Hi Lovies!  Boy, have I got a treat for you today!  And, I do mean treat, as in soft, chewy, chocolatey, peanut-buttery deliciousness.  I am going to share with you my world-famous Candy Shop Pizza recipe. Okay, okay, so maybe not world famous but it is pretty darn famous amongst my friends and family and they are my world.  So, yeah, Sherry’s-world-famous is a good description. I clipped the original version of this recipe from a magazine many moons ago. I still have the clipping but I have no idea what the magazine was so I cannot give any proper kudos.  I have tinkered with proportions and ingredients throughout the years and made it my own. This is kind of a cookie, kind of a dessert pizza, and kind of a candy all in one. We have used it as a substitute for birthday cake many times. It is one of my boys’ very favorite treats and, I gotta admit, it is also one of mine.  No matter where I take this dish I am asked for the recipe. I willingly share, with the added comment that you can personalize this dessert to your own liking so easily. The sky is definitely the limit with this one. I have a standard combination of ingredients that I use because we all love it so much but, seriously folks, you could make so many variations of this.

I have been itching to share this gem with you but waited until just the right time.  And, that time is now – after Halloween. Because, you see, this recipe is a wonderful way to get rid of your leftover Halloween candy, or any leftover candies.  Or, you can just go buy what you need to make it any dang time you want. That’s what I do. I mean, if I have to buy a fun size package or 6 of little candy bars to make one of my family’s favorites, I don’t mind at all.  Aaaannnddd, if there happens to be any of those little bars left that need to be used up, well then, I will certainly volunteer my services. Unless, they too nougaty or have coconut. Then, I won’t be munching on them. Funny thing, I hardly ever have those kinds of candy in the house.  Wonder why. Oh well, it’s a mystery.

So, this treat starts off with store-bought cookie dough.  I always use chocolate chip, but you could easily use any other flavor.  I do not recommend using your homemade cookie dough unless it is a cookie cake recipe or perhaps a rolled cookie recipe.  The store-bought dough is nice and dense and holds up well to the toppings without crumbling. You want for the finished product to be eaten as a piece of pizza.  Just pick it up and munch. No forks. What fun are forks? So, anyway, I use the store-bought Nestle Toll House cookie dough because it is my favorite. Now, for this post I am going to use the tub of cookie dough that fills a cookie sheet, but you can also get the roll for a regular pizza pan.  When I first made this treat, I always used a pizza pan, but these days I usually make it on a cookie sheet so that we can feed more people.  And, trust me, everyone will want to partake in this yumminess.

The “sauce” is made with a combination of melted semi-sweet chips and peanut butter. As I said, this recipe is really versatile.  You could use any flavor of chips that you like and switch out the peanut butter with some other nut butter or spread.  I have made a white version of this with sugar cookie crust and white chocolate chips mixed with the peanut butter.

The toppings are simply chopped candy.  Any kind of candy that you enjoy will work as long as it can be chopped or is already bite size.  I always attempt to have a variety of textures and flavors, although mostly chocolate because, well duh, I’m a chocoholic.  I do like to add some white chocolate candy as well and always M&M’s because I like for the pizza to be colorful and pretty.

Start off by preheating your oven to 375 degrees and lining your cookie sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper.  You can skip the parchment if you spray the pan with cooking spray. Chop your candy, except the M&M’s, into very small pieces.  Place all of these in a large bowl, add the M&M’s and mix a bit. The amount of candy is dependant on your taste. For a cookie sheet sized pizza I normally have about 6 cups of chopped candy.  And, if you are anything like me, you will need an extra cup to replace the candy pieces that you munch on during the chopping process. Don’t judge. Set this aside.

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Hi All!  So, this past month has been STRESSFUL to the max.  I mean, these are the days when I could seriously sit in a corner and eat an entire gallon of chocolate ice cream by myself.  I tend to eat my feelings. Yeah, I know, not healthy. But, life has been super hectic with moments that were wonderful and happy and then some that were incredibly hard. One of the hardest parts was the loss of my mom last week. She battled with and suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease for years and while it was very hard to lose her it was also a tremendous relief to know that she could be happy and rest for the first time in a very long time.  Anyone who has lived through Alzheimer’s with a loved one knows that you don’t just lose that person once and grieve. You lose them every day for years and grieve for the duration of their battle. The final breath can seem more like a sigh of relief. So, this post, like many of my writings will feature Mom and her cooking.

I’m sure that I mentioned this before, but I have a large family.  What I might not have explained is that my siblings and I are spread out in age by quite a bit.  My sisters were teens by the time I came along. They all married and had kids when I was still small.  They stayed close to home with their own families, so we got to see them pretty much every weekend. It was common for everyone to be at our house all day on Sunday.  The guys would mess around on the farm and the girls and the kids would play around the house and watch old movies on tv. Mom would cook a big meal for everyone on Sunday at noon or (more likely) in the evening.  That was a lot of people to feed so she would make dishes that went a long way. Often, it was fried chicken or spaghetti.  The picture below shows one of those dinners.  That’s Mom at the end of the table next to the babies.  I am the little girl standing behind the highchair.  I think that one of my sisters still has some of those brown plates.  

