STURDY BUTTER CREAM FROSTING

STURDY BUTTER CREAM FROSTING Food Recipes, Traditionally, butter cream frosting is made with butter, powdered sugar and flavorings, however, I find the recipes that use all butter, tend to be heavy tasting, hard to work with (it melts and sags too easy) and not the light fluffy frosting people expect.
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I've decorated cakes for years and I keep coming back to this easy, user friendly and fluffy frosting recipe, made with half butter and half white Crisco. Don't freak out about using Crisco in your frosting, you won't be able to tell it is there (shortening is what most commercial bakeries use to make that fluffy frosting we all love) and, as you can see, it pipes nicely.
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1 cup white Crisco shortening

1 cup butter (room temperature)
6 to 6½ cups of powdered sugar
½ cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (important)

In the large bowl of a stand mixer, whip the shortening and butter together for about 3 minutes on high. Add 6 cups of powdered sugar, the extracts and whipping cream to the butter mixture and whip ON HIGH for about 8 to 10 minutes.

After that amount of time, check the frosting for consistency. Usually, the frosting is perfect, but if your climate is different from my climate, you may want to add an additional ½ cup of powdered sugar.

Once you frost your cake, put it in the fridge to let everything "set". Remove your cake from the fridge about an hour before serving.

NOTE: This frosting works best in a stand mixer, although you can make it with a hand held mixer (it will just take a little extra time).


STURDY BUTTER CREAM FROSTING FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie
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CINNAMON ROLLS (no yeast)

CINNAMON ROLLS (no yeast) Food Recipes, These cinnamon buns have NO yeast in them, but they sure taste like they do. I have to admit that when I first saw this was a baking powder dough, my first thought was, "uh oh, a heavy biscuit texture", but I was wrong; these are FAR from the standard biscuit taste. The dough has cottage cheese and buttermilk in it and it is super flaky, light, sweet and tender. I have tried a lot of cinnamon roll recipes over the years and I can honestly tell you that this recipe was a total surprise. It is SO tasty, SO easy and SO fast.

MAKE THE FILLING FIRST
1½ tablespoons melted butter
2/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice (I left out)
¼ teaspoon ground cloves (I left out)
1 cup chopped pecans
Mix well and set aside

DOUGH
¾ cup cottage cheese (4% milk fat)
1/3 cup buttermilk
¼ cup white sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 TABLESPOON baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda

Preheat the oven to 400 and grease the sides and bottom of a 9" or 10" springform pan with cooking spray. In a food processor, combine the cottage cheese, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter and vanilla; process until smooth (10 seconds). Add the flour, baking powder & baking soda and pulse in short bursts just until the dough clumps together in a ball (don't over-process). The dough will be soft and moist. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead it four or five times with floured hands (this is a beautiful dough, very easy to work with). Roll dough out to a 12" x 15" rectangle.

Brush the rectangle with a very light coating of melted butter (be skimpy & leave a half inch border unbuttered around the edges. Sprinkle the filling over the buttered area and pat lightly.

Starting with the long side, roll up the dough into a jelly roll shape and pinch the long seam to seal (leave the ends open). Cut into twelve equal pieces with a sharp knife (a sharp serrated knife works well). Set the rolls in the prepared pan, cut side up. The rolls should touch slightly, but its OK if there are small gaps. Bake at 400 for 20 to 28 minutes (mine took the full 28 minutes) or until golden brown.
Set the pan on a cooling rack for five minutes. Remove the springform ring and drizzle the glaze over the rolls. Yum!!!

GLAZE
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons of cold milk (I used whipping cream)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
I added ½ teaspoon of maple extract - my tweak
Whisk all ingredients together. If it seems too thick to pour, add a little bit more milk (or cream).

CINNAMON ROLLS (no yeast) FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie
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FUDGE FILLED PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

FUDGE FILLED PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES Food Recipes, This impressive (but very simple) cookie will be great for the holidays. It consists of a sweet peanut butter cookie shell, filled with a rich fudge filling. When you first make the cookies, the filling is soft enough to pipe (or you can spoon it into the shell). However, after it completely cools, the filling is the consistency of a soft fudge. They are delicious, and look so pretty!!!
 ½ cup butter (room temperature)
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
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Cream the above ingredients together until smooth, then add:
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1¼ cups all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
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Beat everything until very smooth. Shape dough into 1" balls (makes about 4 dozen) and place each ball into the bottom of a mini muffin tin (ungreased) like this:
Bake in a preheated 375 oven for about 10-11 minutes or until they look like this:

After they are baked, find something in your kitchen that has a round end that you can use to press down on the center of these HOT cookies (to make the shell shape). I used the large rounded end of my mortar and pestle, but anything will work. Just be careful not to press so hard that you break through to the bottom. They should look like this:
Let these cookies cool (in the pan) for 10 minutes, then use a thin (but pointed) paring knife to assist you in lifting the cookie shells out of the pan (they come out pretty easy). Cool shells on a baking rack.
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FILLING
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water (I just used the microwave). With an electric mixer, beat in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until smooth. Fill the cookies.
The fudge dries to the touch after it is completely cooled.

