Congo Squares

There is a tea room in Fredericksburg, Texas that is named the Peach Tree Tea Room. It is a lovely place with the most delicious food. They have a gift shop and sell their family cookbooks. I was lucky enough pick up a 'like new' copy of one recently. There are some great recipes in there. I happened to have all the ingredients for this one and decided try this recipe. It's another keeper for sure.

CHRIS' CONGO BARS
1 cup melted butter
2-1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup pecans, chopped and toasted
1 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter and pour over the brown sugar. Let this set while you measure the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the eggs gradually to the butter mixture and beat well. Add vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients. Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool before cutting.

Bake Sale

My small community is having a bake sale today to raise funds for the Heritage Society. They do it the weekend of Mother's Day. Maybe someone will buy something so their mom doesn't have to cook. I made a few things to take over to the bank this morning. There were some beautiful goodies there for sale. In addition to taking my Lemon Jello Cake I took the following things for the sale.

NEVER ENDING CHOCOLATE CAKE
(Cake Mix Doctor recipe)

1 (18.25 oz) chocolate cake mix
1 (3.9 oz.) package dark fudge instant pudding mix
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate syrup
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
4 eggs
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, syrup, coffee crystals, and eggs. Beat on low speed to blend, then beat on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Gently stir in chocolate chips and pour batter into greased and floured bundt cake pan.

Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour or until cake tester comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto cooling rack. Because of time constraints I just sprinkled powdered sugar. It can also be glazed as follows.

To make it look extra special, drizzle white over the dark chocolate glaze. It adds just a little extra something to the appearance of the cake.

Chocolate Glaze

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup evaporated milk

Combine chocolate and milk in small saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat until blended and mixture comes to a boil. Lower heat and cook, stirring constantly until thickened.

White Chocolate Glaze

Place 1/2 cup white chips and 1/2 teaspoon shortening (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil) in small heavy seal-top plastic bag. Microwave at high for 45 seconds. Squeeze gently. If necessary, microwave an additional 10 to 15 seconds; squeeze until chips are melted. Make small diagonal cut in one bottom corner of bag; squeeze mixture onto cake as directed.

BANANAS & CREAM CAKE
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
2 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup toasted pecans

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Stir in vanilla and bananas. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to banana mixture alternately with sour cream. Stir in nuts. Pour into a greased and floured 10" bundt pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees for 50 minutes or tests done with toothpick. Cool, then dust with powdered sugar before serving.

CINNAMON SWIRL BREAD
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x5x3 loaf pan. Mix 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon together and set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and remaining 1 cup sugar in a large bowl. Combine egg, milk and oil and add to flour mixture. Stir by hand just until moistened. Pour half the batter into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining batter and cinnamon mixture, then draw a knife through batter to marble. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove and cool on a wire rack. Wrap and store bread overnight before slicing.

First Place

Well, I did it - I took first prize for my entry. I was really surprised. I won a really nice basket full of all kinds of kitchen things. We had a nice picnic. The weather was really warm and muggy, but we were under some nice trees with a bit of a breeze. I worked the 'fruit table' and filled bowls with melon, strawberries, bananas and grapes. I didn't think the line would ever end! I think my eyes are sunburned! It was really nice to win though. Our company also gave us Coleman lanterns and a $50 WalMart gift card for the upcoming hurricane season. Thank you Gulf Coast Center.

Spring Fling

This is the entry I'm taking to the picnic. I am so nitpicky (is that even a word?) I don't think this is a winner on taste, but maybe I'll get points for presentation! I made this bread back in December and I think it is a good bread -- maybe not great for a competition though. Jamaican Jungle Bread. Maybe next year I'll help organize the event and take the pressure off myself (although doing that part is hard work too). We'll see how it goes.

Mississippi Mud Bread

So, our annual company picnic (Spring Fling) is today. We enjoy barbecue, competitive volleyball, and competitive ping pong at one of our facilities which is actually a ranch. The smack talk gets pretty wild amongst the teams over who will win volleyball, but that is often nothing compared to the competition of the 'bake-off'. Last year's category was chocolate cake and I won first place. This year's category is quick breads. I have been off for a few days and have been 'practicing' some different recipes. When using my trusty Google, I came across this website Recipes for Everyday Cooking that had so many quick breads, surely there would be a winner in there. Here is one I made yesterday. It is very good. Whether or not a winner, this recipe is a definite keeper.

