This is what you need … and what you get :-)

• 500 g (16 oz box) whole-wheat spaghetti
• 1 fistful of pine nuts
• appr. 30 small cherry tomatoes
• 1 package (250 g) of Halloumi cheese (Greek cheese for grilling)
• 20 dried tomatoes (when in olive oil: rinse a bit)
• 1 mozzarella cheese ball (rinse and try to get it at room temperature)
• fresh basil
• olive oil
• 12 slices of prosciutto crudo (or any kind of dry cured ham)

• First you’ve got to cut, cut, cut!

• Fry pine nuts without oil in a non-stick pan for about a minute.  They should not get dark!  Set aside.

• While the spaghetti is being cooked al dente in salted water (see package) fry Halloumi in a non-stick pan until it turns brown.  (You wanna get that yummy crust ;-)  Set aside.

• Put tomatoes in the very same pan and melt a bit.  Add dried tomatoes.  Heat and stir for a minute or two.

• When pasta has finished cooking and you have rinsed it, put it back in the pot.  Add tomatoes and Halloumi.  Cover the pot, set aside and let rest for about 5 minutes.  (Believe me, it’s worth it.  We found out because the second helping always tasted better ;-)…  I guess because the pasta can absorb all the yummy tomato flavor!

• In the meantime place ham slices on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.  Grill in the oven for about a minute or so.  (Depends on your grill actually!)   They should get a bit brown and crispy.  The crispier, the better!

• Put on a plate and drizzle with some good olive oil.

• Sprinkle with pine nuts, mozzarella and basil.  Place ham chips on top.  Serve and enjoy!  For a heartier version: drizzle with more olive oil ;-) or add more ham strips.
• Buon appetito!

Here comes the recipe card to download…CLICK HERE to download or click on the image below.  I used one of the very handy Muffin Man recipe card templates!

Thanks for checking in with the blog today!  Don’t miss tomorrow‘s entry when Emily shares her creativity with us in her inspiration post!  Since I won’t have the opportunity to “blog” to you in the very soon future, let me wish you wonderful Christmas celebrations with your beloved ones and the bestest for the New Year!

So here’s what you need to make this sweet & creamy treat!

:::INGREDIENTS:::

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup mini chocolate chips ~ divided

1/2 cup chopped pecans

To make the cheeseball, first you mix your softened cream cheese and butter with the vanilla.  I did not take a picture of this step, as I have not yet mastered the art of holding both my camera AND the mixer.  So apparently professional food blogging is not in my future.  Oh well!  After you’ve got that mixed up and nice and fluffy-looking, mix in the sugars.  The recipe says to “gradually” mix in the sugars, but when you have a four-year old helper, there’s no such thing.  And really, I don’t think it matters!  To finish it up, stir in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips.  Next, you need to chill the mixture so you can shape it into a ball later.  I like to help this step along a little by wrapping the cheeseball in plastic wrap and forming it into a ball shape.  I think that makes it WAY easier to make into a lovely-shaped cheeseball later!  When chilling time is over, I just unwrap my pre-formed ball and stick it into my nut and chocolate chip coating mixture.  But whatever cheeseball-making method you prefer is fine!

By the way, the coating mixture is the 3/4 cup of chopped pecans mixed with 1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips – just spoon it over the top and use your hands to lightly press the mixture onto the top and sides of the cheeeball!

And that’s all there is to it!  We like to eat this with chocolate Teddy Grahams, but any chocolate graham cracker will do – it would probably be good with regular graham crackers too!  (actually, it’s pretty good to just eat straight off a spoon!)

  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I do!  And as a little gift to you, here’s the printable recipe card!  Click here to download OR just click the image below!

Happy Holidays, everyone!!!  …and make sure you join lego tomorrow for another festive recipe!

Casharina here today, to bring you a new, and healthy twist to the “smoothie!”  So lately I’ve been working really hard to lose weight, and let me say it is SO hard!!  I have been running walking fast/ jogging, on the treadmill and recently I’ve really been focusing on changing my diet.  With that, I don’t want to “diet” because honestly, I love sweet food way too much to say no, and I do not have an ounce of willpower in my system to say no to the delicious good stuff.  So in an attempt to loose, I’ve been changing small things that don’t make a ton of difference, but will help lessen the calories I take in.  Since it’s almost the first of the year and people are thinking about making their resolutions I figured I’d add a new healthy snack/meal that I have tried and really love!  Let me warn you, the color of these little monsters is kind of disturbing, but if you can get passed that I bet you’ll love them!

