Grand Baby

I promise to get back to recipe blogging next week......but for now, look at this beautiful little grandbaby God has blessed us with.

Ryan Robert was born on Wednesday, to Erin and Mike (my oldest daughter) 9lbs. 8oz.

Healthy and very hairy.



Happy cooking.  Promise to post something really Dudelicious next week.

Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups blueberries,(fresh or frozen)


Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
In a mixer fitted with a paddle, cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs one at a time. On low speed, beat in sour cream, then flour, soda, salt and vanilla. Fold in blueberries by hand.
In separate bowl, mix together the brown sugar and pecans and cinnamon.


Preheat oven to 350. Spray bottom of 9X13 pan or 9inch spring form pan. Spread half the batter on bottom of pan. Sprinkle half the topping over batter, then spread rest of batter on top, then the rest of the topping. If the berries were frozen, add a little extra baking time.
Bake the 9 inch spring form pan, 55 to 60 minutes. Bake the 9X13 40 to 50 minutes.

Banana Crunch Coffee Cake

This is one of my oldest and all time favorite coffee cakes. It is great to bake in two 8 inch square foil pans. Freeze one (wait and broil the top when you are ready to use it) to take to a friend and serve the other one warm out of the oven to your family. They will love it.

Banana Crunch Coffee Cake

3 medium bananas, mashed

2/3 cup butter

1 1/3 cup sugar

3 eggs

2 1/4 cup flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 2/3 cup buttermilk

Topping:

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

3 1/2 oz. coconut

1/3 cup butter, room temp

2 Tbsp. milk

In a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle. Cream butter and sugar. Blend in eggs and bananas. Add dry ingredients, then buttermilk. Pour into greased 9X13 pan. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. Mix topping ingredients by hand. Spread them over warm cake. ( if freezing, do so at this point)

Place in oven on High broil setting in upper half of oven. Watch constantly. You may need to rotate it so that it does not burn but browns evenly. Broil about 2 or 3 minutes. Burns quickly!!!!

If some of the nuts burn while it is getting nice and brown, just take them off.

Pumpkin Mocha Bread

I am making some Pumpkin Mocha Bread today to take to the hospital when my grandbaby is born. Wow does it smell good.  I didn't know that grandparents "nest".  But apparently we do.  Or maybe we are just killing time until he gets here. We cleaned the garage this week and several closets.  Now I am freezing pumpkin bread and making meals for the freezer.

I just happened to have this loaf pan I had picked up at Home Goods.  Normally I would use a normal size loaf pan.  These are a nice size to share.  The pan makes loaves 2 1/2 by 3 1/2.  Recipe made 8 of the minis plus 3 of the little ones.  The little pans are 3 X6.  I will have to add med and large pan dimensions later.  Makes 3 medium or 2 large loaves.

Pumpkin Mocha Bread

I had this at a coffee shop one time and I thought, how hard can it be. So for once, I went home and made up my own recipe. Pretty good if I do say so myself. Yes those are chocolate chunks.  

4 cups flour

3 cups sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp clove

1 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

Mix together all above dry ingredients.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, beat

4 large eggs

1 cup oil

1 15 oz. can pumpkin

Dissolve 4 tsp. instant coffee in 2/3 cup warm water. (or used leftover coffee) Add to above then add the dry ingredients, beating on low just until combined.

Fold in 1 12oz. package Nestles Semi Sweet Chocolate Chunks.

Spray 2 Large loaf pans with Pam or 3 med pans. Divide batter evenly among pans. Bake at 350 65-70 minutes for 2 large pans or 40-50 minutes for 3 med pans.  35 minutes for little pans and 27 minutes for mini pans. OR until top feels firm when lightly touched and toothpick comes out clean.  

Allow to cool 5 minutes. Remove from pans and continue to cool. Very good with morning coffee or given to neighbors as gifts at Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Freezes well.  Microwave a slice for about 5 sec before eating to make the chocolate gooey.  Yummo!

I have been a little preoccupied lately with this new grandma thing.  I love it.  And expecting another grandbaby any day.  Kind of neglecting my recipe blogging. 


 I love the new look of my blog.  Courtesy of Niki.  So much easier to get around.  There are 3 pages of Sweets.  Click on Older Posts so you don't miss any.    


I tried some new Mint Chocolate Tarts today for St. Patrick's Day.  The kids are coming for Sunday lunch tomorrow.  Will post the recipe if they are good.  

Orange Knots

This is Parmesan Knots' cousin.  I love orange rolls.  So I got the idea to try orange with these and it worked.  My Orange Roll recipe is a little time consuming.  This takes minutes.  You might be tempted to double the recipe but each tube of Grands biscuits makes 24 rolls, and two or three a piece is a good number.  Serve these with Crunchy Romaine Salad (Kris' recipe).  Yummo!

 1 tube Pillsbury Grands Biscuits (Homestyle Original or Wheat) 
Cut into thirds.  Roll into 3 inch ropes.  

 Melt one stick butter.  Stir in the zest from 2 oranges and 2 Tbsp. sugar.  Reserve oranges to use juice for glaze.  
Tie each rope into a knot.  Place on greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 8 minutes at 400 degrees.

Glaze:
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. orange juice
Bring to a boil in a small sauce pan.  Brush over warm rolls.  


Serve with Chicken Almondine and Crunchy Romaine salad.

Cherries in the Snow

Another good Valentine's day dessert.  This one is for Denver who is getting 20 inches of snow tonight.  Wish I was there!!!!

This is Bob's all time favorite.  The cookie crust is simple to make, then there is a cream cheese layer, canned cherry pie filling and Dream Whip on top.  It has been around for a long time but some of you youngsters may not have had it!

Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 sticks butter
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans


Cream cheese layer:
2 (8 oz. cream cheese) room temp.
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar


1 can cherry pie filling


Topping:
2 envelopes Dream Whip (in a box near the Jello)
You can use Cool Whip if you would rather (but it is not as good on this).

 Cut the butter into the flour, sugar and pecans using 2 knives or a pastry cutter until butter is pea size.

 Press into a 9X13 pan.  Bake for 12 minutes at 350.  Cool completely.

The edges will just barely be turning brown.


Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar with an electric mixer fitted with a paddle until fluffy.  Spread over COOLED crust.  

  

Spread pie filling over cream cheese.

Prepare 2 envelopes of Dream Whip with an electric mixer and spread over cherries.  Cover and keep refrigerated.

Note:  There is an optional chocolate version that replaces the cherry pie filling with one 3 oz. chocolate pudding and pie filling prepared according to package directions.  You can also do it with half of the pan cherry and half chocolate.