Vanilla Honey Cake

 

Vanilla Honey Cake

Made by my eldest and gobbled up by siblings and cousins. 

Directions:

Put a generous amount of honey in the middle of the layers 

Cake:

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/basic-vanilla-cake-recipe-2043654

Frosting:

https://www.twosisterscrafting.com/buttercream-frosting/#mv-creation-497-jtr

Anzac cookies

We made these for the first time and loved them!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Honey 

1/2 cup Butter

1 cup Flour

1/4 Brown sugar

1/2 cup Granulated sugar

1 cup rolled oats 

3/4 tsp Baking soda

2 Tbsp Warm water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter and honey in the microwave in a large bowl 

Add all dry ingredients (except baking soda) to bowl

Combine baking soda and warm water in small bowl and stir. Add to large bowl and stir together all ingredients. 

Spread parchment paper on a baking sheet. Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball. Place the balls about 4 across and 3 down on the baking sheet. 

Cook about 10-12 minutes until golden brown. 

Enjoy!

Balsamic Roast Beef Recipe

I got this recipe from Amy Matassa who got it from Sheryl Rosedoff Bergman

Balsamic Roast Beef Recipe 

Ingredients

1 3-4 pound boneless roast beef (chuck or round roast)

1 cup beef broth

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce or coconut aminos

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 cloves garlic chopped

Instructions

Place roast beef into the insert of your slow cooker. In a 2-cup measuring cup, mix together all remaining ingredients. Pour over roast beef and set the timer for your slow cooker. (4 hours on High or 6-8 hours on Low)

Once roast beef has cooked, remove from slow cooker with tongs into a serving dish. Break apart lightly with two forks and then ladle about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of gravy over roast beef.

Store remaining gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for another use.

Notes

If you prefer a more pronounced flavor, once the roast beef has been removed, use a fat separator on the gravy and then pour the gravy into a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the gravy has reduced by half.

Aurora’s Apple Cider Pomegranate Scookies

Ingredients 

1 ¼ Cups Apple Cider

1.5 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar (optional)

½ teaspoon baking soda

1.2 tsp ground cinnamon

1.3 tsp salt

½ cup unsalted butter at room temp

1/2 cup granulated sugar

¼ packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp apple pie spices or cloves

1 large Pomegranate

Directions 

Boil Apple Cider down to ¾ cup

Open Pomegranate and remove seeds (Half will be added to the mixture after the apple cider is added, the other half can be added or eaten)

Mix all try ingredients in a large bowl and mix well

Add Butter and Egg Mix Well

When Apple Cider is Boiled down remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. It should still be warm to hot when added to the mixture.

Mix well 

When smooth add pom seeds mix well

Put in fridge to cool 1 hour

Scoop on cookie sheet bake in oven 400 F for 12 to 14 minutes

Honey Garlic Brown Sugar Injection

Ingredients

2 cups of water
1 cube chicken bouillon
12 oz honey
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbl garlic powder
2 tbl brown sugar
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1 tbl salt (to taste)

Notes: We used this on a turkey and it was great!

Lamb and Hummus Burger

Submitted by Marcia Van Camp
Inspired by:
http://www.familycircle.com/recipes/grilling/our-best-burger-recipes-beef-veggie-and-beyond/?page=5

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/ras-el-hanout-101070

The original recipe is for 4 patties, but we doubled it since they were so good!

Ingredients
4 oz crumbled feta
1 cup Greek yogurt
4 tbl milk
1 red onion
2 cucumbers
2 lbs ground lamb
Parsley - fresh or dried (you will use about an entire .25oz container
Ras el hanout seasoning (or make your own below)
Salt
Black pepper
8 pitas - we used whole wheat

Hummus - I like plain

Yogurt Sauce - Directions
Combine these ingredients, and refrigerate & cover until ready to serve
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup crumbled feta (4 oz)
4 tbl milk (I used 2%)
4 tbl grated cucumber
2 tbl chopped parsley
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Burger - Directions
1. Turn on the grill to medium-high
2. Combine the below and form 8 patties.  Flattening them out will make it a little easier to eat with the pita
     2 lbs ground lamb
     6 tbl chopped parsley
     4 tbl grated red onion
     3 tsp ras el hanout
     1 tsp salt
3. Grill 4 to 5 minutes on each side.  During the last minute, grill the pitas, flipping once.
4. Spread 2 tbl hummus on each pita, then layer with sliced cucumber, red onion, burger, yogurt sauce and parsley


Ras el hanout - Directions 
Combine ingredients and mix.  You will have more than you need for this recipe which means you can make it again, or try it on something else.

