Picture Perfect Cooking

This is another oldie, but goodie from “Taste of Home” magazine.  This recipe was originally published in the December/January 1997 issue.  It is a rich, decadent dessert that is perfect for holiday gatherings or really just any old time.

I am a fan of plain pecan pies, but the added chocolate kick really puts this dessert over the top!  If you can find a extra large pie crust, say ten inches or better, this recipe will make one.  If you can’t find one that big, just use two 8” crusts.  They will turn out a little thinner, but just as good.

4 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup chopped pecans, (I toast mine in the oven for just a few minutes, usually while the oven is preheating.)

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

2 8” unbaked pie crusts (I tried the Pet-ritz frozen pie crusts for the first time this year.  They are great! They did NOT pay me to say that.)

Preheat oven to 350.  Beat eggs, sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla together.

Add butter and mix well.  Stir in pecans and chips.  Pour into the pie crusts.

Bake for 55-60 minutes or until the center is set.  Enjoy!

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These little pieces of bread heaven are so easy, you almost can’t believe the recipe!  There are only 3 ingredients, but the results are wonderful.  I received this recipe from a lady that works in another office in the courthouse way back in 1999.  Oh, my!  I can’t believe I have had this for 10 years.  It doesn’t seem possible, but it is.  I hope you give these a try.

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened

1 cup self rising flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prepare a mini-muffin pan.  Combine cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Add flour and stir until thoroughly mixed.  Fill each muffin tin about 3/4 full and bake for 15-17 minutes until the tops are golden-brown.

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Is it cold where you are?  It has been here!  An early Alberta clipper brought the chilly weather down on us a little while ago and we are finally seeing our way out of it.  Thankfully we did not have all of the snow and bad weather, just windy and cold!

If you want a dessert that will knock the chill off a winter weekend, try a Warm Winter Lemon Cake.  It is easy, almost “semi-homemade”easy!

1 pkg yellow cake mix

1 1/3 cups water

1/3 cup oil

3 eggs

2 cups cold milk

1 1/4 cups additional  water

2 pkg (4 serving size) lemon flavored instant pudding mix

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare cake batter as directed on the package.  Pour into a greased 13×9” baking pan. (Since I was taking this dish to 2 different places, I used 2 8” square pans.  The cake turned out just fine.)  Set aside.

Pour milk and 1 1/4 cups of water into a large bowl.  Add dry pudding mixes and granulated sugar.  Beat with a wire whisk for 2 minutes or until well blended.  Pour over cake batter.

Place baking dish(es) on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any sauce that might bubble over the sides.  Bake 55-60 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center of cake layer comes out clean.  Cool for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Spoon into serving dishes while warm.  Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.  Just warm and enjoy!

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I seem to collect cookbooks.  I don’t intentionally do this, but whenever someone comes around selling them for a fundraiser, I can’t help but buy one.  I can sit down and read one like a regular book!  One of my favorite “hometown” cookbooks was published by the local Homemakers Group of the State Extension Office.  It is full of good, homey recipes, and the bonus is that I know most of the cooks in there!

I reached for this cookbook the other day when I needed a little dessert inspiration.  There were a couple of recipes that I had wanted to try, but I seemed to be one ingredient short.  Eureka!  Kentucky Butter Cake met all the requirements: never tried…check, all the ingredients on hand…check, and does it sound good?  Double check!

CAKE:

3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. soda

2 c. sugar
1 c. butter, room temperature
4 eggs

1 c. buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla

BUTTER SAUCE:

3/4 c. sugar
3 tbsp. water
1/3 c. butter
2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare a bundt pan.

Sift all of the dry ingredients together and set aside.  Beat butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until creamy.  Add eggs one at a time.

Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in batches and stir until combined.  Add vanilla.  Bake for 60-65 minutes or until tester inserted in the center comes our clean.  Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for a few minutes.

Right before the cake is done, prepare the sauce.  In a medium saucepan over low-medium heat, combine all sauce ingredients.  Stir occasionally and cook until the butter is melted and the sauce is warm.  Do not boil. 

After the cake is removed from the oven, poke holes in the cake using a long fork or thin knife.  Pour the sauce over the warm cake and allow to soak into the cake. 

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 20-30 minutes and then turn out on to a cake plate.  Slice and sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.  It is really not necessary, just pretty.  The cake can stand by itself just fine.  This is really good with a fruit salad on the side.

Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Kerrygold

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My grandmother “Nanny” has always baked a lot.  I think that is where my love of baking originated.  She used to make hummingbird cake a lot for the holidays and I remember the leftovers just kept getting better and better in the days after the main meal.  Since C & I had two Thanksgiving meals to attend, I decided to try a hummingbird cupcake recipe that I had found so it would be easy to divide and transport.

This recipe was originally on the blog www.cupcakeblog.com back in March.  I have been waiting for the cool fall weather to try it because the flavors really go well with the season.  The frosting is a cream cheese frosting that I use on Italian Cream cakes.  Hope you enjoy!

3 cups all purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

8oz can crushed pineapple with juice

2 mashed bananas

1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare muffin pan with cupcake liners.  Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.  Beat eggs and then add oil and vanilla to the eggs.  

Add egg mixture to the flour mixture.  Add the bananas, pineapple with juice, and pecans and stir to combine.

Fill each liner about 2/3 full and bake for approximately 25 minutes.  Let cool completely and top with cream cheese frosting.

For the frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

4 tbsp butter, room temperature

1 lb powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Add sugar and mix well.  Add vanilla and stir until combined.

Frost the cupcakes and enjoy! I topped mine with one toasted pecan half.

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