November « 2010 « Jenna's Random Thoughts & Recipes

Archive for November, 2010

Cranberry Mousse Mini-Tarts

2010 - 11.28

Tags: cranberries, mousse, tart, Thanksgiving
Posted in Baking | 1 Comment »

Pictures

Tart Shell Ingredients

Cutting the Circles

Making the Shells

I made Hearts Instead

Cooked Shells

Cooked Hearts

Cooling (Cute) Shells

Mousse Ingredients

Pouring the Gelatin

Softening

Pouring the Cranberries

Pre-Chop

Post-Chop

1 Cup Chopped Cranberries

Adding the Chopped Cranberries to the Pan

Adding the Sugar

All Stirred Up

Cooked

Adding the Softened Gelatin

Orange Zest

Stirring

Pouring the Whipping Cream

Stiff Peaks

Adding the Powdered Sugar

More Stiff Peaks

Adding the Cranberry Gelatin Mixture

Folding

All Mixed

Filled Tarts

Topped with Hearts

Pretty!

Cranberry Mousse Mini-Tarts

Filling

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

2/3 cup water

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup cranberries, chopped

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

Crust

1 15 ounce box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

Coarse sugar, if desired

Topping

1/4 cup whipping cream

3 teaspoons powdered sugar

Sprinkle gelatin on water to soften, set aside about 15 minutes. In 1 1/2-quart saucepan, heat 1/2 cup granulated sugar and the cranberries just to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in gelatin mixture and orange peel. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes or until mixture just starts to thicken.

Heat oven to 425°F. Spray 24 miniature muffin cups with cooking spray.

Unroll pie crusts on work surface. With 2 1/2-inch scalloped round cutter, cut 15 rounds from 1 crust and 9 from the other. Fit rounds into muffin cups, pressing in gently. Generously prick crusts with fork. From remaining crust, cut 24 1-inch star shapes; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake crusts 6 to 9 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool crusts completely on cooling rack, about 15 minutes; remove from muffin cups. Meanwhile, bake star shapes 3 to 4 minutes or until light golden brown.

In small bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add 2 teaspoons of the powdered sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in cranberry mixture; refrigerate about 10 minutes or until thickened. Spoon about 1 tablespoon mixture into each crust; top each with 1 star. Store in refrigerator. Just before serving, sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon powdered sugar.

Recipe found here.

NOTES – I have never made mousse before so this was all new. It was pretty easy! It took a while to prepare everything. I actually made the tarts and tart toppers the day before, and did everything else the following day. They turned out super cute and now I want to make them with other fruit!!

Apple Spice Cake Trifle

2010 - 11.28

Tags: apples, cake mix, cinnamon, spice cake, Thanksgiving, trifle
Posted in Baking | No Comments »

Pictures

Cake Ingredients

Adding the Cake Mix

Eggs

Adding the Applesauce

Adding the Oil

Mixing

All Mixed

Pouring into Pan

Ready for the Oven

Hot Out of the Oven

Apple Pie Filling

Pouring the Filling

Adding the Butter

Adding the Cinnamon

Cooking

Pudding-type Filling

Adding the Milk

Adding the Dream Whip

Adding the Pudding Mix

Adding the Cinnamon

Mixing it Up

Almost Ready

The Cake is Cut

Topping

The Bowl!

Adding the Cool Whip

First Layer

Adding the Cake Cubes

Second Layer

Adding the Apple Filling

Third Layer

Top View

Pudding Layer

Fourth Layer

Col Whip (Fifth Layer)

More Cake (Sixth Layer)

Top View

More Apple FIlling

More Cake! (Eighth Layer)

Cool Whip (Ninth Layer)

Adding the Toffee Bits

Done!

Side View

Apple Spice Cake Trifle

1 18.25 ounce box spice cake mix
1 1/4 cups cinnamon applesauce
3 whole eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 21 ounce can apple pie filling
1 tablespoon butter
7 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
3 cups milk
1 large container vanilla pudding mix
1 envelope whipped topping mix
1 12 ounce tub Cool Whip®, thawed
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup English toffee bits or almond brickle chips

In a mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix, applesauce, eggs and oil; beat on medium speed of electric mixer for 2 minutes. Pour into a greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

In a saucepan, cook pie filling, butter and 1 teaspoon cinnamon until butter is melted; stir until well blended. Cool.

