Carrot Spice Muffins

I started to feel like an impostor cook so yesterday I grabbed a cookbook & threw together these muffins for my kiddies. If you want an indication that your kids haven't had a home made baked snack in awhile observe how long they are willing to stand in front of the oven & count down the seconds till it's finished baking. Mine, stood there for 7 minutes counting it down......grim!

So, this recipe come from my reliable source Dorie Greenspan, I've even tagged all the recipes of hers that I've covered so far on this blog. They are generally WINNERS! So take heed. And here's the recipe for the muffins(changes I made in blue):

2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c light brown sugar (I only had brown sugar so I used a little less than 2/3 cup of sugar total)
1 tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 c flavorless oil, such as canola, safflower or corn
2 large eggs
3/4 whole milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 c shredded carrots
1/2 c shredded sweetened coconut (I didn't have these so I upped my carrots to 1 1/2 c)
1/3 c moist, plump currents or raisins
1/3 c pecans or walnuts, toasted, cooled & chopped

Center rack in the oven & preheat the oven to 375f (180c) grease 12 molds in a regular size muffin pan, or 6 jumbo muffin tins.

In a large bowl whisk together dry ingredients. In a large glass measuring cup of bowl whisk oil, eggs, milk & vanilla extract together until well combined. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients & with a whisk or rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don't worry about being thorough -- a few lumps are better than overmixing the batter. Stir in the carrots, coconuts, currants & nuts. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for about 20 min, or until a think knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from it's mold.
Note: These muffins are great warm but taste even better when they're given a little time to cool. Like many sweet spices the flavor intensifies with time. Best eaten the day they are made but if you keep them overnight, give them a toss into the oven for a few min, or split in the toaster.

Caramel Pumpkin Pie

I promise to not do any more caramel after this but I had to give you this recipe in time for you Thanksgiving cooks.

This pie has a great way of making caramel that I think you "classroom scientific" type cooks will find fun. It involves smoking sugar in a pan & other such questionable behavior. But all in all quite interesting. Remember when they'd tell you that white sugar was brown sugar burnt? Well, caramel, apparently is white sugar burnt....and, gosh darn it.....somehow it's brown again. So, we're all good!

And the result is of course fantastic. The caramel will give your pie a really rich dark color (if you make your caramel right). And served at room temp with ice-cream. It was fantissimo! I'd say it's probably for a more grown up audience, esp if you let the caramel darken enough. I served it to my grandparents & was slightly embarrassed when Miss 2# announced, "Is that Rum? I knew I recognized the taste". heh!!

I've left the recipe in it's entirety as it's something you want to read through before you start.

You can also find my pie crust recipe here. Have fun!! And lemmie know what you're making for Thanksgiving. I'm looking forward to my unique Thanksgiving & contemplating what to make that won't involve baking anything other than the turkey in the last 4 hours before dinner. Any ideas?

Caramel Pumpkin Pie

1 9 inch single pie crust Partially baked & cooled

1 c sugar
3/4 c heavy cream
2 tbsp dark rum or cognac
2 tbsp unsalted butter cut into 4 pieces
1 c pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
pinch of nutmeg and allspice
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Getting ready:
Center rack in oven & preheat the oven to 350 f (175 c)

Sprinkley 1/2 c sugar evenly over the bottom of a large nonstick skillet. Place the skillet over medium heat & staying close cook until the sugar melts & starts to color. Once you see a little color gently swirl till it turns deep amber -- almost mahogany. The sugar will bubble up & foam & start to smoke. It's very dramatic & might make you think you've gone too far, but you want a dark (though not burned black) color; the darker the sugar the fuller the flavor. When the bubble s have gone from foamy to big & fat, you will probably have reached the right color. To check, drop a bit of the caramelized sugar on a white plate.

Lower the heat to medium, stand back & pour the cream into the skillet. The sugar will bubble & hiss &, if the cream was cold may even clump. Just continue to cook, stirring, and it will even out. Add the rum & butter & cook just until the caramel is smooth. Pour the caramel into a heatproof bowl or pitcher & cool for about 15 min.

Working with a whisk in a large bowl, beat the pumpkin to break it up & smooth it. Add the remaining 1/2 c of sugar & beat to blend. Whisk in the spices, salt, vanilla & eggs. beating until the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the caramel. Rap the bowl against the counter a few times to de-bubble the filling then pour into the crust.

Bake for 45-50 min, or until the filling is puffed and set -- tap the pan gently and the filling won't giggle. A think knife inserted into the center of the pie will come out clean. It will also leave a gash in the filling but you'll be covering it with whipped cream.

