Vanilla Butter and Nut Pound Cake–

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vanilla butter poundcake

This recipe is extra special to me. Not only is it delicious and a bit sinful (as you will soon see in the ingredients), but each time I make it I use the original recipe card found in my grandmother’s tin, recipe box. Her hand-written notes can still be found on the back.

 

Ingredients:

 

2 sticks butter, room temperature

 

1/2 cup shortening

 

3 cups sugar

 

5 eggs, room temperature

 

3 and 1/4 cups cake flour, sifted

 

1/4 teaspoon salt

 

3/4 cup evaporated milk

 

1/4 water

 

3 teaspoons vanilla butter and nut flavor

 

 

 

1. In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugar until fluffy.

 

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

 

3. In a separate bowl, sift flour, then measure and add salt.

 

4. Combine evaporated milk and water in a small bowl.

 

5. In three parts, add flour alternately with milk and water mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix well.

 

6. Fold in extract by hand.

 

7. Pour into greased and floured tube pan.

 

8. Place in cold oven. Turn oven to 325 degrees. Bake one hour and 45 minutes.

 

 

 

Note: Begin your timer as soon as you set the temperature to 325 degrees. DO NOT open the over door while baking.

 

 

 

 

 

“It’s a Breeze” Tropical Smoothie

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One of our favorite summer treats, especially on the hottest of days, is a fresh smoothie!  The ingredients are simple, the kids love to help, and guess what? There’s no added sugar!

Ingredients:

3 cups 100% Apple Juice
About 2 cups frozen Dole Mixed Fruit (strawberries, mangoes, peaches, pineapple)
1 or 2 bananas (optional)
1.  Measure juice into a blender or smoothie machine
2.  Blend until smooth
Serves 6-7

Potato Pan Rolls

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Baking bread is a hobby of mine. ..and I love to eat it! Here is a recipe I found courtesy of ‘Taste of Home’. These rolls are very soft and yummy smeared with butter or honey.

2 medium Potatoes, peeled and quartered
1-1/2 c. water
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. butter or margarine, melted
1/2 c. honey
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tsp. salt
6-7 c. all-purpose flour
In a saucepan, bring potatoes and water to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 min. or until tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid; cool liquid to 110-115 degrees. Mash potatoes until there are no lumps; set aside 1 cup to cool to 110-115 degrees (save remaining potatoes for another use.)
In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in reserved potato liquid; let stand for 5 minutes. Add reserved mashed potatoes, butter, honey, oil, eggs, salt and 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down and turn onto a floured surface; divide into 30 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Place 10 balls each in three greased 9″ round baking pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Smear with butter over the tops. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.

Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken

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Most of my marriage I’ve lived about 25 minutes away from church. In order to have a hot meal for Sunday lunch, I have learned to utilize my slow cooker. Almost every Sunday our lunch is ready and waiting when we walk in the door. Yes, I “heart” my slow cooker. It has saved me from having to eat many a PB&J sandwiches. This dish is rich and creamy, and super easy to make!

1 envelop Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix
2 c. Sour Cream
1 can Cream of anything Soup
6 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts

*Combine soup mix, sour cream and cream of mushroom soup in slow cooker. Add chicken, pushing it down so it is submerged in the sauce. Cover; cook on med 6 hours. (low 8 hours) Serve over rice. Makes 6 servings. (you can put this on high for the first hour and heat the cream in the microwave before pouring it in the crockpot, it takes 2-3 hours.)
recipe courtesy of Sherene Winkel

Cobbler Custard Cups

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Makes 8 servings

Prep time 15 minutes

No nostalgic story to share here girls. Just plain good eats!

Premium ice cream gives the custard an extra-rich texture. but other brands can also be used in this recipe (I happened to already have some homemade cheesecake ice cream in the freezer so I used that. It had a very mild cheesecake flavor.) The addition of flour eliminates the need for a troublesome water bath.

1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries

1 1/2 cups peeled and chopped fresh peaches (about 2 large)

1 pt. premium vanilla ice cream, melted

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 (5.25 oz.) package sugar cookies, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350. Divide blackberries and peaches between 8 lightly greased 6 oz. custard cups (about 1/3 cup per custard cup).

2. Pour melted ice cream into flour in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until smooth; whisk in eggs. Pour mixture over fruit in custard cups. Top with sugar cookies. Place custard cups on a 15 x 10 inch jelly-roll paln.

3. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or un til custard is set. Cool on pan 40 minutes.

SOURCE: Southern Living Magazine June 2009

Royal Icing Sugar Cookies

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For years I have wanted to decorate fancy sugar cookies, but really did not know how to get that porcelain look.  In rummaging through one of my favorite recipe sites, Annie’s Eats, I came across this wonderful recipe along with a royal icing tutorial for the whole “fancy” process.  This cookie is sturdy enough to keep its shape while cooking, but has a tender texture when eaten.  And the icing process, while a little time consuming (waiting for the different steps to set), is much easier than I thought it would be.  The results are so worth the time you put in.  I found the teapot and teacup cookie cutters here and the oven mitt (ahem, actually, it’s a mitten) here.

The Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 ½ t. almond extract
1 t. vanilla
1 t. salt
2 ½ c. sifted flour

1.  Cream butter in a mixing bowl.  Add in powdered sugar and mix well.
2.  Blend in remaining ingredients.
3.  Place dough between two layers of plastic wrap.  Press dough to flatten it some, cover up any exposed dough, and place on a plate or small cookie sheet.  Chill until firm, about 30-45 minutes.
4.  Roll out dough to no thinner than 1/4″ on a well-floured surface.  Cut out cookies and place on a greased baking sheet.
5.  Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.  Cookies should not brown.  Frost and decorate when cooled.

Yield:  depends on size of your cookie cutters.  I got 50+ cookies out of a double batch.
Source:  Annie’s Eats

The Royal Icing
Ingredients:
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. meringue powder
5 tbsp. water

1.  Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the sheen has disappeared and the icing has a matte appearance (about 7-10 minutes).
2.  Transfer the contents of the mixing bowl to an air-tight container. This will be the stiffest consistency of the icing, and at this point it is still too stiff to use for decorating. Add water a very small amount at a time and stir by hand until fully incorporated. Continue until the icing has reached a consistency appropriate for piping. (Remember, if you are having any difficulty piping, it is still too thick. Add a little more liquid and try again.)
3.  Using a pastry bag, pipe around the edges of each cookie. Let stand so the icing will set. Make sure to keep the leftover icing covered at all times when not in use so that it does not begin to harden.
4.  Once all the cookies have been edged, transfer some of the remaining icing to a separate air-tight container. Thin out by incorporating a small amount of water at a time, until the icing drips off the spoon easily when lifted and then smooths in with what is still in the bowl. If you go too far and the icing is too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar to thicken it again.
5. Once the icing has reached the desired consistency, transfer it to a squeeze bottle (or a plastic bag with a hole in one corner), and flood the area surrounded by the piping on each cookie. If it does not completely spread to the edges, use a toothpick to help it along. Allow to set.
6.  Use the remaining thicker icing for piping decoration as desired. Gel icing color is best as it does not add a significant amount of liquid. Liquid food coloring can be used as well – add powdered sugar as needed to compensate for any thinning that occurs.

Yield:  Makes enough to decorate at least one batch of the above sugar cookies, using 4-5 colors.

Source:  Annie’s Eats (Her photos and tutorial are in this link as well…..great step by step photos!)

Be of Good Cheer

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Did you know that there are 13 or more scripture references in the Scriptures (including the Bible, Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants) when the Lord counseled, “be of good cheer”?   All of those, to whom He gave this counsel, were in deep despair, danger or distress.  Sound familiar?  I suppose to some degree we have all felt despair, danger and/or distress in our lives.  And not to sound all gloom and doom, but there are a LOT of terrible things that happen every day in this world.  So “what is left to be cheerful about?”  


While reading a BYU women’s conference address given by Camille Fronk Olson, I was strengthened in my testimony of the role that our Savior, Jesus Christ, played in the plan of happiness.  He overcame the world!  And because He did, we are able to overcome the obstacles that we face every day.  As we put our faith in Him and recognize that He has suffered the despair and distress that we are facing, we can better understand that we not given trials so that we will suffer.  We are given trials so that we will learn.  So we will grow and become better people–more righteous sons and daughters of God.  


Sometimes we think, “If I can just get through this…I will be happy.”  A good friend of mine posted on Facebook yesterday, “Car a mess, computer a mess, waistline a mess, finances a mess, house a mess…..but with Jesus…no stress 🙂 He has it all under control!” Remembering that He is in control allows us to let go of our heartaches and be of good cheer now.   “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33 

 
 


Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I love chocolate chip cookies. I’ve always made the Nestle Tollhouse variety until these amazing cookies came across my mouth. I’ve been reformed. These cookies have a distinct bakery feel to them. When I made them I made several large ones by making them in my muffin top pans. Nothing better than a big chocolate chip cookie, right? 

Beckie’s AH-mazing Chocolate Chip Cookies


Combine in a medium bowl:
4 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Combine in a large bowl:
1 cup butter (real butter!)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

After combined, mix in dry ingredients. Then add one bag chocolate chips. Bake at 375* for 9 minutes. Enjoy and try to stop yourself from eating them all in one day.


*This recipe will make a lot of cookies, close to 7 dozen of the smaller variety. If you are in the mood for some extra large cookies, combine three small balls of dough to make some extra large cookies. Roll them into a ball then slightly flatten them out. Make sure to cook the large ones a little longer. They will not be completely set when they are done cooking, but leave them on the hot cookie sheet to finish setting. 


Source: My Amazing friend, Beckie.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

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My sweet friend, Lisette Bourgeois, a native of Mauritius who currently resides near Paris, shared this homemade dressing recipe with me. She just tossed the ingredients together without measuring, as I usually do, so feel free to tweak the amounts of each ingredient to match your personal taste.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp Dijon mustard

½ cup balsamic vinegar

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Whisk together all ingredients and serve with your favorite salad. [Or try it on the CPK Dinner Salad.]

[photo courtesy of vociferous on Flickr]

Candied Walnuts

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A delicious alternative to store-bought glazed walnuts.
Try it on the CPK Dinner Salad.


Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2 tsp corn syrup
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups walnuts

1. In a small saucepan, heat sugar, corn syrup, water and salt to rolling boil, and let boil for two to three minutes.
2. Remove from heat and add vanilla, cinnamon and walnuts.
3. Pour on wax paper to cool.
4. Allow 12 to 24 hours to completely cool and harden.

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