10 Pumpkin Desserts to Try



Yesterday I made a pumpkin roll for some friends of mine to include in their Thanksgiving dinner. 

Last Thanksgiving, I made this pumpkin roll for the first time ever (at the same friend's request) and fell in love with it.  I was intimidated by this at first...I have admired pumpkin/red velvet/chocolate cream-filled rolls for years, but was never brave enough to attempt making one.  Since then I've made the pumpkin and red velvet rolls several times.  The pumpkin roll always yields good results.  The red velvet usually turns out well (it still needs a little tweaking), but my chocolate roll efforts so far have yielded nothing but disaster.

I actually made two, so I could keep one for myself.

The picture of mine (above) is one roll cut in half.  Since I don't employ a food stylist, mine doesn't look nearly as good as the photo from the Libby's website shown below.  I sliced it with a serrated knife, which caused some of the crumbs to drag through the filling, and I didn't wrap it quite tightly enough to keep the round shape.  I had a slice at lunch, though, and I assure you it was wonderful.

Even so, I've never really been a huge pumpkin fan.  When I was much younger, my mom made pumpkin bread in coffee cans (anyone remember those?), and that was always a treat that I looked forward to.  Sadly, none of us remember exactly which recipe she used, although I do have another recipe that I use now (baked in a loaf form) that is quite good.

With pumpkin on my mind, I began browsing for Thanksgiving holiday desserts featuring that ingredient. 

Here is my list of 10 pumpkin dessert recipes that I plan to file in my "future recipe adventures" binder (well, 9, since I've already made one of them).  Most of them do not appear to be too difficult.   If you are in need of a unique dessert idea or want a spin on the traditional pumpkin pie dessert, you may find something on this list to suit you.  These pumpkin dessert ideas can be enjoyed any time, but this time of year it seems they taste just a little bit better. 


Paradise Pumpkin Pie
This twist on pumpkin pie has a layer of cheesecake in it.  I'm thinking this one is a winner.


Photo from www.food.com by coolmonday

Pumpkin Pie Pudding
Made in a crockpot....easy!



Photo from www.food.com by Pam-I-Am

  




 





 

 

 

Pumpkin Pound Cake   

Pound cake.  Enough said.  Oh, wait a minute...one of the reviewers substituted egg nog for the milk.  Even better!

Photo from www.landolakes.com



Pumpkin Roll
This is the recipe I use.  I have never owned a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan, so instead I used an 11x15 sheet cake pan from Wilton.  The recipe contains directions for making the cream cheese filling, but if you are in a hurry, you can use your favorite canned cream cheese frosting instead.  (The canned frosting may be a bit sweeter than if you make your own.)
Yeah, their picture is much prettier.




Photo from www.libby's.com



 

 

Praline Pumpkin Dessert
The word "praline" always catches my attention.
This is similar to those "dump cake" recipes, so you know it's easy, plus it looks pretty good too, don't you think? 


 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie
Swirled with cream cheese....it's got to be good! 

Photo from www.pillsbury.com



 

 

 

Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes
Ummm...did someone say donuts?

Photo from www.thecomfortofcooking.com



Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Even though this recipe has that scary word ("yeast") in it, I am tempted to try these anyway.



Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins
Why not enjoy a little pumpkin for breakfast?




Mini-Pumpkin Cheesecakes with Gingersnap Crusts
These are just too cute not to make, right?



Enjoy and have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Red Velvet Swirl Pound Cake

Red velvet cake is at the top of my "favorite cakes" list.  

My mother used to make it fairly often when I was much younger and we still use that same recipe today. We've made it in layer cake, sheet cake, Bundt cake and cupcake forms, and more recently I have made red velvet cake balls/truffles, which are divine dipped in either white or semi-sweet chocolate.  I've also made a delicious red velvet cake roll ... you know, the one rolled up in a spiral with cream cheese frosting in the middle, as well as red velvet brownies and cookies, but, unfortunately, the recipes I chose for the last two did not impress.

You can imagine my excitement, then, when I learned that the most recent issue of Southern Living contained a recipe for a red velvet swirl pound cake!  Pound cake is also on the top of the aforementioned cake list.

I hadn't had possession of the magazine for an hour before I eagerly jumped into the baking fray, gathering everything together, getting the mixer ready, assembling my ingredients.  The magazine photo of this cake was beautiful, and it had been such a long time since I'd eaten any pound cake, so I couldn't wait to get started and taste this delightful blend of two of my favorite cakes.

