Cake with pumpkin

So...here's the entire recipe for the cake...it is delicious! 1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin, divided 1/2 cup milk 1/3 cup oil 4 eggs 1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, divided 1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened 1 cup powdered sugar 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed 1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping 1/4 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans Make ItHEAT oven to 350°F.
BEAT cake mix, 1 cup pumpkin, milk, oil, eggs and 1 tsp. spice in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round pans.
BAKE 28 to 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely.
BEAT cream cheese in medium bowl with mixer until creamy. Add sugar, remaining pumpkin and spice; mix well. Gently stir in COOL WHIP. Cut each cake layer horizontally in half with serrated knife; stack on serving plate, spreading cream cheese filling between layers. (Do not frost top layer.) Drizzle with caramel topping just before serving; top with nuts. Refrigerate leftovers.

King Cake From Ashley J

Ever since I found this on my friend, Ashley J's, blog, I've been in love.  Best homemade king cake I've found, and we had tried at least 10 different recipes since moving to Omaha, so far, far away from the "real" king cakes.

She got the recipe from Nayda E...man, Thanks Nayda for this!

I am putting it here b/c I felt guilty/worried about giving so many people links to her family blog!

SWEET DOUGH:

1 pkg yeast

1 cup lukewarm water

4 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

pinch of salt

1 cup butter (softened)

2 eggs

Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut in butter with pastry blender. In a separate bowl, beat eggs; add to yeast mixture. Stir liquid into flour mixture with a spoon. Let rise about 1 hour, and then stir down. Let rise again an additional hour. While dough is rising, prepare cream cheese filling by combining all the ingredients and mixing them until smooth.

CREAM CHEESE FILLING: (I maybe sometimes double this, lol)

1- 8oz. pkg. of cream cheese (softened)

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp almond extract

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Punch down dough (this dough is enough to make 2 small king cakes, or 1 big king cake). On a floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Lightly butter the entire rectangle. Spread cream cheese filling on bottom of the long end of rectangle. Sprinkle 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1-2 teaspoons Ground Cardamom (may substitute ground cinnamon) over entire rectangle.

Starting at end with the filling, roll rectangle as you would if you were making cinnamon rolls. Twist and place on a greased cookie sheet in a ring, connecting and tucking the ends together. Let rise for 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Watch carefully while baking. If it becomes golden brown before finished baking then place foil loosely over top and let it cook for the remaining time. Insert baby underneath while still warm. Allow it to completely cool after baking then frost.

* If you'd like to add a fruit pastry filling, allow the king cake to completely cool then using a knife, cut the top half completely off; apply filling in the center and place the top back on; use the frosting to hide where the cake has been cut.

FROSTING:

1 stick butter or margarine

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup marshmallow cream (optional)

3 cups powdered sugar

milk to consistency

To decorate, beat frosting ingredients well and spread over cooled king cake. Sprinkle with green, gold, and purple granulated sugar. (Tip: to color sugar, add a few drops of food coloring to 1/4 cup sugar in a zip top bag, then seal and shake)

Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars by Heather (from Jess's LSU vs. FL game)

Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars

2 cans (8 oz each) crescent dinner rolls

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 Heat oven to 350°F.
2 Unroll 1 can dough. Place in bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Stretch to cover bottom of dish, firmly pressing perforations to seal.
3 In medium bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 cup of the sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Spread over dough in baking dish.
4 Unroll second can of dough. Carefully place on top of cream cheese layer. Pinch seams together.
5 Pour melted butter evenly over top. Mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon, and sprinkle evenly over butter.
6 Bake about 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool slightly, about 20 minutes. Refrigerate for easy cutting. Cover and refrigerate any remaining bars.

Crissy's Tortilla Roll Ups

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream

1 (1 ounce) package dry fiesta-style ranch dressing mix

1 cup chunky salsa

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

10 (10 inch) flour tortillas

After spreading on the tortilla shells, I wrapped each one in saran wrap and placed them nice and snug in a rectangle bowl or dish. Cut right before eating. Serve with sour cream and/or salsa for dipping.

PB frosting

Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing:

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth. 

