Cream Cheese Sheet Cake

Well I am glad I didn't attempt to start any gardening, because Mother Nature would have just killed it all.  After a few weeks of beautiful weather and a few thunderstorms....I am now looking at a blizzard outside.  Ugly, horrible, freezing snow.  And we are supposed to get 6 inches.

So I did what any one else would do.  I went to the kitchen to bake.  I made this cream cheese sheet cake while I cried a little on the inside watching the snow blanket our green grass.

Cream Cheese Sheet Cake

2 Cups Sugar

1 Cup Butter, Softened

8 oz Cream Cheese

4 Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

3 Cups Flour

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Baking Powder

Frosting:

1/2 Cup Butter Softened

4 oz Cream Cheese

3 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

3 Tbsp Milk

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Food Coloring

In a large bowl, beat together sugar, butter, cream cheese and eggs until well combined.  Add in vanilla and beat for about another minute.  In a small bowl add flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.  Add flour mixture, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.  

Spread batter into a 11x17 inch pan with sides.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool completely.  

For the frosting, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth.  Add milk and vanilla extract and 1 cup powdered sugar, beating until smooth.  Add remaining powdered sugar, 1 cup at time until desired consistency.  Spread over cake and cut into bars.  Refrigerate remains.

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Frozen Banana Pops

More banana fun!  I had intentions of making Christy's Bananas in Red Stuff but I seemed to have accidentally bought sugar free strawberry glaze.  Bleh.  I don't like splenda, and I thought it gave the glaze a fun taste.  So I went about making something else with the bananas.

Another great warm weather treat that doesn't require any cooking.  It's a great way to get the kids in the kitchen and they'll love chowing down on them.

You can use any toppings that tickle your fancy.  Her I used coconut, chopped walnuts, toffee pieces and easter sprinkles.  Go nuts with them!

Frozen Banana Pops

4-5 bananas sliced into 4 pieces each

Popsicle sticks

Chocolate Almond Bark, melted

Toppings

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Place a Popsicle stick into each banana piece and lay on the baking sheet.  Freeze bananas until firm, about 1 hour.  Melt chocolate and set up your toppings.  Dip bananas into chocolate and then quickly into toppings (chocolate will harden fast)  Lay back on baking sheet until completely harden.  Enjoy or store in an air tight container in freezer.

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Frozen Fruit Medley Salad

This is another recipe using up leftover frozen bananas, but you can use bananas sitting on your counter if you please.  This salad is filled with various types of fruit and are great for the hot weather coming our way.

You can easily make this your own, substituting different fruits, using sour cream or whipped cream or mixing and matching like I did here.

*Tip* To freeze bananas, you can either mash bananas and place in a freezer bag, laying flat in the freezer until firm, for better storage.  Or you can place the banana, peel and all, into a freezer bag and toss into freezer.  Let thaw to use.

Frozen Fruit Medley Salad

1 Cup Orange Juice

16 oz Frozen Sliced Strawberries, Thawed

15 oz Can Halved Apricots, drained and diced, reserve juice

3 Mashed Bananas 

20 oz Can Crushed Pineapples, drained and reserve juice

14.5 oz Can Red Tart Cherries, drained and reserve juice

16 oz Container Greek Yogurt

1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1/2 Cup Honey

In a small sauce pan, combine orange juice, juices from cans and honey.  Heat over medium heat until honey dissolves.  Remove from heat. 

In a large bowl, mix strawberries, apricots, bananas, pineapples, cherries.  Mash with potato masher if you would like smaller pieces.  Mix in yogurt.  

Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form.  Mix into fruit.  Pour cooled juices into fruit and mix well.  

Line muffin tins with muffin liners*.  Spoon fruit mixture into liners and freeze for a few hours until firm.  Remove liners from tins and store in a ziploc bag or air tight container in freezer.

Makes about 48

*I've found that the tin foil liners are easier to use then regular paper.  If using regular paper, submerge muffin tin in warm water for a few seconds to remove from tin.  Silicone muffin cups also work well.

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Banana Split Cake

While I have been doing some heavy duty spring cleaning and trying to organize everything better, my first task, was the kitchen.  I spend most of my time there and ends up being the worst in house.  While cleaning, I checked out the freezer and seen that I had a lot of bananas that needed to be used up.  So in the coming weeks, you will be seeing a lot of banana recipes.  

This recipe however was using up some bananas on the counter that needed to be used.  This cake is so yummy and doesn't require the use of the oven or stove and makes a great dessert for summer.