FUDGE FILLED PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie
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HEINZ CHILI SAUCE CLONE

HEINZ CHILI SAUCE CLONE Food Recipes, This is a clone recipe for Heinz chili sauce. It is so easy...takes every day ingredients and is even tastier than the original!! Chili sauce was never a pantry staple for me; I always found it on my shopping list for holiday and special occasion recipes, like this shrimp cocktail (which calls for Heinz chili sauce). I will never buy commercial chili sauce again because this is so much better (and cheaper)!!!



1 cup of tomato sauce
1/3 cup light corn syrup
¼ cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons dry onion flakes
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Whisk everything together and bring to a boil in a small saucepan with a heavy bottom. Turn heat down to a low simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes, depending on how fast you are simmering it (mine was done in 25 minutes). Watch it towards the end so it doesn't scorch.
Cool to room temperature, then cover and chill.
It will get nice and thick like this.

NOTE: I made this recipe, exactly as it is stated above, I don't know how it would effect the final results if you use fresh onions.

HEINZ CHILI SAUCE CLONE FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie
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PEANUT BUTTER BON BON's

PEANUT BUTTER BON BON's Food Recipes, Today is our 40th Wedding Anniversary, where have all the years gone? We are celebrating quietly at home, with shrimp cocktail, filet mignon, cherry pie and these little peanut butter beauties!!
They are very easy to make and totally addicting. The filling was adapted from a recipe called Buckeye's, but I changed it a little bit...made them much smaller and completely covered them with chocolate, then decorated with a little white drizzle. These will be wonderful for any holiday gathering.
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1½ cups creamy peanut butter
½ cup butter (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar (sifted into a cup)6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening
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Mix the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar with a stand mixer (or your hands) until you get a smooth dough (to measure sugar, sift it into a measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge).
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Shape the dough into 1" balls and set them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for about an hour.
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In a double boiler, melt shortening and chocolate together over barely simmering heat. Remove balls from freezer (just about a dozen at a time) & poke a tooth pick into the top of a chilled dough ball (to use as a handle) and dip into chocolate, then sit on a wax paper lined tray & put in fridge (leave the toothpick in the candy until it's chilled again, it is easier to remove that way). Continue until all of the candies are coated (makes about 50 depending on how large you make them.

The chocolate will set (be dry to the touch) after about 10 minutes in the fridge. Remove from fridge, take out the toothpick and cover up the little toothpick hole with more chocolate. You can cover the little hole with chocolate or white chocolate.

These need to be kept in the fridge until you are ready to serve them. I dare you to eat just one!!

PEANUT BUTTER BON BON's FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie
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KID FRIENDLY JELLO FROSTING!!

KID FRIENDLY JELLO FROSTING!! Food Recipes,
UPDATE: New sugar free option at the end of this post.

UPDATE: Since posting this on Pinterest, a few people have commented that  this frosting deflated on them after a day at room temperature. I've never had this problem, because I live in a DRY climate, but those of you living in HUMID climates are having this problem. So... if you live in a humid climate, you'll need to store the frosted cake in the fridge.
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This frosting recipe has a lot of things going for it. It is fast, super light, smooth and creamy on the tongue (very similar to a 7 minute frosting, but so much easier). Neatest of all, is that it is flavored with jello, so you can make it in ANY Jello flavor you like...watermelon? blueberry? pina colada? Kids will LOVE this frosting.

3 ounce pkg. of Jello (favorite flavor)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place the above ingredients in a large GLASS OR METAL mixing bowl (OF A STAND MIXER). Turn the mixer on high just as you add ½ cup of boiling water. Whip on high for five minutes and you will get this:


 NOTE: This recipe only seems to work if you use a  stand mixer, with whisk
attachment. Also, make sure you use a glass or metal mixing bowl, do not try this with a plastic bowl.

NOTE: Some people have commented that they don't think raw egg whites are safe for children to eat. The egg whites in this recipe are no longer raw after you add the BOILING WATER.

NOTE: This recipe makes enough to frost 24 cupcakes, or a 9 x 13 cake. If you are going to do any piping or edges, you might have to double the recipe.


NOTE: This frosting pipes beautifully and holds its shape well. Like any 7 minute type frosting, it does get a little sticky/tacky the second day, so its best if you make it the day you want to serve it. If you have to make it the night before, just store it in an airtight container that doesn't touch the frosting.


NOTE: This frosting has so many fun possibilities for birthday cakes/cupcakes. It would also make a wonderful filling.


SUGAR FREE FROSTING OPTION

Since putting this recipe on Pinterest, I have heard from several people who are wondering about the possibility of sugar free jello and Splenda...well, I had to try it.

First of all, we didn't like it as much as the original recipe (with regular jello and granulated sugar). The taste was good, but the texture of the sugar free version + Splenda was just a little too foamy for us (that didn't stop us from eating it though...lol)

I followed the original recipe, substituting exact amounts with the sugar free products
I used 2/3 cup of granulated Splenda, 1 egg white, 1 teaspoon vanilla and a small (4 serving) size box of sugar free jello.  I mixed those items together in my stand mixer and added 1/2 cup of BOILING (not just hot) water while the mixer was running on HIGH. Let the boiling water run down the inside of the mixing bowl, so it cools off a couple degree's before hitting the egg white.

