Cake Mix Bundt Cakes

• 1 box cake mix
• 1pkg instant pudding (optional)
• 1c. + 2TBS flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 1 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 1/3 c. butter, melted
• 1/3 c. vegetable oil
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 c. milk

TIP: Bring cold ingredients to room temp.

VARIATIONS

LEMON: lemon cake mix, lemon pudding, and add juice and zest of 2 lemons (approx 1/2c juice or 1c milk + lemon juice combined)

CHOCOLATE: chocolate cake mix, chocolate pudding mix, 6 TBS cocoa powder, and 1/2-1c chocolate chips

RED VELVET: red velvet cake mix, 2TBS cocoa powder, extra red dye (optional)

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Mix wet ingredients in separate bowl. Combine wet and dry.

Let the batter hydrate for 15mins. Prepare pan with baking spray and flour. Bake for 30-35 mins. Remove from oven and cover pan with foil. Cool for 10 min before removing. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate to cool before serving. 

Everyday Foccacia

 1 ¼-oz. envelope active dry yeast (about 2¼ tsp.) (7g)

2 1/2c luke warm water

2 tsp. honey

5 cups (625 g) all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. Morton kosher salt

6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for hands

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Flaky sea salt

Mix yeast, honey (or sugar), and warm water in a small bowl. Let sit until frothy (about 5 mins).

Add the flour and salt to a large bowl. Add the to the liquid mixture to the flour mix and stir until combined into a shaggy dough.

Pour 4TBS olive oil into a large container (you'll need room for dough to double in size). Pour the dough into the bowl and flip over so the oil coats the dough. Cover loosely with a lid or plastic wrap. Place in the fridge to rise over night (8-24hrs) or place on the counter for 4 hours (or until doubled).

When the dough has risen (it will be loose and sticky), use a fork to turn the dough by placing the fork under a section of the dough and folding that section from bottom over onto the top. Turn the bowl a 1/4 turn after each fold until the dough forms a loose ball shape.

Butter a 9x13 dish (if you want thicker pieces) or a baking sheet (for thinner pieces) with about 2TBS butter. Pour an additional 1TBS of olive oil to the bottom of the pan.

Pour the dough into the pan and rise again for 1 1/2 hours (or until doubled) in a warm spot. Remember to start preheating to your oven to 450-degrees about 20-30mins before you plan to bake your bread.

Once doubled, stretch the dough to fill the pan (if you are using a baking sheet, it will be thin, stretch as far or as little as you want), then poke/dimple the dough until it is covered. Pour an additional 1TBS olive oil over the top, then sprinkle with flaky salt (but I always just use coarse Kosher salt).

Bake for 20-30mins until golden-brown. (I use an instant read thermometer to check if the center is 190-degrees).

Optional: top with garlic/seasoned butter

Turkey Gravy

Based on Bon Appétit Good Gravy 

• 3 lb. turkey and/or chicken wings, flats and drumettes separated

• 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 2 heads of garlic, cut in half crosswise

• 1 onion, unpeeled, halved

• 1 4" piece ginger, thickly sliced

• 4 oz. white mushrooms, torn into large pieces

• 2 tsp. black peppercorns, lightly crushed

• 6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1/4 cup water
• 3Tbs apple juice
• 1.5 tsp tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon soy sauce

• Handful of parsley or parsley stems

• 6 cups turkey stock or low-sodium chicken broth, warmed

• 2 tsp. red wine vinegar

• 1 tsp. MSG

• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 450°. Toss wings in a large cast-iron skillet with 2 Tbsp. oil until coated. Roast, tossing halfway through, until golden brown and starting to crisp, 25–35 minutes.

Remove wings from oven and add garlic, shallots, ginger, mushrooms, peppercorns,
and remaining 2 Tbsp. oil to pan; toss to coat. Return to oven and roast, tossing
halfway through, until wings are deeply browned and crisp and vegetables
are browned, 30–40 minutes more.

Meanwhile, make a buerre manié by mashing together flour and butter in a small bowl with your fingers/fork until homogenous. Set aside.

Remove skillet from oven and set on stovetop over medium-high heat. Combine 1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup apple juice, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce and use in place of 1/2 c sherry (because I never have that) and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, until sherry is almost completely reduced, about 2 minutes.

Scrape wings and aromatics into a medium pot and add parsley and stock. Bring to a low simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer gently, skimming fat from surface occasionally and turning wings so both sides get a chance to be submerged, until liquid is flavorful, mahogany in color, and reduced by about one-third, 30–40 minutes.

