Tag-Archive for » sugar «

Sparkling Sangria

15
May 2010
By

This is a good drink for a party on a warm summer night. It can be either alcoholic or non-alcoholic. I, personally, would make it with the orange juice. It shouldn’t take credit card processing in order to pay for the ingredients either.

2 limes
2 oranges
1 lemon
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 bottles (25.4 oz each) white Catawba grape juice
2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur or orange juice
2 cups sparkling water, chilled

Cut the ends off of the fruit. In 2-quart saucepan, mix the sugar and water then add the ends of the fruit. Heat to boiling and boil for 3 minutes. Cool; discard ends. Cut remaining limes, oranges and lemon into thin slices.

In a 3-quart non-metal container, mix the sugar/water mixture, grape juice and liqueur or orange juice. Add the fruit slices then refrigerate.

Just before serving, add the sparkling water and stir gently.

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Mummy Cookies

30
Oct 2009
By

mummycookiesOk everyone… get out your fat burners because these cookies are 400 calories for just 1 cookie! But they’re cute and perfect for Halloween.

1 pouch sugar cookie mix
2 tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
1/3 cup softened butter or margarine
1 egg
1 container (1 lb) vanilla frosting
12 small jelly beans, cut in half
black decorating gel

1. Pre-heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir together cookie mix and cocoa. Add the butter and egg; stir until it forms a soft dough

2. On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with 5-inch gingerbread man shaped cookie cutter. On un-greased cookie sheet, place 1 inch apart. Gather dough scraps; re-roll until all dough is used.

3. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are puffy and the tops are dry. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

4. Spoon frosting into re-sealable plastic bag; partly seal the bag and cut 1/4-inch hole in a bottom corner. Or you can use a decorating bag with a flat tip with 1/4-inch-wide opening (#44). Pipe frosting on cookies for bandages. Place jelly beans for eyes and use black gel to make pupils in eyes. Store cookies in airtight container.

Image from Betty Crocker

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Extra dark Chocolate mousse

08
Jan 2009
By

dk-choc-mousseThis is a very rich and delicious dessert and you won’t have to take any Vegas vacations to get it. You just make it right in your own kitchen.

4 (1 ounce) squares of unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. hot water
5 eggs – separated
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. cognac or coffee liqueur
Whipped cream (optional for topping)

Place the chocolate, sugar, cream and salt in the top of a double boiler. In the bottom of the double boiler bring water to boil and turn down until it simmers. Place the top part of the double boiler on the bottom part and heat while stirring occasionally until the chocolate is melted and the sugar is completely dissolved. This will take about 20 minutes. Add the hot water and heat, stirring until smooth and satiny. Beat in the egg yolks (1 at a time) and remove at once from the heat. Beat the egg whites to form soft peaks. Mix about 1/2 cup of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Lightly fold in the rest taking care not to break down the volume. Mix in the vanilla and cognac. Cover and chill for 12 hours before serving. Optional – top with dollops of whipped cream.

Makes 4 servings. About 445 calories per serving without the whipped cream.

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That time of year

15
Oct 2008
By

The time of year is coming. I’m talking about the holiday season when people dig out their old family egg nog recipes and start thinking about Christmas.

I don’t have old family recipes for egg nog, but I do have a recipe. It’s a non-alcoholic version so it’s safe for the kiddies.

1/3 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1/4 tsp. salt
4 cups milk
2 egg whites
3 tbsp. sugar
Brandy or rum flavoring to taste
1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped
Ground nutmeg

Beat 1/3 cup sugar into the egg yolks. Add the salt then stir in the milk. Cook over medium heat.. stirring constantly until the mixture coats a spoon. Cool. Beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the 3 tbsp. sugar, beating until they form soft peaks. Add to the custard and mix thoroughly. Add the vanilla and flavoring. Chill for 3 or 4 hours. Pour into a punch bowl or cups. Dot with dollops of whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Serves 6 to 8.

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Coconut Decadence Cake

28
Sep 2008
By

This cake has 536 calories per serving you’ll need to break out the diet pills after eating a couple slices of this cake!

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. coconut extract
1 tbsp. sugar
Coconut Frosting (see recipe below)
1 (14 oz) pkg. flaked coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 (9 inch) round cake pans.
2. Beat butter on medium with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add the 2 cups of sugar, beating well. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.
3. Combine flour, baking powder and salt then add to the butter mixture alternating with the milk and mix at low speed until blended. Stir in the vanilla and coconut extracts. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.
4. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick, inserted into the center, comes our clean. Cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on the wire racks.
5. Combine 1/2 cup water and 1 tbsp. sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Spoon the sugar mixture over the cake layers.
6. Make the Coconut frosting. Spread the tops of 2 layers with 1 cup frosting then sprinkle each with 1/2 cup of coconut. Stack the layers then top with the 3rd layer. Spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides of the cake and sprinkle with the remaining coconut. Store covered in the refrigerator.

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Coconut Frosting

2 cups chilled heavy cream
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. coconut extract

1. Combine the cream, sugar, vanilla and coconut extracts in a medium bowl. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.

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Makes 16 Servings
Per Serving: 536 calories, 59g carbohydrates, 5g protein, 32g fat, 2g fiber, 112mg cholesterol, 234mg sodium.

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Bread and Butter pickles

06
Jun 2008
By

If you haven’t done canning you should. Canning will save you a lot of money. Below is my favorite canning recipe for bread and butter pickles.

10 cups sliced pickling cucumbers (1/4-inch slices)
4 medium onions, sliced thin
1/2 cup pickling or canning salt
3 cups white vinegar
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tbsp. mustard seed
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. ground turmeric

1. In a glass or stainless steel bowl, combine cucumbers, onions and salt. Mix well, cover with cold water and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Transfer to a colander placed over a sink; rinse with cool running water and drain thoroughly.

2. Meanwhile, prepare canner, jars and lids.

3. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds and turmeric. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Stir in vegetables and return to a boil.

4. Pack vegetables into hot jars to within a generous 1/2-inch of top of jar. Ladle hot pickling liquid into jar to cover vegetables leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot pickling liquid. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

5. Place in jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.

Makes about 5 pint jars.

Let stand 4-6 weeks before serving.

These are more healthy than store bought pickles because no preservatives are used and your health insurance will thank you for that.

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Fudgy Saucepan Brownies

18
Apr 2008
By

Dark and chewy brownies.

3/4 cup of butter or margarine
4 (1 ounce) squares of unsweetened chocolate
2 cups of sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups of unsifted flour
1/2 tsp of salt
1 1/2 tsps of vanilla
1 3/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Melt the butter and chocolate in a large, heavy saucepan over the lowest heat.

Remove from heat and mix in the remaining ingredients in the order listed, beating well after each addition.

Pour the batter into a greased 9x9x2 inch pan and bake for 40 minutes until brownies just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Cool the pan of brownies upright on a wire rack until they are room temperature then cut in 16 squares.

They are about 350 calories per brownie.

*These are nothing like Alice’s Restaurant brownies.. you won’t need to go to drug rehab after eating them! :)

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