Green Smoothies:

Okay so let me explain…these little green monsters can be made just about any way you’d like to make one.  I’m going to share a recipe that I developed to fit my taste buds, after finding various recipes and including only the ingredients I had and wanted to try.  I’ve helped myself to these for the past week, and I don’t know if it’s pure coincidence or not but the dry skin on my arm seems to be clearing up!

For this tasty treat you need only a few ingredients!

• 2 cups of fresh greens (you can use any green: bok choy, spinach, baby spinach (has a milder flavor), kale, etc.
• 1 to 1.5 small banana(s)
• 6 oz. water
• 1 Tbsp. milled flax seed (optional)
• 1 cup mango

Directions: Add the flax seed and fresh greens to the blender.  Then add in the water, banana and mango.

A few little tips:

I like to use frozen bananas (peel fresh bananas, cut them in halves, and place in a freezer bag) as they make the shake a little thicker and COLD.

 I recently learned that bananas with brown spots are extra sweet so don’t toss them, freeze them up!

Can you believe this was the first time I ever had a mango?  I had to search the internet to find out how to cut and eat a mango. Lol.  So here goes my version:

• stand up the mango, and slice on each side of the large seed in the middle, this is not like a normal seed, it’s a large thick piece in the middle of the mango, you’ll see what I mean when you try.
• Next, you’ll slice it, leave it in skin and slice almost through it, slice it long ways and short ways, and then scoop out the pieces with a spoon.  Now, you’re done!! That’s it!!

 You may want to add more fruit, if it’s not sweet enough for you.

Add some ice cubes to make it even colder – the colder it is the better it tastes!

There are so many ways to enjoy a green smoothie.  So far in addition to this recipe I’ve also used banana and peanut butter (this was my favorite!), and banana and strawberries…they’ve all been delicious!

That’s it for today, I hope you enjoy this recipe and if you choose to make one, or have a yummy recipe I’d love to hear about it!

Be sure to stop back tomorrow for another delicious treat…this time from Lindsay!

Regardless of the turkey aftermath, we still need to eat and enjoy today!

I must make a confession: I have an obsession with all things pastry related.  I seriously used to be on the donut-a-day-diet!  I love-love-love cinnamon rolls (You are not helping Amber with your Cinnamon Roll post! LOL! ), caramel rolls, donuts, and the like.  However, most of these yummies are pretty labor intensive to make (worth it–but labor intensive just the same!)  I have TWO recipes that quench my craving for a pastry sweet that are quick and easy to whip up.  I make these so so often I could probably put them together in my sleep with one hand tied behind my back!  I have to make BOTH at the same time because half of my family prefers one and the other half prefers the other.  They are so quick and easy that making both is really no big deal. Gracious! – I have rattled on enough.  Let’s get to it!  Read on to find out how to make our delicious Yummy Buns and Caramel Pull-Apart!

Both of these yummy breakfast treats use very similar ingredients…part of the reason they are so easy to create together!

• 3 tubes of buttermilk biscuits
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 8 ounces of heaving whipping cream (NOT half and half–I made this mistake waaay back and it is NOT good)

1. Cut the tubes of biscuits in half which will yield 16 half biscuits x 3 tubes.

2. Spread the 1 cup of brown sugar evenly on the bottom of a 9×13 pan.  Press it down with your fingers.

3. Place cut biscuits on top of brown sugar layer, tightly nestled together.  The biscuit layer should completely cover the brown sugar layer.

4. Pour the heavy whipping cream evenly over the biscuit layer.

5. Allow the whipping cream to seap between the biscuits down onto the brown sugar layer.

Bake at 350F for about 17-20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown on the top and the cream/brown sugar mixture is bubbly and gooey!

6. Allow pull apart to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes.  Then (very carefully) place a cookie sheet on top of the pan and quickly FLIP the whole thing over (my hubby also does this part for me…he’s pretty much my hero!)—the pull apart should leave the 9×13 pan and land on the cookie sheet (7) in all its gooey glory! Enjoy!

• 3 tubes of buttermilk biscuits
• 1 cup sugar
• 1-2 TBSP cinnamon
• 1 stick of butter or margarine
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla (forgot this in the ingredient pic! apology!)
• 2 TBSP milk

1. Cut all the biscuits in half.

Place the sugar and cinnamon in a gallon sized baggie and mix thoroughly.  Add more or less cinnamon to taste. (no pic for this one…make it your own!)