1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Apple Barley Pudding

Submitted by Marcia Van Camp
Inspired by http://www.europeancuisines.com/Ireland-Desserts-Irish-Apple-Barley-Pudding

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds tart apples, cored, peeled and thinly sliced
4 rounded tablespoons pearl barley
4 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh if possible)
4 tablespoons sugar 1 quart water
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 container of Cool Whip (8 oz)

Directions
1. Add the water to a heavy pot, add the barley, and bring to a boil. Add the sliced apples and cook gently until both the barley and the apples are soft (normally about half an hour).

2, At this point the apples may have gone completely to pieces. This is just fine. Remove the mixture from heat and puree -- either in a blender, right in the pot with a stick mixer, or by pushing through a sieve. (I didn't use a sieve)

3. Return the mixture to the pot and stir in the sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil again. Boil for about five minutes: then remove from the heat and cool.

4. When cooled, put into another container and refrigerate until very cold. Serve cold with cream stirred in. Or (for a slightly fancier take on the presentation) whip heavy whipping cream with a teaspoon of sugar per cup of cream, and layer in parfait glasses with the cream, saving a dollop for on top.

Notes: When I first made it, I thought the lemon was way too strong, but the next day it was much more subtle. I love the pudding and cream but I do think there might be something that could bring the two flavors together even better..perhaps a smidge of raspberry syrup would do the trick.

Earthquake Cake

Submitted by Marcia Van Camp


Ingredients
German Chocolate Cake Mix (Pillsbury is best)
8 oz. cream cheese
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
1 lb powdered sugar (2 cups)
1 cup crushed pecans
1 cup shredded coconut

Directions
1. Grease a 9 x 13 cake pan and then sprinkle coconut and pecans on the bottom of the pan.

2. Make cake mix as directed and pour into pan and spread evenly.

3. Heat oven to 350 degrees

4. Start water to boil in a double boiler.  When ready, put cream cheese and butter in the double boiler and melt.  Then add the powdered sugar and stir with a whisk.  Pour this over the cake mixture (like long pieces of ribbon).  The cake is going to bubble up through the cream cheese so you don't want to cover the cake completely.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min and enjoy!

Notes:
If you don't have a double boiler you can use a low heat setting and stir more often.  It will also help if the cream cheese and butter are softened ahead of time. My sister also served this to a family in Brussels and they absolutely loved it!

Blackened Salmon

Submitted by Marcia Van Camp
Inspired by "Saving Dinner" by Leanne Ely

Ingredients:
1 tbl paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 dash cumin

Notes: The original recipe has directions for cooking the salmon on high heat but we just usually generously sprinkle the seasoning on the fish and cook on the stove top. This seasoning mix is one we keep on hand at all times because it's our favorite for salmon. We usually just cook 2 fillets at a time, so we have some left over for the next time.

Horseradish Cream Sauce

Submitted by Marcia Van Camp
Inspired by http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/horseradish-cream-sauce-recipe

We used this sauce for some BBQ chicken and it was so good!  We also used it as a dipping sauce for our bacon wrapped asparagus.  We tried it on several different food and really couldn't get enough of it!

Ingredients:
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup horseradish (we used Atlantic prepared)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (we used Gulden's)
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions: 
Place all of the ingredients into a medium mixing bowl and whisk until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight to allow flavors to meld. Sauce can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2 to 3 weeks.

Notes:
We loved the original recipe but added some garlic.  We also want to try adding some other spices to this in the future because I think they would mix very well.

