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)