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Friday, March 26, 2010
Apple Cake
I make this cake a few times in the Fall each year. It is one of Josh’s and my mother’s favorite cakes I bake. It makes the house smell utterly divine. I use Paula Deen’s recipe.
Grandgirl’s Apple Cake
Cake:
Butter, for greasing pan
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup orange juice
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups peeled and finely chopped apples
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
Sauce:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease a bundt cake pan.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, oil, orange juice, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Mix well.
Fold apples, coconut, and pecans into batter. The batter will be thick! The first time I made this recipe I thought I had done something wrong because the batter was so thick.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. 
Shortly before the cake is done, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Its a Paula Deen recipe. There is always a stick of butter.
Stir in the sugar, buttermilk, and baking soda, and bring to a good rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. 
Pour the sauce over the hot cake in the pan as soon as you remove it from the oven. 
Let stand 1 hour, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. 
Enjoy!
Here is a our Fall corner of the house. I had the girls pictures professionally taken a few years ago. I pull them out each year around Halloween and just love looking at them.
Baked Potato Soup
This is so worth the effort.
Baked Potato Soup
3 slices bacon
3 medium baked potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
3 1/2 cups milk
2 green onions, chopped
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper
Brown bacon in skillet, drain on a paper towel, and cool. Here is a tip, cut your bacon in half to keep it from rolling up.
Slice and dice the peeled baked potatoes. I happen to have left over baked potatoes. If you do not, then bake in the microwave.
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.
Whisk in flour until smooth. Stir often to prevent burning. Congratulations. You are making a roux. 
Slowly whisk in the milk. By the way, I used 1%. There is no need for a heavy cream or full fat milk in this soup. The roux will thicken it wonderfully. Stir constantly until flour mixture is incorporated in the milk.
Stir in the potatoes and green onions. If you would like a less chunky soup, then mash the potatoes with a potato masher.
Bring to a boil stirring often. Reduce and simmer for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, grate cheese and crumble the bacon. 
Stir in sour cream, bacon, and cheese. Add salt and pepper. Serve once cheese has melted.
Enjoy!
Banana Pudding
My sweet aunt Sue gave me this recipe several years ago. This banana pudding is light and fluffy which is why I like it so much.
Banana Pudding
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 pkg (3 1/2 oz) instant vanilla pudding and pie filling mix
2 cups cool whip, divided
Vanilla wafers
3 medium ripe bananas, sliced
In a large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and water. Add pudding mix and beat.
Chill 5 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and fold in whipped cream.
Add a layer of vanilla wafers to the serving dish.
Add 1/3 of of the pudding mixture. Add ripe sliced or chopped bananas.
Repeat with a layer of vanilla wafers, pudding mixture and bananas. Repeat once more. Finish the banana pudding with the remaining cup of whipped cream. 
Chill for 2 hours and enjoy.
My aunt did add to the bottom of the recipe to tell everyone that I got my great cooking and my good looking from her. It makes me smile every time I read the recipe.
Touchdown Taco Dip
You should try this great appetizer for your next fiesta cookout.
Touchdown Taco Dip by Pampered Chef
1 can refried beans (16 oz)
1 package cream cheese, softened (8oz)
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 small can black olives, sliced
1 medium tomato, diced
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions with tops
Chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread refried beans over bottom of pan.
In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning and garlic.
Spread on top of beans.
Cover with shredded cheese and bake 15 –18 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Top with remaining ingredients and serve with chips.
Enjoy!
Salsa
I have been making this recipe since I was a student at Texas A&M. Its easy to make and very delicious. Our family and friends have been enjoying it for years.
Autum’s Salsa
2 cloves fresh garlic
2 jalapeño peppers
1 serrano pepper
1 cup cilantro leaves, stems removed
1/4 cup onion
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 can rotel
1 large can whole tomatoes
1/4 can beer
Get your blender ready.
Slice peppers in half. Remove seeds if you want a mild sauce. Leave some seeds in if you want a warmer sauce. Leave all seeds in you want it really hot.