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus with Puff Pastry

Submitted by Marcia Van Camp

Inspired by https://m.facebook.com/buzzfeedtasty/

Ingredients 

1 sheet of thawed puff pastry 

1 bunch of asparagus (thick)

1 packet of bacon

1 egg

Black pepper 

Directions

1. Wash and count the asparagus. In the bunches I get there are usually 15 to 20 pieces.

2. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a pan with parchment paper. Foil will also work but make sure to use non-stick spray.

3. Take the bacon that you need and cut each piece in half so that you have 2 long strips. For example, 20 asparagus means you need to cut 10 pieces of bacon in half. Wrap each piece around a piece of asparagus and set on the parchment paper.

4. Roll the pastry dough so that you will be able to get more pieces out of it. If you only have 10 pieces of asparagus you might not need to roll it out...but if you have more than that you probably need to roll out the dough.  Remember to put flour on your surface so that the dough won't stick. Slice the pastry into strips. Anything from a 1/4" to 1/2" thick is fine.  They don't have to be perfect or uniform, they will all taste good.  Wrap the dough strips around the asparagus.  I try to wrap in the same direction as the bacon but going the opposite way is fine too.

5. Put all the finished pieces on the pan and brush them with an egg wash.  Sprinkle then with a little pepper and put them in the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The dough should be crispy and brown.

Enjoy!

Notes

If your asparagus is thin you can wrap up 2 at a time and they will taste just as good. Sometimes I also double up if I had a hard time cutting enough pastry.

These still taste good after being refrigerated.  Hot or cold, they are so good!

No crumble Granola Bars

Submitted by Marcia Van Camp
inspired by http://www.inspiredtaste.net/21462/soft-and-chewy-granola-bars-recipe/#itr-recipe-21462

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups quick oats (I like Quaker Oats)

1/2 cup coarsely chopped chocolate covered almonds (I like Blue Diamond)

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup unsalted butter 

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup dates coarsely chopped

Directions:  

1. Put the dates in a small bowl and add about 1 tablespoon of water.  They are nice and sticky and adding the water will help spread the stickiness around and keep the bars together. 

2. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the oats and almonds and mix with a spoon. Using a jellyroll pan, lay down a silicone liner and spread the oats and nuts evenly. If you don't have a silicone mat, line the pan with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.

3. Bake 5 minutes, stir and bake another 3 to 5 minutes until lightly toasted. Transfer to a large bowl.

4. Combine butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla extract and the salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until butter melts and the sugar completely dissolves.

5. Pour butter mixture into the large bowl with toasted oats and almonds. Add the dates (with water) and mix well. 

6. Spray a 8x8 glass cooking pan with cooking spray and put the mixture into the pan. Press the mixture down evenly for at LEAST one minute.  You can use a rubber spatula or your fingers or both!

7. Cover then refrigerate at least 2 hours. Remove block of granola mixture from pan (it can seriously come out all at once because it sticks together so well) cut into the desired length and width you desire. 

8. Store bars in an airtight container for up to one week. For the softest bars, keep at room temperature. For slightly harder bars, store in the fridge.

Notes: 

The original recipe called for cranberries and chocolate chips but I like the chocolate covered almonds because I get the flavor without the melting and mess.  I had also read another blog that mentioned dates really help everything stick together and I like the way they taste.  Using something else like cut up cranberries or raisins with water might work well too, I just haven't tried it.  You can probably try adding other things, I was mostly just using what was on hand.  

Happy Snacking!

Dinner in a Pumpkin

Submitted by Marcia Van Camp
Inspired by http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/dinner-pumpkin/

Ingredients:

• 4-6 small pumpkins, about 4" in diameter
• 1 tbsp oil or butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (we used baby bella)
• 1 lb ground beef
• Salt and pepper (I do about 1 tsp each)
• 1/2 tsp ground thyme 
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (dark or light)
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce (we used low sodium)
• 4 cups cooked rice, white or brown

