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Nov 24, 2009

Pumpkin Spice Cake

3/4 cup(s) (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup(s) firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup(s) sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup(s) pumpkin purée
1/2 cup(s) buttermilk
1 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract
2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground nutmeg
1 recipe Pumpkin Cream-Cheese Frosting

1.Prepare cake pans: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat three 8-inch cake pans with softened butter. Cut three 8-inch circles out of parchment paper and fit them into the bottom of the cake pans. Lightly coat the paper circles with butter and set aside.
2.Make the batter: Cream butter until smooth in a large bowl with an electric mixer set on medium speed. Add the sugars and mix until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the mixture is smooth and light. Set aside. Combine the pumpkin purée, buttermilk, and vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside. In thirds, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture, blending well after each addition until smooth.
3.Bake the cake: Pour batter into the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean -- 35 to 40 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pan on wire racks for 30 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and return to the wire racks until completely cool.
4.Assemble the cake: Place one layer on a cake plate and top with one-third recipe of Pumpkin Cream-Cheese Frosting. Repeat with the second and third layers. Serve or store refrigerated for up to four days.

Oatmeal White-Chocolate Apricot Cookies

Oatmeal White-Chocolate Apricot Cookies

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
8 ounces white chocolate chips
7 ounces dried apricots, chopped (1-1/2 cups)

1. Mix flour, oatmeal and baking soda in a medium bowl. Cream butter and sugars
until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add salt, vanilla and eggs; beat
until well combined, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture gradually, beating until
just combined. Stir in chocolate and apricots. Cover and refrigerate until cold,
about 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

3. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing
2 inches apat. Bake until edges are golden brown but still soft in the center,
14-16 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheets. Transfer to wire rack; cool.

Makes 4 dozen cookies

Cranberry-Ginger Sauce

2 large ruby-red grapefruits
2 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon(s) kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 cup(s) sugar
12 ounce(s) fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon(s) grated fresh ginger

DIRECTIONS

1.Peel about 10 curls of skin from 1 grapefruit, then juice both grapefruits into a bowl; reserve.
2.Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat and add onion, grapefruit peels, and salt. Sauté until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add sugar, grapefruit juice, and cranberries and bring to a simmer.
3.Continue to simmer until the berries have completely softened, about 12 minutes. Stir in ginger and let cool. Serve at room temperature.

Cranberry-Ginger Sauce

2 large ruby-red grapefruits
2 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon(s) kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 cup(s) sugar
12 ounce(s) fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon(s) grated fresh ginger

DIRECTIONS

1.Peel about 10 curls of skin from 1 grapefruit, then juice both grapefruits into a bowl; reserve.
2.Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat and add onion, grapefruit peels, and salt. Sauté until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add sugar, grapefruit juice, and cranberries and bring to a simmer.
3.Continue to simmer until the berries have completely softened, about 12 minutes. Stir in ginger and let cool. Serve at room temperature.

Cranberry-Ginger Sauce

2 large ruby-red grapefruits
2 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon(s) kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 cup(s) sugar
12 ounce(s) fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon(s) grated fresh ginger

DIRECTIONS

1.Peel about 10 curls of skin from 1 grapefruit, then juice both grapefruits into a bowl; reserve.
2.Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat and add onion, grapefruit peels, and salt. Sauté until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add sugar, grapefruit juice, and cranberries and bring to a simmer.
3.Continue to simmer until the berries have completely softened, about 12 minutes. Stir in ginger and let cool. Serve at room temperature.

Caramel Icing

INGREDIENTS

3 cup(s) light brown sugar
1 1/2 cup(s) heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon(s) lemon juice
5 tablespoon(s) butter, cold, cut into pieces


DIRECTIONS

1.Make the icing: In a medium saucepan with a candy thermometer attached, stir sugar, heavy cream, and lemon juice together. Cook the mixture, without stirring, over medium-high heat to soft-ball stage (238 degrees F). Remove from heat and cool the caramel mixture to 140 degrees F. Place the butter on top of the cooled caramel mixture. Remove the thermometer and, using a handheld mixer set on medium-high speed, beat the caramel until it thickens enough to hold its shape, lightens in color, and changes from translucent to opaque -- about 5 minutes. Apply icing immediately.

Chunky Chocolate Brownies

Chunky Chocolate Brownies

Preperation time 20 minutes
Cooking time 45 minute

Preheat the oven to 190 c / 375 f / gas mark 5

Makes 18


2 cups / 7 oz / 200 g / milk chocolate
3 cups / 10 oz / 300 g / dark chocolate
225 g / 7 1/2 oz / 2 sticks / unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
2 cups / 7 1/2 oz / 225 g /light muscovado brown sugar
3/4 cup / 3 oz / 75 g / self-raising flour
1 1/2 cups / 6 oz / 175 g / walnuts, broken

Grease and line a 28x28 cm / 11x8 inch shallow baking tin.

Roughly chop up the milk chocolate. Melt the plain chocolate then stir in the
butter.

Beat together the eggs and sugar, then beat in the melted plain chocolate
mixture.

Turn into the tin and level the surface. Bake until the centre feels just firm
on the crust but soft underneath. Take care not to overcook.

Leave to cool in the tin, then turn out and cut into 18 squares.

WALNUT HORN COOKIES

Walnut Horn Cookies

1 cup plus 1 tsp butter,
softened & divided
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese,
softened
3 cups flour
4 cups ground walnuts
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup 2% milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt

In a large bowl, beat in 1 cup of the butter and the cream cheese until light
and fluffy. Gradually add the flour. Beat until the mixture forms a ball.
Divided the dough into four portions. Roll each into a 12 inch circle. Melt
the remaining butter. In a large bowl, combine the walnuts, 3/4 cup sugar,
milk, vanilla, salt, and the melted butter. Spread over the circles. Cut each
into 12 wedges. Roll up the wedges, starting from the wide ends. Place point
side down on the greased baking sheets. Curve the ends to form crescents. Bake
at 325 F for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks.
Place the remaining sugar in a small shallow bowl. Roll the warm cookies in the
sugar. Makes 4 dozen

Cheesy Bacon Potatoes

Cheesy Bacon Potatoes

Turn plain mashed potatoes into a dish they will love.

