Nutter Butter Ghost Cookies for Halloween Note from Cheri: This clever idea for cookie decorating came to us from our friends Mary Ann and Kimberly of ThePartyWorks.com. You Will Need: Nutter Butter® brand peanut butter cookies white chocolate , chocolate chips or chocolate melts OR thin white frosting or glaze licorice whips Dip or pour melted white chocolate, white chocolate chips or Candy Melts or frosting over cookies. Snip small pieces of licorice for eyes and add to "ghosts." Let dry completely before serving.
Low Fat Praline Meringues Note from Cheri: This recipe is reprinted with permission from A Trim & Terrific Louisiana Kitchen by Holly Berkowitz Clegg. If you enjoy traditional Southern cuisine, but are trying to eat healthy, your wishes have just come true. Holly Clegg's innovative recipes let you literally have your cake (and etouffé and pasta and gumbo and hundreds of other favorite foods) and eat them too. 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 1/4 cup sugar 3 egg whites 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans Makes 36 Meringues Preheat oven to 250°F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine both sugars together. In mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff. Beat in sugar mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, alternating with drops of lemon juice and vanilla. Beat until stiff and glossy. Fold in pecans. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 45 minutes. Meringue will spread during baking.
Emeril Lagasse's Mississippi Mud Cake This Southern classic combines coffee, bourbon, and chocolate for a delicious crowd-pleaser. For you chocolate lovers who may have watched our show on chocolate, this is a very simple cake to make. Top yours with some homemade ice cream - vanilla's my favorite. 1/2 pound (2 sticks) plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder 2 cups bleached all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup bourbon 1 1/2 cups strong brewed coffee, cooled 5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1 3/4 cups sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 large eggs, lightly beaten Makes 1 Cake 1. Preheat the oven to 275 °F. 2. Grease a Bundt pan with 2 teaspoons of the butter, then lightly dust with the cocoa. 3. Sift the flour with the baking soda and salt into a bowl, and set aside. 4. Warm the bourbon and coffee in the top of a double boiler or a stainless steel bowl set over a pan of simmering water for 5 minutes. Add the chocolate and remaining butter and cook, stirring, until melted and smooth, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Cool slightly. 5. Using a whisk or an electric mixer, stir the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, into the chocolate. Add the vanilla and eggs, whisking to mix well. 6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour. (The cake will be slightly soft in the middle.) 7. Remove from the oven and let rest in the pan for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Famous Dave's Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Note from Cheri: Famous Dave Anderson, of Famous Dave's Ribs N' Blues shared this classic dessert recipe with Fabulous Foods. The recipe is part of a collection of "Down Home" cooking in Dave's fabulous book Famous Dave's Backroads and Sidestreets (proceeds from the book benefit charity). If the fruit should stick to the skillet, Dave says not to worry, just remove it and place it back on top of the cake. 2/3 C packed light brown sugar 1/3 + 1/4 C butter, softened, divided 2 tsp. vanilla extract, divided 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 9 canned pineapple slices 9 maraschino cherry halves 2 egg yolks 2 egg whites, stiffly beaten 1/2 C sugar 1 1/2 C flour 2 tsp. baking powder 3/4 tsp. salt 1/4 C shortening 1/4 C pineapple juice 1/4 C half and half 1/4 C buttermilk Serves 6-9 Preheat oven to 350° F. Mix brown sugar and 1/3 cup butter in a bowl. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and cinnamon. Spread evenly over the bottom of an ungreased 9" cast iron skillet or a 9" x 9" baking pan. Heat until the brown sugar melts. Arrange pineapple slices over the brown sugar mixture. Place a cherry half in the middle of each slice. Beat egg yolks in a mixer bowl until thickened. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating constantly until blended. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Add shortening, 1/4 cup butter, pineapple juice, half and half, buttermilk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until blended, scraping the bowl occasionally. Mix in egg yolk mixture. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Spoon the batter into the prepared skillet. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Invert the skillet onto a serving platter, allowing the skillet to rest on the cake for several minutes before removing.
