Strawberries and Cream Sheet Cake

adapted from Southern Living Magazine

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups cake flour

2 tablespoons strawberry-flavored gelatin

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1 cup buttermilk

2/3 cup chopped fresh strawberries

Shortening

Parchment paper

Vegetable cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in lemon juice and vanilla.

Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients; add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended. Stir in strawberries.

Line a 9x13 with parchment paper. Grease and flour the paper before spreading the batter onto the paper, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over long sides.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes. Lift cake from pan, using parchment paper sides as handles. Invert cake onto wire rack; gently remove parchment paper. Or just lift cake from pan and frost after cooled.  Cool completely (about 1 hour). Spread Strawberry Frosting on top and  sides (optional) of cake.

Fresh Strawberry Cream Frosting

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 -2  cups powdered sugar

dash of salt

1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries

In a deep bowl, beat cream until stiff, add 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Scrape out of bowl and set aside in another small bowl.

Using  the same large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar a little at a time. Add a dash of salt.  Beat again until smooth. Add 1/2 cup fresh chopped strawberries. Mix just until fruit is incorporated.  Fold the whipped cream mixture and the cream cheese mixtures together. Frost the cake immediately. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tips:

-I altered the ingredients in the frosting to create a more stable frosting. The Southern Living version calls for granulated sugar and fresh lemon juice, which produces a delicious frosting, but does not hold its shape well. This frosting is delicate and should be served within two hours of frosting.

-My Sister in Law, Sheri made this and followed the SL directions exactly, except she baked the cake in a jelly roll pan. The recipe calls for baking in a 9x13. After trying the cakes baked in a 9x13 and a jelly roll pan, I liked the cake baked in the jelly roll pan a bit better.

-Be careful to not over bake. The cake is done when a few moist crumbs are attached to a toothpick when testing.

BANANA BREAD BARS

From Prego & Mommy Chat

Ingredients:
Banana Bread Bars:
1-1/2 c. sugar
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 eggs
1-3/4 (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Brown Butter Frosting:
1/2 c. butter
4 c. powdered sugar
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. milk

1. Heat oven to 375F. Grease and flour 15x10-inch jelly roll pan. For the bars, in a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy.  Blend in bananas and vanilla extract. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and blend for 1 minute. Stir in walnuts.

2. Spread batter evenly into pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

3. Meanwhile, for frosting, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Let the butter turn a delicate brown and remove from heat

4. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Whisk together until smooth (it should be thicker than a glaze but thinner than frosting). Using a spatula, spread the brown butter frosting over the warm bars (the frosting will be easier to spread while the bars are still warm).

MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE

MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE

Serves: 10-12 or about 30 cupcakes

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 40 Min

Ingredients

CAKE

2 c all purpose flour
2 c sugar
1/4 c hershey's special dark cocoa
1/2 c regular cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c melted butter
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c boiling water

FROSTING

1/2 c butter

3 Tbsp hershey's special dark cocoa
1/3 c regular cocoa
2 Tbsp cocoa
+1 tsp cocoa
abt. 4 1/2 c powdered sugar
1/3-1/2 c half and half
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
2 Tbsp corn syrup, ligh

Directions

1 - Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  No, this is not a typo. This is a slow bake cake.

2 - Grease and flour one 9x13 or three 8" round cake pans. Use liners if making cupcakes.

3 - Put all the ingredients in a large bowl.

4 - Mix till smooth.

5 - Pour in pan(s).

6 - Bake one 9x13 cake, one hour.  Bake three 8" round cakes, 40 min. Bake cupcakes, 30-35 min.

7 - I have always had trouble with being able to consistently make a creamy chocolate frosting, until I found this tip on the internet... wait for it... melt the butter. lol  So, for the frosting, melt the butter ;

stir in the cocoa's till smooth

add powdered sugar and half&half alternately till smooth.

stir in vanilla, and salt. Add the corn syrup, stir till creamy.

