Pumpkin Cake and a Pumpkin Poem

1 c. flour
1/2 c. oatmeal
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter

Mix together till crumbly and press into bottom of 13 X 9 1/2 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

2 c. pumpkin
1 c. canned milk
2 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
1/4 t. cloves

Mix together and pour over crust and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.


1/2 c. chopped nuts
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 T. butter

Mix together and sprinkle on filling. Bake 15 to 20 minutes more at 350 degrees.

This was a recipe of Grandma Lee's.


Below is a silly poem. It was in a schoolbook of Jeff's. Enjoy.


The Biggest Pumpkin That Ever Lived

by Crystal Bowman


I went down to the pumpkin patch to see what I could find,
and there I saw some pumpkins, growing on their vines.
But then I saw a pumpkin that was different from the rest.
So big and round and shiny, I knew it was the best.
I paid a dollar-fifty and took my pumpkin home.
But then in just a little while, it seemed like it had grown.
I took it off the table and then it grew some more!
Before the day was over it was bigger than the door!
But I can tell you something neat as weeks and months went by--
We always had a great supply of homemade pumpkin pie!

Judy's Turn

This batch of bread certainly turned out better than last time. Judy's favorite part of making bread is throwing it on the table. (which reduces the air bubbles) She actually made me jump the first time she did it. I guess I wasn't expecting her to throw it that hard.

Mothers Day and Trifles

This year for Mother's Day, I made what is becoming one of my favorite show-stopping desserts. (and it tastes good too!) This recipe comes from Paula Deen, that butter-loving southern belle on the Food Network. I love her show...she reminds me of my great aunts from Kentucky. Thankfully, this recipe only uses one stick of butter....though it uses heavy cream too. Oh well - it's totally worth it. :)



Raspberry Sherry Trifle

1 (18 1/2-ounce) package cake mix (recommended: Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Butter Recipe Gold)
1 1/2 cups dry sherry
7 egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
3 (12-ounce) packages frozen sweetened raspberries, thawed
Whipped cream, for garnish - optional
Fresh raspberries, for garnish - optional
Mint leaves, for garnish, optional

Butter and flour a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Prepare the cake according to package directions, but use 1/2 cup of the sherry in place of 1/2 cup water. When baked, let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut the cake into large chunks, about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and remaining 1 cup sherry into the top of a double boiler. Whisk until completely combined. Place the top pan over simmering water (do not let water touch the bottom of the top pan). With a wooden spoon, stir over medium heat for about 8 minutes, until the custard is quite thick, about the consistency of mayonnaise. Let cool. Whip the cream with the confectioners' sugar. Take half of the whipped cream and add it to the cooled custard, stirring well. To assemble: In the bottom of a trifle bowl or a 13 by 9-inch disposable aluminum foil pan, layer 1/3 of the cake cubes, 1/3 of the raspberries, and 1/3 of the custard. Continue layering, ending with custard. Take the remaining whipped cream and completely cover the top of the custard. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Serve with additional whipped cream, fresh raspberries and a sprig of mint, if desired.

The Making of 6 Cherry Pies

So, we made our pie crusts and we baked 6 cherry pies to take to the Home School Legislative Day at the Capitol tomorrow. I had much help from Jed, Jeff and Judy with the crust, and thankfully, as you will see, Janessa put most of the pies together. Had I done them all, it probably would have turned out quite sad.


Jed has developed quite an interest in cooking. Here he is using my new food processor to make the pie dough. I think he's going to be a great cook. I just got him his first cookbook....I'm looking forward to cooking more with him!


Here Judy is putting ingredients into the processor. Not sure why she's smiling....probably because she didn't want me to take her picture.



And here is Jeffrey.....he was having entirely too much fun pushing the buttons.

Today I attempted to put the pies together. I say attempted, because although the crusts were flakey, well, you can see here that perhaps Jeanette needs to brush up on her pastry skills. It's obviously been a little too long......


Yes, you're seeing this correctly. I think the pastry was a bit too dry so it didn't stick together when it started baking which resulted in the eruption of Mt. Cherry Pie. Good thing I put the baking sheet under them........(Jeanette smiles sheepishly.)



At the end of the day, it was clear who the prize-winner really was. These are Janessa's pies. As usual, she has a much better feel for pastries, and in this case (well, generally in most cases), far more patience than me!


And that ends our story of the Making of 6 Cherry Pies.

Cookie Pictures

If you notice Jeffrey's face in this one, you can tell that he was sneaking M&Ms whilst I was cooking. He was hoping I wouldn't notice. Delightful child.:)


Joanna looks so cool in this picture!