Banana Split Cake

1 1/2 Cups Finely Crushed Nilla Wafers

1 1/4 Cups Sugar, Divided

1/3 Cup Butter, Melted

2 pkgs (8 oz) Cream Cheese, room temperature

1 Can (20 oz) Crushed Pineapple, Well Drained

4 Bananas

2 Cups Cold Milk

1 Large box Vanilla Pudding

2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar

1 Cup Chopped Pecans

In a medium sized bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and melted butter.  Press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.  Beat together remaining sugar and cream cheese until well mixed.  Carefully spread over cookie crust.  Top with pineapple.  Slice bananas and layer over pineapple.  

In another bowl mix together cold milk and vanilla pudding and set aside.  In a large bowl, beat together whipping cream, vanilla and powdered sugar until soft peaks form.  Remove 1 cup of whipped cream and mix into pudding.  Layer pudding over bananas.  

Spread remaining whipped cream over pudding and sprinkle with pecans.  Chill for 5 hours serving.

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Salted Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

First of all I would like to welcome all the new followers that have showed up in the last few days, its great to meet all of you and I hope you enjoy your stay.  Second of all, if you haven't heard yet, Southernplate.com has launched a new forum, so if you'd like to join us all, pull up a chair with your sweet tea (or coffee, soda, water, whatever tickles your fancy) and come join in the conversations.

I think just about everyone is on a mission to find their perfect chocolate chip cookie.  Who knew something so simple could be so finicky?  One time its soft and chewy, the next its thin and crispy. I personally, like mine thick, soft and chewy.  That's just what I found in this recipe.  It's taking me quite a few tries to get it right and lots of research as to what changes the cookie.  

The best resource I came across was Alton Brown's Good Eats episode on the chocolate chip cookie.  It was very informative and exactly what I needed.  Btw, I absolutely adore his show.  He's the Bill Nye of the cooking world and gives you the hows and whys instead of the "Watch me make this recipe" that many other shows have.  If you get a chance you should definitely check it out.  You can find all 14 seasons on Youtube (30 minute episodes).

Salted Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 Cup Shortening

1 Cup Unsalted Butter, melted

3 Cup Brown Sugar

1 egg + 1 Egg Yolk

2 Tbsp Milk

3 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 1/2 Cups Bread Flour

2 Cups Cake Flour

3 tsp Baking Powder

1 1/2 tsp Salt

Coarse Sea Salt

In large bowl, cream shortening, butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at time, mixing well after each addition.  Add the milk and vanilla, mix well.  In another large bowl, sift together both flours, baking powder and salt.  Add to creamed mixture, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Chill mixture for 2 hours.  Preheat oven 375 degrees F.  Using a cookie scoop drop spoonfuls of cookie dough on to baking sheet.  Lightly sprinkle each mound with sea salt.  Bake for 10-11 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  Let cool on pan for 2 minutes before removing to cooling rack.  After completely cool remove to cookie jar where your family can inhale with a large glass of cold milk.

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March 2011 Daring Bakers Challenge - Meringue Filled Yeasted Coffee Cake

This month's challenge is brought to us by Jamie @ Life's a Feast and Ria of Ria's Collection.  This is a yeast risen dough, with a meringue filling with whatever tickles your fancy, rolled up like a cinnamon rolled, formed into a wreath and baked. Jamie found this recipe on a piece of yellowed paper in her dad's collection of clipped and hand-written recipes from the 70's.  No date, no source, and she tried the recipe and it was a hit.

 There were many beautiful and yummy looking variations made this month, both sweet and savory.  I will definitely be making this again, trying out different fillings.

Next month I am hoping to do the challenge earlier in the month, the last 2 times I waited until last minute to make.  I made an apple caramel filling for mine.  This is absolutely delicious and fairly easy to make, its just time consuming, like most yeast baking.  I ran into a little trouble with the meringue oozing out, but all turned out well in the end.

Meringue Filled Yeasted Coffee Cake

makes 2 wreaths

For the dough:

4 Cups All Purpose Flour

1/2 Cup Sugar

3/4 tsp Salt

2 1/2 tsp Yeast (1 Pkg)

3/4 Cup Milk

1/4 Cup Water

1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

2 Eggs, Room Temperature

Jamie's Version - 10 Strands Saffrom

1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg

1/4 tsp Ground Cardamom

( I think I may add more next time)

For the Meringue:

3 Large Egg Whites, Room Temperature

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 Cup Sugar

For the Filling:

Jamie's Version - 

1 Cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts

2 Tbsp Sugar

1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Ria's Version - 

1 Cup Chopped Cashew Nuts

2 Tbsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Garam Marsala

1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate

{For Homemade Garam Marsala - 4 or 5 sticks of Cinnamon Sticks (broken in half and scroll opened) 3 1/2 Tbsp Whole Cloves, 100g Fennel Seeds, 4 Tbsp Cumin Seeds, 1 1/2 Tbsp Peppercorns, 25g Green Cardamom Pods, In a small pan on medium heat, roast each spice individually until you get a nice aroma.  Make sure you stir so it doesn't burn.  As soon as each is roasted, transfer to a bowl to cool slightly.  Once they are all , grind into a fine powder by using a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.  Store in an airtight container.