Trasfer the pie to a rack & cool to room temp, or cool & refrigereate. When you are ready to serve. Spread the lightly whipped cream over the top of the pie.

Speaking of Caramel.......Try this! -- Caramel Peanut Topped Brownie Cake

Caramel Peanut Topped Brownie Cake (by Dorie Greenspan)

I know this is going a bit far, but if you have a special occasion for a yummy little treat you've gotta try THIS one. It's chewy, it's goey & it's PERFECT for a caramel/chocolate lover. The recipe is long but result is well worth it. Lemmie know how it goes for you.

PS. I did cut out the white sugar in the cake but don't try cutting any sugar in the caramel sauce or you'll have a mess. Good Luck!

Pic & write up of recipe borrowed from wee treats by tammy's blog because mine looks like this....

Yeah, looks like someone overindulged in whip cream.

For the cake:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 stick(8 TBSP) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 large eggs
½ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
3 TBSP light corn syrup
½ tsp vanilla extract

For the topping:

2 cups sugar
½ cup water
1 ½ TBSP light corn syrup
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 TBSP unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup salted peanuts

Butter and flour a 8 inch springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Put the pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

To make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together. Melt chocolate and butter together using a double boiler.

In a large bowl whisk the eggs and sugars together until well blended. Whisk in the corn syrup, followed by the vanilla. Whisk in the melted butter and chocolate. Still working with a whisk, gently stir in the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. You will have a thick, smooth, shiny batter. Pour the batter into the pan and jiggle the pan a bit to even out the batter.

Bake the cake at 350F for 40-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out almost clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool he cake for 15 minutes, then run a knife between the cake and the pan and remove the sides of the pan. During baking the cake probably will have puffed to the top of the pan don’t be concerned if tit sinks a little or it if develops a crater in the center. Cool the cake to room temperature.

When the cake is completely cool, invert it, remove the base of the pan and peel off the paper. Wash and dry the springform pan, and return the cake to it right side up. Refasten the sides around the cake.

To make the topping:

Put the sugar, water and corn syrup in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan, stir just to combine the ingredients and then put the pan over medium-high heat. Heat, without stirring , until the caramel turns deep amber., 5-10 minutes. Lower the heat a bit and, standing back from the saucepan add the cream and butter. When the spatters are less vehement, stir to calm down the caramel and dissolve any lumps. Stir in the peanuts, and pour the caramel and peanuts into a 1-quart Pyrex measuring cup or heat proof bowl.

Spoon the peanuts on top of the cake. Then spoon the caramel on top of those. You’ll have a layer about ¼ inch high. Allow the topping to set to room temperature-about 20 minutes before serving.

To serve, run a blunt knife between the caramel and the pan and simply remove the sides of the springform. If this isn’t the case, hit the sides with some hot air from a hairdryer or wrap the sides in a towel moistened with hot water.

Vanilla Poppy Seed Cake

Good Morning Everyone. Sorry it's been ages since I last posted. Nothing like a summer school break with lots of action to keep me exhausted.

These mornings have been cool but still sunny. This morning I even had a hot coffee on the patio taking a moment to stand under the trumpet blossoms & hang out with the latest tenant turtle dove whose built his nest in our trumpet vine about how things are going in his part of town. Somehow his red eye with that little beady black dot in the center makes me think he's got insomnia. And he never seems to leave the nest or I'd climb up there & sneak a peek.

I haven't baked in ages n' ages. I'm not sure why. I just don't feel like firing up the oven if I at all possible but birthday season is upon us next week starting with the #3's 8th Birthday on the 4th of Sept. So I'm trying to scratch my brain for ideas.

And...as promised a recipe. I made this one awhile ago & would certainly make it again. Reducing the sugar from 1 1/3 c to 1 made it passable as breakfast fare esp when served with fresh berries or fruit. Course if you start with adding cream then I feel you're venturing into the "coffee break num-nums" territory.

In anycase....hope you enjoy it the way a hoard of hungry children did when they scarfed it down. :)
Vanilla Poppy Seed Cake (from my beloved "Joy of Coffee" book)

1/2 c poppy seeds
3/4 c milk
1/2 c plain yogurt
2 1/3 c all purpose flour
1 tbsp b. powder
1/2 tsp b. soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
3 large eggs seperated
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F (165 c) Grease & flour 10" tube pan

In small bowl stir poppy seeds, milk & yogurt set aside.

Stir together flour/b. powder/b. soda/salt in medium bowl.

