German Chocolate Cupcakes

German Chocolate Cupcakes

I decided to make these cupcakes for my father in law since I knew he loved German Chocolate Cake, so I thought the cupcakes would be smaller portions.

Cupcake Ingredients:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups cake flour (not self rising), sifted

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

5 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Coconut Pecan Frosting (See recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together cake flour, baking soda and salt.

With an electric mixer on medium high speed cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches. Alternating with two additions of buttermilk. Beat in chocolate until combined.

Divide batter evenly among prepared cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake rotating tins halfway through, until cake tester in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks and cool 10 minutes. Turn cupcakes out of pan and liners to let cool completley.

Cut cupcakes in half horizontally.

Coconut Pecan Frosting

3 large egg yolks

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 2/3 cups (7 ounces) sweetened flake coconut

1 1/2 cups (6 oz) pecans toasted and coarsely chopped

Combine egg yolks, evaporated milk, and brown sugar in a sauccepan. Add butter, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick about 10 minutes.

Stir in vanilla, salt, coconut, and pecans. Let cool completely.

Place frosting in between cupcakes and on top. 

Grandma's French Bread

Grandma's French Bread

Growing up family dinners at my grandparents was the best thing you could come by. When my husband joined the family he always complemented my grandma on how family meals were always right on time. In his family, dinners are kind of show up and eat when you want. My grandma has spent her entire life preparing meals for others. You hardly ever see her indulge herself in a meal she prepares. The thing I enjoy the most about my grandma's meals are the homemade breads. The following is a recipe for a bread that is always served with lasagna in my  family. Hope you enjoy.

Dissolve 2 packages of active dry yeast in 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl.

Stir in one tablespoon sugar.

Then stir in 2 cups of warm water 120 degrees (Microwave it about 1 minute 20 secs to reach this temperature), 3 tablespoons shortening or oil, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon salt

Add 3 cups of flour and beat well

Add 3 more cups of flour and knead

Let rest for 10 minutes and knead (do this 4 times)

Make into 4 loaves (I typically do 3) and put on a sprayed cookie cheese

Butter and sprinkle with cornmeal ( I used butter with garlic)

Cut top and brush with butter and cornmeal again

Let rise until doubled

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (Longer if you like it dry)

Brush with butter after taking out of the oven.





Mom's Praline Sweet Potato Casserole

Mom's Praline Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients for filling:

3 cups sweet potatoes (I use canned sweet potatoes)

1/3 cup of milk

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for topping:

2/3 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup chopped pecans

3 Tablespoons all purpose flour

5 Tablespoons of Butter (softened but not melted)

In a mixing bowl, beat the potatoes, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt until fluffy. Transfer to a greased 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Combine brown sugar, pecans, flour, and butter until blended; sprinkle over the top. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.



Brittany's Made From Scratch Apple Pie

When I first moved off for college, I could barely boil water, or run a microwave. Like I have said that all changed when I met my husband. I was told the way to a mans heart is through his stomach. I learned fast, because I was completely falling heads over heels for him. I will admit there were lots of meals I don't know how my husband choked them down, but with a little practice I was perfecting my dishes in no time. I took a fond grip on baking. It came to me with ease.

At this time, we were living in my husbands great grandmothers house. My husbands family thought that being in and baking in her kitchen was why my meals and baked goods came out so delicious. I believe this to, but I believe a lot of it has to do with luck. The main item I came pretty prone to making was Apple Pie. The first pie I ever made I mixed a recipe of my husbands great grandma and a recipe I had found off the Internet. It turns out it was a pretty good mix. Over the years this pie has been my go to item for family dinners, and gifts.

So without further Ado here is my recipe:

Made From Scratch Pie Crust

Ingredients

5 heaping Tablespoons Crisco

1 stick of butter; cut and cubed

2/3 cup of granulated sugar

3 cups of flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Approx. 1 cup of cold water

Beat together Crisco, butter, baking powder, flour, and cinnamon until butter and Crisco is incorporated and well mixed in a mixing bowl (I use the bread hook on my kitchen aid for this).

Gradually add water until dough is soft but not sticky.

Divide dough into two equal balls. Place a handful of flour into a plastic gallon Ziploc bag. Place both balls into bag. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until easy to handle.