Aunt Jane's Bread Pudding

½ stick softened butter (not melted) to grease pan

1 quart hot milk (heat in microwave or on stove)

4 lg. eggs

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons flour

½ c light corn syrup

½ tablespoon vanilla

½ loaf stale French bread, cut into 1 inch squares (do not use sliced bread.  Trust me)

½ cup raisins

½ cup crushed pineapples

½ cup whipping cream

½ cup sugar

½ stick butter

Preheat oven to 357*.  Spread ½ stick softened butter in a 9x13 pan (coat sides and bottom)

Mix eggs, sugar, flour, syrup, and vanilla.

Add hot milk.

Stir in raisins and pineapple.

Add bread and let soak 20 minutes.

Pour into pan and bake for 25 minutes.

 Remove and cool for 10 minutes. 

Turn oven to 425* while it is cooling.

Pour whipping cream over the top of the pudding. 

Sprinkle on the ½ cup of sugar.

Top with small pats of the butter all over the top of the pudding.

Return to oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, but not more then 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne from Our Best Bites

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne
slightly adapted from this recipe by Martha Stewart

• 6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound penne rigate
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each), halved horizontally
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 6 cups whole milk
• 10 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone* (6 ounces) you could also make that 1/2 mozzarella
• 1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces)

*Note on Cheese:
Sometimes provolone cheese can be hard to find.  I don’t always encourage the use of pre-shredded bagged cheeses (because ‘ve found they usually contain additives and therefore don’t melt or taste as good), but in this recipe I’ve used a *good* quality one, like Sargento, and it’s turned out great.  Actually in this batch I used Sargento’s Provolone/Mozzarella mix.  You’ll find that with packaged cheese mixes, provolone is often mixed with other white cheeses and that’s totally fine.  Just try to find one that is mostly provolone, like a 50/50 mix.  The other easy option is to go to the deli department where you can buy sliced cheese.  Just ask for a 6 oz chunk and you can grate it yourself.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. If you’re going to freeze one, use a disposable foil pan.  In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and set aside.
2. While pasta is boiling, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.  While chicken pan is still hot, toss the mushrooms in and saute until golden brown (3-4 minutes).  Use a little extra olive oil if needed.
3. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot (I just use the pot I cooked my pasta in), melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking constantly, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer.  Keep whisking frequently as sauce thickens, about 1 minute more. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. take the pan off the heat and and gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
4. Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes.  If freezing, place remaining parmesan cheese in a zip-top baggie.  If cooking, sprinkle on top.
5. Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Freezer instructions:
To freeze, prepare through step 4 and then let pasta cool.  Cover pan well with plastic wrap.  Place extra cheese in baggie (for topping) on top and then cover entire pan well with foil.  Freeze for up to 3 months.  To bake, preheat oven to 400.  Remove foil and plastic from pan and set cheese baggie aside.  Place foil back on pan and bake for about 1 1/2 hours.  Remove foil, stir pasta, and top with cheese.  Return pan to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly throughout.

Carolyn's Truffles

Dark Chocolate Truffle Hearts


8 oz. semisweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped


3/4 C. heavy cream

To make the dark chocolate truffle hearts: Put the chocolate in a small bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate.

Set aside for 5 minutes and then stir with a whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture (called ganache) onto a nonstick baking sheet and use a rubber spatula to spread the ganache in a smooth, even layer to within about 1 inch of the inside edges. Place the ganache in the freezer for 15 minutes, or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, until very firm to the touch.

Line a 10 to 12 inch dinner plate with parchment paper or wax paper. Remove the firm ganache from the freezer or the refrigerator. Portion 12 heaping tablespoons of ganache onto the paper. Wearing a pair of disposable vinyl (or latex) gloves, individually roll each portion of ganache in your palms in a circular motion, using just enough gentle pressure to form a smooth orb. This is a traditional truffle. Return each formed truffle to the paper-lined plate and place in the freezer while preparing the cake batter.

breadmaker bread sticks from clover lane

I need to get busy making some of the recipes I've been saving lately.

1 cup warm water
1/4 cup oil
3 cups of bread flour
1 tsp. salt
3 TBS brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Once the dough cycle is finished, I roll the dough onto a 10 x 12 lightly buttered cookie sheet.
Using a pizza cutter, I cut the bread sticks into 24 pieces.
Let rise for about an hour.

Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes.

When breadsticks come out of oven, I drizzle this mixture on top:
4 TBS melted butter
1/2 tsp garlic salt

Then I sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve with pizza sauce for dipping.

Bomb Pop Cupcakes

http://www.confessionsofacookbookqueen.com/2010/08/bomb-pop-cupcakes.html

bread machine bagels

I want to try these bread machine bagels this week.

Bread Recipe

http://71toes.blogspot.com/2010/04/best-home-made-bread.htmlhBREAD

Orange Jellow Salad from Just Another Day in Paradise

She says it is really good.  I plan on trying it Monday, May 23 on the elders from church for myself :)

Orange Cloud Jello Salad 

2 3oz pkgs of lemon cook and serve Jello
2 3oz pkgs of orange Jello
1 1/2 cups sugar
frozen whipped topping
1 can mandarin oranges, drained

Combine lemon Jello mix, sugar and 4 cups of water in a saucepan. Warm on med high heat.

At the same time begin to heat 3 cups of water in a separate saucepan.

Stir lemon mixture constantly, until it starts to thicken. It will look similar to meringue pie filling. Remove from heat.

When other water is boiling, remove from heat and add orange Jello powder until dissolved.

Add orange Jello to the lemon mixture, stirring together.

Pour into a 9x13 pan. Whisk together if necessary...making sure completely combined.

Refrigerate until set. Several hours.

Before serving, top with whipped topping and mandarin orange slices.

chocolate mousse frosting

3 c. heavy cream
1 1/2 c. sifted confectioners' sugar
3/4 c. cocoa powder
Dash of salt

In a chilled bowl blend ingredients, then whip until mixture holds a peak. Frosts 2 (9 inch) round layers, split in half plus sides and top. Refrigerate.

from cooks.com
YUM

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

I am so excited to try this.  Bart H.A.T.E.S. cream of soups so maybe this will be okay and we can venture out some in our recipes.

Source here.

Description: 

A flavorful condensed cream of chicken soup base recipe for use in dishes that call for canned creamed soups

Yield: 

3 cups (about 2 cans)

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups chicken broth*
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon onion powder**
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder***
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt (or less; taste to test)
1/4 teaspoon parsley
dash of paprika
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup flour

Instructions: 

1. In medium-sized saucepan, boil chicken broth, 1/2 cup of the milk, and the seasonings for a minute or two (longer if using fresh onions or garlic).
2. In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of milk and flour. Add to boiling mixture and continue whisking briskly until mixture boils and thickens.

Additional Notes: 

*I use the broth from my oven-roasted chicken. Refrigerate broth and then take fat off the top. If you're using chicken bouillon + water for your broth, you may want to add a little extra seasonings, such as lemon pepper, extra garlic, or seasoned salt, since my broth normally has bits of those in it. You can also add bits of chicken, but if you have good rich chicken broth, you probably won't need any chicken in it.
**Or, diced onions (boil with broth for a few minutes)
***Or, fresh minced garlic (boil with broth for a few minutes)
This recipe was featured in 10 Fabulous Foods We Make At Home (Not Buy!) :)

Preparation Time: 

5 minutes

Cooking Time: 

10-15 minutes

Tammy's Review: 

I think this is an excellent substitution for the store-bought cans of condensed soups. It's so flavorful (even without MSG)! ;) I like to make this with leftover chicken broth (or even turkey broth!) and then freeze in 1 1/2 cup sized portions. Then, when I need a quick "can" of soup for a recipe, I just thaw some! I have made this in large batches (3-4 quarts at a time) and it saves even more time rather than having to make a small amount each time you need some. My rating: 10/10.