Fish out wings; discard. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring glass; discard solids. Rinse out pot and pour turkey mixture back in. Bring to a simmer over medium. Whisking constantly, add reserved beurre manié and whisk until completely incorporated. Simmer, whisking often and skimming any foam from surface, until gravy is thick enough to coat a spoon, 6–8 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in vinegar and MSG. Taste gravy and season with salt and pepper if desired.
Do Ahead: Gravy (without vinegar and MSG) can be made 5 days ahead. Let cool, then cover and chill. Reheat over medium until simmering, then add vinegar and MSG.
x

Remove wings from oven and add garlic, shallots, ginger, mushrooms, peppercorns, and remaining 2 Tbsp. oil to pan; toss to coat. Return to oven and roast, tossing halfway through, until wings are deeply browned and crisp and vegetables are browned, 30–40 minutes more.

Paul's Birthday Cheesecake

 

• Crust
• 12 whole graham cracker, blended into crumbs
• 5 Tbs unsalted butter, melted

• 2 Tbs sugar
• pinch of salt

• Filling
• 2lbs full fat cream cheese
• 2 c sugar
• 3 Tbs flour
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ c full fat sour cream
• 6 eggs

• 
  
• Equipment
• Stand mixer
• 10" springform pan
• Roaster pan, large enough to hold the 10" pan (I use a large disposable roaster pan)
• Tin foil

• 
  
• 
  
• Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. 
• Move an oven rack to lower-middle of the oven.
• Wrap the springform in foil as best possible to prevent water from entering the cheesecake while it cooks in the water bath. A little water will likely seep in, but after it cools, it will just fine.
• Butter the inside of a 10" springform pan. 
• Heat several cups of water in a saucepan. (You will need several cups of boiling water before you put the cake in the oven for a water bath.)

• Crust:
•  Mix the graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, and salt in the springform pan, with your hands, until it feels like wet sand and hold together when pressed. Press the mixture evenly across the bottom of the pan and slightly up the sides.
• Bake for 10-minutes, until it smells toasty. Set aside.

• Filling:
•  Whip the cream cheese in a stand mixer, on med-high speed, until smooth (you can bring the cream cheese to room temp to make it easier, but just whipping it for a few minutes does just fine). 
• Add the sugar, flour, and salt and whip until combined. Scrape bottom and sides.
• Add vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sour cream. Mix on low-med speed until combined. Scrape bottom and sides.
• Mix on low, adding one egg at a time, mixing until each egg is combined before adding the next.  It might begin looking lumpy, but it will combine as you continue stirring. Scrape bottom and sides, making sure all the ingredients are mixed. 
• The batter should look thick and creamy. If you have small cream cheese lumps at this point, don't worry. They will blend when cooked. 
• Mix by hand a few times, scraping the sides and bottom.

• 
  
• Baking:
•  Pour the filling into the pan. Place the springform pan in the roaster, and gently pour the boiling water into the roaster, until the water is about 1" up the outside of the springform pan. 
• Bake for about 90 minutes, until the internal temp is 165-degrees. Turn off the oven and open the door. Let the cake cool for about 1 hour. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to cool. 

• 
  
• Helpful links:
• How to Make the Perfect Cheesecake from The Kitchn
• America's Test Kitchen Foolproof NY Cheesecake

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Egg Rolls

 Egg Rolls

Asian, Dinner

Description:

Taught by Siebert family to Karie Ludwig

Ingredients:

wonton skins

Filling Ingredients:

Carrots, shredded

Green onion, chopped

Vermicelli noodles (soften by pouring boiling water over the top)

cabbage, chopped

bean sprouts

garlic

soy sauce

sugar

salt

pepper

sesame oil

egg

ground chicken

Directions:

Mix filling ingredients together. Put a couple tablespoons of filling in wonton skins, roll up, and seal with water. Fry slowly on each side

Source: Karie Ludwig

Blue Ribbon Banana Bread

This is the banana bread from the Hawaiian cookbook that mom had.

• 3 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 Cup Butter or margarine, melted
• 1 1/2 Cups Sugar
• 2 Cups Flour
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• Pinch Cinnamon
• 2 Cups Bananas, sliced and firmly packed
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 2 Cups Walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two loaf bans. Beat eggs, oil, butter, and sugar for 2 minutes. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add bananas and vanilla and mix until bananas are mashed. Add nuts. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. remove from pans immediately and cool on a wire rack.

**For mango bread, substitute 2 cups drained mangos for the bananas and add 2 teaspoons cinnamon.

Big Overnight Sandwich

Recipe from Tastes from the Country: Ashby Family Cookbook

This is such a easy, super-filling, crowd-pleaser. I love that I can make it the night before and the leftovers keep super well. I'm always shocked at how it isn't mushy or soggy like you would imagine. 

