May Cooking -- Banana Pudding

Banana Pudding

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
3 egg yolks (Save whites for meringue)
2 cups whole milk
1 box Nilla Wafers
5 bananas
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Dash salt

1. Place a layer of Nilla Wafers in the bottom of a medium sized bowl. Slice a banana over the top. Repeat two more times with another layer of wafers and remaining bananas. 

2. In a sauce pot (or double boiler) on medium low heat, add all ingredients except vanilla.  Stir well with a wire whisk. Allow to cook, stirring constantly to prevent scorching, until thickened---about 15 minutes. Add in vanilla and stir. Immediately pour over wafers and bananas

3. Top with meringue, if desired.  Beat 3 egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly beat in 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until firm peaks form.  Spread meringue over the top of pudding and to edges of bowl. Brown top in 350 degree oven for 5-8 minutes. 

Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze

I make this cake almost every Easter. 

Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze

3 cups cake flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups sugar

6 eggs, room temperature

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease 16 cup tube pan. Dust with cake flour; tap out excess flour. (I just spray my nonstick tube pan with Pam.)

Sift flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.  Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar. Add eggs 2 at a time, beating just until combined after each addition.  Beat in lemon juice and peel.  Mix in dry ingredients.  Mix in sour cream. Transfer batter to prepared pan. 

Bake until tested inserted near the center comes out clean, about 1 hour 30 minutes.  Let cake cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Loosen around edges with a knife. Turn cake out on rack and cool completely. 

Lemon glaze

Melt 1/4 cup butter in microwave

Sift 2 cups powdered sugar in large bowl

Add butter to powdered sugar

Add 2 tablespoonful lemon juice

Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Stir until smooth and creamy

If too thick add a few drops milk; if too thin add a little more powdered sugar

Drizzle over cake

Enjoy. 

April Cooking--Vanilla Pudding

I like to put fresh strawberries on top. 

3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups half-and-half
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon unsalted butter 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and slat in a medium saucepan.  Slowly whisk in the half-and-half and then the yolks. 

Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking constantly and scraping the bottom and sides of the pot.  Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the pudding is thick and coats the back of a spoon, about 4 minutes. Stir the butter and vanilla into the pudding until the butter is melted. 

Strain the pudding through a fine-mesh strainer, into a bowl, scraping the inside of the strainer with a rubber spatula to pass the pudding through.  Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.  Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours. 

March Cooking Dessert

I have made these annually for at least 30 years. So good.
Lemon Sours

3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2/3 cup sifted powdered sugar

Mix flour and butter to a fine crumb.  Sprinkle evenly in an 11 by 7 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Beat eggs, mix in brown sugar, coconut, chopped nuts, baking powder, and vanilla.  Spread on first mixture as you take it from the oven. Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Mix lemon juice, rind, and powdered sugar to make a creamy smooth mixture.  Spread over top as soon as it is removed from the oven.

Cool, cut into squares, and serve.

Chocolate Chocolate Cake

 When nothing but chocolate will do.

 

 

Chocolate Cake 

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda (not baking powder)

1 stick butter

4 Tablespoons cocoa

½ cup oil

1 cup water

½ cup buttermilk ( 1 tablespoons vinegar in ½ cup milk)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla 

Sift together flour, soda, and sugar.

Combine butter, oil, cocoa, and water in a pan; bring to a boil.

Add hot liquid to flour; mix well; then add buttermilk; mix well; then add eggs & vanilla; beat for 2 minutes.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

 

Chocolate Icing

 

1 stick butter

4 tablespoons cocoa

4-6 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup nuts

1 box powdered sugar 

Combine butter, cocoa, and milk in a pan; bring to a boil.

Add vanilla and powdered sugar; mix well. (If the icing is too thick, add additional milk 1 teaspoonful at a time to the desired consistency.)

Add nuts.

Cooconut Cream Cake

COCONUT CREAM CAKE

½ cup shortening
½ cup butter
2 cup sugar
5 eggs, room temperature, separated
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
2 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 2/3 cup coconut

Blend shortening, butter and sugar until creamy. Blend egg yolks into sugar mixture. Add baking soda to buttermilk. Stir buttermilk and flour alternately into the egg mixture. Beat egg whites until stiff, add vanilla. Fold into cake mixture. Fold in coconut. Pour into three 8 or 9 inch greased and floured round pans. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, turn onto rack and cool completely.

FROSTING

½ cup butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 lb powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped nuts (opt)

Blend butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Fold in coconut and nuts. Spread between each layer and cover cake. Additional coconut may be toasted and sprinkled on top.