Icebox Cake - A Salute To Summer

What yells summer more than a cool summer dessert? Particularly one that requires no baking. Icebox cakes seem to be popping up lately. Dating back to the 1920's and 30's, the cake consists of graham crackers, vanilla or chocolate wafers, and whipped cream or pudding. Left overnight in the refrigerator, the cookies absorb the moisture from the pudding and turns into a tasty summer treat.

Banana Split Cake (adapted from Taste of Home)

16 oz frozen whipped topping, thawed
 1 cup sour cream
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
24 to 30 graham crackers
 4 bananas, sliced
chocolate syrup, sliced strawberries

1. Mix whipped topping, sour cream, and pudding until blended. Fold in pineapple.
2. Arrange 4 to 5 graham crackers in the bottom of 9X13 pan. Spread 1/3 pudding mixture on top of crackers. Top with 1/3 of sliced bananas. Repeat the layer two more times. Cover and refrigerate.
3.  Before serving, top with syrup and strawberries.

Speaking of summer...A fellow teacher asked me to make a teeny, tiny little mermaid outfit for a photo shoot. It was so tiny, I wasn't sure a newborn would fit in it. Well, I was wrong. My first attempt to crochet something for a newborn photo shoot went from this

 to this...

Isn't it precious? (Photo by Snap! Photography)

Enjoy...

Pinterest in Action

I have been an active participant of Pinterest for several years. I love the fact that I can organize new recipes for easy reference as needed and refer back to ideas that I want to try. Recently I was going through my "Wanna Try" board and decided I was going to actually try some of the ideas. Loving the results so far...

Solar light

Framed Recipes from an aunt and my mother-in-law

I also tried a new recipe for dessert that I pinned awhile back. So simple and so delish...

Homemade Magic Shell (adapted from Whipperberry)

1 cup milk chocolate chips
2 tablespoons coconut oil

1. Place in a microwave safe bowl, and heat on high at 10 second intervals until melted. Watch closely and stir at the end of each interval. The chips may not look melted when actually they are and you don't want to burn the chocolate.
2. Drizzle over ice cream.

Enjoy...

Prepping for St. Patrick

If you enjoy key lime pie, then you'll love this cake. And what better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and to encourage spring to arrive than to bake this cake - Key Lime Cake. The pretty pastel green color, the glaze, the cream cheese icing and the combination of lemon, lime and orange flavors really make this an easy and delicious cake.

Key Lime Cake (adapted from Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood)

1 (3 oz) package lime Jello
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 eggs

Glaze:
3/4 cup key lime juice

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Icing:
½ cup butter, room temperature
1 (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla
 4 cups confectioners' sugar

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix Jello, sugar, flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir to mix well.

2. Add the oil, orange juice, lemon juice, vanilla, and eggs. Mix until well combined.

3. Pour the batter evenly in greased and floured 9X13 pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

4. Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes.

For the glaze: While the cake is still hot, mix the lime juice and confectioners' sugar together well. Pierce the cake with a fork to allow the glaze to soak in better and pour it over the cake on the cooling rack. Allow cake to cool completely as you prepare the icing.

For the icing: Cream the butter and cream cheese. Beat in the confectioners' sugar until mixture is smooth and easy to spread. Spread the icing on the top and sides of the cake.

You can also use three 9-inch round cake pans and make this into a layer cake.
Enjoy...

Pecans

After the Christmas holidays, a friend gave me a large bag of pecans as a gift.  What a surprise when I opened that bag....shelled pecans.....not pecans cracked needing to be removed from the shells but shelled pecans....lots of shelled pecans!

 I also had recently received a couple of new recipes from a different friend that used pecans. Perfect timing. Both of the recipes were winners in this household.

The first recipe is a quick, easy, requires a few ingredients and makes a great snack. They would also be great to toss into a salad.

Maple Glazed Pecans (adapted from Pillsbury recipe)

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 cups pecan halves

1. In a small skillet melt butter. Add brown sugar and maple syrup and cook until bubbly.

2. Add pecans and cook 2 or 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Spread onto a greased sheet and bake 6 to 8 minutes at 350. Pecans should be golden brown.

4. Cool and store in air tight container.

The name of this next recipe is a misnomer. Georgia Cornbread - does NOT contain cornmeal, and is NOT a bread. It is a moist snacking cake that can be quickly made for potlucks, tailgating or a last minute dessert.

Georgia Cornbread

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup oil

1 ½ cups self rising flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups pecans, chopped very fine

1. Stir together sugar, brown sugar, eggs and oil. Stir together until blended.

2. Add flour and vanilla and stir until well blended.

3. Add pecans and stir.

4. Pour into a greased 9X13 greased pan and bake at 400° for 30 to 35 minutes or until the middle does not shake when you move the pan.

5. Cool before slicing.

Enjoy...

Super Easy Dessert

For Thanksgiving this year, I tried a new and different kind of dessert. Instead of the usual sweet potato pie or coconut pie, I decided to try a new recipe from Trisha Yearwood's new show on the Food Network - Trisha's Southern Kitchen. It was so simple and an absolute hit.

