Best Pound Cake

 I have gone through several recipes for Pound Cake and each one has its own pros and cons. Most of them have been a little dry...until this one!

Pound Cake Recipe

1-1/2 c butter

8 oz cream cheese

3 c sugar

6 large eggs

1 t vanilla

3 c flour

2 t salt

Combine butter and cream cheese.

Add sugar and mix until creamy. 

Add eggs, one at a time.

Stir in vanilla.

Add flour and salt and mix until incorporated.

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Just before baking, spray two loaf pans generously with cooking spray. Pour batter into pans.

Bake at 300/150c for 60-70 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

chocolate cream cheese fudge

• Chocolate Cream Cheese Fudge
• 
  
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 pinch salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 4 cups  powdered sugar, sifted
• 4 oz dark cooking chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add salt and vanilla, then add powdered sugar l little at a time. Add nuts, if desired.

Butter an 8 x 8 pan. Press fudge into it,

Cool for at least one hour. Cut into squares.

cream cheese danish in a pan

I adjusted a recipe from a FB friend to create this scrumptious dessert or snack.

For an 8 x 8 (20 x 20 cm) pan of goodness, you will need:

2 savory pastry sheets (or crescent roll dough) cut to size
1 8 oz (250g)package of cream cheese
1/2 c (125g) sugar
1/2  t vanilla
1 egg

Glaze:
1/2 c (125g) powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F (170C) and spray pan with oil.

Mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and egg until smooth.
Layer one pastry sheet in pan; spread cheese mixture on top.
Add second pastry sheet.
Bake for about 35 minutes, until top is golden. Remove from pan and cool for 20 minutes. Top with glaze. Cut with pizza cutter.

Caramel popcorn, take 2

I really love popcorn and used to make flavored corn. I can't remember where I got the recipe, but I would make it for holidays and pass out popcorn balls to coworkers and friends. That recipe was simple:
1 c corn syrup
1 c sugar
1 box jello (jelly for the Brit side of the world)
Bring to boil over medium heat, pour over popcorn, stir. Butter your hands and form balls. Cool on waxed paper (baking paper) on counter.

But, since I had no idea what corn syrup was called here and had to be lucky to find it (once I discovered it is called glucose syrup), I moved on to actual Caramel Corn recipes. My first recipe is here.

I have found another recipe that doesn't use condensed milk and am very happy with it. And here it is:

Caramel popcorn2

Pop 1/2 c popping corn and put into large bowl. (I just make 2 large pans full.)

1/2 c butter, chopped
3/4 c sugar
2 T honey
1 c chopped pecans, if desired
Combine over medium heat; bring to boil; boil uncovered, without stirring for 6-8 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove from heat, add pecans.
Pour over popcorn and stir until coated. Spread over tray lined with baking (waxed) paper until cool.

Enjoy while you can because it doesn't last long!

Bill's Recipe Book

Click this link for the blog with recipes collected by a friend. They are definitely different.

French Silk

I haven't tried to make French Silk in years, but I thought I'd give it a try for my chocoholic son. Being that I don't ever remember to buy pie crusts, I just serve it in a bowl like a mousse dessert. It takes a lot of mixing but was a smashing success! 

     French Silk Pie

   

·               1/2 cup butter, room temperature

·               3/4 cup white sugar

·               2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled

·               1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·               2 eggs

·               1 prepared 8 inch pastry shell, baked and cooled (optional)

Cream butter in a mixing bowl. Gradually beat in the sugar with an electric mixer at least 7 minutes. 

    Stir in the thoroughly cooled chocolate, and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating 5 minutes on medium speed after each addition. Spoon the chocolate filling into dessert dishes or a cooled, baked pie shell.

    Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving, overnight is better.

Baked tacos

Otterboy doesn't care for plain flour tortillas, although the rest of us do. When we make tacos for a meal, he eats all the fixings without eating the shells.
When I was single, I would sometimes fry one at a time and they were really good, but I can't figure how to do that on a large scale, so I was looking for recipes that I thought Otterboy would like. I came across 'baked tacos' recipes and I'm happy to say, they worked like magic!

Using parts of different recipes, this is what I did....

