New Cake Recipe

Hi All,

Just wanted to check in a share an old, new recipe with everyone.  It is a cake I made yesterday and it was a hit here at my house.  It is chocolatly, sweet and very good.  But of course i love chocolate covered cherries so this cake was just right.  I call it Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake and the recipe is oh so easy.


Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake

1 box of Betty Crocker Cherry Chip Cake Mix
1 can of cherry pie filling (pulse slightly in food processor to break of cherries)
2 eggs slightly beaten
2 T. of butter melted
1 12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix all together, spread in a 9 x 12 greased cake pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.  Test to see if it is done, bake more if needed.  Let cool before frosting.

I use the Wilton butter cream frosting recipe except I used cherry extract instead of vanilla.  I also colored it pink (my favorite color).

Give it a try.  It is so good.

Well I am going to close.  Thanks for stopping by here in Nana's kitchen and visiting.  You are always welcome to stop by, stop anytime.  Let me know it you give the recipe a try.  Enjoy the pictures.

Love, hugs and God bless you,
Janet

Before

Warm out of the oven.

Frosted

Busy September

Hi Everyone,

I hope all of your are enjoying the beginning of the fall season.  Fall is a beautiful time of the year and it is also a very busy time.  This month I have been doing some baking, which I love to do, and I wanted to share some of the recipes and pictures with all of you.

Spicy Caramel Apple Cupcake

This is so easy and taste just like fall.  Take one spice cake mix, substitute 1 cup of apple juice for the 1 cup of water.  Mix and bake according to package directions.  Make an apple compote using macintoch apples, peeled, cored and chopped small.  Mix with desired amount of brown sugar, cinnamon and apple juice and cook until slightly thickened, let cool.  Once the cupcakes are cooled, core a small hole in the top and fill with the apple compote.  Top with caramel butter cream frosting, (I use the Wilton butter cream recipe and I substitute caramel extract for the vanilla). Drizzle each cupcake with caramel sauce and sprinkle finely chopped pecans.  Yummmmy!  They were a hit at our Ladies Bible Study as well as the church office.

Orange/Strawberry Cupcakes

Here is another easy recipe.  Mix an orange cupcake mix substituting orange juice for the water and mix and bake according to package directions.  I used strawberry jam for the filling (I blended it in the food processor first) and filled each cooled cupcake like I did the Spicy Caramel Apple cupcakes.  I topped each cupcake with strawberry flavored butter cream frosting.  I always use the Wilton butter cream frosting recipe, but I may alter it sometimes depending on how I want it to taste.)  The Wilton recipe is the best.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

2 c. packed dark brown sugar                                 1 tsp. salt
1 16 oz. can of pumpkin                                          1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. vegetable oil                                                     1 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. vanilla                                                            1/2tsp. ginger
4 c. flour                                                                 2 c. raisins
2 tsp. baking powder                                              1 c. chopped pecans (my substitution)
2 tsp. baking soda                                                   1 bag of chocolate chips (my substitution)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a cookie sheet.  In a large bowl, beat sugar, pumpkin oil and vanilla until blended.  Combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt and spices; stir into sugar mixture.  Stir in raisins, pecans and chocolate chips.  Drop by rounded teaspoon 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet.  Bake 12-15 minutes until set.  Remove to rack to cool.  Makes about 7 dozen.  (This recipe is from Quick & Easy Christmas Cookie Exchange along with my two substitutions).

Please enjoy these yummy treats.  Thank you for stopping by and visiting me here in Nana's Kitchen.  Stop by any time you are always welcome here.

Love, hugs, and God bless you,

Janet  

A New Cupcake Recipe

Spicy Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Hi Everyone,

Yes it has been too long since I posted here on my blog.  However, I do have a new recipe for you all.  It is for my Spicy Caramel Apple Cupcakes.


Spicy Caramel Apple Cupcakes

1 box of spice cake mix (any brand, I use either Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines)
Follow the cake recipe on box with the exception of water, replace that with 1 cup of apple juice.
Fill cupcake papers and bake according to package directions.  Then let cool.  Fill, frost, drizzle and sprinkle.   Before filling cut a small hole in middle of the cupcake about 1/2 through the cupcake for the filling.

