Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake

recipe from Alexandra Cooks

Serves 6-8
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon
7/8 cup* + 1 tablespoon sugar**
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup buttermilk
* 7/8 cup = 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
** This 1 tablespoon is for sprinkling on top
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 7/8 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.
4. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Lemon zest makes this recipe soooo yummy!

This is considered a "breakfast" recipe but I actually served it as a dessert with some vanilla frozen yogurt on top, and with coffee too of course!:) 

Snickers Salad

I first tried this recipe when a dear friend, Robyn, prepared it for a Care Group gathering when we lived in Wake Forest, NC. It's great for the summer when you want something cool and refreshing.

Snickers Salad

Ingredients:
1- 3.4 oz box of Jell-O French Vanilla Instant Pudding
24- fun size Snickers candy bars
4- large Granny Smith apples
1- 16 oz. Cool Whip

Directions:
1. Cut up the Snickers bars into small pieces and place them in a container in the freezer for a while.
2. Prepare the pudding by the directions on the box.
3. Slice the apples into small bite size pieces.
4. Combine snickers pieces, apples bites, pudding, and Cool Whip in a large bowl and stir well. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Cookie Dough Truffles

Cookie Dough Truffles
by: Paula Deen

*BEWARE: VERY ADDICTING!!!:)
Recipe makes about 50.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cup all-purpose flour

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup semisweet mini chocolate morsels

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1 1/2 lb chocolate bark candy coating, melted

Directions:

In a large bowl cream butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add vanilla. Gradually beat in flour and add milk. Add chocolate morsels and pecans, mixing well. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on waxed paper; chill 2 hours.
*Cook’s Note: Since the dough is sticky, roll your fingers into flour. This will make it easier to roll.
Melt chocolate bark candy coating in a double boiler. Using 2 forks, dip cookie balls into candy coating to cover. Place on waxed paper and chill to set. Store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/view2/cookie_dough_truffles/

You can use mini cupcake holders to make them not quite as messy.

Here shows the truffle cut in half.

She has a sweet tooth like her momma!

 

Easy Key Lime Pie

Easy Key Lime Pie
by: Lori Boyd Pigott

Ingredients:
1 Graham cracker pie crust
1/3 c. Nellie & Joe's lime juice
3 heaping spoonfuls of Cool Whip
1(14 oz.) can condensed milk
a few drops of green food coloring

Diretions:
Mix the lime juice, cool whip, and condensed milk together. Add a few drops of green food coloring and stir well. Pour it into the pie crust. Chill until firm.
Optional: may add additional Cool Whip as topping

Princess Castle Birthday Cake

I enjoyed making this princess cake for Olivia's 2nd birthday. This cake didn't turn out looking perfect, but I knew my little princess enjoyed it!:) She wore her Cinderella dress for the occasion and looked beautiful in it!



Since I knew the decorating would take a lot of time, I just stuck with the box cake mix and icing.

Princess Castle Birthday Cake
idea from http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/castle-cake.html

Ingredients:

You'll need 2 rectangle cake pans, 2 round cake pans, and a cupcake pan.
4 boxes of Pillsbury Moist Supreme Funfetti Cake Mix
3 containers of Pillsbury Funfetti Frosting
desired candy decorations: candy corn, Hershey's chocolate bar, gum drops
small plastic Disney princess figurine (I found mine at Dollar General)
5 pointed ice cream cones
foil cupcake holders
icing decorating bags and tips
food coloring to color icing to desired colors

Directions:

1. Follow the directions on the Pillsbury Moist Supreme Funfetti Cake Mix. Divide the batter accordingly:
one box- one rectangle cake pan
one box- one rectangle cake pan
1/2 box- one round cake pan
1/2 box- one round cake pan
one box- cupcakes
*Use five cupcakes on the cake and reserve the rest for a "cupcake making station" at the birthday party. You can save any leftover icing and candy bits to let the children decorate their cupcakes with.



2. Allow the cakes and cupcakes to cool completely.

3. Add icing and decorate as you desire.

Cranberry Salad

DELICIOUS!!!!


This dish can be served mixed up in a serving bowl, as seen above, or in it's original shape (picture below).



I was extremely pleased with how this salad turned out for our Thanksgiving feast at work. I'm posting the recipe right away because several friends at work have requested the recipe.

Cranberry Salad

2 (3 oz.) boxes raspberry Jell-O
2 (16 oz.) cans whole-berry cranberry sauce
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
2 (16 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained
1 & 1/2 c. pecans
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
dash ground cloves

1. Prepare gelatin according to package directions in a baking dish.

2. Stir cranberries, apples, oranges, pecans, cinnamon, and cloves into the gelatin mixture.

3. Refrigerate overnight or until firm.

*I adapted this recipe from one similar in Family Circle magazine March 2009.

Broccoli Casserole

Broccoli Casserole

This turned out great! I can't wait to make it again!

Ingredients

* 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli, cooked and drained
* 1 cup grated sharp cheddar
* 2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
* 2 eggs, lightly beaten
* 2 cups crushed crackers
* 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine broccoli, cheese, soup and eggs. Mix well with a metal spoon. Place the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Top with the crushed crackers and pour the melted butter evenly over the crackers. Bake for 35 minutes or until set and browned.

I adapted this recipe from Paula Deen's. To view the original recipe, go to:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/broccoli-casserole-recipe/index.html