Texas Sheet Cake

This cake is simple and tasty--enough said.

Texas Sheet Cake Recipe
2 cups of sugar
2 cups of flour
1/3 cup of cocoa (or a little more)
1 teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of salt
2 sticks of butter
1 cup of water
½cup of buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla

Combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Heat up butter and water until boiling; pour over dry ingredients and mix. Then beat in buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Very thin batter. Pour thin batter into greased 15 by 10 inch pan and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or maybe a little less.

Frosting

1 stick of butter
¼ cup of cocoa (you use more)
6 tablespoons of milk
1 box of powder sugar (regular size 16 oz.)
Combine butter, cocoa and milk and heat it to boiling then take off heat and dump powdered sugar in and stir together (you may need to sift the powdered sugar to avoid lumps).

Let the cake stand for about 5 minutes and then frost the cake while it is still hot.

Meringue Ice Cream Cake

I like this cake because it looks really beautiful when assembled and is fairly easy to make, so it's perfect for company.

Cake

7 egg whites at room temperature
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. real vanilla

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Beat in 1/4 cup sugar until glossy. Add the rest of the sugar and mix for about 1-2 minutes. Fold in vanilla. Bake in two greased 10 inch round cake pans. DO NOT PREHEAT OVEN. Bake at 275 for about 45 minutes. Take out of pans shortly after out of oven and cool on wire rack.

Assembly

Ice cream (Trader Joe's has a good, rich, vanilla ice cream that tastes homemade)
Heavy Whipping Cream - Whipped and Sweetened
Fresh Berries

On a cake plate put meringue round down and then ice cream layer, berry layer and cream layer. Repeat with other meringue round but put the berries on top for aesthetics.

Peanut Chicken with Mango Salsa

My sister-in-law served this for me the first time I met her and I thought it was exceptional!

Chicken Marinade

1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup chili sauce (or less depending on how spicy you like it)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 T. oil
2 T. vinegar
4 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp. ground or grated ginger (or omit if you don't like the flavor of ginger)
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
12 chicken breasts

Combine hot water and penaut butter in a large bowl, mix until combined. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Stab chicken breasts with a knife and then put in marinade. Let sit for 8 or more hours in the fridge. Grill over medium heat watching closely not to burn. Add more marinade as it cooks.

Mango Salsa

1 c. chopped fresh fruit:mangos, peaches and/or nectarines
1 c. chopped seeded cucumber (or use English cucumber)
2 T. thinly sliced green onions
2 T. cilantro
1 T. sugar
1 T. vinegar
1 T. salad oil

Combine all ingredients and chill for 1-2 hours. Serve with the chicken and brown rice. I like the brown rice form Trader Joe's than can just be taken from the freezer and thrown in the microwave.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe:

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup cooked or canned pumpkin
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, oats, baking soda and cinnamon. Stir in dry ingredients and pumpkin. Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes or until light brown.

Poppy Seed Cake

Cake

3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 tbls. poppy seed
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/8 cup oil
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. butter extract
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract

Mix all together and pour into 4 little pans. Bake 1 hour at 350. While hot (let set about 5 minutes) pour over frosting.

Frosting

Mix together the following:

1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp. butter extract
3/4 c granulated sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Drizzle Brownies

Mom has been making these for years and when I was little they were always the first thing to go at any bake sale. It got to the point where people asked if they could place the brownies on hold if they knew Mom signed up to bring something.

Brownies

You will need to double this recipe if you want to use a 9 x 13 pan.

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter and 2 squares of chocolate melted together and set aside to cool

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

1 tsp. vanilla

Beat eggs until fluffy, add sugar, then stir in melted chocolate and butter. Mix in flour, salt and vanilla. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Frosting

1/2 cup butter softened

1 box confectioners sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine together adding in milk or cream as necessary until fluffy.

Mix 1 tbls butter with 1 square unsweetened chocolate and melt. Cool and then drizzle over frosted brownies. You will likely end up with extra drizzle.

Mom's Delicious Apple Pie

I've tried lots of apple pies, with the fancy pie dough crusts on the top and none of them compare to Mom's Apple Pie.

Pie

5-6 large granny smith apples
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 T flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and toss with the apple chunks. Put in a homemade pie shell.

