Apple Pecan Cake

This comes under the title what to do with a bag of apples, when you know you can't eat them all. I started by coring the apples and dicing them up. Then put them in a large stock pot with 1/4 cup sugar and a tablespoon on cinnamon, added just a little water and simmered them for 2 hours. 

I put them in a container and refrigerated overnight. Cooked apples can be used in many ways, but this is about cake. 

 

Cake:

1 box yellow cake mix

Eggs, oil water 

1/2 can cream cheese frosting

1 1/2 cups cooked apples.

1 tablespoons cinnamon

1 cup chopped pecans

Frosting:

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup milk

3 tablespoons sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake directions

Make the cake batter following the instructions on the back of the box. Add the cinnamon, apples, and pecans. Pour the batter into two greases 9 inch cakes pans. Bake according to package direction. Use the higher end of the time range. 

A toothpick should test cleanly when they are done, and should be a nice golden brown. Let them cool before turning out on a cake plate. Use the 1/2 can of cream cheese frosting for the first layer. Make sure in is spread evenly, then carefully put the other layer on top. Pour the frosting over the cake, spread until smooth. Let the frosting set up before cutting and serving. 

Frosting directions:

Bring the butter to room temperature. Add the sugar, milk and vanilla, and sour cream all at once. Beat until smooth.

Cranberry Cheesecake Squares

Crust

1/2

cup sugar

1/2

cup butter, softened

1 1/4

cups all-purpose flour

Filling

1

(8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2

cup sugar

1/2

teaspoon vanilla extract

1

egg

Topping

4 tablespoons jellied cranberry sauce

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray. In large bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar and butter; blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour; mix until crumbly. Press mixture in bottom of sprayed pan.
2. Bake at 350°F. for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine all filling ingredients; beat well.
4. Remove pan from oven; pour filling over partially baked crust. In small bowl, stir 2 tablespoons of the cranberry saucecr until softened. Spoon over cream cheese mixture. With tip of spoon, carefully swirl jam into top of cream cheese mixture. (Do not disturb crust.)
5. Return pan to oven; bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until filling is set. Cool 30 minutes.
6. Stir remaining jam; spread evenly over bars. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Chocolate Overoad!

My dear Mother made this for my birthday a few times. Let me telll you this cake is so rich. It's my "Chocolate to die for" cake.
Chocolate between Mother and Daughter is such a special thing.  (Ok  Mom never served cake with fruit.)
This is a chocolate sour cream cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting. Be sure the cream cheese comes to room temp. before using. Triing to beat cold from the frig cream cheese is quite difficult.

Cream cheese chocolate frosting


1/4 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 ounces (3 squares) unsweetened chocolate, melted
dash of salt
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake   1 cup baking cocoa
1 cup boiling water
1 cup butter, softened
2-1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

Ina Garten's Carrot Cup Cakes

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 extra-large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 cups grated carrots (less than 1 pound)
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
For the frosting:
3/4 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pound confectioners' sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat the sugar, oil, and vanilla together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the eggs, 1 at a time. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add 1/2 of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Add the grated carrots, raisins, and walnuts to the remaining flour, mix well, and add to the batter. Mix until just combined.

Line muffin pans with paper liners. Scoop the batter into 22 muffin cups until each is 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and cook for a further 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a rack.

For the frosting, cream the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the sugar and beat until smooth.

When the cupcakes are cool, frost them generously and serve

Kickin Cream Corn

Ingredients

3 bags (12 oz each) Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers® Niblets® frozen whole kernel corn

4 packages (3 oz each) cream cheese, cut into cubes

1 cup milk

2 jalapeños, seeded, and chopped

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Spread corn over bottom of 3- to 4-quart slow cooker. Top with cream cheese cubes. In small bowl, stir together remaining ingredients; pour over corn and cream cheese.
2. Cover; cook on High heat setting 2 to 3 hours.
3. Stir well before serving. Corn will hold on Low heat setting up to 2 hours; stir occasionally.

Sent from my iPad

Hummingbird Cake

This sounds so good., and it looks so pretty.  We are just going to try it. if there is such a thing as healthy cake... hm.... it's got lots of fruit. This comes from Midwestliving.com.
Makes: 12 to 16 servings
Prep: 50 mins
Cool: 10 mins
Bake: 35 mins at 350°F


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple (juice pack), drained
1/2 cup cooking oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped bananas
1 cup chunky-style applesauce
2/3 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
1 1/2 cups toasted, chopped pecans
2 tablespoons toasted, finely chopped pecans (optional)



Directions

1. Grease and lightly flour two 9x1-1/2-inch round cake pans; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add drained pineapple, oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer till combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Stir in bananas, applesauce and walnuts. Divide batter between prepared pans.

3. Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 35 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool cake layers on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool thoroughly on wire racks.

4. Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting; frost cake. Lightly press the 1-1/2 cups pecans into sides of cake. If you like, sprinkle the 2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans on top of cake. Cover and store in the refrigerator. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 cups sifted powdered sugar

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla with electric mixer till light and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth and of spreading consistency. Makes about 3-1/2 cups.

Judy's Cheesecake

Well, my trip to Seattle is getting closer. The Blogher conference is going to be great. But that is not my only purpose in going to the Northwest.

 First, I've never been there before, and always wanted to go. Second a drea friend lives near Seattle. She I and I became fast friends the moment we met, and later we became housemates.

