Food – Page 12 – Gracious Rain

May 30, 2012January 16, 2019

Chocolate Buttermilk Texas Sheet Cake

In honor of my Daney boy–who’s away in Texas for the summer…we made CAKE!

And the only thing missing from this picture is a big, old, scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Maybe later.

Right now…I just have to eat this piece…like right now…before anyone catches me.

Cake Ingredients:

1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups *all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup water
6 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*I actually used whole wheat flour and 1 Tablespoon of Dough Enhancer. Nobody even knew. It was fabulous.

Frosting Ingredients:

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
6 tablespoons of milk
4 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a jellyroll pan with butter or non-stick spray. In a measuring cup, measure out 1/2 cup of buttermilk. Add 2 eggs and beat until well blended; set aside. Whisk together in a large bowl, 2 cups sugar, 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Make a well in the center and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the 2 sticks of butter, the 2 tablespoons oil and 1 cup of water and bring to a near boil. Remove pot from the heat and whisk in 6 tablespoons of cocoa, until smooth. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla and add this mixture to the sugar and flour mixture; stir until well blended. Slowly add in the buttermilk and egg mixture and stir well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees until the center is set, about 20 to 25 minutes.

When cake is about 5 minutes from being done, prepare the frosting. Do not do the frosting ahead of time because it will quickly stiffen. Heat the stick of butter and 6 tablespoons of milk in a saucepan just until it comes to a boil. It will need to be very hot. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining 4 tablespoons of cocoa. Mixture will thicken. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and quickly beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. If mixture thickens too quickly just warm it on the stove again. Immediately pour the frosting all over the cake. Use a spatula to gently push the frosting out to the edges and to cover the cake evenly. Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing.

Oh. My. Goodness.

May 28, 2012October 30, 2022

Table Top S’mores

Oh, we had sooo much fun at Jillian’s bridal shower with this sweet idea–we found on Pinterest. Cooking yummy little s’mores over individual Terra Cotta hot pots. Aren’t they just adorable?

Originally, we set three Hot Pots on each table around the yard for the guests to enjoy. But towards the end of the party, we gathered them up and set them all in one spot, and realized that they were still hot enough to go for round two–so that’s what we did!

These are so simple to make–we kinda just threw them together with 6 inch Terra Cotta flower pots that we bought from Michael’s.

First, I balled up a piece of foil and put it in the bottom–so they weren’t so deep. Then, I lined them using heavy duty foil with the shiny side up, and just scrunched it so that it just barely rolled over the outside edge.

I didn’t worry too much about them looking perfectly beautiful either. Once the foil was in, I stacked them to kind of smooth out the insides.

We lit a busload of charcoal briquettes in the barbecue, then once they were nice and glowing, we used tongs to transfer the hot coals to the pots.

Luckily, April had some stoneware bowls to set them in, because they got really hot and started melting the plastic table cloths. So be ready with plates or trivets and it won’t be a problem. I loved that even the little people could cook their own marshmallows–with adults close by, of course. But there were no flames to worry about–which made it much easier to relax even with a few kids around. Our friends just sat and talked and laughed the evening away, leisurely toasting marshmallows and candy bars and chocolate cookies…and…

is that a Starburst?

Heh, heh.

May 21, 2012May 23, 2012

Mother’s Day Getaway~ 1

Day 1

~Morning~

This year, Mother’s Day was all about doing whatever each of the Mother’s in my life wanted to do–whatever that was. So for little Lyndi, the day started with breakfast at Kneaders, where they were serving…

Strawberry French Toast with whipped cream.

And get this–the sign said, “Moms. Eat. Free.” Oh, my.

It was a totally adorable set-up with a tent outside and two cute little fellows doing valet parking. Anything to pamper all those moms. There was a line clear out the door, but it moved fast and everyone was happy and chatting the whole time.

