Banana Cake

My sister inlaw LuAnn found this recipe in Taste of Home, and it is one of my favorites. It is great to make for a large gathering. If you like banana bread, you will love banana cake.

Banana Cake
1/2 C butter, softened
2 C sugar
3 eggs
3 med mashed bananas
1 t vanilla
2 C flour
1 t baking soda
1 good pinch of salt

Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs, bananas, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Bake in a greased 15X10X1 inch pan at 350 for 25 minutes.

Frosting
1/2 C butter, softned
1 8 oz cream cheese softned
4 C powdered sugar
2 t vanilla.

Beat well and then spread on cooled cake.

Potstickers and Potsticker Sauce

OK I am starting to sound like my dad and having to tell a story with every recipe I post, so here goes the story of me and the potsticker. Because I am such a picky eater the first time I ever tried potstickers was on my mission. There was a member family who were great cooks and had a bag of them from Costco. To my surprise I liked them, although I am sure at the time I didn't know it had cabbage in it. The Mattsons served it with a sauce and rice vinegar. After returning home, my friends and I would get them at one of my all time favorite restaurants, The Mandarin in Bountiful. Once my mother in law made them for me the first time, I am sure I knew Scott was the one. She actually made them better than the Mandarin. There are few things I can do as well as Marilyn, but I have to say Potstickers is one of them. So I then started the qwest to find the perfect sauce. I found this recipe as a marinade for meat in the local newspaper and thought it would be good the for potstickers, and it is. Scott still prefers them without the sauce, but not me. I have a friend who made them for a group and put them in her crockpot with a little water to keep them moist. Let me know if you have any questions, and enjoy!

Potstickers
1 1lb fresh ground pork (Albertsons brand is best)
1 pkg square won ton skins
2 T soy sauce
½ C cabbage, chopped really fine
1 t sesame oil
½ C onion, chopped really fine
½ t ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg beaten
1 can small shrimp, drained


Combine all ingredients except won ton skins. Please ½ tablespoon mixture in center of won ton skin. Wet each corner with water and bring all 4 points to center and pinch to seal. Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in frying pan until hot. Place potstickers in pan with sides barely touching. Fry until bottom is slightly browned on medium heat. Add 1/3 cup water to pan and cover quickly. When water has evaporated, repeat with another 1/3 cup and cover quickly again. When water is evaporated, they are ready to serve. (While preparing, keep potstickers covered with a slightly damp towel so they won’t dry out.)



Potsticker Sauce

¼ C soy sauce
1 ½ T dark sesame oil
¼ C finely chopped green onions
1 ½ t garlic powder
2 T water
1 ½ t ground ginger
2 T brown sugar
¼ t pepper

Place in sauce pan and heat until it boils.

Eclair Cake with Hot Fudge Sauce

Years ago while working at Utah Housing I got this recipe in an email from my friend Carol. It is now one of my husbands favorites, and a fun treat to make. I searched for years for the perfect Hot Fudge Sauce and finally found it from a friend by the name of Camilla. I believe she is Washington now, but she still gets credit for such a great recipe. I cook the fudge longer than the original recipe says, but it makes it thicker and it does store well in the fridge.

Éclair Cake

Crust: ½ Cup butter
1 Cup flour
1 Cup water
¼ Teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
4 eggs

Melt butter on low heat. Add water and bring to boil. Take off burner. Add flour, salt, sugar and stir in to a soft ball. Cool 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time and mix each one with fork. Spray “jelly roll” pan with cooking spray, and spread out mixture on pan. Bake 30 minutes at 400. Let crust cool to room temperature.

Filling:
8oz cream cheese
2 small packages of vanilla instant pudding
3 Cups milk

Mix small amount of milk with cream cheese until creamy. Add pudding mix and rest of milk together with creamy cheese mixture. Use beater and mix together well. Spread over cooled crust (you may add bananas or strawberries on top of pudding). Cover with 8 oz Cool Whip. Drizzle with caramel or chocolate sauce. Refrigerate until ready to eat.


Hot Fudge Sauce

2 C sugar
¼ C cocoa
¼ C Flour
¼ C butter
12 oz can evaporated milk
4 tsp. Vanilla

Mix sugar, cocoa, and flour in 2 quart saucepan. Add milk slowly while beating with a whisk. As mixture begins to heat, add butter. Bring to full boil, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly for 4 1/2 minutes. Cool. Add vanilla.

Homeade Caramels

During my Ricks College days my best friend Traci made Lion House Christmas Caramels. A few years ago I decided to be brave and try and make them. After telling my friend Tammi about them she gave me her recipe for caramels. I have combined the two recipes into one. Chelle and I use this recipe for our chocolate dipped pretzels we do every year, and although that was done several weeks ago, when I was talking to her yesterday she asked me if I was going to be making another batch. So here goes, my last candy making of the season.

Christmas Carmels
1 1/2 C butter
1 1/2 C brown sugar
1 1/2 C white sugar
1 1/2 C karo syrup
1 140z can sweetened condensed milk
dash of salt

Combine ingredients in heavy pan. Cook over medium heat,
stirring constantly until temperature reached soft ball state on
candy thermometer (about 15 min). Pour into buttered 9x13 pan. Cool, cut
into squares and wrap in wax paper.