I put this picture in here just for fun. I wanted to show off my brother's adorable face. Although, he would prefer I call it manly instead of adorable. Notice the tree in the background. Compliments of Janessa's artistic and decorative abilities.

Well, the day is almost here! I was skipping through the kitchen today. I'm acting like a silly schoolgirl because my dear J's are coming. I can hardly wait for Jeanette, Jeremy & Jessica, and Julie to come back for their visit! And of course for J and J's "kid", or "child". I need to come up with a proper name. I think baby works best.:)
Well, I'm off to bed. I am so blessed. God is so good to allow me the privilege of seeing my family all together!

Holiday Cookies!

Well, our family has been struck with a small cold! Jeffrey and Judy are the ones suffering the most. Jed and Mom seem to have a little something. Joseph, Janessa, and Joanna are vowing not to get sick, and I feel fine except for a tickle in my throat which produces hacking coughs. To the Virginia crew: We decided to get sick now instead of when you visit. We thought you all would appreciate that.:)
Speaking of Virginia people, they will be here in two days!!!!!! Can you tell I'm excited?

In other news, we had a traditional cookie baking day on Saturday. I wanted to share a recipe for Rudolph cookies. These were Mom's favorite from the list of Peanut Butter Blossoms, Andes Mint Cookies, Sugar Cookies, and the Rudolph Cookies.

1/2 C. Sugar
1/2 C. light brown sugar, packed
1/2 C. butter softened
1/2 C. creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lg. egg
1-1/4 C. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 C. sugar for rolling dough balls
Small pretzel twists
Chocolate chips
Red M&Ms

In large bowl, combine 1/2 C. sugar, brown sugar and butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter, vanilla and egg; blend well. Add flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Cover and chill for one hour. Shape into balls for baking: half of balls a little larger than a half dollar, and the second half a little bigger than a quarter. Roll into extra 1/4 C. sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, flatten the larger piece with the palm of your hand or a glass dipped in sugar. Overlap the smaller piece onto the bottom third of the larger piece, flatten cookie uniformity. Place small pretzel twist into upper, outer edges of the larger piece of antlers and two chocolate chips strategically for eyes. Place on red M&M at the middle lowers edge of smaller piece for Rudolph's nose. Bake @375 two inches apart for about 8-9 minutes or until edges are brown. Immediately remove form baking sheet to cool on rack.

Edit: Janessa and I decided that a pancake turner worked best when flattening the cookies.
Also, watch out for sneaky siblings! Rudolph's nose is supposed to be red. Some of my younger siblings went behind my back and gave him blue, green, and brown noses. I'll try to pose the pictures we took in a little while. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

My Favorite Pumpkin Pie

This recipe has become my favorite Pumpkin Pie recipe. I got it from one of my favorite chefs - Sara Moulton. We made this at my house for Thanksgiving this year. It's a little different than other recipes I've used in the past and it seems to be a little more reliable. I also love its very creamy texture.

One pre-baked pie crust

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
7 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
6 1/2 tablespoons evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch ground clove
Pinch salt
2 eggs
1 egg yolk

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a medium saucepan, mix together the pumpkin and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until reduced and thick, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream, milks, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, salt, eggs, and yolk. Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake until set, about 45 to 55 minutes. Cool and serve.

A Spicy, Fall Recipe

I love fall, and I love this recipe! I made this for our church potluck on Sunday, and I felt like sharing it with all of you. It's from my Grandmother...I think.

Rose's Raisin Spice Bars

Boil the ingredients below, and let it cool.
1 C. sugar
1 C. water
1 C. raisins
1 stick of butter

Add:
2 C. flour
1 t. soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg

Spread on a cookie sheet (Grease and flour the sheet)-Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Icing:
1 C. powdered sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 t. rum
1/2 t. lemon
Add milk as needed to spread. Spread the icing on the bars while hot. Cut into bars and enjoy!

Mount Crumble before the frosting

This is me trying to fix a train wreck.

Mount Crumble

Well, I decided to share a little story of a culinary flop lest you think I am a flawless chef.

When I was in Illinois, Joanna and I decided to bake a carrot cake for dinner. I was supposed to be imparting my great culinary wisdom to her. I had visions of a three-layer cake perfectly covered in cream cheese frosting and garnished with pecans. We were going to pipe a little trim at the base of the cake and we were going to hear great words of deepest admiration and praise as we brought the cake to the dinner table to rounds of applause.

Ummm…yeah…that’s not quite how it turned out.

I hadn’t made this recipe before, but Janessa warned me that I might have trouble getting it out of the pans if I didn’t use parchment or flour the pan or both. Well, I thought I could get away with just greasing the pan – after all, most cakes I make I only grease the pan, I don’t usually flour or use parchment unless I’m doing a wedding cake or something.

