This is a little bit of a ‘cheater’ cake seeing that you use a cake mix, but the finished product belies that. This is yummy and great for the girls when they show up for coffee. Hint: Keep your windows open while this is baking and your doorbell will probably ring.
- 1- 18 1/4 ounce white cake mix
- 1 cup flour
- 1 package dry yeast (1 tbsp)
- 2/3 cup warm water
- 2 large eggs
- 21 oz. can of cherry pie filling
- 1/3 cup butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine 1 1/2 cups cake mix, flour and yeast in a bowl. Add the lukewarm water, stirring until smooth. Stir in the eggs.
Spoon batter into a prepared 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Spoon pie filling carefully over the batter and set aside.
Cut butter into remaining cake, mix with a pastry blender until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the pie filling. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
While cake is cooling on a wire rack, prepare the glaze and drizzle over the cake. Cut into squares. Note: If you would prefer Blueberry pie filling….go for it. This truly is a great dessert.
Glaze
- 1 cup sifted icing sugar
- 1 tbsp. corn syrup
- 1 tbsp. water
Mix together until blended and drizzle over the cake. YUM!
Rhubarb Meringue
As previous B & B owners we try to find different ways to present all kinds of dishes. Here is one to try.
- 2 cups plus 4 tbsp. flour
- 2 cups plus 7 tbsp. sugar
- 2/3 cup butter
- 5 cups diced rhubarb
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 4 eggs, separated
- pinch of salt
Prehreat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together 2 cups of the flour, 2 tbsp. of sugar and the butter and press into a 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Prick crust with a fork and bake for about 10 minutes.
Mix together the rhubarb, cream, egg yolks and salt with 2 cups of sugar and the remaining flour andpoour over the crust. Bake for 45 minutes.
To make the meringue, beat the egg whites until foamy and while beating, add the remaining sugar, a little at a time. Beat until stiff peaks form. Spoon over the rhubarb mixture and bake for about 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
As I was typing this, I remembered we are hosting a dinner in 3 days. This would make a wonderful change of pace. Yummy.
Crusted Potato Gratin
As part of the entree from the Hester Creek Cooking Class Dinner, these were prepared and served. These are yummy, yummy, yummy.
- 6 medium red flesh potatoes, peeled
- quart of half and half
- 1 cup Swiss Gruyere cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- Fresh Thyme/Italian Parsley/ Sage
- 1 tbsp. nutmeg
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 4 slices of bacon, diced and fried crisp
Peel potatoes, tie the thyme, parsley and sage in cheesecloth and tie up, placing in the pot with the potatoes and cook in cream until almost cooked. Drain and add the crisp bacon.
In a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, slice the potatoes and layer them out, add the cheese and sprinkle the Parmigiano over the top. Bake in the oven until the cheese melts and a light golden crust appears on top.
When preparing to serve, use a wide mouth dessert bowl or 3 inch round cookie cutter. What we saw was almost like a salmon can size and cut out circles. Carefully transfer to the plates. Looks so cool!
Thanks Chef Gillespie.
Faux Cauliflower Souffle
This is yet another recipe for a tasty vegetable to serve even the most critical foodie. I know………
- 1 medium cauliflower, cut into small pieces
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. flour
- 1 1/2 cups cream
- 2 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
- dash of dry mustard and Worchestershire sauce
- 2 eggs, well beaten
Grease a 10 x 6 inch dish and set aside. In a saucepan, cook the cauliflower for about 12 minutes or until tender and drain well. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter and gradually whisk in the cream. Cook, stirring constantly until it thickens and begins to boil.
Immediately remove from the heat.
Stir in the mustard and Worchestershire sauce. Add the cauliflower and beaten eggs. Pour into the prepared dish.
Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until the centre is firm to the touch. Serve immediately with your favourite meat and potatoes or noodles or rice.
This is yummy.
Victorian Cookies
Why not? They are terrific and you just might cause a renewal of this. Everyone will absolutely love them.
- 3 pkg. Philadelphia cream cheese
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 tsp. grated fresh lime rind
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- Apricot Preserves (try Saskatoon Preserves for a different flavour)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together the cream cheese and butter until very smooth and light. Beat in the lime rind.
Combine the flour and sugar; stir in one half of the flour mixture blending well. Stir in the remaining flour.
Roll dough onto a lightly floured board to about 1/8″ thick (any thicker than this and they will fall apart when baking).
Cut into 2″ rounds and place 1/2 tsp of the preserves in the center of each round. Form into a triangle by folding in 3 sides. Pinch together gently and bake for about 12-14 minutes. Cool the cookies a few minutes before removing them to a rack to cool completely.
If you don’t eat them all, store in a tin.
Roasted Swedish Spuds
Potatoes seem to fall into the “same old, same old” way of doing things. Try this and see if it doesn’t wake up the taste buds just a little.
- 6 baking potatoes small enough to fit into a large serving spoon
- 3 tbsp. butter, melted (not margarine)
- grated clove of garlic
- pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp. panko crumbs
- 2 tbsp. parmesan cheese
Peel potatoes and place in cold water. Put potato in a spoon, slice 1/8″ apart, just to edge of spoon -do not cut completely through, return to water. Remove each potato and drain. Pat dry. Put cut side up in baking dish. Baste with the melted butterand garlic.
Cook 30 mins at 425 degrees, baste again. Cook another 15 minutes or until they are golden in colour. Add the cheese and panko crumbs during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
What can I say? YUMMY.
