BEST SOUR CREAM POUND CAKE

I love sour cream pound cake and have several recipes that I usually use. But today I wanted to come up with a new one, and I am so glad that I did. This one has a little twist and I made it with half all-purpose flour and half cake flour. The results were a very moist and flavorful cake. The addition of the honey was just right. I couldn't wait until it was completely cooled and cut a piece. I know it is going to taste even better tomorrow when the flavors have had a chance to blend. Somehow I can never wait that long. I really do hope you give this a try. I don't think you will be disappointed.

1 ½ c. all-purpose flour
1 ½ c. sifted cake flour
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 3/4 c. granulated sugar
6 lg. eggs, room temperature
1 c. sour cream
1 T. vanilla extract

2 T. honey

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt or 10-inch tube baking pan or spray with nonstick baking spray containing flour.
Sift together the flours, baking soda and salt. Sift again. Set aside. Combine the sour cream, vanilla extract and honey in a small bowl. Set aside.
In large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 10 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture by thirds, alternating with the sour cream mixture and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just enough to blend the batter after each addition. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 65-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 25 minutes. Remove the pan and place the cake on a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.

CRANBERRY-ORANGE MUFFINS

The combination of tart cranberries sweetened with oranges, another fruit of winter, is one of the classic flavor pairings in baking. Tart, fresh cranberries are a signature fresh fruit of autumn and early winter. Cranberries can be enjoyed throughout the year by freezing them in airtight freezer bags. They keep up to 1 year in perfect condition. This recipe is adapted from The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book, Edited by Chuck Williams (Oxmoor House, 2009). They are delicious and I hope you will give them a try.

2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
grated zest of 1 orange
1 egg
4 T. (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. strained fresh orange juice
1 1/2 c. fresh or unthawed frozen cranberries
1/2 c. pecans or walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 10 standard muffin cups with butter or butter flavored nonstick cooking spray; fill the unused cups one-third full with water to prevent warping.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, sugars, baking powder, salt and orange zest. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter, milk and orange juice until blended. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Fold in the cranberries and nuts just until evenly distributed, no more than a few strokes. Do not overmix. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them level with the rim.

Bake the muffins until golden, dry and springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the muffins cool for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pan and serve warm or at room temperature.

OLD-FASHIONED APPLE PIE

What a great way to start Autumn with this old-fashioned apple pie. I have many apple pie recipes, but this is my favorite. Be sure to use the ground nutmeg as it is a key ingredient to this delicious pie. Use your favorite tart cooking apples, even try mixing the varieties. This is truly an All-American favorite loved by everyone. How about serving it with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream! Yummy.

1 Double Crust Pie Recipe (use your favorite pie crust recipe or pkg. pie crust)
8-9 large tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin
1/4 c. lemon juice
6 T. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. granulated sugar, more if you like it a little sweeter
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 T. butter, cut into pieces
1 egg yolk
1 T. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place prepared bottom crust in a deep dish 9-inch pie pan. Place sliced apples into a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice. In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the sugar mixture on the bottom pie crust and add the rest of the sugar mixture to the apples and stir to coat the apples. Fill the pie crust heaping full with the apple mixture. Dot evenly with the butter. Place the top crust over the filling. Press edges together and flute. In a small bowl beat together egg yolk and cream and brush over pastry. Make a few slits near the center to allow steam to escape. Wrap edges with a strip of aluminum foil to prevent excess browning. Remove foil about 15 minutes before pie is done baking. Bake the pie about 50-60 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

KAT'S PUMPKIN PIE

It wouldn't be the holidays without a traditional pumpkin pie on the table. Everyone has their favorite recipe. I have several that I use. Many like the recipe from the Libby's can too. What could be better than a slice of rich and creamy tasting pie with a big dollop of whipped cream on top? I hope you will enjoy this recipe that I am sharing with you.

1 c. granulated sugar
1 T. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
3 lg. eggs, lightly beaten
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
1 c. light cream
9-inch unbaked deep dish pie crust

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine sugar, flour, salt, spices and pepper. Add eggs, pumpkin and cream. Beat with a rotary beater until well blended. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. To prevent overbrowning of the edges wrap edges with aluminum foil and remove last 15 minutes of baking. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator.