Jack Attack

Chocolate, coffee and Jack Daniels made into a cake is it any wonder we were all asking for the recipe! There always seems to be at least one dish at every gathering that gets everybody buzzing. This cake was that very dish, I was pleasantly surprised. I am not a big fan of cake unless of course it is cheesecake. I really liked this one because it was exceptionally moist, had really deep rich flavors and the addition of pecans gave it a nice textural balance.
Just think you could serve this cake with a cup of hot coffee or a shot of Jack Daniels to wash it down and not worry about the flavors clashing.
You make this cake and people will be begging you for the recipe.

Jack Daniels Cake

1 box dark chocolate cake mix

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup Jack Daniel's Whiskey

1/2 cup black coffee

1/4 cup broken pecan pieces

1 very ripe banana

1 stick butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Using an electric mixer combine all the ingredients, except the pecan pieces. Mix on medium-high 1-2 minutes until ribbon like consistency is achieved (do not over mix or cake will be tough).

Spray a Bundt cake pan with Pam to coat lightly.

Put pieces of nuts in the bottom. When cake mix is mixed well, pour batter into the pan, level off in center, and bake 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center is nearly clean.

Let cool for at least 15 minutes before removing it from pan.

Feel free to ice or glaze this cake with a nice drizzle of melted chocolate or a light dusting of powdered sugar or cocoa powder.

Mutant Muffins

As much as I love eating popovers I actually think I like the process of making them even more. It is like watching some fascinating science experiment that mutates right in front of your eyes. Out of nowhere this seemingly harmless batter just begins to morph and expand into this magical mushroom cloud in your oven. When this happens it leaves the middle of the popover full of giant air pockets which are perfect for holding little pools of melted butter just waiting to trickle down your chin, now doesn't that sound good.

Sharp Cheddar Popovers

2 eggs

1 c. water

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese, well packed

In bowl, beat eggs, water, salt and flour until smooth, using a wire whisk. Blend in the cheese. Grease popover pans generously, you may also use a muffin pan.                                                                                                              ]

Fill cups no more than 2/3 full.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 35 minutes longer. Remove from cups. Pierce a hole into side of each popover to allow steam to escape to keep popovers crispy. Keep in warm oven no longer than 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 to 8 popovers.

Photo/JMackinell/Flickr

Begin Again In 2010

A New Year’s Toast

Here’s to the new year...
May it bring more joy and success
And less grief and regret.
To our dreams...
May we never stop believing in them
and taking the actions that will make them a reality.
To our friends, loved ones, associates (or colleagues)...
May we take the time to let them know
how much it means to us
to have them in our lives.
Let us encourage more and criticize less,
Give more and need less.
And whenever we can,
Let us create harmony and peace.
To new beginnings...
Let us start fresh, right now,
To make this the very best year ever.
A very Happy New Year to all of us!

By Joanna Fuchs



10 Cup Cookies

1 c. butter
1 c. peanut butter
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. coconut
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. raisins
1 c. chopped nuts
1 c. quick cooking oatmeal
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Cream the peanut butter, butter, sugars, and eggs. Add combined flour, baking soda, baking powder. Stir in chocolate chips, coconut, raisins, nuts, and oatmeal. Drop by teaspoonful on slightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

No Knead To Thank Me!

photo/andinou/flickr


There is nothing like the taste and smell of homemade bread fresh from the oven. Hopefully if you were fortunate enough you either had a mother, grandmother or aunt kneading away in the kitchen at that silky aromatic yeasty dough. I do not wish to short change the men here since they are excellent cooks and bakers as well...or you had a father, grandfather or uncle kneading away in the kitchen at that silky aromatic yeasty dough.

Anyhow if you did grow up in a "A daily homemade bread kind of house" you know how special homemade bread can be and how important the people who make this bread are. It takes a lot of muscle to make bread and what happens when the bread bakers we love and adore no longer are able to knead the dough? Maybe its arthritis, tendinitis or it's just that they don't have the strength they use to but still want the pleasure of providing homemade bread for their loved ones.
Sure we can all get off our behinds and get in the kitchen to help but with these recipes there is just no knead to.....they can do it all by themselves! Now pass the butter while the bread is still warm I am starving.

Home Baked No Knead Bread

1 1/4 c. warm water
1 pkg. active dry yeast
2 tbsp. soft shortening
2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
3 c. sifted flour

Pour warm water into large mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast over water, stir until dissolved. Add shortening, salt, sugar and 1 1/2 cups flour. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. Stir in remaining flour and beat with a spoon until smooth, 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape batter from sides of bowl. Cover dough with clean cloth and let rise in a warm place, free from draft until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes. When batter has risen, stir down by beating about 25 strokes. Spread batter in a greased loaf pan (9"x5"x3"). Batter will be sticky. Let rise in warm place until batter reaches 1/4" from top of pan, about 40 minutes. Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown. When done, brush top with butter while still hot.