So off I went.

Here is the result:

I know that I did not drizzle enough of the vanilla frosting on the cake.  The frosting is thin and should have been of a much thicker consistency.  I know this, but I did not care.  It's pound cake!  You don't need drizzled icing on a pound cake for it to be good, right?  

Well, let me tell you...for this one....yeah, you do.  This one needed to be completely slathered in cream cheese frosting.  Even with that, I don't think it would have improved it much.

I will be the first one to say that a red velvet cake without the cream cheese frosting and pecans has a ho-hum taste.  You might taste a hint of the chocolate, but the cake alone won't be terribly sweet and it really isn't very good by itself.  (These observations are based on the recipe I have used for years.)

But this is a two-and-a-half-cups-of-sugar pound cake!  In spite of that, this cake had very little taste to it, sweet or otherwise.  The texture,while somewhat light (not like a cream cheese pound cake, for example, which is very dense), was borderline dry.  I baked it for 50 minutes, and added 10 more.  (The recipe called for up to 1 hour and 5 minutes.)  

It looked good.  It released itself perfectly from the pan.  The inside swirled well, although it looks like it had a little bubbling action with the red batter going up through the middle during baking.

I have to give this one, sadly, a thumbs down.  If you would like to try it yourself, here is the link:  Red Velvet Swirl Pound Cake.  If you have better luck with it, please let me know.

I really do enjoy pound cakes, and the swirled ones always interest me.  If you would like to give your family or friends a twist on the traditional pound cake this holiday season, I highly recommend either of these two:

Chocolate-Swirled Pound Cake 

I love love love this one, and so does my 80+ year-old aunt, who will be getting one this Christmas.

Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake  

My sister loves this one, and she will probably be getting one of these, too.

Happy baking, friends!

Squash Dressing

I love cornbread dressing.  It is one of many reasons that I look forward to the Thanksgiving holiday.

My dad makes really good dressing...not too tight, not too loose...and sometimes we freeze it in 8x8 pans so we can enjoy a little taste of the holiday throughout the year.  (Of course, I have to have cranberry sauce alongside it!)  I try not to eat too much of it during the year, though, because it is such a prominent component of the Thanksgiving meal. 

So, in order to satisfy my taste for it during the rest of the year, I like to make squash dressing instead.  It has a lighter texture than the traditional holiday dressing. This is a great way to use up all that extra yellow squash that you may have left over from your summer garden after you've given some of it to everyone you know.

This is a two step process.  Make the cornbread first (you can make it the day before, if you wish) and then proceed with the dressing recipe.

The cornbread recipe I use is from an older Southern Living holiday cookbook.  It is really easy and has a lighter texture than some other cornbread recipes I've tried.

Buttermilk Cornbread

Preheat oven to 450F.  Place a well-greased 9" cast-iron skillet in the oven for 5 minutes or until hot.

Note:  Do not forget how hot the skillet is!  I grabbed the handle twice with no oven mitt on my hand.  I assure you, it was not a pleasant feeling.

Combine 2 cups self-rising cornmeal, 1 3/4 cups buttermilk, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 large egg (lightly beaten).  Mix well.  You should be able to pour the batter into the pan.

(If you don't have buttermilk on hand, add 1 tablespoon vinegar per 1 cup of milk and let stand 5-10 minutes.)

Pour the batter into the hot skillet.  It will sizzle a bit when it hits the heated pan.

Bake for 23-25 minutes at 450F or until golden brown.

Let cool and crumble.














Squash Dressing



A few pieces of zucchini squash joined the fun.

Dice or thinly slice 4-5 medium yellow squash and chop one small onion.  Cook together in water for 10-15 minutes or until tender.  Drain.  This should yield 2 cups of cooked squash.

Combine the 2 cups of hot squash with 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter in a large mixing bowl, stirring to melt the butter.

The third egg is camera-shy.

Add 3 eggs and mix well.

Mix in 2 cups of the crumbled cornbread and 1 can cream of chicken soup.  It's okay to add a little extra cornbread if you have some remaining.

Place in a 1-1/2 quart baking dish. 

I have never known how to translate that dish size, and I didn't feel like unloading the tower of casserole dishes in my cabinet to find out which one to use, so I used an 8x8 glass Pyrex dish instead.

Bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes.  I baked this for 40 minutes, but I am still adjusting to using glass cookware instead of aluminum pans, and I didn't want to burn the bottom.