One of the desserts that I remember most from those days was cream puffs. She made them from scratch with a vanilla custard filling and a sprinkling of powdered sugar on top.  Man, they were good! And, to a little girl, they seemed like something that a princess would eat. That was a very special dessert. A couple of years ago, my sisters and I went on a search for Mom’s recipe books and cards. Unfortunately, some of them have been lost. The cream puff recipe was luckily found, and copies made for all of us.  I had not attempted to make her recipe before now. I have made cream puffs once before that I can remember, and they turned out okay but not as good as Mom’s. I have been thinking about Mom a lot recently and about those days on the farm. I dug through my old tin recipe box and found the copy of her card. I made them up with a vanilla custard recipe that I already had.  I don’t have her custard recipe but this one tastes identical, so I was happy with the result. I did make mine much smaller than Mom did if my memory is correct. Next time, I will definitely make the puffs larger, so I can fit more of that luscious custard inside. Yummmmmmm. These delicious pastries have a beautiful, flaky shell with a silky custard filling.

You do need to plan ahead for this wondrous dessert.  After you bake the cream puffs you need to let them cool completely.  The vanilla custard recipe that I am using says to chill but if I remember correctly, Mom used to serve it slightly warm.  I suspect that it was out of necessity. She had to make such a large batch to feed everyone and I doubt that it would have fit in our frig.  So, anyway, plan accordingly.

For the cream puffs, you will need 4 eggs, ⅛ teaspoon salt (a pinch) ½ cup butter (cubed), 1 cup flour and 1 cup water.  My mom wrote a scant cup of flour. I’m not sure what she considered scant, but I just used a cup that was almost level and it worked out fine.

Bring the water and butter to a rolling boil.  Add the flour all at once and stir quickly with a sturdy spoon until the mixture sticks together and pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.  Add this dough ball to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer and beat in the eggs one a time.  Beat for 5 more minutes on medium speed.

Drop the dough in large mounds (at least the size of a tennis ball) on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees.

When the puffs are a golden-brown color and sound hollow when thumped they are ready to remove from the oven.  Immediately poke some holes in the sides of the puffs with a wooden skewer or toothpick to allow the steam to escape.  This helps prevent the puffs from becoming soggy inside. Allow the puffs to cool completely.

For the vanilla custard filling, you will need 3 egg yolks, 3 cups milk (I used whole), 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons vanilla.  This recipe can be doubled if you want to be sure you have plenty of this filling. It can also be eaten alone if you have any leftovers.

You can make this filling at the same time as the puffs and chill or you can make it shortly before serving.  I kind of like the filling to be a little warm but that’s just me. So, let’s get started on this decadent and delicious custard.  Beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl until frothy. Gradually, stir in the milk and beat until blended. Set aside. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan with no heat, mix the sugar and cornstarch.  Add a small amount of the milk mixture and stir until you can make a smooth paste. Slowly add the remaining milk mixture and stir until blended. Now, you can turn on the heat to medium-low.  Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and comes to a full boil. This will take 20 minutes or more so plan accordingly. Once the custard begins to boil continue cooking for 1 minute, making sure to keep stirring.  Remove from the heat as soon as the minute is up. Stir in the vanilla and transfer the custard to a large bowl. You can leave this on the counter for a bit to cool or if you are in a hurry you can set the bowl in cool water in your sink or a larger pan.  Just be careful not to get water in the custard. 

To keep a skin from forming on the custard, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the top of the custard while it is cooling. If you want to chill the custard, place it in the frig for at least an hour. Don’t put a lid on it to prevent condensation from collecting on the custard.  I apologize for not including pictures of the custard-making process.  I had to keep stirring and so could not get any shots.  But, it is an easy recipe to follow, anyway.  

When you are ready to serve the cream puffs you can either cut the top third of the puff off with a serrated knife and then spoon the custard into the nearly hollow inside of the puff.  Or, you can poke a small hole into the side of the puff and use a pastry bag filled with the custard to fill the puff. Place the filled cream puffs onto serving plates and sprinkle them with powdered sugar.  Sink your spoon into the flaky and delicious pastry and silky, creamy center and enjoy.

I always felt like a princess eating this dessert when I was a kid and can still appreciate that feeling of luxury.   I intend to make Sunday Best Cream Puffs more often and when I do I will always think of Mom. I can still picture her standing at the kitchen counter with her sleeves rolled up to the elbows working her culinary magic to feed a bunch of hungry people, laughing and talking all the while.  She will be missed but definitely not forgotten.

Sunday Best Cream Puffs with Vanilla Custard Filling

October 11, 2018

Difficulty: Medium

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These delicious pastries have a beautiful, flaky shell with a silky custard filling.

By: Wench Sherry

Ingredients

• For the Pastries:
• 4 eggs
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup water
• For the vanilla custard:
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