We took the cakes out of the oven and I told Joanna to invert them on a cooling rack. After all, that’s what you’re supposed to do with most cakes, and that’s what I usually do. Of course, if I had stopped to really think about it I would have remembered that I normally invert sponge cakes, not moist carrot/pineapple cakes. When I lifted a pan a few minutes later I discovered to my horror that only part of the cake had fallen out of the pan. I suddenly realized that
Janessa was right, but I had to prove her wrong. So, I turned the oven back on and replaced the part of the cake that had fallen out and put everything back in hoping I could bake it back into a more cohesive cake.

I took them out and let them cool. The first one came out mostly ok so I thought I was safe. But the second one – well, that was another matter. Joanna and I tried to glue it together, but I finally had to admit that this was one major cake flop! At that point I just had to laugh. We managed to glue it together with frosting somewhat, but in the end it was just pathetic. Janessa, of course, deeply enjoyed the fact that she was right and I had to admit it.

We took some pictures of our disaster, and I'll post them when the crew sends them to me. In the meantime, Joanna has promised me that next time I'm home, perhaps she will have to be giving me lessons. :)

Death by Chocolate

Here's a recipe that will thrill your tastebuds and clog your arteries. I made it recently for my co-workers....they went back and forth between thanking me for making them and scolding me for bringing them in and making them feel like the "had" to eat them.

Black and White Brownies

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter

Cream Cheese Batter:
6 Tablespoons butter, softened
9 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
3 Tablespoons flour
1 Tablespoon vanilla

Chocolate batter:
6 eggs
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt chocolate and 1/2 cup butter and set aside to cool. You can melt it in the microwave or over a double boiler.

To make the cream cheese batter: with a whip attachment, cream 6 tablespoons butter then add the cream cheese and continue mixing. Add the sugar, beat until fluffy, then beat in the eggs, flour, and vanilla. Set aside.

For the chocolate batter: in a separate bowl whip the eggs and sugar until fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and mix into egg mixture. Mix in the melted chocolate and butter and vanilla.

In a rectangular pan, lined with parchment, spread half the chocolate mixture. Spread the cream cheese layer over that to cover. Then drop remaining chocolate batter by spoonfuls on top then swirl with a knife. Bake for 40 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

Mom's birthday...and Hummingbird Cake

Hummingbird Cake

3 C. flour
2 C. sugar (preferably white)
1/2 t. salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 t. ground cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 C. vegetable oil
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, well drained
1 C. chopped pecans
2 C. chopped firm ripe banana

Cream Cheese Frosting:
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 C. butter, room temperature
2 lb. confectioners' sugar
2 t. vanilla extract
1/2 to 1 C. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Sift flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon into mixing bowl several times. Add eggs and salad oil to the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until ingredients are moistened. Stir in vanilla, pineapple and 1 C. pecans. Stir in the bananas. Spoon the batter into 3 well-greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until wooden toothpick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
Combine cream cheese and butter; cream until smooth. Add powdered sugar, beating with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.


We make this cake every year for Mom's birthday. It is delicious, and especially moist. It's really moist if you forget to read the lable on the pineapple, and add twice as much as it calls for. Needless to say, no one could figure out my secret ingredient.

This is a little late, as our internet had been down. Happy birthday to the world's greatest Mom!
I love you and thank God continually for you. Thank you for helping me continue to grow into a godly, virtuous woman. Especially, for helping me to keep my eyes on Christ, and for learning to trust Him for everything. Your example is the greatest blessing you can give me. You are such a dear Mother, I love you so much.
Thank you for helping me to continue falling in love with Jesus. That is truly the greatest truth you could teach me.

Sweet Potato Pie

2 C. sweet poatoes-cooked and mashed
2 C. sugar
1 can evaporated milk
4 eggs
1/2 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. vanilla

Cook pie shells about halfway before filling is placed in them. Bake pies at 325 for 45-50 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

I made pumpkin pies yesterday, and I remembered this recipe from aunt Joyce. It's very similar to pumpkin pies, but with a little variation. Enjoy!

Monster Cookies

1 lb butter - softened
2 lbs brown sugar
4 cups white sugar
12 eggs
¼ cup vanilla extract
3 lbs crunchy peanut butter
8 tsp baking soda
18 cups quick oats
1 lb chocolate chips
1 lb M&M’s

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, cream together sugars, butter, and peanut butter. Add eggs and vanilla and whip until light and fluffy. (At this point I have to take it out of my large Kitchen Aid and finish mixing remaining ingredients in a very large bowl.) Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Drop by teaspoon-fulls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Yield – an enormous number of cookies.

