Make Do Coffee Cake

After a week away for Elizabeth's surgery and returning home with my daughter from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, a 20 mile trip to the grocery store was not on the agenda as far as I was concerned. I figured with her not having much of an appetite and it being such a hot July that I would just make small meals from what we had here in the house. Well, my little girl asked me to make a cake. Out of flour, out of granulated sugar, out of sour cream, out of real butter, I told her that I would figure out a way to make some sort of cake. This is what I came up with and it actually turned out quite tasty. It is a little denser than I normally like my cakes, but a rich moist coffee cake isn't a bad thing!

Ingredients:

1 stick room temperature margarine
1 C Light Brown Sugar
3 C Bisquick
1 1/2 C Buttermilk
3 Eggs
1 1/2 t Vanilla

Topping:

1/2 C Light Brown Sugar
1/2 C Bisquick
1/2 stick cold margarine

Glaze:

1 C Powdered Sugar
1/2 t Almond Extract
3-4 T Water

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour Bundt Pan. In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients. Mix together with a fork until it becomes a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle into the bottom of the Bundt pan. Cream margarine and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla and mix until well combined. Add Bisquick 1 cup at a time mixing well after each to make a smooth batter. Pour over top of topping mixture. Place in oven and bake about 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and immediately invert onto a plate, leaving pan in place for 5 minutes. Remove pan. Mix together glaze and slowly drizzle on cake while still warm. Some of the glaze will soak in.

You can serve it warm or wait until cooled to eat some.....I couldn't wait and neither could Elizabeth.

Easy Cheesy Danish

I think this is going to be the easiest cheese danish you will ever make. I colored the cheese part with 10 drops of green food coloring for St Patrick's Day/ Easter, but the food coloring is not necessary.

Ingredients:

2 Cans Pillsbury Grand Juniors -  I used flaky

Filling:

1 8 oz block cream cheese
2/3 C sugar
1 egg yoke (save white for brushing danish)
1 T lemon juice
1 t vanilla
sanding sugar (coarse sugar for decorating)

Glaze:

1 C powdered sugar
1 T milk
1 t vanilla

Heat oven to 400F. spray 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray. Mix all filling ingredients until smooth. Take one biscuit and smash it down to about a 4 inch square. Does not have to be perfect. Put 1 teaspoon of filling in center of biscuit. Take opposite corners of biscuit and pinch together. Do again for the other opposite corners. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat with all biscuits. Brush tops with egg white and sprinkle about a 1/4 teaspoon of sugar on each. Bake for 10 minutes. While danishes are baking, take a zip lock bag (freezer ones are best as there is less chance of a blow out) and put all glaze ingredients in it. Smoosh together in bag until glaze is smooth. Snip a hole about the size of a pencil tip in one corner. Squeeze glaze onto danishes........eat while warm!!!!

Two Tone Coffee n Chocolate Bundt Cake

Every one has an oops and today this cake was mine. The taste was very good so I decided to chunk it up, put it in a large bowl, and drizzle the glaze over it anyway. I hate wasting, especially home made cake!

It may not look so pretty, but boy oh boy wait until you taste it!

You can chunk your cake up on purpose if you really want to, but this is actually a Bundt cake. Just make sure you grease and flour the pan very well. Do not try to  use any spray instead. I tried using Bakers Joy and you see what happened.

Ingredients:

2 3/4 C sugar
1 1/4 C butter - room temperature
1 1/2 t vanilla
5 large eggs

1 T instant coffee granules
1 t hot water

3 C All purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 C evaporated milk
1/3 C cocoa

Heat oven to 350F. Grease and flour bundt pan. Mix coffee granules and hot water together in a small cup or bowl until smooth. Mix sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs scraping bowl constantly for 1 minute on low. Add coffee paste and mix another 30 seconds on low. Turn mixer to high and beat for 5 minutes scraping bowl occasionally. Combine dry ingredients. Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk on low speed until combined. Pour 2/3 of batter into bundt pan. Add cocoa to the remaining batter and mix on low until combined. Pour cocoa batter on top of the batter in the pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Invert onto serving plate and remove pan (hopefully it all comes out!) Allow to completely cool before glazing.

Glaze:

1 1/2 t instant coffee granules
2 T cocoa
1/3 C melted butter
2 C powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
3-4 T milk

Mix warm melted butter with coffee and cocoa. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Mix in milk 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake.

A Li'l Dab will Do Ya' Chocolate Sheet Cake

This is a little dab will do ya' gotta have a glass of milk chocolate cake! It is so rich and tasty. It makes an 11 X 15 inch cake, so make sure you have others to help eat it or a couple gallons of milk.

Cake Ingredients

2 C Flour
2 C Sugar
1/2 t salt
1 t Baking Soda
2 Sticks Butter
1 C Water
1/3 C Cocoa
3 Eggs
1/2 C Sour Cream
1 t Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 11 X 15 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Melt butter in saucepan on medium heat. Add water and cocoa. Bring to a boil stirring constantly over medium heat. Drizzle boiling cocoa mixture into dry ingredients mixing with mixer on low until combined. Turn mixer to medium and add eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Mix until combined. Pour into pan and bake exactly 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make frosting.

