Coca Cola Cake

Cake:


2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups small marshmallows
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup Coca-Cola®
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons Coca-Cola
1 box (16 ounces) confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, sift sugar and flour. Add marsh- mallows. In
saucepan, mix butter, oil, cocoa, and Coca-Cola. Bring to a boil and pour over dry
ingredients; blend well. Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk just before adding to
batter along with eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well. Pour into a well-greased 9-
by-13-inch pan and bake 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and frost
immediately.

To make frosting, combine butter, cocoa and Coca-Cola in a saucepan. Bring to a
boil and pour over confectioners' sugar, blending well. Add vanilla extract and
pecans. Spread over hot cake. When cool, cut into squares and serve.



*The cake recipe was contributed by Lee Avery Catts to "Atlanta Cooknotes"

published by The Junior League of Atlanta.

Mardi Gras Cupcakes

For the Cupcakes:



2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk, at room temperature
6 large egg whites (3/4 cup), at room temperature
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
purple, green, and yellow food coloring
purple, green, and yellow sanding sugars

For the Buttercream Frosting:

20 tablespoons (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2½ cups Confectioners’ sugar
1/8 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with paper liners.

In a 2-cup glass measure, combine milk, egg whites, and extracts and mix with fork until blended.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed combine cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter and continue beating at slow speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no powdery streaks remaining.

Add all but 1/2 cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed for 1½ minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup of milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium speed and beat 20 seconds longer.

Pour a scant cup of the cake mix into three separate mixing bowls. Mix in food colorings and place the colored batter into three individual Ziploc bags.

Squeeze cake batter into each cupcake well, alternating colors. (I did purple first, followed by green…)


Then yellow on top.


Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer muffin pan to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cool completely prior to frosting.


To make buttercream frosting, in standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds; scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.


Place frosting into a large decorators decorating bag fitted with the 1M decorating tip and approximately 1/4″ above cupcake top at a 90° angle to cupcake surface, pipe a spiral of icing, beginning at the outer edge and working inward. Sprinkle with sanding sugars.

Source: cupcakes adapted from Bean Town Baker, frosting Crumbly Cookie

Mint Chocolate Cup Cakes by Martha Stewart

Sweet  and creamy with that lttle bit of mint. Oh, yeah you know what I'm talking about. Thank you Martha Stewart. I just have to try these.


Ingredients


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
Mint Buttercream ( see below)

Directions


1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, water, and peppermint extract, and beat with a mixer on low speed until smooth.

2.Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cupcakes cool in tins on wire racks for 10 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to racks, and let cool. Undecorated cupcakes will keep, covered, for 1 day, or frozen for up to 2 months.

3.Spoon buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a large, plain tip. Pipe small mounds on tops of cupcakes. Flatten mounds with an offset spatula.
 
Mint Buttercream
 
6 large eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 cups (12 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups chopped mint leaves

Directions

1.Follow instructions for Vanilla Buttercream, adding 2 cups chopped mint leaves with the milk and vanilla in step
2.Tint buttercream pale green.

Classic Pean Pie

1 cup Karo® Light OR Dark Corn Syrup
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon Spice Islands® Pure Vanilla Extract
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) pecans
1 (9-inch) unbaked or frozen** deep-dish pie crust

Preheat oven to 350°F.


Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla using a spoon. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie crust.

Bake on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes (see tips for doneness, below). Cool for 2 hours on wire rack before serving.

**To use prepared frozen pie crust: Place cookie sheet in oven and preheat oven as directed. Pour filling into frozen crust and bake on preheated cookie sheet.

RECIPE TIPS: Pie is done when center reaches 200°F. Tap center surface of pie lightly - it should spring back when done. For easy clean up, spray pie pan with cooking spray before placing pie crust in pan. If pie crust is overbrowning, cover edges with foil.

High Altitude Adjustments: Reduce sugar to 2/3 cup and increase butter to 3 tablespoons. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

Grandma's Potato Salad

Grandma’s mashed potato salad:




6 large potatoes
2 eggs
¼ cup onion minced
¼ cup chopped celery
4 Tablespoons of sweet pickles chopped
3 Tablespoons mustard
Salt and pepper
1 cup Mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons Ranch dressing
paprika

Put the eggs in a pan of cold water, bring to a boil, take of heat, cover and let and let them sit for ten minutes. Take each egg out of the hot water with a slotted spoon, and run cold water over it. When cool enough, peal the egg. A trick is to roll it on the counter, putting just enough pressure on it until you hear a cracking. Do the same with the other. Chop the eggs, put them in a small bowl and refrigerated.

Peal the potatoes and put in a pot of boil water. Boil until tender. Drain the water, let cool.