I have since learned that, when baking in a glass dish, you should reduce the temperature specified in the recipe by 25 degrees.  I should have cooked this at 325F for the full time.

Yum!

It was still quite good.

I love this recipe so much that I made a triple batch so I could freeze some for later.  This yielded (including the one I baked) 4 1/2 quarts.

I used one quart in my 8x8 pan, which is the same amount I used in the casseroles that I sold at the restaurant.






I used microwave- and freezer-safe pint and quart containers for storing in the freezer, but you can use disposable aluminum foil pans just as easily.  Cover pans with aluminum foil, label the casserole with the description and date prepared, and place in a 1-gallon freezer zip-top bag.

Maybe this could become one of your own family favorites!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheese Ball

Last week I made a couple of appetizers for a friend for an open house event to usher in the fall/Thanksgiving season.

One of these was a Pumpkin Cheese Ball.  Based on her idea, I searched for a recipe, although I don't remember now where I found this particular one.

Before anyone turns their nose up at the idea of a pumpkin-filled cheese ball, let me assure you that it contains no pumpkin.  It just looks like one.  The taste of it actually reminds me of a Mexican taco dip.

This is a really nice little appetizer for your fall festivities.  It tastes wonderful and looks really cute surrounded on a pretty plate with assorted crackers, fresh veggies, or maybe those blue taco chips (my favorite!).

While I didn't take step-by-step photos when I made it, I did take one of the finished product prior to delivering it.

Isn't it pretty?

 



Give this one a try.  It's simple, looks unique and tastes great.

 

Here's the recipe:

 

Ingredients

 

2 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened

1 8-oz. pkg. extra sharp Cheddar cheese (a little over 2 cups shredded)

3 tbsp. finely chopped onion

1/2 cup chunky salsa

1 tsp. ground cumin

2 cups Doritos, crumbled

1 green bell pepper with stem

 

Directions

 

Using a stand mixer, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, onion, salsa and cumin.  Beat well until completely combined and creamy.

 

Scoop the mixture out of the bowl onto plastic wrap.  Shape it into a ball, securing with the plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

 

Just prior to serving, roll the chilled ball in crushed Doritos until completely covered.

 

Remove the stem from the bell pepper and press lightly onto the top of the ball.  Reserve the remainder of the pepper for another use or discard.

 

Notes

 

• Grate your own cheese instead of using pre-shredded.  The ball will hold together better.
• I used one medium Vidalia onion, diced finely in my mini-chopper.  You may opt for an onion with a stronger taste.
• Add finely diced jalapeno (1 teaspoon or to taste) for a little more heat.
• I used mild salsa.  Medium, of course, would add a little more kick.
• I placed the (nacho cheese) Dorito chips on a baking sheet (to contain the crumbs) and crushed them using a rolling pin.  You may have to press some of the crumbs into the bare spots on the cheese ball with your fingers as you work with it.
• Instead of using a bell pepper stem, you can use the stem end of a jalapeno, or even a cut piece of celery with a few of the celery leaves placed around it.

 

The photo above shows the cheese ball on a 6" saucer. 

 

I really hope you guys like this one.  My friend received many compliments on it at her event.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Baking for the Dog

Today my baking took a different direction.

I decided to make some homemade treats for my pampered little pup.

 

I've had a few recipes catalogued in my mind for dog biscuits, cookies, and "pupcakes", but I've never taken the time to make any of them.

This recipe is fairly easy to make and is from one of my Gooseberry Patch cookbooks.

Here's how it went today:

Combine 2 cups whole-wheat flour, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup cornmeal, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl.

 

  

Finely chop 1/4 cup sunflower kernels.  (I used unsalted.)  I chopped most of these by hand (because I like to chop things...makes me feel like a professional).....

 

 

 ...but I resorted to my mini-chopper to finish the job.

 



Add the sunflower kernels to the flour mixture.

 



Lightly beat 2 eggs.  Add the eggs, 1/4 cup molasses, 1/4 cup milk, and 2 tablespoons oil to the flour mixture.

 





Let your mixer's dough hook do the work for you.  It took 4-5 minutes for the

ingredients to form a thick dough.  I added a little extra milk near the end because the dough began to tighten and the mixing bowl got a little jumpy.

 

Here is how the dough will look....thick, grainy, and a little tacky to the touch. 

