I have been making amazing cakes from the Cake Mix Doctor cookbook for several years  now.  I must say I am never disappointed with the results.  To many cooks, especially today’s younger generation, mixes are a homemade cake, as compared to a bakery cake not baked at home.   Purists may flinch, but when you fire up the oven, rev up the mixer, add fresh eggs, and soften a little butter, you’re baking. The cakes are made in a fraction of the time and you are almost guaranteed a success!
My mother made this cake for my sister’s 40th birthday party last week. Needless to say, it was a big hit, with many saying, it was the best carrot cake that they had ever had!

Carrot Cake

Solid vegetable shortening, for greasing the pans and flour for dusting the pans

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
½  cup vegetable oil, such as canola, corn, safflower, soybean, or sunflower
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots (5 medium carrots)
½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F. Generously grease two 9-inches round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening. Dust with flour, then shake out the excess flour. Set the pans aside.
2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, orange juice, oil, eggs, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Blend with an electric mixer at low-speed  for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look thick and well blended. Gently fold in the carrots, raisins, and nuts with a rubber spatula. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side.
3. Bake the cakes until they are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger. 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert each again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Allow them to cool completely, 30 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the Fresh Orange Cream Cheese Frosting.
5. Place one cake layer, right side up, on a serving platter. Spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer, right side up, on top of the first layer and frost the top and sides of the cake with clean, smooth strokes.

*Place this cake, uncovered, in the refrigerator until the frosting sets. 20 minutes. Cover the cake with waxed paper and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze it, wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cake in the refrigerator before serving.

Fresh Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter; at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange zest (from one medium orange)

1. Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low-speed until combined. 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add the confectioners’ sugar, a bit at a time, blending with the mixer on low-speed until the sugar is well combined, 1 minute. Then add the orange juice and zest to the mixture. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the frosting lightens and is fluffy. 1 minute more.
2. Use at once to frost the top and sides of the cake of your choice.

Recipe from the Cake Mix Doctor

Anointed the “dean of American cookery” by the New York Times in 1954, James Beard laid the groundwork for the food revolution that has put America at the forefront of global gastronomy. He was a pioneer foodie, host of the first food program on the fledgling medium of television in 1946, the first to suspect that classic American culinary traditions might cohere into a national cuisine, and an early champion of local products and markets. Beard nurtured a generation of American chefs and cookbook authors who have changed the way we eat.

Born May 5, 1903, James Beard who died in 1985, would have been 108 this year.  In commemoration, why not check out his classic, The Fireside Cookbook?  This facsimile edition of the 1949 original includes hundreds of recipes and charming illustrations.

For crust: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/8 tsp. salt ½ cup confectioner’s sugar 1 stick (8 Tbs.) butter, melted but not hot

For filling: 2 large eggs ¾ cup sugar 1½ Tbs. all-purpose flour 6 Tbs. juice from 2 lemons 2 tsps. finely grated lemon zest

Steps:

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray an 8- by 8-inch baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Fit an 8-inch by 16-inch piece of heavy-duty foil across pan bottom and up the 2 sides as foil overhangs to pull bars from the pan. Spray foil with vegetable cooking spray.

Mix flour, salt, confectioner’s sugar in a medium bowl; stir in butter to form dough. Press dough into pan bottom (the bottom of a measuring cup dipped in flour helps). Bake until pale golden, about 20 minutes.

While pastry bakes, whisk eggs, sugar, flour, lemon juice and zest in a medium bowl.

Remove pan from oven. Add lemon mixture and continue to bake until just set, about 20 minutes longer; let cool in pan for a few minutes and then using foil handles, pull bars from pan and set on a wire rack. Cool until room temperature. Cut into squares and serve.

2½ cups of flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup sugar

¾ cup oil

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Slowly mix in sugar and oil, add eggs, then vanilla.  Add flour mixture all at once and beat well.  Shape in to ½” balls, roll in sugar and bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes.

1 cup vegetable oil

1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 packages (10 oz each) pretzel sticks

In a small bowl, combine the oil, dressing mix, garlic salt, and cayenne.  Divide pretzels between two ungreased 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pans.  Pour oil mixture over pretzels; stir to coat.

Bake at 200F for 1¼-1½ hours or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.  Cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.

Yields 3½ quarts.

Because the weather has felt like spring for a week and snow is in the forecast for the weekend, I am thinking about my favorite comfort food homemade macaroni and cheese. There is something about the ooey gooeyness of the cheese on top of mounds of pasta that makes this the perfect side dish to any meal, or could even be a meal in itself. This Paula Deen macaroni and cheese recipe is not only a favorite with the adults in my family but, the kids love it as well.