I first made these cookies when I was visiting my Aunt Sheryle a while back. I've never seen so much cookie-dough! They were fun though, even if I did spend an entire afternoon baking cookies. The best part was when Uncle Dale got home....he was very happy that I'd been baking cookies....and he said mine were better than Sheryle's. Of course that could be because she discovered that every time she made them, she hadn't been putting in enough oats so hers didn't turn out as well. Guess that's what happens when you've made the recipe 1000 times...it takes someone else to look at it to figure out what the problem is.

And what to do with all those leftover egg whites

These are very delicate and really good. They're a great option when you have leftover egg whites and don't know what to do with them.

Macaroons

2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup sugar

Lightly grease a cookie sheet; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl beat egg whites and vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed till soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time; beating till stiff peaks form (tips stand straight).

Drop mixture by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake in 325 degree oven about 20 minutes or till edges are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 30 cookies.

*Janessa's notes*

This recipe can also be easily changed to 3 egg whites, 3/4 tsp. vanilla and 1 cup sugar (for use with the ice cream recipe, etc).

Also, coconut macaroons can be made by folding 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut (or 2 cups if using 3 egg whites) into beaten egg whites.

The egg whites should be stiffer than when beaten for meringue. It should be somewhat glossy in appearance and the sugar should be mostly dissolved.

One more. :)

When greasing the cookie sheet I have found that it works best to only grease the areas where you will put the cookies. My reason in saying this is that the cookies have a tendency to slide to the middle and create one big cookie if too much grease is used.

Enjoy!

Coconut-Raspberry Layer Cake

My friend Brenda loves this cake....except for the raspberry part. So, I only put the raspberry preserves on one half of the cake. The recipe is a bit complex, but it's a fun one to make when you have time to relax and enjoy the process. You can also bake the layers ahead of time and freeze until you're ready to frost the cake. Just make sure to seal the layers in tons of plastic so they won't take on the flavor of your freezer and be sure to protect the layers so they don't get smashed. This recipe comes from a cookbook called "Perfect Cakes," by Nick Malgieri.

For the Batter:
2 1/4 cups cake four (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup egg whites (from about 3-4 large eggs)

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
2. Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt onto a piece of parchment or wax paper.
3. In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, beat the butter and sugar with the paddle attachment at medium speed until light, about 3 minutes. Beat in the lemon zest and extract.
4. In a bowl, whisk together the milk and egg whites. Add one-third of the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Scrape down the bowl and beaters. Beat in half the egg white mixture until incorporated, then beat in another third of the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl and beaters. Beat in the remaining liquid until absorbed, followed by the remaining flour mixture; scrape well after each addition.
5. Divide the batter between 2 9-inch cake pans, greased, and lined with parchment, and smooth the tops. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean. Cool the layers in pans for 5 minutes, then invert onto racks to cool. Peel off the parchment paper.

Lemon Buttercream:
1/2 cup egg whites (from about 4 large eggs)
1 cup sugar
20 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup strained fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. To make the buttercream, whisk together the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk over a pan of simmering water until the egg whites are hot and the sugar is dissolved.
2. Attach the bowl to the mixer and whip with the whisk until cool and increased in volume.
3. Switch to the paddle attachment and beat in the butter until smooth. Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla.

For the Finish:
1/2 cup seedless raspberry preserves
One 7-oz bag sweetened shredded coconut
Fresh raspberries and mint leaves for garnish if desired

1. To assemble the cake, slice each layer horizontally in half.
2. Place one layer on a cardboard round or platter and spread with one-third of the jam and one-quarter of the buttercream. Top with another layer and reapeat. Repeat with the third layer.
3. Place the last layer on top and spread the top and sides of the cake with the remaining buttercream. Press the coconut all over the outside of the cake.
4. Add some sprigs of mint leaves and some fresh raspberries to the top and around the sides of the cake if desired.

Serve at cool room temperature.

Jeanette's Nutmeg Feather Cake

This recipe is always a hit. I got it out of an old Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. It's unique in that the feature of the cake is nutmeg.

1/4 c butter
1/4 c shortening
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 t vanilla
3 eggs
2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
2 t nutmeg
1/4 t salt
1 c. buttermilk or sour milk

Ok - I don't have any instructions written down. What I usually do is cream
the butter/shortening/and sugar. Then I add the vanilla and eggs and whip
until it's fluffy. Then I alternate between the dry ingredients and the
buttermilk/sour milk.

Oh, and don't overbeat - when I do this it tends to fall in the middle.

Bake in a greased pan at 350 for 30 minutes.

I usually frost with a buttercream frosting and dust with nutmeg. I’d post the recipe for the frosting but I usually just make it up. You should be able to find a good recipe in a cookbook or online. Or, in a pinch you can use a pre-made frosting too. Enjoy!