Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups cake flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

2 large eggs, room temperature (very important – let the eggs sit out overnight or 4 hours before you make the batter)

1/2 teaspoon red gel-paste food color or 1 Tbsp of regular red food coloring

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar

Cream Cheese Frosting: Mix on medium high: 8 oz of softened cream cheese, 4 Tbsp of softened butter, 4 cups of powdered sugar, 2-3 tsp of milk, 1 tsp vanilla.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed using the whisk attachment, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food color and vanilla.
3. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Add vinegar, mix on high speed for 5 seconds.
4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
5. To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

Yield: 24 standard cupcakes, 12 jumbo cupcakes, 2 8 or 9 in round cakes.

If making a cake, grease and flour 2 round cake pans. Increase baking time to 30 minutes.

Submitted by Naomi Skye

Recipe adapted from Saveur and Martha Stewart

Chocolate Oat Squares

1c + 2T butter or margarine, softened, divideed

2c packed brown sugar

2 eggs

4t vanilla extract, divided

3c quick cooking oats

2 1/2 c flour

1 1/2 t salt, divided

1t baking soda

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

2c semisweet chocolate chips

1 c chopped nuts

In a mixing bowl, cream 1 c butter and brown sugar. Beat in eggs and 2t vanilla. Combine oats, flour, bakaing soda, 1 t salt. Stir into creamed mixture.

Press 2/3 of oat mixture into a greased 15X10X1 in baking pan.

In a saucepan, combine milk, choco chips and remaining butter and salt. Cook and stir over low heat until chips are melted.

Spread chocolate over crust. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture. Bake @ 350F for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Cut into squares.

diana

Turtles

Mix: 1 ½ c. flour, 1 ½ c. oatmeal, 3/8 tsp. salt, ¾ tsp. soda, 1 1/8 c. brown sugar, 1 1/8 c. melted butter.

Pat: ½ of this mixture in a 9x13 pan and bake 10 minutes at 350º. Remove from oven. Sprinkle 1 ½ cup chocolate chips and nuts as desired over it.

Pour: A mixture of 1 package of carmels and 7 ½ tbsp of cream (melted together in top of double boiler) over the boiled part.

Spread: remaining half of crumb mixture over the top. (let it appear a little rough) and bake 15 minutes at 350º.

Submitted by Mary Jorgensen

Glazed Lemon Cake

1/2 Pound (2 sticks) sweet butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

3 cups unbleached, all purpose flour, sifted

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

2 tightly packed tablespoons grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Lemon Icing (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 10 inch tube pan (angel cake pan works)

2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition.

3. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Add lemon zest and juice.

4. Pour batter into prepared tube pan. Set on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 1 hour. or until cake pulls away from sides of pan and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Cool cake in the pan, set on a rack, for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and spread on icing at once, while cake is still hot.

Lemon Icing

1 pound confectioners sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick) sweet butter, softened

3 tightly packed tablespoons grated lemon zest

1/2 cup lemon juice
Cream sugar and butter. Mix in lemon juice and zest. Spread on warm cake.

Notes:

I don't put all of the glaze on at once because the cake is warm and it will just run off and pool all around. I cool it a bit longer than it says...then I put some glaze on...wait 5 or 10 minutes and put some more on and then wait another 5 or 10 minutes before putting the rest on. Also...it calls for quite a bit of zest, you need 5 to 7 lemons. If you use less zest, it is still good.

submitted by Mary Jorgensen

Lemon-Blueberry Cake

This is really tasty!

CAKE
2c blueberries
2 1/2 c cake flour, divided (a must use for tender cake, worth the purchase!)
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
3/4 c unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c sugar
1 T grated lemon peel
3 eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1 c whole milk
FROSTING
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1 T grated lemon peel
1/8 t salt
3 T lemon juice
1 t vanilla extract
3-3 1/4 c powdered sugar
2 c blueberries

1. Heat oven to 350F. Spray 13x9 in baking pan with cooking spray. Toss 2 cups blueberries with 1 T cake flour in small bowl. Whisk remaining cake flour, baking powder and 1/4 t salt in medium bowl.
2. Beat 3/4 c butter, sugar and 1 T lemon peel in large bowl at medium speed 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 1 1/2 t vanilla. At low speed, beat in flour mixture in three parts alternately with milk just until blended, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in blueberry mixture. pour into pan.
3. Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack.
4. Beat 1/2 c butter, 1 T lemon peel and 1/8 t salt in large bowl at low speed until combined. Slowly beat in lemon juice and 1 t vanilla. Beat in 3 cups of the powdered sugar, adding additional powdered sugar as needed for spreadable consistency.
5. Frost top of cake; sprinkle with 2 c blueberries (Cake can be made 1 day ahead)
12 servings

Praline Pudding Cake

A friend just called for this recipe. I thought I would post it because it is so yummy.