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line a baking sheet with foil.
• Thoroughly wash and dry the outside of the pumpkins.
• Cut the top off the pumpkins and clean out the pulp and seeds. Place the pumpkins on the baking sheet. Save the tops.
• In a large skillet, sauté onion and mushrooms in oil or butter. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain the grease from the beef. Add salt, pepper and thyme.
• In a large bowl, mix soup, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Add ground beef mixture and cooked rice.
• Empty bowl into the cleaned out pumpkin and replace pumpkin top.
• Bake for 1 hour on the lower rack of the oven, or on the rack where the pumpkins can be most centered in the oven.
• After 1 hour, remove the tops and check the sides of the pumpkins for doneness. The outside of the pumpkins will turn a dark orange, and the inside of the pumpkins should be tender and easily scoop off the sides with a spoon. If the inside of the pumpkin is still not fully cooked, bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the pumpkin. Sometimes I've cooked the pumpkin as long as an hour and a half before it is ready. 
• Using hot pads, place the pumpkin onto a serving plate, remove the lid, and stir. Be sure to scoop off chunks of cooked pumpkin into the casserole as it is served. That's the best part!

Notes: The original recipe was not for smaller pumpkins but I thought they were more fun in these individual serving sizes.  Also, instead of making the stuffing and then baking it in the pumpkins, I baked the pumpkins while I made the stuffing to save on time.  When everything was cooked, I put the stuffing in the pumpkins and thought they tasted great. Originally, this recipe also called for water chestnuts but we left those out. I think shredded carrots would probably be a good addition. 

One-Bowl Chocolate & Orange Cake

ACTIVE | 20 MIN.TOTAL | 1 HR. 20 MIN.

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus 1 Tbsp.
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (such as Guittard or Droste), sifted if lumpy
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• Large pinch ground cloves
• ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
• ¾ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
• Powdered sugar

---

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray the bottom and sides of one 9×2-inch round cake pan with baking spray. Line the bottom of the cake pan with a circle of parchment paper. Spray parchment with baking spray.
• In a large mixing bowl stir together the 1¼ cups flour, the sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, and ½ tsp. salt. Add melted butter, eggs, orange zest and juice, buttermilk, and vanilla; whisk the mixture until batter is smooth. Toss chocolate chips with remaining 1 Tbsp. flour. Using a rubber spatula, fold chocolate chips into the batter. Transfer batter to the prepared cake pan.
• Bake about 1 hour or until the cake is firm to the touch. Cool in pan on wire rack. Run a table knife around edge of pan. Invert (you might need to give the pan a little whack). Peel off parchment; invert cake. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Each serving 439 cal, 21 g fat, 79 mg chol, 344 mg sodium, 64 g carb, 4 g fiber, 7 g pro.

Notes: I saw this recipe in Better Homes and Gardens and made it in Jan 2017.  It was really good but I think the next day it was better because the orange taste was stronger.  Also - using parchment paper is a good idea as the directions indicate because it really does help it not stick to the pan. I thought it would have been good with some candied oranges on the top or something colorful. 

The directions above are from this website but I am pretty sure they are referencing the BHG recipe.

https://www.texture.com/article/all/test/drop-ins-welcome/f1e8901c-ca24-3ffb-8dca-11ec39fb955c/

Maple Salad Dressing

Submitted by Lanni Brisson
Official Name: Apple, Dried Cherry, and Walnut Salad with Maple Dressing

From: Mountain Town Station Brewing Company and Steakhouse, Mount Pleasant, MI

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Maple Dressing ingredients:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tbls Champagne vinegar or other white wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Maple Dressing instructions: 
Whisk all ingredients but oil to blend.  Gradually whisk in oil until mixture thickens slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  (Can be prepared 3 days in advance, cover and refrigerate and re-whisk before using)

Salad ingredients:
(1) 5oz bag of mixed baby greens (about 10 cups lightly packed)
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into matchstick-size strips
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Salad instructions:
Toss greens, apples, and 1/4 cup of walnuts in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat.  Divide salad equally among plates and sprinkle with the remaining walnuts.