Lightly spray one side of tortillas and fold. Stand them up, sprayed side down in baking dish and add a large spoonful of meat.  I used ground beef mince and chicken, separately.  Add a little cheese and bake in preheated oven at about  250C (450F) until edges start to brown, about 8-10 minutes.

Remove from oven and add more cheese and your usual taco toppings.

Now we can have tacos and everybody can be happy!

Peachy chicken

There are no peaches in this recipe. It's called Peachy chicken because that's what the kids call me!

My family adores this simple recipe.

You can use any amount of chicken that suits your family.

Cut chicken breast meat into cubes, about 1.5 inch (about 40mm) cubes.
Dredge chicken in plain flour, covering completely.
Add chicken pieces to hot oil in pan.
Shake 'chicken seasoning salt' onto pieces and fry until brown (5-10 minutes).
Place in bowl lined with paper towel to absorb oil.
Serve alone as a snack or as part of a meal.

Otterboy's Breadsticks

It's the school holidays for two weeks and, for the week they are at our house, the kids were forced commanded made  it was suggested that they cook one meal and bake something for the family. They are both wonderful cooks/bakers and love to do it. Missy made chicken and home-made chip for her meal and a great chocolate cookie fudge. Otterboy cooked pork chops and made us some 'chicken breadsticks' for a snack.  The snack was so quick and easy that I asked him to write it out for me to share it with you. Here's what he wrote

Chicken Breadsticks


Ingredients:

• 50g of butter
• 1 heaping tablespoon of chicken stock powder 
• bread

Preheat oven to 180C (bake). Soften butter (do not melt). Add chicken stock, mix together, spread on bread and cut into 6 strips. Bake until golden brown. Recipe can be increased.

They were a great snack for watching tv!

Oatmeal Bread recipe

I don't even know why I thought this would be a good recipe when I stole found it on the internet. It sat among my disorganized recipes for months before I decided to give it a try. And, I must say it's a definite change from the bread I have made in the past. It's very moist and is really, really good toasted.

Oatmeal Bread


Heat 3 cups of water in the microwave for two minutes.


Add 2 c oatmeal (not instant)
      1/2 c honey
      2 T salt
      2 T oil


Stir  and allow to cool.


Meanwhile, mix 2 T yeast
                      1 t sugar
                      1-14 c warm water 


Allow to begin to froth.


Combine the two mixtures and add about 10 c flour, enough to make a firm dough. Knead for about 2 minutes; put into buttered dish, turn, cover and allow to double in size.


Shape loaves or buns and place in buttered dish to double again.


Bake at 325F (150C) for about 35 minutes or until browned.
  

Apricot Bites

This recipe makes apricot flavored almost-macaroons and my brood loves them. I haven't tested any other combinations yet, but I'm sure you can used other flavors instead of apricot.

Apricot Bites

2 cups shredded coconut

1/2 c chopped, dried apricots

1/2 c chocolate chips

2 Tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons custard powder

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Combine all ingredients except milk. Mix well. Stir in  milk until combined.

Roll level teaspoons of mixture into balls. (I just press the spoonful against the side of the bowl). 

Place on baking (waxed)-paper lined tray, 2 cm (about 3/4 inch) apart.

Bake at 180C degrees (350F) for about 15 minutes. Transfer paper to counter for 5 minutes then transfer cookies to platter.

Chewy Granola bars recipe

OK, I'm much better at cooking or baking things that taste good than concentrating on the healthy aspect of food. However, since we are feeling the economic pinch a bit, I decided to bake more snacks and 'extras' instead of buying them. I'm not sure if it's a better monetary deal, but I feel better knowing what the family is eating.

Here is my latest recipe that I probably swiped off the internet somewhere but forgot where. It's quick and you can personalize it with goodies that your family likes.


Chewy Granola Bars

4 1/2 c rolled oats

1 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

2/3 c butter or margarine, softened

1/2 c honey or syrup

1/3 c brown sugar

2 cups whatever you want to  add-in: chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, candy pieces, chopped dried fruit, sunflower seeds, etc

Heat oven to 325F (165C). Lightly grease 9 x 13 pan.

Combine oats, flour, baking soda, vanilla, butter or margarine, honey or syrup and brown sugar. (I use my hands)

Stir in add-ins.

Lightly press mixture into pan. Bake 20-30 minutes--until golden brown.