• Step 1 To make the puffs, bring the water and butter to a rolling boil.
• Step 2 Add the flour all at once and stir quickly with a sturdy spoon until the mixture sticks together and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.
• Step 3 Add the dough ball to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer and beat in the eggs one a time. Beat for 5 more minutes, after the last egg, on medium speed.
• Step 4 Drop the dough in large mounds (at least the size of a tennis ball) on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees. When the puffs are a golden-brown color and sound hollow when thumped they are ready to remove from the oven.
• Step 5 Immediately poke some holes in the sides of the puffs with a wooden skewer or toothpick to allow the steam to escape.
• Step 6 To make the custard, beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl until frothy. Gradually, stir in the milk and beat until blended.
• Step 7 In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan with no heat, mix the sugar and cornstarch.
• Step 8 Add a small amount of the milk mixture and stir until you can make a smooth paste. Slowly add the remaining milk mixture and stir until blended.
• Step 9 Turn on the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and comes to a full boil (20 – 30 minutes).
• Step 10 Once the custard begins to boil continue cooking for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat as soon as the minute is up. Stir in the vanilla and transfer the custard to a large bowl.
• Step 11 To keep a skin from forming on the custard, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the top of the custard while it is cooling.
• Step 12 Chill the custard in the refrigerator for at least an hour or serve slightly warm.
• Step 13 To assemble the cream puffs, either cut the top third of the puff off with a serrated knife and then spoon the custard into the nearly hollow inside of the puff. Or, you can poke a small hole into the side of the puff and use a pastry bag filled with the custard to fill the puff.
• Step 14 Place the filled cream puffs onto serving plates and sprinkle them with powdered sugar.

Hey Everyone!  Have a I got a golden oldie recipe for you today!  This is a family favorite! Actually, it is a multiple family favorite.  The recipe comes from my husband’s maternal Grandma, Birdie. Yep, her real name was Birdie – cute, huh?  My husband and his brother remember Birdie making these as snacks for them when they would visit her house after school or in the evenings to play games with Grandpa Bert.  The candies have always been a favorite of that family and now are a favorite with my sons, especially Alex. He has actually taken over the making of these delicious little morsels, for the most part, in my immediate family.  Alex has taken them to gatherings with his Greene County friends and they have become favorites of some of those guys. I have shared the recipe with some of their moms too. The recipe is so easy and although we have always called them candies, I could see calling them no-bake cookies as well.  There is very little cooking involved. You can easily make these in about 15 minutes, including the time it takes to gather the ingredients and measure everything. There are 5 ingredients in total, most of which you probably already have in your pantry. I don’t normally have plain Special K, so I can never make these on the spur of the moment which is probably a good thing.  These are really, really good and very addictive. Once you eat one it is hard to stop. If you are like me, you try to justify it by thinking of all the vitamins and good stuff in the cereal and the protein in the peanut butter. But, hey, just enjoy them. No judgement here.

This is an old recipe. This is witnessed by the listing of ingredients on our copy.  It calls for Oleo rather than butter. Alex and I always have a chuckle over that. Oleo is an old-timey term for margarine.  Back in the day, lots and lots of recipes called for margarine rather than butter. We use butter for these candies. I don’t use much margarine at all and I don’t really know if the end result would be all that different, but we love them with butter, so I am sticking with it.   I mean, c’mon, butter makes nearly everything better.  We also triple the original recipe, so I am going to give you those measurements.  I believe that the original recipe made just enough to be eaten right away. It was probably just right to feed two hungry boys and their grandparents.  We like to have them around for a while. They keep well if sealed in an airtight container. There is no need to refrigerate them. They travel well but if it is rather warm, you might want to separate each layer with parchment paper so that they don’t stick together.  This is also a good idea when they are sitting on the counter during the summer months. However, if they do stick together, then you pull out one really big candy and you can say that you are only eating one because technically you are. You see how my mind works? I am always looking for a way to justify the calories.  Sorry. Not sorry. Ok, back to the candies. It is difficult to find something to dislike about these. The candies are soft and sweet and chewy and peanut buttery with a bit of crunch. They make a great snack and pack up well for lunchboxes.

To make these delectable morsels you will need original Special K cereal.  You can also use plain corn flakes, but I think that the texture of the Special K holds up better.  You will also need peanut butter (plain or crunchy), white corn syrup, butter, and sugar. That’s it.  Just 5 simple ingredients to make a great candy.

I suggest that you measure all of your ingredients first and have them at the ready.  This recipe moves fast. Once your syrup and sugar begin to boil there is no time to measure peanut butter.  So, anyway, measure everything first. In a large saucepan or stockpot, combine the sugar and corn syrup, mixing well.  Heat this over medium or medium-low heat until the mixture comes to a full boil. You can see in my picture that large bubbles cover the entire surface.  Remove from the heat.

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Hi All!  How is everyone?  That good, huh? It has been kind of busy here and the next few weeks look to be really hectic.  This is always a busy time of year for us. Both of my sons’ birthdays are in September and there are always lots of events to attend.  I normally attempt to do a fall cleaning of the house, basement and yard before we have a birthday party for the guys. But, I give up on that this year.  I am hollering, UNCLE. There is just no time and I don’t really want to burn vacation days to do it. The house will just have to be good enough this year.  I think that I said the same thing last year…hmmm…I spot a trend here. Oh well, there are more important things in life than washing walls and cleaning out closets, right?  Right. And, one of those things is baking cookies. Even when I am busy I just can’t rely on store-bought packages of cookies to feed my loved ones. Don’t get me wrong, I love a double-stuff Oreo passionately, but baking cookies is a way for me to stay sane.

For years, I have seen recipes for icebox or refrigerator cookies that you can make ahead of time and then just slice and bake when you need them and only as many as you need.  Those would be absolutely perfect for times like this, but I gotta say, that I have never been a fan. It isn’t that I disliked them. I just never had them. My mom did not bake icebox cookies, so I really had no exposure to them.  I have said before that I am a huge fan of fat, chewy cookies and icebox cookies are neither of those things. So, I guess I just figured that I wouldn’t like them. Now, my father-in-law, Gary, has an icebox cookie recipe that he has loved for years and years.  I have been a part of that family, in some way, for like 37 years and until a few months ago I never really paid these cookies much attention. But, one day, a bag of them showed up on our kitchen table and I decided to properly evaluate them. Okay, in common terms, I was hungry, and I ate one.  The cookie was nice and crisp and buttery with little bits of nuts. I determined that I DO like these cookies. And, I also determined that I needed to share this recipe with you. I texted Amy, my stepmother-in-law, to ask for the recipe. She shared a picture of the actual recipe from a WWII era (1942) cookbook.  The page was yellowed and obviously much-used and loved. There is a basic recipe and then lots of suggestions for variations follow. Gary uses the nut variation, normally using hickory nuts, pecans or black walnuts. I like to bake with hickory nuts, but I did not have the time to find any in the freezer and then pick through them to get out any stray bits of shell.  I opted for pecans and then added mini chocolate chips for my own twist and dubbed them Vintage Icebox Cookies. The dough is very easy to mix up with stuff you probably already have on hand. You do need to chill the dough at least overnight. It can be chilled for several days or frozen for future use. Just make sure that you wrap it up nice and tight so that the dough does not take on that freezery taste.  The width of your slices determines if your cookies turn out very crisp or firm but soft. I sliced my first batch too thick and they didn’t crisp up like I wanted so the remaining batches were sliced about ⅛ inch thick.

Vintage Icebox Cookies are perfect if you need a large batch because the recipe makes a fair amount and it is easily doubled.  The finished cookies stack nicely for storage and hold up well to transportation. I doubled my batch so that I would have enough to share with my office and with Alex’s office.  They didn’t last long. This cookie is crisp but not hard, buttery and not overly sweet. The variations are endless, making this one of the most versatile go-to cookie doughs that you will ever make.

You are going to need flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, shortening (such as Crisco), butter, brown sugar, granulated white sugar, eggs and vanilla for the basic dough.  If you want to add nuts, you will need finely ground nuts of your choice. For my version, you will also need mini chocolate chips. I am going to give you measurements for a single batch, but I actually made a double batch this time as you will see by my pictures.

To begin, you need to do something a little unusual, but essential.  Measure out 4 cups of all-purpose flour and sift it into a large bowl. Then measure 4 cups of that sifted flour and add to a different large bowl.  You will be surprised in the difference. I actually had an entire cup extra of the sifted flour to put back into my canister.  Add the baking powder, baking soda and salt to the newly measured flour and then sift again. Set aside.

Cream the shortening and softened butter until completely combined.  Add the sugars gradually and beat on medium speed until lightened in color, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.  Add the beaten eggs and vanilla and mix until everything is combined.

Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.

Stir in your additions, such as finely ground nuts (1 cup or more) and/or mini chocolate chips (1 cup or more).  This is where you can get creative. You could add finely chopped dried fruit, toffee bits, coconut or flavorings.

Tear off a piece of wax paper that is about 18 inches long.  Scoop the dough onto the wax paper and shape into a log that is about 3 inches in diameter.

Wrap the dough tightly with the wax paper, sealing the ends with tape or twist ties.  Refrigerate overnight, at least.

When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Remove the wax paper and use a sharp knife to cut the dough log crosswise into about ⅛ inch slices.  The cookies will expand a bit during baking so take that into account. Place the slices on an ungreased baking sheet or one lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 5 – 8 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned. Mine took 7 minutes.

Allow the cookies to remain on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack or parchment on your countertop.  After the cookies have cooled completely they will be crisper. The single batch makes about 6 dozen Vintage Icebox Cookies depending on how thick you slice them.   Enjoy them with a cold glass of milk or steaming cup or tea. Delicious!

Vintage Icebox Cookies

September 22, 2018

Difficulty: Easy

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This cookie is crisp but not hard, buttery and not overly sweet. The variations are endless, making this one of the most versatile go-to cookie doughs that you will ever make.

By: Wench Sherry

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup softened butter
• 1/3 cup Crisco or another shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup of finely chopped pecans
• 1 cup of mini chocolate chips

Directions

• Step 1 Measure out 4 cups of all-purpose flour and sift it into a large bowl. Then measure 4 cups of that sifted flour and add to a different large bowl. Add the baking powder, baking soda and salt to the newly measured flour and then sift again. Set aside.
• Step 2 Cream the shortening and softened butter until completely combined. Add the sugars gradually and beat on medium speed until lightened in color, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.
• Step 3 Add the beaten eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
• Step 4 Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.
• Step 5 Stir in the finely chopped nuts and mini chocolate chips or your choice of additions.
• Step 6 Tear off a piece of waxed paper that is about 18 inches long. Scoop the dough onto the wax paper and shape into a log that is about 3 inches in diameter. Wrap the dough tightly with the wax paper, sealing the ends with tape or twist ties. Refrigerate overnight, at least.
• Step 7 When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Step 8 Remove the wax paper and use a sharp knife to cut the dough log crosswise into about ⅛ inch slices.
• Step 9 Place the slices on an ungreased baking sheet or one lined with parchment paper. Bake for 5 – 8 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned.
• Step 10 Allow the cookies to remain on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack or parchment on your countertop.