Filling:

Cut, core, peel and coarsely chop 4 MacIntoch apples.  In a sauce pan pour 1 cup of apple juice and add apples.  Mix in 3/4 - 1 cup of dark brown sugar, 2 pinches of salt, and 2 T. of flour.  Cook and mixture thickens.  Let cool before filling the cupcake.

Frosting

Use a basic butter cream recipe, but instead of using vanilla use caramel extract.  The extract is a thick dark brown which will make your frosting a light tan color which gives it a caramel color.  Then drizzle caramel sauce over cupcakes and sprinkle with almost finely chopped pecans.

ENJOY!!!

Well thanks for visiting me here in Nana's kitchen.  You are always welcome to stop by.

Love, hugs, and God bless you,
Janet

Zucchini Bread

Hi Everyone,

It has been a while since I posted a recipe on my kitchen blog.  This morning I made homemade zucchini bread, with zucchini from our garden  I used a recipe from one of my cookbooks, but I altered the recipe a little.  Below is the recipe.  The original recipe is from "Old Pioneer Recipes"  by Bear Wallow Books.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs, well beaten
1 3/4 cups of brown sugar *
1/4 cup white sugar *
1 cup of oil
1 tsp. of orange extract *
2 cups grated raw zucchini,drained
2 cups of flour
1 Tbs. of cinnamon
1/2 tsp. of nutmeg and ground cloves *
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 package of Salad Pizazz! Orange Cranberry Almondine chopped *
1/4 cup of orange juice *

Combine beaten eggs, sugars, oil and orange extract.  Beat mixture thoroughly.  Stir in grated zucchini. Chop Salad Pizazz and add orange juice and then add to wet ingredients.  Add remaining ingredients.  Pour into 2 well greased and floured loaf pans.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 60 minutes.

You can serve warm so the butter will melt.

ENJOY!!!!!!

Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy the recipe.  Stop by any time you are always welcome in Nana's Kitchen.

Happy Baking,
Janet

Baked Mashed Potatoes

Hi Everyone,

Have you ever had left over mashed potatoes and did not know what to do with them.  Here is an idea you might find delicious, I know my husband Jim did.

Baked Mashed Potatoes.

I took my leftover basil mashed potatoes (about 3 cups) added 1/3 cup of half & half, 1/4 cup of Marzetti's Sweet Vidala Onion Dressing and a 1/2 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, season with some slat/pepper, onion/garlic powder and a little thyme.  I love spices and herbs.  Mix all together and pour into a greased (I use spray oil) top with more shredded sharp cheddar cheesed and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown on top and just a little crispy on the edges.   They will be very soft and delicious.   Enjoy!!!

Well this is the recipe for this post.  don't throw those leftover mashed potatoes away.  Create a dish that your taste buds will love.  Give it a try.  Thanks for stopping by and visiting me here in Nana's Kitchen.  You are always welcome, stop by anytime.


Love, hugs, and God bless you,
Janet (Kristy, Abby, Dulcie, and Ngan's Nana)

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Strawberry Lemonade Cucakes

Hi Everyone,

Here to let you know about my Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes.  YUMMMMY!

Here is the recipe:

Lemon Supreme Duncan Hines Cake Mix
1/4 c. lemon juice
3/4 c. water
1 t. of lemon extract
3 eggs
1/3 cup of oil

Filling:
strawberries pureed with sugar

Frosting
Butter Cream Frosting with strawberry puree.  Use regular butter cream (Wilton's) add strawberry to the frosting and pipe on cupcakes.

Close up of my Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes




Well got to run.  Thanks for stopping by and visiting here in Nana's Kitchen.  Stop by any time.  You are always welcome here.





Love, hugs, and God bless you,
Janet (Kristy, Abby, Dulcie and Ngan's Nana)

My Decorated Cake

Hi Everyone,

As promised I am posting the cake I made for Course 2's last class.  We decorated our cakes in class.  We all had a great time.

My cake is classic white cake pineapple flavored, using crushed pineapple.  It is filled with pineapple preserves, brushed with pine coloda mix and frosting with coconut butter cream.  The decorations are made from royal icing, fondant and gum paste.

