Old Fashion Glazed Applesauce Cake

                                                                       

What a delightfully moist cake loaded with spices. This reminds me of a cake my Grandma Miller would have made! 

1&1/2 Cups of Sugar

1 Cup Shortening

2&1/2 Cups Applesauce, if using unsweetened add 1/2 Cup more sugar to the recipe

1 TSP Vanilla

1 TSP Cloves

1 TSP Allspice

2 TSP Cinnamon

1/4 TSP Nutmeg

1 TSP Ginger

4 TSP Baking Soda

1 TSP Salt

4 Cups Flour

Optional: 1 Cup Chopped Walnuts, Pecans or Raisins  I did not use them this time!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Beat Sugar, shortening, Vanilla  & Applesauce all together, it will be lumpy, no worries, it will be just fine. Stir all dry together (not the raisins or nuts) then slowly add dry to the applesauce mixture beating on low speed until all is combined. Then beat on high until well blended.  Now stir in by hand any of your options you choose, use nuts & raisins if you like! Once all is combined pour or spoon mixture into a bundt, angelfood cake, or a 9x13 UNGREASED pan!  Bake 45 minutes up to 1 hour test by inserting a clean knife or toothpick into the baked cake. No wet better on the knife or pick means the cake is done. Remove from oven & let cool 10 minutes then dump out that cake onto your serving plate. Immediately brush liberally with the following glaze that is still hot from the stove.

GLAZE: 

1/3 Cup Butter

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 TSP Vanilla

Dash of Salt

Melt butter on the stove in a heavy saucepan, Stir in sugar & vanilla. Now add just enough hot water until you get a syrupy texture glaze. Add about 2 TBS of the water doing 1 TBS at a time until it is like pancake syrup thickness! Now brush on the cake with a pastry brush or spoon over the cake. Once cake is cool this glaze gives a sweet crunch to each bite! It should, it is my glazed donut glaze recipe! As you all know I just love my glaze! Options instead of glaze could be Vanilla Frosting, or dust with powdered sugar, or just leave the cake plain with no topping! Vanilla Ice Cream along side this cake or a dollop of whipped cream would be nice too!

Cinnamon & Sugar Blonde Brownies

                                                                           

Why haven't I created these long before this is beyond me! After Chocolate, Cinnamon is my next all time favorite flavor. These are full of sweet & spicy, with a nice chewy brownie texture. OH, warm with some vanilla ice cream would be perfect! But just as they are, these Blonde Brownies are spectacular!

This recipes make a 9x13 inch pan of goodness!

3/4 Cup Butter Melted

2 Eggs Beaten

2 Teaspoons Vanila

1 & 1/2 Cup Sugar

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Salt

2 Cups Flour

2 Tsp Cinnamon
Additional options, stir in 1 cup of your favorite, chopped nuts, coconut for you coconut lover, raisins, Cinnamon Chips or White Chocolate Chips

5 TBS Sugar to sprinkle over the top

3 Tsp Cinnamon to Sprinkle over the top

Spray a 9x13 pan with baking spray & pre heat your oven to 350 degrees

Now, stir all the dry ingredients together except for the cinnamon & sugar to sprinkle over the top. Now into your dry ingredients add the beaten eggs, vanilla, & the melted butter. Stir until well blended. This will have the consistency of wet sand but sticks together! Now pat it into your prepared pan. Now either stir the cinnamon & sugar together & sprinkle it over the top or  do like I did & sprinkle the sugar over the top then sprinkle the cinnamon over the sugar. Bake 30 to 35 minutes! Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or at roon temperature. Sweet Cinnamon & Sugar Goodies! 

Pure Temptation Brownies

                                                                         

Oh boy oh boy! Look at these bad boys! Loaded with morsels of goodness! & Foodies you cheat with these brownies! Start with a box mix & JAZZ IT UP!

1, 9x13  Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix

2/3 Cup Melted Butter

2 Large Eggs 

1/4 Cup water

1, 3.6 Ounce Box Of Godiva Dark Chocolate Instant Pudding

Dump everything in a bowl & stir until mixed well. Now add 1/2 Cup of each of the following,

Reeses Peanut Butter Chips

Nestle's Toll House Chocolate Caramel Baking Morsels

Nestles White Chocolate Baking Morsels

Nestles Milk Chocolate Baking Morsels

Stir those in until well blended

Spray the bottom of a 9x13 pan the spoon in your brownie batter. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 28 minutes! PERFECTION IN GOODNESS!

Chocolate Chip & Peanuts Cookies

                                                                         

BIG, CHEWY, packed with goodness!

