Thursday, April 26, 2012

Almond Pound Cake

A rich cake that is especially nice in the spring.

1 cup butter
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
6 eggs
3 cups flour
1 t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
2 cups sugar
1 t. almond extract 

Allow butter, cream cheese and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Grease and lightly flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside. 

Preheat oven to 325°.  In large mixing bowl beat butter and cream cheese with electric mixer until softened and blended.  Gradually add sugar, 2 T. at a time.  Beat about 5 minutes until light and fluffy.  Add almond extract.  Add eggs, 2 at a time, beating on low.  Gradually add flour mixture and beat until just combined.  Spoon into prepared pan. 

Bake about 65 minutes or until cooked through.  Cool 15 minutes and then invert onto a plate.  Cool completely for at least 2 hours.  Glaze.  This could also be baked in loaf pans and served with fresh fruit and whipped cream.

Glaze: 
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
3 oz. cream cheese
½ t. almond extract
1 – 2 T. milk 

Mix to make of glazing consistency.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Lemon Bundt Cake

An easy and yummy cake.

1 pkg. lemon cake mix
1 (3 ½ oz.) pkg. instant lemon pudding
1/3 cup oil
1 cup water
3 eggs

          Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease and flour bundt pan.  Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Beat at medium speed for two minutes.  Pour into bundt pan.  Bake at 350º for 40-50 minutes until cake is just baked through.  Make frosting out of lemon juice and powdered sugar colored with yellow food color.  Drizzle on cake.

This also works well for mini bundts.










Death by Chocolate Cake


And what a way to go! 

¾ cup sour cream
4 eggs
½ cup water
½ cup oil
1 chocolate cake mix
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat sour cream, eggs, water, and oil together in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed. Add cake and pudding mixes. Stir in chocolate chips. Place patter in a greased and floured Bundt pan.

Bake 45-55 minutes or until a fork inserted into cake comes out clean.

Let cool 15-30 minutes, then invert cake onto a serving platter. When cool, sift powdered sugar over top of cake.  A great recipe from Stacie.

This makes great mini bundts.  Frost with a swirl of butter cream frosting and you are set with a great gift for friends or teachers.   They also look beautiful on a buffet table.


Thursday, April 12, 2012

Caramel Chocolate Bars "Crack Cookies"


These are fantastic and we had them warm out of the oven once Robert was born and these were our new favorite treat. We couldn't decide if they were a brownie or a cookie, and needless to say decided to call them "crack cookies." Recipe from JoDell Hervey
a BYU MBA spouse :)
 
1.5 cups oatmeal
1.5 cups of flour
1 cup butter, melted
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
 
48 caramels (1 lb. bag) mixed with
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream (liquid)
 
1 cup chocolate chips
 
Combine first 5 ingredients, and press HALF of the mixture into a 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 10 min.
Meanwhile, melt the following over low heat, stirring: 48 caramels mixed with 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream. [I microwave caramels in a glass safe bowl rinsed in hot water for a few 30 sec. intervals to soften prior to melting on stove top to soften.]
Sprinkle baked mixture with 1 cup chocolate chips
Pour caramel mixture evenly over chocolate chips. Sprinkle remaining half of cookie mixture on top of the caramel. Bake at 350 for 15 min. Cool completely before slicing into bars.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Crockpot Chicken Tacos by Brittney Allenback MBASA cookbook

4-5 Chicken Breasts
1 pkg. taco seasonings (I use less)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup salsa
Cumin or tabasco sauce (optional for extra flavor)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can black beans
3/4 cup corn (I use frozen)

sides:
tortillas
tomatoes
cilantro
cheese

Combine chicken breasts, taco seasonings, cumin, soup, and salsa in crockpot. Set on low for about 5-6 hours. The last 30-60 min. before serving shred chicken; add sour cream, black beans, and corn. Serve with fresh tortillas, tomatoes, cilantro and cheese.

One of our new favorites - and a winner.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Refrigerator Bran Muffins

I have had a recipe similar to this with dates but this seems to be more popular and I also like that it is made with olive oil instead of shortening.

2 cups water, boiling
2 cups Kellogg’s All Bran Bran Buds
¾ cup olive oil
2 ¼ cups sugar
4 eggs
1 quart buttermilk
5 cups flour – part wheat might be good
5 t. soda
1 t. salt
4 cups All Bran

Combine bran buds and boiling water and let sit until softened.  Mix olive oil and sugar together with a mixer.  Add eggs and buttermilk.  Add softened bran mixture.  Stir in flour, soda, salt and all bran.  Place in container in refrigerator for up to a month.  To bake, place mix in muffin cups that have been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.  They also taste delicious if you stir in extra ingredients just before you bake them, such as: diced apple, craisins, raisins, chopped nuts.