Desserts:
Graham Cracker Cake with Praline
Glaze
from
Above & Beyond Parsley...
Food for the Senses
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of cream of tartar
Glaze:
3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup light cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream:
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
TO PREPARE:
Grease the bottoms of two 9-inch round cake pans, then line with waxed
paper. In a bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, baking powder
and salt.
In a food processor or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream
together butter and brown sugar until mixture is light and fluffy.
Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir in crumb mixture in batches, alternating with milk. Stir in
vanilla.
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until mixture
just holds stiff peaks. Stir 1/4 of mixture into batter, then fold
in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Divide batter between
prepared pans and bake in the middle of a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.
Let cool before assembling cake.
For glaze: Cook brown sugar, cream and salt until mixture
reaches the soft ball stage. Remove from heat and add butter and
vanilla. Cool for about 15 minutes without stirring, then beat by
hand until smooth.
In a separate bowl, beat cream and powdered sugar to make whipped cream.
After cake and glaze have cooled, place cake layer on a stand.
With the back of a spoon, spread glaze so that it drizzles over edges of
cake. Then add whipped cream layer. Add next cake layer and
glaze it. Put remaining whipped cream in a pastry bag and make a
free-form design on top.
SERVES 8 - 10
Copyright 1992 The Junior League of Kansas City,
Missouri, Inc. All rights reserved.
To purchase copies of Above &
Beyond Parsley, call the Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri
at (816) 444-2112 from 8:30am-4:30pm M-F Central time.
The Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri, Inc. is an
organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the
potential of women and to improving the community through the effective
action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively
educational and charitable. All proceeds from League fundraising
efforts, including from the sale of Above &
Beyond Parsley, are returned to the community.
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