2. In a microwave safe bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and milk.  Microwave in one minute increments, stirring in between, until melted together.

3. In a bundt pan or angel food cake pan, pour about half of this mixture on the bottom.

Place about 8-10 biscuits into the baggie with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.  Shakety-shake until they are well coated with the mixture.  (How I missed all the baggie-cinnamon-sugar-goodness pics, I have no idea!)  Transfer the biscuits from the bag to the bundt pan.  Repeat until all the biscuits are coated and placed in the bundt pan.

4. After all the biscuits are placed in the bundt pan, drizzle the remaining microwaved mixture on top.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-22 minutes or until the top biscuits are a deep golden brown.  Remove from the oven.

 6. Very carefully place an oversized plate on top of the golden biscuits in the pan, grip firmly (use potholders!…again this is where I call in the hubby reinforcements!) and FLIP! (REALLY hard to take a picture of this process! )

7/8. Again, gooey goodness abounds! Enjoy!

Check out the TWO downloadable recipe cards below!  Long live pastry…and gooey goodness!

This blog post and recipe cards were made using one of my favorite kits, Clementine!  I love the rich, fall colors and thought they went perfectly with these recipes that I tend to make more often during the fall and winter holiday seasons.  The recipe cards were made from templates from the oh-so-adorable, Muffin Man Recipe Card templates!

Thank you so much for taking a peek at my first Food Friday post! Be sure to come back Monday to help us honor another Layout of the Week!

Have a wonderful weekend!

So, let’s get started, shall we?!

Is your mouth watering yet?  He he!  I LOVE cinnamon rolls!  Okay, so first, you need your ingredients.  (Please don’t let the amount frighten you – it’s completely worth it!  I PROMISE!)  :0)

          ROLLS:

• 2 x 1/4 oz packages Yeast
• 1/4 cup Butter, soft
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 4 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 cup Warm Whole Milk (105-110 °F/ 40-43°C)
• 2 Eggs, lightly beaten
  

         FILLING:

• 1 cup Brown Sugar, packed
• 2 1/2 Tblsp. Cinnamon
• 1/2 cup Butter, soft
• 1/3 cup All-Purpose Flour

             FROSTING:

• 1 x 8 oz. package Cream Cheese, soft
• 1 Tblsp. Butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
• Pinch of Salt
• 2 tsp Whole Milk

Alright!  Now, starting with the rolls…  In your mixer, blend all your dry ingredients together – flour, sugar, yeast, salt.  Then add the butter, cutting it into the flour mixture.  Add your warm milk, and lightly beaten eggs.  Mix together on 2nd speed for 8 minutes.  Now, you place your dough, either in the bowl you mixed it in, or a ceramic bowl, (which will hold the heat in better).  Place your bowl in a warm area and let the dough rise for 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.  Oh, and at this time, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F, or 204 degrees C – can’t forget that!  :0)

Okay, while your dough is rising, prepare your filling by mixing the dry ingredients together – the flour, cinnamon, and brown sugar.  Make sure your butter is soft and spreadable – not melted!  When your dough is ready, roll it out into a rectangle – on a lightly floured surface – making the dough about a 1/4 inch thick.  Spread the butter edge to edge on your rolled out dough.  Using a sieve – it makes it easier! – sprinkle the cinnamon mixture over the butter.  (Oh, and if you have leftover cinnamon stuff, it’s GREAT on toast!  :0) )  Now, starting at the widest edge, roll your dough!  Isn’t this exciting?!

This next step is tricky for me to explain, so bear with me!  We use a long piece of string or dental floss to cut the dough into 12 equal parts- making each roll about 1 1/2 inches wide, or tall – depending on which way you look at it.  :0)  Slide the string under the rolled dough, wrap the ends over the dough, opposite each other – twist the ends once.  And, pulling the strings’ ends away from each other, “pinch” the dough until it cuts through all the way.  Does that make sense?  I sure hope so! :0)  Now, place your rolls close together on a greased cookie sheet.  Place them in a warm area, and let them rise for 30 minutes, or until double in size.

