German Chocolate Bundt Cake

 

Did you know November 15th is National Bundt Day?  Any holiday that celebrates bundt cakes is alright in my books.   Serendipitously I recently bought Martha Stewart's latest tome, Martha Stewart's Cake Perfection, and the first recipe I wanted to make was the German Chocolate Bundt Cake.  From the shiny ganache frosting to the decadent coconut pecan filling it was just screaming, "Make Me!"  It was also the perfect excuse (as if I needed one) to buy Nordicware Fleur De Lis Bundt pan.

I diverted slightly from the recipe by using buttermilk, instead of whole milk and white vinegar, because that's what I had on hand and I think it makes for a moister crumb.  The best part of the cake is really the coconut pecan filling; it is absolutely delicious and not too sweet.  I couldn't help but sneak samples of it as I was making the cake batter.  One tip: the instructions say to fill the cake pan with all the batter and then dollop the filling on top,  but I  found the filling didn't sink to the bottom of the pan as the instructions stated.  Next time I'll spread half the cake batter, then add the filling and finally the remaining cake batter.   

The cake baked up beautifully and tasted fantastic.  I can't think of a better way to celebrate National Bundt Day!

Hummingbird Cake

Can you believe this is the first time I've ever made a Hummingbird Cake?  I'd heard of this Southern dessert before but never actually got around to trying it for myself.  Ironic if you think about it because it contains so many things that I love: bananas, pineapple and pecans.

I found a no-fuss recipe from Cook's Country and decided to turn it into a bundt cake rather than the traditional layer.  I adore anything pineapple and what I love about this recipe is that the pineapple flavor is really amplified by reducing the juice to a concentrate. 

To finish the cake I made a simple icing using powdered sugar, pineapple juice and a drop or two of yellow food color.  It definitely has a technicolor effect, but I actually kind of like that!

Wannabe Raincoast Crisps

 

If you ever tasted Raincoast Crisps you probably had the same reaction I had, "OMG...these things are delicious and so addictive!" and then "I wish they weren't so expensive."  At about $10 for a small box they definitely weren't an everyday snack.  

Don't know why I didn't think of it sooner but I recently found an amazing recipe online that replicates these dried fruit and nut crisps perfectly.  In fact, a friend who I gave samples to said they tasted even better than the original!  Now if that isn't a seal of approval I don't know what is.   

I highly recommend you try making these yourself - they're so easy to recreate at home and cost a lot less too.  The crisps are really delicious with some cheese and fresh fruit jam.  The recipe is easily adaptable to whatever dried fruit and nut combination you like.  I split one recipe in half so I could have two flavors: fig/hazelnut and cranberry/pecan.  These crackers are fantastic served with your favorite cheese.  I plan on making tons to give as part of my holiday gifts.