Get a large bowl. Put the potatoes in it. Cut them up in the bowl. The pieces don’t have to be uniform. Add the chopped egg, the pickles, onion celery, and a little pepper and salt to taste. In another bowl mix the mustard ranch dressing and mayo. Slowly add this mixture to the potatoes, mix as you go.

When all the ingredients are well mixed, sprinkle top with paprika, cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Breakfast Wraps

Are wraps still popular? I like them. I usually use whole wheat tortillas. I like the nutty flavor, and I get a little more fiber. I like mine for breakfast. They are fast, and I can eat them anytime.

Anyway, I thought I would share a few ideas.

Chocolate/Banana

One tortilla,
2 tablespoons Nutella
1 banana, sliced

Spread the nutella on the tortilla, warm in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds. This will soften the tortilla enough for rolling. Add the sliced banana roll up.




Ham and egg

1 tortilla
2 slices deli ham
1 fried egg.
1 tablespoon salsa
2 tablespoons cream cheese

Put the ham and cram on the tortilla and the ham and microwave for 45 sec. add the fried egg. Roll up, and enjoy

The original

1 tortilla
1 scrambled egg
1 table salsa
1 oz of sausage crumbles
½ cheeses
6 tater tots

Cook the sausage, scrambles the egg. Put the cheese on the tortilla, micro wave 45 seconds. Top with the rest of the ingredients and roll.

$100 cake

I thought I’d do some investigations, and look for my birthday cake. My Granny and I had birthdays one day apart, so when we were together I used to beg her to make this cake. I don’t know if this is the exact cake, but it was called the $100 cake.

I remember the cake was super moist, rich and dense. A person just needed a small slice to be satisfied.
The story went  back in the roaring 20's a man eating at the Waldorf Astoria enjoyed this cake so much he asked for the recipe, well the cook gave him the recipe, and he was thrilled. When he got a bill for $100 and that is why it’s called the $100 cake.

This may be close, Mom?



Cake

1/2 c. butter

4 squares bitter chocolate

1 tsp. salt

2 c. sugar

2 c. cake flour, sifted

2 tsp. baking powder

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. milk

2 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and sugar. Add melted chocolate and eggs. Sift dry ingredients together and add alternately with milk. Add vanilla and nuts. Put batter in layer pans (greased and floured) and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Top with $100 Waldorf Chocolate Frosting.


Frosting

1 lb. powdered sugar

1/4 lb. butter

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 egg, beaten

2 squares melted bitter chocolate or 1/4 c. cocoa, dissolved in sm. amount water

1 tsp. vanilla

Beat egg and add lemon juice. Add butter, chocolate and vanilla. Add sugar gradually, beating all the while. If frosting is too thick, add hot strong coffee or cream, as much as is needed to make frosting thin enough to spread.

Have it for your next occasion

Easter Dinner

Almost Easter- Do you have favorite dishes for this holiday meal? How about a spiral cut Ham and scalloped potatoes? Do you make homemade rolls?

Our family sort of does. Call it a new tradition. Mom get a honey baked ham and reheats with the glace. She puts champagne mustard on the site for who ever want it. Yummy. Of course peas. I think spring peas are her favorite food.

A few years ago, when the series The Mitford Years, was popular she added the orange cake.

Every Easter dinner is different. In more traditional homes its lamb. After all, lamb is served at Passover, which is closely tied to Easter. After all Jesus was Jewish. The “Last Supper” was the Seder meal for Passover when he made the new covenant with his apostles.

Here is a great Lamb recipe:

Lamb and rosemary is a match made in heaven. Meat will be tender and oh-so flavorful, with a wonderfully caramelized exterior.
Butterflied Lamb with Fresh Rosemary

6 pounds boneless leg lamb roast, butterflied
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
1. Trim fat from lamb. Discard fat and place lamb in a pan large enough to hold it flat.
2. In a small mixing bowl, blend olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, pepper, garlic powder, salt and crushed bay leaf. Coat lamb with mixture and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours. Before cooking, let lamb sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat broiler.
4. Place lamb in a broiler pan and cook 5 inches under broiler for approximately 15 minutes on each side; this will produce a medium-rare roast. Remove lamb from heat about 5 degrees from desired doneness* and let sit for 10 minutes loosely covered with foil. This allows the meat to finish cooking while the juices distribute evenly throughout the roast before slicing.
Makes 16 servings.
*Cooking temperatures: Rare 140°F, Medium 160°F, Well Done 170°F.

For me if you are going to serve lamb, then skip the peas, and serve asparagus instead. First wash the spears. Take one end in each hand. And snap them. You want to cook the tender tips. Save the ends for soup. Put them in just a little boiling water with some salt, butter and lemon juice. Cook until barely tender.

Scalloped potatoes are still a go.


Don’t forget to hide the Easter eggs for the kiddies!