Yellow Cake Mix (with confetti)

We celebrated the 18th birthday of my daughter a few days ago.  One of her favorite cakes is confetti cake.  I really don't like buying cake mixes from the store so I started making up my own mixes to have on hand for special occasions.  I adapted this recipe from one I found at melskitchencafe.com.  Discovering that I was out of cupcake liners to late to go to the store, I improvised and used cake cones for half of the recipe.  There is something very satisfying to making a cake from scratch.  I hope you are filled with a sense of "well done" after you pull this out of the oven.

What you need for the mix:

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour*
1/2 cup dry milk
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup candy rainbow sprinkles

*if you do not have cake flour you can make your own by measuring out 1 1/2 cup of all purpose flour in a bowl then take out 3 tablespoons of the flour and substitute with 3 tablespoons of cornstarch.  Stir with a wire whisk to mix.

Additional ingredients to make the cake:

1 1/4 cups warm water
2 large eggs

In a large bowl,  using a wire whisk,  mix together all the dry ingredients (except the sprinkles)

Using a pastry blender, incorporate 1 cup of butter and 1 tablespoon of vanilla.

It should look like this when it is done.

Stir in 1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles.  If you are just making a yellow cake, obviously omit  the sprinkles.

If you are not going to be making the cake right away, this mix can be stored in a sealed container (or ziplock bag) in the refrigerator until ready to use.  To make the cake, continue on!

Preheat oven to 350.

To the dry mix, add 1 1/4 cups water and 2 large eggs.

Mix on medium high speed until well blended.

Pour into your choice of cake pan.

This makes the same amount as a store bought cake mix.  It should make 24 cup cakes, but if you choose to use ice cream cake cones like I did, you will have extra batter to make more than 24.

Bake until golden brown and the center springs back when lightly touched.  Here are the approximate bake times depending on what kind of pan you use:  cupcakes 20 minutes, 2 9" rounds 25 minutes, 9X13" 35- 40 minutes, 12 cup bundt 45-50 minutes. Oven temperatures vary which is why I say approximate.

Frost with your favorite frosting and enjoy!  I made my frosting by beating 1 cup of butter, 3 cups of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. This was more than enough frosting to frost 24 cupcakes.

Cinnamon-Streusel Coffeecake

King Arthur Cinnamon-Streusel Coffeecake

Making this coffeecake has become a regular part of my week.  It seems that there is always an occasion where I need to bring a baked good and lately I have chosen this one.  I originally found it on the King Arthur web site while searching for a good recipe for my friends favorite kind of cake.  It has the perfect moistness and cinnamon taste.  The original recipe I found called for twice as much crumb topping.  I still make up the same amount but reserve the extra and store it in my refrigerator for when I make muffins to top them.  I have written the recipe for only half the amount but it is a great crumb topping to have on hand if you decide to double what I have written.

What you need:

STREUSEL TOPPING
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, melted

FILLING
1 cup brown sugar, light or dark
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

CAKE
3/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 1/4 cups milk (anything from skim to whole)
3 3/4 cup flour

Preheat the oven to 350.

Lightly grease a 9 X 13" pan.
(I ran out of cooking spray and had to oil mine my hand.  I think I put a bit too much.)

Make the topping by whisking together 3/4 cup sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon, and 3 tablespoons melted butter.

It should look like this when it is all combined.  Set the topping aside.

Make the filling by mixing together 1 cup brown sugar and  1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon.  Set the filling aside.

To make the cake:  In a large bowl, beat together 3/4 cup butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.  Add the 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a separate bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt and 1 1/4 cup milk.  You don't need to whisk out all the lumps.

Add 3 3/4 cup flour alternately with the milk mixture, beating gently to combine.

Pour/spread half the batter (about 3 cups) into the prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle the filling over the batter.

Pour the rest of the batter over the filling.  Using a table knife, gently swirl the filling into the batter.  Don't combine filling and batter thoroughly; just swirl the filling through the batter.

Sprinkle the topping over the batter.

Bake the cake until it is a dark golden brown around the edges; medium-golden with no light patches showing on top, and a toothpick or cake test inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55-60 minutes.  When pressed gently in the middle, the cake should spring back.  Allow it to cool for 20 minutes before cutting and serving.

Note: This recipe can be made the night before, covered with plastic wrap, and baked in the morning.  Just add about 5 minutes on the cooking time.

Breakfast Cookies

I always relied on my granola bar recipe to fall back on for an easy grab breakfast or snack.  While I still love that recipe, my friend gave me this one that I really am enjoying.  I love it that it makes 60 cookies and that they can be frozen then thawed easily to be kept on hand for a filling breakfast enjoyed with a cup of tea.  It is extremely easy to customize to your liking.  They also are packed with very healthy ingredients.  These somewhat remind me of the Kashi cookies if you have ever tried them.  You may not have readily available all of these ingredients, but if you have any resolve to start eating healthier, you should make it a point to have them in your pantry anyway!  Speaking of customizing, the way I was given the recipe it called for using orange juice instead of apple cider and orange extract along with the vanilla extract.  My family likes the apple cider better, but be creative and let me know some of your ideas.

