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I am a summer baby. So to me July mean cake! Here is my latest creation... Let's go on a tropical vacation! 
Pre-heat oven to the temperature listed on the cake mix. Grease and flour 2 8 inch round cake pans. Set aside.
In a bowl combine the cake mix, the mango flavored Jello and the ingredients listed on the cake mix to make a cake, except replacing 1/3c of water with Mango Flavored Rum. Using a hand mixed combine per cake box instructions. As best as you can, evenly divide the cake mix between the two cake pans. Give the pans a tap on the counter to release any air bubbles and place in the oven. Cook per the cake mix instructions, or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool about 10 minutes in the cake pans. Flip the cakes out of the pans onto wire racks. Completely cook the cakes before proceeding. In a medium bowl combine the raspberry preserves and mango nectar. Microwave for 20 seconds to help loosen up the mixture. Add the raspberries and the diced mango. Stir to combine. Place on of the cool rounds of cake on your serving platter. Gently pour and spread the filling over the cake. Be careful to not push the filling all the way to the edge of the cake, leave about 1/8 inch of "naked" cake on the border. Place the other round of cake on top of the filling. In a large, slightly chilled bowl, add the heavy cream. With your hand mixer on medium start beating the heavy cream. As you go add the confectioners sugar and cream of tartar. After about 4 - 5 minutes check the mixture. The heavy cream should have heavy, slightly stiff peaks and not fall over when you pull the hand mixture out. Beat for a minute or two at a time after if this is not the case. Place about a 1/3 of the whipped cream mixture on top of the cakes and spread to cover the top cake. Using the rest of the mixture cover the sides of the cake. If there is any whipped cream left over after frosting the sides add it to the top. Top the center of the cake with the raspberries and diced mango. Refrigerate until serving. Serves 6 - 8 people. Refrigerate any leftovers.
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So, last Friday my office's mate brought in a bunch of bananas that had too many spots for her to eat. I laughed and told her to make bread with them. Not sure how it happened, but I ended up with the bananas making bread over the weekend. This recipe is a combination of 4 different ones I found. Enjoy!  1/2 c Butter - Softened
1 c Sugar 2 Eggs 3 Bananas - A Bit Over Ripe 2 Tbsp Sour Cream 2 c Flour 1 Tbsp Baking Powder 1/2 tsp Salt 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg 1/8 tsp Ground Cloves 3/4 c Chopped Pecans Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with baker's cooking spray and set aside. Using your mixer cream together the butter and sugar until creamy, 3 - 5 minutes. Add the eggs, bananas and sour cream and mix until it is creamy and slightly fluffy, an additional 3 - 5 minutes. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in stages, fully incorporating the dry ingredients before adding more. Once all the dry ingredients are added, stir in the pecans. Transfer the batter to the loaf pan. Bake the bread 65 - 75 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. The bread can be served warm or chilled. For longer keeping store the bread in the refrigerator. The addition of sour cream gives this cheesecake a bit of a tangy flavor and an added lightness to it. It is a perfect dessert for Spring!  2 c Graham Cracker Crumbs – approx. 1 sleeve of Graham Crackers
5 Tbsp Melted Butter 1 Tbsp sugar 3 8 oz packages Cream Cheese 1 c Sugar 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract 1 Tbsp Lemon Zest 3 Eggs 1 c Sour Cream 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice – Fresh Squeezed Boiling Water, for baking Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the outside of a 9 inch springform pan with foil. In a food processor finely grind the graham crackers. Add the butter and sugar and pulse until combined. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan. Bake 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, vanilla and lemon zest and beat for another minute or so. Slowly add each egg; incorporating each one before adding then next, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the sour cream and lemon juice and mix to combine. Pour the batter over the crust in the springform pan. Place the springform pan in a roasting pan and pour about an inch worth of boiling water into the roasting pan. Bake the cheesecake for about 55 minutes, or until the edges are firm but the center is slightly wobbly. Transfer the springform pan and roasting pan to a cooling rack and let it rest for about 15 minutes. Remove the springform pan from the roasting pan and let it cool another 30 minutes. Remove the foil and cover the top with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. To serve remove the springform and slice. Serves 10 – 12 Slices This pie is extremely rich and decadent, but most of all delicious!  1 Premade Single Pie Crust