Apple Pie Filling Ingredients

8 medium sized apples, I use Gala or Fuji, peeled and cored

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 flour

1 teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Meanwhile while dough is chilling, peel and core apples. Slice apples in half and then cut into pieces. Place apples in a large bowl (I like to use a bowl with a lid). Cover apples with both sugars, flour, and spices. I then place the lid on and shale the ingredients until apples are well covered. I like to let the mixture sit for at least 20 minutes to let the juices come off the apples to help coat them with the ingredients.

Place a handful of flour on your surface. Take one ball of dough and roll out until you reach the size of your pie dish. I like to then roll the dough back onto the rolling pen lifting it up and rolling it back out onto the dish. I like to sprinkle a small amount of sugar and cinnamon on top of the crust after it is placed in the dish.

Layer apples in the pie dish. Roll out other ball of dough to equal size of the first one you rolled out. Using a noodle cutter or if you have a pie crust cutter cut small strips, laying them on top of the pie, alternating horizontally and vertically. Once pie is covered remove excess dough and pinch edge of pie. Take small cubes of butter and place in between the lattice work. I usually use about 2 tablespoons cubed.

If you don't have a pie crust ring cover, take aluminum foil and wrap around the edge of the pie to keep the edge of the crust from burning.

Place in the oven at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes or until crust browns and pie is bubbling in the middle. Remove the foil 20 minutes before taking it out of the oven to allow the edge to brown but not burn.



Potato Chip Crunchies

Photo Courtesy of Taste of Home

This year while coming up with a game plan for the Farmers Market I tried to come up with new and unusual recipes to sell. Going through a Taste of Home cookbook, I found a recipe for Potato Chip Cookies. They turned out to be a big hit. They taste like a shortbread cookie with a hint of potato chips and pecans.

Ingredients

2 cups of butter, softened

1 1/2 cups of sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups all purpose flour

1 cup crushed potato chips

1 cup chopped pecans

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour and mix well. Fold in the potato chips and pecans.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 1 1/2 inches apart onto an ungreased baking sheet. Flatten with a fork. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 8 dozen

Mom's Famous Sugar Cookies

Mom's Sugar Cookies



Growing up I wasn't one to be found inside cooking with my mother. I was always outside with my dad splitting wood, mowing the yard, or just messing around outside. However, this all changed when I left to go to college. I fell in love with a man, and I was told "The way to a mans heart is through his stomach". So I began to bake and cook, and found I really enjoyed it, and was actually pretty good at it. I will admit though it wasn't all easy as cake, it was a lot of trial and error.
However, there was one exception to being in the kitchen when I was younger. Every holiday the whole family would bake a batch of sugar cookies and decorate them. This is something I hope to continue with my family.

Mom's Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

One cup sugar

One stick of butter

8 oz cream cheese

One egg

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 1/4 cups of flour

Cream together one cup of sugar, one stick of butter (softened), and 8 0z of cream cheese (softened).

Add one egg until mixed well. Add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Gradually add 2 1/4 cups of flour.

Refrigerate for one to two hours until firm and easy to work with.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Add a small amount of flour to a piece of parchment paper. Coat rolling pin and cookie cutters in flour so they won't stick to the dough.

Roll dough out to a thickness of a 1/4 of an inch. Cut cookies out and place on a baking sheet.

Bake cookies at 350 for 7-10 minutes until the edges are slightly brown or the cookies feel puffy to touch.

Mom's Gingerbread Cookies

Mom's Gingerbread Cookies

Every Christmas is filled with family traditions at my parents house. A live tree is cut every year, where our family picture is always taken. Mom bakes all sorts of candies and cookies which are all family recipes. Growing up the baking wasn't something I took part in, and today I regret that. It wasn't until I went off to college that I started helping mom in the kitchen every year. The following recipe is my favorite thing to bake. They are time consuming to decorate but they are so cute and yummy when finished.

Ingredients

1/2 c. shortening

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour, divided

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c molasses or sorghum

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Beat shortening until softened. Add about 1 1/4 cups flour and the next seven ingredients. Beat until thouroughly combined. Stir in remaining 1 1/4 cups flour. Divide dough in half. Cover dough and chill for three hours or until easily handled.

Roll each half of the dough to 1/3 to 1/4 inch thickness. Place on an ungreased baking sheets and bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are firm. Let cool and decorate with icing and candy.

Makes 2 dozen.