Neapolitan Cake **EASY BEGINNER RECIPE**

This is the cake for my last babies first birthday!  I started making my own cakes for my kids when my first daughter was two.  My logic is, the one thing they remember is usually the cake and what it looked like.  It is the star of the spread.  Why would I want to outsource that?  I do not do that with any other "star" at any other big event.  I then started doing some youtubing for simple cake decorating techniques and how to use certain tips.  Then I was blessed with a huge cake decorating kit from a dear friend who did not wish to decorate cakes any longer AND my mother in law has been passing on her cake pans that she no longer uses.  I have quite a supply.  But, you do not have to have a ton of stuff to decorate your own cakes. A simple starter kit is perfect!  Those can be picked up at any arts store or cake supply store and they always have a coupon. 

This year I am doing a great cake that is ideal for starting out. In this situation I have two cakes, a large half sheet and a round.  The half sheet for the guests and the round for my baby girl.  I am also keeping the large cake in the pan because I am incorporating it.  I highly recommend doing this if you can.  You can always do one smaller one for a "showy" piece. But my experience, people seem to love a cake that tastes great and looks cute and you do not have to be the Ace Of Cakes to accomplish this. 

This cake is a Neapolitan cake (Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry).  DONT FREAK OUT! You do not have to bake 10 cakes and cut them and layer them.  This is not a PINTEREST all star recipe.  This is a busy mom who want to take something simple and make it special. 

STEP 1:  But 3 boxes of cake mix. (I purchased chocolate, strawberry and vanilla) but you can use any kind you wish.  My tip is to keep the mix of the same brand.  The recipes will not be too far off and the cook times are usually the same.

STEP 2:  Start mixing the lightest color first. LOT OF TIP HERE.
          TIP 1:  Hand mix with a wisk.  Over mixed cake batter can ruin a cake in my opinion.  Everything needs to be incorporated but not beaten half to death.
         TIP 2:  Add more extract to the cakes.  If you can get flavored extracts they are worth the investment.  They always brighten cakes and you can even use them in things like boxed brownie mixes or cookies.  For white I used vanilla.  Strawberry, strawberry of course.  And there is not a chocolate extract.  So move on to step 3.
         TIP 3:  Instant Coffee is chocolate cakes best friend!  This stuff sends you cake over the top.  I do not drink instant coffee, so I just buy the pre portioned to go packs of instant coffee.  Folgers has them and even starbucks.  One pack per cake mix or recipe.
        
STEP 3:  Make sure you have well greased and floured cake pan. Make sure you do the flouring.  To do this you just grease the pan with non stick spray, butter or oil.  Then dust it with flour and roll and tap the pan to make sure it works around to stick on the greases surface.
         TIP: Just buy bakers joy (a spray that has flour and greasing agent) OR Wilton's Cake Release. 

STEP 4:  I have a large half sheet pan that I use, however, you can use two smaller pans for this recipe.  However you decide to do it, divide the batter according to the pan sizes. 

For the large pan I put white on one side and strawberry on the other.  Do not worry about the blending.  Cake batter is too dense to blend.  To keep it on one side to start, simply tilt the pan SLIGHTLY.

 

For the round cake, I put the white cake around the edges and the strawberry in the middle. 

This is about one cup of batter each, maybe just a smidge more.  

 

Adding the chocolate is not difficult.  For the larger cake I wanted to marble it a bit.  I just poured the chocolate batter down the line of the strawberry and white.  Afterwards, I simply used a spoon and drug the chocolate batter through the other flavors.  Again, you do not have to worry about one coloring taking over because cake batter is too dense for that.

 

The circle cake can be done the same way or you can simply and gently spread the chocolate batter over the top and gently spread it out.  It is totally up to you.  The only way the batters will combine in a non marble way is if you physically blend them or your batter was too thin, which is nearly impossible if you follow box cake instructions.

 

There really is no limit as to how you can do this.  Just be creative. 

 

When it cooks, It will NOT blend together.  It should actually look a lot like it did before you stuck it in the oven.

See....the same, minus the whole I put in the center to check for doneness. 

 

I am not going to decorate for this post, but here are some tips about basic cake baking and readiness that works for me.

