The Perfect Pound Cake

Well don't go by the name it is truly hard to class something as perfect, but a pound cake this is. I found the outside to be a little dry. I acquired the recipe from http://sweetmelissasundays.wordpress.com/ and you can go there for the complete text if you wish.

In large bowl combine:
3 eggs room temperature
1 cup sugar
whip until smooth

In medium bowl combine:
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
wisk until well blended

In small bowl combine:
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 tsp vanilla

Melt and cool to warm:
6 Tbsp unsalted butter

Take 1/3 of the flour and sift onto the egg mixture and wisk in gently until blended then pour 1/2 of the cream mixture and again mix until blended, repeat until flour and cream are mixed in. Be careful not to overbeat and add in the butter gently folding. Once well blended pour into greased and floured loaf pan or other baking pan.

Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes. If doing mini cakes cut time in half.

German Chocolate Frosting

YUMMY! This is from the Lion House Cookbook
1 cup can milk
1/2 cup butter
3 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 tsp rum extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups coconut (flaked)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)(not pictured)

Heat all in a heavy saucepan until it thickens aprox 10 minutes. Stir constantly to avoid scalding the frosting. Add coconut after the frosting thickens. When cooled place on a chocolate cake frosted with chocolate frosting. Yummy.

Rainbow Birthday Cake

Courtesy of The Hungry Huntley's

1 yellow cake mix (follow directions on package)
Food coloring (I used the type for frosting so it didn't add more liquid to batter)
1 pkg skittles (for the rainbow)
1 cup miniature marshmallows (for the clouds)

If you use 6" cake pans and a muffin tin you will only need 1 cake mix.

Seperate batter into bowls for the desired amount of colors and color each bowl with the color to the depth you desire with food coloring

Pour into greased 6" cake pans. Decrease cooking time to aproximately 10 minutes.

When each layer is cooled frost them and stack in your desired order. Freeze after all stacked which will make frosting the outside much easier.

Place the skittles in a rainbow pattern on top of cake and use remaining ones around the top edge of the cake. Marshmallows are placed at the bottom of the rainbow and on the cupcakes.

Churros

Mix in saucepan and boil
1 cup water
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter

Remove from heat and add
1 cup flour

In seperate bowl mix:
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
add this to the flour mixture and stir until smooth.

Place in a cookie press or a decorating bag with the largest star tip.
Squeeze a 4" length of dough into hot oil and fry until golden on each side. Place on paper towel and while still warm sprinkle with cinnamin and sugar.

Spanish Rice

2 cups long grain white rice
1/4 cup oil (to give more flavor fry in 2 to 3 Tbsp jalepeno olive oil instead)
1 yellow onion chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 8 oz can tomato sauce or 3/4 cups pureed tomatoes
2 tsp sea salt

Brown rice in hot oil, add garlic and onion and saute 10 min. Add broth, tomato sauce, and salt stir well and allow to simmer on low heat aprox 15 to 20 minutes to thicken.

Bottled Peaches

Sugar Syrup equal ratio water to sugar
7 cups sugar
7 cups boiling water
Pour the sugar into the boiling water, remove from heat and stir until dissolved. Pour 2 1/2 inches deep into the quart jar. (after jars are full of peaches pour to cover the top peaches leaving about 1 inch of space at the top of the jar)

1. Assemble and clean quart jars with the narrow neck. Set out on counter.
2. Clean and peel fresh ripe peaches. (a 5 gallon bucket full of medium size peaches does aprox. 14 jars which is 2 batches)
3. Slice in half and place halved peaches into clean jars filled 2 1/2 inches w/ sugar syrup.
4. Place as many peaches in the jar leaving only 1 inch space at the top and make sure top peaches with the liquid.
5. Wipe the rim of the jars with a clean moist paper towel making sure they are clean.
6. Boil canning lids for 2 minutes and remove from water with tongs then place them on to each bottle. Turn the ring lids on till they tighten then loosen a half a turn to allow for expansion as they cook.
7. Fill bottom of canner with luke warm water not to the top.
9. Place the metal platfrom onto canner and place 7 jars on that making sure not to cover the holes allowing for even steam movement. Put the cover over the jars and start the heat high.
10. Watch for the steam to escape from the small hole at the base of the lid. Once this happens turn down the heat to the point where it is the lowest for the steam to still come out steady and time for 25 minutes.
11. After 20 minutes carefully remove the lid and remove the hot jars with hot pads taking concern to not bump the lids which will hinder the jars ability to seal.
12. Allow jars to sit on the counter as they cool. The jars will make a popping noise as the lid seals. You can test them after they cool by touching down gently on the lids if there is no give the lid is sealed. If there is give to the lid you will need to place those jars in the refrigerator and eat soon.
13. Store jars in a cool dry place for up to 2 years. Fruit may darken with time and they are still okay to eat as long as seal hasn't been broken.
14. The peaches will rise in the jar leaving the syrup at the bottom.

Rosemary Salmon with Hollindase sauce

Soak salmon in lemon juice and top with crushed rosemary. Bake 350 degrees 30 minutes. Top with Hollindase sause.

Fresh Peach Pie

1 9" pie crust

4 to 5 peaches slices lining pie crust

2 large peaches mashed
1/2 tsp almond flavoring
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cold water
cook 5 minutes to thicken then add:
2 Tbsp butter

Pour over sliced peaches in crust and place in refrigerator until set.

Salmon with peach salsa

Salmon fillet baked 350 degrees with lemon juice for 30 minutes. Top with peach salsa.

Fresh Peach Salsa

2 medium tomatos diced
2 medium peaches sliced
1 tsp lime juice
1 green onion stalk thinly sliced
1 tbsp cilantro sliced fine

Combine all and chill until ready to serve.

Baked Smores

2 cups ground graham crackers
1 cup melted butter
3 cups miniature marshmallows
2 cups chocolate chips

Grind up the graham crackers and and mix with the melted butter. Press half of this mixture into bottom of 9x13 pan and pour the marshmallows evenly on top of crust then sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the marshmallows. Top with remaining graham cracker mixture and press gently to press it together.

Bake 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool mostly before cutting.

Peanut Butta Cups

Adapted from recipe at chow.com
1/4 cup finely crushed graham crackers
1 cup pwd sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 to 1 bag 11 oz. chocolate chips

Combine all except the chocolate until smooth. Melt chocolate in a pan or bowl over a hot water bath. I lightly sprayed my mini muffin tin. Take a pastry brush or a spoon and coat the sides and bottom of the tin, place a rounded ball slightly flattened on the top and bottom the size you prefer to fit in the tin into the center of the chocolate and repeat till all of the tins are filled then cover with chocolate till peanut butter ball is not showing. Freeze 20 minutes. Turn pan upside down and hit againgst sides to release the candy. It may take a little longer in freezer to completely set the candy. I rememer my mom making these for us when I was growing up, yummy.