Notes: You may decide to leave the walnuts on the side in case of nut allergies

Chicken Cordon Rouge

Created by Casey Van Camp

Ingredients / tools:
2 boneless chicken breasts
smash them
8 slices of your choice of cheese. (we like fresh mozzarella)
12 slices of black forest ham
8 pieces of roasted red peppers
Panko or Italian Breading
Salt
Pepper
toothpicks
(makes 4 servings)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Cut each breast in half (fillet style).  Take a piece and lay it on a cutting board and cover the piece with plastic wrap.  Use a mallet (smooth side) to flatten out the chicken which will make it easier to roll.  Repeat with each piece of chicken
3. Sprinkle salt and pepper onto the chicken breasts
4. Place 2 slices of cheese, then 3 slices of ham, then 2 roasted red pepper slices on each breast.
5. Roll up the breasts and secure with toothpicks (3 to 4 should be ok)
6. Place the breasts on a cooking sheet which has been sprayed to avoid sticking
7. Generously sprinkle Panko breading on each of the breasts
8. Cook for 40 min or until the chicken is cooked through

Notes: We also like using Pepper Jack cheese

Chocolate Moose

Submitted by Marcia Van Camp

Today I had to make chocolate moose for a large group of people and most recipes I came across were fairly complicated or required the moose to sit overnight.

This is my easy moose recipe, there might be better ones out there, but I have always gotten smiles and requests for seconds with this one.

Ingredients
Hershey's Syrup (24 oz)
1 quart heavy whipping cream
Cool Whip or similar (optional)

Directions
1. Mix the syrup and whipping cream together in a good blender.  I have a Ninja blender which worked really well.  I had the blender on a low setting for less than a minute and the moose was well mixed and dense.  I have also used a Magic Bullet for smaller portions which has worked well in the past.

2. If you want your moose to be darker / have more chocolate, you can add more syrup, but I would taste as you go, because it's pretty sweet already.

3. Keep refrigerated until you are ready to serve.  If it gets too soupy you can even blend it again if needed, but I have never had to do that.  You can also add a little whipped cream to the top, or maybe a cookie, which is tasty and cute.  My cookie of choice is a Thin Mint, but it's rare that I would have any around the house that I was willing to part with!

4. This yields about 6 cups of moose, and since it's rich, smaller portions work very well.  These are the dishes I like to use, and they are less than 3 oz.

Notes:
Magic Bullet directions http://www.food.com/recipe/magic-bullet-chocolate-mousse-221975

Oreo Cheesecake

Submitted by Marcia Van Camp
Inspired by: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/180603/easy-philly-oreo-cheesecake/

Ingredients:
24 Oreo Cookies
3 Tbl butter melted (I used unsalted)
3 (250g) packages of cream cheese softened (I use Philly)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs

Special Instructions: 
1. I lined the bottom of the pan with parchment paper to avoid sticking.  If you don't know how to do this, there are a lot of great videos online.

2. My cheesecake had large cracks in it when it came out of the oven, and I look up ways to fix it. The best method was getting a spatula a little wet and smoothing over the cracks.  This could have been easily covered up with some decorations but I still would like to avoid it in the future.  I have seen a few things online about giving the cake a "water bath" basically cooking it with water surrounding it, so I may try that next time and see if it makes a difference.

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Crush 16 cookies which will become the crust.  The original directions say to do this in a bag but I found it very messy because a lot of the cookies stuck to the inside of the bag.  I had better luck with putting the cookies in a bowl and crushing them with a drinking glass. The method doesn't really matter, as long as they get crushed!

2. Place crushed cookies in bowl. Add butter; mix well (a small spoon works fine). Press firmly onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

3. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Chop or crush remaining 8 cookies. Stir the cookies into the batter. (I was supposed to keep some out for decorating the top, but I just put them all in the batter)

4. Bake 45 min. or until center is almost set. Cool and refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. After eating more than you probably should...Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

Notes: It would also be fun to make mini cheesecakes with this recipe in cupcake pans but I think you would need more crushed Oreos for the crusts.  On the other hand, you could just buy the Oreo thins and split them up and use those without crushing anything.   I think I would drizzle some chocolate sauce over this next time or put some whole Oreos or even a few strawberries in the middle for decoration.