 

TIP 1:  Always set you timer and set it for 10-15 minutes prior to the recommended bake time.

TIP 2:  If you can smell it, check it. 

TIP 3: When you check it, if it does not look runny in the center then check it.

TIP 4:  A cake is ready when you insert a toothpick, skewer or butter knife into the center and it comes out with a little crumb on it.  If it is wet it is not done. 

TIP 5:  There is no shame in serving cake in the pan. Especially if it is a large cake. 

TIP 6: I am a big fan of the boxed cake BUT Make your own icing!  I will post a blog later on with picture how to's and a very simple icing recipe. 

 





 

Use What You Have, Donuts!

 

 

 

This is a definite, use what you have recipe.  I started doing this from time to time after watching a Paula Deen show.  In hers she just made donuts out of the biscuits by cutting a hole in the middle and then fried them.  I like donut holes because they serve a wider range of fun necessities!

First of all, kids.  My oldest loves it when I make things "her size" and is more apt to help me in the kitchen.

Second, entertaining.  This is a fun thing to do for a quick dessert for guests.  You can serve them glazed or as I intend to, with a chocolate fondue that they can dip them in.  **If you do the fondue thing, still glaze them.**

 

 

First is the biscuits.  Yes, biscuits.  These are regular store bought biscuit dough.  I like Pillsbury Grands because I think they cook up best in the oven.  That means I always have them on hand.  If you like another store bought biscuit dough then by all means use it.  I cannot say that one works better.  Here is when it is totally all up to you.  You can do as I mentioned earlier and just cut a hole out of the center and fry up large donuts or you can find a small biscuit cutter or donut hole maker...or in my case, a child's medicine cup, and make small circles out of the dough.

 

You need to get your oil hot.  I used veg oil in my cast iron dutch oven and heated the oil on med-high heat.  Then I let it stay on med heat once I get frying.  I do not use a gauge to determine the temp. I just look for little bubble and then I test one. 

 

These guys fry up quickly!  Seconds! So make sure you flip them as soon as you see brown edges.  The second side will cook even faster.  They cook fast and they do not muck up your oil, this was taken when I was nearly done. 

 

Take them out and drain them on a paper towel.  Do not leave them here too long.  Put them from the towel into the glaze.

The glaze is just 2-3 cups of powdered sugar.

1/4-1/2 cup of milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

 

There is a variance of sugar to milk because it will be based on what you want.  If you want a thick coat then use less, if you want a nice slick glaze then go with the higher amount.

When you are done in the glaze then put them on a cookie rack with a paper towel under it.

 

 

  Here I have one of the finished donuts.  I wanted to show you the center of it.  If you are anything like me then you probably worry about the middle of something if it cooks really fast.  Well, in this case, it is perfectly flaky and done!

You can store these in a plastic container once they are cooled completely.  These are glazed and cooled and ready to store. 

I have no clue about the shelf life, but I would say that it would be great to last for desert and then breakfast or vice versa. 

 

Just to note here, you do not have to glaze them. If you want them plain then they should be very good with a nice jam or with some fresh fruit.



Fried Green Tomatoes, The Traditional Way

This recipe came about because a dear friend told me that she had a Fried Green Tomato BLT as an appetizer and I immediately started thinking about the old school fry method my father taught me when I was much younger and thought I would share it. 

To do this right you will need to plan and start in the morning or the night before. 

Step One:  The Tomato
What is a green tomato and where do I find it?
These are items best found off your own tomato plant, which is where I found mine.  However, if you do not grow tomatoes you can ask a friend who does or hit a farmers market--sometimes a grocery store will carry them.  The best ones are firm and are light green.  A light green tomato is one that hasn't started turning red yet but it is not newly formed. The greener the tomato the younger it is. The lighter the tomato the closer it is to turning ripe.  Do not use a tomato that is very green OR one that has even one spot of red or orange on it. 

Why green tomatoes and not red?
You can fry red tomatoes if you want.  I do not recommend it.  Red tomatoes have a high water content and can make fry time lethal!  Green tomatoes have less water content, the stay firmer than red ones and they can stand up to a brine.  Well, what I call a brine.