In a mixing bowl, combine milk, pudding mix, topping mix and remaining cinnamon. Beat on high until thickened, about 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.

Spread a third of the topping in a 6-quart clear glass bowl.

Cut cake into cubes; place half over topping. Top with half of the fruit mixture, walnuts and pudding mixture. Repeat layers, ending with remaining topping mixture. Sprinkle with toffee bits. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.

Recipe from here.

NOTES – Everything about this was YUMMY!!! Next time I would double the apple pie filling, there just wasn’t enough (in my opinion!). I barely had enough to get the second layer of apple pie filling on. I also didn’t use all the cake cubes (more for me to snack on!) The pudding stuff was to die! I would eat that on toast or anything else for that matter! Bottom line, it was huge, a lot of work and AWESOME!!!!

Apple Spice Custard Cake

2010 - 11.28

Tags: apples, cake mix, custard, spice cake
Posted in Baking | No Comments »

Pictures

Cake Ingredients

Pouring the Cake Mix

Eggs

Adding Water

Adding Oil

Mixing

I Coarsely Chopped my Apples

Adding to the Batter

Folding in the Apples

Pouring into Pan

Ready for the Oven

Custard Ingredients

Pouring the Sweetened Condensed Milk

Adding Lemon Juice

Adding Sour Cream

Mixing it Up

All Mixed

CAKE!!

Pouring Custard over Cake

All Poured and Going Back in the Oven

Fresh Out of the Oven

Sprinkled with Cinnamon

A Piece of Cake!

Apple Spice Custard Cake

1 18.25 ounce box spice cake mix

3 whole eggs

1 1/4 cups water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 whole apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 8 ounce container sour cream, at room temperature

1/4 cup lemon juice, bottled

Ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake mix as package directs; stir in apples. Pour into well greased and floured 13×9 inch baking pan. Bake 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, sour cream and ReaLemon brand. Remove cake from oven; spread cream mixture over top. Return to oven; bake 10 minutes longer or until set. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cool.

Refrigerate leftovers.

Recipe found here.

I found this cake to be interesting. I liked the cake, I liked the custard, but it was kind of weird. I mean all in all I liked it, but I think I would just make the cake with a cinnamon cream cheese (or buttercream) frosting if I ever make it again. I don’t think Justin was super fond of it. I mean he ate some, but not his favorite thing.

Martha’s Sugar Cookies

2010 - 11.22

Tags: Martha Stewart, sugar cookie
Posted in Baking | No Comments »

Pictures

Ingredients

Adding the Flour

Adding Baking Powder

Adding Salt

Adding Baking Soda

Whisking

Butter

Adding Sugar

Creaming Butter and Sugar

More Creaming

Creamy!

Adding Egg

Adding Vanilla

Adding Flour Mixture

Adding Sour Cream

Adding More Flour Mixture

Cookie Dough!!

Dipping in Colored Sugar

Ready for the Oven

Fresh Out of the Oven

Racks of Cookies

Close Up of a Pink Cookie

All Prettied Up on Pretty Tray

Martha’s Sugar Cookies

2 cups flour, spooned and leveled

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick) room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1 whole egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with one rack in upper third and another in lower third. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; set aside.

Using an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 4 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat well to combine.

With mixer on low, add half the flour mixture, followed by sour cream, then remaining flour mixture; mix just until smooth. (Dough will be stiff; you may need to finish mixing it by hand with a wooden spoon.)

Drop mounds of dough, each equal to about 3 tablespoons, 3 to 4 inches apart, onto two ungreased baking sheets; sprinkle with sugar. Bake until edges of cookies are just firm and tops are barely beginning to brown, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating sheets once halfway through. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.

NOTES- I dipped the balls of cookie dough in colored sugar so they would be extra colorful! I also used vanilla sugar (a jar of sugar with vanilla beans in it). I use the vanilla sugar for all my sugar cookies. I love vanilla! These cookies are crunchy on the outside cut soft on the inside. Yummy, now I want one and they are all gone!

Original recipe here.

Espresso Braised Beef

2010 - 11.22

Tags: beef, espresso powder, thyme
Posted in Dinners | No Comments »

Pictures

The Many Ingredients

Adding Carrots

Adding Potatoes

Mixed Up

Adding the Meat

A Layer of Meat

Beef Broth

Espresso Powder

Tomato Paste

Brown Sugar

Thyme

Salt

Pepper

Whisking it All Up

All Whisked

Pouring Over The Meat

Ready to Cook

My Plate All Cooked and Served Over Noodles

Justin's More a Serve on the Side Type

Espresso Braised Beef

3 whole carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 pound new potatoes, cut into chunks
1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat
2/3 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, combine carrots, and potatoes. Top with beef. In a medium bowl, whisk together beef broth, tomato paste, espresso coffee powder, brown sugar, thyme, salt, and pepper. Pour over all in cooker.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 4-1/2 hours. Serve beef mixture over mashed potatoes or noddles. If desired, season with additional salt and coarsely ground black pepper.

Serves 4 – 6

NOTES- I was not that happy with this dish. I thought the thyme over powered all other seasoning, and I’m not that huge a thyme fan. I would maybe make it again only leaving out the thyme all together. I also would have thickened up the sauce, it was really soupy. That’s my 2 cents!

Original recipe found here.

Pina Colada Cupcakes 2

2010 - 11.19

Tags: cake mix, coconut, cupcake, pineapple
Posted in Baking | No Comments »

Pictures

Cupcake Ingredients

Adding Pineapple Cake Mix

Eggs

Adding Water

Adding Oil

Adding Reserved Pineapple Juice

Adding Rum Extract

Adding Crushed Pineapple

Mixing

Batter

24 Regular Size Cupcakes

24 Mini Size Cupackes

Fresh Out of the Oven

Cooling

Frosting Ingredients

Creaming Butter

Adding Powdered Sugar

Adding Coconut Milk

Mixing

Adding More Powdered Sugar

Mixing

Frosted Mini Cupcakes

Close Up

Frosted Regular Cupcakes

Racks of Cupcakes

Pina Colada Cupcakes 2

1 18.25 ounce box pineapple cake mix
1 cup water (plus reserved pineapple juice)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 whole eggs
1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, well drained and juiced reserved
1 teaspoon rum extract
Coconut Butter Frosting
2/3 cup butter, softened
7 cups powdered sugar, divided
1/3 cup coconut milk, or more if needed

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cake mix as directed, except use a mixture of water and reserved pineapple juice to make the amount of water required. Also add 1 teaspoon of rum extract and crushed pineapple.

Cook for about 18 – 20 minutes or until done.

Cool on wire racks.

Frosting: In a bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar and salt, beating well. Slowly beat in coconut milk. Gradually beat in 5 cups powdered sugar. Beat in additional coconut milk to reach desired spreading consistency.

I pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, but I like lots of frosting!!!

For some reason this made 24 regular and 24 mini cupcakes. I’m really not sure why!!

I prefer this recipe to the other Pina Coloda cupcakes that I posted. The frosting is so good, I could just eat it all say long!

Curried Sweet Potato Chowder

2010 - 11.10

Tags: chowder, curry, sweet potato
Posted in Dinners | 1 Comment »

Pictures

the Ingredients

Sweet Potatoes

Butter

Adding Sweet Potatoes

Adding Shallots

In the Pot

Stirring

Added Curry Powder

Stirring

Stirred

Added Flour

Stirring

Stirred

Adding Milk/Half and Half

Added

Adding Frozen Corn

Adding Salt and Pepper

Everything and the Crushed Red Peppers

Stirring

Ready to Cook

Boiling

Steamy and Ready to Eat!

Curried Sweet Potato Chowder

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup shallots, minced
3 whole sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (NOT YAMS!!!)
3 teaspoons curry powder
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
1 cup half and half
2 cups frozen corn
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

In a medium saucepan melt margarine. Add shallot and sweet potato; cook and stir over medium heat 2 minutes. Sprinkle in curry powder and stir 30 seconds. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in milk until smooth. Add half-and-half, corn, salt, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat.

Cover and simmer 15 minutes(*) or until potatoes are done, stirring occasionally.

Spoon soup into 4 bowls.

*NOTES- First off let me say that I’m not a huge fan of the sweet potato, but I love this! I simmer it for about 30 – 40 minutes so that the potatoes are falling apart. If you like sweet potatoes and curry, you must try this. You can also add cooked ground chicken or turkey, I do this for my husband.

Sunshine Sandwich Cookies

2010 - 11.10

Tags: cake mix, cookies, easy, lemon
Posted in Baking | No Comments »

Pictures

Cookie Ingredients

Sugar for Rolling

Creaming Butter

Adding Eggs

Adding Lemon Zest

Adding Cake Mix

Adding Yellow Cornmeal

Cookie Dough!

Rolling in SUgar

Waiting for the Oven

Fresh Out of the Oven

Icing Ingredients

Creaming Butter

Adding Powdered Sugar

Adding Lemon Juice

Mixing

Icing!

Cookie Awaiting the Icing

Cookies with Icing

Magical Sandwich Cookies

1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 whole egg
2 tablespoons lemon zest, rind of
1 18.25 ounce box lemon cake mix
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
Icing
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons lemon juice (2 to 3)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place sugar in shallow bowl.

Beat 3/4 cup butter in large bowl with electric mixer to medium speed until fluffy. Add egg and lemon peel; beat 30 seconds.

Add cake mix, 1/3 at a time, beating at low speed after each addition until combined. Stir in cornmeal. (Dough will be stiff).

Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar to coat. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until bottoms begin to brown. Let cookies stand on cookie sheets 1 minute; transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Meanwhile, beat powdered sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons butter in small bowl with electric mixer at low speed until blended. Gradually add enough lemon juice to reach spreading consistency.

Spread 1 slightly rounded teaspoon frosting on bottom of one cookie. Top with second cookie, bottom side down. Repeat with remaining cookies and frosting. Store at room temperature for up to 24 hours or freeze.

Okay so these are awesome!!! Lemony goodness! Makes about 36 sandwich cookies.

Recipe from here.

Cake Mix UFO and Aliens

2010 - 11.09

Tags: cake mix, fun, Halloween
Posted in Baking | No Comments »

Pictures

Cake Mix Ingredients

Pouring in Cake MIx

Adding Egg Whites

Adding Water

Adding Oil

Adding Red Food Coloring

Mixing

All Red and Pretty

Red Cake Batter

Cupcakes in Oven

Cupcakes out of Oven

Spider/UFO Bowl of Batter

Amara Licking the Spatula

Batter Faced Girl Cleaning the Mixer

Alien Ingedients

Frosted

Added the Chow Mein Noodles

Coloring the Frosting

Mixing Up the Frosting

Heated and Ready

Pretzels and Mini Marshmallows

Making the Eyes

Alien Eyes!

They are so Cute

Coated with Orange Frosting

About Half Way Done with the Coating

All Coated

They Have Eyes

Close Up

Neon Green Frosting

Frosted UFO

Decorated UFO

Aliens with UFO

Cake Mix
1 18.25 ounce box white cake mix
eggs whites
water
vegetable oil
red food coloring
UFO Accessories
neon green food coloring
1 16 ounce can vanilla frosting
M & M’s
Mini Marshmallows
Alien Accessories
1 1/2 16 ounce cans vanilla frosting
2 cups chow mein noodles
orange food coloring
24 whole pretzel sticks
24 whole mini marshmallows
24 whole red hots or mini M & M’s
chocolate spinkles

Preheat oven to 350. Make cake mix according to direction adding red food coloring (or whatever color you want to use).

For UFO: Grease and flour 1 1/2 quart glass mixing bowl. Pour half the batter into bowl and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Remove Cake form bowl and cool completely, top side down on wire rack.

