Recipe of the Day

[MisterTinkles]

Butterscotch Walnut Cake
(from Godiva)

Cake
3 cups all purpose flour
2.5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1 cup chopped, toasted walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Prepare the cake pans with baking spray and line with parchment paper rounds.

3. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.

4. Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer on high until light and fluffy. Scrape bowl using a rubber spatula.

5. On medium speed, add eggs one at a time, waiting until each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next egg. Scrape bowl with a rubber spatula.

6. On low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla, starting and ending with dry. Mix until smooth. Scrape bowl with a rubber spatula.

7. Mix in chopped walnuts on low speed.

8. Pour batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans, scraping bowl with a rubber spatula. Spread batter with an offset spatula so that it is evenly in pan.

9. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. The cake will slightly shrink away from the sides of the pans.

10. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Run a small offset spatula around the outside of the cake to loosen from the pan, then carefully flip the cake out of the pan onto the wire rack. Place the cake right side up on rack and let it cool completely before icing.

Butterscotch Sauce
2/3 cup heavy cream (hot)
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons water
3 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Candy thermometer

1. Prepare a heatproof glass measuring cup with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside. Cream will burn and boil over the pan if not paid close attention.

3. Combine the sugar with water (consistency should resemble wet sand) in medium heavy saucepan.

4. Heat, stirring constantly over medium-high heat until sugar has dissolved and is bubbling.

5. Stop stirring and let the sugar boil undisturbed until the sugar turns an amber color (360 degrees on a candy thermometer). This will happen in about 2-3 minutes. Be careful to not overheat the caramel or else it will taste very bitter. It is better to stop the caramelization before it gets too brown (a few degrees lower than 360) because the temperature will continue to rise from the heat of the pan.

6. Remove from heat and slowly pour the hot cream into the caramel. It will bubble and rise in the pan quickly, so be sure to stir vigorously.

7. Continue to stir the caramel over very low heat until the mixture is uniform in color and the caramel is completely dissolved.

8. Remove from heat and add the butter and mix until smooth.

9. Pour the caramel into the prepared glass measuring cup and allow it to cool for about 3 minutes.

10. Add the vanilla and salt.

11. Allow the butterscotch to cool to room temperature, stirring gently a few times.

12. Assemble cake by spreading a layer of Duff’s buttercream using an offset spatula followed by another layer of butterscotch sauce at your desired thickness onto one cake layer. Place the second cake layer on top of the filling-covered first.

13. Ice the entire assembled cake with Duff’s buttercream.

Duff's Buttercream
Makes roughly 4 pounds (enough to ice a 3-tier cake)

10 large egg whites, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 ½ pounds unsalted butter, room temperature

1. Make sure to have a completely clean and dry bowl when you start your process, any fat or liquid at all in the bowl will stunt the protein development of the albumen (egg white protein) and you will not have a proper meringue at the end.

2. Start whipping egg whites on medium low speed in the mixer by themselves (no sugar or butter yet) until the whites are foamy and opaque. It should look like the head of beer.

3. Increase to medium speed and slowly start adding the sugar until all the sugar is incorporated.

4. Once all the sugar is in, increase the speed of the mixer to high and whip until the mixture is shiny and stiff. You now have a meringue. You know when your meringue is done when you pull out the whip, hold it horizontal, and if you have what looks a “sparrow’s beak” on the end of the whip.

5. Replace the whip, turn the mixer on medium and start adding the butter a bit at a time. Once all the butter is incorporated, turn the mixer on medium speed and let it whip until the butter has completely emulsified into the meringue. When you first add the butter, your meringue will break down and look like cottage cheese, but will continue to emulsify into a smooth buttercream. Depending on the weather, the buttercream could take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes to form. When the buttercream is ready, the mixture will be homogeneous and smooth…and tasty.