Hi Everyone!  How is the weather in your neck of the woods?  Has the summer heat finally left you? I’m not sure it will ever leave here. Mind you, I like summer. I love swimming at my sister, Marilyn’s, pool and watching the lightning bugs.  But, when the end of August comes around I start to think of Autumn and all the good things it brings. There are pleasant days and cool nights when you can leave the windows open and hear the bugs and birds, the sight of colorful leaves and pumpkins and best of all – the food.  I get a real craving for soups and casseroles. The baking is different once the temperatures drop too. Yes, I still make cookies and cakes, but in Autumn there are pumpkin and squash desserts galore and then many recipes have that wonderful touch of cinnamon.

I adore a good cinnamon roll.  If you recall, a few months ago I told you all about the tea ring which is just like a giant cinnamon roll.  I could seriously eat a whole tea ring and not break a sweat. Yes, I know, I have a problem – a gooey, cinnamony, yeasty, wonderful problem.  However, cinnamon rolls and even tea rings are a time commitment that I can’t always make. But, good news, I am going to share with you a cake recipe that is super easy and super quick and super delicious.  Seriously, this cake tastes just like a big old gooey cinnamon roll. The cake is fluffy with pockets of cinnamon sugar swirled throughout with a nice simple vanilla glaze on top. I have taken this moist and yummy cake to family gatherings and I have never had a complaint yet.  And, believe me, you can always trust your loved ones to let you know the truth about food.  But this cake is just too darn good to criticize. You could easily serve this cake for a holiday breakfast, dessert, with coffee when guests drop by or any old time. It is fantastic warm but also keeps well in a sealed container for a few days. I like to keep mine in the frig and then warm pieces for serving.  I have often thought that a drizzle of apple pie filling would be great for pie lovers. I am just happy with the cake as it is – simple and cozy with the flavors of home and love.

This cake is totally from scratch but is still so very simple.  Don’t be apprehensive about this recipe. It is as easy as pie – or cake.  You will need flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, eggs, vanilla, milk (2 % or whole), and melted butter for the cake.  The cinnamon filling is made with softened butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon (duh). The glaze is made with powdered sugar, vanilla and milk or heavy cream.  I really like to use cream but milk works too.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 X 13 cake pan with cooking spray.

In the bowl of your stand mixer or large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer, combine 3 cups of flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 cup sugar and 4 teaspoons of baking powder with a whisk or fork until everything is pretty evenly distributed.  Add in 2 eggs, 3 teaspoons of vanilla and 1 ½ cups milk and mix well. Turn the mixer down to low and slowly add ½ cup of butter that has been melted and cooled slightly. Mix this just until everything is combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and set aside.

Now you need to make the cinnamon filling.  This is the most strenuous part of the whole proceeding.  Add 1 cup of softened butter, 1 cup of brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons of flour and 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon to a medium bowl and mix by hand with a wooden or plastic spoon.  Don’t use a mixer if you can help it because the filling might become too soft. Use some elbow grease and mix until you have a nice paste consistency and you don’t see too many pockets of butter left.

Drop the cinnamon filling all over the cake batter in globs that are about the size of a walnut.

Cinnamon Roll Cake batter and filling before swirl

Once you have dropped all of the filling on the batter use a table knife to run through the globs to make streaks and swirls throughout the cake.  You want to have cinnamon filling in each bite so swirl pretty liberally but don’t go so far as stirring.

Bake for 35 – 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out pretty clean and the edges are very slightly browned.  Do not overbake.

After the cake has cooled for about 30 minutes, make the glaze.  To do that, you will need to add 2 cups of powdered sugar to a large measuring cup or small bowl.  Mix in milk or cream and 1 teaspoon of vanilla just until you have a nice thick glaze. I used about 3 Tablespoons of milk for mine but you may need more.

Pour the glaze in a thin stream over the warm cake, allowing it to run into all the little cracks and crevices.

Serve this delicious cake warm or cool.  Either way, you will not be disappointed.  

Tastes Like Love Cinnamon Roll Cake

September 11, 2018

Servings: 12 or more

Difficulty: Medium

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This cake tastes just like a big old gooey cinnamon roll. The cake is fluffy with pockets of cinnamon sugar swirled throughout with a nice simple vanilla glaze on top.

By: Wench Sherry

Ingredients

• For the cake:
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
• For the filling:
• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 1 heaping Tablespoon of cinnamon
• For the glaze:
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 - 5 Tablespoons milk or cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 X 13 cake pan with cooking spray.
• Step 2 In the bowl of your stand mixer or large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer, combine 3 cups of flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 cup sugar and 4 teaspoons of baking powder with a whisk or fork until everything is pretty evenly distributed.
• Step 3 Add in 2 eggs, 3 teaspoons of vanills and 1 ½ cups milk and mix well.
• Step 4 Turn the mixer down to low and slowly add ½ cup of butter that has been melted and cooled slightly. Mix this just until everything is combined.
• Step 5 Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and set aside.
• Step 6 To make the cinnamon filling, add 1 cup of softened butter, 1 cup of brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons of flour and 1 heaping Tablespoon of cinnamon to a medium bowl and mix by hand with a wooden or heavy plastic spoon.
• Step 7 Drop the cinnamon filling all over the cake batter in globs that are about the size of a walnut.
• Step 8 Use a table knife to run through the globs to make streaks and swirls throughout the cake.
• Step 9 Bake for 35 – 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out pretty clean and the edges are very slightly browned. Do not overbake.
• Step 10 Allow the cake to cool for about 30 minutes.
• Step 11 To make the vanilla glaze add 2 cups of powdered sugar to a large measuring cup or small bowl. Mix in milk or cream and 1 teaspoon of vanilla just until you have a nice thick glaze.
• Step 12 Pour the glaze in a thin stream over the warm cake.

