Eggnog Cake with Eggnog-pecan frosting

original recipe
serves 12

Ingredients

    Cake:
    1/2 cup butter, room temperature
    1 1/4 cups white sugar
    3 eggs, room temperature
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
    2 cups all-purpose flour
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 cup prepared eggnog (or see notes for recipe)
    2 tablespoons bourbon whiskey

    Frosting: (makes too  much, consider halving)
    1/4 cup all-purpose flour
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1 1/2 cups prepared eggnog (or see notes for recipe)
    1 cup butter, room temperature
    1 1/2 cups white sugar
    1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    1/4 teaspoon rum-flavored extract
    1/8 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
    1/2 cup finely chopped toasted pecans (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

If making cake: Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
If making cupcakes, place cupcake wrappers (standard or mini) in a cupcake pan.

Beat 1/2 cup butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add eggs, one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into butter mixture before adding the next. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon lemon peel, mixing well.

Combine 2 cups flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Pour flour mixture into the batter alternately with 1 cup eggnog, mixing until just incorporated. Stir in bourbon.


If making cake, divide batter evenly between prepared pans.

      Bake in preheated oven until cake springs back when touched lightly with a fingertip or a  
      toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes (test both cake layers).
      Cool in pans for 10 minutes before inverting on a wire rack to cool completely.

If making cupcakes, portion the batter into cupcake wrappers and bake accordingly: standard cupcakes bake for 18 min, mini cupcakes bake for 15 minutes.

Frosting
    To make frosting, combine 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in 1 1/2 cups eggnog, whisking until smooth.
    Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. When mixture boils, cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool completely to room temperature.
    Beat 1 cup butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in cooled eggnog mixture, 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, rum extract, and 1/8 teaspoon grated lemon peel. Beat on high speed until mixture is fully incorporated and frosting is fluffy.



Cake Construction
    Spread cake with plain frosting between cake layers, over the top and on the sides. Coat the sides with toasted pecans, pressing the nuts onto sides in small handfuls. Refrigerate until serving time.

For cupcakes, spread frosting on the cupcakes, or pipe it with a pastry bag.

Fruitcake Shortbread

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg, room temperature
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups dried cherries and dried pineapple, chopped into chunks
1 cup chopped pecans, chopped in halves
1/3 c. brandy

First, chop the fruit and set into a bowl. Pour brandy over the fruit and microwave for 45 seconds. Let the fruit soak in the warmed brandy while mixing the remaining ingredients.

Cream the butter and powdered sugar with the butter and egg. Mix the flour and cream of tartar into the butter mixture. When its thoroughly incorporated, add the fruit and mix until evenly distributed.

Divide the dough in half and spread each half onto a sheet of wax or parchment paper. Roll this up into a tube that is roughly 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Freeze both for 1 hour.

When ready to bake, preheat oven for 375 degrees. Set oven racks to the middle. Unwrap the frozen dough and slice with a good knife, cutting each cookie to be 1/3 of an inch thick. (1/4 inch comes out  a bit too thin and overcooked) Bake for 11-13 minutes or until light golden brown.

Cool on rack.

Italian Buttermilk Bread

2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour, plus extra for work surface
2 teaspoons table salt
1 cup buttermilk, cold
1/3 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons molasses
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast or 1 package

If using a bread machine:
Add dry ingredients to the machine's bucket.  Mix the boiling water into the buttermilk, so that it is a slightly warm temperature. Mix the molasses, & melted butter into that and pour into the bucket. Set the machine to the dough setting and let it mix. Take the dough out after 1 hour.

Work the dough on a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Set oven for 350 degrees and let it warm for roughly 20-25 seconds. It should feel pleasantly warm, but not hot. Lightly coat a large bowl with olive oil and place the dough ball in it. Set the bowl in the oven and allow to rise for 45 minutes.

The dough should double in size in this time. Remove from bowl and re-knead one last time into a smooth ball. Then place this ball on a baking sheet that is lightly floured. If oven is not warm any longer, re-goose it until pleasantly warm. Set the sheet with dough into the oven and allow to rise another 30 minutes.

Once risen, bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.