I have green tomatoes now what do I do?
You need to slice them about 1/2 and inch thick.  I find that they stay together better and fry better at this thickness.  But do it according to your taste. 

Once you slice them, put them in a colander and salt them liberally with kosher salt.  I put a bowl under them to catch the liquid.  The goal here is to get as much liquid out of the tomato as possible.  I strongly recommend that you do this first thing in the morning. 

Once you get a fair amount of liquid out or 30 minutes before you get ready to fry them you can rinse them and lay them out on a paper towel to dry.  It is important that they are drained, rinsed and dried before you start.  If not you will have issues with the breading sticking and the fry process.

I ended up with about a cup of liquid from this batch.

 

Step Two:  The Fat

 

The way my dad learned was traditional and the way he taught me was traditional.  Country cooking was the first type of cooking I was taught.  The first lesson was, plan your day.  If you are planning on cooking country for dinner then your breakfast is going to have the same essence.

 

The morning you want to make these appetizers you are going to need to render your fat.  For this recipe I use bacon grease.  Why?  Well, when we do the breading there will be nothing fancy in it.  In a country kitchen they did not have a lot of access to the spice cabinet that we have today.  So they flavored through their fat, their sauces and of course by doing the simple skill of salt and peppering your naked food before cooking.

 

I made two packs of bacon (12 oz packages).  I like apple wood smoked bacon.  It has a great flavor.  Bacon fat has salt in it, so I will not need to add salt at all later.  I made bacon for dinner and reserved the rest for later.  Since my country delights will be served on lettuce leaves I needed to make sure they were well drained. 

 

If you retain bacon fat during the year as you cook then you can use that and forgo the bacon and just make fried green tomatoes.  But you need to make sure that you have enough bacon fat.  I got enough to line the bottom of the skillet. 

 

If you need more fat, which you will, you can do the old school approach and add some lard OR shortening (the modern old school way).  I will be adding shortening to mine today.  I cannot tell you how much because the amount of rendered fat and the vessel size will make the difference. 

 

I am frying in my dutch oven.  So I am making sure that I have enough fat in the dutch oven to be about 2 inches high.  Just enough to give it a place to float and not stick to the bottom. 

 

You can pan fry these if you want but it I do not prefer that method.



 

Bacon Tip:  When skillet frying bacon take it out as soon as it gets a shade of brown slightly less than your preference.  Bacon grease still stick on the bacon so it will continue to cook for a minute or two when you pull it out. 

 

If I had to guess, this batch of bacon probably rendered a cup of bacon grease.  The amount will be based off of the kind of bacon you use.  Regardless of the amount, I do not recommend using more bacon than you will use for the appetizers and breakfast. You can always add shortening. 

 

You can just use vegetable oil or canola oil instead of animal fat.  As I mentioned before, this how to is more about the old school way of cooking. 

 

Step Three: The Dredge

 

I used flour for bowl one and panko for bowl two.

 

 You can also use cornmeal or flour or a mix of the two.  If you mix the two mix them 50/50. 

If you want to get fancy you can add spices or use a prepackaged fry mix.  Since I plan on salt and peppering the tomato I am not going to add anything to the dry.  I also use self rising flour when I fry with flour. You can use all purpose, but self rising fries better.

 

You will need to create a dredge station.  It is three bowls.

Bowl 1 is the flour

Bowl 2 is two eggs beaten with a bit of milk or butter milk.  Not a lot just a smidgen.

Bowl 3 is the panko.

 

Usually you will go from bowl 1 to 2 to 3.  But in my experience it works better if you go.

 

Bowl 2 to 1 to 2 to 3.  I feel the batter sticks better this way.

 

You may have to pat it on.

 

DO NOT DREDGE UNTIL JUST BEFORE YOU ARE READY TO FRY!  This is important.  If you do it too soon the egg will totally take over the dredge and the final outcome is not pretty. 

 

Step Four: The Fry

Some people use a thermometer. I never was taught that way so I never use it.  But, once you commit to putting hot grease on your stove top you should not walk away from it! 

 

DO NOT start your grease on high heat.  Keep it med to high.  I set it on 6 1/2 on my dial. You will have a more consistent temperature. 