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (an 8-ounce box isn’t quite 2 cups)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stuck) butter, cut into pieces
• 2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Then add drained macaroni and stir again. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Quick and tasty, the tortillas are filled with easy to

prepare ingredients.  Serve with salsa,  guacamole, and

sour cream for a colorful feast.

Ingredients

1 chicken cooked, boned and diced

2- 10 ounce cans of cream of chicken soup

1 pint of sour cream

2 green onions diced

1 lb. Monterey Jack cheese

1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese

1 small can of diced green chilies

2 dozen tortillas

Sauce

1-10 ounce  can of cream of chicken soup

1 cup of sour cream

Fry just to soften 2 dozen tortillas.  Mix chicken, 2 cans cream of chicken soup, 1 pint sour cream, onions and chilies.  Place spoonful of mixture in tortillas and add a little of both cheeses and roll.  To make Sauce; Mix 1 can of cream of chicken soup and 1 cup of sour cream. Spread all over tortillas and top with remaining cheeses.

Bake at 400-455 degrees, until top is bubbly.  30-45 minutes

German chocolate cake is so called not because it’s from Germany; actually, it’s named after Sam German, the man who created the chocolate used in baking the cake. This beloved and classic 3-layer cake is the perfect choice for a special occasion. You can also find this recipe on the package of Baker’s German Sweet Chocolate.

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

Cover bottoms of 3 (9-inch) round pans with waxed paper; spray sides with cooking spray.

1 pkg. (4 oz.) BAKER’S GERMAN’S Sweet Chocolate

1/2 cup  water

4 eggs, separated

2 cups  flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp.  salt

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups  sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup  buttermilk

Microwave chocolate and water in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted

Beat egg whites in small bowl with mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form; set aside. Mix flour, baking soda and salt. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each. Blend in melted chocolate and vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating until well blended after each addition.

Add egg whites; stir gently until well blended. Pour into prepared pans.

Bake 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Immediately run small spatula around cakes in pans. Cool cakes in pans 15 min.; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Spread Coconut-Pecan Filling and Frosting between cake layers and onto top of cake.

Coconut Pecan Frosting

Ingredients

4 egg yolks

1 can  (12 oz.) evaporated milk

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

1-1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine

1 pkg.  (7 oz.) Coconut (about 2-2/3 cups)

1-1/2 cups Chopped Pecans

Beat egg yolks, milk and vanilla in large saucepan with wire whisk until well blended. Add sugar and butter; cook on medium heat 12 min. or until thickened and golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Add coconut and pecans; mix well. Cool to room temperature and of desired spreading consistency.

Use to frost your favorite cake or cupcake recipe.

Substitute:

If you don’t have buttermilk, just add 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk; let stand 10 min.

Note:

This delicate cake will have a flat slightly sugary top crust which tends to crack. The frosting will cover up these cracks.

1 lb ground chuck

1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal

1/2  cup stuffing mix

1 tablespoon Worcester sauce

1/3 envelope onion soup mix

1 egg

Combine all ingredients.  Shape into a loaf.  Bake in a loaf pan at 350F for 1-1¼ hours.

I’m currently working my way through the new Good Housekeeping Cookbook and came across a Cajun style variation on meatloaf.  I took a cue from the ingredient list and added 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoons each of dried thyme, nutmeg, cayenne, and ground black pepper to my standard recipe.  If you enjoy spicy, you’ll probably like the result.

What do you put in your meatloaf?

This year I’ve noticed an upsurge in cookbooks that share family stories as an accompaniment to the recipes.  These anecdotes often give a sense of what the dish will taste like, serving suggestions, and a peek into the character of the recipe’s creator.  Sound appealing?  Then checkout some of these cookbooks:

In the Kitchen With a Good Appetite by Melissa Clark:  A New York Times columnist offers a collection of stories about food along with comments on her own experiences in making the 150 recipes that she presents, classifying the dishes into such categories as things with cheese, the farmer’s market, and my sweet tooth.

One Big Table by Molly O’Neill:  Presents a celebration of America’s culinary traditions that features such favorite recipes as Beacon Hill Chestnut Stuffing, Acadian Mussels, and California Avocado Soup.

The Pioneer Woman by Ree Drummond: The author shares homespun stories on adjusting to life on a ranch in the country and offers a number of recipes, including cowboy calzones, ribeye steak with whiskey cream sauce, Patsy’s blackberry cobbler, and Iny’s prune cake.

Southern Plate by Christy Jordan: The founder of SouthernPlate.com collects more than 125 recipes that have been passed down through several generations of her family, in a book that also includes the family stories behind the recipes and full-color photos.