A house divided

Jory loves this cake.  It is one of his absolute favorite desserts I make.  In fact, once I made it for a potluck and he didn't know I had done it.  He was sitting at the Potluck devouring this cake and raving about it without knowing it was my Chocolate Chip Cake.  I personally don't think it's that great.  I was going to remove it from my recipes until the Potluck incident when I realized how much he really loves it.

The recipe does not call for frosting.  It says that the cake does not need it and that is actually true, but it seems weird to me to take a cake without frosting.  So if I am taking this to someone or to a dinner I ice it.  I have made a Cream Cheese frosting and a Milk Chocolate one.  They both worked fine.

Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cake

Category: Desserts

Source: Woman’s Day

2 2/3 c flour

2 c sugar

2 t baking powder

½ t salt

1 c milk

½ c water

¾ c oil

1 T vanilla

2 eggs

1 c mini chocolate chips

1.  Heat oven to 350.  Line a 13x9 with nonstick foil.

2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl with a whisk.  Whisk milk, water, oil, vanilla and eggs in a medium bowl.
3. Make a well in flour mixture.  Gradually pour milk mixture into flour mixture; whisk until blended.  Stir in chips.
4. Pour into pan and bake 35 minutes.
5. Cool in pan on wire rack 30 minutes.  Remove from pan, remove foil and cool completely.

Coconut Almond Cream Cake

This was the very first Southern Living White Cake I made many years ago. The first time it took me three days.  Thankfully, I have gotten more efficient.  The filling still has to be made the day before (or at least eight hours before) and the recipe is somewhat time consuming, but it's not hard and everyone always really likes this cake.

Coconut-Almond Cream Cake

Category:  Desserts

Source: Southern Living

2 c sweetened flaked coconut

½ c sliced almonds

Parchment paper

3 ½ c flour

1 T baking powder

½ t salt

1 ½ c unsalted butter, at room temp

1 ¼ c sugar

1 c firmly packed light brown sugar

5 large eggs

1 c whipping cream

1/3 c coconut milk

1 T vanilla extract

1 T almond extract

Coconut Almond Filling

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Preheat oven to 325.  Bake coconut in single layer in shallow pan 6 minutes.  Place almonds in single layer in another pan; bake, w/coconut, 7-9 min or until almonds are fragrant and coconut is lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
2. Line 3 (9-in) round cake pans with parchment paper.  Grease and flour paper.
3. Sift flour, baking powder & salt in very large bowl.
4. Beat butter at med speed until creamy; gradually add sugars, beating until blended.  Beat 8 min or until very fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in whipping cream and next three ingredients.
5. Fold butter mixture into flour mixture in batches just until combined.  Pour into pans.
6. Bake at 325 for 30-32 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pans on wire racks 10 min; remove from pans to wire racks and cool completely.
7. Place 1 cake layer on serving plate.  Spread half of chilled Coconut Almond Filling over layer.  Top with 1 layer, gently pressing.  Repeat procedure with remaining half of Filling and remaining cake layer.
8. Gently spread Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting on top and sides of cake.  Press toasted coconut on sides of cake; sprinkle almonds on top.

Coconut Almond Filling

2 T cornstarch

1 t almond extract

1 ¼ c whipping cream

½ c firmly packed light brown sugar

½ c unsalted butter

2 ¼ c sweetened flaked coconut

¼ c sour cream

1.         Stir together cornstarch, almond extract and 2 T water in a small bowl.

2.         Bring whipping cream, brown sugar and butter to a boil over medium heat.  Remove from heat and immediately whisk in cornstarch mixture.  Stir in coconut and sour cream.  Cover and chill 8 hours.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

2 packages cream cheese, softened

½ c unsalted butter, softened

2 c powdered sugar

1 T cream of coconut

1 t vanilla

1. Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed until creamy.  Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended.
2. Increase speed to medium and beat in cream of coconut and vanilla until smooth.

7-Layer Salad

I make this salad for every Potluck I go to.  I love it.  The leftovers are good, too, and it looks so nice!

Seven Layer Salad

Category:  Salads

Source:  Jenni Holman

1 package pre-washed lettuce

3 stalks celery, diced

4 green onions, green part sliced

1 red bell, diced

1 sm package frozen peas, heated just to boiling with salt, then drained and rinsed w/cold water

1-2 cans sliced water chestnuts

2 c mayo

¼ c sugar

Shredded cheddar cheese

Crumbled bacon

Layer Ingredients in order

Chocolate Cake

I've been making this cake a lot lately when I am taking a meal.  It is a super moist cake that has been very popular.  Instead of using a 9X13 pan, I have been using two square pans so I have an extra cake to take to someone!

Coca-Cola Cake

Category:  Desserts

Source: More

2 c flour

9 T cocoa, divided

1 t baking soda

1 ½ c softened butter, divided

1 ¾ c sugar

2 eggs

2 t vanilla, divided

½ c buttermilk

1 1/3 c cola, divided

16 oz box confectioner’s sugar

1 ½ c miniature marshmallows

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease 13x9 pan.  In med bowl, combine flour, 4 T cocoa, and baking soda; set aside.
2. Beat 1 c butter and sugar until creamy.  Beat in eggs and 1 t vanilla.  In small bowl, combine  buttermilk and 1 c cola.  Add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternately with the cola mixture blending well. Turn batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake 35 min or until a toothpick comes out clean.  While cake is baking, make the icing:  Combine remaining 5 T cocoa, ½ c butter, 1 t vanilla and 1/3 c cola with confectioner’s sugar.  Beat until smooth.
4. Top cake w/marshmallows and return to oven for 1 min.  Spread frosting over marshmallows.  It will firm up when the cake cools.