Pickle Chicken Strips

Adapted from https://theskinnyishdish.com/skillet-pickle-chicken/

• Dill pickle juice + enough water to cover the chicken
• 5 chicken breast cut into strips
• 10 tbsp white flour
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp kosher salt divided
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 3 TBS vegetable oil divided

Brine the chicken in pickle juice and water for 8-10 hours.

Mix flour and spices (with only 1 tsp of salt) in a bowl and set aside.

Place chicken in a bag with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp veggie oil. Rub the oil and salt into the chicken. Add the flour mixture to the bag and toss until coated.

Heat about 2 tsp of veggie oil at a time (this will take a few rounds, since you need to give the chicken space to cook) in a med. heat cast iron pan, and cook chicken for about 4 mins per side or until cooked through. Rest the chicken for a few minutes before serving. 

Elote (Mexican Street Corn) Salad or Esquites

• 5 corn cobs (4 cups corn)
• Lime juice
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1/4 cup lite mayo
• 1/2 FF Greek yogurt
• Chipotle seasoning
• Cumin
• Garlic
• Cilantro
• Cotija cheese
• 
  
• Red Onion
• Bell Pepper
• Green Onions
• Jalapeño

Grill or roast corn until corn looks toasted and is crackling on the grill. Salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with lime juice. Cool the corn.

Chop any vegetables that you chose to add.

Mix mayo, yogurt, chipotle, garlic and cumin. Mix sauce, veggies, corn, cilantro, and cheese. Serve chilled.

Puerto Rican Pink Beans

Heat 
• 1 Tbs oil 

Add 
• 1 cube sofrito 

Add 
• 1 can pink bean 
• 1/2 can tomato sauce 
• 1 pkg Sazon 

Simmer 10-15 mins

Taste better the next day.

Sofrito

• 3-4 bell peppers 
• 3-4 onions 
• 1 head garlic 
• 1 bunch cilantro 
• 1 bunch culantro (or replace for an additional bunch of cilantro)

Add all of the ingredients into a blender and purée.

Freeze sofrito in ice cube trays.

Ruth's Rolls

 Grandma Ruth's Rolls (Ruth Ellis)

1. Combine the following in a microwave safe bowl:
1 stick butter
3 and 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 T salt
Microwave for 8 minutes. Stir and let sit until cool. 

2. Combine the following:
2 cup hot water, 4 T sugar
4 T yeast, let rise

3. In a stand mixer mix milk and yeast mixtures together. Add 4 beaten eggs.

4. Add 12 to13 cups of flour until dough is soft, squishy, and slightly sticky and pulls away from the edge of the mixer bowl. 

5. Put in a greased bowl and turn in so dough has oil on the top surface. Cover. Allow to rise in a warm place until doubled about 45 minutes. 

6. Punch dough down and let rise to double again.

7. Roll out and cut for rolls (or doughnuts or cinnamon rolls) then Let rise for another ½ hour on pans. 

8.Bake at 400 degrees for 12-13 minutes, until golden on top.

Pan de Muerto

Ingredients

Bread

• 2 1/4 tsp yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 tsp Orange Extract
• 1/4 cup Butter
• 1/2 tsp Anise Seeds
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups flour

Egg Wash

• 1 Egg yolk
• 2 tsp water

Orange Glaze

• 1/4 Cup Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Orange zest
• 3 Tbsp Juice from the orange

Directions

Mix together the eggs and warm water, on the stove melt the butter once melted add the sweetened condensed milk and let that warm up, once it is warm add to the water and egg and beat that together with one cup flour and yeast. Take the remaining flour and lay that on top of the yeast mixture and let that sit for about an hour.

After you have let the mixture sit add the salt and anise seed and the orange extract and mix together till the flour is wet, let this sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Kneed the dough for about 7 minutes, you may need to add a little more water you want the dough to be just slightly sticky. Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise till doubled in size about 30 minutes to an hour.

Punch dough down, and cut out 3 small balls from the loaf (about 1 tablespoon each). Roll out 2 of the dough balls to form the "bones" Shape the remaining dough into a round loaf. Gently press the bones on top of the loaf crossing each other to make an "X" roll the remaining small dough ball to form the skull and press down in the middle of the "X". Place loar onto a prepared baking sheet and allow to rise about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Brush the top of the loaf with egg wash, bake for 20 minutes.

You can start making the glaze by miking all the ingredients in a small sauce pan on a warm heat.

