Red Velvet Cake

My first attempt.

In a bowl, mix together flour and salt

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup cake flour

1 tsp salt

1 1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup margarine

2 eggs

1/2 bottle red food coloring

3 tbsp cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp vinegar

1 cup milk

1 tbsp lemon juice

Cream margarine and sugar. Add eggs.

In separate bowl, mix cocoa and food coloring; saving some coloring for entire batter.

Mix baking soda and vinegar separately.

This is a substitute for buttermilk. 1 cup milk mixed with 1 tbsp lemon juice.

Mix in cocoa and food coloring with creamed sugar and margarine. Add more food coloring if necessary for color.

Alternate parts of flour and buttermilk into margarine.

I threw in some chocolate chips and almond bits.

Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes in a 9 X 13 pan, or 2 9 inch rounds.

Frost with cream cheese icing.

Comfort Food 101

The gluten free days are not exactly over, but once in awhile it is necessary to indulge. Just this once.

 

6 baking potatoes

Stems of one broccoli, peeled, cut.

1 package mix of cheese sauce, follow directions.

5 button mushrooms, sliced.

Butter

Salt

Wash and scrub potatoes. Half them lengthwise. Bake in 350 F degrees for 50 minutes. Boil broccoli stems and mushrooms for a minute. Scoop the middle out into a bowl, smash with a bit of butter, add veggies, salt and pepper. Spoon generous amount into potato skins and top with cheese sauce.

This is the ultimate comfort food, a bowl of creamy dreamy pasta. I adore bechamel because it is quick and easy so baked pasta in bechamel seemed perfectly right. Forget the fat and calories, let go of the gluten control. Just this once.

1 heavy cupful of rotini, boil in salt water until al dente. The broccoli florets from the stems I used for the potatoes? Cut into small flowers and throw into pasta water right before draining. 1 chicken breast, boil and chop.

Melt 5 tablespoons of butter, keeping heat at medium low.

Whisk in 4 tablespoons of flour. Cook until golden.

It starts to look funny like this. Perfect color.

As soon as you add in 1 cup of milk the mixture thickens.

Add a second cup of milk, stir!! 

Third cup of milk.

 This is the last cup of milk, 4 in total. Creamy and dreamy. Add 2 teaspoons of salt.

 Looks good already doesn't it?

You could eat it now...Or put it in an ovenproof bowl and sprinkle bread crumbs and parmesan on top. Bake for 15 minutes.

Enjoy your cheesy potato and creamy pasta on a cold day!!

Moist Chocolate Chip Cake Squares

Began my day by taking care of a butter cake craving. Didn't want a whole cake, don't like brownies, this was just right.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups margarine
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
splash of vanilla
1 cup milk
1 cup of chocolate chips, or nuts, fruit..etc

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2.Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. In a mixing bowl, cream together margarine and sugar. Add egg and vanilla.
4. Mix dry ingredients in, alternating with milk.
5. Fold in chocolate chips.
6. Bake for 30 minutes.

Late Night Craving

My sister wanted Wetzel's Pretzels.. This is our first attempt ever, making pretzels.

1 package of yeast in a cup of warm water.

Very similar to making pizza dough I realize, make a well in the flour and pour in melted butter.

Pour in yeast.

My sister takes crappy photos.

We made cookies that night too. A mess.

The dough rises after an hour

Roll pieces out to long skinny ropes. That bowl is warm water with baking soda and salt.. You dip the shaped pretzel in before baking.

Takes less than 10 minutes to bake.

dip in melted butter

..... so that your toppings will stick

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar!

Coming of Age Birthday Cake

Yes I realize there are only ten candles on a cake meant for a nineteen year old. So I added liquor filled chocolates on top, which made for an interesting reaction.

Perfect Cheesecake Method

1. Use a spring form pan with greased sides
2. Bake in a BAIN - MARIE (water bath) of about 1 1/2 - 2 inches of hot water
3. DO NOT GET BEATER HAPPY. Don't over mix or over soften because that causes unwanted air bubbles, your cheesecake may rise.. we don't want that to happen because it'll be kinda ugly.
4. Bake at 325 - 350 F for 45minutes to 1 hour. Let the cake cool with oven door ajar. Let it just chill there first! 
5. Place baking pan on the lowest rack in oven.
6. Don't over bake. The jiggly centre may worry people but do not fear, just refrigerate for 2 hours.
7. What I learned, cover the top of your pan with aluminum foil to prevent the top from browning or going hard.

 Soft and white, did not rise, did not form top crust through baking. Just simple yet delicious. Top it with fruit.

Coffee Cheesecake

I layered two slices.

 1 1/4 cups of graham cracker crumbs, oreos are also good, any cookie actually. Plus melt 1/4 ( I used about 1/2 cup) of butter/margarine.

 Mix crumbs and butter and press into your pan (mine is 7 X 12)

Tina's fail-proof recipe:
2 1/2 cups of softened cream cheese
1 cup of sugar
1 tbsp of lemon juice or zest
3 eggs
Preheat the oven to 350 F.

 In a mixing bowl beat the cream cheese with sugar to blend, on low speed.

Here I added about 1 tbsp of instant coffee granules that I grounded.

Beat in eggs one at a time.

Add 3/4 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips and fold in with a spatula.

Spread into pan.

Bake in a bain marie: put your pan into a larger pan and fill the larger pan with hot water 3/4 of the way up to your pan. Bake for 1 hour.

Cool, refrigerate for at least one hour.