The roses are made from royal icing, the butterflies are made from fondant and the mini flowers around the edge are made from fondant and gun paste mix.  Everything is edible.  The frosting and green trim are coconut butter cream.


Thanks for stopping by and visiting me here in Nana's Kitchen.  You are always welcome, stop by any time.


Love, hugs and God bless you,
Janet (Kristy, Abby, Dulcie and Ngan's Nana)

Cupcakes for Bake Sale Fundraiser

Hi Everyone,

Here are the pictures of the cupcakes I made for the Bale Sale Fundraiser at our church.  The proceeds went to one of missionaries.

These Pink and Yellow cupcake are my Hawaiian Delight Cupcakes.

These cupcakes are my Reese Peanut Butter Cupcakes.

My Hawaiian Delight cupcakes are made with a Duncan Hines French Vanilla cake mix.  I substitute 1/4 cup of crushed pineapple and 3/4 cup of Pina Coloda mix for the water.  After I bake them I hollow out a small part in the center of the cupcake and add a teaspoon of pineapple preserves.  I then frost each cupcake with coconut flavored butter cream frosting, some pink and some yellow.  I then decorated with pink and yellow fondant/gum paste flowers.

For my Reese Peanut Butter cupcakes I use a dark chocolate Duncan Hines cake mix.  I substitute 1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter and 3/4 cup of water instead of a full cup of water. I insert a mini Reese Peanut Butter in the center before baking.  After baking I frost with homemade peanut butter butter cream frosting, drizzle with chocolate guanache, then top with a 1/4 piece of a mini Reese Peanut Butter cup.

Give them a try and let me know what you think.  Thanks for stopping by and visiting.  You are always welcome here at Nana's Kitchen.  Stop by any time.

Love, hugs, and God bless you,
Janet (Kristy, Abby, Dulcie and Ngan's Nana)

Promised Recipes

Hie Everyone,

Here are the recipes that I promised to post.

WARNING: THIS RECIPE IS SO GOOD YOU WILL WANT TO EAT IT RIGHT OUT OF THE BLOW.

Peanut Butter Butter Cream Frosting

1 c. of softened butter
1 c. of peanut butter
1 T. of vanilla
7 - 10 T. of water
2 lbs. of powdered sugar

Beat together butter, peanut butter, vanilla, and water.  Add sugar.  You may have to add more to make it workable.  I will be piping mine on to cupcakes.  ENJOY!!!

This is a recipe I got from my Wilton Cake Decorating instructor.  I added more water than she told me.  It was a little to stiff, so that is why I added more.


Coconut Butter Cream
The basic recipe is a Wilton recipe.  I only changed the added teaspoon of coconut flavoring.

1 c. of white vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon of coconut flavoring
7-8 t. of water
1 lb. of powdered sugar
1 T. of meringue powder
1 pinch of salt (option)

Cream shortening, flavoring, and water.  Add sugar and meringue powder.  You may need to add more water depending on the consistency you want your frosting to be.  In place of one of the teaspoons of water I add more of the coconut flavoring.

To see the Potato Basil Puree google Ina Garten.  That is how I found her recipe after watching her on the foodnetwork.

Well enjoy the recipes..  Thanks for stopping by and visiting me here in Nana's Ktichen.  Stop by any time, you are always welcome.

Love, hugs, and God bless you,
Janet (Kristy, Abby, Dulcie and Ngan's Nana)

PS I will post pics of my cupcakes and my class cake.

Baked Roma Tomatoes

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to share with all of you my recent activities in the class and in the kitchen.  Below is the recipe for my baked roma tomatoes.

Bake Roma Tomatoes

2 roma tomates
The following in ingredients in desired amounts:
  garlic powder
  onion powder
  thyme
  salt/pepper
  sprinkle cheese
  shredded cheddar cheese
olive oil

Wash the roma tomatoes and cut them in half.  Place in a glass dish.  Cut core out of the end.  Drizzle olive oil over each half. Sprinkle on the garlic and onion powder, thyme, salt and pepper, and sprinkle romano cheese.  Add the cheddar cheese on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and the tomato is tender.  ENJOY!!!

