Strawberries and Cream Yogurt Cake

by penji1

Strawberries and Cream Yogurt Cake

Courtney had some friends over Sunday night for dinner and a swim so I made some cakes for them and this one was the favorite.  I whipped up some homemade whipped cream and sliced up some strawberries to go with it, it was pretty tasty!  The recipe comes from Betty Crocker.

2 (5.3 oz each) containers Yoplait Greek Strawberry Yogurt

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 eggs

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup strawberry jam

1 1/4 cups quartered fresh strawberries

2 teaspoons sugar

1  Heat oven to 350.  Spray 9 x 13″ pan with cooking spray.

2  Stir together yogurt, 1 1/2 cups sugar, oil and vanilla until well combined.  Mix in eggs, 1 at a time, until well blended.  Add flour, baking powder and salt and mix until smooth.

3  Pour batter into pan, spreading evenly.  Stir jam until smooth then dollop over top of batter.  Sprinkle with strawberries and remaining 2 teaspoons sugar.

4  Bake 45 – 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 20 minutes.

“I Will Toadaly Go To the Dance With You” Fondant Cake

by penji1

"I will Toadaly go to the Dance with you" Fondant Cake

Cute story, a friend of mine at work who’s name is Ian told me that his daughter got asked to a dance.  The boy had asked her using a turtle zip drive saying “I would turtley love it if you went to the dance with me” or something like that so she wanted to reply with a cake that had toad on it so she could say “I will toadaly go to the dance with you”, cute right?  So Courtney and I made this little toady cake for her.  It is 6″ in diameter and 8″ tall, the cake is our favorite “White Almond Sour Cream Cake” recipe adapted for the chocolate version and the frosting is our favorite “Basic Buttercream Icing” although I didn’t have any milk so I used evaporated milk instead and it tasted just fine.  The fondant is all Wilton brand fondant from Michaels.  Courtney sculpted the adorable toad and we cut the lily pads and leaves out using some fondant cutters.  Pretty cute dance invitation response if you ask me!  Have fun Alanna!

Starbucks Banana Bread

by penji1

Starbucks Banana Bread

Courtney and Jaren and my niece Emma and my nephew Wyett came over for dinner last night and I wanted to send them home with some food so I made several batches of quick bread yesterday after church.  I made my much loved “Blue Ribbon Zucchini Bread” and also this new banana bread which is dreamy!  It comes from a blog called “Heidi Bakes” and seriously, it is really good, that little ribbon of goodness there takes it up a notch from regular banana bread.

bread

3 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

1/2 cup oil

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons buttermilk or milk

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped walnuts (I left these out, wasn’t sure if the kids would want them or not)

struesel layer

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1  Preheat oven to 325 and grease 1 regular size loaf pan or 3 mini loaf pans.

2  Mix bananas, oil, egg, vanilla, sugar and buttermilk until combined completely.

3  Add in flour, baking soda, salt and half the walnuts and stir until combined.

4  Prepare struesel by combining sugar and cinnamon.

5  Pour half the batter into the pan, sprinkle with struesel, pour remaining batter over struesel then top with remaining walnuts, pressing them slightly into the batter.

6  Bake 45 – 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

7  Cool 15 – 20 minutes in pan before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Here’s an inside look at that ribbon of goodness:

Starbucks Banana Bread

Samoa Sheet Cake

by penji1

Samoa Sheet Cake

Treat for my son in law Jaren who passed a test with flying colors so I said I would make him a treat of his choice and he asked for something Samoa, when I saw this cake on “Chef In Training”, I knew it was the one!  It’s not difficult to make but there a few steps that make it a little time consuming.  I can’t tell you how it tastes because I took the whole cake over to Jaren and Courtney, they said they might share today so here’s hoping!

cake

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 cup water

4 tablespoons cocoa

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

frosting

1/2 cup butter

6 tablespoons milk

3 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 cup caramel sauce, like ice cream topping

additional toppings

2 1/2 cups toasted coconut, instructions below

7 – 8 ounces caramel

1/8 cup evaporated milk

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

1 teaspoon shortening or oil

1  To toast the coconut, line a large (18 x 13 x 1″) jelly roll pan (cookie sheet with sides) with foil and spread coconut evenly on sheet.  Bake at 375 for 10 -15 minutes, checking and tossing regularly, every 2 – 5 minutes, to make sure it toasts evenly and doesn’t burn.  Coconut is done when it is golden brown.

2  To make the cake, combine flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

3  In a medium saucepan, combine butter, water, cocoa and shortening and bring to a boil then add to flour mixture and stir to combine.

4  Add buttermilk and stir, then baking soda and stir, then eggs and stir, then vanilla and stir.

5  Pour into greased large jelly roll pan and bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

6  For frosting, bring butter and milk to a boil in bowl in microwave.  Stir in caramel sauce and then powdered sugar and vanilla, stir until smooth.

7  After cake is done, poke holes all over top of hot cake with a fork.  Pour frosting evenly over top.  Immediately sprinkle with toasted coconut.

8  Cook caramel and evaporated milk on high in 30 second increments in microwave, stirring between each increment, until caramel is smooth then drizzle over coconut.

9  Melt chocolate chips and shortening or oil in microwave on high in 30 second increment, stirring between each, until chocolate is melted then drizzle over caramel.

10  Let cake sit until both caramel and chocolate are set.

No Cook Fresh Tomato Sauce with Pasta

by penji1

No Cook Fresh Tomato Sauce with Pasta

If you have a ton of tomatoes from your garden, then this is the recipe for you!  I’ve had this recipe forever so I’m not sure where it originally came from.  It is super easy and super fast, also super tasty!