It’s time to bake!  Place your cookie sheet in your preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.  While they are baking, add all your frosting ingredients into your mixer bowl and whip on HIGH speed for 2 minutes!  Remove your rolls when they are ready, and let them cool for a few minutes.  Spread your frosting generously over the tops of your yummy smelling treats.  Pour yourself a LARGE glass of milk and savor every delicious bite!  :0)

And, I made a 4×6 RECIPE CARD for you to download for free!  To make it, I used SP’s super fun Baked With Love Recipe Card Template Set, the beautiful Gracie kit, and a couple other things from here and there!  You may click here, or on the image below to start downloading! :0)

I hope you’ve enjoyed this as much as I have!  Thank you for being here today, and we will see you back on Monday for LOTW!  Have a wonderful weekend! :0)

 Okay well it’s me again, Casharina, bringing you another Food Friday post!  Although you know I love to do anything in the crock pot, but when the weather is warm, I love to bring out the grilling foods and this is one of our new favorites!  It’s a pretty easy one too, and can be cooked on the grill, or inside on the stove, your preference.  The first time we had this was while we were camping with friends.  I was a little weary that my kids wouldn’t love it, or us for that matter (we’re VERY boring eaters! LOL!) …but to my surprise my whole family likes it!  So, let’s get started.

Ingredients:

• ½ small onion
• 1lb stew pork pieces (I try to buy them when they’re on sale, and stick them in the freezer.)
• 1 each: green, yellow, red, and orange pepper (These can also be prepped ahead of time and placed in the freezer.  I have also found that Save-A-Lot carries a small frozen bag of these ingredients and it works GREAT, and they’re CHEAP, much cheaper than buying fresh, unless you’ve got a garden!!)
• BBQ sauce (your favorite flavor…I use Kraft Original)
• 2 cups of rice (Instant is what I use, brown rice works great too.)
• 1 can of diced pineapple (I usually buy “chunks” and then cut the chunks into smaller pieces.  I use about 3 rings and then I divvy the rest up for the girls’ lunches the next day.) Reserve some of the juice from the can for the sauce.

Preparation:

• Cut EVERYTHING into small bite size pieces.
• This includes the already small pork pieces, it just taste better to have everything on the smaller size.  I usually cut the pork pieces in half and trim off as much of the fat as possible.
• Dice onion, peppers and pineapple into small pieces as well.

I chose to purchase enough to make two meals out of the ingredients and went ahead and chopped each of the peppers and onion, placed them into a large freezer safe bag and laid it flat in the freezer to use at a later time.  When using ingredients from the freezer the veggies won’t take as long to cook before they start becoming soft so be careful when cooking them.  Also there will be more liquid in the pan as they will have ice pieces, it’s fine, no worries!

Hard parts done, now it’s time to cook!

• Place your pork a pan. If you’re cooking on the stove your standard kitchen pan is fine, OR if you decide to use the grill/bbq, an aluminum pan or other grill-safe pan should be used.
• Add a little BBQ sauce to the mix – enough to keep it moist and some of the pineapple juice from the can.  You don’t want it too wet but you want the meat to take in the flavors, so add a little at a time during the cooking process.
• Okay, begin your rice (seperately).  Like I said, I usually use the instant 5-minute rice and it works great.  If you are using something that takes longer, you may want to start it a little earlier and follow your prefered method!  I use a 4 serving size of rice for this amount of meat & veggies.
• Once the meat is thoroughly cooked add the veggies.  Continue cooking/stirring and keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t scorch.
• After the veggies are done, you are too!! YAY!  Now you can choose to either mix the rice in and eat, or spoon it over the rice.  I like to mix and eat because I feel like it goes a little further that way.  My hubby adds more BBQ sauce right on top.  Either way it’s DELICIOUS, and definitely one of our family favorites!!

And here is your FREE 4×6 recipe card.  You can CLICK HERE to download the card…or simply click the image below! Enjoy!

Thanks for checking in with the Blog today…we’ll see you all on Monday for the Layout of the Week.  Have a lovely weekend!

Hello Shabby Shoppe readers, Rosy here, and welcome to Food Friday!  Are you wanting to hang on to these warm, sunshiny days for just a little bit longer?  Here’s a recipe that will give you another little taste of summer!  Awhile back I was looking for an orange recipe and couldn’t seem to find what I was looking for, so I decided to go the simple route of adding my own flavor to a boxed mix.  You could add any flavor that you like, really!  Here’s what I did…

Gather your ingredients, just to make sure you have everything before you start.