Before

After

The recipe for my daisy flower cupcakes is as follows:

Duncan Hines Orange Cake Mix

1 cup of Pina Coloda mix

Follow package directions except substitute the pina coloda mix for the water.

Fillling:

1 cup of cherry pie filling (place in a processor)

Buttercream Frosting (homemade)

My pink and yellow daisy cupcakes.

My friend from class said that the cake tasted like orange sherbet.  It does and I love orange sherbet.

Well I am going to close for now.  Thanks for stopping by in Nana's Kitchen.  Stop by any time you are always welcome.

Love, Hugs, and God bless you,

Janet (kristy, Abby, Dulcie and Ngan's Nana)

Cupcake Recipes

Hi Everyone,

Yes it has been a while since I last published a post.  But today I have some recipes and pictures I want to share with all of you.  I have been baking cupcakes lately and I want to share them with you.  So put away the calorie counter and enjoy!

Lime Cupcakes

1 box of French Vanilla cake mix
3/4 box of lime jello
1/2 cap full of green food coloring

Follow direction on box and add jello and food coloring.  Mix and bake according to package directions. Cool before frosting.

Frosting

1 container of white classic frosting (I use Duncan Hines)
1/4 box of green jello
1/4 cap full of green food coloring

Mix all ingredients together and frost cupcakes.  Enjoy.  (I froze the extra frosting for another time)


Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes

1 box of chocolate cake mix
1/4 cup of peanut butter  (Skippy or Jif)
Small Reese's Peanut Butter cups

Mix first 2 ingredients together.  Set aside 1/3 of the batter for the next recipe.  Fill regular size cupcake liners about 3/4 full.  Push into the center of each one small Reese's Peanut Butter cup.  Bake at 350 degrees unto toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool before frosting.

Frosting

1 container of Milk Chocolate frosting
1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter

Mix the two ingredients together and frost.  Chop extra Reese's peanut butter cups and sprinkle on to each frosted cupcake.  Enjoy!


Bacon, Chocolate, and Peanut Butter Cupcakes

1/3 of batter from above recipe
1/4 cup of crispy, crumbled bacon

Mix the two ingredients, bake at 350 degrees until done.  Cool before frosting.  Use same frosting as above and top each cupcake with crispy, crumbled bacon.  Enjoy.

Below are pictures of the cupcakes.

Lime Flavored Cupcakes

Bacon, Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cupcakes.

Reese's Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cupcakes

I wanted to showcase these two flavors of cupcakes on my grandmother's plate.  This plate is probably close to a hundred years old.


Enjoy your day and thanks for stopping by Nana's Kitchen.  You are always welcome here, stop by anytime.  Please leave a comment and share one of your cupcake recipes.

Love, hugs and God bless you,
Janet (Kristy, Abby, Dulcie and Ngan's Nana)

Supper Menu

Hi Everyone,
  Yes it has been quite a while since I have posted here on my kitchen.  I have created a new recipe from an old stand by.  Most people when they cook this dish just do it from the box.  I grew up on this from the box and absolutely loved it.  Since I have married Jim he doesn't want it from the box but made from scratch.  I have tried to do it several different ways and love trying to create different flavors.  So for supper tonight we are having Bacon Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese.  Below is my recipe:

Bacon Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese

1 lb. of bacon, cooked crisp, thoroughly drained and chopped
1 lb. of ground meat 80% lean, cooked and drained
1 box of elbow macaroni  cooked al denta
 1 jar of cheez whiz
1 - 1 1/2 cups of milk
3 tablespoons of butter

Cook the first three ingredients as described above.   In a sauce pan soften cheez whiz butter and milk till smooth.  Combine all ingredients together and bake 1/2 hour.

I will be serving mine with a green salad of chopped romaine lettuce, chopped baby spinach and chopped green peppers.  For dressing either  Buttermilk Ranch or Sweet Vidalia.  I thought serving a salad with this dish is like having the lettuce for the bacon cheeseburger.

I encourage you all to give this recipe a try and let me know what you think of it.  Enjoy!!!!

Thanks for stopping by Nana's Kitchen.  You are always welcome here.  Let me know how you do mac and cheese.  Stop by anytime.

Love, Hugs, and God Bless You,
Janet (Kristy, Abby and Dulcie's Nana)