What you need:
1 cup dry, uncooked oat bran
3/4 cup apple cider
1 heaping cup of apple sauce, unsweetened
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup honey
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 cups wheat flour (or white or a combination)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup nonfat dry milk
2 1/2 cups oats (instant or old-fashioned)
1 cup nuts
1 cup raisins (or fruit of your choice)
1 cup ground flax seed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Coat cookie sheets with cooking spray or oil.  They will stick if you do not.  I thought it might be a good idea to tell you if you live near a Gordon Food Service they sell sheet pan liners that can be used by cutting in half to line a typical cookie sheet.  One sheet can be used over again a few times before having to replace.

Mix 1 cup of oat bran and 3/4 cup apple cider in a small bowl and let soak for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine 1 heaping cup applesauce, 2 tablespoons canola oil, 1 cup honey, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract in a mixing bowl.  Mix with an electric mixer until smooth.

Measure 3 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and whisk them together.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the honey mixture.

Add the soaked oat bran, 1 cup dry milk, 2 1/2 cups oats, 1 cup nuts, 1 cup raisins (or your choice of fruit), 1 cup ground flax seed.

Mix until well combined.

Drop my heaping tablespoons on your prepared cookie sheets.

Bake until lightly brown 12-14 minutes.

Enjoy with a tall cold glass of milk or a nice warm cup of coffee or tea!

Creamy Butter Pecan Custard/Ice Cream

What a wonderful dessert to serve on a cool evening.  The aroma that filled my kitchen while making this is one I am excited to have you experience when you make it! You can prepare this as a custard or as an ice cream.  I made mine into ice cream, but was tempted to just leave it custard.  Either way, the effort involved with this recipe is well worth it. I was going to take pictures when the ice cream was served, but it was gone before I remembered.  Also, before I forget, this recipe was adapted from the cookbook that came with my Cuisinart Ice Cream Machine, an appliance 6 out of 6 of my family members recommend!

What you need:
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup pecan halves and pieces
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or sea salt)
2 1/4 cups whole milk
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 whole vanilla bean
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 1/8 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a skillet.  Add 1 cup of pecans and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.  Cook over medium-low heat until pecans are toasted and golden, stirring frequently, about 4 to 6 minutes.

Remove from the heat, strain (the butter will have a pecan flavor and can be reserved for another use, such as on your toast in the morning).  Chill the nuts.

Combine 2 1/4 cup of milk and 2 1/4 cup of cream in a medium saucepan.  Use a sharp knife to split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise.  Use the blunt edge to scrape out the "seeds."  Stir the seeds and bean pod into the milk/cream mixture.  Bring the mixture to a slow boil over medium heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.






At this point the everyone in the house starts wandering into the kitchen wanting to know what smells so good!

Just a side note, Costco sells whole vanilla beans a lot less expensive than the grocery store.  Don't skimp on this step! Vanilla extract will not produce the same wonderful flavor as using a vanilla bean.

Combine 4 eggs, 2 egg yolks, and 1 1/8 cups of sugar in a stand mixer or in a medium bowl using a hand held mixer.

Blend on medium speed until until the mixture is thick, smooth, and pale yellow in color (similar to mayonnaise), about 2 minutes.

Remove the vanilla bean pod and discard it.  Or rinse off the pod and add it to your strained pecan butter, yummy by the way!  Pour one cup of the hot mixture into a liquid measuring cup.

With the mixer on low speed, add the cup of hot milk/cream mixture to the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream.

When thoroughly combined, pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and stir to combine.  Cook, stirring constantly, over medium low heat.

Cook, stirring constantly, over medium low heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This picture doesn't show as well as I wanted just how thick the mixture becomes.  It should be somewhat like custard at this point, pretty thick.

Transfer to a bowl, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap placed directly on the custard, and chill completely.  Stir in the chilled pecans.  If you are making it into ice cream, pour into your ice cream machine as directed. Although I have never tried doing it, I would venture to say you could try freezing it without an ice cream machine and see how it goes.  Maybe try pouring just some of the chilled custard into a freezer safe container.  Let me know!

Macaroni and Cheese

So the summer is over and it is time to start this blog humming again!  Tonight we had friends over for food and fellowship.  What better dish to serve on this first day of Autumn than the comfort food macaroni & cheese?  This is a bit more expensive than the traditional store bought box kind, but well worth the effort and cost.  I am sure you will agree. I doubled this recipe and it served 22 people with just enough leftovers to take   the pictures I needed.

What you need:

1 pound penne rigate
6 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz Gouda cheese
4 oz Fontina cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan or Asiago cheese
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Heat oven to 350.  Coat a 2-quart broiler-safe  baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray.   Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boiling.  Once the water boils, add penne.  Cook 6 minutes, then drain.

Toss together the cheeses and set aside.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in medium-size saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk in 4 tablespoons of flour until smooth and slightly bubbly.

In a thin stream, whisk in 2 cups of milk.  Stir in 1 teaspoons of onion salt and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes.

Remove from heat; stir in 3 cups of the cheese mixture.

Stir the penne in the melted cheese.

Pour half the pasta in your serving dish.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the pasta.

Top the remaining pasta over the cheese.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Increase oven temperature to a broil and cook 3 minutes, until top is lightly browned. Cool slightly before serving.

Oh so yummy!