Blackberry and Lime Muffins
I am so used to making muffins that, since we moved, I don’t make them as much but I still make them whenever and as often as I can. This one is a really nice recipe. It is actually a take on my blueberry muffins (from my cookbook).
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
- grated rind of one lime
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, not margarine
1 pint of fresh blackberries (I use 1 -2 tbsp. sugar sprinkled over the top and lighty tossed) to eliminate the really sour bite. Omit it if you wish.
Preheat oven to 425 and spray Pam on your muffin tins and set aside.
In a medium size bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, grated lime, salt and baking powder. Melt the butter in a glass measuring cup and add the milk. Whisk in the egg and, after making a well in the dry ingredients, add the liquids all at once.
Carefully, fold this together (do not over mix). Fold in the blackberries. I use an ice cream scoop to fill the tins. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. They should be lightly golden on top. Test to be sure they are cooked.
Turn out on a cooling rack and place a large dollop of cream cheese icing mixed with 1 tbsp. whipping cream over the top to melt and slide down the sides of the muffin. The use of the whipping cream takes away the sweetness attack from the icing.
Absolute heaven and your house smells fabulous. Now…..what do you take in yourcoffee?
** Splenda size envelopes as what you would find in restaurants for your coffee.
Summer Berry Smoothie
I love smoothies, but I have never served a ‘diet’ smoothie. Nope, not this one either.
- 1/2 cup fresh blackberries
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 1/2 container raspberry yogurt
- 1-2 tbsp. honey
- 1-2 tbsp. orange juice
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Place all but the whipping cream in a blender and puree. Add the whipping cream and blend for a few seconds (don’t want butter, just thicker)
Pour into two glasses, add a dollop of whipped cream and a fresh raspberry and blackberry.
It doesn’t get any yummier than this.
Deelightful Bing Cherry Dessert
That is not a spelling error. This recipe is truly deelightful.
- 1 package Black Cherry gelatin
- 1 cup Bing Cherries, pitted
- 1 quart Chapman’s or Tillamook vanilla ice cream (slightly softened)
- 1 1/4 cups wafer crumbs
- 6 tbsp melted butter
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 2 tbsp. cherry juice
- 2 cups whipped cream
- 12 whole cherries, pitted
Prepare gelatin as directed. Stir in 1 cup cherries. Pour into 9 inch cake pan and chill until firm.
Mold, carefully, the ice cream in a 9 inch cake pan and chill, again , until firm. You now have 2 pans, okay?
Combine cookie crumbs and butter. Divide into 3 equal parts.
Just prior to serving, assemble this as follows:
1. Spread 1/3 cup crumb mixture on serving platter
2.Invert gelatin, place on crumb mixture. Spread second portion of crumbs on gelatin.
3. unmold ice cream and place on top of gelatin. Spread remaining crumbs on top.
4. Combine sugar and cherry juice. Pour over layer of crumbs
5. Frost sides with whipped cream, score top of cake to show portions. Decorate each piece with a whipped cream rosette and bing cherry.
Yield: 12 portions.
Oven Pancake with Fresh Berries
We are expecting company for the weekend and I find this is a really good way to show you are glad they came.
- 1/2 cup cold butter
- 5 eggs
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- Fresh berries
- icing sugar/whipped cream (optional)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grate butter and place in a 9 x 12 glass baking dish. Heat oven until butter has melted.
Combine eggs, sugar, salt in an electric mixer for 1 minute at high speed.
Now, slowly add milk/cream, then flour, then ricotta cheese and finally the baking powder.
Pour into the hot baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes until it has puffed and is starting to brown.
Remove from oven and let sit for about 6-7 minutes before cutting. The center will fall. Serve with fresh berries and whipped cream, butter and warm maple syrup.
Now, aren’t you glad you came for a visit.
Fresh coffee is almost finished brewing…..
Orange Scones
I seem to be on a kick right now to make sure I have “treats” just in case. Just in case we get unexpected company! So, I have 2 tropical loaves, chocolate chip cookies, and scones. Oh…sorry about that….the cookies are all gone.
Anyway, these are lovely and if you wish, serve with with a nice orange marmalade and butter and you will be given the award of the day.
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 2/3 cup golden raisins
- 1 tbsp. finely grated orange rind
- 6 tbsp. cold butter
- 1 lightly beaten egg
- 1/2 cup + half and half cream
- Icing sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt. Stir in the raisins and orange zest.
Grate the cold butter into the flour mixture. Make a small well in the center and add the liquids. Stir only until the dough clings together.
Knead on a lightly floured surface about 12-13 times.
Cut the dough into 4 pieces and lightly pat into squares about 1/2 inch thick. Cut these diagonally and place the squares on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
On removal from oven, sprinkle with icing sugar. Let cool if you can. Otherwise, pour the coffee, grab the butter and marmalade amd have your own party. I would…
Orange Macadamia Conserve
What a great time to make ahead all the conserves, butters, jams etc. Fruit is and will be available soon and with the recipes available, you are the winner (and so will your guests be).
- 2 oranges
- 2 cups water
- 12 oz. fresh cranberries
- 5 1/2 cups berry sugar
- 1 -3 oz.pkg. fruit pectin (liquid)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped macadamia nuts (or pecans)
Peel the oranges, making sure to remove the pith from the peels. Cut the peel into thin strips and place them and the water in a large saucpan. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for about 9-10 minutes.
Chop the fruit and, along with the cranberries and sugar, add to the water mixture. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Add the pectin and stir well. Boil for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and add the nuts. Put into sterilized jars and seal, making sure to wipe the rims and seal completely.
Store in a cool dark place.