Thursday, August 30, 2012

White Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) box white cake mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups water
2 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
4 large egg whites

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans (you'll need approx. 36).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, flour, sugar and salt. Add remaining ingredients and beat with hand mixer for 2 minutes, or until well blended.
3. Use ice cream scoop to fill prepared cupcake tins- fill about 3/4 full. Bake about 18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Tips:

*Recommend: Duncan Hines has reduced the size of their boxed cake mix now... so I'd use Pillsbury or Betty Crocker instead (look for 18.25 ounces)
*You can use either regular or light sour cream for this recipe, but heck... since it's a wedding cupcake and you want it to be as delicious and moist as possible, I recommend going for the full-fat kind.
*Add 1 teaspoon of almond extract (in addition to the vanilla) if you wish to have a different flavor.
*Using an ice cream scoop is perfect for getting the batter into the cupcake tins without spilling.
*You can also use this mix to make cake. Pour into greased and floured cake pans. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Source: RecipeGirl.com (Adapted from weddingcake101.com)

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Jam Shortbread Cookies

JAM SHORTBREAD COOKIES 
1 c. shortening
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
3 tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
2 2/3 c. sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Favorite preserves
Cream shortening and sugars; beat in eggs, milk, and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture. Chill 1 hour.On well-floured surface, roll half the dough at a time to 1/8 inch thick; cut with 2-inch cutter; cut small hole in center of half. Place 1/2 teaspoon preserves on each plain cookie; top with cut out one; seal edges. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 42.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Funnel Cakes

Funnel Cakes

 

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 cup milk, plus more if needed
  • Canola oil, for frying
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Whipped cream and/or fruit sauce, for serving (optional)

Directions

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk the egg with the granulated sugar until pale. Whisk the milk into the egg mixture, then gently fold into the flour mixture. It should be a bit thicker than pancake batter but thin enough to pour. Add up to 3 tablespoons milk to loosen the batter, if needed.
Heat about 2 inches of canola oil in a large high-sided skillet or pot over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375. Meanwhile, mix the confectioners' sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Hold a funnel in one hand with your finger plugging the hole at the bottom. Pour 1 cup batter into the funnel. Hold the funnel over the hot oil and remove your finger from the hole, letting the batter drop in a spiral pattern all over the surface of the oil. It will look like lots of individual pieces at first, but as you continue to add batter, the pieces will fuse together. Cook until the batter floats and the underside is golden brown, about 30 seconds. Flip with tongs and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 30 more seconds. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and repeat to make 5 more funnel cakes. Dust with the cinnamon-sugar and serve with whipped cream and/or fruit sauce, if desired.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Pina Colada Cheese Cake

Pina Colada Cheese Cake
12 ServingsPrep: 40 min. Bake: 1-1/4 hours + cooling

Ingredients

  • 15 shortbread cookies, crushed
  • 1 cup flaked coconut, toasted
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • FILLING:
  • 3 packages (8 ounces each) reduced-fat cream cheese
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup cream of coconut
  • 3 tablespoons 2% milk
  • 3/4 teaspoon rum extract
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • TOPPING:
  • 1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled and cored
  • 3 tablespoons apple jelly
  • Edible blossoms, optional

Directions

  • Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of
  • heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around
  • pan.

  • In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and coconut; stir in butter.
  • Press onto the bottom of prepared pan. Place pan on a baking sheet.
  • Bake at 325° for 8-10 minutes or until set and lightly browned.
  • Cool on a wire rack.

  • In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in
2 of 2

Pina Colada Cheesecake (continued)

Directions (continued)

  • the cream of coconut, milk and extract. Add eggs; beat on low speed
  • just until combined. Pour over crust. Place springform pan in a
  • large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan.

  • Bake at 325° for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until center is just set
  • and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on
  • a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan
  • to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.

  • Thinly slice pineapple; arrange on cheesecake. Warm apple jelly;
  • brush over pineapple. Refrigerate until chilled. Just before
  • serving, garnish with blossoms if desired.



  • Yield: 12 servings.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Dutch Oven Rolls

Dutch Oven Rolls


2 tbDry yeast
1 1/4 cWarm water
1/2 cSugar
1/2 cButter; melted
3 Eggs; beaten
4 1/2 cFlour
2 tspSalt
1/4 cupButter; softened
2 tbHoney

Dutch Oven Rolls Preparation

Dissolve yeast in warm water and sugar. Add butter, eggs and salt to the mixture. Stir in flour to make a soft dough. Let rise until double, about an hour. Mix down and knead a little, using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to hands. Shape rolls into ball, the size of golf balls and dip in melted butter. Place 2/3 of buttered rolls in 14" dutch oven. Let rolls rise in oven until 2 inches below the top of the pot. Preheat dutch oven lid by placing 17 hot coals on top. Place preheated oven lid on and place 12 coals under the bottom of the oven. Cook for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Turn out of the oven and serve on the lid. Cream together butter and honey to make honey butter. Glaze with honey butter while rolls are hot. Put remaining 1/3 of roll dough in refrigerator and bake later.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

  •  BLT Salad
  •  
  • 12 slice(s) of bacon
  • 4 cup(s) shredded lettuce
  • 16  (sun-dried) tomatoes, drained if packed in oil; rehydrated in hot water if not
  • 8 ounce(s) (sliced) white mushroom
  • 1/4 cup(s) (sliced) scallions
  • 4 tablespoon(s) olive oil
  • 3 tablespoon(s) red wine vinegar
  • 1/8 teaspoon(s) sugar
  • salt and pepper
  • (crumbled) blue cheese
  • chopped  walnuts

Directions
  1. A BLT doesn't have to be a sandwich! Fry bacon until crisp; let cool, then coarsely crumble.
  2. In large bowl, combine lettuce, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms and scallions.
  3. In small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Toss dressing and bacon with salad mixture; top with crumbled blue cheese and chopped walnuts.