Pound Cake

 It was our turn to host our family gathering.  What should I make for dessert?  I thought strawberries over pound cake would be seasonal and delicious.  But when I tried to find pound cake to buy, it was very expensive. "I can make it cheaper than that."  So I went searching on the Internet and found this delicious and easy recipe.  

Pound Cake

4 eggs

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tablespoons vanilla

1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a loaf pan or you can use parchment paper, which is what I did.

In a mixer with a whisk attachment, cream the butter.  Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  Scrape and beat some more.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between.  Scrape and beat.  '

Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat well.  Add in the dry ingredients and beat until moistened.  Don't overmix.  Transfer batter to the loaf pan.  Smooth the top.  Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes until skewer comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes then put out on the cooling rack to finish cooling.  Cut into 12 slices.

It was delicious with macerated cut up strawberries with sugar added and fresh whipped cream on top.

Sock-it-to-me Cake

This recipe dates back to the early days of our marriage.  I think I clipped it out of a magazine.  It is an oldie, but goodie.  

Sock-It-To-Me Cake

1 yellow cake mix (with pudding in the mix)

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

4 eggs

Filling

1 cup chopped pecans

2 T. brown sugar

1 T. cinnamon

2 T. reserved cake mix

Preheat oven to 375.  Prepare a bundt pan.  Take 2 T. of the cake mix out and put it in a small bowl.  

In a large bowl, mix together the rest of the cake ingredients.  Beat for 2 minutes.  Pour about 2/3 of the cake mixture batter into the prepared bundt pan.  Mix together the filling ingredients and sprinkle over the batter.  Then spread the remaining batter over the top.  Bake for 45-50 minutes until it passes the toothpick test.  Cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes, then remove from pan onto a plate or platter.  

Mix together 1 cup powdered sugar with 2T. milk or cream to make a glaze and drizzle over the cooled cake.

Ice Cream Bread

This is such a fun recipe and is really good.  It basically has just two ingredients, though we thought it tasted better to add some sugar, too. My grandchildren made it and felt such success.

Ice Cream Bread

2 1/2 cups ice cream, any flavor, softened
1 1/4 cup self-rising flour*

1/4 cup sugar

Add ins and toppings of choice:
chocolate chips
nuts
sprinkles
Nutella
Fruit or berries

Soften the ice cream so it is like soft serve ice cream.  Add the self-rise flour and sugar and mix well.
Add any mix-ins of your choice. Line a loaf pan with parchment.  Spray the parchment.  Spoon the batter into the pan.  Add any toppings of your choice.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

 Shown is vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips on top.

*You can substitute the self- rising flour for 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour +1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder +1/2 teaspoon salt.

Favorite flavor combinations from online reviews:
Cookies and cream ice cream with chocolate chips
Vanilla with sprinkles
Butter pecan
Praline
Cherry Garcia

Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate Oreo Pie

Two of my kids made this together tonight.

1 package of Oreo's
1 cup (two sticks, 16 Tbsp.) of Butter, divided
2/3 cup Brown Sugar
1 1/4 Heavy Whipping Cream, divided
1 bag (12 oz.) chocolate chips (you can use dark or milk, we prefer milk)
Flaky sea salt, such as Kosher salt

Crust:
Finely crush the Oreo's (with a food processor, or in a bag with a rolling pin) and combine with 1 stick or 8 Tbsp. melted butter. Press into the bottom and sides of a pie pan and freeze for at least 10 minutes.

Caramel Layer:
In a small saucepan combine the remaining 8 Tbsp. of butter with the brown sugar and whisk constantly until the mixture begins to bubble, then for a additional minute. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in 1/4 cup whipping cream until smooth. Then let the Caramel cool for approximately 15 minutes before pouring over the crust, then chill in freezer for 30-45 minutes, but you don't want to let the caramel to completely freeze.