Frosting Ingredients:

1 Stick Butter
1/3 C Cocoa
6 T Milk
1 lb. Confectioners Sugar
1 t Vanilla

Combine butter, cocoa, and milk in a 3 qt sauce pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and mix in confectioners sugar and vanilla. Stir until all sugar lumps are gone and frosting is smooth. Keep warm, stirring occasionally if finished before cake is done baking.

Pour frosting on cake while cake AND frosting are still hot.

Allow to cool to room temperature before cutting.

Chocolate Cake

Cake Ingredients

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

3 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

8 squares of  dark baking chocolate melted in 1 cup of water

1 tsp vanilla

3 1/2 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

Preheat ovan to 350F. Grease and flour or use non-stick spray 2 9" round pans.

Melt chocolate with 1 cup of water in double boiler on top of stove. Set aside. Cream together butter and sugar until light. Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each addition. Add cooled melted chocolate and vanilla. Mix well. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Gradually add to butter mixture. Add buttermilk last in a stream mixing well.  Pour into prepared pans. Bake 28-34 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling rack and allow to completely cool.

Chocolate Frosting Ingredients:

1 Stick of Butter at room temperature

1/3 C Cocoa

3 1/2 C Powdered Sugar

1 1/2 t Vanilla

3-4 T Milk

Cream butter, powdered sugar cocoa and vanilla together. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until frosting is of spreading consistency. Fill and frost 2 9" layers. 

Mint Dark Chocolate Fudge

Dark Chocolate Layer:

1 7oz Jar Marshmallow Creme
1 1/2 C Sugar
2/3 C Evaporated Milk
1/4 C Butter
1/4 t Salt
2 C Semi Sweet Morsels
1 C Milk Chocolate Morsels
1 1/2 t Vanilla

Mint Layer:

3/4 C Butter
3 C Sugar
3/4 C Heavy Cream
2 C White Chocolate Morsels
1 7oz Jar Marshmallow Creme
1 T Mint Extract
7-8 Drops Green Food Color

Line a 13 X 9 baking pan with aluminum foil. Rub with butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Bottom layer:  In a 3 quart saucepan combine marshmallow creme, sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and salt. Bring to a full rolling boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil stirring constantly for EXACTLY 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in morsels and vanilla and stir until completely smooth. Poor into pan. Allow to cool for 1 hour on counter or 30 minutes in refrigerator.

Top Layer: In a 3 quart saucepan combine marshmallow creme, sugar, heavy cream, and butter. Bring to a full rolling boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil stirring constantly for EXACTLY 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in morsels, mint extract, and food color and stir until completely smooth. Poor on top of cooled chocolate layer. Allow to cool 2 hours in refrigerator before cutting.

Sour Cream Streusel Banana Bread

I like making banana bread in my Bundt pan instead of a loaf pan. Unfortunately, the amount of batter in most banana bread recipes is not enough to make it in my favorite pan and to double the recipe, is too much. So, I made my own. I love this recipe as it is one that can be converted to make apple streusel bread by omitting the bananas and substituting 1 1/2 cups diced apples.

Ingredients:

Streusel:

1/2 C flour
1/4 C butter
1/2 C sugar
1 t cinnamon

Batter:

2 Sticks of butter
1 1/2 C + 2 Tbs Sugar
3 Eggs
1 1/2 C Sour Cream
1 1/2 C Ripe Bananas, sliced thin (about 4)
1 tsp Vanilla
4 C + 2 Tbs All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder


Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour or spray Bundt or tube pan. Blend together, with a fork or use a food processor, streusel ingredients until well combined and resembles small peas. Sprinkle 1/2 in the bottom of the Bundt pan. Set aside the other half. Combine dry ingredients in a medium size bowl, set aside. Cream butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Scrape down sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add sour cream, bananas, and vanilla. Mix until well combined. Slowly add dry ingredients to banana mixture (I usually add 1 cup at a time and allow it to thoroughly mix in before adding the next cup). After the last of the dry ingredients are added, scrape down sides of the bowl, mix for about a minute to make sure batter is well combined. Pour 1/2 of the batter into the bundt pan, making sure streusel is covered and batter is relatively level in pan. Sprinkle second half of streusel on top of batter in pan. Top with remaining batter. Again, making sure streusel is covered and batter is relatively level. Pick pan up about 2-3 inches and drop on counter, repeat 2-3 times. This releases the air bubbles trapped in the streusel layer. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Ovens vary so I would start checking at the 1 hour mark. Remove from oven and immediately invert onto serving plate. Allow to sit with pan on it for about 5 minutes. Remove pan. Serve warm. You can add butter to your slice, but it is quite tasty as is.

Mousse Tracks

A very easy to make dessert for the chocolate lovers in us all. Easily converted to a lower fat/ lower calorie dessert by using Neufchatel Cheese instead of cream cheese, fat free cool whip, and fat free pudding.

