Dessert Sunday

I decided to make a Caramel Latte Cake. It came from Betty Crocker. Some of us liked it a lot and some not so much. It has a strong coffee flavor. Personally, I love it.


Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
1 1/4 c. warm water
1 T.instant espresso powder
1/3 c. butter,melted
3 eggs

Filling
1 can dulce de leche
1/2 c. hot water
3 t. espresso powder
1 T. dark rum or 1 t. rum extract
plus 2 t. water

Frosting and Garnish
1 c. whipping cream
1/4 c. powdered sugar
2 oz. semisweet bkg. choc,chopped, or
1 t. unsweetened bkg. cocoa

1. Heat oven to 350. Spray bottom only of 9x13 pan.

2. In large bowl, place cake mix. In cup, stir warm water and 1T. espresso powder until dissolved. Add espresso mixture, butter and eggs to cake mix.Beat until well mixed. Pour into pan.

3. Bake 30 to 35 mins. or until tooth pick comes out clean. Cool 15 mins.

4. Meanwhile, pour dulce de leche into medium microwaveable bowl. In small bowl, mix hot water, 3T. espresso powder and the rum;stir into dulce de leche until smooth. Microwave uncovered on high 2 to 3 mins.,stirring after 1 min. with wire whisk, until pourable. Set aside while cake cools.

5. Poke cake every 1/2 inch with wooden spoon handle. Pour dulce de leche mixture evenly over cake. Spread evenly with metal spatula. Cover. Refrigerate 2 hours.

6. Beat whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff. Spread over cake. Sprinkle with chopped chocolate. Store covered in fridge.

I'm Back

I had foolishly assumed that I would be able to keep up two blogs while trying to get a shop fixed up and getting ready for two exchange students and then having our daughter, her husband and their daughter move here for 4 months. Oh yeah, also our other daughter and her two daughters were here when I started this blog. They have all since moved out except the two exchange students. So now I will try again. We have started having "Sunday Dinner" with whoever can make it. Any where from 6 people to 17. I do try to find out a couple days ahead how many I can expect. The menu won't change, but quantities sure will.

Sunday I am making a beef briskit from the Pioneer Woman, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, probably corn and another vegetable. The dessert to be determined. I will write the dessert recipe when I figure out what it is.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

I haven't posted for quite a while. I was sick and then Very busy with family visiting and Aubrey moving. I was cooking, but not so much . Last night I made these biscuits. I even baked the sweet potato first. I know there are lots of recipes for sweet potato biscuits,but I had never made any before. These were very good.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

1 Cup mashed baked sweet potato
2/3 cup whole milk
4 Tbsp. butter,melted
1 1/4 cups flour
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt


Preheat oven to 450.( I like my biscuits touching so I would heat to 425 so they could bake a little longer without the bottoms getting as dark as they did.)
Grease a baking sheet and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix sweet potato, milk and butter. Sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add to the potato mixture and gently stir together. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until deep golden orange tinged with brown.


I used a large scoop to put them on the baking sheet and got just the right amount of biscuits. Makes 12.

Easter

Friday I was looking for a simple dessert to make. I had a lot of strawberries,so I could make short cake, but I didn't want to. I found this really easy recipe in The Cake Mix Doctor.It's called Nina"s Strawberry Crisp. You cover the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan with halved or quartered strawberries. Fresh or frozen,thawed.Cover the berries with half a package yellow cake mix. Cut 2 sticks into half inch cubes and scatter half on cake mix. Cover with other half of cake mix and then rest of butter. Bake at 350 for 60 to 65 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Bake this in a glass pan and store in fridge. If you use a metal pan to bake it, store in a glass or plastic container.

Yummy!!!!

For Easter dinner, we had The Pioneer Woman's Passover Brisket. Sort of, I didn't use kosher onion soup mix or kosher ketchup. You trim a whole beef brisket of fat,5 to 8 pounds. Mix 24 ounces ketchup or chili sauce with one packet dry onion soup mix and about a cup of water. Pour over meat and cover with aluminum foil. Marinate in fridge for 12 to 24 hours. Place covered pan into a 275 degree oven for 6 to 8 hours. Check for tenderness using two forks to pull it apart. It will come easily when done. Slice against the grain, but it will probably fall apart some.
Really good!!!

Also Cheesy Creamed Corn.Beer Batter Cheese Bread, Potato Salad, and Philadelphia Key Lime Cheesecake. The beer bread was from America's test kitchen and the corn and cheese cake were from all recipes. Potato salad recipe is mine.

It was all very good. I was told to keep all the recipes.

Gourmet cooking

Ok! So we had hamburgers on the grill and mac and cheese from the blue box for supper last night. Time is at a premium lately, especially with Aubrey and the girls here. But on Sunday, I got up at 5:30 to make scones for Bible Study at church. I made 3 different kinds, but one is my favorite: Blueberry Blackberry Scones with Honey Butter Glaze. They are to die for, especially with Devon Cream spread on them!!! I also made Alair's Easter dress and the dresses Clair and Natalie will be wearing. I sewed them for Andy and Christine's wedding last August and they still fit them.
BTW tonight we are having country style ribs and mashed potatoes and sugar snap peas. Good but easy. Not from a box at least!

Blueberry-Blackberry Honey Butter-Glazed Scones


1 tbsp lemon juice 2 tsp pure vanilla ext
1/2 cup frozen blackberries
1 cup whipping cream 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder Milk or melted butter for brushing
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup butter, chunked
1 large egg 1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup butter


Make soured cream with lemon juice and whipping cream.
Preheat oven to 425. Lightly grease baking sheet or line with parchment.
In a food processor, add flour, sugar,salt, baking powder and baking soda and blend briefly. Add butter and pulse till coarse and grainy. Put into large bowl and make well in center. Add egg, vanilla and enough soured cream to make a soft but firm dough. Gently fold in berries.
Knead briefly on lightly floured surface. Pat to 1-inch thickness. Cut into wedges or rounds and place on prepared pan(s). Brush with milk or melted butter.
Bake until nicely browned, 16 to 19 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat honey and butter in microwave until just simmering.
Brush each scone with honey-butter glaze as they come out of oven. Let stand on baking sheet 15 minutes and brush again with glaze.

The New Blog

I am writing this blog to hopefully put recipes, menus, crafts that I'm doing and pictures of all.It took me a long time to decide what my calling in life really is. I love to bake, cook and make things. Of course my kids and grandkids are very important, but sometimes I want to do things just for me!