Apple Cider Cake

We celebrated my twin sisters' turning 18 with this spectacular cake. When you are cooking for two (or a family of 8, for that matter) it's hard to please every individual palate. One sister loves peanut butter, another won't go near it. And so it goes. This cake was a compromise, a safe middle ground that I figured no family member could complain about. And luckily, they all loved it! It is perfectly spiced, moist, and delicious.

White whole wheat flour could be substituted for the pastry, but I don't suggest using regular whole wheat. It would be too heavy. You'd be better off replacing it with more all-purpose. This is one of those rare recipes where I wouldn't change a thing. Except, oops, I did! I increased the frosting! This makes a very tall cake and you can't skimp on what is arguable the best part of the dessert. Make sure your cake is completely cooled before frosting it. Otherwise you'll end up with a runny crumbly mess, like I did. After a few hours in the fridge I was able to patch it up, but save yourself the stress and be patient. That's the biggest lesson I've learned from baking... a tasty and presentable finished product is worth the wait!

INGREDIENTS
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1½ tsp. baking soda
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1½ cups light brown sugar
¾ cup canola oil
¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
¾ cup caramel sauce (homemade or jarred)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
1½ cups buttermilk

Apple Cider Frosting:
7 1/2-8 cups confectioners’ sugar (to desired consistency)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two (8 or 9 inch) round cake pans and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. In a second large bowl, beat sugar and oil together with an electric mixer until well combined, about 30 seconds. Add applesauce, caramel and vanilla, beat for 30 seconds, then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk, and continuing to beat until well combined.

3. Pour batter into prepared cake pans and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of each cake comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Set aside to let cool for 10 minutes, then gently loosen cakes and turn out onto a cooking rack; set aside to let cool completely.

4. For the frosting, put sugar, butter, cider, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Arrange one cake on a large plate and spread about 1 cup of the frosting evenly over the top. Arrange second cake on top then frost top and sides of entire cake with remaining frosting. Set aside at room temperature or in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to allow frosting to set before serving.

Makes a tall 2-layer, 8-9 inch round cake.

Brock's Sunkist Cake

Brock’s Sunkist Cake
Note: I tell you this was totally a cake that I invented. There must have been a “food” spirit in the air telling me to use orange Sunkist soda in a lemon cake mix instead of water. Well, I did, and a delicious cake was born.

1 Duncan Hines lemon supreme cake mix
3 extra large eggs
One and one third cups Sunkist soda (orange)
One third cup oil
1 reg. box lemon Jell-O (not pudding)

Put all ingredients into mixing bowl and mix with electric mixer on medium high speed for about 3-4 minutes. Pour into a well-greased and floured Bundt cake pan. Use Crisco shortening to grease and self-rising flour to flour the pan. Bake for about 37-40 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven to cool and turn out on to a cake plate. Sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar if desired.

Pimento and Cheese

My Mother’s Homemade Pimiento and Cheese
You will NEVER need another recipe for this again!!! And you will NEVER buy store-bought again once you TRY my mama's recipe!!! It is simply wonderful...

Note: This is my dear mother’s outstanding recipe for homemade pimiento and cheese. It is the best in the world—the best I have ever eaten. I love it plain and with butter crackers. I love it because it is very gentle on my stomach since I had Lap-Band surgery last year, and it’s a good source of protein for me. However, it is NOT low fat at all, and everybody will love it! This recipe makes a generous portion and should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator when not enjoying.

2 lb. mild freshly grated cheddar cheese (best if you grate block cheese by hand, but if you are pressed for time, you may use the big 32 oz. grated bag of cheese, not the shredded)
8 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese, softened in microwave 20 sec.
1 (4 oz) jar Dromedary diced pimientos, with juice
1 1/3 cups Blue Plate mayonnaise
1-2 tsp. black pepper

Grate blocks of cheese with a hand grater into large mixing bowl (or use pre-grated if you don't have time). In another small bowl, place cream cheese. Microwave for 20 seconds until slightly softened. Stir. Add this mixture to the freshly grated cheese. Stir in pimientos, mayonnaise, and black pepper. Stir until well mixed. Chill for at least 3 hours before enjoying. This is delicious served plain, with butter crackers, or on any type of bread.
Only use Blue Plate mayonnaise also. Do not use Miracle Whip.

Buttery Ritz-Corn Casserole

Brock Wetherly Rogers created the doc: "Buttery Ritz-Corn Casserole"

Buttery Ritz-Corn Casserole
So very very very delicious!!!

4 cans sweet whole kernel corn (drained)
2 cups mayonnaise (Blue Plate preferred)
1/2 stick butter, melted
8 oz. sour cream
1 small sweet onion, diced finely
One half cup diced green onion
12 oz. grated cheddar cheese
2 tsp. ground black pepper
Half tsp. salt
Topping:
2 stacks Ritz crackers, crumbled not crushed
1 stick butter, melted

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, except for crackers and 1 stick butter. Pour into a large greased 13x9x2 casserole dish. Crumble Ritz crackers on top of casserole. Do not crush them finely, but crumble them into rough pieces. Melt butter and evenly pour on top of crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly, covered.

