A late Passover Goodie...

I saw Jeffrey Nathan make a Marscapone and Citrus Noodle Kugel on TV and have been wanting to try it for awhile.  This is NOT a low calorie treat.  The 2 sticks of butter would make Paula Dean proud :-)  The recipe is from "Jeffrey Nathan's Family Suppers".

Kugel:
1 (12-oz.) package medium egg noodles
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and softened
5 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
24 oz. sour cream (2-1/2 cups)
8 oz. Mascarpone cheese (comes in small tubs)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 orange
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon

Topping:
1-1/4 cups crushed cornflakes
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), melted

Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°F. Lightly butter a 13"x9" inch baking dish.

Make Kugel:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat and add noodles. Cook until just tender (about 8 minutes). Drain well and return to pot. Add the butter and stir until butter melts and coats the noodles.

Whisk the eggs and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the sour cream, mascarpone, vanilla and zests and whisk until just combined. Do not overwhisk or the Mascarpone will separate. Pour over the noodles and mix to combine. Spread evenly in the baking dish.

Mix the cornflakes, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle evenly over the kugel and drizzle with the melted butter.

Bake until kugel feels set when pressed in the center, about 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm.

Another Rerun

For the last Friday of tax season, Hubby requested this favorite from Halloween of 2010!

From BettyCrocker.com at: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/caramel-smore-cups/9916aa44-083c-4507-8db9-49d0a92f62f7

Caramel S’more Cups
Ingredients:

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® chocolate chip cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
24 round chewy caramels in milk chocolate, from 3 (1.91-oz) rolls, unwrapped (Rolos)
72 mini marshmallows (about 3/4 cup)
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1.Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 24 mini muffin cups with cooking spray.

2.Make cookie dough as directed on package, using butter and egg. Shape dough into 24 (1 1/2-inch) balls. Place 1 ball into each muffin cup.

3.Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove from oven; firmly press 1 candy into center of each cookie until flush with cookie top. Top each with 3 marshmallows. Bake 2 to 4 minutes longer or until marshmallows are puffed. Cool 10 to 15 minutes. Loosen edges of cookie with small metal spatula and remove to cooling racks. Cool completely.

4.Place chocolate chips in small resealable freezer plastic bag. Microwave on High about 1 minute or until softened. Gently squeeze bag until chocolate is smooth; cut off tiny corner of bag. Squeeze bag to drizzle chocolate over marshmallows. Let stand until hardened, about 10 minutes.

Chocolate Sheet Cake with Cocoa/Nut Frosting

This is another recipe that I have been using for about 30 years.  It is from the Farm Journal's "Choice Chocolate Recipes" cookbook.  The Farm Journal put out a series of cookbooks back in the 60's and 70's.  Long out of print, you can find them at used book places and on Ebay.  Their cookie book is great, as is the canning book.

Cake:

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 cup water
1 tsp. soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Sift flour and sugar into mixing bowl.

Combine butter, shortening, cocoa and water in saucepan.  Stir over medium heat until butter and shortening are melted.  Pour into flour mixture.  Beat at medium speed until blended.  Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk.  Add to chocolate mixture with eggs and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  Pour batter into greased 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 jelly roll pan.  Bake 20 minutes or until cake tests done.  Cool in pan on rack. 

Meanwhile, prepare Cocoa/Nut Frosting.

1/2 cup butter
3 Tbsp baking cocoa
1/3 cup milk
2 cups shifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

Heat butter, cocoa and milk in a saucepan until butter melts.  Remove from heat.  Whisk in powdered sugar, vanilla and chopped nuts.  Pour warm frosting over warm cake.  Frosting will firm up as it cools.  Cool completely and cut into squares.  Makes 24 servings.

Strawberries and Cheese Cake

This recipe is a twist on strawberry cheesecake.  A Classic Yellow cake, layered with graham cracker crumbs and baked in a Maryann Pan. 

Cheesecake filling goes into the depression on top and it is garnished with fresh strawberries and a jam glaze.

1 Yellow cake mix

3 eggs

1 /13 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 Jello No Bake Cheesecake mix
2 Tbsp Sugar
3 Tbsp Melted Butter
1 1/2 cups cold milk
Fresh strawberries
2 Tbsp Seedless Raspberry Jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 10 in. Maryann Pan.

Take the graham cracker crumb packet from cheesecake mix and mix with sugar and melted butter.  Set aside.

Beat cake mix, eggs, water and oil until well blended.  Layer 1/3 of the crumb mixture on the bottom of the pan.  Add 1/3 of the cake mix.  Alternate crumb and cake mix ending with crumbs on top.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until done.

Cool 10 minutes in pan, then turn out onto a serving plate.  Cool completely.

Once cake is cool, take packet of filling mix with beat in milk until thick.  Pour into the depression on top of the cake.  Refrigerate 1 hour until set.  Slice strawberries and place on top of filling.  Melt jam in microwave 30 seconds.  Brush melted jam over strawberries.

Last Friday was uninspired...

