If I could bake for our Favorite characters, I would. 

If I could bake for our pack, the International Wildflower Pack, I WOULD! 

Until the day we can all gather, enjoy the thoughts of sweets made just for you all. #IWP

RYA - Vanilla cake with Cherry chip icing

Sadly, I do not have a recipe for Cherry Chip Cake or Icing and have always bought Betty Crocker.  However in its place, I offer a Vanilla Chiffon Cake with Bordeaux Cherry topping.

Vanilla Chiffon Cake 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2 cup sifted extra fine cake flour

1 cup sugar

3 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 eggs, separated (yolks and whites are used in different places)

1/2 cup vegetable oil or softened butter

1/2 cup water

1 Tablespoon. vanilla extract

1 teapoon. cream of tartar

1 cup sugar

*1/4 c powdered sugar to dust slices with before serving.*

Combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in small mixing bowl. Make a well in center; add egg yolks, oil and water and vanilla. Beat at high speed for 5 minutes or until satiny smooth.

Combine egg whites (at room temperature) and cream of tartar in a large metal mixing bowl. Beat until soft peaks form. Add 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time. Beat about 4 minutes at medium speed until very stiff peaks form. Peaks should stand straight up when beaters are lifted.

Pour egg yolk mixture in a thin stream over entire surface of egg whites, gently folding mixture, into whites. Pour batter into 2 ungreased 10" Tube pan or 2 ungreased 12" spring-form rounds, spreading batter evenly with spatula. ( a Tube pan is also called a Bundt cake or Ring pan )

Bake at 325°F for 1 hour or until cake springs back when touched lightly.

Remove from oven. Invert cake  on cooling rack while still in Tube pan, and cool completely upside down before removing from tube pan. This helps the cake to gently detach from the pan while cooling. OR Allow cake to halfway cool before running a smooth knife around ring and unclip. 

Dust slices with *powdered sugar and serve with fresh or poached fruit. This cake is also good with a simple lemon, lemon-mint, or orange spiced glaze. 

Bordeaux Cherry topping 

Basically this is a red wine and honey poached cherry sauce. I used fresh  cherries but you can use frozen. 

1 lb sweet dark cherries (Bing, Black, Skeena, Chinese) pitted and stemmed.

2/3 cup sugar

 1/2 cup honey

1 1/2 cup Merlot wine or other sweet or semi-sweet red wine.  ( fyi Bordeaux is a vineyard region in France) (This can be made with 100% pure juice if you don't want to make it with alcohol.)

Bring to a low boil for 5-10 minutes, stir regularly.  Remove from heat and let cherries sit in liquid for up to half an hour, remove cherries with a slotted spoon. Over a medium heat, reduce remaining liquid by half, i will develop a more syrupy consistency. Cool and add cherries back into syrup. Serve over cake (or anything) with Creme Fresh or whipped cream.

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CORA - Tiramisu

1/2 cup brewed espresso or very strong coffee, cooled

1/4 cup Amaretto (almond liqueur) or Kalula (coffee liqueur) 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 large egg yolks

1/4 cup  granulated sugar, divided

8 ounces  mascarpone cheese (about 1 1/4 cups)

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

18 to 20 Italian ladyfingers or a 1 lb vanilla pound cake cut into 1/2 inch slices

2 Tablespoons instant mocha coffee powder for dusting

1/4 cup finely grated sweet dark chocolate

First step :

 Whisk together coffee, 2 tablespoons of the liqueur, vanilla extract, and a tablespoon of the sugar. Set aside.

Second step: 

Vigorously whisk egg yolks, 2 tablespoons of Liqueur,  3 tablespoons of sugar in a in a double boiler on very low simmer (or if you don't have a double boiler- use a  bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water)  for 5 to 10 minutes. The mixture will triple in volume. Do not stop whisking  until removed from the heat. A hand mixer on medium is good for those with easily tired wrists.  

Remove the mixture from heat. Put mixture in a bowl and fold  in mascarpone cheese until just combined. Allow to cool partially

Whip cream in a bowl until it holds stiff peaks. 

Gently fold in half of the whipped cream into the slightly cooled mixture, then the remaining half just until fully blended. Use a gentle hand. 

Third step: 

Dip half of the ladyfingers very quickly into the coffee, and line the bottom of a 9-inch square dish. OR lay  slices of pound cake on the bottom of the 9-inch square pan and spoon 1/2 of the coffee mixture over the cake.

Spoon half of the filling mixture over the ladyfingers or cake layer and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle half the grated chocolate and coffee powder over mixture. 

 Then repeat the ladyfinger /cake layer  and arrange a second layer over filling and chocolate.

Followed by spooning the remaining filling mixture over ladyfingers/ cake layer, the sprinkle with remaining dark chocolate and mocha powder. Cover with plastic food wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving. 