For the cupcakes I used:

• 1 yellow cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• zest and juice from 2 oranges (divided)
• water

First I carefully cleaned my oranges and then extracted the juice and zest from them.  I tried a few different ways of zesting an orange, but found that using the fine setting on my grater worked the best for me.

Press lightly, making sure to get only the orange colored peeling and not the bitter white underneath.  I used all the juice and half of the zest for the cupcakes, setting aside the rest of the zest for the icing.  You could adjust the amount of zest according to your taste, but a little does go a long way and this was more than enough orange flavor for me.

Add water to the juice to make 1 and 1/3 cup.  Pour all of the cupcake ingredients into a bowl and beat well.  Fill your cupcake liners and bake at 350F (180C) until nicely browned (about 15 -20 minutes).

Now it’s time to make your icing.

• ½ cup solid vegetable shortening
• ½ cup butter or margarine
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 2 tbsp. milk
• zest of one orange
• food coloring (optional)

Cream together the butter, shortening and vanilla.  Gradually add the sugar and the remaining orange zest.  Add the milk and beat it at a high speed until it’s nice and fluffy, adding food coloring if desired.  I added a tiny bit of red and yellow to mine.  Pipe the icing onto your cooled cupcakes using any method that you prefer.

I also made some pretty cupcake wrappers using papers from SP’s Sandbox kit and summer additions.

 And here is your FREE 4×6 recipe card.  You can CLICK HERE to download the card…or simply click the image below! Enjoy!

Thanks for checking in with the Blog today…we’ll see you all on Monday for the Layout of the Week!  Have a very special weekend!

…and, P.S. Just a quick reminder that the Easy-As-Pie Template Challenge 26 deadline is SUNDAY night (12 midnight US EDT), for all those still wishing to join in the FUN and have the chance to win a $25 gift card to the Shabby Shoppe!  Don’t forget to add your comment/link to the original blog post after you upload your layout to the Gallery!

Sunny days are here my friends…well for most of you!! LOL!  Although, as I look out my window this winter morning the sun is shining happily (for a change)…but it’s cold, cold, cold!!  ugh…shiver!  But, let’s get back to sunny “SUMMER” days and all the good things that go with them…picnics, BBQ’s, street parties…outdoor FUN!!  Every summer I make these little gems up…my mini Asian Style Chicken Burgers!  A perfectly fresh and zingy alternative to all those grilled meaty (and kinda wickedly naughty in that oh-so greasy fashion, hey?!) burgers and hot dogs.

A number of years ago I was flipping through one of my (many, many) food mags and saw a recipe for something similar.  Months later, and as things generally go, when I went to make them I could not remember which magazine the recipe was in.  Typical!! ;o)  All I could remember was that they had a poached chicken, a mix of pickled vegetables and a zesty lime mayonnaise…so I made my own version up…and here it is:

~*~ Ingredients ~*~

• 24 mini bread rolls (dinner roll sized), halved.  Wholemeal or a grain style bread roll is best with this recipe but use whatever your preference is.  You could also use a standard size burger bun, if want a big serve…just halve the bread quantity to 12 or so.  And if you decide on a hot-dog-style bun then when you halve them don’t cut all the way through…you know the drill! ;o)
• 1 cup coriander (cilantro) leaves
• 1 cup mint leaves
• 2 green onions (spring onions/shallots), finely sliced
• 2 red thai chillies, finely sliced – you can add more or less chilli or a hotter variety depending on your taste

Poached chicken:

• 250ml (1 cup) fish sauce
• 6cm (2in) piece of peeled fresh ginger, roughly sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, roughly sliced
• 100g (3oz) palm sugar – or you can use brown sugar as a substitute.
• 1 whole chicken (small to medium in size), boiling water

Pickled vegetables:

• 2 carrots, cut into julienne
• 8 snow peas (mangetout), cut into julienne
• 150ml (2/3 cup) white vinegar
• 100g (1/2 cup) white sugar
• 150ml (2/3 cup) water
• 1 teaspoon salt

Lime mayonnaise:

• 250g (1 cup) good quality mayonnaise
• Juice & zest of 1 lime
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce

~*~ Directions ~*~

• Poached chicken: Add ingredients to large saucepan.  Add enough boiling water to cover the chicken.  Over medium to high heat, bring the poaching liquid to the boil and then cook for 15 minutes.  Turn off heat and leave chicken to cool in liquid until it has reached room temperature.  Take chicken out and discard poaching liquid.  Remove and discard the skin.  Shred the meat off the bones (discard bones, of course LOL!) and place shredded meat into a large bowl.  Refrigerate until needed.
• Pickled vegetables: In a small saucepan add the vinegar, sugar, water and salt.  Simmer over a medium heat until sugar has dissolved.  Place the prepared carrot and snow peas into a heat-proof bowl and pour pickling liquid over the vegetables.  Set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Lime mayonnaise: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until needed.
• Assembly: Drain pickled vegetables well.  Add them to the shredded chicken, along with the fresh herbs (tear or roughly chop depending on how big the leaves are to start with), green onions and chilli.  Mix well.  Spread the bread rolls with some lime mayonnaise and then fill with the chicken salad mix.  Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and a little extra fresh red chilli (optional).

The best thing about this recipe is that you can make the three main components and store them in the fridge ahead of time.  So if you’ve got a big day planned you can prepare most it the day/night before and then just assemble on the day…too easy!

I also created two 4×6 recipe cards that you can download for free – one for the ingredients and one for the directions…yep it’s a long recipe, lol!  To jump-start my creativity I used a recipe card template from the Farm Fresh set ~ found HERE at the Shabby Shoppe!  And I loved using the GRACIE collection and a few extra pieces to scrap them…so many FUN papers!!

Just click on the image to download (or click HERE)!

Hope you enjoy making (and eating!) these yummy mini chicken burgers!  Thanks for checking in with the Blog today…we’ll see you all on Monday for the Layout of the Week!  Bye for now! :o)

…and, P.S. Just a quick reminder that the Easy-As-Pie Template Challenge 25 deadline is SUNDAY night (12 midnight US EDT), for all those still wishing to join in the FUN and have the chance to win a $25 gift card to the Shabby Shoppe!  Don’t forget to add your comment/link to the original blog post after you upload your gorgeous layout to the Gallery! :o)

I want to share this super simple (but incredibly DELICIOUS) ‘from-scratch’ cake recipe that we love!  Please do not let the length of this post frighten you, lol!  It really is no indication of the recipe’s level of difficulty, lol!  Rather…the difficulty that I have being concise, LOL!  Seriously…let’s just hope that my life never depends on my ability to be ‘to the point’, ha!  Back to the recipe…I particularly wanted to talk about ‘gifting’ this cake…OR…making it to TAKE IT to a gathering, Church event, family reunion, 4th of July party, etc.!  You get the idea!  The reason that I LOVE this cake for gifting/taking is that it is appealing to just about everyone!  Many times, when gifting or taking…we are not sure of the preferences of those we are serving.  Do they have a nut allergy?  Do they like chocolate?  Maybe caramel isn’t their thing?  Who knows what kind of fruit they like?!  With THIS cake…there are no dominating or distinguishable flavors – no chocolate overload, no crazy decorations, no icing piled a mile high (not that there is ANYTHING wrong with any of this, LOL) – just good, simple…yummy cake!  I’m not saying that there won’t be family and friends who will not like it…just that there is a REALLY GOOD CHANCE they will :o)  Another great thing about this particular cake is that it travels well, especially in heat (no icing to melt and run all over the place…no refrigeration necessary, etc.)!

So, what is a KENTUCKY BUTTER CAKE?!  It is a very moist cake with a yummy (and sweet) butter sauce/glaze that goes over the top and throughout!  The moist, vanilla cake – combined with the rich sauce = PERFECTION :o)

We recently had a new neighbor move in nearby…and that is actually what inspired this post :o)  I wanted to bake something to take as a WELCOME gift…but not knowing our new friends all that well (at all)…I needed something that would be generic (for lack of a better word) – but in a really good way!  So, my idea was to bake this scrumptious cake and gift it to them in a new (and super handy) Wilton Cake Carrier (part of the gift)!  I love gifts like that…they are personal and thoughtful – but also super practical (and generally well-received and quite appreciated)!  Of course, I could have ran to the bakery and purchased a cake…but it just wouldn’t have been the same (again, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that and I know it would have still been a great and thoughtful gift…but I wanted to take the time to do it the ‘old-fashioned’ way, lol)!  So, before we get to the recipe…here is a quick image of the final gift!  After the cake had completely cooled, I transferred it to a cake board and then placed it in the carrier.  I then punched a hole in the recipe card (which I am sharing as a free download at the end of this post) and attached it to the cake carrier with coordinating ribbons :o)  VOILA…really easy!