6. Remove the buttercream from the bowl and place in an airtight container. Buttercream can be kept at room temperature for a few days or in the fridge for a week or two, but always use soft buttercream when icing a cake. To warm up the buttercream, put it back in the mixer using a rubber spatula. Begin remixing the buttercream using the whip attachment on high speed while applying direct heat to the outside of the bowl with a propane torch that can be found at any hardware store.

Note: Don’t worry about using raw egg whites in your buttercream, the sugar cooks the egg whites and makes them perfectly safe to eat. If you are still uneasy about this, use pasteurized egg whites.

[MisterTinkles]

Beef Stew for the Slow Cooker


INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch
cubes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth
3 potatoes, diced
4 carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, potatoes, carrots, and celery.
2. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours.

[Woollyhats]

Old Fashioned Pumpkin Cheesecake


INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup ground pecans
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
3/8 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, ground pecans, 2 tablespoons white sugar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and the melted butter or margarine and mix well. Firmly press mixture into one 9 inch springform pan.
3. Combine 3/4 cup of the white sugar, the pumpkin, 3 egg yolks, ground cinnamon, ground mace, ground ginger and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well, and set aside.
4. Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy; gradually add 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar and mix well. Add the whole egg, remaining egg yolk and the whipping cream, beating well. Add cornstarch and vanilla and lemon flavorings, beat batter until smooth. Add pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 to 55 minutes. Do not overbake. Center may be soft but it will firm up when chilled. Let cheesecake cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate.

When my mouth finishes healing and I pay certain school fees and bills, this is the FIRST THING I am making.

Thank you for sharing this!

[PenguinPecker]

Food!!!
I LOVE food!!

[Lilitu]

Does anyone have a good slow cooker chilli con carne recipe?

I'VE BEEN wanting to try out the new slow cooker for a stew-type dish. So far only mum has been using it to make soup and braise her beef

[MisterTinkles]

Chili Con Carne

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 medium)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound sirloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 1/2 cups diced plum tomato (about 6)
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, garlic, and beef to pan; cook 5 minutes or until beef is browned, stirring occasionally. Combine beef mixture, tomato, and next 6 ingredients (through broth) in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Uncover; cook 30 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in salt.

[MisterTinkles]

I prefer this........



Everything is premeasured and prepackaged. All you do is add the meat, onion, beans, and tomato sauce.

[MisterTinkles]

Fun Pizza's

This is something you can do at a party, with kids, with your "other half" or your date, or on your own for snacks.


Ingredients:

1 pack/roll of canned biscuits (any kind, any brand)
or as many as you will need for the people involved
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
Grated cheese
Pizza toppings (any kind)
Some flour

Directions:

Remove all biscuits from biscuit can, separate onto a lightly floured plate.
Either with your hands or with a rolling pin, roll out each biscuit until it is about 5 - 6 inches across (more if you want "thin crust") - sprinkle flour on biscuit as you roll it out, so it does not stick to much to the surface or your hands.
Place flattened out biscuits onto a cookie sheet (does not need to be greased unless you want it).
Spread some spaghetti sauce on each round.
Sprinkle cheese on top of the sauce.
Place your toppings on that.
Sprinkle with some more cheese if you want.

Bake at 350 degrees until crust is brown....depending on oven, about 10 minutes.

Super fun for kids, especially if you are an Aunt or Uncle. Teenagers usually love to do this also.

[MisterTinkles]

Dieters Guacamole/Dieters Avocado Dip


1 small container of small curd Cottage Cheese
1 large, firm avocado
1 large, seeded fresh jalapeno
1 green onion stalk
Salt - to taste
Pepper - to taste

Chop up the avocado into small cubes.
Mince the jalapeno.
Mince the onion.
Mix the above with the cottage cheese in a bowl.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Set in air tight container in fridge overnight.

You can just mix this with a spoon, and have it chunky...or put in a blender or food processor and have it smooth and creamy.

To add more "zing" to this dip, put 1 teaspoon of Louisiana style hot sauce into it.

You can also add or substitute:
Garlic
Parsley
Lime juice
Dill

[austin]

love bacon so