Bakers: macadamia bars? Tropical deserts?

17 years ago

Hi guys! I need some experienced/expert opinions! We are throwing a huge (catered) open house/party to celebrate our son and all of the people that helped and supported us. He was quarantined for a year due to extreme prematurity and illness.

Since winter was such a scary time we are celebrating the end of it and doing a summery, tropical theme. The caterer is doing hawaiian-ish/luau food but I want to do the deserts. I am a pretty good baker...but I am modifying some recipes to make all the deserts little. My plan is to do Ina's coconut cupcakes as mini cupcakes (any advice on that welcome!) and I will do lemon bars (not truly tropical, but everybody loves them...maybe tinted green and lime instead?)

I want to do something with macadamia nuts...a local bakery does a mac nut pie that is just like pecan pie but with macadamia nuts. So, that inspired me to do pecan bars but sub with macadamia nuts...I found a Cook's Country recipe for pecan bars that looks great...but it calls for bourbon or rum to intensify the nut flavor. I am not sure what would work the best with macadamia nuts....any thoughts? The recipe uses toasted nuts in the crust and in the filling.

I would also love to do something chocolate...but I don't know how to tie in the tropical theme.

We are expecting over 100 people and I would like to do as much baking as possible ahead of time. I always have good luck freezing cupcakes...I don't know if the other stuff can be frozen easily...

Any and all advice and suggestions welcome!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

CA Kate z9
17 years ago
California Chews

2 1/4 cup Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
1 cup Butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated white Sugar
3/4 cup Brown Sugar, packed
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
12 oz pkg Butterscotch Chips
1 cup Macadamia Nuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup Flaked Coconut

Â Preheat oven to 375Âº F.
Â Stir dry ingrediants together and set aside.
Â Cream butter with sugars until light and fluffy; add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Stir in dry ingrediants until thoroughly blended. Mix in Butterscotch chip. nuts, and coconut.
Â Drop rounded Tablespoons of dough onto UNGREASED cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let rest on pan a minute or two; then move cookies to cooling rack.

Makes 5-6 dozen large cookies.