This will frost an eight inch three layer cake, cut recipe in half for 9x13 or cupcakes

CHICKEN TORTILLA SPINACH CASSEROLE

CHICKEN TORTILLA SPINACH CASSEROLE

Ingredients

1 can(s) cream of chicken soup

1 7oz can(s) chopped green chili peppers

1 8oz c sour cream

1/2 c milk

2 1/2 c boneless chicken

1 md bell pepper, chopped

1 lg tomato, chopped (1 cup)

1 1/2 c cheddar cheese or mexican cheese blend

2 bx chopped spinach, unthaw & squeeze out water

8 (6 or 7 in) corn tortillas, cut in bite size pieces

Directions

1 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2 - In large bowl, add cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chopped chiles, milk, green pepper, tomato, corn tortilla's, salt & pepper, to taste, 1 cup of cheese, and chopped chicken. The one you buy already baked at the grocery store works good. Stir together and pour on half in a 9X13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Then layer the spinach over the top of the mixture and add remaining mixture on top of the spinach. I always add more cheese that the recipe calls for.

3 - Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. Take out and top with remaining cheese and put back in the oven until the cheese melts and the casserole is bubbly.

4 - Makes apprx. 8 servings.

NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BARS (TOLL HOUSE)

NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BARS (TOLL HOUSE)

Ingredients


2 cups peanut butter, divided

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar, divided

3 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels, divided

Directions


GREASE 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

BEAT 1 1/4 cups peanut butter and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. With hands or wooden spoon, work in remaining 1 cup powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs and 1/2 cup morsels. Press evenly into prepared baking pan. Smooth top with spatula.

MELT remaining 3/4 cup peanut butter and remaining 1 1/2 cups morsels in medium, heavy-duty saucepan over lowest possible heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Spread over graham cracker crust in pan. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until chocolate is firm. Cut into bars. Store in covered container in refrigerator.

SLOW COOKER (CROCKPOT) BEEF STROGANOFF

SLOW COOKER (CROCKPOT) BEEF STROGANOFF

Ingredients


• 2 pounds beef top sirloin steak, cut into thin strips (I used stew meat and cut it up into smaller pieces)

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 cup water

• 1 envelope (1-1/2 ounces) beef stroganoff seasoning for the slow cooker

• 1 pound sliced baby portobello mushrooms

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1/4 cup port wine or beef broth (I used beef broth)

• 2 teaspoons ground mustard

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) sour cream

• Hot cooked egg noodles

• Minced fresh parsley, optional

Directions

• In a large skillet, brown meat in oil. Add water and seasoning mix, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Transfer meat and drippings to a 3-qt. slow cooker.

• In the same skillet, saute mushrooms and onion in butter until tender. Combine the wine, mustard and sugar; stir into the mushroom mixture. Add to slow cooker; stir to combine.

• Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender. Stir in sour cream. Serve with noodles. Sprinkle with parsley if desired. Yield: 7 servings.

CANDIED PECAN AND CRANBERRY CHEESE BALL

CANDIED PECAN AND CRANBERRY CHEESE BALL

Ingredients


- 1 c dried cranberries, chopped

- 1/4 c frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

- 16 oz cream cheese, softened to room temp

- 1/4 c confectioners' sugar CARAMELIZED PECANS

- 3/4 c pecans, coarsely chopped

- 1 Tbsp butter

- 2 Tbsp sugar

Directions

1. Chop cranberries in a food processor or blender.

2. Add the cream cheese, OJ and sugar. Blend in the processor till all is creamed together.

3. Place onto a sheet of wax paper and shape in a ball the best you can. Let it sit overnight to stiffen up a bit. You can shape it better the next day when it is a little harder.

4. Directions for candied pecans: Melt butter in a pan on med heat add the pecans and sugar and mix well stirring frequently. About 3-5 minutes. Do not let the pecans burn!

5. Lay out a sheet of wax paper and place pecans on the sheet spreading them out. Let them cool.

6. When you are ready to eat the cheese ball take it out of the fridge and shape better. Grab a handful of pecans and place them all over the cheese call till covered. Place cheese ball on a plate and serve!