 

 



Using a cookie sheet as my floured surface (this corrals the flour and keeps it from getting all over your workspace), I began working with about 1/2 cup of the dough, which is a little elastic, at a time.  Roll out and cut as you would any cookie.  Combine scraps with a new scoop of dough.  Knead 4 or 5 times and roll again.

 

 

The recipe states to roll the dough 1/2" thick.  I had no way to accurately measure this, so my first dozen treats were a little thin.  I used a 3" dog bone cookie cutter to cut them out, which is fun, but you can use any cookie cutter you like.  A heart shape would be cute.

  



The treats don't spread as they bake, so you can put them close together on the pan.  This is a half-sheet pan (12" x 18").











 
Bake at 350F.  As they are baking, your kitchen will begin to smell a little chicken-ish, which is odd because there is no chicken in them.

Per the recipe, bake for 30 minutes.

Now...if you make your treats thin, like I did on the first pan....don't bake them for 30 minutes.  Bake them for 10-15 minutes.  I am embarrassed to say that I overcooked the first pan, so I had to throw them out.

The second pan, which had thicker dough cut-outs, did well baking at 20 minutes.



The finished product.

Cool the treats in the pan on a wire rack.  To make them harder, you can leave them in the oven with the heat turned off for an hour or more.

I'd hoped the excess flour would disappear during baking.  Next time I will brush them off a bit.







Of course, we had to have a taste test when they cooled.  These cookies were a bit large for him, so I cut one into thirds and gave him one piece.

He carried it around like it was a prize for a few minutes, and then settled down to enjoy his cookie.  (And came back looking for more.)   I took a bite of one also.  It's dense and a little chewy with not much flavor, but you do get a hint of the molasses.  I might throw in a bit of pumpkin or sweet potato the next time I bake these.

Now that I've made these, I want to experiment with other recipes for him.  Why not make a batch of these for your furry friend (providing they are not allergic to wheat)?  I am sure they will appreciate it!




Strawberry Balsamic Jam

In the last few days, I've developed an interest in making my own jellies and jams.  I can't think of a food that is much better than a tall hot crusty biscuit, split and slathered with melted butter and a big spoonful of jelly.  I prefer jelly on biscuits and jam or preserves on toast.  Blame it on my perfectionism, but jelly just doesn't spread evenly on toast!

Blackberry and/or grape jelly has always been my first choice on a buttered biscuit.  I also mix it into my buttered and salted grits (resulting in a lovely purple color!) and have done so since I was a child, but that is a subject for another blog. 

I've been busily scouring the internet and my cookbook collection for recipes, educating myself along the way in the techniques of sterilizing jars and processing the filled jars in water baths.  Fun stuff, right?  My parents have made jelly for years, as well as canned pickles and peppers, but I have never tried it myself.  When I told my mother that I wanted to learn how to do it, her disbelief that I was interested in such a thing rivaled her disbelief almost 10 years ago when I told her I wanted to open a cake shop, knowing that I had barely learned to bake beyond a boxed mix.

Because I didn't have the necessary equipment to begin this jelly-making adventure the old-fashioned way, and couldn't get it without ordering it online or driving 100 miles, and my parents were otherwise occupied and could not engage in a training session, I decided to try an easier route...sort of sticking my toe in the water before I jumped in.  So today I made strawberry balsamic freezer jam.  I could have made plain strawberry, but I wanted this to be a mini-adventure in terms of taste as well as procedure.  In this recipe, the tartness of the balsamic vinegar heightens the flavor of the strawberries.

Freezer jam doesn't require all those processing steps.  You mix the ingredients, pour it into freezable containers, and you have homemade jam at your fingertips for up to a year.  It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about 3 weeks and frozen for up to 1 year.  I am using 8-oz. plastic freezer jars by Ball, which is the perfect portion size for our household, and one 16-oz. jar to keep in the refrigerator.

This easy recipe that I found has only a few ingredients, uses honey instead of sugar, and doesn't require a lot of equipment.  It yielded about 4 1/2 cups.

Here's how it went:

Step 1. 

Boil 1 cup balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until it is reduced to 3/4 cup.  Chill until cool.



Okay, first...open a window or turn your kitchen exhaust fan on.  The smell of the vinegar can be a bit overwhelming, to say the least.

Second...you have to carefully watch how much vinegar is being reduced. Initially, I didn't cook it down enough - I had too much liquid. Then, I cooked it down too much - not enough liquid - so I added a bit more from the bottle after removing it from the heat.  I poured the 3/4 cup hot vinegar back into the measuring cup, covered it loosely (with a folded paper towel) and placed it in the refrigerator to chill completely.

