I love red velvet cake. I never even heard of red velvet until I moved to Tennessee and was really afraid to try it because it uses so much red dye. Finding the right cake recipe has taken me some time but I've finally found one I really like, thanks to the joyofbaking web site. I've read that some make this cake with beets but I have yet to try this. Now that I'm thinking of it I'm going to have to go on a search for a good red velvet beet cake.



2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Red Velvet Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Butter two - 9 inch round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter.

Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the freezer for at least an hour. (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 - 8 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
1 - 8 ounce tub of Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted

Cream Cheese Frosting: In your food processor, or with a hand mixer, process the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and process until smooth. Transfer this mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Then, in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. With a large spatula, gently but quickly fold a little of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture to lighten it. Then fold in the remaining whipped cream, in two stages. If the frosting is not thick enough to spread, cover and place in the refrigerator for an hour, or until it is firm enough to spread.

The kids always come home from school starving but they would never consider eating a whole apple..... that would be insane. So I try and find ways to incorporate this fruit into something that they would eat. Most of the time I cut them up and let them dip them in peanut butter and or honey but yesterday I decided to turn my apples into fritters. The kids didn't complain. How could they.... it was fried in oil and covered with sugar.

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup finely chopped apple
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Sift together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add milk and egg; beat until batter is smooth. Fold in chopped apple. Drop by teaspoonfuls into deep hot oil and fry for about 2 to 3 minutes, until nicely browned.
Mix confectioners' sugar and cinnamon. Drain well on paper towels then sprinkle cinnamon and confectioners' sugar on top.

My baking skills in general are lacking. I love to do a lot of improvising when it comes to cooking and I've found improvising is a huge drawback in baking. This is why I normally use cake mixes. They are so simple and even I can't screw it up. One night though I was really craving some chocolate cake but I had no cake mix and I wasn't in the mood to go to the store. I decided to try and make a cake from scratch and this time I would be careful to follow the instructions to the letter. I did a search for chocolate cakes and found the Hershey's web site. I knew that if Hershey's has a cake recipe it had to be good and it was. Now I make this recipe all the time. Sometimes chocolate cake makes everything all better.

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

Found this on Slashfood. Easy instructions and great taste.

1 1/4 cups water, warm (110F)
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
2 tbsp honey
1/2 cup quick-cooking (or whole) oats
2-3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
1 1/2 tsp salt

Combine 1/4 cup of the water with the yeast in a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer. Let stand for 5-10 minutes, until foamy. Stir in the rest of the water, honey, oats, salt and 1 1/2 cups of flour.

Using the dough hook attachment on the mixer or stirring by hand with a wooden spoon, mix the dough together. Add in the remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough comes together into a ball and pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl.

When the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, turn it out onto a lightly floured flat surface. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. Let dough rise until doubled in size.

Once it has risen, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press into a rectangle. Divide into eight equal pieces. To shape the buns, draw up the corners of each piece of dough and pinch together, forming a tight ball. Place, seam side down, on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place the balls about 2 inches apart so that they will gently touch as the bread rises and bakes. This gives the same "stuck together" effect as you get with the store bought rolls. Sprinkle the tops with a bit of extra oats or sesame seeds and let rise for 45 minutes, covered with a clean dishtowel, until almost doubled in size.

Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes, until dark gold. The rolls will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving. The rolls will soften slightly as they sit. These can also be used for sandwiches.

Makes 8 buns.

I couldn't walk past the southern Living July issue because of the picture of blackberry cobbler on it. I picked up some blackberries the other day at the farmers market and decided to try the recipe. It was very good but my guy still likes my other cobbler better.

Preheat oven to 375

Place 4 cups fresh blackberries in a lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish; sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. lemon juice. Stir together 1 large egg, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup all-purpose flour in a medium bowl until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle over fruit. Drizzle 6 Tbsp. melted butter over topping. Bake for 35 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream, if desired garnish with fresh mint sprig. Makes 6 servings.

My little girls favorite pie.

1 pint strawberries, stems cut out and berries cut in half
1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, rinsed, leafy ends removed, and cut into 1/2-inch slices; or tart apples, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 par-baked Flaky pie Crust

Shamey’s Crisp Topping

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 ounces (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped

Topping
1. Dump the flour and the brown sugar into the bowl of the food processor fitted with a metal blade, and pulse until they’re just integrated. Add the butter all at once, and use the pulse button to cut butter into flour. Stop pulsing when mixture is the texture of moist crumbs.
2. Remove the blade from food processor, and dump the crumbs into a big bowl. Add the oats and the nuts. Work them into the crumbs with your fingers until the topping is stuck together into big clumps. It should not be one whole ball of dough but more like . . . well, like crisp topping. Only not cooked.