What do old friends have to do with cooking? Everything. In between wonderful bouts of laughter, we ate and cooked together.

 So,  in honor of my first visit to Washington State, this is her favorite desert.-- Cheesecake!

 what you need

 6  Graham crackers, finely crushed (about 1 cup)
 3 Tbsp. sugar
 3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
5 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
1cup sugar
 3Tbsp. flour
 1Tbsp. vanilla
 1cup  Sour Cream
 4eggs

 make it

 HEAT oven to 325°F.
 step 1 LINE 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Mix graham crumbs, 3 Tbsp. sugar and butter; press onto bottom of pan. Bake 10 min.

 step 2 MEANWHILE, beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low after each just until blended. Pour over crust.

 step 3 BAKE 40 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours. Use foil handles to lift cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve.

 TO BAKE IN SPRINGFORM PANHeat oven to 325ºF if using 9-inch springform pan (or to 300ºF if using a dark nonstick 9-inch springform pan). Prepare batter as directed; pour into pan.

 Bake 1 hour 10 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim.

Orange Dream Pie

WHAT YOU NEED

6 HONEY MAID Honey Grahams, finely crushed (about 1 cup)

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 cup orange juice

1 pkg. (3 oz.) JELL-O Orange Flavor Gelatin

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened, divided

1 tub (8 oz.) thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided

1/2 cup cold milk

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1 tsp. orange zest

MAKE IT


1Mix graham crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 8-inch square pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.2Microwave juice in microwaveable measuring cup on HIGH 1 min. Add to gelatin mix in small bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Gradually add to half the cream cheese in medium bowl, beating with mixer after each addition until blended. Whisk in 1 cup COOL WHIP; spread over crust. Freeze while preparing next layer.3Beat remaining cream cheese and milk in separate medium bowl until blended. Add dry pudding mix; beat 2 min. Stir in remaining COOL WHIP and zest; spread over gelatin layer. Refrigerate 3 hours.
 
 
 
 
 
 
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/orange-dream-layered-squares-130549.aspx

© 2012 Kraft Foods Global all rights reserved

McCalls' Devil's Food Cake

A dear friend introduced me to this cake a dozen years ago. It was her birthday cake for years. Her birthday is coming up in a few weeks. So I thought I would find a red velvet cake to share in honor of her birthday.

CAKE

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon red coloring gel (see “thoughts on food coloring” below) or 2 tablespoons standard liquid red food coloring
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar

FROSTING
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted buter, room temperature
5 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 pound cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Cherry Pizza

Ingredients


Pizza Dough

(Also available at local pizzerias.)

1 packet dry yeast
1⁄2 teaspoon sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
Salt
1⁄4 cup canola oil


Cherry Topping

3 pints Bing cherries, halved and pitted
1⁄2 cup light brown sugar
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1⁄8 teaspoon ground white pepper
Canola oil
2 tablespoons white chocolate, shaved into large curls
Fresh mint leaves

Instructions

Pizza Dough

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in 3⁄4 cup warm water. Place the flour in the bowl of a food mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the yeast mixture, and mix on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and the canola oil, and continue mixing on low speed until a nice, supple dough forms, about 3 to 5 minutes. If the dough looks too wet, sprinkle in 1 more teaspoon of flour, and continue mixing. Cover the bowl with a damp towel, and allow to rise on the countertop until it has doubled in size, approximately 2 hours.

Cherry Topping

In a medium bowl, toss together the cherries, sugar, vanilla seeds, lemon zest, and white pepper. Make a double-layer tinfoil pouch, and place the cherry mixture inside, folding over the edges to form a seal.

Set the pouch on a grill over medium heat, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the cherries are soft.

Assembly

Cut the dough in half, and roll out each half on a flat, floured surface to form a 12-inch-diameter round about 1⁄4 inch thick. Brush both sides with oil. Move the coals to one side of the grill, and when the fire is medium hot, place the rounds over the coals. When the rounds start to puff up and take on a little color, turn them over, and place on the coolest part of the grill. Ladle half the cherry mixture onto each pizza, and return to medium heat until the underside is cooked but does not burn. Remove from the grill, sprinkle white-chocolate shavings over each pizza, and top with scissor-snipped fresh mint leaves

Lemon Berry Shooters

This is from the Cooking Club of America. They are so good. I just have to share.

 These tiny parfaits pack a lemony burst of flavor in every creamy serving. Your guests will love the presentation, but as an alternative, you also could assemble the parfaits in larger, more traditional serving dishes.

1 (8-oz.) pkg. reduced-fat cream cheese

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup sour cream

4 tablespoons purchased lemon curd

1/2 cup amaretti, almond or shortbread cookie crumbs

1/3 cup fresh berries

Small fresh mint leaves, if desired



1. Beat cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon peel and vanilla in large bowl at medium speed 30 to 60 seconds or until smooth. Beat in whipping cream at medium-high speed 2 minutes or until thickened. Fold in sour cream.



2. Microwave lemon curd in small microwave-safe bowl 5 to 15 seconds or just until slightly pourable. Spoon about 2 teaspoons cookie crumbs into each of 12 (1 1/2- to 2-oz.) shot glasses. Layer each with about 2 tablespoons cream cheese mixture, 1 teaspoon lemon curd and 2 tablespoons cream cheese mixture.* Cover and refrigerate overnight. Garnish with berries and mint leaves.



12 servings