Prep: 10 min

4 cups hot mashed potatoes
1 container (8 oz.) BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
6 slices OSCAR MAYER Center Cut Bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese


MIX all ingredients. Serve immediately.

Makes 10 servings

Milky Way Cake

1 cup butter, divided
8 Milky Way candy bars (2.05-ounce)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup pecans, chopped
Milky Way frosting, optional (recipe follows)

Melt 1/2 cup of the butter; combine with candy bars in saucepan.

Place over low heat until melted, stirring constantly. Cool.

Cream together sugar and remaining 1/2 cup butter until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating very well after each addition. Stir in
vanilla.

Combine buttermilk and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with
flour, beating well after each addition.

Stir in candy bar mixture with pecans.

Pour into greased and floured 10- inch tub pan and bake at 325 degrees for 1
hour and 20 minutes or until cake tests done.

Let cool in pan 1 hour, remove from pan and completely cool on wire rack.

Frost if desired.

Milky Way Frosting

4 Milky Way candy bars, approximately 8 ounces total
1 stick butter
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 box (half of a 1-pound box) confectioner's sugar

Melt together candy bars and butter

Add milk and confectioner's sugar, blend well.

Spread on cooled cake.

A fairly similar recipe was contributed by Sue Cavanaugh of Dorchester
County, although it didn't include pecans in the batter and the frosting was
different. Sue got the recipe in the 1970s from her stepmother, Liz
Fortenberry. Here's the frosting recipe, an alternative to the one above:

Milky Way Cake Frosting II

1/2 can large evaporated milk (5-7 ounces)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup marshmallow creme

Combine milk, sugar and butter in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil and
boil hard for 4 minutes. Take off heat. Add chocolate pieces and marshmallow
creme. Beat until desired spreading consistency. Spread on cooled cake.

Banana Cream Layer Cake

Ingredients
Cake
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas, (about 3), plus 2 whole bananas, divided**
1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour, (see Ingredient Note)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Bavarian Cream
3/4 cup low-fat milk
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whipping cream

Preparation
To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with wax paper or parchment paper.
Whisk eggs, 1 cup sugar and oil in a large bowl. Stir in mashed bananas, buttermilk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add to the banana mixture and fold in just until blended. Divide the batter between the pans.
Bake the cake until the tops spring back when touched lightly, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
To prepare Bavarian cream: Place milk in a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over the milk and let stand for 1 minute to soften. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar and heat over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the gelatin. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and transfer to a medium bowl. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of raw egg whites, 40 to 45 minutes.
Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Whisk one-third of the whipped cream into the milk mixture. Fold in the remaining whipped cream. Refrigerate until set and thickened to the consistency of whipped cream again, about 1 hour.
To assemble cake: Shortly before serving, place 1 cake layer on a serving plate and spread half the Bavarian cream over it. Peel and slice the remaining bananas; arrange half the slices evenly over the cream. Top with the second cake layer. Spread the remaining cream over the cake and arrange the remaining banana slices decoratively over the top.

Heath Bit Peanut Butter Cookies

Heath Bit Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 cup shortening
3/4 creamy peanut butter
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups Heath Toffee bits, divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Beat shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in a large bowl
until well blended. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into
peanut butter mixture. Stir in 1 cup Heath bits; reserve remainder for topping.

Drop by heaping teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet, top
each with reserved heath bits.

Bake 7 or 8 minutes or until set. Do not overbake. Cool 2 minutes. Remove to
wire racks and cool completely.

Makes approx. 7 dozen

Banana Split Trifle

Banana Split Trifle

3 cups cold milk
1 (5.1 oz.) box vanilla or cheesecake flavored instant pudding mix
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 prepared angel food cake, cut into cubes
1 cup strawberries, sliced
1 (8 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 medium firm banana
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
12 ounces Hot Fudge Microwaveable Ice Cream Topping

Whisk milk and pudding for 2 minutes in large bowl. Stir in pineapple. Place
half of the angel food cake cubes on the bottom of a separate large, clear,
glass bowl. Spread 1/3 of pudding mixture on top. Cover with sliced
strawberries. Spread layer of whipped topping over strawberries.

Remove lid from hot fudge topping and heat in microwave on HIGH for
approximately 30 seconds. Pour half of the topping over the previous layer and
then layer with remaining cake cubes.

Spread another 1/3 of pudding mixture on top. Cover with sliced bananas. Cover
with remaining 1/3 pudding mixture. Spread whipped topping over all.

Drizzle with hot fudge topping and sprinkle with pecans(optional).

Chill until serving. Garnish with strawberries and bananas when served, if
desired.

Honey Maple Cookies

Honey Maple Cookies

1 cup shortening
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup maple syrup
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet
chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

In a large bowl, beat the shortening until light and fluffy. Add the honey and the syrup a little at a time. Beat well after each addition. Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat well after
each addition. The mixture will appear curdled. Beat in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and the salt. Gradually add to the honey mixture. Mix just until moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips and the pecans. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes 5 dozen

Whole Wheat Cookies

Whole Wheat Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1 tsp baking soda

In a large bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter and honey. Beat in the egg and the vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients. Gradually add to the creamed mixture. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Flatten with a fork dipped in sugar. Bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on the pans for 1 minute before removing them to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen