KEY LIME CAKE

I found this recipe for Key Lime Cake in a cookbook I got at an estate sale called Yankee Church Supper Cookbook. It contains over 375 recipes of all kinds to feed a family or a crowd - tried, true, tested, and delicious published by the Yankee Publishing Co. 

You have the option to cook this as a 9 x 13 - inch sheet cake or as a tube cake. I decided to make the sheet cake to take to Hillcrest Thrift Shop for the volunteers, but combined the two "toppings". The recipe poured the lime juice/powdered sugar mixture only on the sheet cake and frosted the tube cake with the green whipped topping. Often you will see recipes where they have you prick the sheet cake with a fork and then pour a thin glaze over it. I never like the looks of the cake because of all the holes. So I decided to just do both topping and cover the holes with the green whipped topping. I can't understand why they would omit the juice/sugar mixture over the tube cake. Anyway, my husband and I liked my way and so did the volunteers.

The cake is so light and pretty with the green frosting. Just what the summer calls for (or go on and make it any time of the year).

KEY LIME CAKE

1          cup sugar
2         cups flour, sifted*
1/2      teaspoon salt, heaping
1          teaspoon baking powder
1/2      teaspoon baking soda
1          3-oz pkg (4 servings) lime gelatin (I used a sugar-free lime gelatin.)
5         eggs
1-1/3   cups oil
3/4     cups orange juice
1/2      teaspoon vanilla
1          teaspoon lemon extract

1/3     cup lime juice
1/2     cup sifted powdered sugar**
1         8 - ounce carton whipped topping (I used a sugar-free one.)
green food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or spray a 9 x 13 - inch pan or a 10 - inch tube pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine the dry ingredients - sugar flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and gelatin - in a mixing bowl.

Add eggs, oil, orange juice, vanilla, and lemon extract.

Beat until well blended. (I mixed the ingredients on low until all moistened. Then increased speed and beat it 2 minutes.)

Pour batter into pan.

Bake until done - about 40 to 45 minutes for the 9 x 13 - inch cake and 50 to 60 minutes for the tube pan.

Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. 

Prick cake all over with fork.

Combine the lime juice and powdered sugar.

Stir til powdered sugar is dissolved.

Drizzle well over cake so that the mixture seeps into the cake.

When cake is totally cool, add a few drops of green food coloring to whipped topping and stir. 

Frost the cake with the green whipped topping. 

Cover and refrigerate til ready to serve.

Store in refrigerator.

* 2 cups flour, sifted means to measure the flour and then sift it.

** 1/3 cup sifted powdered sugar means to sift some powdered sugar and then measure out 1/3 cup.

BLACKBERRY COBBLER

When Aldi featured fresh blackberries for 79 cents a package, I bought 9 packages. I thought I had messed up because I waited until the last day of the "week" to go buy some. The new Aldi we go to now, was out. I asked and was told they didn't have any more. When I inquired about a raincheck, I was told they didn't do that. Not giving up, I drove over to the older (now remodeled) store we used to shop to see if they had any. Imagine my joy when I saw they did. There was an occasional molded blackberry in the package so I had to look closely.

I ended up washing them and then "soaking" them in a vinegar/water solution. Ultimately I froze them in a single layer on wax paper on a cookie sheet in the freezer and then bagged them to use later. You can check out the procedure when I did strawberries. 

I kept a few just in the refrigerator and used them to make Miriam Miller's Blackberry Cobbler (The Wooden Spoon Cookbook) and served it at Friend Fran's house for our Farkle group. She added a scoop of ice cream and it certainly was good.

BLACKBERRY COBBLER

1/4       cup butter, softened
1/2       cup sugar
1           cup flour
2          teaspoons baking powder
1/2       cup milk
2          cups blackberries
3/4      cup raspberry or apple juice (I did use the apple juice)
ice cream or whipped cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 1-1/2 quart baking pan. (I used an 8 x 8 - inch baking pan.)

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.

Combine flour and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir just until moistened.

(I have to honestly say I didn't read the last part and beat it til smooth.)

I added about 1/3 of the flour...

and then half of the milk (1/4 cup)

Pour into pan.

Sprinkle with blackberries. (I placed the blackberries so that I had a single layer

and pressed them down lightly.)

Pour juice over all.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown.

(Mine was ready after about 35 minutes.)






Serve warm; top with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

I cut it in 9 squares.

Oh so yummy!

STEPHENSON'S BAKED CHICKEN 'N' BUTTER AND CREAM

I'm sorry it has taken me a while to get this recipe posted. I made Stephenson's Green Rice which seemed to be a specialty of the house when Stephenson's Apple Farm Restaurant was open and shared it a few weeks ago. Another recipe my friends all talked about was their baked chicken. I couldn't help but laugh because someone who had the cookbook I got at an estate sale had written their own comment (Stephenson had commented "always on our menu") had written "terrible". Since everyone really disagreed with the latter comment, I decided I would give it a try.

Well, my husband and I liked it and didn't consider it "terrible" at all. I'll never know why the person thought it was terrible. My husband thought maybe she had misread the recipe. It wasn't what I was expecting (not sure what that was), but the chicken was nice and moist and had a good flavor.

BAKED CHICKEN 'N' BUTTER AND CREAM

1/2       cup flour
1-1/2    teaspoon salt
1/2       teaspoon paprika
1/4       teaspoon pepper
1           cut-up frying chicken (I did just use chicken breasts that I cut into generous slices.)
1/4       cup butter
1-1/2    cups hot water
1/2       cup nonfat dry milk powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Dip chicken into water.