Trim bottom of cake bowl to make one side flat. Color frosting neon green. Carefully frost the “UFO”. I stuck M & M’s and mini marshmallows on the side to make it look like lights.

For Aliens: Make 12 cupcakes with remaining batter. Cook and cool.

Spread the tops of the cupcakes with a small mound of vanilla frosting. Insert chow mein noodles into cupcakes to look like spikes. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm up.

Spoon 3 tablespoons of the vanilla frosting into a small resealable bag and set aside.

Tint the remaining frosting bright orange with the food coloring and spoon into a glass microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the frosting, stirring frequently, until it is the texture of slightly whipped cream.

Holding the liner of the slightly frozen cupcake, dip the top of the cupcake up to the liner in the melted frosting to coat. Use a spoon to add more frosting if necessary. Allow the excess frosting to drip off. Invert and transfer to a cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.

Insert one end of a pretzel stick into the side of a mini marshmallow. Repeat with the remaining marshmallows and pretzel sticks. Snip a small corner from the bag with the vanilla frosting. Pipe a dot of frosting on one flat side of a marshmallow. Add a red hot or mini M & M’s as the pupil. Add a few chocolate jimmies on the top as eyelashes.

Insert two marshmallow eyes on top of a frosted cupcake about 1 in. apart. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.

*NOTES- The UFO was supposed to be a spider but upon removing it from the bowl, some of the cake stuck to the bottom. It would no longer work as a spider so I went with UFO!

The Alien cupcake recipe came from here.

Cake Mix Ghosts with Vanilla Frosting

2010 - 11.09

Tags: cake mix, Halloween, marshmallow cream, vanilla frosting
Posted in Baking | No Comments »

Pictures

Basic Cake Mix Ingredients

Adding Cake Mix

Adding Water

Adding Oil

Adding Eggs

Mixing

Still Mixing

Adding Sprinkles

Stirring the Sprinkles In

Halloween Cake Batter

Ghost Tins

Ready for the Oven

All Fresh and Hot and Out of the Oven

Close Up

Vanilla Frosting Ingredients

Creaming Butter

Adding the Marshmallow Cream

Mixing the Butter and Marshmallow Cream

Adding Vanilla

Adding Powdered Sugar

Mixing with Powdered Sugar

Scary Ghosts

Red Hot Eyes

Cake Mix Ghosts with Vanilla Frosting

Cake
1 18.25 ounce box Halloween Cake Mix
3 whole eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Vanilla Frosting
2 sticks butter (1 cup) softened
1 7 ounce container marshmallow cream, or fluff
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cake mix as directed. Place ghost tins on cookie sheet. Pour/scoop cake mix into ghost tins. Cooke for 17-19 minutes. Remove from ghosts from cookie sheet and put on cooling rack. Cool.

Frosting: Beat butter in a large bowl with mixer on medium until creamy. Beat in Marshmallow Fluff. Then, beat in powdered sugar and vanilla. Increase speed to high and beat until fluffy. Makes 3 cups.

Decorate ghosts as desired. Use red hots or mini M & M’s for eyes.

*Chocolate Frosting: Melt 3 oz unsweetened baking chocolate as pkg directs; cool slightly. Follow directions for Vanilla Frosting, adding chocolate when beating the butter and 1 Tbsp milk when adding powdered sugar.

I like this frosting because, well I like marshmallows! It’s a bit sticky but very tasty. I got the recipe for this frosting in an issue of Woman’s Day Magazine.

Jenna's Random Thoughts & Recipes

Just another WordPress weblog

Archive for November, 2010

Cranberry Mousse Mini-Tarts

Pictures

Apple Spice Cake Trifle

Pictures

Apple Spice Custard Cake

Pictures

Espresso Braised Beef

Pictures

Pina Colada Cupcakes 2

Pictures

Curried Sweet Potato Chowder

Pictures

Sunshine Sandwich Cookies

Pictures

Cake Mix UFO and Aliens

Pictures

Cake Mix Ghosts with Vanilla Frosting

Pictures

Pages

Archives

Categories