Jewish Apple Raisin Cake

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups + 3/4 cup sugar
1 cup apple sauce (chunky if you can get it)
4 eggs
2.5 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup orange juice
3 sliced apples
1 cup golden raisins (regular are okay, too)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation:

• Mix flour, baking powder, 2 cups sugar and salt together in large bowl


• Stir in apple sauce, eggs, vanilla and orange juice one-by-one, blending completely. Set aside.


• In separate bowl, mix together apple slices, raisins, cinnamon, nuts and 3/4 cup sugar


• Put half of apple mixture evenly in bottom of greased bundt pan


• Pour half the batter into pan
  
• Gently pour the other half of the apple mixture on top of the batter


• Add the rest of the batter


• Bake at 300F for 75-90 minutes. Do the toothpick test


• Cool on wire rack. Remove from pan once cooled. Keep refrigerated.

BRANDY PLANTAINS A LA MODE

Ingredients-
2 very ripe (black skins) plantains, peeled
4 tbsp butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 oz brandy
1/2 cup wine

Steps-
Chop off both ends of plantains, then slit skin lengthwise to remove it.
Melt butter in a skillet.
Carefully (don't splatter melted butter!) place the plantains in the skillet.
Mix the cinnamon and sugar together and then sprinkle over plantains.
Cook for five minutes and then remove from heat.
Remove the plantains and place in a dish
Add wine to the empty skillet and stir thoroughly with sugar and cinnamon remnants.
Pour the sauce over the plantains.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and pour brandy over the plantains.
Make sure kids and pets are out of kitchen
Set plantains on fire and allow the flames to go out by themselves.
Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Eat it all, don't save leftovers.

HOMEMADE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Ingredients-

1/2 cup softened butter

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1.25 cups flour

Directions-

In a large bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter on high for 30 seconds.
Add sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and baking powder.
Mix, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.
Beat in the egg and vanilla.
Gradually add the flour, mixing by hand each addition thoroughly
Cover and chill dough about 1 hour.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls and set 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Flatten the balls with fork to make criss cross pattern on the cookies.
Bake in a 375 degree oven about 8 minutes or until bottoms are very light brown. Bake shorter for chewy cookies, longer for harder cookies.
Option - sprinkle a little extra sugar on tops as soon as you pull them out of the oven
Cool cookies on waxed paper.

MILE HIGH COCONUT CAKE - KWANZAA

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

1 cup coconut milk

3 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup softened butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs

2 cups grated coconut

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the icing:
2 cups grated coconut
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup water
2 egg whites
2/3 cup softened butter

2 cups grated coconut

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans.

3. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, cream shortening and butter until light and fluffy

5. Gradually mix in sugar

6. Gradually add 4 eggs, one at a time

7. Mix in coconut milk and vanilla

8. Add half of flour mixture, mix well

9. Add coconut milk, mix well

10. Add rest of flour mixture, mix well

11. Fold in coconut.

12. Pour into three 9 inch cake pans.

13. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

To Make Frosting:

14. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cream of tartar and water to make a syrup.

15. Bring to a boil and cook until candy thermometer reads 240 degrees F. Remove from heat.
16. In a medium bowl, whip egg whites on high until stiff

17. Slowly add syrup mixture and continue to beat with mixer.

18. Add vanilla
19. In a large bowl, cream butter well.

20. Add egg white mixture a few tablespoons at a time, beating well each time

21. After icing each cake layer, sprinkle some coconut on top before placing next layer on top. Be generous with the top layer.