Topping

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup flour
1 stick butter

Combine sugar, cinnamon and flour. Cut in butter and sprinkle over apples to make top crust. Put in brown paper bag and tie. Bake at 425 for 1 hour. (Don't worry the bag does not burn)!

Oatmeal Cookies

I got this recipe from an old college roommate.

1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3 cups oatmeal
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Beat sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla. Then add remaining dry ingredients except flour and oatmeal. Once combined add flour and oatmeal and chocolate chips. Bake apprxoimately 10 minutes.

Sour Cream Drops

These are one of Brad's all time favorite cookies!

Cookie
1/4 cup butter flavored shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda

Cream shortening, sugar and egg. Add sour cream and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Chill dough for several hours. Then drop by tablespoon, 2 inches apart onto baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 7-8 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool.

Frosting

4 TBLS butter
1 cup confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
8 tsp. hot water or more as needed

I usually double the frosting recipe as one recipe is not enough.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan until golden brown. Take off the stove and stir in the sugar, vanilla and enough water to achieve a spreading consistency. Frost cooled cookies.

Best Stuffing

This stuffing has very few ingredients and seems like it will be boring, but believe me, it's buttery and delicious.

Ingredients:

1 pan cornbread, stale and crumbled

18-20 slices white bread, stale, toasted and pulled apart into tiny pieces

Just less than 1 quart chicken broth (homemade is best)

At least 2 cups yellow onion, very finely chopped

At least 2 cups celery, very finely chopped

At least 5 bunches of green onions, bulbs and greens, very finely chopped

1 stick or slightly more of unsalted butter

Salt and pepper to taste (probably need at least 1 tablespoon of salt)

Directions:

Mix white bread and cornbread together into a bowl and set aside.

Melt the butter and add all the onions and celery. Saute until soft.

Mix the onion-celery mixture into bread mixture. Add at least 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Slowly start adding in chicken broth until the mixture is saturated (when you press a spoon against the bottom of the bowl and broth barely seeps out.

Add salt and pepper until seasoned to taste.

Put in a large baking dish and bake at 350 for 30 minutes covered with foil. Finish uncovered for another 20 minutes or until browned and firm in the center.

Caramel

This caramel recipe was given to me by my sister-in-law and is often used to make caramel popcorn.

1 cup butter
1 cup Karo syrup
2 cups brown sugar

Bring ingredients to a boil until in soft ball stage (about 240 degrees).

Take off the heat and add one can of sweetened condensed milk.

Another Davidson Family Delight

English Toffee

1 lb. butter (no substitutes)
5 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
2 c. white corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Melt butter over medium heat. Add other ingredients, stirring to dissolve sugar. Bring to a boil. Cook to medium-hard ball stage (Approx. 245 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit). Spread in greased 9 x 13 pan. Allow to cool.

Butter Tarts

Butter Tarts are a Canadian Classic introduced to me by my mother-in-law. As my own mother always says ANYTHING with butter and brown sugar as the main ingredients will be delicious--I can't say that I disagree.

Butter Tarts

1/2 cup butter plus 2 tbs. (softened)
2 3/4 cup brown sugar
4 large eggs
Rind and juice of one lemon or orange (optional)
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. currants (optional)

Mix all ingredients together. Fill homemade or purchased tart shells. Bake at 350 until done.

Purchased tart shells are much harder to come by in the U.S. whereas in CAN they are a dime a dozen. Also, sorry for the vague instructions, that's generally how accomplished cooks relay instructions.

Mom's Chocolate Drizzle Cake

This cake has become synonymous with birthday celebrations in the Cole Family. It can be made a variety of different ways--completely with butter cream frosting or with a combination of butter cream and whipped cream. Either way you decide to create it, leftovers cannot be guaranteed.



Mom's Chocolate Cake



2 squares unsweetened chocolate

1/2 cup boiling water



Mix together to melt chocolate and then set aside to cool.



2 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

Pinch salt

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 cups sifted flour or cake flour.



Beat eggs, sugar, salt and butter together. Then add cooled chocolate mixture and remaining ingredients through soda. Lastly, add the flour.



Bake in 3 greased and wax papered 8" round cake pans at 350 for about 15 minutes. Cool completely.



Butter Cream Frosting





Whipped Cream Frosting





Drizzle Topping