MISSISSIPPI MUD BREAD

2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk (I used buttermilk)
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 teaspoons instant coffee granules
1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds

Beat together first 5 ingredients until well blended. Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla. Combine and add the remaining ingredients and stir until dry ingredients are just moistened. Pour batter into a 9 x 5 loaf pan that has been greased. (Recipe calls for 4 mini-loaf pans. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 55-60 minutes or until cake tester inserted in middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans for 15 minutes then remove and finish cooling on a rack. When cool, drizzle on Chocolate Coffee Glaze.

Chocolate Coffee Glaze:

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
3 tablespoons chopped toasted almonds

Stir together until blended. Drizzles over bread and sprinkle almonds.

How to Peel a Potato

I haven't had an occasion to cook anything lately. While browsing around on a food message board this week I came across this You Tube video done by Dawn Wells (Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island) on how to peel a potato. It's pretty amazing. How to Peel a Potato.

Happy Easter!

When I was married, my late mother-in-law would make homemade yeast rolls for Easter. Although I do have her handwritten recipe, I am very challenged when it comes to making yeast breads. My sister tells me she makes refrigerator rolls, but her recipe was made with 5 pounds of flour! I went in search of an easy recipe and found this one. I 'practiced' last week and these turned out really easy and tasted good. Sadly, today for Easter dinner they did not turn out as good as these did -- bah! They really are easy though and worth trying again and again until I get it perfect.

NO FAIL REFRIGERATOR ROLLS

Mix together 1 egg, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup sugar

Dissolve 1 packet yeast in 2 cups lukewarm water

Combine the egg mixture and the yeast mixture.

Stir in 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I actually used Gold Medal Better for Bread flour)

Mix well.

Stir in 2-1/2 more cups of flour.

Mix well.

Add 3 tablespoons melted shortening or butter.

Stir again until all flour is incorporated. Let rise until doubled. Stir down and refrigerate. About and hour and half before you want to serve the rolls form into rolls and place into a greased pan. Let rise. Bake at 350 until golden -- about 14 minutes. This dough will last up to a week in the refrigerator.

Glazed Lemon Bread

I seem to be on a lemon kick these days with my baking. I needed something small to make for a friend's birthday who did not want a big fuss over a cake, so I'm hoping a few slices of this might work. For some reason this sunk in the middle but it didn't affect the taste. It could have been because in between baking this I was having a stand down with a gecko in my kitchen. He didn't have a nice accent like the Geico gecko, or I would have let him stay......:o)

GLAZED LEMON BREAD

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 stick butter, melted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Glaze:
Juice of 1 large lemon
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Grease and flour a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and lemon zest in a bowl. In another bowl mix eggs, melted butter, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes until golden brown and knife inserted in middle comes out clean. Leave in pan.

Prepare glaze by combining sugar and lemon juice in a pan and heating on medium heat until sugar is dissolved.

Poke holes in bread and drizzle glaze over bread while still in the pan. Leave in pan for about 15 minutes until glaze is soaked in. Remove from pan and let finish cooling.

Mexican Chicken Cornbread Bake

I have an abundance of church/school fundraiser cookbooks. This recipe appears in several of them, so I have had it on my to-try list for a while.

MEXICAN CHICKEN CORNBREAD BAKE

1 stick butter
1 onion, finely chopped (I used half of a large one)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained (I used the Mexicorn with black beans in it)
1 (15 ounce) can cream-style corn
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 (8.5 ounce) package corn bread mix (I don't care for the sweetness of Jiffy, but I found Martha White and used that)

2 large boneless, skinless chikcen breasts boiled and cut into pieces
1 small jar canned green chiles, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup (can use cream of chicken or cream of celery)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (8 ounce) package Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (I like it spicy so I used half pepper jack and half cheddar)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 9x13 inch baking dish. Melt butter and saute onion and garlic until tender, about 4 to 6 minutes; set aside. In another bowl, combine drained whole kernel corn, cream style corn, salt and eggs. Beat in muffin mix. Fold in cooked onion mixture. Pour into prepared baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, green chiles, soup, sour cream, salt and pepper. Spoon over corn mixture to within 1 inch from edge. Sprinkle top with cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. This is even better the second day.

Lemon Sugar Cookies

There's a cookie sale being held at work for a fund raiser in the next couple of weeks. I was asked to make some cookies for the event.

LEMON SUGAR COOKIES

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Lemon sugar mixture:
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup sugar
Pulse in a small food processor until mixed together

Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice until blended well. In another bowl mix flour, salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Add to wet mixture. Chill dough for at least an hour.