Irish Chocolate Potato Cake

Submitted by Marcia Van Camp

Inspired by http://www.europeancuisines.com/Ireland-Irish-Chocolate-Potato-Cake-Recipe-March-7-2009. This is a really cool website and has some other fun facts about the recipe.

You read the title correctly, there are really potatoes in this chocolate cake and it's a really, REALLY good cake, so take a chance and try it out!

No pictures for now because we ate it too fast!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb unsalted butter
• 2 1/3 cups / 1 pound granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 9 rounded tablespoons grated chocolate (I used about 1 ½ bars of Ghirardelli’s milk chocolate baking bars)
• 3 tablespoons cocoa (I used dark chocolate)
• 1 cup cooked and mashed potato (cooled, do not add hot or warm)
• 2 1/2 cups flour  
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 rounded teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup milk (I used whole milk)

Bundt pan Directions: (I didn’t use this method)

For preparing the pan you'll bake in:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa

First prepare your cake pan. A tube pan like a Bundt pan works best for this recipe: but a springform cake pan works fine too.

If using a tube pan or Bundt pan, butter it well inside, paying particular attention to any flutings or crevices in the pan. Then mix the flour and cocoa together and use this mixture to flour the inside of the pan.

Springform pan Directions:

If using a springform pan, butter it too: then line it with a circle of buttered baking parchment for the bottom and a strip of buttered baking parchment for the sides.

This is the method I used because I couldn’t find my Bundt pan.  It was yummy, but I think the Bundt has a better shape for presentation.

Here is a video which might help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vKnDOSO-mY

Cake Directions:

·        Preheat the oven to 350° F. Then prepare the cake batter:

·         Grate the chocolate on a fine grater, or pulse in a food processor, or crush with a mortar and pestle, until reduced to small granules. The food processor is by far the easiest and fastest way: the grater and mortar-and-pestle are more labor intensive, but produce a slightly finer result. (I did it by hand and it took a while and because it was milk chocolate it was messy.  Next time I think I will try the food processor).

·         When this is done, sift the flour once by itself. Then sift it a second time with the cinnamon, baking powder and salt.

·         Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. (Mine wasn’t light and fluffy but it looked mixed!)

·         Separate the eggs. Add the yolks, one at a time, to the creamed mixture, beating well after each one.

·         Stir in the grated chocolate, ground almonds (optional) and cocoa. Add the potato and stir again.

·         Add the flour alternately with the milk, beating gently until smooth after each addition.

·         When this process is complete, whip the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold the whipped egg whites carefully into the cake mixture.

·         Spoon into the prepared springform pan or Bundt pan / tube pan: tap gently once on the counter to settle. Bake for 1 3/4 hours. Test for doneness with a toothpick or skewer at the end of this time: bake for another 15 minutes if needed.

·         Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the pan for at least twenty minutes before removing from the pan: then cool on a rack.

·         To finish, you could dust with confectioners' sugar but I chose to drizzle some chocolate over it.

I used the fudge sauce from this recipe, and I only needed about ½ but I put the rest in the freezer and it’s been nice to have it ready to go for other desserts.

http://brissonsbakery.blogspot.com/2009/10/chocolate-truffle.html

Notes:

1.       The original recipe has you sieve the potatoes, but I didn’t really know how and I didn’t have time to do it. The end result was that I had tiny, very tiny lumps in my cake, but I actually liked them because they made it seem like there were soft little nuts in there.  I am sure the cake is awesome with sieving BUT it’s not a deal breaker.

2.       The original recipe calls for 5 rounded Tbls ground almonds but I excluded them in case of nut allergies.  After tasting the cake, I think that almonds would be really good and I want to try them next time. 

Shortbread Cookies

11/19/2015 Submitted by Marcia Van Camp

Ingredients
2 cups butter, softened
1 cup of white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, and then stir in the vanilla.
3. Add flour and salt and mix well
4. Roll out cookie dough and cut cookie
5. Bake for 10-12 min

Notes: This recipe was on the package for these cute cut-out cookies that I bought at World Market. I looked on their site but I don't think they have the recipe online.

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/flower+side-of-the-cup+cookie+cutter.do