Buttermilk Spice Skillet Cake with Praline Topping

IT Guy loves anything praline-y. I love to use my cast iron skillet. So a praline cake was born. Talk about easy! Holy cow...I could do this blindfolded! With one hand tied behind my back! Okay...not really...but it IS an easy cake. And delicious to boot!

Buttermilk Spice Skillet Cake 
with Praline Topping



2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup butter ~ melted
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 400. Grease a 10" cast iron skillet.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon and salt.

In another bowl combine the eggs, buttermilk, butter, and vanilla.

Combine the dry into the wet and stir until just combined.

Pour into the prepared cast iron skillet.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.


Praline Topping

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
good pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Combine the brown sugar, butter, cream and salt in a medium saucepan. 

Bring to a soft boil and let let boil for 3 minutes...stirring occasionally.

After 3 minutes, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and nuts. 

Allow to set for about 20 minutes to thicken up a bit.  Once the cake is out of the oven and while it is still warm pour the praline over the whole thing!

The ingredients.

Grease and flour your skillet.

Mix the dry ingredients.

Then the wet. Does anyone else 

see a freaky face here?

Pour the wet into the dry.

The pour into the prepared skillet.

Bake it up!

For the praline topping, combine 

the butter, brown sugar, cream and salt.

Bring to a boil and cook about 

3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the nuts and vanilla.

Give it a stir.

Then pour over the baked cake!

So good!

Praline Pecan Cheesecake

This cheesecake is decadent and scrumptious. Your life will never be the same once you've tried it.

Praline Pecan Cheesecake



Crust:

2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick butter, melted

In a mixing bowl, combine the ingredients with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the crumbs into the pan and pat down into the base and 1-inch up the sides.

Sprinkle with ½ cup praline pecan pieces. (Recipe follows)

Praline Pecans

1 cup pecan pieces
½ cup powdered sugar
Few drops water

Place pecan pieces on a lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and toss. Sprinkle with a few drops of water and toss until coated and pecans are sticky. Bake in 325 degree oven for 5 – 8 minutes. Let cool and break into pieces.

After sprinkling crust with praline pecans, drizzle crust with ¼ cup (or more to your liking) of caramel ice cream topping. (I prefer Mrs. Richardson's...so good.)

Place finished crust in refrigerator while assembling cheesecake filling.

Filling:

2 8-ounce blocks cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 pint sour cream
dash vanilla

¼ cup Butterscotch-Caramel topping for drizzling

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs one at a time and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add the sugar and beat until creamy, for 1 – 2 minutes.

Add the sour cream and vanilla. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. The batter should be well mixed but not overbeaten. Pour the filling into the chilled crust-lined pan and smooth top with a spatula. Drizzle Butterscotch-Caramel topping over filling and swirl with a knife.

Set the cheesecake pan on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan; the foil will keep water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. The cheesecake should jiggle (it will firm up after chilling), so be careful not to overcook. Let cool in roasting pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours or overnight. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Slice into 16 servings with a thin, non-serrated knife that has been dipped in hot water. Wipe dry after each cut. Sprinkle cheesecake with remaining ½ cup praline pecans and drizzle with more Butterscotch-Caramel topping.

Serve and enjoy!


 
These few ingredients make 
delicious fast praline pecans 
useful not only for this cheesecake 
but for other recipes as well.

 
All spread out...waiting for the sweetness

 
The sweetness...aka: powdered sugar

 
A yummy sticky mess....

 
...that turns into yummy crunchy goodness

 
Our cast of characters for the cheesecake

 
Starting with the crust

 
Batter up!!!

 
The cheesecake before all the toppings 
go on. A naked cheesecake, if you will.

 
All done!

Brioche Bread Pudding with Praline Pecan Sauce

I never had bread pudding until I was an adult. I don't think I'd ever even HEARD of it. But guess what...I know about it now and I love it!! It's like a little bowl of french toast! I decided to make this with brioche...a nice eggy bread. It was a good choice! I found the brioche at Trader Joe's. I came home and popped it in my freezer to save for a rainy day. And what a glorious day it was. Nice and sunny...and perfect for bread pudding!

Brioche Bread Pudding 
with Praline Pecan Sauce



1 loaf Brioche - cubed
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups half and half
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
5 eggs
Pinch salt

Place cubed bread in a large, greased baking dish. I used a 10x14 inch dish.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the heavy cream, half and half, vanilla, sugar and salt. Whisk to combine.

Pour cream mixture over the cubed bread.

Using a large piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap, cover the top of the bread and gently press down so bread can absorb the liquid.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Set oven to 350 degrees. Bake bread pudding for 45 minutes until lightly browned on top. Serve with sauce. (Recipe follows)

Praline Pecan Sauce

1 1/4 cups chopped pecans
7 tablespoons butter (divided)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
3/4 cup light corn syrup
2/3 cup half & half

In a medium saucepan, melt  3 tablespoons butter. Add pecans and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

Add remaining butter and heat until melted. Whisk in brown sugar, flour, and light corn syrup until blended. Cook on high another 5 minutes, stirring twice, until the sugar is dissolved and mixture is thickened.

Add half and half and cook and stir another minute.

Remove from heat and serve with bread pudding.