Then tell your guest you forgot to make desert and offer them whatever stale cookies are in the back of the cupboard and wait for them to leave. Change into fluffy pajamas, make a decaf cappuccino or hot cocoa and eat from 9-inch glass baking dish with a large spoon. Makes 1 Serving.  :D 

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CORALINE - Whiskey Poached Pears

  4  large pears, Firm but ripe, peeled, halved and cored ( nobody wants to eat seeds)

Step 1: 

 Combine in food processor until smooth, chill in refridgerator

1 cup mascarpone cheese or cream cheese

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon whiskey

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Step 2:

In a sauce pan large enough to hold your pear halves, Combine

1 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup whiskey (or spiced rum)

4 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoon sugar

1/4 tea ginger

1/4 tea cinnamon 

  2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice  

Simmer on medium until sugar and honey are dissolved, do not let boil.

Place pears in pan so they are covered, DO NOT STIR or the pears will break apart as they poach.  May turn over once or twice during poaching but cooking pears are fragile. It is easier to just spoon some of the liquid over exposed pear butts. Simmer on low for 10-15 minutes, until pears are tender.  Remove pears from heat and allow cool. Increase heat to medium and reduce liquid by half to use to dress the pears and cheese. 

Step 3:

Place 2 pear halves on a plate with a generous spoon of the cheese mix. Can be served alone or in a cooked pastry shell or with a slice of simple pound cake or angel food cake.

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Luna Catherine - Stuffed apples wrapped in filo 

Filo or pastry dough is available in pre-made sheets so this turns into a really quick desert to make in a cupcake pan. I love stuffed baked apples in Autumn. I just do, it is a change of seasons thing. 

Preheat oven to 350- 365 degrees F.

6 baking apples, cored,  and peeled or not peeled your choice. 

Wrap in a 4-6 in square of dough and set in a cupcake wax or foil in a cup cake pan, leave the top of the dough open.

Filling: Mix together thoroughly.

3/4 cup brown sugar,

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 cup chopped walnuts or almonds

1/2 cup chopped dried fruit (raisins, dates, cran-raisins, oranges or a mix of them

1/4 cup quick oats

Pack mixture into apple, and I mean press it in there very firmly! Stuff them the way you will be stuffing yourself into your favorite skinny jeans after the holidays!

Brush the tops of the pastry  with butter and sprinkle with a little coarse sugar. Bake for 45 -50 minutes. 

Cool  15 minutes before serving minimum or burn  your tongue on the the apple-y goodness.

Another sinful way to make this is to stuff a soft caramel into the top of the apples before baking. 

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Luna Grace - Pumpkin pie 

 Pre-heat oven to 400°F.

Step 1 : Pie crust recipe (or just buy a pre-made pie shell or pie crust dough.)

Sift together :

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Cut in :1/3 cup butter flavored shortening or sweet unsalted butter

 Add 2-3 tablespoons cold water to get dough to ball up. 

Roll out on a floured surface and place in a very lightly sprayed 9" pie tin. Do not over-roll or over-work the pie dough or it will get stiff when it bakes. Trim excess dough from edge of tin and pinch with thumb or score with fork. 

Step 2: Pumpkin Pie Filling

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

Blend in a large mixing bowl until smooth, it will appear very liquidy. 

Carefully pour pumpkin filling into pie crust.  

Step 3 : Baking Directions

 Increase oven temperature to 425°F.

 Bake for 15 minutes at 425°F, on the center rack. 

 Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake about 45 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Place pie on cooling rack. Cool completely and serve with whipped cream.

This is considered a 12 serving pie but to the youngest of the minionettes, it is a single serving pie and the source of  her "I don't know what y'all are going to eat" attitude.  AND that is why Mama always makes 2 pumpkin pies. Sometimes I cut leaves out of the extra pie dough and put them on the top of the pie around the edges after the initial 15 minute bake. I saw this on pinterest.  A tiny dot of dough helps secure the leaves to the edge. I also bake several on a cookie sheet for about 8 minutes to use as garnish. A foil ring around the edge will also help keep the leaves from getting too brown. 

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9.2018 - CLAYTON is published!!!

Clayton (The Wildflower Series) by Rachelle Mills https://www.amazon.com/dp/164034487X/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_S8sbDbB084P46 via @amazon

2.2019- DALLAS is published!!!

Dallas (The Wildflower Series Book 2) by Rachelle Mills https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MXRVB7M/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_o9sbDbPFY61NH via @amazon
Find them on Amazon

::Thank you to Rachelle for allowing this CLAYTON Fanfiction to be published.:: 

If you are reading this on a site that is not Wattpad, it has been taken

and published without my permission.