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES AND FRIED OKRA

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES AND FRIED OKRA

Posted on August 22, 2010 by The Southern Lady

Southerners all know about fried green tomatoes and fried okra. It would be a wasted summer without this dish on the table a few times during the season. There are a number of different recipes out there for this treat. You cannot be a southerner if you don’t like fried okra and tomatoes!

3 or 4 green tomatoes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour or 1/2 cup cornmeal

2 eggs

salt and pepper

dash of garlic powder

1/2 to 3/4 cup cooking oil

Slice green tomatoes into slices about 1/4 inch thick. In a bowl beat eggs with a whisk. In another bowl add salt and pepper and garlic powder to meal or flour whichever you decide to use for breading. There is really not much difference. The tomatoes in the picture have been done with both. I usually have a bowl of flour and a bowl of cornmeal and I do about half the tomatoes in flour and half in meal. You can do the okra the same way or just use either one. Dip the tomato slices into the egg then the meal or flour. Have your oil hot and deep enough in the skillet to cover about half the tomato slice. Cook on one side, turn and continue cooking until a golden brown. Drain on paper towel.

For okra: Cut okra into 1/4 inch pieces and dip into egg and then flour or meal. Cook just like you did the tomatoes.

I bet you can’t stop eating this once you have tried it!

Butterscotch Pecan Cookies

Bobbie Mulder- Royle created the doc: "BUTTERSCOTCH PECAN COOKIES"

BUTTERSCOTCH PECAN COOKIES--a favorite recipe

1 package ( 18-1/4 ounces ) butter recipe golden cake mix

1 package ( 3.4 ounces ) instant butterscotch pudding mix
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup chopped pecans
I like to add a few butterscotch chips

In large bowl, combine the first five ingredients until well blended. Stir in pecans ( the dough will be crumbly )
Roll rounded tablespoons of dough into balls; place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350* 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. 4 dozens. This recipe was tested with Pillsbury brand butter recipe cake mix.

Potato Chip Crunches

Bobbie Mulder- Royle created the doc: "POTATO CHIP CRUNCHIES"

POTATO CHIP CRUNCHES
( These are the VERY BEST--they don't last long )

2 cups butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup crushed potato chips
1 cup chopped pecans

In a large bowl, cream butter & sugar until light & fluffy. Beat in egg & vanilla. Gradually add flour & mix well. Fold in potato chips & pecans.
Drop by tablespoonfuls 1-1/2 inches apart onto UNGREASED baking sheets. Flatten with a fork. Bake at 350* for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. I get 6 dozen. ( recipe says 8 dozen )
I use a round metal tablespoon-level. Use real butter & ridged potato chips. Use a wet fork to flatten.

Chocolate Cookie Sheet Cake

Chocolate Cookie Sheet Cake
Preheat oven to 350 and grease and flour your cookie sheet.
Bring to boil in a sauce pan:
2 sticks margarine
1 c water
4 T heaping cocoa

add :
2 c sugar
2 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 t soda
2 eggs
1/2 sour cream

pour into cookie sheet and bake for 20 min. as soon as it is done, begin the frosting:

Bring to boil:
1 stick margarine
6 T milk
4 T cocoa
1 t vanilla
1 c nuts
then add 1 box powdered sugar
then spread on cake, still on cookie sheet, while it is still warm. Serve from the cookie sheet. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Grape Salad

Grape Salad

8 oz cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
1/2 c sugar
1 t vanilla extract
2 lb green grapes
2 lb red grapes
Mix cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Add grapes.

Topping
1 c brown sugar
1 c pecans
mix and sprinkle on top of mixture. Refrigerate. this one is good for gatherings

Brock Wetherly Rogers created the doc: "THE BEST Southern Cornbread (My Mama's Recipe)"


My Mama's Moist Southern Cornbread
IF YOU HATE DRY CORNBREAD, here is your ANSWER!!!
This recipe is so moist you will slap yo mama after she makes it! :) ha ha
And then she will haul you out the window ... lol!!!

1 cup Martha White corn meal mix
1/2 cup Martha White self rising flour
1 large egg
2 heaping Tbsp. Blue Plate mayonnaise
2 heaping Tbsp. sugar
Buttermilk (enough to get it mixable to pour into a pan)
Crisco

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Add enough buttermilk (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup to make it mixable/pourable). Heat a heavy cast iron cornbread skillet (my mama uses a black cast iron skillet that is heavy and has a handle on it). Add 2 heaping Tbps. Crisco to the skillet and let it melt. As soon as it gets hot, sprinkle 2 Tbsp. cornmeal mix over into hot melted Crisco until it browns a little. Then pour cornbread mixture into hot skillet. Bake at 425 for 20-25 min or until golden brown and done in middle. Remove from oven and invert onto plate. So delicious, crunchy, moist and the BEST in the world.

DO NOT SUBSTITUTE ANYTHING!