Pecan Pie Squares

3 c. all purpose flour

1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. sugar

3/4 c. butter, softened

3/4 tsp. salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease jelly roll pan (15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 inch). Beat flour, sugar, butter and salt in large bowl on medium speed until crumbly. Press firmly in pan. Bake until light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Prepare filling.

FILLING:

4 eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. Karo light or dark corn syrup

3 tbsp. butter, melted

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 c. chopped pecans

Mix all ingredients except pecans until well blended. Stir in pecans. Pour over baked layer and spread evenly. Bake until filling is set, about 25 minutes. Cool.

One Bowl Macaroons

Makes 4 dozen

1 (14 ounce) bag of sweetened coconut flakes

1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk

2 tsp. vanilla

HEAT oven to 350°F.

MIX coconut, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls about 1-inch apart onto well-greased baking sheets (I use parchment paper instead).

BAKE 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheets after about 5 minutes cooling time. Cool completely on wire racks.

Buttermilk Chocolate Cake with Peppermint and Chocolate Mint Buttercream

The finished cake, with some mint and bergamot for garnish.

I love this cake. I don't make it much because it's pretty labor intensive. Plus my mint was kinda straggly this year. But it's always worth it when it's finished.

Cake Ingredients and Directions

2 1/2 cups of unbleached flour
1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
10 TBS unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 extra large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 squares (2 ounces) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 cup milk, steeped with 1 cup packed peppermint leaves (see directions below)
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
1/2 cup fresh chopped peppermint

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 2 nine inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with a circle of wax paper, and dust lightly with flour. Sift the flour with the cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In a large bowl, whip the butter with an electric mixer for a minute. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and chocolate and blend well.

Stir half of the peppermint milk into the buttermilk, reserving the remainder for the buttercream . Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture in thirds alternately with the milk mixture. Fold in the chopped mint.

Place the batter in the prepared pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake starts to pull away slightly from the sides of the pan. Cool the pans on a rack for ten minutes. Turn the layers out of the pans and carefully peel away wax paper.

After assembling cake with the buttercream, I try to allow the cake to sit overnight, so that the mint permeates the cake.


Mint Milk


Put 1 cup of milk in sauce pan. Add 1 cup of mint. Use the back of a spoon to bruise the leaves against the side and bottom of the pot, while heating over medium heat. Do not allow milk to boil. As soon as the milk begins to bubble around the edges, remove from heat and allow the milk to cool to room temperature.

I leave the mint in the milk for at least 30 minutes.

Chocolate Mint Buttercream


8 TBS unsalted butter, softened
2 squares (2 ounces) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
reserved peppermint milk
1 pound confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, whip the butter with an electric mixer for a minute. Add the chocolate and blend well. Add the confectioners' sugar, a cup at a time, alternating with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the peppermint milk, using only enough milk to make a spreadable icing, 4 to 6 tablespoons. Discard the rest of the milk or use for another purpose.

When the cake has cooled, assemble it with the buttercream, spreading it on the tops and sides of both layers.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Another white trash recipe. I've substituted Splenda for the sugar on occasion. I also use sugar-free Jell-O. It actually jells quicker.

2 cups of crushed pretzels (thin)
3/4 cup of melted butter
1/2 cup of sugar

Mix and cover bottom of 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes. Cool completely.

8 oz. of cream cheese
1 cup of sugar
8 or 9 oz container of whipped topping.

Combine cream cheese and sugar. Add whipped topping and spread on cooled pretzel layer.

6 oz of strawberry Jell-O
2 cups of boiling water
20 oz (2 1/2 cups) frozen strawberries (*fresh berries, slightly mashed and sweetened may be used)

Dissolve Jell-O with two cups of boiling water. Add berries, juice and all. Let set until it begins to jell. Gently pour over cream cheese layer and refrigerate several hours or overnight.