Chocolate Layer:
Pour the chocolate chips into a glass bowl and the whipping cream into a saucepan. Once the cream is at a simmer remove from heat and pour over chocolate chips and let sit for 5 minutes (or really until the chocolate chips begin to melt), then whisk until completely smooth. Pour the chocolate over the caramel and return to freezer for a final 30 minutes or put it, covered, into the fridge.
Before serving, sprinkle the sea salt over the pie.

This dessert is very rich but so delicious. My daughter chooses this as her "birthday cake" every year.

Condensed Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

I saw this recipe online and found it intriguing: no eggs, no brown sugar, mostly sweetened with sweetened condensed milk.  I decided to give it a try.  The cookies were puffy (baking powder instead of soda) and soft and kind of cakey.  They look very light in color  because of no brown sugar, but they are done.  They were very quick to make and tasted yummy.  The recipe doesn't make a lot, so double it if you want more cookies.

Condensed Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips

Set oven 350
Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone sheets.
Mix together in your stand mixer the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the milk and vanilla and continue mixing  Stop the mixer and add the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix in slowly.  Add the chocolate chips.
Roll dough in 1 inch balls and place 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheet.  Flatten slightly.
Bake for about 10 minutes.

I baked some and froze the rest of the dough in balls on a cookie sheet.  After frozen, I put them in a zipper bag and put them in the freezer for a quick bake snack another time.  I do this just about every time I make cookies of any kind.  It is so convenient to have cookie dough all ready when you need to take a treat to someone, etc.

Hello Dolly Bars

If I had to choose my very favorite dessert of all-time, it would be probably be a tie between chocolate cake with chocolate frosting (and ala mode doesn't hurt anything) and these bar cookies- Hello Dolly Bars.  I have been making them for years.  I can remember making them when I was expecting our first daughter.  That is 40 years ago!  They are delicious and very easy to make.

Hello Dolly Bars
1 cup butter, melted
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
2 cups pecans, chopped
2 cups coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup milk chocolate chips (or you can use more semi sweet)

Preheat oven to 350
In a medium bowl, mix together the crumbs and butter.  Press into the bottom of a 13x9 pan.  Layer the chocolate chips, pecans and coconut.  Drizzle the milk over all.  Bake for about 30 minutes.  Take out of oven and sprinkle on the milk chocolate chips.  Let cool, then refrigerate until well set.  Cut into bars.

Brown Butter Banana Bread Brownies

Ingredients:

Brownies:

-2 eggs

-3 bananas, mashed

-1 cup sugar

-1 cup sour cream

-1/2 cup butter, softened

-2 tsps vanilla extract

-2 cups white flour

-1 tsp baking soda

-3/4 tsp salt

Frosting:

-1/4 cup butter, softened 

-1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

-1 1/2 TBSP milk

-3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 13x9 inch pan.

For the brownie part:

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy.

3. Blend in bananas & vanilla.

4. Add flour, baking soda, salt and blend for 1 minutes. 

5. Spread batter evenly into pan. Bake 23-25 minutes or until golden brown.

6. Cool slightly (warm but not hot) and frost with frosting.

For the frosting part:

7. Heat butter while stirring in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.

8. Watch it carefully when it reaches a medium brown color turn off heat, whisk in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, adding milk as it thickens, then add in vanilla.

9. Pour over the warm banana bread brownies immediately and smooth with a spatula.

10. Cool completely before cutting.

I got the original recipe from sugarapron.com, and I have made a few changes.

Pressure Cooker Cinnamon Rice Pudding

Rice Pudding

Serves: 4-6

Pressure Cooking Time: 5 min

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup long grain rice (I just used white rice)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 3 cups milk
• 1/4 cup + 1 TBSP sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup raisins (amount to your liking)
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon (or to taste, I probably added more than this)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat milk, stir in the rice, butter, salt and cover.

2. Close and lock. Cook for 5 minutes at high pressure.

3. Release pressure using natural release method. Uncover, stir in the sugar, vanilla and raisins. Add milk to achieve desired consistency. Serve and enjoy!

I got this recipe from fagoramerica.com.