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cups plus 1 Tb. flour divided
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup chopped pecans (I usually don't add these)
1 Tb baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
2 Tb butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups boiling water

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine brown sugar and 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl. Lightly spoon 1 1/4 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine with granulated sugar, 1/3 cup pecans (if adding) baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Combine milk , buttter, and vanilla in a bowl; add to flour mixture. Stir just unil moist.
Spread batter into and 8 inch square baking pan; sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Pour boiling water over batter (do not stir). Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until pudding is bubbly and cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Serve warm with whipping cream or ice cream.

I think I got this from Cooking Light. Enjoy
Krista

Frozen Frango Mint Dessert

Cream:
1 cup butter
3 cups powdered sugar

Add:
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted & cooled
1 cup chopped nuts
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. peppermint extract

Spoon into paper muffin cups & freeze. serve with whipped cream and a cherry on top.

My mom would make this dessert for special occasions (Christmas) when we were young and it is yummy!

Submitted by: Joanna Falk

Pumpkin Bars

Mix everything together:

4 eggs
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 cup cooking oil
2 cups pumpkin
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda

Bake in a jelly roll pan at 350 degrees about 30 minutes or until done.
Cool and frost.

Frosting:

1 - 3 oz. pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Mix and spread on pumpkin bars. Refrigerate and cut into bars.

These are a family favorite! Geoff says these are his favorite.

Submitted by: Joanna Falk

Tiramisu

17 oz mascarpone cheese (I use 3 small containers)
3 egg yolks
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c heavy cream
2 c brewed espresso or really strong coffee
1/3 c marsala wine (Italian brands are less sweet)
2 pkg lady fingers (the hard ones, not the ones like twinkees)
cocoa powder for dusting on top of the dessert
Combine 1st 4 ingredients with electric mixer. Beat until fluffy and smooth.
Brew espresso. Combine it with the marsala wine. Dip lady fingers in espresso mix and arrange in pan (I put the lady fingers in the pan 1st. Then, using a soup spoon, I spoon the espresso mix onto each of the lady fingers. That's about 1-2 spoonfuls each lady finger. You don't want them to be too wet or you have a hard time spreading the custard on top of them). Spread 1/2 the mascarpone mix onto the lady fingers. Add another layer of lady fingers, spooning espresso mix onto each lady finger. Carefully spoon the rest of the mascarpone on top and spread it over all the lady fingers. Dust the top with cocoa powder using a sieve or flour sifter. Refrigerate the whole thing at least 2 hrs. It should be fairly set when you serve it.
diana

Dump Cake

1 box yellow cake mix
1 can cherry pie filling
1 can crushed pineapple
2 sticks butter, melted
nuts, coarsely chopped any kind you like
1 carton ice cream, vanilla is best
oven @ 350F
Don't grease the pan! Dump cherries and pineapple (including juice) into pan. Sprinkle nuts and yellow cake mix over the fruits. Pour melted butter on top of all in pan.
Bake 50-60 min, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Serve warm with ice cream. Yum
by diana

Caramel Apple Blondies

Note: this makes 2 - 9x13 pans but you can easily half the recipe.

6 eggs
3 ½ cups sugar
2 cups vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
4 cups diced apples


Mix eggs & sugar until fluffy. Add oil & vanilla. Sift dry ingredients. Add to mixture.
Fold in apples. Spread into 2 – greased/floured 9x13 pans.

Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees.

Make a caramel sauce and drizzle over the brownies.

Caramel Sauce

½ stick butter (1/4 cup)
½ to ¾ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. milk (a total guess)

Bring to a boil and add 1 tsp. vanilla or a lid or a drip! I don’t measure it. Stir until cooler and then drizzle over the brownies.

Submitted by Joanna Falk, I got this recipe from Krista but I added the caramel topping.

Peach Cobbler

Peach Cobbler

2 to 3 cups sliced peaches
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
3 tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup boiling water

Options: add blueberries, raspberries or blackberries with the peaches - YUMMY!!

• Place peaches and other berries if desired in a 9x9x2 inch baking pan.
• Combine 3/4 cup sugar and butter, beating until smooth.
• Add milk, flour, baking powder and 1/4 tsp. salt (I usually don't add the salt) to creamed mixture and mix until smooth. Pour batter over peaches.
• Combine 1 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp. salt (again I don't do this) and cornstarch. Sprinkle over batter.
• Pour boiling water over batter.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

Serve warm with ice cream. It can be easily warmed in the oven or microwave.