Note:  Chilling the vinegar takes about 40 minutes. 

Step 2.

While the vinegar is boiling, wash and crush the strawberries. 



So pretty.
 

I used 2 packages of strawberries to fill a 4-cup measuring cup.  It actually came to a little less than that, but it didn't make any difference.



Don't you love the brand name?  Shout out to the '70s.
 







Some recipes call for hulling the strawberries; this one did not.  I hulled a few anyway.  Here's a fun way to do that.

Strawed berry.
 

(Yeah, I know I probably need a new cutting board.  But this one works just fine.  It's seasoned.)

Stick the straw in the bottom of the berry and push straight up to the top.  If you aim the straw just right, the whole leafy top will pop off, and you can pull it and the core out of the straw.  My aim was a little off today, so I poked them 2 or 3 times to get all of the leaves, and I had to trim a few around the top.  (This is probably why I didn't get a full 4 cups of crushed berries.)  I had lots of cores inside the length of the straw.  They will come out the opposite end of the straw as you work through the berries. 

I sliced/coarsely chopped the first package of berries and then began to crush them.  I think this was a mistake.   There were too many bits to crush.



They hover when they hear the sound of food being chopped. 
 

I placed the strawberries in a large bowl, and alternated using a pastry cutter and a potato masher to crush the berries.





















I left the second package of berries whole (after removing the tops, of course) and
crushing them was a little easier.  However, next time I think I will pull out the food processor and simply pulse them a few times. 


Step 3.

Mix the strawberries, 1/2 cup honey and the chilled balsamic vinegar in a large mixing bowl.  Let it stand for 10 minutes.

Step 4.

Add 5 tablespoons of Ball RealFruit Instant Pectin to the strawberry mixture.  Stir the mixture constantly for 3 minutes.  I found it easier to set a digital timer than to watch the clock.  I talked to my mother on the phone the entire time, so those 3 minutes elapsed very quickly.

Step 5.

Using a small measuring cup (mine was 1/4 cup) or a ladle, place jam into clean jars to the fill line.  Twist on the lids and let stand until thickened (about 30 minutes).  Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year.

My first jam!

Additional recipe notes:

Use plastic containers (most any kind with a snap lid will do).   Fill to 1/2" from the top.  The plastic Ball containers have a fill line indicator on the side.   This will help prevent freezer burn as well as decrease the amount of air in the jar.  Do not overfill or the container may burst.

Thaw frozen jam in the refrigerator or in warm water.  Jam consistency may be softer and more watery after thawing.  Do not refreeze.


Here's the link to the recipe:  Strawberry Balsamic Jam

Serving suggestions:

Serve over toast, an English muffin, pancakes, or a bagel; warm a couple of tablespoons of jam in the microwave and serve over vanilla bean ice cream (oh, you know that's what I'm going to do!); serve over cream cheese or mascarpone cheese as you would a pepper jelly.




I did it...the tartness of the jam paired with the sweetness of the ice cream is just right.

 



Enjoy!

Sherry

Mississippi Mud and Death of a Mixer

Last week, I received a renewal invitation for Southern Living magazine, which included a free recipe for a dessert I haven't had in a very long time, and have never actually made.  Mississippi Mud Cake.  Surely every true southerner has experienced this chocolate confection.  You probably have a similar recipe in your own archive.  However, the only time I recall having it was at potluck lunches or suppers at church when I was a kid.  One of the older ladies of the church, Mrs. Oretha, was known for making it, and hers is, as far as I know, the only one I ever had.  She passed away many years ago, but I have my mom's copy of Mrs. Oretha's handwritten recipe for it.  I wonder why, now, all these many years later, that I (nor my mother) never attempted to make it.  I guess that's why I'm so enthusiastic about it now...it's like I rediscovered something from my childhood.

I placed the new recipe - the one I got in the mail - under a magnet on the refrigerator door and made sure I had all of the ingredients.  It hung there for several days, almost taunting me, daring me to give it a try.  It isn't a particularly difficult recipe, and I don't know why I kept dodging it.

Today I took that step and baked this luscious-sticky-gooey-extremely-chocolate dessert.  Let me tell you, it is awesome.  I googled some photos to compare mine to "professional" results.  I think mine looks every bit as good as, and even better than, some pictures I found.