2/3 Cup Softened Butter

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

3 Eggs

2 TSP Vanilla

1 TSP Baking Powder

1 TSP Baking Soda

1 TSP Salt

3 Cups Flour

2 Heaping Cups of Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Chips

1 Heaping Cup of Granulated Peanuts, or chopped would be ok too!

Cream the butter, add the sugars & beat until fluffy. Now, add the eggs & vanilla & beat again. In a large bowl stir the flour, salt, baking powder, & baking soda until well combined. Now slowly beat into your butter mixture. Once well beaten stir in the chocolate chips & peanuts. Spoon out in large dollops onto your cookie sheets & bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from sheets & let cool if you can but they are always so tempting right out of the oven. These store very well & recipe makes 4 dozen 3 inch across cookies!

Cheddar Brussels Sprouts

                                                                           

Sauteed fresh Brussels Sprouts with gooey Cheddar Cheese, a very easy side dish & festive too!

1 Pound Fresh Sprouts washed, stem end cut off & then cut in 1/2

3 TBS Butter

1 to 2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Sea Salt to Taste

Course Fresh Cracked Blacked Pepper to taste

In a heavy sauce pan melt the butter. Add sprouts, season with salt & pepper& saute for about 15 minutes stirring often, until sprouts have changed to bright green in color with some outer leaves turn a nice brown. Now cover with as much cheese as you like, turn off the heat , cover with a lid until cheese is melted about 3 minutes. Plate up! 

Chocolate Fudge, Peanut Butter Bundt Cake

                                                                           

Rich Chocolate Fudge Cake with a Peanut Butter yummy filling, then topped with Chocolate Ganache & drizzled with more Peanut Butter! & best part yet, you cheat with this recipe!

1 Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix

1 3.4 Ounce Box Chocolate Instant Pudding, I used Godiva.

4 Eggs

1 Cup Plain Yogurt

1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil

1/2 Cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips + 2 Tablespoons

In a large mixing bowl add cake mix, the pudding mix,eggs, yogurt, & oil beat until smooth. Fold in the 1/2 cup + 2 TBS chocolate chips. Pour 1/2 the batter into a well sprayed Bundt pan. Set aside the rest of the batter & now mix up that amazing filling.

FILLING: 

1/4 Cup Soft Butter

1/3 Cup Peanut Butter

4 Ounces Softened Cream Cheese

3 TBS Sugar

1 Large Egg beaten

1/2 Cup Flour

Dash of Salt

1/4 Cup Milk

1 TSP Vanilla
2 TBS Chocolate Chips
1/4 Cup Peanut Butter Chips

Cream the butter, peanut butter, & cheese together. Add sugar & egg & beat again. Add flour & salt & beat again . Add milk & vanilla & beat again. Now fold in the peanut butter chips & the remaining chocolate chips. Back to your bundt pan make a trench in the chocolate batter & spoon in the peanut butter batter. Cover the peanut butter batter with the rest of the chocolate batter. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes test cake to be sure no wet batter comes out on your cake tester. Once baked set out to cool for 10 minutes then invert onto a plate, the cake slides right out! Cool cmpletely & now make that topping!

CHOCOLATE GANACHE:

8 OZ Semi Sweet Baking Chocolate broken up into pieces.

4 TBS Butter

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream

Heat over medium low heat in a heavy sauce pan the chocolate & the butter stirring the whole time. Once melted & smooth whisk in the heavy cream until you have thick chocolate heavenly gloss! Spoon liberally over the cooled cake.

PEANUT BUTTER DRIZZLE

1/3 Cup Peanut Butter heat in microwave on medium power for 45 seconds. Peanut Butter will be runny & just right to drizzle over that chocolate! Once drizzled I sprinkled chopped peanuts over the cake. You could sprinkle with chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, chopped up Reeses Peanut Butter Cups or let the toppings cool & sprinkle with chocolate curls. YUMMERS!

Tastes Like Grandma's Chicken Casserole, Oven or Crock Pot

                                                                           

This tastes & smells like it did back in the day when you went to Grandma's for Sunday dinner, remember? Only this is no fuss & no muss cooking! Bake in the oven or throw it in the crock-pot while you are at work, come home to heavenly aroma of a ready to eat delicious dish! I served this with fresh steamed asparagus & hot buttery crusty bread!

2 or 3 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

1/2 lb. ready to eat raw baby carrots

6 Large Baking Potatoes peeled & quartered

1 Onion Peeled & chopped

1, 10 ounce Can Campbell's Cream Of Celery Soup or use any cream soup you like

1, 12 Jar Heinz Home Made Chicken Gravy

1 TBS Parsley

Pepper to Taste

If baking in the oven use a large glass baking pan 9x13 at least. Lay the carrots around the edge then the potatoes, lay the raw, thawed chicken breast, in the center. Layer the onions over everything. In a bowl stir together the soup & the jar of gravy. Now spoon that over everything. Sprinkle with the parsley. Cover with foil & bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour & 45 minutes. Remove from oven, plate up & dig in!

Crock-Pot: Layer everything just like above only in your Crock-Pot. Cook on high 6 hours or on low for 8!