Submitted by Joanna Falk

Buttery Cupcakes with Twinkie Filling

Buttery Cake Cupcakes

1 ¼ cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
½ cup unsalted butter at room temp (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 to 15 muffin cups with liners.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until smoothly blended and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and beat for 2 more minutes. On low speed add 1/3 of the flour, then ½ of the milk, 1/3 of the flour, the remaining milk and finally the last flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated and the batter looks smooth.

Fill the liners with about ¼ cup of batter. Bake just until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 22 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in pan and then remove them to cool completely.

Fill and frost as desired.


Twinkie Filling
Ingredients
1 cup milk
5 tablespoons flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Crisco
1/2 cup butter , softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
1 Mix flour with milk and boil until thick.
2 (It will be very thick) Cool.
3 Add remaining ingredients and beat until fluffy.
Use a pastry bag to fill cupcakes or use as filling between a layer cake.

This makes enough filling for about 2 1/2 dozen cupcakes so you can either half the recipe or double the cupcake recipe. This filling is also good in chocolate cupcakes.
Also, you can replace the vanilla for a flavoring like raspberry and tint it pink. I did that for Ava's birthday cake one year and it was yummy!

Posted by: Joanna Falk

Chocolate Ginger Cookies

Chocolate Ginger Cookies
7 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
8 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1/4 cup granulated sugar, for rolling the dough balls in.

Chop the chocolate into 1/4 inch chunks or just use chocolate chips (7 oz. is a little more than 1 cup) Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add brown sugar, beat until combined. Add molasses: beat until combined.

Add the flour mixture in batches until fully incorporated. Mix in chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. (about 1 hour or can be more)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place the sugar in a small bowl. Scoop our dough and make balls of it. Place the dough balls in bowl of sugar and roll to coat. Place on cookie sheet. Bake until surface cracks slightly, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Yum!

Submitted by Mary Jorgensen

Blueberry Cream Pie

Blueberry Cream Pie



CRUST:
1-1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

FILLING:
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
1 cup half-and-half cream
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, beaten
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

TOPPING:
5 cups fresh blueberries, divided
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Combine the crust ingredients and press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. pie plate. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until crust just begins to brown. Cool.
In a saucepan, combine sugar, flour and salt. Gradually whisk in cream; cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes more. Gradually whisk half into egg mixture; return all to pan. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla until butter is melted. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into crust; sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Chill 30 minutes or until set. Meanwhile, crush 2 cups of blueberries in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Press berries through sieve; set aside 1 cup juice (add water if necessary). Discard pulp. In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in blueberry juice; bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes. Gently stir in remaining berries; spoon over filling. Chill 3 hours or until set. Store pie in the refrigerator.

I doubled this recipe and put it in a 9x13 inch pan for a large crowd
Submitted by: Joanna

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 9x13 pan.

Topping:
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
3 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
Mix by hand or with a pastry blender. Set aside.

Mix:
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
Mix:
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
Cream:
¾ cup white sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 stick butter, softened
Add:
1 egg

Then add the flour mixture just until blended. Add milk and 1 ½ tsp. vanilla until just blended.
Fold in 3 cups rhubarb, chopped. Pour into prepared pan and put topping on it. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes.
It’s yummy topped with strawberries and ice cream.

Submitted by: Joanna Falk

Apple Cake

Apple Cake
　
1 cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup brown sugar
3 large eggs, well beaten
1 tbsp vanilla
2 ½ cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tsp. grated nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 cups peeled, chopped apples
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
　
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.　 Generously grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
　
In a large bowl, mix the oil, sugar, and eggs.　 Add the vanilla.　 Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, soda and salt in medium bowl.　 Blend into the oil mixture.　 Fold into the oil mixture.　 Fold in the apples and pecans.　 Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes　 Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes.　 Invert and finish cooling on a rack.　 Drizzle brown sugar icing over the cake.
　
Brown Sugar Icing
　　　　　　　　　　　 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
　　　　　　　　　　　 4 tbsp butter
　　　　　　　　　　　 ¼ cup evaporated milk
(I have substituted regular milk but not quite as much)
　　　　　　　　　　　 1 tsp vanilla extract
　
Combine the brown sugar, butter and milk in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly.　 Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.　 Beat with a wooden spoon until the icing in cool.　 Drizzle over cake.

Submitted by: Joanna Falk
　

Frosted Brownies

Frosted Brownies

Batter:
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
¾ cup flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 or 8x8 inch baking pan.
Melt the butter and cocoa powder together. Add 1 cup sugar. Stir in 2 eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla. Stir in ¾ cup flour. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes.
Cool.


Frosting:
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Melt the butter with the cocoa powder. Add the milk and vanilla. Stir in the powdered sugar. Spread on cooled brownies.
Cut into squares and enjoy!!

submitted by: Joanna