You can also make the uncooked balls and freeze them until youÂre ready to bake them -- even a few at a time. You can crowd them on an edged pan and freeze them, then transfer them to another sealed contained until ready to bake.
shannonaz
Original Author
17 years ago
Those look really good, westelle!
Related Discussions
uncommon plants in the valley..
Q
Comments (28)
Marymcp- Thanks! As far as the shade goes, those plants are barley getting any. They are starting to get burnt tips, but they are still alive and going strong. If you find yourself getting more babies off your spider plants than you have room for inside(like me), it's at least worth a shot outside. Those mesquite trees sound like they are going to be a great addition to your garden. Grant- Thanks alot, I really appreciate the specifics and solid advide/observations you provide. How about your Jades? What kind of watering schedule do they get? My large jade that was frying in the sun has recovered nicely inside and is now sprouting new leaves;)
...See More
Advice on coastal garden tree
Q
Comments (7)
Nick: A "fast-growing", "15-20" "tree" is rare (impossible?), much less one that is oak-root fungus resistant, tolerant of heavy clay soils, and fog loving. Trees, by most definitions, get "over 20 feet", to differentiate them from shrubs. If you want "fast", "clay soil tolerant", oak-root fungus resistant AND are willing to accept a taller tree, there's: Arbutus ÂMarinaÂ -- Hybrid Strawberry Tree Cercis siliquastrum -- Judas Tree Cryptomeria -- Japanese cedar Eucalyptus cinerea -- Ashy Gum* Fraxinus angustifolia ÂRaywoodÂ -- Raywood Ash Geijera parviflora -- Australian Willow* Maytenus boaria -- Mayten Tree* Melaleuca styphelioides -- Black Paperbark* Pinus -- Pines (many)* Pistacia chinensis -- Chinese Pistache Pittosporum rhombifolium -- Queensland Pittosporum Quercus ilex -- Holly Oak (if your coastal garden is subject to typical coastal wind and salt spray, consider those marked * above) If you want the same qualities and are willing to prune to train, there's some large shrubs and shrubby trees that make nice 15-20 foot trees: Acacia longifolia -- Bush Acacia Acacia verticillata -- Prickly Moses Cryptomeria japonica 'Yoshino' -- Plume cedar Ilex x altaclarensis 'Wilson' -- Wilson's Holly Myrica californica -- Pacific Wax Myrtle Pinus cembroides -- Mexican Pinyon Pine Pinus contorta contorta -- Beach Pine Pinus thunbergii -- Japanese Black Pine And if you want a fruit tree, the best oak-root fungus resistant ones for heavy soils are fig and persimmon. Out of the wind. Joe
...See More
'Poinsettia niche' spotted in Berkeley
Q
Comments (18)
You are definitely treading on dangerous ground when planting out many of these plants in Sunset zone 15 conditions inland. I wouldn't hesitate to grow the hardiest bananas such as Musella lasiocarpa, Musa basjoo and Ensete ventricosum in these areas, as they can freeze their tops and come back quickly. The Giant Bird of Paradise will quickly freeze all top growth at 30F, and will regrow if temps don't drop much below 25F and the plant is somewhat sheltered so that the basal roots don't freeze. I wouldn't want to look at the dead growth all winter myself, so would be more inclined to only use it under protected overhangs against a house wall, or directly under dense evergreens on a slope where cold air would drain away. You should talk to Greg, the owner of Golden Gate Palms out in Richmond off 580 if you are really interested in tropicals for the inner east bay, as he is one of those designers/contractors/nurserymen that is pushing this envelope. I also know of a fellow landscape designer, Kristen Yanker-Hansen who lives in Danville, and grows alot of subtropicals in her own garden, but is willing to risk total melt-down of foliage and perhaps complete loss of plants with things such as Jacarandas,( she did have one bloom this summer), and grows more tender things such as Plumeria in pots that can be overwintered indoors. She has great success with many die back to the ground subtropicals such as Clerodendron ugandense, Cannas, Musas, Cestrums, etc., and I have got her started on a fairly extensive Aechmea/Billbergia bromeliad collection over the years that have done well for her planted in the shade and protection of evergreen trees or roof overhangs. I would also suggest that you check out the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, to see the fabulous collection of tender plants that they grow there. They successfully grow several Tabebuia species and have a huge old Chorisia speciosa on the grounds, but this tree in particular is not really hardy in a bad freeze. The more tender succulents such as Aeoniums, Echeverias and Aloes are given overhead winter protection from rain and cold to reliably get them through the winter, and you should see the gardens in winter to see the efforts some people will go to in gardening with zonal denial. You should also talk to people who were gardening with subtropicals in Contra Costa County during the December freezes of 1990 and again in 1998. Queen Palms were outright killed in many areas of Concord in both freezes, and things like Phoenix roebellenii, P. reclinata, Strelitzia reginae and S. nicolai were also killed outright. One must remember that even hillside areas that drain off cold air in winter will and can get down to 18F in a very bad freeze in these areas, with 22~24F lows as quite common almost every winter. These temps are deadly for things like King Palms, which were heavily damaged at 25F here in Oakland at the Lake Merritt Palmetum. Areas closer to the bay such as parts of Martinez and Concord and/or Benicia/Vallejo are much safer areas to experiment with, but even here, you are pushing the odds. Maybe it is just me, but I wouldn't want to risk big growing expensively purchased tender trees to fairly predictable freezes. I would suggest that you stick with smaller plants that can die back to the ground and regrow quickly in summer as better choices for your area, or container grow plants that are too tender and move them under protection in the winter. Or be willing to treat things like Hibiscus rosa sinensis and Mandevillea x 'Alice Dupont' as annuals...
...See More
Best advice for Hawaii?
Q
Comments (43)
I've been to the Big Island six times. The first was when I was a geology undergrad and we went as a field trip for a class I was taking, and the most recent was two weeks ago with my two kids ages 7 and 8. My kids have each been there three times. Hawaii is where we choose to vacation. We make decisions in regards to other finances in order to make this happen. Anyway, definitely rent a 4WD vehicle. There is a gorgeous green sand beach (green sand...yes! It's formed from an old cinder cone where the magma has all eroded and what is left are the olivine crystals.) three miles from the end of South Point Road. Unless you want to hike six miles round-trip (I've done it twice and don't recommend it), the only way to get there is by 4WD. Also, if the water is calm at South Point, take a chance and jump off the southern most point of the United States. Definitely a thrill. Then hike a little more and go around South Point and see how dangerous the water is on the East Side. It's an amazing place. A 4WD will get you up to the top of Mauna Kea to see the telescopes. Although you can make it easily to the Visitors Center with a regular car. I would highly recommend spending an evening stargazing up there. Punalu'u Black Sand beach is a beautiful place to see a black sand beach and sea turtles. A hike to the bottom of the Pololu Valley will also get you to a gorgeous black sand beach and you can see the remains of the 1946 tsunami that hit the area. HVNP is well worth the trip, even if you can't see the lava up close. I've been there when we've hiked right to the lava and I made my own rock (this was on the geology field trip and is not recommended for amateurs), seen the lava flow from either side of the Chain of Craters Road, and most recently, only seen the lava glow at night from the Halema'ua'u Crater. The first time I went, we were able to go right to the edge of the crater at the overlook and we even hiked across the Kileau Crater. Now, the crater is active and the area around it is closed. The overlook was actually destroyed in an explosion when the crater became active. The lava changes every day and you never know what you are going to see when you go. Have a fabulous time! We've never stayed at the 4S. Instead we stay a bit further up the Kohala Coast at the Fairmont Orchid. The beach at the 4S is rockier and smaller than that at the Orchid, but the other amenities at the 4S make up for it. Maybe if we didn't go every other year, we'd be able to afford the 4S! :-)
...See More
loves2cook4six
17 years ago
Cooks Illustrated Key Lime bars are sublime and can be cut very small as they are quite rich.