Liqueur Cakes Note from Cheri: These cakes make wonderful gifts or are great to serve to guests in your own home. You can store them up to two weeks in a cool place. They also freeze exceedingly well, which is a good excuse to make extra so you can have them anytime. Cakes 8 eggs 2 2/3 cups sugar 3 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 1 cup heavy cream 1 vanilla bean OR 1 tsp. vanilla extract 3/4 cup melted butter, cooled to room temperature Syrup 3 cups sugar 3/4 cup light corn syrup 1 1/8 cup water 1 3/4 C liqueur of choice (see below) Optional Liqueurs & Toppings 1/3 cup toasted almonds (for Amaretto cake) 2 T grated orange zest (for Grand Marnier Cake) 1/3 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts (for Frangelico cake) rum and brandy while not really liqueurs, also work well in these cakes Makes 4 Loaves (8 in. X 3 3/4 in.) Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour 4 loaf pans. Split open vanilla bean and scrape seeds into cream. Drop pod into cream and heat until scalding. Let cool. Whisk together the eggs, sugar and salt until well blended. Sift the flour and baking powder together. Whisk the sifted dry ingredients into the egg/sugar mixture just until blended. Remove (and discard) the vanilla bean pod from the cream, and whisk cream into the batter. Gently mix in the melted butter, pour batter into the prepared loaf pans and bake for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. While cake is baking, prepare syrup by combining sugar, water and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan. Stir mixture over medium-high heat until it comes to a simmer. Continue to heat (WITHOUT FURTHER STIRRING or your finished product will have sugar crystals!) until mixture comes to a full boil. Cover (also important to avoid those nasty sugar crystals) and continue to boil until all sugar is dissolved and liquid is clear, about a minute. Remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes. Stir in liqueur. After removing cakes from the oven, allow them to cool in pan for about 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan and turn cakes out, then immediately return cakes to pans. Use a thin wooden skewer to poke numerous holes into the cake, about 1 inch apart. The holes should go all the way from the top to the bottom of the cake. Pour 1/4 syrup mixture over each cake and, if desired, sprinkle with optional toppings. Let cool until the cakes have absorbed the syrup. Remove from pans. Note: If giving these cakes as gifts, I often use disposable aluminum foil loaf pans and give the cake in the pan.
Irish Cream Cheesecake Note from Cheri: Here's a festive cheesecake recipe that would make a spectacular finale to a St. Patrick's Day celebration. 1 C graham cracker crumbs 1 1/4 C sugar, divided 1/4 C butter, melted 1 envelope unflavored gelatin 1/2 C cold water 3 eggs, separated 16 oz. cream cheese, softened 2 tablespoons cocoa 2 tablespoons Irish whiskey 1 C whipping cream, whipped Combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and butter. Press onto bottom and slightly up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Soften gelatin in water by stirring over low heat until dissolved. Beat egg yolks in a separate bowl. Mix in 3/4 cup sugar and beaten egg yolks to gelatin mixture. Cook stirring constantly, over low heat until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Beat cream cheese and cocoa, gradually mix in gelatin mixture and Irish whiskey, mixing until well blended. Chill until thickened, but not set, about 20-30 minutes. Beat egg whites until foamy, gradually beat in the remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites and whipped cream into the chilled cheese mixture and pour over crust. Chill until firm, at least 3 hours. Garnish with chocolate curls or additional cocoa, if desired.
Habenero Surprise Cake with Orange Frosting Note from Cheri: This recipe is from a unique book called Vegetable Desserts ~ Beyond Carrot Cake & Pumpkin Pie, by Elisabeth Schafer and Jeannette L. Miller, R.D. This is a handy tome to add to your library, especially if you're a gardener who has an overabundance of of crops. It also provides a sneaky way of getting kids (of all ages) to eat more veggies! This recipe, for instance, uses Great Northern beans, sun dried tomatoes and habenero peppers. Cake nonstick vegetable cooking spray 2/3 C chopped sun-dried tomatoes 1 habanero pepper, seeded & minced 1 (18 oz) package yellow cake mix orange juice to replace the amount of water listed on cake mix package, minus 1/3 cup 3/4 cup cooked great northern beans, pureéd 2 eggs 1/4 tsp. almond extract 1/2 C unsalted sunflower seeds, raw or roasted Orange Frosting 2 C confectioner's sugar, sifted 3 T margarine 2 T orange juice 1 T lemon juice 1 tsp. orange extract Makes 24 Servings Preheat oven to 350°F. To soften tomatoes, pour boiling water over tomatoes and let sit 5 minutes. Drain and chop. Spray a 9-inch x 13-inch cake pan with cooking spray and set aside. Put tomatoes and habanero pepper in orange juice and allow to sit while mixing other ingredients. Combine cake mix, beans, eggs and almond extract and beat for 2 minutes. Stir in juice/tomato/pepper mixture. Mix thoroughly. Fold in sunflower seeds and pour into prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Cake is done when a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack and frost with Orange Frosting after completely cooled. Orange Frosting Cream powdered sugar and margarine with electric mixer until well blended; add juices and extract and beat to a smooth spreading consistency. If frosting is too thick, add nonfat milk or orange juice, 1 teaspoon at a time.