 Skillet Almond Shortbread took about 15 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes later, it was baked and ready to be eaten. So simple, so easy and so delish!

Almond Shortbread (adapted from Trisha's Southern Kitchen)

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup sliced almonds with skins

1. Line a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with cooking spray.

2. In a bowl, stir 1 1/2 cups of the sugar into the melted butter.

3. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

4. Add flour and salt and stir well.

5. Add almond extract and stir well.

6. Pour the batter into the skillet. Top with sliced almonds and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

7. Bake until slightly brown on top, about 35 minutes.

8. Cool the shortbread in the skillet. When cool, use the foil to lift the shortbread from the skillet; remove the foil before serving. 

Enjoy...

Autumn

 Autumn breeze
changing leaves
colors red and gold
Autumn sounds
All around
Beauty to behold.

Nothing speaks autumn more than some delicious Pumpkin Cake with Brown Butter Glaze.

 Pumpkin Cake with Browned Butter Glaze (adapted Buns in My Oven)

1 package yellow cake mix

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 eggs

Glaze:

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Beat together all ingredients for the cake until well combined.

2. Add batter to bundt pan and bake 350° for 40-50 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes in the bundt pan before turning onto a cake platter to finish cooling. 

For the glaze:

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat until browned, about 8 minutes.

2. Pour the butter into a small bowl and whisk in the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth.

3. Drizzle over the top of the cooled cake.

 Enjoy...

Where Do I Begin???

It has been quite a while since I last posted. In fact, it has been ....oh, my goodness....3 months! Wow....3 months??? Really?? In those three months, I have moved from working with middle school students

to working with these precious little ones.

Never dreamed I would be moved to an elementary school after spending 25 years in middle school, but I have loved every minute of the move.

So what have I been cooking lately? Glad you asked. 

Carrot Cake

2 ¼ cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 ¼ cups oil

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoons allspice

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups carrots, finely shredded

1 cup coconut, shredded

8 ounces crushed pineapple

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 cup golden raisins

Icing

2 (8 oz) cream cheese

1½ teaspoon vanilla

1 stick butter

4 to 5 cups powdered sugar

¼ cup milk

1.Mix together the first 10 ingredients.

2.Add the remaining ingredients and combine thoroughly.

3.Pour into 3 greased and floured round cake pans.

4.Bake 350° for 30 to 40 minutes or until done..

5.Mix together the icing ingredients and ice the cake after it cools completely.

 Enjoy...

Tiny Little Bundts

As you know I love to bake. Sometimes when I bake a cake, the cake is just too big for 2 people. I know, I know...the problems some people have. Yes, I know....I could share and many times I do but... Anyway...Recently I found these two cute little bunt pans.

They are the perfect solution for this problem. The other night I tried a new pound cake recipe (Cherry Almond) using these two cuties. Even though this is a recipe for a normal size bundt, it was the perfect amount for the 2 bundts. My hubby and I enjoyed one of those cakes and the other cake I placed in the freezer for later.

Nice!

Cherry Almond Pound Cake (adapted from Get off your Butt and Bake)

1 Cup Butter 

2 1/4 cups sugar

6 eggs

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon soda

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped marachino cherries

3/4 cup pecans, chopped

1. Cream butter.  Add sugar and beat until light. 

2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. 

3. Sift flour, salt and soda together and add to batter alternately with sour cream. 

4. Add vanilla and almond extract. 

5. Bake  in greased bundt pan for 1 hour at 350 degrees or until done. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool.

Vanilla Glaze 

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tablespoons melted butter

Milk (just enough to make the glaze the consistency you desire for drizzling over the cake) 

Mix until nice & smooth

Enjoy...

South Carolina Winter

January is slipping by rapidly. It is already January 16. This time last year we were dealing with snow in the deep south....

 

 

 

 

This year the winter has gone from temps in the 60s to the 20s back to the 60s. Crazy! No flakes insight. Only snowmen in insight are these...

 

And only winter wear insight are these...

 

 

 

 

But this hasn't stopped me from trying a new cake recipe. What I love about this recipe is that it makes a small 7 inch bundt cake with mucho chocolate deliciousness. The small bundt size is just the right size for two. One of the unique ingredients for this cake is cola. 

Cola sheets cakes have been around as long as I can remember. They have been taken to many family reunions, church potluck suppers and neighbors.They are baked in 9 X 13 pans with chocolate icing topped with pecans. 

This cake is different in that it is a pound cake and the pecans are added to the batter.Very rich and delicious on a somewhat cool SC winter evening.

Chocolate Cola Pound Cake

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup cola

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated well. Stir in vanilla.

2. Combine flour, coca, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternating with sour cream and cola. Beat until just combined. Fold in pecans.

3. Coat 7 inch bundt pan with cooking spray and flour. Bake 350 for 50 minutes or until done. Cool and drizzle with icing.

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon butter, softened

1 tablespoon cocoa

2 to 3 tablespoons cola

1. In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter and cocoa. Stir in enough cola to achieve desired consistency for drizzling over the cake.

 Enjoy....