My Version - 

1 Cup Chopped Macadamia Nuts

2 Tbsp Sugar

1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon

4 Gala Apples - Peeled, Cored, and Diced

2 tsp Lemon Juice

1/2 Cup Caramel Bits ( I used Kraft) (I think I will use already melted caramel instead next time)

Egg Wash:

1 Large Egg Beaten

Powdered Sugar for Dusting

To prepare the dough:

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 Cups Flour, sugar, salt and yeast.  In a saucepan, combine milk, water and butter and heat over medium heat until warm and the butter is just melted.  (In Ria's version, add the saffron threads and allow to steep for 10 minutes)

With an electric mixer on low speed, gradually add the warm liquid to the yeast mixture, beating until well blended.  Increase mixer speed and beat 2 minutes.  Add the eggs and 1 Cup flour and beat for 2 more minutes.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in another 1 cup flour to make a dough that holds together.  Turn out onto a floured surface (using remainder 1 1/2 Cups of flour) and knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth and elastic, keeping the work surface floured and adding extra flour as needed ( I used the whole 1 1/2 Cups)

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning to coat all sides.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise for 45-60 minutes, until doubled.

Prepare filling:

In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon if using.  Measure and set aside whatever you are using.

For the Meringue:

In a clean mixing bowl (ideally plastic or metal) beat the egg whites with the salt , first on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high and continue beating until foamy and opaque.  Add the vanilla, then start adding in sugar 1 Tbsp at a time as you beat, until very stiff, glossy peaks form.

Assemble the Coffee Cake:

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Punch down the dough and divide in half.  On a lightly floured surface, working one piece of dough at a time.  Roll out the dough into a 20x10 inch rectangle.  Spread half of the meringue evenly over the rectangle up to about 1/2 inch from the edges.  Sprinkle half of your filling of choice evenly over the meringue.  Now roll up the dough, like a you would if you were making cinnamon rolls, starting with the long side.  Pinch the seam closed to seal.  Very Carefully transfer the filled log to one of the baking sheets, seam side down.  Bring the ends of the log around and seal the ends together, forming a ring, tucking one end into the other and pinching to seal.

Using kitchen scissors or a knife, make cuts along the outside edge at 1 inch intervals.  Make them as shallow or as deep as you would like.

Repeat with the remaining dough.  Cover the 2 coffee cakes with plastic wrap and allow them to rise again for 45-60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Brush the tops of the coffee cakes with the egg wash.  Bake in the preheated oven for 25 - 30 minutes until risen and golden brown.  The dough should sound hollow when tapped.  Remove from the oven and slide the parchment paper off the cookie sheet onto a table or counter top.  Very gently loosen the coffee cakes from the paper with a large spatula and carefully slides the cakes off onto cooling racks.  Allow to cool.

Just before serving, dust the tops of the coffee cakes with powdered sugar.

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Rainbow Cupcakes

I have been on hiatus for a few days.  My computer got a nasty flu and had to be fixed. In the process I had lost a lot of photos. I was finally able to get the computer up and running again and slowly installing all of our software.  Now that my camera is ready to go again I bring the most awesomess cupcakes around.

These babies are all over the web in not only cupcake form but in tall towering cake form ( I plan to make one of those someday).  These are a cross between rainbow and tie dye.  I had intended to make buttercream frosting but as it turns out this morning I was out of butter.  So I opted for cream cheese frosting, which was a little runnier than I was hoping for and ended up with a neat tie dye affect.  I made these for my beautiful baby girl's class today, who turned 4.  Where does the time go?  Seems like she was just learning to walk yesterday.

Rainbow Cupcakes

adapted from Baking Bites

1 Cup All Purpose Flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 Cup Sugar

2 Large Eggs

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

1/2 Cup Buttermilk

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 10 cups from a 12 cup muffin tin (or line with paper cups).

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Pour in dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Divide batter evenly into 5 small bowls; each should have a little more than 1/3 cup batter (approx 6 tbsp or so for each).