Kitty Litter Cake for Halloween Note from Cheri: This clever Halloween cake recipe, that frightfully resembles a well used kitty litter box, was given to us by Kellie Head, the fabulous editor of ParentingHumor.com, a must visit site for all parents. Despite the cake's appearance, it's really delicious. For the proper presentation, use a brand new (and definitely unused) plastic cat litter box and spoon it onto plates with a new (NEVER used) pooper scooper. As a side note, thanks to the producers of Cruel.com, who honored this recipe with the Cruel Site of the Day Award on December 18, 2000. Editor Rogers Cadenhead said he looked at dozens of Kitty Litter Cake recipes but ours had "the most stomach-turning picture of the finished product." If you like dark humor, a visit to Cruel.com is a must! 1 spice or German chocolate cake mix 1 white cake mix 2 large pkg vanilla instant pudding mix, prepared (I like Bird's® dessert mix) 1 large pkg vanilla sandwich cookies green food coloring 12 small Tootsie Rolls® 1 new kitty litter pan 1 new plastic kitty litter pan liner 1 new pooper scooper Prepare cake mixes and bake according to directions (any size pans). Prepare pudding mix and chill until ready to assemble. Crumble white sandwich cookies in small batches in food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but about 1/4 cup. To the 1/4 cup cookie crumbs, add a few drops green food coloring and mix until completely colored. When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble into a large bowl. Toss with half the remaining white cookie crumbs and the chilled pudding. Important: mix in just enough of the pudding to moisten it. You don't want it too soggy. Combine gently. Line a new, clean kitty litter box. Put the cake/pudding/cookie mixture into the litter box. Put three unwrapped Tootsie rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until soft and pliable. Shape ends so they are no longer blunt, curving slightly. Repeat with 3 more Tootsie rolls bury them in the mixture. Sprinkle the other half of cookie crumbs over top. Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly on top of everything -- this is supposed to look like the chlorophyll in kitty litter. Heat 3 Tootsie Rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake; sprinkle with cookie crumbs. Spread remaining Tootsie Rolls over the top; take one and heat until pliable, hang it over the side of the kitty litter box, sprinkling it lightly with cookie crumbs. Place the box on a newspaper and sprinkle a few of the cookie crumbs around for a truly disgusting effect! Further notes: I had a reader write in saying this recipe only needed half the amount of pudding. I personally liked the cake with the amount given in this recipe. But feel free to use this as a loose guideline, use more or less as you see the need. Also, since the layer of cookies (with the chloropyll green specks, covers the top, you could really use any flavor or flavors or cakes underneath. Last but not least, you can also opt not to crumble the cakes, but rather layer them in the pan with the layers of pudding in between (much like you would layer a trifle into a trifle dish), sprinkle the top layer of pudding with a heavy layer of crumbled cookies. Same effect, different texture entirely to the dessert.
Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake Note from Cheri: This decadent no bake cheesecake recipe was given to us by our friend Brenda Hyde. 7 oz. package caramels 1/4 cup evaporated milk 3/4 cup chopped pecans, divided 1 9 inch chocolate crumb pie crust 6 oz. cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup sour cream 1 1/4 cups milk 1 package chocolate instant pudding 1/2 cup fudge topping (like ice cream topping) Crust: 1 1/2 cups crushed chocolate wafer cookies 1/4 cup melted butter (or use a store bought chocolate crumb pie crust) Preheat oven to 350° F. Mix crushed cookies and melted butter together. Using fingers, press crust mixture into bottom up sides of a pie pan. Bake crust for about 6 minutes until set. Set aside. Place caramels and milk in a heavy saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat stirring continually, until smooth, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Pour into pie crust. Combine cream cheese, sour cream and milk in a blender. Process until smooth. Add pudding mix and process for about 30 seconds longer. Pour pudding mixture over caramel layer, covering evenly. Chill, loosely covered, until set, about 15 minutes. Drizzle fudge topping over pudding layer in a decorative pattern. Sprinkle top of cake with remaining pecans. Chill, loosely covered until serving time.