Hi Everyone!  A couple of weeks ago I told you all about the Goode family reunion.  Well, we did have that event and it was very well-attended. I think that the crowd was the biggest in many years.  When I was a kid I remember that it was huge but about 10 or so years ago the numbers began to dwindle. I think that the younger families were having fewer children and were busy with their kids’ activities.  Or, maybe they didn’t realize the importance of keeping in touch with relatives. But, last year there were some family members there that we locals had not seen in a while and then this year there were even more.  I was pleased to see my Aunt Wissy’s family and my cousin Charlene as well as many others. There was, of course, a huge amount of food. I wanted to take a picture of the buffet before everyone grabbed plates and began to pile on but I (as usual) was running behind.  I just barely got there and put my contributions out before everyone began to line up. Oh well, maybe next year. There was a big pot of squirrel and noodles and a big platter of fried squirrel. There was also an abundance of fried chicken and pork chops, garden-grown veggies and lots of salads, including one of my favorites – potato salad.  I told you before that I am from a farm family. We hunt and fish and cook and bake and EAT.

I made my often-requested Ladybug Cookies.  This recipe comes from one that I read in a Gooseberry Patch cookbook when my kids were small.  It was a basic box cake mix cookie recipe and I usually made chocolate cookies with it. Then, one day, for some reason that I can’t remember, I decided to try red velvet cake mix.  My boys loved them. And, they dubbed them Ladybug Cookies because the finished product looks kind of like a big red ladybug. Shortly after I came up with this recipe some little girls who lived in my mother-in-law’s neighborhood set up a lemonade stand and wrote and sold a cute little cookbook.  The recipes were contributions from friends and neighbors. We shared the Ladybug Cookie recipe and so it was published the first time. Years later I submitted the recipe to Gooseberry Patch and it was published in the Christmas Cookie Jar cookbook. I have always been a Gooseberry Patch cookbook junkie, so I was especially thrilled when that happened.

In the subsequent years, I have made these cookies hundreds of time.  They are always a big hit when I take them to potlucks, holiday gatherings or to work.  My kids love to have them warm from the oven any time of the year. Recently, I have tweaked the recipe just a bit.  I discovered a while back that the batter had become very oily and kind of loose. The cookies flattened out more than usual too.  I finally figured out that the box of cake mix had decreased in weight by a couple of ounces. That difference, though small, was affecting my finished result.  I played around a bit with different ideas but ultimately decided that the addition of some flour would probably do the trick nicely and it does. I have also played with different brands of cake mix and though the cookies do turn out slightly different in color depending on the brand the taste is virtually the same.  The other change that I have made is the recommendation that you let the cookie dough rest for about 15 minutes before you bake the first batch. The dough seems to tighten up a bit if you do this and your cookies will stay nice and plump. I am not a flat cookie fan. I like my cookies big and fat. I almost always double this recipe.  Believe me, these cookies do not stay around long. I figure that if I am baking I might as well have enough to share with friends and family. So, I am giving you the ingredient measurements for a double batch. If you don’t need that many cookies you can easily halve everything. No biggie.  Ladybug Cookies are plump and tender with that wonderful moist red velvet cake flavor and loads of melty chocolate chips. And, they are super cute!

To start, you will need 2 boxes  (15.25 oz. each) of red velvet cake mix (any brand), 1 cup of vegetable or canola oil, 4 eggs, ¼ cup all-purpose flour and 3 – 4 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips.  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line your baking sheets with parchment paper (if desired).  Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, if using one. I have to crack mine into a small bowl or measuring cup first.  I am rarely able to break an egg without getting a piece of shell in it. I am lousy at it. Anyway, beat the eggs just a bit and then add the cake mix, flour, and oil.  Mix until well combined, scraping the sides as needed. This will only take a minute or so. Stir in the chocolate chips and let the dough rest for about 15 minutes.  I use 4 cups of chocolate chips because I am a chocoholic but you can lessen the amount if you want more cookie and less chocolate.  

Scoop 2 tablespoon-sized mounds of dough onto the cookie sheet.

Bake for 9 – 10 minutes or until the centers are set and no longer glossy.  Leave them on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes before removing to a rack or a parchment lined surface.  Please excuse the blurry picture.  I think my lens had flour or cookie dough or something on it.  Go figure.  

See how easy that is? Anybody can do it and I guarantee that you will get oodles of compliments.  Now get a big old glass of cold milk and enjoy!

Ladybug Cookies

September 3, 2018

Difficulty: Easy

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Ladybug Cookies are plump and tender with that wonderful moist red velvet cake flavor and loads of melty chocolate chips.

By: Wench Sherry

Ingredients

• 2 boxes of red velvet cake mix (any brand)(15.25 oz. each)
• 1 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 - 4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line your baking sheets with parchment paper (if desired).
• Step 2 Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, if using one, and beat for about 1 minute.
• Step 3 Add the cake mix, flour and oil. Mix until well combined, scraping the sides as needed.
• Step 4 Stir in the chocolate chips and let the dough rest for about 15 minutes.
• Step 5 Scoop 2 tablespoon-sized mounds of dough onto the cookie sheet and bake for 9 – 10 minutes or until the centers are set and no longer glossy.
• Step 6 Leave them on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes before removing to a rack or a parchment lined surface.