I know we made it worth their while because we brought nearly the whole crew with us, whether or not they were mamas yet. And of course, they had to eat too, you know. Hey Miss Chompy–you gonna eat that piece? :}

I mean, seriously, who can resist Kneaders for Pete’s sake?

Not us. That’s who.

We took a box of…um…extras with us, just for the Heck of it. No, no…I’m not going to eat those all by myself. I can share…if I make up my mind to do it. And get a load of that Chocolate Mousse Bomb. Ho-lee-cow.

Food, folks and fun. Perfect way to start the day–if we do say so ourselves.

Thank you Kneaders–we positively LOVE you!!

Stay tuned for Mother’s Day Getaway~ Day 1 “Afternoon” coming tomorrow. :}

May 11, 2012June 28, 2023

Rootbeer Float Cookies

Now, I must admit, we aren’t very big on carbonated drinks at our place. Once the kids got started in sports and their coaches advised them to lay off the soda–it worked for all of us. In fact, some of my younger ones thought that anything with that fizz was a “hot drink.”

That said, if I had to confess, I’d tell you that every now and then I get a huge craving for Fresca–that I resist with all my might. But my one summer naughtiness is to buy one–only one 2 liter bottle of A&W Rootbeer and squeeze as many floats as humanly possible from it. Then I can move on.

But then we found and tweaked this lovely piece of work. It’s positively like drinking a Rootbeer Float…without the mug. Sort of. Well, that and it’s a cookie.

Dang good at any rate.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 tsp. root beer extract
4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt 12 oz. white chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in buttermilk and root beer extract.
Combine dry ingredients; slowly add to creamed mixture. Add chips and mix well.
Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Frosting:
4 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 Tbsp. milk
2 tsps. root beer extract

In a mixing bowl, combine all frosting ingredients. Beat until smooth.
Frost cooled cookies.

Rootbeer Float Cookies

: Launi

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 tsp. root beer extract
4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt 12 oz. white chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Beat in buttermilk and root beer extract.
Combine dry ingredients; slowly add to creamed mixture.
Add chips and mix well.
Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove to wire racks to cool.
Frosting:
cups powdered sugar
/4 cup butter, softened
Tbsp. milk
tsps. root beer extract
In a mixing bowl, combine all frosting ingredients. Beat until smooth.
Frost cooled cookies.

May 2, 2012February 25, 2015

Carrot Patch Cupcakes

While everyone is out planting their real gardens around here, I must confess that I’ve been working on a few “seedlings” of my own. Heh, heh, heh. Aren’t these the cutest little garden cupcakes you’ve ever seen? And such a painless way to get a few more–ahem–vegetables into your system. Baaaa!

Start with fruity Mike and Ikes. I picked several kinds to make sure I had plenty of orange ones.

Plus all the leftovers didn’t hurt my feelings any either. :}

I’d never seen Rips Whips before, and I tore them out of the bag before getting a picture. Essentially, they are skinny, little multicolored licorice strings. You’ll be using the green ones–so go ahead and eat the rest.

First just take a paring knife and make a tiny cut clear through the top of each little orange candy.

Now, cut the green licorice into one inch pieces. Then with scissors or a knife cut through the top of the licorice about half way down the piece so it looks like greenery.

Next, gently pinch the sides of the orange candy to open the cut up just a bit. Don’t get too rambunctious with this step or you’ll crack the outsides and make them ugly. Then, well, you’ll have to eat them.

Now poke the green stems into the top of your carrot. I used the tip of a knife to set it in–that worked the best for me.

Carefully squeeze your carrot closed a bit around the green top.

Oh, just look at your little harvest! Aren’t they adorable?!

All that’s left to do now is to “plant” your little candy carrots into your favorite patch…I mean batch of chocolate cupcakes. These sweet things–along with a tall glass of ice water–will make a fine reward for all those little backyard farmers coming in from a long day with the rototiller. Wouldn’t you say?

Oh, I do so love Spring!