I had a long, long week and so the cake last Friday was a Red Velvet cake mix baked in a bundt pan with a simple glaze of powdered sugar mixed with cream. 

Today though, I decided to try a recipe from Betty Crocker using "Peanut Butter Pattie" Girl Scout Cookies.  As there were two fine young ladies outside the grocery store this morning selling cookies, they were not hard to procure.  The recipe is simple:

Peanut Butter Pattie Truffles

The ratio of cookie to cream cheese is 10 cookies to 2 oz. cream cheese.
I use 4 boxes which is 60 cookies to 12 oz. cream cheese.

Crush cookies in food processor.  Add cream cheese and mix well.  Roll into 1 inch balls and refrigerate until you are ready to dip.

Melt Chocolate in microwave.  I used 24 oz. milk chocolate candy coating and kept it warmed in my cute little chocolate pot.  Dip truffles in chocolate and let harden. 

Melt peanut butter chips and drizzle on top of truffles.  Store in fridge, waaaaayyyyy in the back to hide from husband! 

Caramel Carrot Cake

Thanks to Betty Crocker, this is an easy cake, very rich and yummy, made with a mix.

Ingredients:

1 box Betty Crocker Super moist Carrot Cake Mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 eggs
1 jar (16 to 17.5 ounces) caramel or butterscotch topping
1 tub of Cream Cheese Frosting

Directions:

1 Heat oven to 350°. Grease bottom only of rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches, with shortening or spray bottom with cooking spray.


2 Beat cake mix, water, butter and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Pour into pan.

3 Bake 27 to 33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes. Poke top of warm cake every 1/2 inch with handle of wooden spoon, wiping handle occasionally to reduce sticking. Reserve 1/2 cup caramel topping. Drizzle remaining caramel topping evenly over top of cake; let stand about 15 minutes or until caramel topping has been absorbed into cake. Run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled.

4 Set aside 2 tablespoons of the reserved 1/2 cup caramel topping. Stir remaining topping into frosting; spread over top of cake. Drizzle with reserved 2 tablespoons caramel topping. Store covered in refrigerator.

Hellman's Mayonnaise Chocolate Cake

Today's cake is a combination of my two favorite recipes.

Hellman's Mayo Chocolate Cake is one I cut out of a magazine 30 years ago and have used for years. It is now available on their website here.

The second recipe, for Old Smoothie Chocolate Frosting, I have also had for about 30 years and was off the back of a C&H sugar box.  This recipe is not on their website and I don't know why because I think it is one of the best frosting recipes around.

Cake Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
3 eggs
1-2/3 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
1-1/3 cups water

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch round cake pans*; set aside.

2. In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder; set aside.

3. In large bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise at low speed until blended. Alternately beat in flour mixture with water, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Pour into prepared pans.

4. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. On wire racks, cool 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely. Frost, if desired, or sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

*Or, prepare cake recipe above in 13 x 9-inch baking pan and bake 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Old Smoothie Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

4 cups (1 lb.) Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup undiluted evaporated milk (or half & half works too.  That's what I use).
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Dash Salt
3 squares (3 oz.) unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) soft unsalted butter

Combine powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and salt.  Mix well.  Stir in melted butter and chocolate.  Beat until smooth and creamy.  Frosts top and sides of two 8 or 9-inch layers, or one 13 x 9 inch cake.

A Rerun!

Today's cookie is a recipe I posted back in May.  The Raspberry Swirls are from the Taste of Home's "The Ultimate Cookie Collection Book".  It is also available online here.

RASPBERRY SWIRLS

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 jar (12 ounces) seedless raspberry jam

1 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and extracts. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and chill dough for at least 2 hours.

Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half into a 12-in. x 9-in. rectangle. Combine the jam, coconut and pecans; spread over rectangles. Carefully roll up, starting with the long end, into a tight jelly roll. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or freeze for 2-3 hours.

Preheat oven to 375F

Cut into 1/4-in. slices; place on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool cookies on baking sheet for a minute before transfering to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 6 dozen.

It's That Time of Year Again!

Here we go with Tax Season again and to start things off we have what I call Brownie Bombs.

Ingredients:

I Box Brownie Mix or your favorite brownie recipe

24 Lindor Truffles, unwrapped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease a 24 cup mini muffin pan (I use cooking spray).

Mix up brownies using the "chewy" recipe rather than the "cakey" recipe off the mix box. 

Divide batter evenly between the 24 cups.  Bake about 20 minutes or until browmies are done. 

Remove from oven and immediately press a truffle into each brownie.  The truffles will melt and flatten out as they cool.  Cool completely in pan. 

When cool, run a knife around the edge of each brownie and pop them out of the pan.

This recipe is open to all kinds of variation.  You can use mini peanut butter cups instead of truffles.  Or Rolos.  Instead of brownies, use the cookie dough of your choice.  One packet of Betty Crocker cookie mix will make exactly 24 mini muffins.  I have used Chocolate chip dough with Rolos (see October's S'more Cups), Sugar cookie dough with white chocolate truffles (see below) and peanut butter dough with peanut butter cups.  Just be prepared for a sugar rush!