Hi Everyone!  In my last post I talked about the Goode Family Reunion and some of the very special recipes that make that day memorable for all of us that attend.  Some are must-haves and many of those were introduced to us by the elder members of the family.  The picture below shows my Grandma and Grandpa Goode and their 10 children taken many years ago at Union Hall.  

Sadly, eventually, those loved ones pass on or become incapable of attending.  We still share memories of those people and, happily, some of the recipes that are associated with them are carried on by younger family members. My mom can no longer attend the reunions but, to me, it always feels like I should still see her standing in that big kitchen at Union Hall, unpacking the picnic basket and laughing with my aunts and cousins.

Mom would always bring her signature Special K Bars.  I have a handwritten copy of this recipe and it states that she got the recipe from Barb Young (a very dear friend of hers) and that they were very good (total understatement, if you ask me).  The recipe is titled K-Peanut Bars, but I never, ever heard her refer to them by any name other than Special K Bars. She also always doubled the recipe and put it in a 9 X 13-inch glass baking dish.  I am going to give you the measurements for the doubled recipe but feel free to halve it if you don’t want to make as many. BUT, I think that you will want the larger pan once you have tasted them. They are incredibly addicting.  The Special K cereal and peanut butter help me to justify the calories. I mean, they must be healthy with those ingredients, right?

Now, I am not the family member who has been honored with keeping this tradition.  My beautiful and wonderful niece, Elizabeth, has been given this task. She made them once after my mom could no longer get the recipe correct and she did such a fantastic job that she gets to make them every year.  I don’t think that she minds too much.

This dish is super easy to make and is pretty quick if you don’t count the time that the bars take to set up.  Depending on the weather it may take a while for the chocolate mixture on the top to get solid. There are only a few ingredients and you may already have them in your kitchen.  The bars are great for dessert but superb for a snack or a potluck dish. I took some of the bars that I made for this post to work and they didn’t last any time at all. These bars are everything wonderful.  The bottom layer of the Special K Bars is peanut buttery and chewy with a little bit of crunch. The top layer is smooth, sweet and chocolatey deliciousness. The combination is truly heaven. My mom knew a good chocolate recipe and this one does not disappoint.  Every time I have one (or even just smell them) I think of her. I think that she would be happy that one of her favorites is also a favorite of so many family members.

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Hey Everyone!  It must be wedding season.  I know of several weddings coming up and have been invited to two, myself.  In fact, I have been given the honor of attending one in September as honorary mother-of-the-bride.  You don’t even know how excited and special this makes me feel. The bride is my “adopted daughter” which means that she is a very good friend of my older son, Cody, and she is the daughter that I never had but wish that I did.  Cody had a group of friends in high school that were so very close, and they spent many a day and night at my home. They all became my kids and I wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world. Marissa became one of my adopted daughters and we have remained close ever since.  I knew that both of my sons were part of her wedding but was totally surprised when she asked my husband to walk her down the aisle and told me that I would be honorary mom. So sweet! I’m sure that I will be talking more about that wedding in days to come.

This past weekend I was honored to receive a bridal shower invitation for the fiancé of the son of my college roommate.  Ali and I were best friends throughout college and shared a room during our senior year. She also invited another of our bff’s from good old Illinois College, Rena.  I had not seen Rena in many, many years so it was a special day for the attendees as well as the bride. It was a very nice shower with delicious, simple food and decorations.  This picture shows me (left), Ali (middle, because she is short, lol), and Rena (right).

We commented on the peculiar fact that all of us (and one other of our bff’s) have two sons and no daughters.  Ali is the first one of us to have a son marry. Rena and I were anxiously curious about what the responsibilities are currently for the groom’s family.  It seems that this has changed dramatically since we were all married back in the 1980’s.

So, anyway, I went to this shower for Matthew and Jacqui and then next weekend I am going to one for Marissa and Austin.  This reminded me of a recipe that I definitely want to share with all of you. Wedding Cake Cookies not only remind you of the flavor of a beautiful wedding cake but are so pretty that they would be welcome at any bridal shower.  I made mine all white this time, but they are easily personalized by the addition of color to the frosting and/or the sprinkles. The possibilities are pretty well endless. You could even add food coloring to the cookie dough if you would like.  I used the sparkly white sugar sprinkles because I think that they look elegant. I am huuuuuuuuuge fan of anything sparkly. My boss can attest to this, much to his dismay. My office space looks like a unicorn sneezed a rainbow of glitter all over the place.  I love the philosophy that you should leave a little sparkle wherever you go. So, these cookies speak to me. Not only are they soft, buttery and delicious with a nice almond flavor but they sparkle too. And, most importantly, they are super easy. With only a few ingredients you can make these beauties.  

