Sunday, December 25, 2011

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Cake:

3 c. flour
1/4 tsp.salt
1 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. butter, melted

Topping:

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Mix everything together except for the butter. Slowly stir in the melted butter and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. For the topping, mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Drop evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife. Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes.

Glaze:
2 c. powdered sugar
5 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

While warm drizzle the glaze over the cake.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Lemon Chicken

This is SO GOOD! And, I don't like lemons! Everyone seemed to like it, except my husband who banned green beans from his diet YEARS ago. :)

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 lemons 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
3/4 lb green beans
8 small red potatoes, quartered
4 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 450. Coat a large baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange lemon slices from 1 lemon in a single layer on the bottom of the dish. In large bowl combine remaining olive oil, lemon juice of 2nd lemon, garlic, salt and pepper. Add green beans and toss to coat. Using tongs, remove green beans and arrange them on top of lemon slices. Add potatoes to same olive oil mixture and coat. Arrange on inside edge of dish on top of the beans. (I think it’s so pretty!)Place chicken in olive oil mixture and coat. Place chicken in dish. Roast for 40-50 minutes. Remove chicken and continue roasting potatoes/beans if necessary.

Cake Balls

Oh this is so bad for you...but it's Christmas and how can you not bake goodies at Christmas?

Any cake mix (I like Red Velvet the best!)
any can of frosting (I like cream cheese frosting!)
Almond Bark (vanilla or chocolate, depending on your cake. I use vanilla.)

Bake the cake according to directions. While still warm, crumble the cake in a bowl and mix with the cream cheese frosting. Set in the fridge for about an hour. Then you can start forming balls. Since I hate getting my hands icky, I like to use my Pampered Chef cookie scoop thingy. What is that thing called? After making the balls, dip them in the melted almond bark using a toothpick, spoon, or the Pampered Chef egg separator (I am going to try that today.)

All done! Enjoy! :)

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Special K Candy (aka Scotcharoos)

Use butter to grease a 8x8 or 9x9 square pan.

Measure in a large bowl:
2-3/4 C Special K (or cheap cornflakes, or rice crispies)

Bring to a rolling boil, then immediately remove from burner:
1/2 C white sugar
1/2 C white karo syrup
1/2 tsp salt
After removing from burner, immediately add:
3/4 C peanut butter and stir until dissolved
Then add: 
1 tsp vanilla

Add the liquid mixture to the Special K (cornflakes/rice crispies) in the large bowl, mix gently and pack gently into the square buttered pan.

Using a double boiler, melt together:
1 C chocolate chips
1 C butterscotch chips
(I usually double the amount -- e.g. a 12 oz bag each of choc chips and butterscotch chips)
[You can also melt them in a glass bowl in the microwave, following the melting directions on the package. Make sure the two types are well mixed together.]

Spread chocolate mixture on top of Special K mixture in square pan. 
Allow to cool and harden, then cut into small squares.

Squash Muffins

Tried these out for a dinner with friends recently, and they got rave reviews.


Ingredients:
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg, beaten
1 cup cooked squash
1/2 t vanilla

1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
1-1/2 cups flour
sprinkle of ginger, nutmeg & cinnamon

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
Grease a muffin pan large enough for 12 muffins, or line with paper muffin cups.
Cream together the sugar and shortening, until very light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg and squash.
In a small bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
Add this to the creamed mixture very gradually, beating well after each addition.
Spoon into 12 muffin cups (they will be quite full).
Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack.

High altitude tips: slightly decrease baking soda, sugar, and shortening. Add 2 tsp of water to the wet mix.