8 tomatoes, diced,  I used some Roma and some Grape tomatoes from my garden, pretty sure I had more than 8

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons chopped red onion

1/2 cup Italian or Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing (I love Newman’s Own Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette)

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese

1 pound pasta of your choice, cooked and drained

Combine tomatoes, basil and onion.  Stir in dressing and cheese.  Add to pasta and toss lightly.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies

by penji1

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies

Made these yesterday for Bob’s group of Young Men from church for their activity.  They were delicious!  They would make a great Halloween treat with the colorful Reese’s Pieces.  It’s an “All You” recipe.

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I didn’t have any mini peanut butter cups so I upped this to 1 cup)

1 cup Reese’s Pieces

15 mini peanut butter cups, cut in half

1  Preheat oven to 350 or 325 if your cake pan is dark like mine.  Spray a 9″ round cake pan with cooking spray for baking (the kind with flour in it).

2  Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.

3  Beat butter, sugars and peanut butter until combined.  Beat in vanilla and eggs until smooth.  Add flour mixture, mixing just until thick dough forms.  Fold in chocolate chips and candies.  Press dough into prepared pan.

4  Bake until brown on top but still soft in center, 40 – 45 minutes.  Let cool in pan 20 minutes.  Run knife around edges of pan and then remove to cooling rack.  Cut into wedges when cooled completely.

Light and Summery Lemon Trifle

by penji1

Light and Summery Lemon Trifle

Here is the Lemon Trifle that I made for Bunco, it was so light and sweet and tasty, perfect for a summer outdoor party.

1 lemon cake, your choice, store bought or homemade, this is the one I used

2 small boxes lemon pudding mix plus milk to make pudding

1 pint whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

6 tablespoons powdered sugar

1  Cut up cake into bite sized pieces.

2  Prepare pudding mix according to package directions and let sit until just set.

3  Whip whipping cream, vanilla and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.

4  Assemble trifle in trifle dish or bowl by making a bottom layer with half the cake then top with half the pudding and then half the whipped cream and repeat.  I topped mine with Pampered Chef Lemon Sprinkles.

Lemon Bundt Cake

by penji1

Lemon Bundt Cake

Bunco was at my house last night and I decided to make a Lemon Trifle for dessert and so I was just going to buy a lemon cake at the store to use in the trifle but then I thought why on earth would you buy a cake, little miss cake maker?  So then I thought well I make enough cakes I should be able to  whip one up without a recipe and so I did and it was divine!  I’ll post the trifle tomorrow!

1 lemon cake mix

1 small box lemon instant pudding mix

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup oil

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1  Preheat oven to 325 and spray bundt pan with cooking spray with flour.

2  Mix all ingredients on low for 30 seconds then on medium for 2 minutes.  Pour into pan (batter will be thick).

3  Bake for 45 – 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

4  Let cool in pan for about 15 minutes before inverting onto serving platter.

Chocolate Strawberry Waffle Cake

by penji1

Chocolate Strawberry Waffle Cake

Book group at my house last night out on the patio to discuss “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr, the 2015 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction, not a bad read you should check it out but I digress, from the food!  Decided to make this little piece of heaven which was outstanding!  Bob had a piece and texted me saying that it is one of his new all time favorite cakes!  It was pretty dreamy and it makes 2 cakes!  It’s a Six Sisters’ Stuff recipe, so you should try both the book and the cake, but then again I’m not the boss of you but if I was . . .

waffles:

1 chocolate cake mix plus ingredients to make cake

filling:

2 cups whipping cream

4 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix

4 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups diced strawberries

frosting:

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/3 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon cocoa

1 1/3 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk

garnish:

1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries

1 Hershey’s chocolate bar

1  Prepare cake mix as directed on box.  Heat Belgian waffle iron and spray with cooking spray.  Use generous 1/2 cup batter to make 6 waffles.  (I used a 1/2 cup and came up with 8 not quite full waffles so make sure it’s a full 1/2 cup.)  Remove and let cool.

2  Beat together whipping cream, pudding mix and powdered sugar until thick then fold in diced strawberries.

3  Place 1 waffle on serving platter, top with whipped cream and repeat 2 more times then assemble the second cake in the same way.

4  Make frosting by beating together all frosting ingredients adding more sugar or milk to get desired consistency.

5  Carefully spread half of the frosting on each cake.  Top with sliced strawberries and grated chocolate.

Chocolate Chip Waffle Cookies

by penji1

Chocolate Chip Waffle Cookies

Courtney and Jaren were over for dinner last night so I thought I’d whip up a little treat.  There was a bit of a learning curve with this one so I’ll pass on my mistakes so that if you make these, they’ll turn out better than mine.  First of all, don’t use a Belgian Waffle Maker, use an old school flat one, it will work better.  Also keep the temperature on medium or maybe even low depending on how hot your waffle iron runs.  I cooked them at too high a temperature and they were good but really crunchy.  Let me know how it goes!  It’s a Taste of Home recipe.

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup chopped cashews

1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

1  Combine sugars, butter, egg and vanilla.  Combine flour, salt and baking soda then gradually add to sugar mixture.  Stir in coconut, nuts and chips.

2  Drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto preheat waffle iron sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake 1 – 2 minutes (it will probably take longer on a lower temperature) or until golden brown.  Remove to wire racks to cool.