Today, I left the seeds in one jalapeño pepper. It was plenty hot for me. But then again, I am a wimp when it comes to hot. Also, use the tip of a spoon to remove the seeds and wash your hands after handling the peppers. If not, then your fingers and anything they will touch will be on fire for hours!
Remove cilantro leaves from stems by holding one end of the stem and gently pulling the leaves downward in between your thumb and your finger. Wash in water, dry with paper towel.
Throw all the ingredients in the blender in the order listed.
Don’t forget the secret ingredient – beer. Shhh … we go to church with a bunch of Baptists and we wouldn’t want them to get wind of this ;-)
Blend until all ingredients are finely chopped (less than 30 seconds).
Refrigerate before serving. I try to refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. But if you only have 1 hour, go with it.
Grab a chip and enjoy. I recommend Julio’s chips if you can get them. They are lightly seasoned and especially delicious with this hot sauce.
Blueberry Pancakes
My amazing husband made these for me after I told him about this blog post. (Please forgive me. Once you visit this wonderful blog, you may never be the same. Bakerella has amazing pictures and recipes).
Back to the pancakes … I love fresh blueberries. I like them by themselves, in yogurt, in muffins and yes in pancakes.
You have to try this recipe. It is so good. Go now and make it. You won’t be sorry.
Blueberry Pancakes (by Bakerella)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar, plus two tsp for blueberries
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup milk
3 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1 egg lightly beaten
2 cups blueberries
Extra butter for coating griddle
Maple Syrup
(Makes about 16)
- Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and soda in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk together buttermilk, milk, butter and egg in medium bowl.
- Add milk mixture to dry ingredients and whisk together just until combined.
- Toss blueberries in a small bowl with 2 tsp sugar.
- Heat a griddle over medium heat. Take extra butter and run over surface of griddle. Repeat as necessary throughout process.
- Pour batter on griddle 1/4 cup at a time.
- Add some of the sugared blueberries to each pancake.
- Cook for about 3-4 minutes.
- Flip and cook the other side for about 2 minutes.
As you are making the pancakes. Keep the finished ones on a cookie sheet in the oven at 200 degrees F to keep them warm.
BLTs
Thanks to this wonderful blog post, I have now learned how to cook bacon in the oven.
The result … a quick and delicious BLT.
I made BLTs in about 25 minutes from start to finish. Take that Rachael Ray. Just kidding I like her. But sometimes her recipes call for too many ingredients. Whoops, I am off track. Here is what I did.
Line a baking sheet with edges with foil. Place the bacon on the foil.
Place pan in cold oven. Turn oven to 400 degrees F. Set timer for 25 minutes.
In the meantime, make toast, slice tomatoes, wash lettuce and wait.
Remove bacon from oven when reached desired crispness. Remove to a paper towel to drain. (I didn’t say more bacon, less fat. Unfortunately there is still grease ;-)
Assemble BLT. Serve with fresh red grapes.
Enjoy!
Simple, refreshing dinner in less 30 minutes. The easy cleanup made it even better.
Blueberry Muffins
Blueberry Muffins
The first time I made these was for a good friend’s wedding shower years ago. They have been a hit ever since. I love these the muffins and pretty much everyone that has them thinks the same. Well with the exception of my husband ;-) But I promise if you make these, your kids, friends and coworkers will enjoy them.
Muffins
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup canola (or vegetable oil)
1 egg
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh blueberries
Topping
¼ cup sugar
½ of 1/3 cup of flour
2 tablespoons butter
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line muffin tin with 10 muffin cups. Wash blueberries and set aside.
In large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Mix.
In a glass measuring cup, add 1/3 cup oil. Add egg. Then add enough milk to make 1 cup.
Add liquids to flour mixture and mix until combined well.
Add blueberries and mix just until blended.
Scoop muffin batter into muffin cups. A large ice cream scoop perfect for muffins.
In small bowl, add sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter. Mix with fork or hands until crumbly. Of course, I recommend your hands.
Sprinkle on top of muffins. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes until tops are lightly brown
Look at the beauties and marvel in their goodness.
Enjoy!
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