The Pastry Queen, a collection of my favorite recipes from Rebecca Rather

One of my favorite Cookbook authors is Rebecca Rather. If I had to choose 1 Chef and their Cookbooks to live with for the rest of my life it would be hers. She has published 3 books and I love everything she bakes! She has Savory along with Sweet recipes.
I decided to post a collection of my favorites and that was not an easy task.
If you like anything you see her, I highly recommend buying her books.

I know that everyone has their favorite recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies. We believe that the Original Toll House Cookie tops the list.
However, there are also decadent recipes for them and I honestly believe this recipe could be it!

This is another recipe from Rebecca Rather, The Pastry Queen from Fredericksburg , Texas.

Rebecca says..... " They are not too chewy and not too crunchy - they are just right".
This recipe makes about 5 dozen 3 1/2" cookies.


1 1/2 C walnuts
1 1/2 C pecans
1 C (2sticks) butter, room temperature
1 C firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 C granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 TBS vanilla
2 1/3 C all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 scant tsp salt
3 C chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Chips)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Arrange nuts on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast for 7 - 9 minutes.
Cool completely and coarsely chop

Line sheet pans with parchment paper or Silpat
Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment

Cream, for 1 minute, until creamy:
butter
brown sugar
granulated sugar
Add:
eggs
vanilla

Add:
eggs
vanilla
Beat on medium speed for 1 minute

Add: (See Note Below)
flour
baking soda
salt
Mix on medium-low speed until well incorporated.

Stir in, by hand:
walnuts
pecans
chocolate chips
The dough will be very stiff...... use your muscles!

Use a 1 3/4" cookie scoop, spacing the dough 2" apart on a baking sheet.
Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until medium brown around the edges.
As long as the edges are brown, the soft middle will disappear as they cool
The cookies will spread to about 3 1/2".

Cool on the sheet pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooking rack until completely cool.

Note:
Here's Rebecca's Tip,
If you have a heavy duty stand mixer with at least 525 watts, Add the flour, baking soda, salt, walnuts, pecans and chocolate chips all at once with the paddle attachment and turn the mixer on and off every 5 seconds or so until completely incorporated.

We have the Kitchenaid 6 quart, 590 Watt Mixer. It does all the work!

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!



Tropical Carrot Cake from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather.
I've adapted the recipe without changing the integrity of the original one.

I've added photographs of the one that I made.

This is the only Carrot Cake I make. I believe it's the best I have ever tasted.  I hope you take some time to try this recipe if you love Carrot Cake.

This is the best Carrot Cake we have ever eaten.
Rebecca is the daughter of Dan Rather and had a Restaurant in Fredericksburg, Texas called The Pink Pig.
Since posting this Blog, the restaurant has closed.

Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3 - 9" Cake Pans brushed well with Pan Release Mix. (equal parts of Crisco, Vegetable Oil and Flour) I start with 1 C of each mixed well and refrigerated in a jar. I always have it available for all of my baking needs.


Cake:

1 C Macadamia Nuts
3 C Flour
3 C granulated Sugar
1 TBS Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1 TBS Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1 1/2 C Sweetened Flaked Coconut
4 Large Eggs
2 TBS Vanilla
1 1/2 C Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 C Shredded peeled Carrots
1 1/2 C Crushed Pineapple, drained.
1/2 C Sweetened Cream of Coconut ( Coco Lopez)

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:

3 (8oz.) packages of Cream Cheese, room temperature
1/2 C Confectioner's Sugar
1/4 C Heavy Cream
1/4 C Coco Lopez
1/2 tsp Salt


Arrange the Nuts on a sheet pan and roast them for 7 - 8 minutes.
Set aside until they're cool enough to chop.

Place one oven rack 1/3 from the bottom of the oven and the second one 2/3 from the bottom.

In a large mixing bowl:
Flour
Sugar
Baking Soda
Salt
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Coconut
Chopped Nuts
Whisk well.

In a medium mixing bowl:
Eggs
Vanilla
Oil
Carrots
Pineapple
Cream of Coconut
Whisk well.

Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine well. Do not over mix.

Pour the batter equally among the 3 cake pans.
Stagger the pans in the oven so that they're not directly over each other.
Place 2 pans on 1 rack and the third pan on the other rack.

Bake for 30 - 35 minutes.
A toothpick in the center should come out clean and the tops should be golden brown.

Remove the pans to a rack and cool for 10 minutes.
Invert the cakes onto Parchment Paper lined racks to cool completely.

Prepare the Frosting.

In a Stand Mixer with a Paddle Attachment on medium high speed:
Cream Cheese
Confectioner's Sugar
Beat for 1 -3 minutes.

Add:
Heavy Cream
Cream of Coconut
Salt
Beat just to combine.

Place 1 layer of cake on a serving platter.
Spread with a thick layer of frosting.
Add the second layer of cake.
Spread with a thick layer of frosting.
Add the third layer and frost the top and sides of the cake with an even layer of frosting.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Some of the best Homemade Corn Muffins I have ever made.

Corn Muffins

3/4 C (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted
3 C heavy cream
3 large eggs
3 1/2 C all purpose flour
1 1/2 C coarse cornmeal plus extra for topping
1 C sugar
2 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 C corn kernels, fresh, frozen(thawed) or canned(drained).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Generously grease or spray 24 standard muffin cups or line them with muffin liners.

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, pour in the butter, cream, eggs into the bowl of the mixer.
Add flour, cornmeal sugar baking powder and salt on top.

Mix at medium speed just until the ingredients are combined and not lumpy.
Stir the corn into the batter.

Use a cookie scoop and fill the muffin cups 2/3's full of batter.
Sprinkle the tops with cornmeal.

Bake for 12 - 15 minutes, until lightly brown. They should spring back when you touch the tops lightly with your fingertips.
Serve warm


Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!



Beer Bread

Here's what Rebecca said about this recipe:
"Around here, beer bread recipes are as common as cowboy hats."

She is so right, "it's a Texas thing"!
"Beer Bread lends itself to numerous mix-ins, including chopped chives, chopped jalapenos, green onions or any grated cheese." Fold into the batter by hand.

3 C all purpose flour
1 TBS baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 TBS sugar
1 (12oz.) bottle of "good" beer. (we use Shiner Bock, from Texas)
1/2 C (1 stick) butter, melted

Option: Add 2 1/2 C grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Generously grease a 9"X5" loaf pan with butter or cooking spray.

Medium bowl:
flour
baking powder
salt
sugar
Whisk well
(At this point you would stir in the cheese)

Pour in beer and stir until incorporated, do not over beat.
Pour half the melted butter into the pan.
Spoon in the batter.
Pour the remaining butter on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 - 60 minutes.
The top will be bumpy and golden brown.

Remove from pan and serve immediately.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!