 

To  tell if you oil is read toss a sprinkle of the dredge in the oil.  If it pops and fizzles and starts to float it is ready.  If there is no real reaction then it is too cold.  If the oil is smoking it is too hot. Depending on how much you are going to fry you may end up with smoking oil.  Just turn it down a little.

 

**The three on the right are flour and the rest are panko.  **

 

Once your oil is ready put only a couple tomatoes in the fry.  Use the end pieces of the tomato first, just in case you discover the oil is not ready.  Then you will not ruin the bigger pieces. 

 

Fry until they are golden brown on both sides.  Remove it and then place them on a cookie rack to drain. 

 

THE COOKIE RACK: Spray this with cooking spray and then put paper towels under it to catch the grease.  By just putting the final fried tomato on a paper towel it will sit in its own grease and make the tomato soggy.  This way the grease will drain and the tomato will not turn into a soggy mess.

 

Step Five:  Serve

When I served this I did it as a platter with one assembled.  This will give everyone a chance to put their own together the way they want.  I also add what is known as "fry sauce" which is just a mayo ketchup mixture.  This makes a great appetizer and you can make them a short time in advance and serve them room temp or keep them warm in the oven.  You can also pull them together right out of the fryer.  It is totally up to you. 

 

 

 

I hope that you will try your hand at traditional frying at least once.  It is a skill worth knowing, even if you will not use it daily.  And it is a good way to remind yourself of how blessed we are to have access to such wonderful and diverse ingredients in our local grocery!

 

 

Sopapillas--Easier than you think!

I have a sweetie of a friend, Julie, who is also a Spanish teacher.  She is stuck making these for school demos.  She brought the stuff over here last week for our Concord Girls group and shared them with us. 

If you have never had these delights they are a lot like a donut or a beignet that you would see in New Orleans area.  They are the same concept, fried dough topped with something.  In this case we topped with powdered sugar and honey. 

So, here is the super simple recipe! This is ideal if you homeschool and want a ethnic food thing or if you just love these yummy delights!

INGREDIENTS
2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 Tbs. shortening
1 Tbs. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup warm water
oil for fying (can use your deep fryer)

1.  Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and alt.  Cut in shortening. Stir in water until combined. Knead for 2 minutes, adding more flour if needed.  Let dough rest in a covered bowl for 25 minutes.

2.  Roll dough on lightly floured surface until 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into diamond shaped pieces.

3.  Pour oil to 2 inches depth in saucepan or electric skillet (or deep fryer).  Heat to 400 degrees.  Add two pieces of dough at a time and cook until puffed. (We used my dutch oven and added up to 4 pieces).  Turn with tongs to brown the other side.  Put in paper towel lined bowl to drain.

4.  Serve warm with butter, honey, cinnamon-sugar or powdered sugar.

Eyes of Texas Casserole

What I am about to share with you is a dish that is FAR from healthy, but it is oh so good!  This is one that is a once a month or once a year dish!  My sweet friend, Frances made this for our Concord Girls group last week and it is just sinful.

First of all, YES, the top is charred and it is supposed to be that way.  You would not think that it would be good that way but it is ADDICTIVE.

Second of all, this can be a gluten free recipe very easily since the star is Doritos and they are gluten free.  Just pay attention to the other ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

1 can (15 1/4 oz) of jalapeno pinto beans
2 lbs ground beef
1 chopped onion
1 can (10oz) tomatoes w/ green chilies
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can mild enchilada sauce
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 package of cheese doritos

Brown the meat and the onion.
Add the canned ingredients.
Layer: MEAT-DORITOS-CHEESE in 13x9 inch pan.
Top with Doritos sticking straight up like spikes!
Bake at 350 for 35 minutes
The Doritos will blacken on the tips and that is supposed to happen.  Just make it this way the first time and try it. You will see it is ADDICTIVE!

Frances said that you can amp the heat any direction.  You can leave out the beans or use regular pinto beans if you are dealing with a crowd that is not into spice.  You can also use HOT enchilada sauce as well. 

Another tip from Frances was, when reheating it, do that in the oven but top with more Doritos spiked on the top. 

Shrimp Fra Diavolo--CONCORD GIRLS RECIPE!