 
The goods....

 
Beat the eggs then add the 
cream and half and half.

 
Add the vanilla, salt and sugar...stir well.

 
Cube your bread and place in a large 
baking pan. Pour cream mixture over bread.

 
Place a piece of waxed paper on 
top and press down on top of the 
bread to help it absorb the liquid. 
Place in the fridge overnight.

 
Bake bread pudding for 45 minutes 
or until lightly browned on top.

 
While the bread pudding is baking, 
start the praline pecan sauce.

 
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a 
saucepan then add the chopped pecans. 
Let that cook for about 10 minutes or so.

 
Add the rest of the butter and 
stir until the butter is melted.

 
Add the brown sugar, corn syrup 
and the flour and stir well.

 
Cook on medium high for 5 minutes, 
stirring two or three times.

 
Add the half and half and stir well. 
Cook another 5 minutes.

 
Keep warm until ready to use.

 
Pour the sauce over the bread pudding...yum!

This cake is the ultimate in yumminess! I can't remember where I found this recipe but everytime I make it, I think chocolate can't get any better!! Give it a try and see if you don't agree!

Praline Chocolate Turtle Cake

½ cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup chopped pecans

2 cups all purpose flour

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa (sifted)

2 cups sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

½ cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 cup hot water

1 jar hot fudge topping (I prefer Mrs. Richardson’s if I can find it)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cut two 10” circles of parchment paper and lay in the bottom and up sides of two 9” greased cake pans.

To make the cake: Heat the butter, brown sugar and sweetened condensed milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts and the sugar is dissolved. Do not boil. Divide the sugar mixture between the two prepared pans. Sprinkle ¾ cup pecans over the sugar mixture and set aside to cool. Combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, sour cream, oil, vanilla, and vinegar and combine. Add the hot water slowly and combine until batter is smooth. Pour the batter into the cake pans – over sugar mixture – and bake until a wooden pick comes out clean – 35-40 minutes. Cool cakes in the pans for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pans and turn cakes out onto cooling racks. Remove parchment paper and cool completely.

To assemble the cake: Soften fudge topping in microwave until warm but not runny. Spread half of the topping over the sugar mixture side of one layer, letting it run down the sides. Place the second layer over the first – sugar mixture UP – and drizzle with remaining fudge topping, letting it run down the sides of the cake. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup pecans. Place in refrigerator to allow fudge topping to set up. This cake is best if it sits in the fridge overnight. Decadent!!

Eating these little darlings makes me happy. How can a person NOT be happy eating pralines, toffee and cinnamon? This recipe made about 18 good sized scones and I think I could have eaten them all by myself. I sent some with my daughter to her work, gave a few more away and left the rest for me...I mean US...I left the rest for US!!! (evil grin....)

Praline Toffee Cinnamon Scones   



3 cups flour
2/3 cups sugar
5 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter – chilled
1 egg
3/4 heavy cream or half & half
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup praline pecans (recipe follows)
1 12 ounce package toffee bits (divided use)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

Add the butter in chunks and mix with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Or you can use your mixer…just make sure all is combined well. I used my mixer but had to go back in with my hands to make sure it was well mixed.

Add the egg, heavy cream and vanilla and mix well.

Stir in pralines and 1 cup of the toffee bits.

Turn mixture out onto a floured surface and roll ½ inch thick. Cut into desired shape with a floured cutter. Place on cookie sheet about 1 ½ inches apart.

Bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden and set. Allow to cool completely before glazing.


Glaze

4 cups Powdered Sugar                                                       
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt

Combine all ingredients and dip cooled scones into mixture.


Praline Pecans

1 ½ cups roughly chopped pecans
2/3 cup powdered sugar
Few drops of water (no more than a teaspoon or so)

Preheat oven to 350 degree.

Place chopped pecans on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Dump powdered sugar over pecans and mix with your hands. Drizzle a few drops of water over pecans and mix with your hands until nuts are “pasty”. Bake for 10 minutes until crunchy. Allow to cool then break into pieces.

Combine reserved toffee bits with Praline Pecans and sprinkle onto glazed scones.

Makes about 18 - 24 scones.

Here's the line-up.

Let's start with the praline pecans. These are SO easy. 

Sprinkle the pecans with some powdered sugar.

Toss it all around and make sure the pecans are coated with the powdered sugar. Then dribble some water over the coated nuts and toss with your hands until the nuts are pasty and sticky. Then bake 'em. Cool when done and use in the scone batter and on top of the scones.

Mix together the dry ingredients.

Mix in the butter. You can use a pastry cutter for this step.

Add the wet ingredients...including the egg.

Make sure the mixture is crumbly.

Make sure it's well blended then throw 

in the praline pecans and the toffee bits.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface....

..then roll out like this.

Cut the scones into whatever shape you want. 

I used my circle cutter but you can use a sharp

knife to make little triangles if you want.

The glaze! Mix together the powdered sugar, 

cinnamon and a little salt.

Add the milk and vanilla.

Then dip the COOLED scones into 

the glaze and place them on a rack.

Mix the reserved praline pecans and toffee bits in a bowl. 

Then sprinkle some on each freshly dipped scone.

Like this!! See the yumminess?