Remove the loaf from the oven and brush with the egg wash once more. Return to oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Brush on the orange glaze and cover with colored sugar (optional), return to oven for an additional 5 minutes. Serve warm or let cool. Best when eaten the same day prepared.

Tips

• You can shape the dough and cover it and let it do a cold rise in the fridge over night.
• You can shorten the rise times by boiling some water and putting it in the oven with the dough, when you do this you don't have to worry about covering the dough.

Virgin Mint Julep

Virgin Mint Julep

1 can lime concentrate
1 can lemonade concentrate
2-2 liter bottles fresca or lemon lime soda
1- 2 liter bottle of ginger ale
2 lemons squeezed
2 limes squeezed
pebbled ice
creme de menthe syrup to taste

 Mix all ingredients together except creme de menthe syrup. Laddle into cups and let each individual add the amount of creme de menthe to taste.
Fun and refreshing. Great to celebrate the Kentucky Derby with!

Pressure cooker Puerto Rican Pink beans...with a Brazilian twist

Puerto Rican beans and rice!

1. 1 pound dry pink beans (sorted and rinsed)
2. 4 slices bacon (or a whole pound of bacon) diced
3. 1 small-medium onion, diced
4. 5-6 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
5. 4 cups vegetable broth (can use chicken or beef, or even water instead)
6. 1 cup water (more if desired, for "soupier" beans)
7. 1 small can tomato sauce
8. 2 packages sazon seasoning
9. 4 sofito frozen cubes

in your pressure cooker saute bacon when almost done add chopped onion and garlic let cook for 3 more minutes. 

add the rest of the ingredients.

put lid on and place valve on closed and set pressure cooker on 60 minutes and let cook. Quick release the pressure cooker. Test beans for tenderness. If it needs more time, cook longer.  Serve over cooked rice

1. 
   

mmm mmm better brownies

Ky and Kristin's recipe for brownies (allrecipes.com). They say they are better and cheaper than boxed.

½ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

½ cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ Teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; gradually stir into the egg mixture until well blended. Stir in walnuts, if desired. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
2. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the brownie begins to pull away from edges of pan. Let cool on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

Kristin says it tastes best with butter. Ky 3x’s this recipe and bakes in a cookie sheet pan.

Sharon's Buttermilk Brownies

2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups flour
4 Tablespoons cocoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick butter or margarine
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Sift sugar, flour, and cocoa. Bring the water, butter and oil to a boil. Let cool slightly and then pour over dry ingredients. Whisk until creamy. Mix buttermilk and baking soda together and then mix it in with the batter. Add the eggs and mix. Add the nuts if desired. Pour into a greased and floured 11x17" baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 18 to 25 minutes. While still warm, frost with the following:

Buttermilk Brownie Frosting

Boil:  1 stick butter
         1/4 cup cocoa
         1/3 cup buttermilk
Add:  1 teaspoon vanilla
         1 pound powdered sugar
         dash of salt.

Frozen cranberry salad

I package cranberries (ground up)
1 can crushed pineapple (drain some of the juice)
1 cup sugar
1 package mini marshmallows

chill above ingredients in fridge for 1 hour.

Then whip one pint of whipping cream fold into mixture pour into mold and freeze. let thaw 45 min before serving, un-mold serve.

Ambrosia

Serves: 6-8

1 (8 oz.) tub of whipped topping, thawed

1 cup sour cream

1 (20 oz.) can pineapple tidbits, drained well

1 (15 oz.) can mandarin orange segments, drained well

1 cup red or green seedless grapes, sliced in half (optional)

1½ cups sweetened coconut flakes

1½ cups mini marshmallows

1 (10 oz.) jar of maraschino cherry halves, drained very well

1.    In a medium bowl, combine whipped topping and sour cream.

2.    Add in coconut flakes and marshmallows.

3.    Then gently fold in pineapple, mandarin oranges, grapes and maraschino cherries and nuts (if using).

4.    Once combined, put some plastic wrap on it or put it in a bowl with a lid and refrigerate for about an hour before serving.

Cherry Bars

These are really yummy!

This is made like a bar cookie but tastes like a pastry.

1 cup butter
1 3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups flour
1 large can cherry pie filling*

*you may substitute any flavor pie filling.

 Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each one. Add vanilla, baking powder, flour. Mix well. Put 2/3 of batter in 11x17 pan and spread evenly. Spread pie filling over the top. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls over top of pie filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. top with powdered sugar icing (using almond flavoring in icing).

Icing
1/3 cup melted butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon Almond extract
2-4 Tablespoons hot water
mix and drizzle over cherry bars