Peanut Butter Crunch Cake

Quick cake mix fix-ups never go out of style, and here's a favourite from my files.  (Hey, Cake Fest can't all be from-scratch recipes...)

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
3 eggs
1 2/3 cups milk

Nutty Chocoalte Frosting:
4 3/4 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup boiling water
1/3 cup softened butter or margarine
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla

For the cake: In a large mixing bowl combine the dry cake mix, 1/2 cup peanut butter, the eggs, and milk.  Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, scraping sides of bowl; beat for 2 minutes at medium speed.  Bake as directed on package instructions (in this case I made cupcakes).

Nutty Chocolate Frosting: In large mixing bowl, combine icing sugar (sifted), cocoa powder, salt.  Add the boiling water, the butter/margarine, the 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter and vanilla.  Beat with an electric mixer till well combined.  Makes about 2.5 cups frosting.

BYU Brownies

Fudgy brownies with nuts, a creme-de-menthe icing, and chocolate frosting.  These babies are served at every BYU event from dances to banquets.

1 cup margarine (227g)

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 Tbsp. honey

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

 1 cup chopped walnuts

12 oz. chocolate icing

Mint topping:

5 Tbsp margarine (2.5 oz)

dash of salt

3 Tbsp. milk

1 Tbsp. light corn syrup

2 1/3 cups icing sugar

1/2 tsp. mint extract

green food colouring

Melt margarine and mix in cocoa.  Allow to cool.  Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix well. 

Add nuts.  Pour batter into a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 F (180 C) for 25 minutes or till cooked through.  Cool.

Prepare mint icing: soften margarine.  Add salt, corn syrup, and icing sugar.  Beat until smooth and fluffy.  Add mint extract and food colouring.  Mix.  Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

Spread mint icing over brownies.  Place brownies in the freezer a short time to stiffen the icing.  Remove from the freezer and carefully  add a layer of your favourite chocolate icing.

Fudge Ecstasies

The name says it all.  For this batch, I used chocolate krispies in place of the nuts, to be more kid-friendly.

12 ounces (2 cups) semisweet chocolate pieces

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 Tbsp butter or margarine

2 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 cup chopped nuts (or krispies)

Grease a cookie sheet; set aside. 

In heavy saucepan, heat 1 cup of the  chocolate pieces, the unsweetened chocolate, and butter till melted, stirring constantly.

Add the eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla, and baking powder.  Beat till combined, scraping sides of pan occasionally.  Stir in remaining 1 cup chocolate pieces and nuts (or krispies).  Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. 

Bake in a 350 F oven (180 C) for 8 to 10 minutes, or till edges are firm and surfaces are dull and crackled. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

Pancakes (Euro-Style)

 Traditionally, the English eat these pancakes topped with lemon juice and sugar.  But we like to make them savoury for main course (with ham and swiss cheese) and then bundle in our favourite sweet toppings for dessert (strawberries & cream, Nutella & banana, etc.) 

2 beaten eggs

1-1/2 cups milk

1 cup flour (I mixed wholewheat and all-purpose, half and half)

1 Tbsp cooking oil

2 Tbsp sugar (optional)

Combine eggs, milk, flour, oil, and sugar.  Beat till well mixed. 

Heat a 6-inch skillet, then remove from heat and grease with butter.  (I use a silicone pastry brush which is highly heat resistant).

Ladle in about 3 Tbsp of pancake batter, then lift and tilt skillet to spread batter evenly.

Return to heat; brown, then flip.  Invert cooked pancakes onto a serving dish and repeat the process until all the batter is used up.  For easy eating, spread your fillings evenly onto the flat pancake, then fold the pancake in half; then in half again.  This makes a nice triangle/cup-shape that is simple to hold and eat whilst containing all the filling's goodness.  Alternatively, you can roll them up jelly-roll style and eat with knife and fork.

Leftovers? These p-cakes also make a great wrap for packed lunches.

*Note: I usually double or triple this recipe when feeding my family of 4 - gives plenty for main course and dessert. 

Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies make a frequent appearance at our weekly Family Home Evenings on Monday nights.  I always use wholewheat flour in this recipe and that, combined with the oats, makes these crispy, delicious morsels perfect for dunking in ice cold milk.

1 cup butter or margarine

1/5 cups sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1-1/4 cups wholewheat flour

1-1/2 cups oats

6-oz semisweet chocolate pieces

In large mixing bowl, beat butter (or margarine) on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add the sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.  Beat till combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in egg and vanilla till combined.  Then mix in flour.  Stir in oats and chocolate pieces.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons about 3 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.   Bake in a 375 F (190 C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes or till edges are firm.  Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.  Makes about 48 cookies.

Piña Colada Fruit Dip

This creamy, pale yellow dip is excellent with fresh fruit.  And at only 45 calories per serving (1/2 cup) it makes for a healthy snack option too.

14-oz. (398 mL) can of crushed pineapple, with juice

3/4 cup milk (175 mL)

1/2 cup coconut milk (125 mL)

4-oz. cream cheese, softened and cut up (125 g)

1 package instant vanilla pudding powder (4 serving size)

Measure pineapple with juice, milk and coconut milk into blender.  Process until smooth.

Add cream cheese.  Process until smooth.  Add pudding powder.  Process until well blended.  Turn into serving bowl.  Chill.  Makes 3 and 2/3 cup (900 mL)

Kettle Corn (sweet popcorn)

You'll need a Whirley-Pop stovetop popcorn pan to make this delicious snack.  These are commercially available at any retail outlet in the U.S.  For U.K., order online here.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cooking oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup popping corn
6 - 7 drops food colouring (optional)

Put all ingredients inside Whirley-Pop.  Heat on stovetop at medium-high temperatures and turn crank continuously until popping stops.  Empty contents onto large baking tray and gently break up pieces using a spatula or wooden spoon.  Cool and serve.