No Knead French Bread

1 pkg. dry yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. soft shortening
4 c. sifted all purpose flour

Measure flour into bowl, add water, then yeast. Let yeast dissolve thoroughly. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Let set 10 minutes, then cut through dough with a wooden spoon. Do this 5 times at 10 minute intervals. Turn dough out on floured board and divide in half. Let rest for 10 minutes, then roll each ball into a loaf. Make several diagonal slashes across each loaf. Let rise double. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

No Knead Raisin Bread

1 1/3 c. hot water
1 c. sugar
1 tbsp. salt
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. warm water
4 pkg. active dry yeast
2 eggs, slightly beaten
6 1/2 c. flour
2 c. seedless raisins

GLAZE:

1 c. powdered sugar
1 tbsp. milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Mix hot water, sugar, salt and butter; cool until lukewarm. In large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add first water mixture to eggs, flour and raisins. Beat until well-blended, about 2 minutes. Cover, let rise in warm place until more than doubled, about 50 minutes. Punch batter down and beat vigorously be hand, about 75 strokes. Turn into two greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans or two (1 1/2 quart) casserole and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan immediately. Beat glaze ingredients until smooth and shiny. Pour icing over bread when cool, letting it drip down the sides.

Crinkle, Crinkle Little.........Cookie

There was this little cookie shop in one of our local shopping malls that use to make the best chocolate crinkles. They were a really good size cookie, about 4 inches in diameter and about 3/4 of an inch thick. I bring up the size merely to point out the fact that one cookie should have been enough to satisfy me but they were so good I have actually eaten 3 or 4 at a sitting (Just call me El Pork-O). After awhile it was easy to get this cookie monster thing under control, I would just stay away from the shopping mall.
But then one fateful day, while taking a healthful well paced walk through town this wonderful aroma came wafting my way. Well what do you know, someone opened a really cute little bakery and what’s that in the window along side all the other mouth watering goodies? Crinkles! Chocolate Crinkles, Lemon Crinkles, Vanilla Crinkles and my new favorite, Ginger Crinkles. I’m going to have to do a lot more walking and preferably in a different direction.

Ginger Crinkles

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup dark molasses

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Extra granulated sugar, for rolling

Pre-heat oven to 350

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Blend in molasses and egg. Sift together the dry ingredients; add to butter mixture and beat well. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
Form dough into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for at least 3 minutes, until cookies are set, makes about 4 dozen.

Snickering over Snickerdoodles

My Mother was always an excellent cook but she herself will tell you that she was a lousy baker. All her attempts to bake cookies, cakes and such when I was young were never fit for human consumption. Whenever it was my mothers turn to bring bake goods for the PTA meetings and bake sales we always got store bought or if we were lucky my grandmother would bake something for her to bring. My mother and I had this funny little joke between us where I would tell people; “I had to rely on the kindness of strangers or go door to door if I wanted homemade cookies”. My mother and I would always laugh. About ten years ago my mother decided to take a stab at making snickerdoodles. A bunch of the family was going over to her house for dinner and she thought the snickerdoodles would be a nice treat to have with coffee. Well after dinner was over my mother served coffee and placed the cookies on the table. They looked and smelled delicious. My Uncle took one, tried to bite it and it didn’t even crumble, so he decided to dunk it in his coffee to soften it up. He still couldn’t bite it, now all of us are laughing. We started hitting them on the table and these things wouldn't even break. My Uncle says; “Harriet what did you make these with? Plaster of Paris”! We all howled and had ice cream instead. Snickerdoodles put my mother into permanent baking retirement!

Easy to make Snickerdoodles (as long as you are not my Mother)!

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup plus 4 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

4 tablespoons of cinnamon

4 tablespoons of sugar

Cream the shortening, sugar and egg with electric mixer until smooth.
Sift flour, onto a wax paper, about 1 1/2 cup.
Measure flour, salt, and baking powder into sifter and sift over a small bowl.
Add the sifted ingredients into the sugar and shortening and egg mixture and mix well with a wooden spoon.
Add vanilla and stir again.
Dough should be soft and easy to handle. Add a little more flour (about a tablespoon or so) if dough sticks to your hands.
Preheat oven to 400F. Set out cookies sheets lined with foil 8 combine sugar and cinnamon into a small bowl and set out side
Roll pieces of dough into the size of a small jawbreaker. Roll the ball into the sugar cinnamon mixture. Place on a foil line cookie sheet, three across and five down. Place the rack in the middle of the oven.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly brown. Cookies will puff up and then will flatten down and have a crispy top.
Let the cookies cool on the rack.