Chocolate Eclair Cake

Cake Ingredients:

1 large box vanilla pudding

3 cups milk

8 oz cool whip

Graham crackers

Icing Ingredients (note: the measurements are weird because I make one and a half recipes for the icing...which makes it nice and chocolatey!): 

1.5 cup sugar

1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp salt

3 3/4 Tbs. Baking cocoa powder (no sugar added)

1/4 cup + 2 Tbs. milk

1/4 cup + 2 Tbs. margarine or butter

3/4 Tbs. vanilla

Line bottom of 9x13 with graham crackers

Mix pudding with the three cups milk, fold in the cool whip. Spoon half of mixture on crackers. Top with layer of graham crackers and spoon second half on top. Add final layer of graham crackers and top with icing. 

Icing: mix first 4 ingredients and bring to boil. Boil 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat add butter and vanilla. Cool and beat then pour over cracker layer. Refrigerate dessert for couple of hours to solidify the dessert.

Note: Be careful not to let the icing cook too long because it will get too thick to pour. 

 

 

Ps. Be sure to have a large spoon on hand once it is ready to eat.....not that it's any good or anything.

 

Cream Cheese Braids

 Cream Cheese Braid

(picture taken with camera phone...doesn't do it justice!)

1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, melted


2 packages yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups flour

Heat sour cream over low heat; stir in sugar, salt and butter. Cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large mixing bowl, stirring until yeast dissolves. Add sour cream mixture, eggs and flour. Mix well. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Cream Cheese Filling

2 8-ounces packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine cream cheese and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add egg, salt, and vanilla; mix well. Divide dough into 4 equal parts; roll out each part on a well-floured board into a 12x8 rectangle. Spread 1/4 of filling on each rectangle; roll up jelly roll fashion, beginning at the long sides. Pinch edges together and fold sides under slightly; plae the rolls, seam down, on greased baking sheets. Slit each roll at 2-inch interals about two-thirds of the way through dough so it will resemble a braid. cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until double in bulk (about 1 hour). Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Spread with glaze while warm (not hot!). Yields 4 12-inch loaves.

Glaze:

2 cups confectioners sugar
4 Tbs milk
2 tsp. vanilla
(sometimes I melt butter and mix it into the glaze. I add the milk last and adjust the amount based on the consistency).

Cream sugar and milk with a spoon. Add vanilla; mix well. Spread on warm loaves. 



(Taken from Down Home In High Style by Jack DeLoney, 2004)

Delicious Dump Cake

1 can (16 oz.) crushed pineapple
1 can (20 oz.) blueberry or cherry pie filling
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1/2 - 2/3 c. chopped nuts (optional, which I usually don't add)
1/2 c. butter

Grease 9 x 13 pan. Dump in pineapple with juice, spreading evenly. Pour pie filling over pineapple, spreading evenly. Add dry cake mix evenly over fruit. Add nuts. Drizzle melted butter over top. Do not mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.




(I'm not sure where this recipe is from, but it's super easy and super yummy!)

Cream Cheese Crescent Squares

**This is what I've affectionately termed the "inverse of Cinnabon." It is a glorification of their cream cheese icing.

2 Cans Crescent Rolls
1 (12 0z.) container cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 tsp-tbsp. vanilla flavoring (depending on how much you like personally)
1 cup (1 Stick) Melted Margarine (this is a TON of butter, so I usually do about 1/2)

Cinnamon and sugar for the top (about 1 cup sugar and enough cinnamon to make the mixture look like sand)

Spray brownie pan (9 X 13) with cooking spray. Spread one can crescent rolls in bottom. (If the crescent triangles are splitting apart, dip your fingers in water and just pinch them back together.) Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in separate bowl. Spread onto rolls in pan. Spread other can of rolls on top of cream cheese mixture. Pour melted margarine on top and sprinkle with mixed cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool and cut into squares.

--taken from a friend at Chi Alpha UGA.

