11/29/2014

Recipe Battenburg Cake

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 drops red food coloring
1 cup apricot preserves
 
2 cups ground almonds
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Directions
Cream butter and 1 cup sugar together. Beat in 3 eggs, one at a time. Mix in vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt gently. Add milk if needed.
Divide batter into 2 equal parts. Add food colouring to 1 part to make a deep pink color. Grease two 7 inch square pans. Spread batters into pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand in pans 5 minutes. Turn out on racks to cool.
Trim edges from both cakes. Cut each cake lengthwise into 4 strips as wide as the cake is thick. Trim to make strips match. Heat jam slightly. Spread on sides to glue 2 pink and 2 white strips together checkerboard fashion. Spread all 4 sides of completed cake with jam. Repeat with remaining pink and white stripes. Makes two cakes.
To Make Almond Paste: Mix almonds, confectioners' sugar, egg, lemon juice, and almond extract together. Knead until smooth, adding a bit of lemon juice or water if too dry to roll. Add only 1/2 teaspoon at a time. It will be stiff. Divide into 2 equal parts.
Roll 1/2 of paste 1/8 inch or so thick on a surface lightly dusted with confectioners' sugar. Cut to fit length of cake, and long enough to cover 4 sides leaving ends uncovered. Lay cake on one end of paste. Wrap to completely enclose all 4 sides of cake pinching paste to seal. Roll in granulated sugar. Place with seal underneath on serving plate, or store in plastic bag. Repeat for second cake. Chill. Slice thinly to serve.

Recipe Bee's Mac and Cheese Bake

Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package uncooked pasta shells
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (16 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (2.5 ounce) jar chopped pimentos, drained
4 ounces soda crackers, crushed

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large casserole dish.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Stir in shell pasta and cook 12 minutes, or until tender but still firm. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl.
Mix cream of mushroom soup, Cheddar cheese, and pimentos with the pasta. Pour into the prepared casserole dish. Top with crushed crackers.
Cover dish, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove cover, and continue baking 15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and crackers are lightly browned.

Recipe Buttered Ginger Sauce

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup grated fresh ginger root
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 dash red pepper flakes
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in ginger, garlic, green onions, basil, black pepper and red pepper flakes; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese and cook until well blended.

Recipe Avocado Ranch Salad Dressing

Ingredients
1/4 cup ripe avocado
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley
1 pinch dried dill weed
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1 pinch garlic powder

Directions
Mash avocado in a bowl, then stir in mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, and vinegar. Sprinkle with salt, parsley, dill, onion powder, and garlic powder. Stir until well blended, chill until ready to serve.

Recipe Award Winning Chili

Ingredients
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, chopped
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup bottled steak sauce
5 slices bacon
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 (1.25 ounce) package chili seasoning mix
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions
In a large pot over medium-low heat, combine tomatoes, tomato paste, carrot, onion, celery, wine, pepper flakes, bell peppers and steak sauce.
While tomato mixture is simmering, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove to paper towels. Cook beef in bacon drippings until brown; drain. Stir chili seasoning into ground beef.
Stir seasoned beef, cumin and bacon into tomato mixture. Continue to simmer until vegetables are tender and flavors are well blended.
Stir in beans, cilantro and parsley. Heat through and serve.

Recipe BBQ Nachos

Ingredients
20 tortilla chips
1/4 pound smoked beef sausage
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup barbeque sauce

Directions
Arrange the tortilla chips on a microwave-safe platter. Shred the sausage with a cheese grater; scatter evenly over the chips; top with Cheddar cheese. Drizzle the barbeque sauce over the nachos.
Heat in the microwave until the cheese melts, 15 to 30 seconds.

Recipe Amaretto Mousse Cheesecake

Ingredients
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 (.25 ounce) package unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup water
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/3 cup amaretto liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions
In a small bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan, refrigerate.
Put the water into a small saucepan, water should be cold. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water, and let stand for 1 minute. Then, stir over low heat until gelatin is dissolved, set aside. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Gradually add the evaporated milk and lemon juice, container to beat until fluffy. Scrape the bottom of the bowl occasionally to make sure there are no lumps. Gradually beat in the amaretto, vanilla and the gelatin mixture until everything is well blended.
In a medium bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff but not grainy, then fold it into the cream cheese mixture. Pour the filling into the chilled crust and refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving. Do not remove the springform ring until serving time.

Recipe Avocado Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients
8 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Directions
In a bowl, beat eggs. Add milk, salt and pepper; stir in avocado. In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add egg mixture; cook and stir gently until the eggs are completely set. Sprinkle with bacon.

Recipe Apple Crunch a la Mode

Ingredients
6 tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup white sugar
1 cup cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Scatter sliced apples in the prepared baking dish. Whisk together the white sugar, cold water, cornstarch, and vanilla extract in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until syrup is clear, and all sugar had dissolved, about 5 minutes. Pour hot syrup over the fruit.
Stir together the flour, brown sugar, oats, melted butter, walnuts, and cinnamon until crumbly. Scatter crumble over fruit mixture.
Bake in preheated oven until the top is brown and the crunch is bubbly, about 1 hour.

Recipe Buttermilk Corn Fritters

Ingredients
1 1/3 cups buttermilk baking mix
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 (14.75 ounce) can cream-style corn
1 egg, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups maple syrup

Directions
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together baking mix and baking powder. In a small mixing bowl, combine corn and egg.
Combine egg and flour mixture, stir gently.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls into hot oil one layer at a time. Fry for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain fritters on absorbent paper. Serve immediately with maple syrup or molasses.

Recipe Bailey's Sundae Coffee Drink

Ingredients
12 cups brewed coffee
1 pint French vanilla ice cream
12 fluid ounces Irish cream liqueur

Directions
Brew 12 cups of coffee. While the coffee is brewing, fill each cup with a scoop of ice cream. Be sure to use large cups (the oversized types you get at coffee houses are best). Top each scoop of ice cream with just enough Irish cream so that the ice cream looks lightly coated.
When the coffee is brewed, pour it so that each cup is filled up about halfway. It is then up to each individual to add more Irish cream, half-and-half, or sugar to suit his/her taste.

Recipe Banana Butterscotch Bread

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 large egg
3 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 9x5-inch loaf pans. Set aside. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a bowl. Set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Beat in the egg, then stir in the mashed bananas. Pour in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Fold in the butterscotch chips and walnuts; mixing just enough to evenly combine. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.