1/3 c Chopped Pecans 1/4 c Dulce de Leche 1/2 c Butter - Softened 3/4 c Sugar 2 oz Semisweet Chocolate - Melted 1 tsp Vanilla Extract 2 Large Eggs Whipped Cream for Serving Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the pie crust dough. Sprinkle half of the chopped pecans onto the dough. Roll the nuts into the dough. Transfer the dough to a 9 inch pie pan. Prick the pie crust a few times and crimp the top. Bake in the oven 10 - 12 minutes or until golden brown. Set the crust aside to cool. Using your mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the melted chocolate and vanilla extract. Add in one egg and beat at medium speed for 5 minutes. Scrap down the sides of the bowl and add the second egg. Beat for another 5 minutes. Do not try and rush this part, you want the filling to become very light and airy. Reserve 1 Tbsp of the dulce de leche. Spread the rest of the dulce de leche onto the bottom of the pie crust. Pour the chocolate mixture on top of the dulce de leche and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining chopped pecans on top of the pie. Using the reserved 1 Tbsp of dulce de leche, drizzle on top of the pie. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving, until firm. Serve cold with whipped cream. Serves 8 My friend, Michelle, asks for a cheesecake for her birthday every year. This is the cheesecake that I made for her this year. Hope you enjoy it as much as she did.  16 Pecan Shortbread Cookies
1/4 c Pecan Pieces 1/4 tsp Salt 4 Tbsp Melted Butter 2 8 oz packages Cream Cheese 2 Tbsp Flour 2 Eggs PLUS 1 Egg Yolk 13.4 oz can Dulce de Leche Boiling Water, for baking Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the outside of a 9 inch springform pan with foil. In a food processor finely chop the cookies, nuts and salt. Add the butter and pulse until combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the springform pan. Bake 10 -12 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese until soft, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour. Add the eggs and yolk, one at a time, adding the next once the egg before is completely blended in. Mix in 2/3 of the can of Dulce de Leche. Pour the batter over the crust in the springform pan. Place the springform pan in a roasting pan and pout about an inch worth of boiling water into the roasting pan. Bake the cheesecake for about 55 minutes, or until the edges are firm but the center is slightly wobbly. Transfer the springform pan to a cooling rack and let it rest for about 15 minute. Spread the rest of the Dulce de Leche over the cheesecake. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve remove the springform and slice. Serves 10 - 12 slices When I first saw the commercial for the Toll House Delight Fulls, aka chocolate chips with filling, I thought, "Those need to go into a batch of blondies!!" A gal at work had a birthday and a star has been made. Regular milk chocolate chips can be used instead, but try to find the caramel filled ones. They are beyond yummy!!!  1 c Packed Brown Sugar
1/3 c Butter (Unsalted) 1 Egg 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla 1 c All Purpose Flour 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 1/8 tsp Baking Soda 1/4 tsp Salt 3/4 c Milk Chocolate Chips Filled With Caramel 3/4 c Chopped Pecans Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 pan and set aside. In a medium saucepan melt the butter and add the brown sugar. Stir the mixture constantly until all lumps are removed. Turn off the heat and cool the mixture slightly. Stir in the vanilla, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in the egg and flour. Fold in the caramel filled chocolate chips and chopped pecans. Transfer the mixture to the greased pan. Smooth out the mixture so it reaches all the corners. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the blondies cool for about an hour on a wire rack. Cut into 1 inch squares and serve. These bars are the taste of summer and fresh berries. Don't let the length of the ingredients or steps get to you. They are all very simple and worth the time!  For The Shortbread:
3/4 c Butter - melted 1/3 c Sugar 2 tsp Amaretto 1/2 tsp Salt 1 1/2 c Flour For The Filling: 6 oz Raspberries 1 Dry Pint Blueberries 1 lb Strawberries 1/3 c + 2 Tbsp Sugar 2 Tbsp Triple Sec 1/2 c Orange Juice 1 tsp Orange Zest 1 tsp Corn Starch For The Topping: 1/2 c Flour 1/2 c Brown Sugar 1/2 c Old Fashioned Oats 1/2 c Sliced Almonds 1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon 1/3 c Butter - Cold and Cubed At least 2 hours, or the night before if possible, combine in a large bowl the raspberries and blueberries. Slice the strawberries and add to the bowl. Sprinkle with the 2 Tbsp sugar and 2 Tbsp Triple Sec. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper. In a bowl combine the butter, sugar, Amaretto and salt. Stir until the sugar and salt has dissolved. Slowly stir in the flour making sure to make sure there are no lumps. Transfer the shortbread mixture to the 9x13 pan and your hands or spatula smooth out the shortbread to cover the bottom of the pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Let the shortbread cool for approx. 5 minutes. While the shortbread is baking remove the berries from the fridge. Drain the berries, reserving the liquid. In a small bowl combine the corn starch and 2 tsp of orange juice; set aside. In a small sauce pan combine the reserved berry liquid, remaining orange juice, 1/3 c sugar and orange zest. Bring the mixture up to a simmer, stirring to combine and dissolve the sugar. Once the mixture is at a hard simmer add the corn starch mixture. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to a low simmer and let cook for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture becomes a yummy thick syrup. Remove from heat and let cool approx. 5 minutes before combining with the berries. Set aside. To make the topping for the bars, combine in a bowl the flour, cinnamon and brown sugar. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter, fork or your hands. The butter needs to be broken down to a small pearl like shape. Stir in the oats and almonds. Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Spread the berry mixture with syrup in an even layer over the shortbread. Top with an even coat of the topping. Bake the bars for 20 minutes and then broil the bars for 4 - 6 minutes to get a nice golden brown color. Let the bars cool at room temperature for 20 minutes and then transfer to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Lift the bars out of the pan with the parchment paper and cut into 16 pieces. Serve plain or with a dollop of whipped cream. Serves 16. These brownies are so good and so fast to make. In the time it take for the oven to heat up to temp you will have the mix ready to go. These are so delicious, no one will ever know that you started it all with a box mix.  1 box Fudge Brownies 13x9 Family Size PLUS the ingredients the mix calls for 1/2 c Chopped Walnuts 1/4 c Caramel (Sundae Syrup works best) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 cake pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a bowl stir the brownie mix and the ingredients to make the mix until combined. Add the chopped walnuts and stir to combine. Spread the mix into the pan. Drizzle the caramel over the brownie mix. Bake the brownies for 40 - 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out almost clean. Let the brownies cool for at least 20 minutes. Cut, serve and enjoy! When I was little, my sister and I would wait and beg my mom to make these cookies every Christmas. I don't know where my mom got the recipe, but for me Christmas isn't the same without them. They are really yummy and super easy. I hope they become part of your Christmas tradition too!  1 c Butter - Softened 8 oz Cream Cheese - Softened 1/2 c Sugar 1 tsp Vanilla 2 c Flour Green Food Coloring (about 12 drops) Red Hots/Cinnamon Candies Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Cream butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and cream thoroughly. Beat in vanilla and food coloring. Gradually blend in the flour. Set your cookie press up with a star tip. Fill the cookie press with the cookie dough. Hold the press in a semi-horizontal position and form wreaths about an inch and a half diameter. Seal the ends of the cookie together with a Red Hot and add two more Red Hots as decoration (and yummy goodness). Bake the cookies for 8 - 10 minutes, or until the dough is set, but not brown. Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for about 2 minutes and then transfer to wire cooling racks. Once the cookies are cool store them in an air tight container lined with wax paper. Makes approx. 4 dozen cookies You need a cookie press for this recipe, but they are worth the investment. There are different types that you can get. I have a battery operated one. It makes life easy, but if you want to hand crank your cookies go for it!
This is another wonderful dessert that uses a boxed cake mix as it's base. People will never know that you got a little help in the kitchen!  4 Golden Delicious Apples
2 Tbsp Butter 1/3 c Sugar 1/2 tsp Cinnamon 1/8 tsp Cloves 15.25 oz Yellow Cake Mix & the ingredients to make the mix Except replace 1/3 c Water with 1/3 c Brandy Add 1 tsp Cinnamon 1 pt Heavy Whipping Cream 1/4 c Sugar Carmel Syrup Preheat oven to the temperature recommended on the cake mix package. Grease and flour a 13 x 9 pan and set aside. Peel, core and dice the apples. In a medium skillet melt 2 Tbsp of butter and add the apples. Stir to coat the apples in the butter. Add the 1/3 c sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/8 tsp of cloves. Stir to combine all the ingredients. Bring the mixture to a low simmer. Let simmer for 5 - 8 minutes and then remove from heat. Pour the apples and sauce in the bottom of the 13 x 9 pan. Follow the directions for mixing up the cake mix, except switching out 1/3 c of the water for 1/3 c brandy and add 1 tsp of cinnamon. Once all the ingredients are combined pour the cake mix on top of the apples, making sure that the mix covers all of the apples. Follow the cooking time suggested on the cake mix package. The cake will be done when the top is lightly golden brown and a tooth pick can be inserted into the center and comes out clean. Let the cake cool before. If baking the day before store the cake in the refrigerator. For serving, in a medium size bowl add the heavy whipping cream and 1/4 c sugar (more or less to taste). Beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Slice the cake and serve with a dollop or two of whip cream and a drizzle of carmel syrup. |
Dawn GreenblatWhat's Cooking With Dawn Archives
April 2022
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