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Hi Everyone!  The Kitchen Wench is at it again.  I am sharing a closely-guarded family secret recipe.  There are only a few people that have this recipe. I may be disowned for sharing such precious information.  Actually, that is not entirely true. Ok, it is not even remotely true. This particular bread pudding recipe is my variation of the one that my mom used and that my sisters use.  Mom got the recipe from a friend and I believe that it has been published in a community cookbook at some time. Soooo, I guess that quite a few people have the base recipe. But, my point is that this is a family favorite and is much requested at holiday gatherings and potlucks.  It feels like it belongs to our family. It is requested a lot, but it seems so much more special if you don’t make it all the time. But, you totally could make it frequently. I know that I could because I always seem to have leftover breads or rolls lying around (my thighs love carbs of all kinds).  I stow them away in the frig (the bread, not my thighs) and think that I will use them to make bread pudding. I usually don’t, and they end up being consumed by our chickens. I just feel better knowing that I could make this wonderful dessert any time that I want. It is only moderately time-consuming, and you probably have most of the ingredients at your home already.  Heirloom bread pudding is a creamy custard-style pudding that is slightly sweet with a lovely vanilla flavor. The addition of the vanilla sauce makes it even more delicious, especially when served warm.

The difference between my version of this recipe and the original is that I add more bread chunks which makes a more solid pudding.  It is still very custardy and moist, but my kids and husband prefer less jiggle and more of the velvety feel of the bread soaked in the custard. 

You will need some leftover bread.  You can use pretty much anything that is not flavored with garlic, onion or cheese.  You could use a sweet bread flavored with fruit or chocolate. Just don’t use a savory bread, for obvious reasons.  I like to use yeast rolls, Hawaiian rolls, sandwich bread, croissants or brioche. This time I used yeast rolls and Hawaiian rolls mixed.  If the bread is not already stale you should tear it into small chunks and lay it out on a cookie sheet. Let this sit on the counter uncovered for a couple of hours or overnight to get good and dry.  The dry bread will soak up more of the custard than if it were still soft. If you don’t have a couple of hours, then just put it in the oven on a very low temp for about 15 minutes.

You will also need some whole milk, sugar, salt, butter, eggs and vanilla for the bread pudding.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Butter or lightly coat with cooking spray a 2-quart glass baking dish.  You will also need a larger pan that the 2-quart dish can fit into with a little space around the edges.  This time I used a large disposable foil pan that my baking dish fit in with about an inch or so to spare.  I sat the foil pan on a large cookie sheet for stability. Now this all seems kind of complicated, but it isn’t really.  The bread pudding needs to bake in a water bath. That simply means that water needs to surround the pan during the baking process so that a custard forms from the liquid and everything stays nice and moist.  If you don’t do this, you will have something more like a cake than a custard. Put 6 cups of bread chunks in the greased baking dish. Press them down slightly to make room for the custard mixture. Set all of this aside while you prepare the custard.

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Hey Everybody!  Hot enough for ya?  Yikes, it is sooooo hot here in the Midwest right now.  I mean, like, gross hot. Like the kind of sticky, humid hot that punches you in the face when you open the door.  And, you know it is hot when I complain about it. I’m the kind of person who actually likes a little warmth in the summer months.  My favorite temperature range is 80 to 82 degrees, but this humidity is just disgusting. Our poor air conditioner is working overtime.  I feel like I should take it a beach umbrella and a popsicle. Hmmmm….a popsicle sounds pretty good right now. But, I digress. I have been thinking a lot about the weather because we have had so many parties and events outside lately.  There are still a couple coming up. One of them is a Battle of The Bands in Louisiana, Missouri in about 2 weeks. I don’t think that I have had the opportunity yet to say that my husband (Elliott) is in a cover band.  I didn’t make this picture very big because it was grainy and big grainy looks worse than small grainy.  

The band is called Professional Misconduct and consist of some local and some not so local business people.  They play at bars and events in our area and in the St. Louis/Metro East area. Recently, they were asked to play at this Battle of The Bands and it is outdoors. Uuuugh. Elliott said that I didn’t have to go but I still feel bad for them playing in the heat.

They were supposed to have a practice tonight and I normally send some sort of baked treat to share.  I decided what to make and bought the ingredients and then found out that the practice was canceled. The recipe is one that I wanted to share on thekitchenwench.com anyway so I made them up just for you.  I know I shouldn’t have but I love you guys so much that I couldn’t help myself. I guess that I will have to make them again for the band. Darn the luck!

Prepare to be amazed!  These are Dreamy White Chocolate Brownies.  I know that right now you may be thinking that brownies are not white.  They are brown, hence the name. Well, these babies are made with white chocolate chips or bars and boy are they delicious.  It seems strange to say that something that isn’t a traditional brownie is fudgy, but they definitely are. These bars are fudgy, moist and sweet with an elegant appearance that is perfect for parties.  Don’t get me wrong. I am a life-long chocoholic and I do love a dark chocolate brownie. But, these are too delicious to ignore. Give them a try! You won’t be disappointed!

You will need 1 cup (2 sticks of unsalted butter).  If you don’t have unsalted, go ahead and use the salted but omit the extra salt from the batter.  Chunk up your butter and put it in a large glass measuring cup or medium glass bowl that can be microwaved.  Add in 12 oz. of white chocolate baking chips or 12 oz. of your favorite white chocolate baking bar, broken into small pieces.  Microwave this in 30-second increments, stirring often. Continue this process until all the butter and chocolate are melted and are beginning to combine.  Now, at this point, depending on your chocolate, you might think that this mixture is never going to come together and be smooth. That is because the white chocolate has so much oil in it and it does not want to mix with the butterfat.  Snob.

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