What do you think?

This has an almost brownie-like cake base, with gooey marshmallows, fudgy chocolate icing, and toasted chopped pecans to finish it off.  Sinful, for sure!  Try this the next time you want something different than, perhaps, a plain old pan of brownies.  There is some effort involved, but it's not too much, and the results are definitely worth it.

Sadly, in the process of this adventure, I had to say goodbye to one of my most prized kitchen possessions:  My old Oster mixer.  This is my third one, and I was determined to run it until the very end.  It had been showing some signs that it wouldn't be with me much longer right before I closed my restaurant, and today I officially retired it.  This mixer dated from the very early 80's, and they just don't make them like it anymore.  It was actually a part of an entire food processing system and could do so many different things, but I only used the mixer portion of it frequently.

Incidentally...I had a job interview last week, and was asked one of those aptitude questions that you know are just going to be off-the-wall-unexpected as to the content, and the question was "If you were a kitchen appliance, what would it be, and why?".  Of course, being the baker that I am, my response was "a mixer".  I was thinking specifically of THIS mixer, which is capable of doing so many different and varied tasks, and doing them all very well.  Unfortunately, and regrettably, I did not articulate my answer to that extent....I was actually prepared to explain why a manhole cover is round.

Anyway...as I was whipping the chocolate frosting for the cake today, I detected an absolutely noxious odor...no, not from the frosting, but from the mixer....a hot electrical smell, kind of like burning plastic.  It didn't start smoking, which would have really freaked me out, but I knew the mixer was done for.  I quickly shut it down, unplugged it, and carried it outside.  I was enjoying the lovely chocolate cake aroma coming from the oven, especially since I was expecting a bit of company mid-afternoon, and I knew the house would smell really nice.  But no!!  A few seconds of running that sick mixer and suddenly the whole kitchen was overwhelmed by that terrible odor.  It is very difficult to remove that smell from the house.  I opened windows and pulled out a box fan to circulate the air, but that awful smell lingered for several hours.  I did a little research, and determined the problem was most likely the field coil burning out, which will cause the motor to stop.  The thing is at least 30 years old, so I am quite satisfied with it's performance and I certainly got my money's worth.  This mixer was a workhorse and was built to last.  Back in the late 70's/early 80's, Oster apparently did not engage in the "planned obsolescence" mindset. 

Ahh...the early 80's...circa 1982/1983...lovely times were had back then, and I do miss them so.  If anyone is going back there, please let me know so I can catch a ride with you!

Here's the recipe from Southern Living for this wonderful dessert.  I hope you like it as much as we do.

Mississippi Mud Cake
Yield: 15 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 (4-oz.) semisweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 (10.5 oz.) bag mini marshmallows
Chocolate Frosting

Preheat oven to 350F.

Place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350F for 8-10 minute or until toasted.

Microwave 1 cup butter and semisweet chocolate in a large microwave-safe glass bowl at HIGH 1 minute or until melted and smooth, stirring every 30 seconds.

Whisk sugar, flour, cocoa, eggs, vanilla extract and salt into chocolate mixture.  Pour into a 15 x 10 x 1-inch jelly-roll pan.  Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.  (I don't have a jelly-roll pan, so I used an 11x15 sheet cake pan and baked the cake for about 18 minutes.  And I used the mixer instead of a whisk to blend everything together.)

Remove cake from oven and sprinkle evenly with marshmallows.  Return to oven and bake 8-10 more minutes or until golden brown.

Drizzle warm cake with Chocolate Frosting (recipe below) and sprinkle evenly with toasted pecans.

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar (about 4 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir together butter, cocoa, and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted.  Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until slightly thickened; remove from heat.

Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla at medium-high speed with electric mixer until smooth.

Note: 

This frosting reminds me of the type of frosting you would use on an old-fashioned layer cake....that fudgy, quick-to-harden kind, although this recipe is a little thicker. 

I made the frosting while the cake was baking, so it had to sit for a few minutes.  It began to crust slightly, so I turned the mixer on a couple of times to bring it back to a smooth texture. (This is when the mixer started giving me problems.)  Because the frosting is somewhat thick, it is easier to spoon it over the warm cake instead of drizzling it.  It sets up quickly, and when I sprinkled the pecans over it, I lightly pressed them down into the chocolate/marshmallow topping.

Enjoy!