Turtle Cheesecake...sounds divine. Found at Skip To My Lou

Turtle Cheesecake
Crust
1 9-ounce package chocolate wafer cookies (chocolate graham crackers or chocolate animals crackers work well)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
5 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons whipping cream
4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Topping
1 cup caramel sauce (I gently boil a can of sweetened condensed milk covered completely in water in a covered stock pot for about 3 hours, cool slightly, open and pour onto cheesecake)
1/2 cup (about) chopped toasted pecans
chocolate ganache (melt about 4 oz chocolate chips with 2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream)
For Crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind cookies in processor. Blend in butter. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of 9-inch-diameter spring-form pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Double wrap outside of spring-form pan with foil.
For Filling:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in vanilla extract.
Bring cream to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Add chocolate and stir until mixture is melted and smooth. (This can be done in the microwave) Remove from heat.
Pour cream cheese mixture into crust. Spoon chocolate mixture over by tablespoons, spacing evenly. Using tip of knife, swirl chocolate mixture into filling. If you feel chocolate mixture is too thick just stir in a bit of the cheese mixture. Place cheesecake in a pan filled with water so it comes about 1/3 up the side of the cheese cake pan and bake until sides are set and center moves slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 5 minutes. (Cake may crack.) Cool in pan on rack. Chill overnight.
Using small knife, cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Release pan sides. Drizzle caramel and chocolate ganache over top of cake. Garnish with pecans.

pumpkin oreo mini cheesecakes

found this recipe at Inside BruCrew.
planning on trying for all the halloween fun on Friday.


PUMPKIN OREO CHEESECAKE

2-8 oz pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. canned pumpkin
oreos
whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350* Place cupcake liners in a muffin pan. Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the sugar and cream again. Add the eggs one at a time beating after each one. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat again. Place one whole oreo in the bottom of the cupcake liners and fill up the liner 3/4 full with the cheesecake batter. Push another whole oreo into the top of the batter. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Cool in pan for 15-20 min before removing and placing on a wire rack to finish cooling. Keep refrigerated. Top with whipped cream and oreo sprinkles before serving. Makes 24.

or might make some of these: 

  from a little lovely.

Beef Stew from...you guessed it Our Best Bites.

Sunday Beef Stew

I like to save recipes I find from other blogs here so I can remember to try them out.

Recipe from Our Best Bites

1 1/2-2 lb. lean stew beef, cut into even smaller bite-sized pieces (just pull out a pair of kitchen shears and cut anything that looks like you'd need to use a knife and fork on)

4-5 medium red potatoes, chopped

4-5 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

2 onions, chopped

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

2 12-oz. cans or 3 c. vegetable juice cocktail (like V8 or even Bloody Mary mix)

1 10-oz. can condensed tomato soup

10 oz. water (just use the can from the tomato soup to measure)

1 tsp. basil

2 beef bouillon cubes (or 2 tsp. beef base)

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Now...this is super tricky. Preheat oven to 350. Combine ingredients in a large oven-safe pot that comes with an oven-safe lid.


Cook in heated oven for 3 hours. Remove from oven and serve. Awesome, huh?

You can also cook this in your slow cooker on low for 9-10 hours (or until vegetables and meat are tender) or on high for 5-6.

Serve with a loaf of French bread or homemade rolls and some honey butter.

Be sure to stick with us over the next few weeks because we have some fabulous Thanksgiving ideas coming up! Have a great weekend!

Dressed up Sloppy Joes (or what we will eat Sunday, from Our Best Bites)

Dressed-Up Sloppy Joes  From Our Best Bites...we are trying it Sunday

1 lb. lean ground beef

Seasoning salt to taste

1 medium onion, minced

1/2 green pepper, minced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

3/4 c. ketchup

1 tsp. mustard

3 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar

3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

3 Tbsp. tomato paste

1/3-1/2 c. water to reach desired consistency

Freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 hamburger buns (to make your own, click here for the recipe)


Stovetop Instructions:

Brown ground beef with onion, green pepper, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt. Add in mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Combine tomato paste and water and add to hamburger mixture. Add more water if desired. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on hamburger buns.

Crockpot Instructions:

Brown ground beef with onion, green pepper, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt. Transfer to slow cooker. Add in remaining ingredients and combine well. Cook on low for 3-4 hours and serve on hamburger buns.

Freezer Instructions:

Brown ground beef with onion, green pepper, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt. Transfer to a freezer-safe container. Add in remaining ingredients and combine well. Freeze. When ready to cook, transfer to a slow cooker and cook on low to 3-5 hours. Serve on hamburger buns.