Strawberry Cake

1 box Duncan Hines strawberry cake mix
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 (16 oz.) Cool Whip
2 cups sugar
1 large box frozen strawberries

Prepare cake according to directions on box.

Filling: Mix cream cheese (softened) with 2 cups sugar. Beat cream cheese until fluffy, then add sugar. Add Cool Whip; mix well.

To frost cake: Spread Cool Whip mixture over cooled cake. Layer then spread strawberries on top. Keep frosting each cake layer, ending with strawberries in the center on the top. Layer. Keep cake refrigerated.

*You don't need quite 16 oz. Cool Whip, maybe 12 oz.

From Sara K. Wells (adapted from Linda Smith)

Chocolate Icing

This is my Grandmother Wells' amazing, world famous chocolate icing. I could practically drink this stuff!

1 tsp. margarine
2 T. cocoa
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup white karo syrup

Melt margarine on low heat, add other ingredients. Mix well. Let come to a rolling boil for one minute. Remove from heat and beat until right consistency to spread (not quite enough for 4 layers).

--Sara K. Wells

Gingerbread Layer Cake

(This is something mom used to make every year for my sister's birthday--YUMMY!!)

1 cup honey
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 tsp. shredded orange peel
1 (1 oz.) square semisweet chocolate, grated (or just plain chocolate ; )


"In a small bowl combine the honey, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. In a larger bowl stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, an salt. In large mixing bowl cream the brown sugar and butter till the mixture is light and fluffy Gradually beat honey mixture into brown sugar mixture, using high speed of electric mixer. Add the e gg and lemon peel; mix well. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, stirring well after each addition. Pour batter into 2 greased and lightly floured 8x11 1/2-inch round baking pans.

Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire rack; cool completely. Whip cream with the granulated sugar till soft peaks form. Spread one layer of cake with part of the whipped cream. Sprinkle with half of the shredded orange peel and half the grated chocolate. Top with second layer of cake. Frost tops and sides with remaining whipped cream; sprinkle with remaining shredded orange peel and grated chocolate. Chill at least one hour in the refrigerator."

Taken from Better Homes and Gardens Heritage Cookbook.

Martha's Blueberry Pie

I've been trying lots of new things this summer. One of the more recent things that I have tried is baking a blueberry pie. What follows is a picture of what I did and then the instructions for how I did it ; ) Enjoy!


First, you have to start with the amazing crust--it is what Martha Stewart calls "Pate Brisee" (taken from marthastewart.com)

Ingredients

Makes one double-crust or two single-crust 9-inch pies

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small
• 1/4 cup ice water, plus more if needed

Directions

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds. (To mix by hand, combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then cut in butter with a pastry blender.)
2. With machine running, add ice water through feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of dough together; if it is still too crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Turn out dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into flattened disks. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

(First published: April 2006)

Then comes the delicious blueberry filling!! I changed some of the steps to improve the taste ; )

Ingredients

Makes one 9-inch pie

• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• Pate Brisee (what you made above)
• 8 cups (about 4 pints) blueberries, picked over
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon (or more if you prefer)
  
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Directions

1. On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll out one disk of dough to a 12-inch round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour; fit dough into a 9-inch glass pie plate, pressing it into edges. Trim dough to a 1/2-inch overhang all around. Fold edge of dough over or under, and crimp as desired. Roll out remaining dough in the same manner; transfer dough (on parchment) to a baking sheet. Chill pie shell and dough until firm, about 30 minutes.
2. Place blueberries in a large bowl; with your hands, crush about 1/2 cup of berries, letting them fall into the bowl as you work. Add sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and lemon juice; stir to combine. Dot mixture with butter and slightly stir. Spoon mixture into chilled pie shell, mounding berries slightly in the center. Remove dough from refrigerator, and place over blueberry filling. Tuck edge of top dough between edge of bottom dough and rim of pan. Using your fingers, gently press both layers of dough along the edge to seal, and crimp as desired.
3. Using a paring knife, cut several vents in top of dough to allow steam to escape. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and cream. Brush surface with egg wash, being careful not to let it pool. Freeze or refrigerate pie until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in lower third.
4. Place pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until crust begins to turn golden, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking, rotating sheet halfway through, until crust is deep golden brown and juices are bubbling and have thickened, 40 to 50 minutes more. Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool completely. The pie is best eaten the day it is baked, but it can be kept at room temperature, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.

