Apple Pudding Cake

Oven 350°
Serves 12

Cake:
1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts
5 golden delicious apples, peeled and diced

Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup cream
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp vanilla

Cake: Mix sugar, butter and eggs well. Sift the soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour together and add to the sugar mixture. Add nuts and apple. This mixture will be very thick! Pour into 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40
minutes.

Sauce: Bring butter, sugars, cream and flour to a boil in medium sauce pan on medium heat, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Boil for at least 2 minutes and up to about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Drizzle over the each square of cake before serving.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes and Chocolate Mousse Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

I'm still working on making them look pretty but it's surprisingly easy to make them look decent.

Oven 350°
Makes 30

Cupcakes
1 pkg. (18.25 oz) chocolate cake mix
1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) chocolate instant pudding
1 cup milk
½ cup sour cream
4 large eggs
2 cups (1 12-oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Place cupcake holders in two 12-opening pans. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, milk, sour cream and eggs in large mixer bowl. Beat on low speed just until blended. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Stir in morsels. Pour into prepared baking cups filling each about ⅔ full. Bake for 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Remove cups from pan to wire rack to cool completely. Bake remaining cupcakes in the same manner.

Peanut Butter Frosting
(Courtesy of Wilton)

1/3 C. shortening
1/3 C. butter
3/4 C. peanut butter
1 t. vanilla
4 C. powdered sugar
4 - 6 T. milk

Cream shortening and butter together. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing between each addition. Add milk one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Fill a ziploc sandwich baggie with frosting and seal closed. (The more full it is, the harder it is to manipulate the bag so don't worry about stuffing it full.) Cut off about ¼“ of one of the bottom corners and squeeze frosting out onto the cupcake in spirals.


Chocolate Mousse Frosting

2 C. heavy whipping cream
3 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 C. powdered sugar

Measure chocolate chips out into a big mixing bowl. In a sauce pan, bring cream to a boil over medium heat. Pour over chocolate chips. Stir to blend the chocolate until it is mixed with the cream. Let it cool in the refrigerator. When it is completely cool, whip like you would whipping cream. Add powdered sugar and continue to whip until desired thickness is reached. Fill a ziploc sandwich baggie with frosting and seal closed. Cut off about ¼“ of one of the bottom corners and squeeze frosting out onto the cupcake in spirals.

Spanish Eggs

Oven 350°
Serves 12

16 eggs
2 cups milk
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
8 to 16 ounces cooked breakfast meat (sausage, ham or bacon)
1 bunch of chopped green onions

Mix all ingredients and pour into lightly greased 9 x 13 inch pan or baking dish. Bake at 350° uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes. Serve with sour cream and salsa on the side.

Buttercream Frosting

Makes 3 cups stiff icing

½ cup solid vegetable shortening
½ cup butter, softened but not melted
1 lb. confectioners sugar (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream shortening and butter. Add sugar, milk and vanilla. Blend on medium speed until all ingredients are mixed well. Blend a minute or two more until creamy in texture. If using a hand mixer and icing is not creamy, use high speed or add more milk a drop at at time. This icing can be refrigerated in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

Fruit Salad Cake

Oven 350º

1 white cake mix baked as directed in a 9x13 pan
1 16-oz. container Cool Whip, thawed
3 - 4 lbs. fresh strawberries, sliced and lightly sugared
3 kiwis, sliced
8 oz. blueberries

Mix sliced fruit in a large bowl. Once the cake is cooled, break the cake into pieces and layer a punch bowl or similar sized bowl as follows: one layer of cake bits, one layer of Cool Whip, one layer of fruit. Continue to layer the bowl until you have used all your ingredients. For the top layer of fruit, arrange artistically.

Bratten's Clam Chowder

(Serves 8)

1 cup celery, finely chopped
1 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cups diced potatoes
2 6½-oz. cans minced clams and juice
¾ cup butter
¾ cup flour
1 quart half-and-half
1½ teaspoon salt
pepper
2 Tablespoons vinegar


Drain juice from clams and pour over vegetables in small saucepan. Add enough water to barely cover and simmer until barely tender. Melt butter and add flour. Cook stirring constantly. Add milk and stir until thick. Add undrained vegetables and clams and vinegar. Heat. Add salt and pepper.

Salsa Chicken

(Serves 4 to 6)

1¼ cups chicken bouillon
2 cups prepared salsa, your choice of mild, medium or hot
4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup shedded cheddar or Mexican cheese
2 to 3 cups cooked rice

Cover bottom of slow cooker with chicken bouillon. Layer three pieces of chicken. Cover with the rest of the bouillon and the rest of the chicken. Pour salsa over chicken. Cover and cook 4 to 6 hours on low until tender but not dry. Serve chicken spooning extra salsa over rice. Garnish with cheese before serving.

Olive Garden Bread Sticks

Oven 375º
Makes 12

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1½ teaspoons salt
2¾ to 3 cups bread flour

¼ cup margarine, melted
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
garlic bread sprinkle (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, oil, salt and 1 cup of the flour. Beat until blended. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 - 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down; return to bowl. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Cut dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each into a stick about 10 inches long. Lay on greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Combined margarine, garlic salt and garlic powder and brush each bread stick. Sprinkle with garlic bread sprinkle if desired. Bake at 375º for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Pepperoni Bread

Oven 375º
Serves 6

2½ cups flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon yeast
1 cup warm water
¾ lb. provolone cheese, sliced
½ lb. pepperoni
1 egg, beaten

Soften yeast in warm water. Mix dough in mixer combining flour, sugar, salt, oil and yeast/water. Let rise for 30 minutes. Divide dough in half. Roll out each half, layer with cheese slices and pepperoni. Roll up like a jelly roll tucking ends under. Place onto greased cookie sheet. Brush with egg. Let rise 30 minutes. Bake at 375º for 30 minutes.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Serves 6

3 boneless, skinned chicken breasts
6 cups water (you may need to add more water as it boils off)
1 teaspoon cilantro
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon mace
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon thyme
½ cup celery, chopped
½ cup carrots, chopped
8 cups egg noodles, cooked

Boil chicken in water with spices and cook for 30 minutes. Add celery and carrots and continue to cook for 15 minutes more. Remove chicken from water and cut into ½-cubes. Stir back into broth with cooked noodles. (You can cook the noodles in the broth after you take the chicken out but it makes the soup frothy.)