Ingredients:

2 small boxes Chocolate Jello Instant Pudding (prepared as directed on box)
1 8 oz block Philidelphia Cream Cheese - room temperature
1/2 stick of butter - room temperature
1 C sugar
1 t vanilla
2 C sweetened whipped cream or 1 small tub of Cool Whip (depending on how adventurous you want to get)
12 Fudge Striped Cookies
3/4 C semi-sweet morsels
Garnish: sunflower seeds, mixed nuts, fudge striped cookies, yogurt covered raisins.

Put the cookies into a ziplock bag and crush to a  course crumble. Cream the cream cheese, butter, and sugar together until well blended. Mix in vanilla. Combine the prepared pudding with the cream cheese mixture. Fold in whipped cream until no white from the whipped cream is visible. Fold in crushed cookies and morsels. Be careful not to stir too much as the whipped cream will lose it's volume. Let sit in refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours to firm up. Scoop into serving dishes and garnish with desired bits.

Orange Vanilla Swirl Fudge

A decadent fudge for those white chocolate lovers.

• 1-1/2 teaspoons plus 3/4 cup butter, divided
• 3 C sugar
• 3/4 C heavy whipping cream
• 1 package white baking chips (10 to 12 ounces)
• 1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme
• 1 T orange extract
• 12 drops yellow food coloring
• 5 drops red food coloring
• 
  

Grease a 13-in. x 9-in. pan with 1-1/2 teaspoons butter; set aside.

• 
  
• In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, cream,  remaining butter, and marshmallow creme. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in chips until smooth.
• 
  
• Remove 1 cup and set aside. Add orange extract and food coloring to the remaining mixture; stir until blended. Pour into prepared pan. Drop reserved marshmallow mixture by tablespoonfuls over the top; cut through with a knife to swirl. Cover and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Cut into squares. 

Stuffed Coffee Cake

This turns out to be Cinnamon rolls meet "Monkey Bread".

Ingredients:

Dough:

2 C all purpose flour
1/4 t baking soda
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
6 T butter, very cold
1 C buttermilk (approximately)

Filling:

1 8oz block of cream cheese

Glaze/ coating:

2/3 C sugar
2/3 C brown sugar
1 T Cinnamon
1/2 C melted butter

Powder sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine dry dough ingredients in a large bowl. Cut butter into dry ingredients until it resembles a coarse meal or peas. Add buttermilk a little at a time and mix until just combined. If dough is dry add additional buttermilk a little at a time. This dough should be slightly wet. Lightly flour a flat surface and place dough. Flatten to about a 10 X 18 rectangle. Using a sharp, floured knife cut dough into 3 inch squares.  Combine sugar and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Spray a bundt or tube pan with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle approximately 3 tablespoons of the cinnamon sugar mixture in the bottom of the pan. Cut cream cheese into 20 pieces. Place a piece of cream cheese into the center of a dough square. Fold edges of dough square up over the cream cheese to make a pocket. Roll pocket in cinnamon sugar and place seams side up in the bottom of the pan. Repeat until you have an entire level in the pan. Sprinkle layer with 3 tbs of cinnamon sugar mixture and drizzle with 1/2 of the melted butter. Make the second layer the same as the first except place the seam side down. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar and drizzle the remaining butter over. Bake at 350F for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately invert onto a plate. Leave pan in place for 10 minutes then remove pan. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Baklava

Those little diamonds in the rough!

Ingredient list

2 lbs chopped walnuts
1/2 C sugar
2 t cinnamon
1 pkg Fillo dough
1 lb butter - melted

Syrup:

4 C sugar
2 C water
2 cinnamon sticks
3 T lemon juice

whole cloves

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Mix together the chopped walnuts, sugar and cinnamon, set aside. Brush an 11 X 16 pan with butter. Open fillo. Lay flat on surface and cover with damp (not wet) towel. Working quickly, as fillo dries out extremely fast, place one layer of fillo in pan and brush with melted butter. Make sure you cover fillo with towel after removing each layer from surface. Repeat until you have 8 layers in the bottom of the pan. Spread half of the walnut mixture on the fillo in pan. Back to the fillo. Layer 4 layers of fillo in pan, brushing each layer with butter. Again, make sure you cover the fillo with the damp towel. Spread the remaining walnut mixture over the second set of layers. Back to the fillo again. Layer the rest of the fillo, should be 6 layers, on top. Brushing each layer with butter. Carefully score the top layers of fillo into desired shapes (square or diamond) about 1 1/2" X 2. I have found a razor blade or exacto knife to be the easiest to do this. Make sure you do NOT cut all of the way through the baklava. Stud each piece of baklava with a whole clove.

Bake in 325 F oven for 1 hour.

While baklava is baking.  Combine syrup ingredients in a 3 qt sauce pan. Bring to a boil on medium heat. Boil gently for 20 minutes.

Once baklava is baked. Pour hot syrup over baklava. Allow to sit a minimum of 8 hours, preferably over night, before cutting. Follow the score lines and cut through.

This does not require refrigeration. It does freeze well. Makes a minimum of 30 pieces (depends on how large or small you cut the scores.