(Taken from http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/perfect-blueberry-pie?xsc=stf_MSLO-RECIPE)

Also, another tip Martha mentions is to always place a COLD pie in a HOT (preheated) oven. For some reason that helps the baking process.

The Best-Ever Strawberry Pie

1 1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 cup water

(bring to a boil stirring constantly)

add 1/3 cup cornstarch (that has been mixed with 3/4 cup warm water)

Slowly stir into boiling syrup.

Add:

4T butter

1t lemon juice

1/4t salt

Remove from heat. add 1t red food coloring

Let set until cool. Pour over 1 quart fresh strawberries that have been washed and cut.

Top with whip cream :o)

Super Awesome Brownies by Alton Brown

(I am told this one is a little more complicated but incredible : )

Ingredients:

Soft butter, for greasing the pan
Flour, for dusting the buttered pan
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar, sifted
1 cup brown sugar, sifted
8 ounces melted butter
11/4 cups cocoa, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Butter and flour an 8-inch square pan.
• In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow.
• Add both sugars.
• Add remaining ingredients, and mix to combine.
• Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan and bake for 45 minutes. Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean. When it's done, remove to a rack to cool.

Resist the temptation to cut into it until it's mostly cool.

(Taken from Alton Brown on http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/cocoa-brownies-recipe/index.html)

Apple Crisp

(Honestly, this is my most favorite fruit dish/dessert at the time. I could eat it at every meal if my husband would let me!)

4 medium tart cooking apples (Greening, Rome, Grany Smith..I use Gala), sliced
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (self-rising can be used, and I prefer that because it adds some salt)
1/2 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened (I use Brummel & Brown Yogurt butter- it's 1/2 the fat)
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
cream or ice cream, if desired

1. Heat oven to 375 F. Grease bottom and sides of 8-inch square pan.
2. Spread apples in pan. In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients except cream until well mixed (should resemble crumbles or peas); sprinkle over apples.
3. Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm with cream.
   

From Betty Crocker Cookbook, New Edition.

Laura's Wedding Cake

1 cup crisco (yellow)
1 stick margerine
3 cups sugar

Cream in mixer.

6 eggs
Beat in 1 at a time thoroughly before adding the next.

3 cups plain flour (white lily)
(sift three times before measuring)
Last sifting put 1/4 tsp of baking powder

Mix together:
1 cup milk
1 tbs vanilla

Start with flour and end with flour, alternating liquid and dry ingredients

Grease cake pans with shortening and flour. Pour in cake and place in cold oven.
Set to 325 and bake for 1 1/2 hours.
Check after 1 hour

Punch Bowl Cake

1 package yellow cake mix
20 oz. cool whip
1 lg. pak. instant french vanilla pudding
2 2o oz. pack frozen whole strawberries

Bake cake
Mix pudding as directed
then add cool whip to pudding
layer pudding mix then cake then pudding then strawberries then cake pudding-straberries.
refrigerate over night.

8 or 9 inch Two-Crust Pie

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup plus 2 tbs shortening or lard
4 to 5 tbs cold water

Measure flour and salt into bowl.
Cut in shortening thoroughly.
Sprinkle in water, 1 tbs at a time, until all flour is moistened.

Gather dough into ball; shape until flattened round on lightly floured cloth-covered board.

For baked pie shell prick bottom and side thoroughly with fork.
Bake at 475 for 8 to 10 minutes.

(for one pie crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup plus1 tbs shortening or 1/3 cup lard
2 to 3 tbs cold water)

From Betty Crocker Cookbook