Sherry

My First Cooking Lesson and Green Beans

Since I've been home a few weeks now, we are slowly returning to our old way of cooking around the house, which simply means "not eating sandwiches and casseroles from the restaurant".  We are cooking for ourselves the way we once did...a way that was pretty much abandoned when the restaurant was a part of our everyday life.  Now we aren't restricted to using only the recipes that adapt easily for mass quantities, like we did when we were testing and producing large casserole batches.  Now we can take our time and rediscover some old favorites, as well as find a few new ones.  One of my projects is to consolidate those favorites into one binder that will hold up to sticky fingers and stovetop splatters. 

Tonight we are eating leftovers.  Once upon a time, leftovers sat in our fridge for days until we finally tossed them out.  Now, we look forward to them, not only because we are making efforts to become less wasteful, but also because...well, they're good! 

One of my top five favorite kitchen items is my crock pot.  I have become reacquainted with it and have used it quite frequently these last few weeks.  A couple of days ago, I cooked a pot roast with potatoes, onions, and carrots.  To me, it is always just a bit better a day or two after it's been cooked.   We also discovered a new recipe for macaroni and cheese that has become our new favorite, and we are having those leftovers as well.  (This mac and cheese is so good that I can eat it cold.  I seriously considered making a sandwich out of it today for a snack.  I'll post that recipe another day.)

To round out this meal of old-time comfort food tonight, I assembled another old favorite...marinated green beans.  I am not a canned green bean fan, nor do I like the traditional green bean casserole, although I have made it many times at customers' requests.  To me, this recipe that I made tonight is reminiscent of German potato salad...it has a sweet-tangy vinegary bacony dressing that really perks up plain old green beans.  I imagine it would work equally as well with frozen or fresh cooked green beans, and would probably taste even better.

Making this dish requires a few strips of "real" bacon.  I absolutely love bacon.  I'm from the south, and I grew up with it.  I am painfully aware that it is not good for you (what comfort/southern food is?).  Moderation!

In the last few years, I've become accustomed to using pre-cooked bacon and microwaving it to crispy perfection.  It was neat and clean and easy, and I still use it to make club sandwiches and the like.  But this recipe calls for the bacon drippings, so I had to go retro and fry it up.

And on that subject...my best friend Lisa and I go way back.  We met when we were 5 years old and lived a couple of houses apart.  Growing up, she was either at my house or I was at hers.  I remember when we were in the fifth grade, I think, and I had stayed overnight (we called it "spending the night") at her house, and her dad fixed us bacon and eggs for breakfast the next morning.  My first "cooking lesson" came from her dad that day.  The bacon (which I love!...did I mention that??) was so good, and he explained to me that the way to cook bacon was low and slow.  It won't burn, it won't splatter, and it fries up just right.  I have always followed his instruction since that day with nothing but great results. 

Here we go with the recipe for the green beans.  It is super easy and super tasty, and yields 6 servings.  You can adjust any of the ingredients to your taste.  Sometimes I cook a few more slices of bacon to yield more of the drippings.


Marinated Green Beans

Ingredients:

2 16-oz. cans French-style or regular cut green beans
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. bacon grease (or more...whatever your bacon yields)
2 Tbsp. prepared mustard (regular or spicy)
4 Tbsp. vinegar (white or cider)
4 strips crispy fried bacon

Directions:

Gather your ingredients.

Take four slices of bacon (thin sliced bacon is best) and place them in a large skillet.  I cut the strips in half so they wouldn't hang over the sides of the pan.  Slowly cook over medium low heat, turning occasionally as the strips begin to brown.

While the bacon is cooking, heat the green beans in a large saucepan.  (Do not drain.)

When the beans are warm, drain and place in a casserole dish.

 

When the bacon starts to shrink and gets foamy little bubbles on top, remove it from the pan and drain it on a paper towel-lined plate. 



 

Combine the bacon drippings (I prefer the word "drippings" to the word "grease", don't you?  Makes me feel a little better about eating it.), brown sugar, mustard and vinegar.  (I used spicy mustard and cider vinegar.)  Trust me, it will look much better than this......

...when you whisk it all together like this.

You can warm the vinaigrette, if desired, or simply pour it over the green beans.  Toss to coat.

Crumble the bacon and sprinkle over the top.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

How easy is that?

I hope you'll give this recipe a try the next time you see those cans of green beans staring at you from your kitchen cabinet.  Sometimes they want to get dressed up instead of being cloaked in cream of mushroom soup!

Enjoy!!