I host a bible study/dinner at my house each week in the summer time.  We all bring something to share and we usually have a theme night.  It is a lot of fun!  Our group is nicknamed "Concord Girls" and we are in our third year, and MAN have we had some tasty recipes at our table!  I am kicking myself for not sharing them here until now, but this summer I hope to post some of our favorites this, starting with this gem....(my picture did not come out, the one below looks the part and is from Google images.  There was no photo credit with it otherwise I would post it.  However, it is from Cooking Channel website.  I will post a picture of mine next time I make it)

SHRIMP FRA DIAVOLO
(This recipe is for a party of 8-12 so adjust accordingly)

Ingredients

3 pounds of large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Olive Oil
Cajun Seasoning (to taste)
Kosher Salt (to taste)
Sugar (to taste)
2 Large Shallots Diced
10 cloves of garlic minced (I am heavy on garlic because our crowd LOVES it, you can adjust this)
2 CUPS Dry White Wine
2 Cans (15 oz) of tomatoes (I use Hunts Fire Roasted)
1 Can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 1/2 Pounds of Pasta Of Choice--I use Angel Hair Pasta

Step 1:  Toss shrimp in the Cajun seasoning.  Cook in a Dutch oven or large skillet with about 2-3 TBS of olive oil for aprox one min on each side.  I did mine in three batches.  After shrimp is pink on both sides remove it and set it aside.  DO NOT cook shrimp beyond just making it pink on each side or you will end up overcooking it!

Step 1 Part 2:  GET A LARGE POT OF WATER STARTED FOR PASTA!

Step 2: Cook the shallots in the same Dutch oven/skillet until translucent.

Step 3:  Add tomato sauce and tomatoes with juices, wine, garlic, oregano, and basil to the pot. Bring to a low boil. 

Step 4:  TASTE!  Then add your salt and pepper a little at a time!  If the sauce tastes bitter then add sugar--1 Tablespoon at a time.  Each time you taste and add a little stir it in well and let it hang out for about five minutes and then taste again.  If you need more then just repeat until you reach the taste desired for your taste buds.  You can add things like cayenne here too if you want more heat. 

**I add the step to taste because like most fruits and veggies canned tomatoes have different degrees of sweetness and acidity.  Each can may taste differently.  This is a big reason why when people follow recipes to the letter for sauces that they do not always come out the same each time.  That being said, Step 4 is the most important step! 

Step 5:  Once it is to taste, let it go at a low boil for about 10-15 minutes so it will thicken a little.  This will NOT be a dense sauce like spaghetti sauce.

Step 6:  Add shrimp back to the Dutch Oven/Skillet.  COVER AND TURN THE HEAT OFF!!  You want to reheat the shrimp and NOT cook it any longer.  If you do the shrimp will be tough!

Step 7:  The water in your large pot should be boiling, add your pasta and cook it according to pasta directions for al dente. 

Step 8:  Toss pasta into the sauce and mix well.  (I left the pasta separate and it was not pretty, so make sure you toss the pasta in the sauce or at least pour it over top of the pasta in a large serving bowl.)

Step 9:  You can toss with cheeses of choice if you would like as well. 

TIPS:
* YOU CAN MAKE THIS IN ADVANCE! I had some left over and it actually tasted much better the next day.  Mind you, it was really yummy the day of!  If you plan on doing this in advance DO NOT store it with your pasta! Make your pasta before you serve it.  I say the same if you want to keep some for lunch the next day, store the two separately but reheat them together. 

* You can change the shrimp out for another meat, such as chicken or meatballs or sausage. 

* For a twist use sausage and put it over some rice! 

* You can use minced in the jar garlic if you hate chopping garlic.  I usually keep that stuff on hand at all times because I find dealing with garlic a pain the in the rear. The jar stuff is great and it has garlic juice in it as well that you can use if you need just a smidgen of garlic for a recipe. 

*  If you want your sauce thicker then you can add some tomato paste.  I would do a TBS at a time until you get the thickness you desire.  Just keep in mind that this loose sauce is meant to be absorbed by the pasta and not stick to it. 

*  ADD YOUR PASTA TO THE SAUCE WHILE BOTH ARE HOT!  (if you are reheating a lunch portion, mix the two and microwave together).  The sauce will absorb a lot of the liquid.