Holiday Ham

This is ham recipe I most often make for a holiday or a large dinner.  It is very popular.  My husband loves it and calls it The Holiday Ham.  It has a sweet glaze, and Jory usually does not like that (he's not one to go for those sweet glaze packets you can buy), but he loves this.  He says it's not too sweet, just perfect.

Molasses-Coffee Glazed Ham

Category:  Main Dishes

Sub Category:

Source: Southern Living

 

1 c molasses

12 oz jar apricot jam

2 T cider vinegar

1 T Dijon mustard

1 t salt

1 t vanilla

¾ strong brewed coffee

8-9 lb bone-in, fully cooked smoked ham half

 

1.  Stir together first seven ingredients until blended.  Reserve one cup.
2. Place ham in 13x9 pan.  Pour remaining sauce evenly over ham.
3. Bake on lower oven rack at 350 for 2 hours or until thickest portion reaches 140, basting every 15 minutes.  Cover loosely with foil if ham starts to get too brown.
4. Remove from pan; let stand 30 minutes.  Heat reserved sauce and serve with ham.

 

Banana Pudding

Recently I was charged with bringing dessert to a Super Bowl party.  My husband chose banana pudding.  I think this recipe (or a variation of it) is probably pretty common, but it is easy and we really like it.

Banana Pudding*

Category:  Desserts

1 large box instant vanilla pudding

1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip

1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk

1 (8 oz) container sour cream

1 box Vanilla Wafers

3-4 bananas, sliced

 

1.             Prepare pudding as directed.  Refrigerate for approximately 5 minutes.

2.             Mix together Cool Whip, Eagle Brand milk and sour cream.  Mix into pudding.

3.             Arrange a layer of Vanilla Wafers on bottom of 13x9 baking dish.  Arrange a layer of banana slices on top of the cookies.  Pour ½ of pudding mixture over bananas.  Repeat.  Top with more cookies.

4.             Refrigerate for at least a couple of hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Biscotti

I found a great recipe for gingerbread biscotti in a parenting magazine.  It was a fun, easy Christmas gifts kids can make.  The gingerbread flavor is so rich.  You bake the biscotti and then let it cool and then toast it.  Honestly, sometimes, we don't put it back into toast it.  When you take it out of the oven the first time it is the consistency of gingerbread (except it doesn't rise, so it's flat bread, but YUMMY). 

Gingerbread Biscotti

Category:  Baked Goods
Sub Category:
Source: Family Fun

 

2 c flour

1 t baking powder

1 ½ t ginger

3 t cinnamon

¼ t salt

6T unsalted butter, softened

1 c sugar

2 eggs

3 T light molasses

2 t vanilla

8 oz white chocolate chips

 

1.  Heat oven to 350. Coat a baking sheet w/cooking spray. 
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. 
3. In stand mixer on med, beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add egg, molasses and vanilla and mix well.  Reduce speed to low and blend in flour mixture.
4. With slightly wet hands, halve dough and shape into two 2 ½ x 9 in rectangles.  Bake until golden brown and just starting to crack, about 25 min.  Let cool and reduce the oven’s temperature to 325.
5. Use a sharp knife to cut loaves into ¾ in slices.  Place slices cut side down and bake until toasted, about 8 min.  They should be crunchy on outside but not hard.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
6. Melt the chocolate and drizzle on biscotti

Pancakes

I have three different pancake recipes I like.  Aaron asked for pancakes the other day and I grabbed this one.  I was reminded of how much I like it.  It turns out very good pancakes.  It calls for plain yogurt, but I always use flavored - whatever I have.  I've done blueberry, banana and vanilla.  I sometimes omit the vanilla depending on the flavor of yogurt used.

Pancakes

1 c flour

1 T sugar

1 t baking powder

½ t baking soda

1 c plain yogurt

1 egg

½ c water

1 t vanilla

 

1. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
2. Whisk remaining ingredients and add to dry ingredients, mixing well.
3. Cook on griddle.

 

The BEST Ham!

I cut a recipe out of Southern Living's New Year's Special called Good Luck Greens and Peas with Ham.  If you are not from the South, Black-eyed Peas are eaten on New Year's Day for luck.  (Where I come from it's Sauerkraut and no one has heard of Black-eyed peas, but that's another post).

This was the first time I made ham in a crock pot and it was SO GOOD.  The ham just fell apart and was really outstanding.  It was not a sweet ham, though, so if that's your thing...as good as the ham was, my husband went nuts over the peas and greens.  He told me several times he's never had greens or peas that good.  He took a picture and sent it to his friends.  This is definitely one of his favorite recipes I've ever made.

Ham with Greens and Peas

Category:  Main Dishes

Sub Category:

Source: Southern Living

 

32 oz vegetable broth

16 oz frozen black-eyed peas, thawed

1 sweet onion, cut into eighths

¼ c apple cider vinegar

¼ t dried crushed red pepper

2 T dark brown sugar

2 T country style Dijon mustard

5-6 lb smoked, fully cooked semi boneless ham

1 lb shredded fresh collard greens

1.  Place first five ingredients in slow cooker.  Stir together brown sugar and mustard and rub over ham.  Place ham in slow cooker.  Cook on high 6-7 hours.

2.  Add greens and cook on high one hour.