Add about 1/2 tsp food coloring to each bowl to make red, orange, yellow, green and blue batters. Stir well, so no streaks of plain batter remain. Add additional food coloring if necessary.

Starting with the blue batter, add a small spoonful to each of the 10 grease muffin cups (just over 1/2 tbsp in each). Repeat with all remaining colors, working from green to yellow to orange to red, adding each subsequent spoonful on top of the previous color. Do not attempt to spread the layers of color out (as it can cause layers to combined), but allow them to spread on their own.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool cupcakes on a wire rack before frosting.

Makes 10

Quick Buttercream Frosting

In a large bowl, beat together butter, milk and vanilla.  Gradually add in the powdered sugar until frosting reaches a thick, spreadable consistency. 

For Rainbow effect, divide frosting into 5 bowls, adding food coloring to each bowl like you did above.  In a frosting bag, with the tip of your choice, layer the frosting in the bag and pipe each cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 Oz Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

3 Tbsp Milk

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

~ 3 Cups Powdered Sugar

Beat together cream cheese, milk and vanilla.  Gradually add in the powdered sugar until frosting is desired consistency.  Color frosting as directed above.






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Triple Peanut Butter Cookies

Last night, after the girls had gone to bed, I was able to catch the last half of a Celtic Woman concert on PBS.  I've never been able to catch it when it was on so I was grateful that I at least got to see part of it.  Wish I could see them live.  Maybe someday in the future.  Afterwards they did a Yanni special.  Of course I told my dad about it.  He is a big Yanni fan.  

I remember listening to him when I was younger.  One song in particular.  "Reflections of Passion".  When ever my dad would play the music video or the concert he had on tape and this song came on, I would dance across our dining room like a ballerina like in the music video.  It is such a beautiful song.  You can hear it here.

Anyways when I saw Yanni last night I was disappointed.  I haven't seen him in probably 10 years.  See, he used to have long black hair with a thick mustache.  I personally like the shorter hair and the only facial hair I like is a goatee.  But I liked it on him.  Not to many people can rock the long hair and mustache and look good while doing it.  Yanni did look good in it.  It was like a trademark.  You knew immediately who he was.  Now, he has shorter hair and no facial hair.  He just blends in with the crowd.  Makes me sad.

Anyways on to things that make me happy.  And not just me, my entire family.

I don't much care for peanut butter all that much but these cookies are delicious.  Soft and chewy, with peanut butter being delivered 3 different ways.      This is a favorite not only with my husband (Who is in love with peanut butter), but with my children (who will only eat peanut butter in this cookie) and my parents and sisters (Yes mom, I put some aside for you.)

Triple Peanut Butter Cookies

1 Cup Butter Flavored Shortening

1 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter

1 Cup White Sugar

1 Cup Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

1/4 Cup Milk

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

3 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour

2 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Salt 

10 oz Bag Peanut Butter Chips

10 oz Bag Baking Reese's Pieces

In a large bowl, cream the shortening, peanut butter, and both sugars until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in milk and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt and whisk together.  Gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.  Mix in peanut butter chips and Reese's pieces.

Roll into 1 inch balls or use a cookie scoop.  Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake at 375 Degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes.  Remove to wire cooling racks to cool completely.  Store in an air tight container.

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Blarney Stones

Happy Fat Tuesday.  Hope everyone is enjoying the Mardi Gras festivities.  I don't have any Mardi Gras recipes ready at the moment but the kiddos are watching The Princess and the Frog...ok ok, I like the movie too.

I do bring some St. Patrick's Day treats.  Both me and my husband come from dominant Celtic backgrounds, and with my my heavy interest in genealogy and history of our backgrounds, I've been wanting to compile a collection of recipes for our ethnic background also.  While this recipe probably isn't Irish at all, it's also known as peanut cake squares, it's a fun dessert to serve at St. Patrick's day parties and kids are sure to enjoy it.

Blarney Stones

adapted from Taste of Home

4 Eggs

1 3/4 Cups Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour

3 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1 Cup Milk

1/4 Cup Butter, Melted

Frosting:

7 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

2/3 Cup Milk

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/8 tsp Salt

6 Cups Finely Chopped Peanuts

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.  In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla until thick and lemon colored, about 4 minutes.  Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and add to egg mixture.  Beat on low speed until combined.  Beat in milk and butter.

Pour into greased 13 x 9 in baking pan.  Bake for 30 - 35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.  Cut into 24 squares.  Cover and freeze for 8 hours.

In a large bowl, beat powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth.  Frost the top and sides of frozen cake squares.  Roll in peanuts.  Place on wire racks to set.

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