more healthy, bechamel.

Bechamel Milk

3 cups reduced fat or 2% milk
1/4 cup parsley
1 sprig fresh thyme, or oregano, or both
3 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
1 tsp. black peppercorns-whole, or lightly cracked
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

In a saucepan, over low heat, bring all the ingredients to a slow simmer, and simmer until reduced by 1/3. ( 2 cups liquid)
Cover, and let the milk cool in the pan. Then strain through a fine mesh sieve, discarding all solids.
You now have the most flavorful and thickened milk for use in your bechamel recipes, with no other seasoning needed, except for maybe adding additional salt, to your taste.
The health benefits of the garlic, and the taste of black pepper without the little black specks to ruin the look of your sauce. Amazing!
You can also try this with fennel, or red pepper flakes, to flavor your milk. This works for any savory recipe, but especially for making the bechamel topping for your lasagna.
Yes, it's an extra step, but sometimes it's the technique, that will step up a recipe, from classic to stunning! Use this seasoned and thickened milk, as a substitution for regular milk, the next time you make a bechamel sauce. Bon Appetit!

Baking in an R.V.

Walnut or Pecan Mini Muffins

These muffins are crisp on the outside, fragrant, dense and chewy on the inside. A great brunch treat, and perfect for a picnic basket, or take along snack while cruising. And, only six ingredients!

½ cup (4 oz.) packed brown sugar

¼ cup (1.25 oz.) all purpose flour

½ cup (2 oz.) chopped walnuts or pecans

1/3 cup (2.75 oz.) melted butter

1 egg

½ tsp. vanilla

Butter and flour a 12 mini muffin pan.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and nuts. Pulse several times, to chop the nuts and mix the sugar and flour.

In a medium bowl, melt butter on medium power in microwave, until just barely melted, remove and use residual heat to swirl and melt the butter completely. Add the egg and beat to combine and emulsify. Stir in the flour mixture, until just combined.Use a small scoop to divide the batter between the twelve mini muffin molds. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven, and immediately turn out onto cooling rack.Makes one dozen mini muffins.

This works in an R.V. oven, because the size of the muffin pan fits easily.This has no leavening agents, therefore, the dense texture.