Sweetness

Rum Cake

Cake:

  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 Tbsp. grated orange zest
  • 1/2 cup dark rum
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 pkg (3 3/4 oz) Jello vanilla pudding mix
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

Glaze:

  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark rum

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Mix milk, orange juice, oil, eggs, orange zest, rum, and set aside.

In separate bowl sift flour, salt and baking powder. Mix in sugar and pudding mix- make a well in center and add milk and oj mixture, mix well.

Sprinkle chopped pecans in a greased and floured bundt pan and pour cake mixture on top.

Bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees. Cool. Invert on plate, prick then spread glaze evenly over top. Do this in stages so that the cake has time to absorb all the glaze.

Glaze:

Melt butter in saucepan, once butter is melted add sugar. Bring to boil and stir constantly for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add rum.

Abby's Famous Pecan Pie

  • 1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 3 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 1 t. vanilla
  • 1 heaping cup pecan halves

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine corn syrup, sugar, eggs, butter, salt and vanilla; mix well. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust; sprinkle with pecan halves. Bake for 45 to 50 mins or until center is set. (Toothpick inserted in center will come out clean when pie is done.) If crust or pie appears to be getting brown, cover with foil for the remaining baking time. Remove from oven and cool.

 

This recipe is from a Dear Abby column - the newspaper clipping was so old! 

Praline Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup dark corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the praline sauce, in a small heavy saucepan stir together the brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the corn syrup and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the nuts and vanilla. Cool slightly. Serve the cheesecake, passing the sauce in a bowl with a small ladle.

Fruitcake - My Way

Ingredients

  • 2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar                                           
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter/margarine, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups red and green M&M's, divided (*NOTE)
  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk


Directions

  • Combine first 6 ingredients, stirring well. Add butter, and stir or beat at low speed with an electric mixer until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture; press remaining crumb mixture into a lightly greased 13x9 pan. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 350.
  • Place 1 cup chocolate pieces in a microwave-safe bowl, microwave at High 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring after 30 seconds. Press chocolate pieces with the back of a spoon to mash them (the candies will almost be melted with pieces of color coating still visible). Stir in condensed milk. Spread evenly over crust in pan, leaving 1/2inch border on all sides.
  • Combine reserved 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture and remaining 1/2 cup of M&M's; sprinkle evenly over chocolate mixture, and press lightly.
  • Bake at 350 for 25 to 28 minutes or until golden; cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

*Take advantage during the year of other holiday colored M&Ms - Valentine's Day, Easter, etc.

I like to use the plastic top you get when you buy the aluminum pans as sort of an ingredient apron.  All my measuring is done in there, messy bowls set down inside - you see where I"m going.  A quick tap and dump or a wipe and back in the cabinet it goes until the next time.

Best Cinnamon Rolls

I make my dough with Zo!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup margarine or 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 4 1/2 cups bread flour
  • 1/2 cup white sugar  (I used Splenda)
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

 Filling

  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 Cup pecans
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/3 cup margarine or 1/3 cup butter, softened

Frosting

  • 3 ounces cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

Place all ingredients in bread machine in order recommended by manufacturer. Select DOUGH cycle press Start.  

In separate bowl combine cinnamon and sugar.  Have pecans and raisins nearby.

After dough has finished, turn it out onto lightly floured surface and roll into a 16x24 rectangle. Spread dough with butter and sprinkle evenly with cinnamon and sugar mixture. Spread pecans and raisins evenly on dough.  Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. 

 

(From here, I put the pan in the refrigerator overnight.  In the morning, I proofed in the oven until they doubled in size. Then I continued...)

 

Place rolls in lightly greased 9x13 pan. Cover and let rise until almost doubled (about 30 min). Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Bake rolls for 14-16 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla extract and salt.

Spread frosting on warm rolls.  Enjoy!