* IF YOU USE FRESH HERBS, make sure you multiply what you would use dried by 3.  Dried herbs are more intense than fresh.  I find with sauces that dried works better and the fresh is a great garnish. 

* IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT ANYTIME YOU USE CANNED TOMATOES (home canned or store canned) that you bring them to a boil for at least five minutes before you eat them.  This is more so for home canned, but it is best to keep this in mind each time you use tomatoes.

* TASTE TASTE TASTE!!  Make sure you taste this and ANY sauce or gravy as you prepare it.  Sauce and gravy recipes should always be treated as a guideline.  Your taste buds should always be a component in sauce making!  That is the only way to know for sure when a sauce is done.  If it tastes good to you and you would eat it then it is ready to serve, if not then do not put it on your table.

Banana Split Cookies--FUN with cookies!

 

 

Platters...something that looks complicated but it is really only as complicated as you make it.  When I was working, I would sign up for desserts and make platters of a variety of different items with a different degree of sweetness.  You have something that can cater to nearly every taste bud, is portable and people are not hesitant to take home if there are any left overs. 

 

The picture above is a very simple brownie and cookie platter that I made for a reunion this week.  I say simple because I have just two items on it.  In this case both were baked by me.  One is from a box/pinterest recipe (the brownies) and the other is a from scratch cookie (recipe below).  If I wanted to expand this platter I would probably add a few items on here that were store bought or something that is wonderful to eat naturally with a little help (like chocolate/candy covered berries). 

 

The focus on this blog today, is the cookie recipe.  The cookies came about as a happy accident.  I was making a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and one of the ingredients was mixed up and then BAM, I created what I now call, Banana Split Cookies. After the happy accident, I added and changed a couple of things and created a pretty tasty cookie.  My husband is a man that does not have much of a sweet tooth and he will ask for these.  It is just a good twist on something familiar.

 

I hope that you enjoy! I have included some of my cookie tips.  I hope that it helps you have fun with cookies! 

 

Ingredients:

 

2 1/4 Cups of Flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup of butter (please use butter when possible in baking, it really makes a difference)

1/4 cup of granulated sugar

3/4 cup of brown sugar

1 tsp REAL vanilla (I like bourbon based vanilla)

1/2 tsp all spice (can use cinnamon or nutmeg)

1 pack of INSTANT BANANA PUDDING NOT PREPARED

2 Eggs

1 pack of 12 oz semi sweet or dark chocolate chips

1 cup nuts (I use the inexpensive nut topping blend which is usually put on ice cream)

 

Step 1:  Cream butter and two sugars

Step 2:  Add eggs and vanilla and pudding and all spice

Step 3:  Add flour and baking soda 1/3 at a time

Step 4:  Add chips and nuts

Step 5:  Place dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

Step 6:  Bake cookies in a 350 oven for 8-10 minutes

Step 7:  Take out of the oven (they will look a bit underdone) and let them sit on the pan for 5 minutes

Step 8:  Remove cookies and place on cooling rack

Step 9:  Store in an air tight container or put out to serve

 

COOKIE TIPS:

 

I use a Wilton cookie scoop and with that I make about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.  Just keep the cookie dough consistent in size before baking.  If it is smaller or larger than a rounded tablespoon make sure you adjust the cooking time. 

 

All Spice may seem strange but I find that all spice or cinnamon or nutmeg really enhances the ingredients and makes the dark/semi sweet chocolate pop!  I try to add a pinch anytime I am baking anything that has chocolate.

 

You can also change the pudding flavor.  Example, if you want to make chocolate cookies but are lacking in cocoa powder, use chocolate instant pudding.  It is not as intense as the powder but it still tastes yummy.

 

If you like pistachios then use pistachio pudding and add some of the nut and then chocolate chips.  It will save you a mint on the nuts because you will not need as many nuts to get the flavor.

 

You can really have fun with just changing the pudding mixes and the extract flavors.

 

Yep, you can change extract flavors too to incorporate a fun twist as well! 

 

The point is, you can create something new and fun by simply using a solid cookie recipe and switching a few flavor components.  Give it a shot and have fun!