In large bowl with electric mixer cream together butter & sugar till well blended, @ 2 min. (stand mixer works fine too)

Add egg yolks & vanilla blend thoroughly about a minute.

Add flour mixture alternating with poppy seed mixture, starting & ending w/ flour.

In separate bowl whisk egg whites till stiff, stir spoonful of whites into batter to lighten it gently stir in the rest

Pour batter into pan. Bake 50 min till cake is golden & toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on wire rack completely before removing from pan. Serve sliced at room temp. Refrigerate covered for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 4 mo.


Voila!

Peanut Butter Torte

I finally got a chance to try out this torte at our birthday party for all the little Aries kids.

This tasty was for the mommies & the daddies who nursed a coffee in one hand, nursed a baby in the other & stuffed a bite of THIS baby in between.

The best thing about making this was the fact that Peter (a genuine French man) grabbed my arm & muttered to me in his soothing French accent about how his "Mama" would make him a similar Chocolate Torte & this took him back, "Ow, did you make iiit?". That just warmed my heart!

This has all the elements of adult tasty goodness, it's rich, creamy, nutty & certainly got a bit of an edge with the bitter chocolate ganache. So if you want something new to try for a birthday, try it!!

So, Peter, this is how I made it. Though I didn't follow the recipe word for word (I'll show my changes in Blue) it still turned out great for me. For anyone who cares this is another Dorie Greenspan recipe.

Munchi-munch!
Thanks for the pics Merch!

PS. If anyone thinks this recipe doesn't make very many servings (it says 6-8), you've got to be kidding. It's much too rich for more than a small slice with a good cup of coffee.
---------------

Peanut Butter Torte

1 ¼ c. finely chopped salted peanuts (for the filling, crunch and topping) I only ended up using about 3/4 a c.

2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon instant espresso powder (or finely ground instant coffee)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
½ c. mini chocolate chips (or finely chopped semi sweet chocolate)

24 Oreo (or other brand) cookies, finely crumbed or ground in a food processor or blender (I just used cookies from the 100Y store & added 3 tbsp cocoa to give it more color)
½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Small pinch of salt (I skipped this)

2 ½ c. heavy cream (Don't skimp on the cream, I did accidentally & mixed 1/2 milk 1/2 cream for the ganache....BIG BOO BOO...it nearly curdled!)
1 + ¼ c (114 g + 28 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted (I don't remember now, but I didn't use quite that much sugar at all I believe I only used 1/4 c for the cream & 1/2 c for the cream cheese)
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ c (385 g) salted peanut butter –- crunchy or smooth (not natural; I use Skippy) (So DID I!!)
2 tablespoons whole milk
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (The bitter, the better!)

Getting ready:
center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch Springform pan and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat. (I just buttered my springform pan, gotta keep it simple)

Toss ½ cup of the chopped peanuts, the sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and chocolate chops together in a small bowl. Set aside. (I ended up not adding any peanuts to this partially because I didn't read the recipe correctly but also I was using crunchy P.B. so I figured we could do w/o the extra crunch)

Crust:
Put the Oreo crumbs, melted butter and salt in another small bowl and stir with a fork just until crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the spring form pan (they should go up about 2 inches on the sides). Freeze the crust for 10 minutes.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a rack and let it cool completely before filling.

Filling:
Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, whip 2 cups of the cream until it holds medium peaks. Beat in ¼ cup of the confectioners’ sugar and whip until the cream holds medium-firm peaks. Scrape the cream into a bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Wipe out (do not wash) the bowl, fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment if you have one, or continue with the hand mixer, and beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until the cream cheese is satiny smooth. Beat in the peanut butter, ¼ cup of the chopped peanuts and the milk.

Using a large rubber spatula, gently stir in about one quarter of the whipped cream, just to lighten the mousse. Still working with the spatula, stir in the crunchy peanut mixture, then gingerly fold in the remaining whipped cream.

Scrape the mouse into the crust, mounding and smoothing the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight; cover with plastic wrap as soon as the mousse firms.

Ganache:
Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Leave the bowl over the water just until the chocolate softens and starts to melt, about 3 minutes; remove the bowl from the saucepan.

Bring the remaining ½ cup cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and , working with a a rubber spatula, very gently stir together until the ganache is completely blended and glossy.

Pour the ganache over the torte, smoothing it with a metal icing spatula. Scatter the remaining ½ cup peanuts over the top and chill to set the topping, about 20 minutes.