Coat with mixture of flour and seasonings.

Put skin side down into 9 x 13 - inch baking pan. (If you are using chicken parts/pieces)

Dot with butter.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Mix water with milk powder.

Pour around chicken.

Bake 1-1/4 hours more or until chicken is tender.

INCREDIBLE CAKE

The name, Incredible Cake, may not be very descriptive of this cake, but it certainly names it correctly. The name is what probably drew me to the recipe when I was trying to find a recipe that I could make quickly before going to church Sunday to take to the church's first summer picnic later that day. 

With just a few ingredients, I thought I had everything I needed to make it. As it turned out, I was a little short on the butterscotch chips and just barely had 1/4 cup pecans to chop. But I didn't let any of that keep me from mixing up and baking the cake Sunday morning when I got up. I just finished out the 1/2 cup measuring cup with peanut butter chips - they are the same color and Friend Marilyn said she actually liked the little bit of peanut butter taste with the cake. The cake is rich with the butterscotch taste.

The recipe of Mary Miller came from my Heritage Country Harvest Cookbook of over 700 favorite recipes from the Amish in Northern Indiana. Did you know if you have a problem with wasps in your mailbox, keep several mothballs in it to prevent them from building nests in it? That's the tip on the same page with the recipe. The cookbook is just full of tips and entertaining information. I will have to remember that one. I bet you could try that if you had other places they like to build nests. My husband just panics when he sees wasps building a nest around our house. I think he said when he was young, he got stung a few times by them. That would probably make anyone a little leary of them.

Anyway, the cake is so moist and there were only five small servings left at the end of the picnic. The minister Steve gave me a "thumbs up" when we left. Marilyn and I were discussing the recipe while we ate and considered possibly making it with a different flavor pudding mix. I bet it would work.

INCREDIBLE CAKE

1       box yellow cake mix (you could use a sugar-free yellow cake mix)
2      eggs
1       small box (4-serving size) instant butterscotch pudding mix + 2 cups of milk to prepare it (I used sugar-free instant pudding mix and 2 cups of prepared non-fat powdered milk)

Topping:
1/4    cup chopped pecans
1/2    cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 - inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Prepare pudding mix using 2 cups of milk. 

Add eggs.

Add cake mix and stir/beat with a whisk til batter is smooth.

Pour batter into prepared pan.

Sprinkle nuts on top.

Sprinkle chips on top last.

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes. (I did bake mine for the full 30 minutes.)

Cool before cutting in squares to serve.

ROCKY ROAD CANDY

I missed this treat that Friend Janice made when the quilting canasta group met at her house because we were in CO visiting with our older son and his family. I heard enough about it though. I insisted that she take a picture of it so I could share it with you.

Imagine my surprise when she brought a few pieces out for us to enjoy on our Friday Estate Sale outing recently. She had frozen some of it to enjoy later. After I ate a piece, I insisted she send me the picture she had taken and the recipe so I could share it here. 

It is beyond words. I have found one or two recipes for it in one of my Amish cookbooks that is different. I want to try them and then I will share them with you also. That means you can have fun making an awesome treat sure to become a family favorite two different ways.

ROCKY ROAD CANDY

2       cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

2       tablespoons butter or margarine

1        14 - ounce can sweetened condensed milk

2       cups dry roasted peanuts

1        10 - ounce package miniature marshmallows

Line a 9 x 13 - inch pan with aluminum foil extending the foil over the two ends.

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips with butter and sweetened condensed milk. stirring often to melt the chips. Remove from heat.*

In a large bowl, combine the peanuts and marshmallows, then stir in chocolate mixture.

Spread in prepared pan.

Chill for 2 hours or until firm.

Remove from pan and peel away the aluminum foil. 

Cut into squares and store loosely covered at room temperature.

Will freeze well, if you want to save some for later.

*If you prefer the microwave method:

Using a large (quart size) glass container, place chips, butter, and sweetened condensed milk in bowl and heat in microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes - stirring after 1-1/2 minutes. to melt chocolate chips. Continue in 30 second intervals until chips are melted. 

Cool mixture 5 minutes before adding the peanuts and marshmallows.

FRUIT SWIRL COFFEE CAKE

Our Sunday School Class called Faith Connectors always "adopts" a family at Christmas and helps make the children in the family have a merry Christmas. This year we decided to "adopt" a young girl who was a senior in high school from an unstable family situation who has goals of becoming a nurse. 

Well, our "adoption" has turned into a longer time period than just Christmas. Several in the class have been staying in touch with her weekly to make sure she gets started on her dream. They even attended her graduation last month. The class had a graduation brunch for her that morning and she was really appreciative.

This recipe for Fruit Swirl Coffee Cake was made by Friend Paula and was enjoyed at the brunch.

FRUIT SWIRL COFFEE CAKE

1-1/2       cups sugar
1/2          cup shortening
1/2          cup margarine
1              teaspoon vanilla
4             eggs
1/2          teaspoon baking powder
1              teaspoon almond extract
3             cups flour
1              21 - oz can cherry pie filling
GLAZE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Blend sugar, margarine, shortening, baking powder vanilla, almond extract, and eggs in mixing bowl on low.

Beat 3 minutes on high.

Add flour.

Spread 2/3 of batter in jelly roll pan.

Spread pie filling over top.

Drop remaining batter by tablespoonfuls on top of filling.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Glaze while warm with 1 cup powdered sugar with 1 - 2 tablespoons milk.  

I made my Cinnamon Roll Biscuits