Rum cake is a true Caribbean desert. Cut into slices and serve as finger food.

Mini chocolate cheesecakes (and they freeze well) but you will need to make a lot more than this recipe makes...

Caramel Chocolate Seduction
These mini cakes, with their crisp cookie crust, creamy filling, and caramel-nut topping, will be the centerpiece of your dessert buffet.
Crust
2/3 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
heaping 3/4 cup chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, or chocolate chips, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg

Chocolate Glaze
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons corn syrup, light or dark
pinch of salt
heaping cup chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, or chocolate chips

Topping
3 ounces caramel, from a block, or 8 to 10 unwrapped candies
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
Find a pan that makes 12 individual (1 1/2" to 2") round or heart-shaped cakes; a pan that makes small muffins (not mini muffins) would work. There's no need to grease the pan. Preheat the oven to 350Â°F.

To make the crust: Mix all of the crust ingredients, and place a tablespoon of crumbs in each cup of the pan, pressing into the bottom and about 1/4" up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven, and cool slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 275Â°F.

To make the filling: Beat the cream cheese until soft and fluffy. Mix in the sweetened condensed milk. Stir in the melted chocolate, vanilla, and egg. Use about 2 heaping tablespoons to fill each cup about 3/4 full. Bake for 35 minutes, until the cheesecake is set around the edges-a small spot in the middle should still look soft. Remove from the oven and cool slowly to room temperature.

To make the glaze: Place the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat, or put the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at low power. Heat, stirring often, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Cool, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, so that the glaze thickens slightly but is still pourable. Pour about 1 tablespoon of chocolate glaze onto each cheesecake. Tilt pan to cover completely. Chill cheesecakes before removing from pan.

To make the topping: Place caramel and cream in a small saucepan and warm over low heat, or put the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at low power. Stir frequently, until melted and smooth. You can adjust the consistency by adding more cream to thin the sauce, or by chilling slightly to thicken. Just before serving, drizzle cheesecakes with melted caramel and sprinkle with toasted nuts. Yield: 12 mini cheesecakes.

Chocolate dipped Banana pieces
CA Kate z9
17 years ago
Shannon: Unfortunately... they are very good.
jimster
17 years ago
The very best cookies I have ever eaten (but not made myself) were exactly like a chocolate chip cookie except chunks of macademia nuts and white chocolate were subbed for the chocolate chips.

Jim

Bakers: macadamia bars? Tropical deserts?

Comments (5)

CA Kate z9

shannonaz
Original Author

Related Discussions

loves2cook4six

CA Kate z9

jimster

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Bakers: macadamia bars? Tropical deserts?

Comments (5)

CA Kate z9

shannonazOriginal Author

Related Discussions

loves2cook4six

CA Kate z9

jimster

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

shannonaz
Original Author