Take about a tablespoon of chilled dough and roll into balls about the size of a walnut. Using a fork dipped into lemon sugar mixture, press down the cookie dough until flat. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until just lightly browned. Note: These cookies spread quite a bit so don't crowd on the cookie sheet.

Chocolate Pound Cake

CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups butter (3 sticks), softened
2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
5 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a bundt pan using butter or spray and set aside. Mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, at least 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time and stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternating with the dissolved coffee and buttermilk. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes then turn out onto a plate and cool.

Glaze:

1/2 stick butter, melted
3 tablespoons milk
2 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

Mix together with a mixer and pour over cake. Can scatter a few pecans over.

Lemon Jello Cake

I made a few cakes this weekend to take to a memorial for a dear friend/coworker who I had worked with for over 30 years. It was a beautiful service and I'm so happy we were able to honor him with such beautiful memories. As was said in his service, Namaste George.

LEMON JELLO CAKE

Cake:

1 yellow cake mix

1 package (3 oz.) lemon Jello

3/4 cup oil

3/4 cup water

4 eggs

Glaze:
Juice of 2 lemons
1 cup powdered sugar

Beat cake mix, dry Jello, oil, water and eggs for 5 minutes with mixer. Pour into a greased bundt pan (or 9 x 13). Bake at 350 degrees for 38-43 minutes. While cake is baking, combine juice of 2 lemons with powdered sugar. When cake is just out of oven, use a fork and make many holes in cake all over. Pour lemon juice mixture over cake.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

I love going to the library. I was a 'library kid' growing up. I worked in the library when I was in high school. One of my first jobs out of high school was working in a public library in Jefferson City, Missouri. I love the smell of books and love going in used book stores too. As exciting as the electronic world is and as awesome as the Kindle sounds, I still think I'd prefer to have a real book to turn the pages and enjoy. When I go to the library I usually get a book on CD to have in my car, see what new books have come in, and also check out a cookbook. This past week's cookbook I checked out was The Best of Country Cooking published by Reiman (who do Taste of Home magazine -- one of my favorites). This recipe looked good so I gave it a try. I took it over to a friend's house who didn't mind that I had taken a piece out for the photo.

RASPBERRY CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE

COFFEE CAKE:
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract (I used vanilla)

FILLING:
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup raspberry jam

TOPPING:
1/2 cup sliced almonds added to reserved crumb mixture

Combine flour and sugar, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Remove 1 cup crumbs for topping. To remaining crumb mixture add baking powder, soda, salt, sour cream, egg, and almond or vanilla extract. Blend well. (This will be like a moist pie dough). Spread batter over bottom and 2 inches up the sides of a greased and floured 9 inch springform pan. For filling, combine cream cheese, sugar and egg. Blend well. Pour over batter in pan. Carefully spoon jam over cream cheese filling. Combine reserved 1 cup of crumb mixture with 1/2 cup slivered almonds. Bake at 350 for about 55-60 minutes or until cream cheese filling is set and crust is a deep golden brown. Cool 15 minutes. Remove sides of pan. Refrigerate leftovers.

Pecan Praline Cake

Another birthday at work this week. I found this recipe on Cooks.com. Not a great presentation, but we served it with ice cream and there were no complaints.

PECAN PRALINE CAKE

2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla

Warm buttermilk and butter together in a small pan. Put in mixing bowl. Add sugar and eggs. Beat thoroughly. Add dry ingredients mixed together. Beat well. Add vanilla. Bake in greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

ICING:
1 stick butter, melted
6 tablespoons milk
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecans, chopped

Mix all ingredients. As soon as cake is done, spread mixture on top of cake. Turn oven on broil. Place cake on bottom rack in oven and cook until icing bubbles and is a light brown. This takes only a few minutes.

Oatmeal Cookies

I read Anna's Cookie Madness blog every day. No doubt, if a blog is titled Cookie Madness, then surely the cookies will be great. This recipe for oatmeal cookies was posted the other day and I had the ingredients on hand so gave them a try. They are very good. I had hired someone this weekend to do some projects around the house and gave him some for his hard work. Following is the recipe as I made them.

OATMEAL COOKIES

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup chopped pecans (toasted)

Beat the first 6 ingredients (shortening through vanilla) together in a mixing bowl. Combine flour, salt, cinnamon, soda, and oats. Add pecans. Stir dry ingredients into creamed mixture. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or grease cookie sheets. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls spacing 2 inches apart and bake at 350 degrees 15 minutes. I used a cookie scoop and got 3-1/2 dozen cookies.