When the ganache is firm, remove the sides of the Springform pan; it’s easiest to warm the pan with a hairdryer, and then remove the sides, but you can also wrap a kitchen towel damped with hot water around the pan and leave it there for 10 seconds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pumpkin Muffins

This is a gooood Muffin. It took me a little by surpirse when it was done. As they seemed so crisp on the outside I was almost sure they would be dry inside. But they were oh-sooooo soft & moist

I was in a hurry & didn't add any rasins or nuts but if I make them again, I think I will for sure. Acutally when I was eating them I was almost sure I heard rasins soaked in rum whispering in my ear "You should've put me in.....nya ha ha!!" Well, OK, next time! I think it would've been the clincher. So again from Dorie Greenspan's book "Baking, From My Home to Yours" here they are: (My comments in blue)

PUMPKIN MUFFINS
Serves 12

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup (1 stick, 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature (Please use butter!)

1/2 cup sugar (I just used 1/2 a c of brown sugar & nixed the other 1/2 c)

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree, about 1/2 a 15-ounce can (Fresh is best!)

1/4 cup buttermilk (Whole milk is fine)

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon table salt

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch allspice

1/2 cup moist, plump golden raisins (If I had time I would've soaked them in rum for about 1/2 an hr)

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a large bowl, cream the butter till soft with an electric mixer. (I used my stand mixer, worked great) Add the sugars and continue to beat til smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Mix in the vanilla, pumpkin and buttermilk. (Don't worry, the 'curdled' look is natural)

Now use the mixer to combine the dry ingredients and wet batter but just until barely combined. (Too much mixing will create small holes in the muffins while baking.) (Again, I caution you to NOT OVERMIX, just till barely mixed) With a spatula, stir in the raisins (and the toasted nuts, if you prefer them inside versus on top, as the recipe specifies).

Spoon batter into lightly greased/sprayed medium-size muffin trays (papers work fine too) and fill. Sprinkle chopped toasted nuts on top, pressing gently into the batter.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a thin knife inserted in the center of a test muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and the baking tray, let cool for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins from the baking tin and serve. Best served warm for breakfast on a cold morning.

Cinnamon Chocolate Cake

Wow, something about a goopy-half eaten cake really makes me hungry. And that goopy mess, is just waiting for someone to snitch the frosting & crumbs on the plate.

We used to have a “dessert night” once every 2 weeks for the kids as they would only have fruits of veggies for snacks & birthdays come only in “Birthday Season” in our family (Sept-Jan). I suddenly became everyone’s bi-weekly best friend. Well, we got out of that habit, but every once in awhile an occasion comes along to celebrate & it’s Snackie time again!

So there was this great guy, Danny, and he stayed with us for 2 months to help us with our motley crew, bless his heart. (I wonder if he’ll ever recover from that?) And I promised the kids that we’d have a fake birthday party for him before he left. It was marvelous. Course we couldn’t have him turn 16 before his time, eh-hum, so we turned him 2 instead, kids thought it was great. Put on party hats, sang the song, danced the dance & ate the cake!

Now if you must know, I don’t like making cakes! So there! They’re just unoriginal! And for some reason I’m almost never pleased with the result. I’m not sure what kind of shocking result I’m looking for, but anyway, it’s just always so predictably normal. Here’s the worst of it (shield your eyes) ½ the time my cakes come out looking pregnant. (Sure, go ahead & laugh, it’ s funny). In case you’re wondering, NO, when I’m pregnant they do not come out flat!

The most boring cake I can think of is a chocolate cake. I’m sorry chocolate people! Dad, sorry! I like to eat it, but cooking it is just boooooring, let’s face it. You put all the business in yada-yada-ya….& it’s all brown & “chocolate like” & it turns out just like you want it….like a chocolate cake.

If you can believe it I only have 2 chocolate cake recipes. One is for German Chocolate Cake (enter “holy-grail-Grandpa-Jay’s” music),
...the other is a Chocolate Forest Gateau, that’s been a regular in my family. So Danny-boy (for that is what we called him) when asked to choose ANY dessert, came up with this “ummmm…….wow…….well…..I like anything sweet, really!!” (Tsk…tsk) Not the appropriate answer. (Hint, in case I ever ask you: Get real elaborate using words like “chiffon/triple layer/puff pastry” etc….)

Don’t ask me why, but I went for the chocolate cake. I found it HERE!! A Cinnamon Chocolate Cake, and if you can believe it, this was a chocolate cake I WOULD make again. It was simple, EASY & very fast (both cooking time & prep time) also the frosting you can put on when it’s warm so that’s just great for me.
How was it!! Gosh, it was actually pretty darn good, it must’ve been the cinnamon but it had a spicy undertone, moist, dark, rich & the topping was something groovy too, shiny thick & a little sticky. Even though I didn’t use the blasphemous (but probably really fun to use) icing sugar in the frosting. OK, I did use granulated sugar, go ahead & pelt me with your “Healthy living” rioting signboards. (Hides face behind grubby cookbook) but next time I’d be willing to try brown.