Mardi Gras King Cake Traditional & Bread Machine Version Note from Cheri: King Cakes are a huge part of Mardi-Gras traditions throughout the south from Western Louisiana through Eastern Alabama. The cake's origins date back to the Feast of the Epiphany or Twelfth Night, which honors the three kings present at the Christ child's birth. Which is, I assume, where the custom of hiding a tiny baby doll in the cake, started. In today's Mardi-Gras celebration, tradition calls for the person who gets the "lucky" piece of cake with the baby doll inside, to throw the next party -- or on a simpler note, buy or make the next King Cake. You can pick up the tiny plastic dolls at any cake decorating or novelty supply, just be sure to warn your guests of what to expect as you don't want anyone choking! The cake, which more closely resembles a rich, sweet bread than cake, is decorated in the traditional Mardi-Gras colors: green, representing faith, gold symbolizing power, and purple denoting justice. Over the years, some folks, myself included, have played with the traditional version to include various fillings. But here's the original, in all its glory, just as it was taught to me as a teenager in Mississippi. IMPORTANT: If you're not familiar with making yeast dough, please read our tutorial "How to Make Bread" before getting started (its at the bottom of this post). Cake 1/2 C warm water (100-115° F) 2 T yeast 1/2 C sugar, plus 2 tsp. 3 1/2 - 4 C flour 1 tsp. nutmeg 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. lemon zest 1/2 C warm milk 5 egg yolks 1/2 C butter 2 tsp. cinnamon 1 egg beaten with 1 T milk, for egg wash Icing 3 C confectioner's sugar 1/4 C lemon juice 3-6 T water additional sugar & food coloring for decoration 1 tiny 1" baby doll Bread Machine Version I have made the dough with great success in a Bread Machine. The only difference is, I substitute milk for the water, making the liquid total 1 cup milk. Just put the ingredients in the machine, as per manufacturer instructions, set it to the dough setting, and in a few hours you're ready to pick up the instructions from the rolling out point. Traditional Version: Sprinkle yeast and 2 teaspoons sugar over warm water in a small, shallow bowl. Allow to rest for 3-5 minutes, then mix thoroughly. Set bowl in a warm, draft-free place until yeast starts to bubble up and mixture almost doubles in volume, about 10 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, mix 3 1/2 C flour, 1/2 cup sugar, nutmeg, lemon zest and salt. In mixing bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer or food processor, combine yeast , milk and egg yolks. Gradually add dry ingredients, and softened butter, adding additional flour, as necessary to achieve a medium-soft ball. Knead dough, again adding flour if necessary, until smooth, shiny and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place dough in a covered, buttered bowl , in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. In the meantime, butter a large baking sheet and set aside. When dough has risen, remove and punch down. Sprinkle with cinnamon and form into a cylinder, then twist this cylinder into a circle. Pinch the ends together to complete the circle. Once again, cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 375° F. Brush top and sides of cake with egg wash and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack completely before hiding baby doll inside or icing and decorating. Icing Mix sugar, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of water until mixture is smooth, adding more water as necessary to achieve a smooth, spreadable consistency. Spread icing over cake and immediately sprinkle colored sugar in alternating color rows. Making Bread (these are general bread making instructions, your recipe may vary somewhat) 1. Place very warm liquid (see yeast above) in bowl and sprinkle yeast over the water. Let stand for about 3-5 minutes until yeast dissolves. 2. Gradually mix in sugars, fats, salt and flour. If using a food processor, it is best to add these while machine is slowly running. If using an electric mixer. add these ingredients in several additions. 3. Kneading - Kneading is a necessary step in order to develop the gluten. If your using a food processor or an electric mixer with a dough hook, the machine will do this for you, all you need to do is let the machine keep running for about 5-7 minutes after the dough is mixed. If you're doing everything by hand, you will need to turn your dough out on a well floured surface and follow these steps: Gather your dough into a ball. Using the heel of your hands, press down on the dough. Pull up the part of the dough that was flattened by your hands and fold it back over on itself. Keep repeating the process, turning the dough periodically. Your dough is properly kneaded when it is very smooth and elastic (about 10-15 minutes by hand). 4. Place your kneaded dough into a greased or oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and set in a warm, draft free place to rise. Allow the dough to rise until it is doubled in size (photo of the dough after it rises is coming soon). This will usually take between 1-2 hours depending on the type of bread you are making. 5. Test the dough. Your dough has risen enough when you can press two fingertips lightly into the dough and have the indentation remain. 6. Punch down the dough. After the bread has risen, push your fist into the center of the dough. Pull the edges toward the center, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times in order to remove all the air bubbles. 7. Shape the bread. Take the dough and shape it in the manner you desire. If you're making rustic loaves, divide the dough into the amount of loaves you wish and shape them on a well greased baking sheet. Ditto rolls. If you're using baking pans, make sure they are well greased, then shape the dough into the loaf pans. Once your loaves are shaped, cover them, once again, with a clean kitchen towel and put them back in the warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled again. Note: Dough will rise more quickly each successive time it is punched down. 8. Glaze the bread (optional). Some bread recipes will call for a "glaze" or "wash", which gives the finished bread a special finish. Glazes included beaten eggs (either whole or just whites or yolks), water, cream or milk. Your recipe will specify if a glaze is necessary. 9. Pre-heat the oven. Bake the bread the amount of time specified in your recipe. When baked, remove pans to a wire cooling rack. snort's note: now you see why i buy these things on-line at mardi gras time (i've tried both the king cake factory and randazzo's and randazzo's wins hands down.....great king cakes).