 So, how about we get started with the actual recipe?!  As I mentioned above…I really like to prep everything first!  So, I almost always pre-measure and have everything ready-to-go!  It really cuts down on the chaos and clean-up :o)  If you prefer to pull things out of the fridge and measure as you go…then stick with what works for you!  One of the best things about this cake…SIMPLE INGREDIENTS!  Most of which, we generally have in the panty and fridge…love that :o)  Really, the only thing we have to plan-ahead for is the buttermilk (not something we always have on-hand)!

:::FOR THE CAKE:::

• 3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 eggs

Now, you’ll want to preheat your oven to 325 degrees (F)…and grease & flour your 10 inch bundt cake pan (very well)!  I like to use a nonstick cooking spray that is make specifically for baking (generally has flour in it).  If I am baking a regular round or square cake – I just spray it and leave it at that (no flour).  However, when it comes to bundt cake pans (which honestly, freak me out…it can be SOOOOO difficult to remove the cake!)…I spray AND flour them…just to give myself the best possible chance of a clean removal, lol!  However, I will say that I really think this cake needs to be prepared as a bundt cake…just not sure it would be the same otherwise! 

 Now that that’s done…you can really see how EASY this cake is to prepare!  You basically just dump all the ingredients in a bowl and blend them, lol (my kind of cake!)! 

So, in a large bowl - mix the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda (I just dump it all in the mixing bowl and then use a whisk to mix it together).  Then, blend in the buttermilk, butter, vanilla and eggs (best if you add the eggs one at a time).  Beat for 3 minutes at medium speed.  Once the batter is blended, simply pour it into your prepared bundt pan. Simple as that!  Pop it in the preheated oven for about an hour – or until a toothpick or wooden skewer comes out clean (I recommend that you start keeping a close eye on it at around 45 minutes…just so you don’t overcook)! 

Remember what I mentioned above…about a total mess?!  Yep…this was one of many, lol!  I just look at it like it is all part of cooking/baking, right?!  Yep…while trying to take pics of pouring the eggs in the mixer (with it going at low speed, lol)…my depth perception was completely thrown off by my 50mm lens…and instead of adding the eggs to the mixing bowl, I literally just dumped them straight on the floor (and rug), lol!  Seriously, sometimes I think ONLY me!  No biggie…a quick clean-up and we were back on track :o)

Soooo, while the cake is cooling for a few minutes…it’s time to make the glaze (yummmmm)!  This is also incredibly simple and FAST.  I tweaked the original recipe a bit to make 1.5x the glaze.  We really felt like it needed a teensy bit more (as did many of the other reviewers)…and hey – I’d rather have too much than not enough, lol!  So…if you want less – you can simply reduce it down…OR…just look at the original recipe here (the recipe listed below and on my recipe card include measurements for the 1.5x version)!  Whew…now that that’s out of the way, LOL…here are the ingredients needed:

• 1 1/8 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 1/2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, butter and water.  Cook over medium heat, until fully melted and combined, but do not boil.  Remove from the heat and add the vanilla :o)

 You’ll want to let this cool for a few minutes!  In the meantime, you can start poking holes in the cake (this allows for the glaze to get all inside…trust me – it’s a wonderful thing, lol)!  I like to use a long, wooden skewer – and make sure to go all the way to the bottom of the pan (or top, depending on how you look at it, lol).  I think I ended up poking about 30-40 holes before all is said and done!

 Now, while the cake AND the glaze are both still warm (not hot)…pour the glaze  all over the cake, making sure to get it in the holes and all around the sides and inner rim!  I typically save about 1/3 of the glaze for pouring on the top after I have removed the cake from the pan.  Be sure to let the cake cool completely before transferring it to your cake plate!  And, be patient and gentle :o)  After you have the cake on a pretty plate…you can add your remaining glaze…and that’s it – YOU’RE DONE!

 The final result is a super moist, wonderfully rich, bready cake!  This is not like a pound cake…it’s kinda crumby…but still very moist.  I guess it’s a little tough to explain exactly – so you’ll just have to bake one up and try it for yourself, lol!