I did of course cut down the sugar in the cake by a little more than ½. The recipe calls for 2 cups, I used ¾ c of brown. And the frosting I used 1 c. of granulated sugar. By golly, why do people use so much sugar in their recipes? I’d say by the time you get to more than 1 ½ c of sugar in a cake you’re tongue looses all sanity & it tastes the same as if you put 3 cups. Well, I guess that's it!

Tuesday Morning & Honey Nut Scones

I don't know about you but I may just turn this into a "bickie & breakie" blog. Breakfast is my favorite meal to make, esp. on our "Family Day". Nothing like waking up at an ungodly hour to have a quiet moment or two, then slapping on the headphones & going to work in the kitchen.

These are my Honey Nut Scones, without the nuts. (though there were plenty of......eh-hum........nuts......at the breakfast table.)

Again taken from Dorie Greenspan's book. The original recipe is called "Honey Nut Scone" but I didn't have the nuts so I put in raisins, and it worked great. I tell you, that "whole wheat" taste makes you feel like you're in a little house on a certain prairie. Goooood stuff.

If I may for a moment address the issue of "BUTTER". It really deserves a post of it's own, but I don't have the time. BUTTER, is not MARGARINE! OK?? It's sad that the price went up about 20% or more, but when things like, scones, pie crusts, or cookies call for BUTTER......you really ought to try BUTTER. I'm not trying to be snobby about it but if I couldn't afford butter I'd just as well not make it at all and wait till I've saved up my juu-yens, OKEY-DOKEY!

Here's an experiment: Open a tub of Margarine & put it out in your garden..........how come no buggies, animals or creepy crawlers are eating it? HMMMMM??? Well, I buy a 500g. block at Chiba Sogo for about 800Y and take loving care of my "yellow gold".

Ingredients
1 large egg
3 tbsp honey
1/2 cup cold whole milk
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
8 tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I used raisins)

Directions
Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together the egg, honey and milk in a small bowl.
In another bowl, whisk together the "DRY'S" in a large bowl. Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until you have flakes, pea-sized pieces, and crumbs.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a fork until the dough just comes together; it should be wet and sticky. Stir in the chopped walnuts.
While the dough is still in the bowl, use your hands to gently gather and knead the dough about 8-10 times. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat it into a 1-inch thick round disk. Using a sharp knife, cut the disk into 8 wedges, and place the wedges on the baking sheet.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes (better to time for 15 and check them), until the tops are golden brown and firmish to the touch. Transfer to a rack and cool.
Makes 8 scones.

Bill's Big Carrot Cake!

It's big, it's Bill's, and it's a carrot cake! No more of this oil laiden Concoction to dispose of the excess carrots. This cake is the REAL deal. Imagine people actually “requesting” carrot cake for their birthday? Well, maybe I suffer from “bad-carrot-cake-memory” syndrome. But this cake is really the King of all. Not for the fainthearted. Credit goes to Dorie Greenspan from her book "From My Kitchen to Yours" (Memo: Beware this book will blind you for life! Don't ever read it. Some of my kids would look at the pictures for Parent time till I realized they were getting hyper from just LOOKING at all that sugar.). Of course we must not forget to give credit to Bill. Acording to her book he was (now deceased) a family friend who would bring this over everytime he came visit. (Man, I need a visitor like that!)

Originally "Bill’s Big Carrot cake", we have digressed to calling it “Big Bill’s”. Somehow this chunky funky cake seems so much more appealing if you think of a good old round-Colonial Sanders-portly type of Bill in the kitchen, listening to blues & throwing in handfuls of shredded coconut & (heck) why not some more walnuts, & lathering the whole decadent masterpiece in cream frosting till it was oozing out of the 3 or 4 layered cake.

Here’s one link to the recipe. Mind you be sure to cut the sugar down by half or less, the dried fruit does the work for you. (these Americans, tsk tsk). And it's also so much better the next day. Not that it will survive till then. I would say it can survive fine without walnuts. (stone me, you nut-nuts) But the coconuts are the real clincher! As for the frosting. I used honey (to taste) mixed into the cheese and folded the cream cheese & butter into whipped cream (about 1 c.) to stretch it. You'll need it, for the snitching!

So thanks Bill, You're invited to my part of the heavenly hood anytime you like.