Mix on HIGH setting for at least 5 minutes (will take longer if you are in a humid climate). After 5 minutes, my frosting looked like this:

It was very foamy, and almost tasted like a sweet fruity meringue.  It still pipes nicely, here's an example:

I'm  not sure whats up with the sparkle; the final frosting DID have a "fairy tale shine" to it, and I thought perhaps it might have a granular taste, but it didn't; it was very smooth.

I  let this frosting sample set out at room temperature for several hours to see if it would deflate (it didn't), but it did form a VERY THIN crispy crust (keep in mind I'm in a dry climate). I also put a similar frosting sample (uncovered) in the fridge and after a few hours, there was NO appreciable difference between it and the sample I kept at room temperature.

It's hard to explain the mouth feel of this sugar free frosting, maybe a photo will help:

I cut the frosting sample in half... it tasted sort of like a cross between a sweet meringue and a wet marshmallow whip... does that make sense?

My conclusion: We liked the original recipe better, however, if your dietary concerns require a sugar free frosting, this is worth a try!!


KID FRIENDLY JELLO FROSTING!! FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie
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THREE LAYER APPLE CRISP

THREE LAYER APPLE CRISP Food Recipes, Sweet, spiced, apples are tucked between two layers of oats, nuts and brown sugar. This is a classic apple crisp with a twist.

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (see note)
¾ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup cold butter
4 cups sliced and peeled apples
1 cup pecans chopped
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In a large bowl, mix the flour, oatmeal, cinnamon,nutmeg and brown sugar. Cut in the cold butter until mixture looks crumbly. Stir in chopped nuts.
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Spread half of this mixture into the bottom of a 10" pie plate and pack it down.
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In a heavy pan, saute the apple slices in a tablespoon of butter, ½ cup brown sugar and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg, JUST UNTIL THE APPLES BEGIN TO SOFTEN. Place this layer on top of the crumb crust.

Top the apples with the rest of the reserved oat mixture and gently pat down. Bake in 375 degree preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream.

NOTE: I have never been a big fan of nutmeg until I recently started using freshly grated nutmeg seed. It is an entirely different taste than you get in the pre-ground nutmeg. A jar of seeds has a LONG shelf life and they really make a huge difference in baked goods.



THREE LAYER APPLE CRISP FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie
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CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE FOR TWO

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE FOR TWO Food Recipes, Chocolate cheesecake for two, how tempting is that? Actually, this was rich enough that Hubby and I split a piece (technically making it cheesecake for 4). Served with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream, this was the perfect ending to a romantic dinner.


Preheat your oven to 325F and line a mini loaf pan (6" x 3" x 2") with foil (leaving the ends long enough to grip on to) and spray with vegetable spray.
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
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½ cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon of melted butter
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Mix well and pat firmly into prepared mini loaf pan, set aside.
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FILLING.
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (see note)
4 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 egg room temperature (slightly beaten)
1 teaspoon flour
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
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Melt chocolate chips and beat them into the softened cream cheese; add the vanilla and sugar. Whisk in beaten egg and flour until smooth (don't over mix). Pour over the crumb crust.
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Place the mini loaf pan inside of an 8" or 9" cake pan and add hot water to the bigger pan until it comes half way up the side of the smaller pan. Bake 30 minutes or until set.
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Cool about 15 minutes, then put in fridge and chill for at least 3 hours (even better on day 2). To serve, grab edges of foil, and lift the cheesecake out of the pan. Fold foil back and cut cheesecake into pieces; s
erve with sweetened whipped cream.
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NOTE: Your chocolate cheesecake is only going to be as tasty as the chocolate that you use. I used Ghirardelli chocolate chips and they were excellent.
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NOTE: After baking for 30 minutes, gently tap the side of the smaller pan with a spoon. You should see just a little jiggle in the batter, but not much.

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE FOR TWO FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie
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TOASTED ORZO with PARMESAN & BASIL

TOASTED ORZO with PARMESAN & BASIL Food Recipes, This simple (and versatile) little side dish is just delightful. The orzo is toasted in butter before boiling, which adds an extra flavor, then it is tossed with Parmesan and fresh basil. Whether you use it as a side dish or a main dish, it is a very nice change.2 tablespoons butter
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
2¼ cups chicken broth
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
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Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pan that has a tight fitting lid. Add the UNCOOKED orzo pasta and stir until completely coated with the butter. Cook on medium-high until the pasta turns golden to lightly brown (watch it because once it starts to turn, it turns quickly).
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Stir in the chicken broth, red pepper lakes, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until the orzo is tender and liquid is (almost) all absorbed. This will take 15 to 20 minutes depending on how fast your simmer is.
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When orzo is tender, remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Serve hot.
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NOTE: Just about anything can be added to this recipe, next time I think I'll include a little crisp bacon & some mushrooms!!!

TOASTED ORZO with PARMESAN & BASIL FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie
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