Fennel Bread

I've long wanted a good recipe to use up all my fennel seed on. This just may be my favorite.


3 cs flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cp white sugar
1 tablespoon fennel seed
2 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cs buttermilk
2 tsp melted butter




Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Grease bunt pan

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and fennel seed.

In small bowl, stir together the eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter.

Stir wet ingrediants into dry, until blended.

Spoon into pan.

Bake for about 55 to 65 minutes in the preheated oven, puffed and golden.

Chocolate Fudge Balls

1 jar marshmallow creme
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 sticks butter
2/3 c evaporated milk
3 1/4 cs sugar
1 1/2 bags chocolate chips
1 c powdered sugar

Directions:

Bring butter, sugar, and milk to a rapid boil, stir continuously for four to five mins (on heat). Remove from heat, add in vanilla, marshmallow creme and chocolate chips, stirring until melted. Pour into foil lined cake pan, and allow to cool two hours.



Remove fudge from pan, and cut into one inch squares.

Sprinkle powdered sugar on wax paper. Shape fudge into balls, roll in powdered sugar.

*For those who insist on adding extra stuff, try rolling fudge into crushed nuts- walnuts, peanuts, etc. Some even like to roll balls into grated coconut... but not me.










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Chili Cheese Dip

1 8oz package of Cream Cheese (room temp)
2 cs chili (you can use a can of chili if there's no chili around)
1 c shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

So easy.

Spread cream cheese in bottom of 9x9 cake pan. Top with chili, sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. Bake in oven at 350 degrees 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Roll

Cake:
1/4 c powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
3/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 c granulated sugar
2/3 c LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin


Icing/Filling:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 c powdered sugar, sifted
6 tbsps butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Powdered sugar


FOR CAKE:
Heat oven to 375° F.
Grease cookie sheet; line with wax paper.
Grease and flour wax paper.






It's hard to see, but thickly cover a thin cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar. This is extremely important to prevent the cake from sticking, and honestly you can NEVER use too much, so coat the entire towel with a very thick layer.


To sort of give you an idea of how much, I've skipped ahead for a second and included a peek at the cake where you can see the powdered sugar still on it.






Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl.








Beat eggs then mix in granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture.









Spread evenly into prepared pan.










Bake for 13 to 15 minutes. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel.









Carefully peel off paper.









Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end.











Cool on wire rack.










FOR FILLING:

Mix cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter, cinnamon and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake.







Spread cream cheese mixture over cake.











Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour.









Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Buttermilk

A friend mentioned a powdered buttermilk available at the store, and that they were pleased with the results. I've not tried it myself, but it prompted me to remember:

For one c of buttermilk, 1 tbsp of lemon juice topped off with enough milk to make 1 cup. Allow to sit for a few minutes.

Buckeye Cake

I don't know anyone who doesn't love the chocolate/peanut butter buckeyes. This is just as sweet, but easier to share.

Nestle recipe for Buckeye Cake. I've tried it, and love it. I would make the suggestion that I like it better with my previous chocolate cake recipe (halved) used rather than the one offered though.

Ingredients:

CAKE
•2 large eggs
•1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
•3/4 cup all-purpose flour
•6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
•3 packets (1 oz. each) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® CHOCO BAKE® Pre-Melted Unsweetened Chocolate Flavor
•1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1/8 teaspoon salt
PEANUT BUTTER LAYER
•3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
•1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
•1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
•3/4 cup powdered sugar
GANACHE
•1 cup heavy whipping cream
•2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

•1/3 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Peanut Butter & Milk Chocolate Morsels

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350º F. Grease 9-inch-round cake pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; grease.

FOR THEIR CAKE:
COMBINE eggs and sugar in large bowl. Stir in flour, melted butter, Choco Bake, vanilla extract and salt until smooth. Pour into prepared pan.

BAKE for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Run knife around edge of cake; cool for an additional 10 minutes. Invert cake onto serving platter. Remove pan and parchment; cool completely.

FOR PEANUT BUTTER LAYER:
BEAT peanut butter, butter and vanilla extract in medium mixer bowl until combined. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Spread mixture on cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

FOR GANACHE:
HEAT cream in small saucepan to boiling; remove from heat. Add semi-sweet morsels; let stand 5 minutes. Stir; refrigerate for 30 minutes or until mixture is spreadable. Spread chocolate on top and sides of cake.

MELT peanut butter & milk chocolate morsels in resealable plastic bag on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 30 seconds. Knead bag to mix. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals until melted. Cut a small hole from corner of bag; squeeze to drizzle over cake. Store in refrigerator. Let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

Cream Puffs

1 c water
1 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c margarine or butter, cut up
4 eggs

Directions:

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Melt butter in boiling water, quickly stir in salt and flour. Continue cooking and stirring until ball forms. Remove from heat, and cool slightly. Beat in eggs one at a time until smooth.

Drop dough by spoonfuls onto baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes at 450, reduce heat to 325 and continue baking another 25 minutes. Remove pufs and split. Turn off oven and place puffs back in oven until dry (20-35 minutes).

Just before serving, fill puff centers with cream, and replace top.

**Sometimes the center isn't as open as I'd like for it to be, so I scoop out any extra dough that may be in the way. I've used French vanilla pudding, chocolate pudding, strawberries in glaze- just about anything to fill the centers, and then top with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Chocolate Cake

2 cs sugar
1 1/4 cs all-purpose flour
1 c Cocoa
1 1/2 tsps baking powder
1 1/2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 c milk
1/2 c vegetable oil
2 tsps vanilla extract
3/4 c boiling water


Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

Cornstarch

For 1 tbsp cornstarch, substitute 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

You use what??

All recipes are not the same, and neither are all ingredients. I've given more recipes away than I can count, and often hear the same response that it didn't take quite the same. I pretend it's because I'm just a better cook- but between us, it's what goes into the recipe as much as it is the recipe itself.

Sugar= Domino is always best.
Flour= Pillsbury makes it perfect.
Peanut Butter= Jif
Eggs= I'll be honest, fresh is always best. But if you don't have a friend with chickens- brown store bought ones work too. Yes, brown eggs for baking.
Salt= Morton Salt is preferred. Actually, it's all I buy.
Milk= I always use 2%.
Spices= Please, never buy the cheapest off brand kind you can find. McCormicks is a great starter for most spices.


Slowly I'll be going through the kitchen and adding to the list.