1. Position your oven racks so that one is in the center, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Toss the strawberries, rhubarb, flour, sugar, and cinnamon together in a big bowl. Dump this mixture into your par-baked pie shell. Using your fingers, sprinkle Shamey’s topping over the fruit, taking care to cover its entire surface area, especially around the edges.
3. Place the pie on the center rack in the oven, and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until you see fruit juices bubbling up through the topping and down around the sides of the tart. You may want to place a baking sheet under the tart before you bake it to catch the spilled juices.
4. Remove the pie from the oven, and set it on a wire rack to cool slightly.

It's pumpkin time!!! The pumpkin is an amazing vegetable. It's been around for 7000 years and originated in central America but now is grown all over the world. When the early settlers were introduced to the pumpkin they used to hollow it out and fill it with milk, honey, and spices, and bake it. This was how the pumpkin pie was born. I like everything pumpkin but I really love pumpkin pancakes. I bought the halloween molds at Williams Sonoma and even though they are a pain to use they make these pancakes taste even better.

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
dash of salt
2 tsps baking soda
1 cup milk
2 Tbsps vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sour cream

Combine all ingredients. Batter will be lumpy. Spray grill with cooking spray. Bake pancakes on grill using medium heat until bubbles rise to the surface and edges are brown. Turn and bake until golden brown. Serve with Honey-Pecan butter. Serves two.

Honey-Pecan Butter:
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup honey

Spread pecans on baking sheet and toast in 350 degree oven for 8 minutes. Chop nuts in food processor or blender. Beat butter and honey together until smooth. Add pecans. Serve with Pumpkin Pancakes. Makes one cup.

Do I watch Oprah? Sometimes. I did watch it last week when she had her former personal chef Art Smith on. If it has anything to do with cooking I'll watch it. I just tried these biscuits the other night and they were good. I loved the goat cheese but I think you could use any kind of cheese.

2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) cold butter
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) goat cheese
1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk
Extra butter to grease pan and top biscuits
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Preheat your oven to 425°. Place one 10-inch cast iron pan into the oven while it is preheating. Place flour and salt into a medium-sized bowl. Cut in the butter and goat cheese. Make a well in the middle of the ingredients and pour in the milk. Stir until the mix is moistened, adding an extra tablespoon of milk if needed.

Remove the hot skillet from the oven and place a tablespoon of butter into it. When the butter has melted, drop 1/4 cupfuls of batter into the pan, (use a muffin scoop to drop the batter if you have one). Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter. Bake from 14–16 minutes until browned on the top and bottom. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Enjoy warm!

I've found what could be one of the best blogs ever...... The Pioneer Woman. This girl does everything. She cooks, gardens, takes fabulous pictures, and homeschool her kids, all while living on a ranch. I absolutely love her cooking section. She takes pictures of the step by step process of every recipe which make the posts not only stunningly beautiful but very helpful as well. I'll be bookmarking this site because I'm sure I'll be coming back to it often to get some good ideas and great entertainment.
This recipe is my first taste of TPW cooking and it quickly became a big hit with the family.

1 quart of whole milk
1 cup of vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 packages Active Dry Yeast
9 cups of all-purpose flour
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
1 "scant" (less than a full) teaspoon baking soda
1 heaping tablespoon of salt
4 cups butter
1 cup of sugar
generous sprinkling of cinnamon

Frosting
1 bag powdered sugar
2 teas maple flavoring
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup brewed coffee
1/8 teas salt


Mix 1 quart of whole milk, 1 cup of vegetable oil, and 1 cup of sugar in a pan.
"Scald" the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point.) Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in 2 packages Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute so the yeast gets all warm and moist and happy. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let sit for at least an hour. Now add 1 more cup of flour…
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder…1 "scant" (less than a full) teaspoon baking soda and 1 heaping tablespoon of salt. Stir mixture together. At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it—overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to splurge out of the pan, just punch it down.
Sprinkle surface generously with flour.
Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle.
Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Rectangle should increase in both width and length as you roll it out.
Now drizzle 1 1/2 to 2 cups melted butter over the dough.
Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter…followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon
Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Some of the butter/sugar/cinnamon mixture may ooze out toward the end, but that’s no big deal.
Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in seven round, foil cake or pie pans. Then begin cutting rolls approximately 3/4 to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. This recipe makes approximately seven pans of rolls.
Let the rolls sit for 20 to 30 minutes to rise, then bake at 400 degrees until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.
While the rolls are in the oven, make the deliciously sinful maple frosting.


To a mixing bowl, add 1 bag of powdered sugar.
To this, add about 2 teaspoons maple flavoring…
1/2 cup milk...
1/4 cup melted butter……and 1/4 cup of brewed coffee.
Also add 1/8 teaspoon (a generous pinch) salt.
The mixture should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed.