1920's Waldorf Astoria Red Velvet Cake as per Cake Central

                                                                              

This is what this AMAZING cake presents itself as once completed! ASTOUNDING CAKE!


 3 oz. Unsweetened Chocolate Chopped
2 Cups Sugar
4 Large Eggs
1 & 1/2 Cups Vegetable Oil
1 & !/2 Tsp. Vanilla
2 Cups Flour
2 & 1/4 Tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 Tsp. Salt
1 & 1/2 Lbs. Sliced Canned Beets Drained & Pureed ( YUP but do NOT let it SCARE you)
1 Tsp. Red Food Coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 3, 9 inch cake rounds OR 1 large Lasagna Glass pan with Baking Spray or grease & flour them.
Melt chocolate in microwave on medium heat about 30 seconds . In a large mixing bowl beat, sugar, oil, eggs & vanilla on low for 2 minutes. In another bowl sift your dry ingredients together & then slowly beat them into your batter. Scrapes sides down often . Now add melted chocolate while beating on low. While beating add your pureed beets & red food coloring. Beat until well combined. Divide batter into your prepared pans & bake 20 to 25 minutes or until cake springs back or toothpick inserted comes out clean. The large oblong pan will take longer at least 30 minutes up to 45 minutes. I have only made my cakes in rounds except for my large Angel Food Cake but baking time will have to be considered for the depth of the pan so watch carefully & check every 10 minutes. If using rounds let cool 10 minutes in pans then dump out & let cool completely. Frost with the following frosting.


Waldorf Astoria Red Velvet Cake Frosting
2 Cups Heavy Cream
12 oz. Cream Cheese brought to room temp
12 oz. Mascarpone .Cheese
1/2 Tsp Vanilla
1 & 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
Pour cream into small bowl & whip until you have soft peaks. Refrigerate. Put cream cheese in large bowl & beat until soft & smooth. Add Mascarpone cheese & beat until combined. Add vanilla & powdered sugar & beat until combined. Turn off mixer & now fold in your whipped cream with a spatula. Keep in refrigerator until you are ready to frost your cake. Once frosted you will need to keep this cake in the refrigerator because of the frosting. If you decide you need cake to be kept our frost with the following marshmallow frosting . The cheese frosting is LUCIOUS & try to use it but the marshmallow frosting is WONDERFUL too !

Judys' Marshmallow Frosting
1 Stick Butter Softened
1 Cup Shortening
3 Cups Marshmallow Fluff
6 Cups Powdered Sugar
1/2 Cup to 1 Cup Milk
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Tsp. Vanilla
Beat butter fluffy in large bowl. Add shortening & beat again until fluffy. Slowly add 1/2 of the powdered sugar with about 1/4 cup of the milk along with vanilla & salt. Add fluff & beat well slowly adding the remaining sugar & as much milk as you need to get a nice thick fluffy frosting. You might need to play with the amounts to get it where you want it. You may always add more sugar, milk or fluff. HAVE FUN & it is DELICIOUS & can be used for Whoopie Pie Filling too!

Beefalicious Stew!

                                   
2 LBS. Black Angus Beef Tips
2 TBS. Olive Oil
2 TBS. Worcestershire Sauce
3 Large Cooking Onions
1 LB. Baby Carrots
1 Large Can Diced Tomatoes
8 Large All Purpose Poatoes
1 TSP. Garlic Powder  
1 TSP. Onion Powder
2 TBS. Parsley Flakes
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/4 Cup Cornstarch
Brown beef tips in large deep pan in the olive oil along with Worcestershire sauce. Get them good & brown but do not let them get over done or dry. Just get the outside of the tips brown , medium high heat works best. Once nicely brown add onion to the pot & cook until onion is slightly browned. Now add all of the tomatoes + the juice & enough water to fill pot 3/4 full about 8 cups. Dump in baby carrots & the remaining seasoning. I wait to add salt & pepper until stew is done & I can taste to judge what I want to add. While this starts to simmer in the broth peel & dice potatoes in 1 inch dice. Dump in potatoes & let stew simmer covered stirring every so often to prevent sticking. Let simmer at least one hour but even longer is better. When potatoes & carrots are soft mix cornstarch with 1 cup of water & stir in to bubbling stew to thicken. Serve with a nice hot crusty bread.  This will serve 6 large portions. Recipe could be cut in half but this taste even better the second or third day so I always make a big pot !                                                         

Fresh Peach Crumb Pie

                                                                              

Crust Ingredients
2 cups Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
2 tsp. Sugar
2/3 cup COLD Butter
4 to 5 TBS. COLD WATER
Stir all dry ingredients together. Cut in butter & mix until you get fine crumbs. I use a pastry cutter but a fork works too. Stir in water until just combined . Flour surface & roll out dough. Use in your favorite recipes. If using crust in a meat pie leave out sugar.
For Blind Baking line pan with crust , trim & crimp edges. Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. This stops your pie crust from being soggy!  Save your trimmings & leftover crust for Roly Polys'; recipe at end of this pie recipe!

                                                                            

PEACH FILLING
8 Large Very Ripe Peaches peeled, pitted & sliced in thin slices. ( immediately put slices in bowl with the fresh lemon juice so they do not brown).
1 Lemon juiced up to 1 & 1/2 TBS.
3/4 Sugar
1/4 cup Flour heaping
Dash of Salt
2 Tsp. Cinnamon
1 Tsp. Vanilla
Stir all ingredients gently into peaches. Mix just until combined. Pour into your BLIND baked crust.

                                                                             

CRUMB TOPPING
1 Cup Flour
3/4 Sugar
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Tsp. Salt
4 TBS. Butter
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
Stir all dry ingredients together. Cut in butter to make crumbs. Spread crumb mixture of peach filling. Sprinkle with more cinnamon. Bake 45 Minutes at 375 Degrees. Pie should be browned & bubbling ! Let cool & serve to SMILING FACES !

                    Late night pie attack snacker ! But when there is pie, why not ?                                                                                                                                  

ROLY POLYS'
Leftover unbaked pie crust. Roll out into oblong shape as this as you can. Spread with melted butter use as much as you need to cover surface with a generous portion. Sprinkle liberally with sugar & cinnamon. Roll up & slice in 1 & 1/2 inch wide rolls. Bake sitting up in your pan. Sprinkle tops with sugar before baking. I usually bake these with the pie I am making ! Bake just until brown about 25 minutes. DELICIOUS & Old Fashioned treat!                          

                                                                           

"Nilla" Peach Jam

4 Cups of Fresh Very Ripe Peaches, peeled, pitted & chopped fine
Juice from one fresh Lemon no more than 2 TBS.
5 & 1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Box Sure Jell ( it ALWAYS sets & it is the only one I use) !
Place prepared peaches & lemon juice in deep heavy saucepan. Mash with a potato masher to break up peaches.  Cook on high while stirring till you get a full rolling boil. Stir in Sure Jell. Continue cooking & stirring until full rolling boil comes back. Dump in all the sugar at once & cook & stir . As soon as you get a full rolling boil time it for one minute . At one minute of stirring & cooking add vanilla & stir well. Remove from heat & chill or process in prepared jars as per directions on Sure Jell package. Full directions are on my blueberry jam recipe & you would follow those exact directions to can this jam as well! Next time I think I will add cinnamon to this recipe because I love peaches with vanilla & cinnamon but I wanted to try just the vanilla flavor this time.





                                                                              

Pepperoni Pasta Salad

1 Lbs. Elbow macaroni cooked according to directions but add frozen vegetables for the last 3 minutes of cooking time.
1 Bag 1lbs. California style vegetables added to elbows during the last 3 minutes of cooking.
Drain the above well.
In large bowl add the above + remaining ingredients
1, 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes , do not drain
2 ribs celery chopped
1/2 cup diced sweet onion
1 bell pepper chopped
1/2 of a 14 oz. bottle of your favorite Italian dressing
1/2 lb. Sandwich Pepperoni chopped into large pieces
Stir well & chill overnight. before serving stir in 1/2 cup of Feta Cheese or your favorite cheese as you desire!
1/2 cup Feta cheese                                                    

The Devil Made me do it Brownies ( Yes they are THAT sinful) !

                                                                              

1 & 1/3 Cup Butter Softened.
2 & 2/3 Cup Sugar
4 Eggs
3 Tsp. Vanilla
2 cup Flour
1 cup Cocoa
1/2 Tsp salt
12 unwrapped Reeses Peanut Butter Cups CHOPPED in large chunks. If you freeze these before chopping it is easier & less messy. OR one heaping cup of your FAV candy chopped or if M&Ms leave whole!
9 x 13 Pan Greased

Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees.

                                                                                 

Beat butter till fluffy. Add Sugar & beat again until fluffy.  Add eggs & beat once again until fluffy ! Add vanilla & beat. Sift all dry ingredients. Slowly beat into butter mixture. Beat so all is incorporated & you have a nice FLUFFY batter ! Yes FLUFFY is the word on these ! Mix in your chopped peanut butter cups & make sure they are evenly distributed throughout your batter. Spoon into prepared pan & smooth out surface. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool & dust with powdered sugar if you desire ! NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART these are KILLER BROWNIES ! Mine took 50 minutes to bake but my oven is a "slow" oven ! Test them, batter should be moist & gooey with peanut butter but DONE ! They should puff up on top ! Bake just till done DO NOT OVER BAKE !

                                                                              

                                                                                  
These are VERY MOIST, CHOCOLATY & FULL OF CHUNKS OF PEANUT BUTTER GOODNESS from the REESES PEANUT BUTTER CUPS ! As I mixed these up I could here Flip Wilson saying " Oh No You Didn't Honey & The Devil Made Me Do it in his Geraldine voice so that is why I named them " The Devil Made Me Do It Brownies ! + They are just simply SINFUL !

Lucious Peach Clafouti

                                                                               
5 Eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 cup sour cream
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
dash of salt
2 large peaches peeled & sliced
cinnamon
powdered sugar


Beat eggs, add sugar & beat again. Add sour cream & milk beat. Add vanilla & beat. Add flour while beating & add the dash of salt. Beat well. Pour into a glass deep dish pie pan or deep casserole baking dish. Layer peaches on top of batter. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake 375 degrees for 1/2 hour. Let cool slightly. Sprinkle to with powdered sugar & serve warm ! Never tried Clafouti before but can NOT wait to try this. SMELLS SO GOOD it is baking as I blog ! So much easier than pie ! I will let you ALL know how it is after we tasted it! But the house smells PEACHY GOOD! Mine took 45 minutes to bake. Let it puff up & lightly brown.

                             SO DELICIOUS ! Warm silky custard with juicy peaches ! 
                             This is OH SO VERY GOOD COLD TOO!