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.