Now, there are lots of variations you could try with this cake!  My number one would be to add toasted pecans (or walnuts)…either to the top/glaze – or to both the cake and the glaze!  However, I only recommend this if you KNOW that everyone you will be serving, LOVES (and can eat) nuts!  You could also add all kinds of fruits…it would even be delicious with jam (if I were going to serve with jam…I would probably omit the glaze) – or fresh, whipped cream!  That’s one reason I love ‘generic’ cakes like this – you can customize them to suit any taste!  So, however you prepare it…just enjoy, and be sure to share it with friends and family (or not, lol)! 

Finally, I created a printable RECIPE CARD for you to download and ENJOY :o)  I hope you will make this cake for your own family…for a community or Church function…or as a gift!  No matter the reason for baking it – I have no doubt it will be enjoyed!  You can CLICK HERE to download the card…or simply click the image below :o)

Here’s another pic of the final and printed recipe card…

Please note that the original recipe is from AllRecipes.com (love that site) and by Suzanne Stull :o)  AllRecipes is one of my favorite, go-to sites when I am looking for great recipes!  I find the reviews to be sooooo helpful and generally, spot-on :o)  So, if you haven’t been – be sure to check it out!

THANKS SO MUCH for stopping by today :o)  Have fun baking AND eating, lol…XOXO–SP

Let’s get started…grab the ingredients and ask the kiddos if they want to join in on the fun!  The sprinkles always make my girls happy!!  (Although for this post we didn’t end up doing sprinkles, itty bitty was gone to Mamaws by the time they were frozen and ready for dipping!)

 For this tasty treat you simply need a few ingredients!  (That’s ALWAYS nice!)  For each batch you will use:

• 1 cup of chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable shortening
• Bananas
• Popsicle sticks
• Wax paper
• Sprinkles, nuts, etc. that you’d like to add!

 Directions:

• To get started you’ll need peel your bananas.  I like to get the girls to help me with this part; it makes them feel important when they’re helping and it’s GREAT quality time.  This time I only had the itty bitty with me so we especially loved the one on one time!
• After they’re peeled, you’ll cut them in half.  I’ve found that this size is best for dipping and storing.
• Line a cookie sheet with wax paper, and then begin carefully sticking your popsicle sticks into the bottom portion of your banana halves. Tip: Be careful so that you don’t accidently poke it through the side. I try to put them in at least half way through the banana to help ensure they won’t fall off during the dipping and eating stages!
• Now pop them in the freezer until they’re frozen I usually wait a few hours, and have even waited overnight. (Do not grab by the stick until they’re completely frozen!)

Dipping:

• For this portion you have to work pretty quickly.  The chocolate will start to dry very quickly, so if you’re planning on letting the kiddos “decorate” the goodies they need a ready work station.  I usually place a piece of wax paper over a cookie sheet and have the sprinkles handy for them to use immediately.
• Measure out the amount of chocolate chips you’ll need. I usually use a 2 cup glass measuring cup to do the mixing/melting/dipping in and it works pretty good.

• Melt the chocolate chips.  I have a wonderful button on my microwave that is specifically for melting butter, chocolate, or marshmallows, and it works GREAT for me!  If you don’t have this option simply melt your chocolate chips and vegetable shortening in a microwave safe bowl on high power for up to 1 minute.
• After this first cycle, take them out of the microwave and stir, if they’re easy to stir you’re ready…if they still a little on the stiff side put them back in for 10-15 seconds as needed to get that soft dipping consistency.
• Now, you’ll take your bananas out of the freezer, I only take a few out at a time, so that they don’t defrost while waiting their turns to dip into the chocolate. Once you dip, simply swirl them around in the container until the banana half is covered to your liking.
• Quickly hand it off to your child/helper to begin the sprinkling.  The chocolate will dry very quickly so you have to work fast to ensure the banana is covered before the chocolate dries.  Sometimes I will lay them on the cookie sheet for the girls and just let them decorate them on one side, they don’t seem to mind, it’s still fun for them.  We’ve tried all sorts of goodies on the bananas, from sprinkles, to sugar crystals, peanut pieces, and even white chocolate swirled on top of the dark chocolate.  These are so much fun and so tasty.
• Once they’ve dried place them back into the freezer, when they are totally frozen you can place them into a Ziploc bag to last for a few days??  Weeks??  Who knows, we always eat them within a few days! ;)

That’s it for today, I hope you enjoy this recipe and if you choose to make them I’d love to hear how they turn out and what kinds of toppings you placed on them!

Be sure to stop back by on Monday for the Layout of the Week!!  Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!