Picture Perfect Cooking

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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Since the weather is turning cooler, my food urges are leaning toward soups, chilis, slow-cooked meals…comfort food.  One of my co-workers talked about making taco soup regularly.  Since I like tacos, she gave me the recipe to try and it is really, really good!  It is more of a stew than a soup; thick and rich with flavor.  Pick a chilly, dreary day and perk it up with this soup and some cornbread muffins.  I just know you will enjoy it!

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained

1 medium can diced tomatoes

1 medium can pinto beans

1 can Green Giant Mexicorn

1 cup white rice, cooked

1 pkg taco seasoning

1 pks ranch dressing mix

2 medium cans tomato sauce

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours and enjoy!!

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

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I have this recipe thanks to C’s mom.  It is one of his favorites and his mom and I both fix this regularly during the cold winter months.  The versatility of this dish makes it a keeper.  Serve it at potlucks with chips or crackers or pour some over a baked potato. 

My version is not as spicy as some.  If you want extra heat, use the hot versions of the tomatoes and sausage and more onion.  You can always add some garlic as well.  It’s great either way!

2 lbs Velveeta cheese product

1 can Rotel tomatoes (mild)

1 lb pork sausage (mild)

1 lb ground beef

1/4 cup chopped onion

Cut up the cheese into cubes and place in the crock of a slow cooker.  Pour the tomatoes over the cheese.

Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium heat until all the pink is gone.  Drain on a paper towel lined plate.  Add the onions to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3-4 minutes or until browned.  Add the onions to the slow cooker.

Brown the ground beef in the same skillet until cooked through.  Then add the sausage and beef to the slow cooker.  Cook on low for 4-5 hours or until all of the cheese is melted.  Serve with chips or crackers.

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I confess, I put off going to the grocery for as long as I can.  When it gets to the point where I am scratching my head trying to come up with SOMETHING to fix for supper, I know it is time to go. 

I had this trouble one night a couple of weeks ago.  I was going to the grocery the next day, so the cupboard and fridge was almost empty.  When this happens, it is time for the pantry to take over!  Let’s see what I found that night…a package of buttermilk pancake mix, an apple, cinnamon and I had bacon in the fridge.  Hmmmm.  This looked promising.  Here is what I came up with…

1 package of buttermilk pancake mix

1 medium apple, peeled and grated

1/4 tsp cinnamon (use more if you want a stronger taste)

1 cup milk

Preheat electric griddle to about 350 or medium-high.  Pour pancake mix into a medium bowl, then add grated apple and cinnamon.

Add milk and stir to combine just until everything is mixed.  Do not overmix.

Pour about 1/4 cup of batter on the griddle and cook until bubbles form on top and the edges of the pancakes are set.  Flip and cook until golden on both sides.

I served these with butter and warmed syrup with bacon on the side.  Enjoy!!

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When I was a child, I remember Mom making cookies she called “7 Steps to Heaven”.  They were soooo good!  I came upon this recipe for magic cookie bars on another blog that I read regularly, www.mybakingaddiction.com. 

These cookies are really similar to the 7 Step bars, they just have 5 layers instead of 7.  These are easy, rich and delish!  Give them a try.

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (1 envelope of crackers, crushed)

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup chopped pecans (The original recipe calls for walnuts, I just prefer pecans.  Use either or both.  It doesn’t matter.)

1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups flaked coconut

1 1/3 cup (1 can) sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a 9×13” pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. 

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter and graham crackers.  Evenly press the mixture into the bottom of the lined pan.

Next place the chopped nuts over the graham cracker crust and spread the chocolate chips over the nuts.  Add the coconut over all, and pour the milk evenly over the top.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned on top.  Cool at least 20 minutes, then cut into desired sized bars.

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Some recipes just grab my attention and this was one of them.  I found this one on the website www.eatathomecooks.com, and was instantly intrigued.  Even though I love to bake, I do not have a lot of cookie recipes.  For some reason, cakes usually catch my eye.  This recipe was an exception.  The writer’s aunt made these regularly for her family and the writer carries on that tradition with the same recipe.

Note:  I like lots of frosting, so I made a double batch of the frosting.  This recipe is for the original amount.

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained with juice reserved

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400.  Sift flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder together.  Set aside.  With an electric mixer, cream butter and 2 sugars together.

Add the eggs, pineapple, and vanilla.  Blend the dry ingredients into the wet.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased or lined cookie sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes. 

For the icing:  gradually add juice to the powdered sugar by the teaspoon until the icing is just thin enough to stream off the spoon.  It needs to be pretty thick to stick to the cookies.  Either dip the cookies in the icing or spoon the icing over them while they are warm.  This recipe will make several dozen cookies.

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Oh. My. Goodness.  Every once in a while I will find a new recipe that just amazes me and this is one of them.  My favorite style of cooking is Classic Southern Cuisine.  The magazine, “Taste of the South”, is a great place to find these kind of recipes.

This cake recipe was in their August/September 2009 issue.  The photo immediately caught my eye and the fact that it said “easy caramel” didn’t hurt either.  You can cheat a little with this one because it uses jarred caramel sauce and does not require the homemade real deal which is notoriously hard to make.  The cake part by itself is great and you can use this recipe with any toppings you like, but the caramel is wonderful!  Try it…I think you will like it.

2 cups cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

3 tsp vanilla, divided

3/4 cup half-and-half

2 12oz jars prepared caramel topping, divided

2 8oz packages cream cheese, softened

3 cups confectioner’s sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 13×9 baking dish and set aside.  Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, stirring to combine after each one.  Add vanilla.

With mixer on low, add flour in 3 batches, alternating with half-and-half and beating until smooth.  Spread batter in prepared pan.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Using a wooden spoon handle, poke several holes in the warm cake.  Pour 1 jar of caramel topping over the cake.  Let it sit at room temperature for several hours to absorb all of the caramel.

For the frosting:  In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and 1 tsp vanilla.  Beat at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Add confectioner’s sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until smooth. 

Spread the frosting over the cooled cake.  Pour the remaining jar of caramel topping over the frosting in a zigzag pattern.  Drag a butter knife through the topping to create your desired design.  Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (If it lasts that long!)

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