Let cool for 10 minutes, then cut into bars. Cool completely in pan before removing or serving.

hairy hot dogs!

Hubby found this recipe on the internet somewhere and the kids loved making their own!

You just stick uncooked spaghetti through hot dogs (they are 'frankfurters' here) and boil them until the spaghetti is cooked. This is what the process looks like:

Here is one of Otterboy's 'mohawk' hairy hot dogs!

Here is one of Missy's hairy hot dog masterpieces!

They were fun to eat!

cream cheese cookies

Cream Cheese Cookies

·         1 cup butter

·         8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

·         1 cup granulated sugar

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         1 teaspoon vanilla

·         1 egg

·         2 cups all-purpose flour

·         1/2 cup toasted coconut*

·         pecan halves or halved candied cherries

Preparation:

Cream together the butter, cream cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Add egg; beat well. Stir in the flour and toasted coconut. Drop cookie batter from teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheet then press a pecan half or cherry half into the top of each. Bake at 325° for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove cookies to a rack to cool.
Makes about 5 dozen cream cheese cookies.

*To toast coconut in the oven, spread coconut on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake at 325°, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Ice Cream Bread

2 cups ice cream, any flavor
1 1/2 c self-rising flour

Mix, bake at 350F (175C) for about 45 minutes.

If you don't have self-rising flour, use 2 cups flour with 1 1/2 t baking powder and about 1/4 t salt.

Caramel Popcorn

4 T vegetable oil
2 cups unpopped popcorn
1/4 cup butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 t vanilla

Add 3 kernels of popcorn to 2 T oil in a large saucepan and heat over high heat. When kernels pop, add 1 cup of popping corn. Keep pan moving gently until popping slows and stops. Remove from heat. Pour into very large bowl or pan (I use a roasting pan) and repeat.

In a medium saucepan, combine butter, sugar and corn syrup. Stir well and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in condensed milk; simmer, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes and stir in vanilla.

Pour over popcorn and stir with wooden spoon to coat. Spread in one layer on waxed/cooking paper or butter hands (you can shape into 3.5-inch balls). Allow to set before storing in plastic bags.

Betty's Pound Cake

2 c butter, softened

3 c sugar

10 eggs

4 c flour

2 t vanilla

Powdered/Icing sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease and flour 10-inch bundt cake pan.

Cream together sugar, butter. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla. Mix flour into batter on low speed.

Bake 70-80 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, Remove and cool completely. Dust with powdered/icing sugar.

Serve plain or with fruit or ice cream.

Lightning Fast Peanut Butter Fudge

Maybe not lightning fast, but really quick!

1 can condensed milk

1/2 c peanut butter

12 ounces (400g) white chocolate bits

3/4 c chopped nuts

1 t vanilla

Heat milk and peanut butter in saucepan until bubbly.Remove from heat and stir in white chocolate bits. Stir until smooth. Add nuts and vanilla.

Spread into waxed/cooking paper lined 8-inch pan. Cool. Cover and chill for 2 hours, until firm. Turn fudge onto cutting board, peel off paper. Sprinkle with additional nuts, if desired. Cut into squares. Store leftovers in fridge.

Recipe stolen taken from Eaglebrand.com

Banana Bread

1 c butter, softened

2 c sugar

7 large bananas, mashed

1-1/2 t vanilla

4 eggs, slightly beaten

3 c flour

1/2 t salt

2 t baking soda

Cream butter and sugar. Blend in bananas, vanilla and eggs.

Whisk together dry ingredients and add to banana mixture, just until combined.

Pour into two greased 9 X 5 loaf pans.

Bake at 350F (180C) for about 45 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes, then cool completely on wire rack.

Fruit Cocktail Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

1-1/2 c sugar

2 eggs

1/2 t salt

2 c flour

2 t baking soda

2 c fruit cocktail/fruit salad, including juice

1/2 c chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired

Mix all ingredients, except nuts. Pour into ungreased pan and sprinkle nuts on top.

Bake at 350F (180C) for 50-60 minutes.

(I double the recipe for a 9 X 13 pan.)

Frost with cream cheese icing, as follows.

8 ounces cream cheese

1 t vanilla

1 t orange flavoring

1 T grated orange rind

2 c powdered sugar, enough to make spreadable

Mix together, ice cake, enjoy!