Flan with Coconut & Ginger

Ingredients~

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cans (12 ounces each) sweetened coconut milk
5 egg yolks
6 whole eggs
I tsp vanilla extract
3 pieces crystallized ginger (1/2 - 2 inches long), finely chopped
1 cup sliced toasted almonds

Instructions~

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Bring one quart of water to a boil.
3. In a thin saute pan, cook the sugar over medium heat until it is brown and bubbly. (Do not stir while it is cooking, or you will get spun sugar and a big mess.)
4. Watch the pan closely and lift the pan off the burner if the sugar is cooking quickly or unevenly. Shake the pan occasionally to redistribute the melting sugar.
5. When the sugar is completely caramelized, pour the hot mixture into the bottom of a 3-quart flan mold, bundt pan, loaf pan or individual molds.
6. Rotate the mold in your hands, using potholders, so that the sugar syrup covers the entire bottom of the pan.
7. Set aside.
8. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the milk, coconut milk, egg yolks, eggs, vanilla, and ginger and whisk well.
9. Pour this batter over the caramelized sugar in the mold, making sure to evenly distribute the crystallized ginger.
10. Top with the sliced almonds.
11. Place the flan into another pan a bit larger.
12. Add the hot water to the large pan around the flan mold.
13. Cover with a lid or thin foil so that both pans are covered completely.
14. Bake the flan for I hour or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
15. Remove the flan from the water bath and chill it in the refrigerator overnight. The flavors need time to blend.
16. To serve, loosen the sides with a knife and flip the flan mold over onto a platter.
17. Garnish with fresh flowers.

Romantic Chocolate Triffle

Ingredients:

3 cups cold milk
2 small packages chocolate instant pudding
1 tub of 8-oz COOL WHIP French Vanilla Whipped Topping (thawed)
1 already baked 9-inch square brownie layer, cooled and crumbled into 1-inch pieces
1 pt. (2 cups) raspberries

Proceedure:

Beat milk and dry pudding mixes in large bowl with wire whisk about 2 minutes until blended. Let set in refrigerator at least 3 hours.
Gently stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping.
Evenly lay out half of the brownies pieces in a 2-qt. glass serving bowl, punch bowl or triffle bowl Top with half of the pudding
Top with half of the whipped topping
Top with half of the berries
Top with the rest of the brownie pieces
Top with the rest of the pudding
Top with the rest of the whipped topping
Top with the rest of the berries
REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Thank you Kraft for this delicious recipe

Jello Jigglers for Valentine's Day

Ingredients-
3 small boxes of any red JELL-O
4 envelopes KNOX Unflavored Gelatine
4 cups boiling water
Heart-shaped cookie cutters

Proceedure-
Completely mix jello and gelatine powders in a bowl
Add boiling water and keep stirring until completely dissolved.
Pour mixture into very-lightly greased 13x9 inch pan.
Refrigerate for at least 3 hours
Once jello is set, cut in shapes with cookie cutters

Warm up bottom of pan very slightly by dipping in warm water a few seconds
Remove the extra jello - let your kids eat it
Using a slightly greased spatula, remove hearts and place them on a serving plate
Keep refrigerated and covered

RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Cake Ingredients:
1.5 sugar
1 stick slightly softened butter

2 eggs, room temperature
2 1/3 cups flour
2 TBSP cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1.5 TBSP red food coloring
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp distilled white vinegar

Frosting Ingredients:
1 stick softened butter
8 oz softened cream cheese
2 to 3 cups powdered sugar (to your taste)
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Mix butter and sugar in an electric mixer for 3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time until each is fully blended in. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

In a third, bowl whisk together the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla extract, and red food coloring.
Now add a fourth of the dry ingredients into the buttermilk mixture

Next, add a third of the wet to the buttermilk mixture.

Slowly add some of the dry and then some of the wet ingredients into the buttermilk mixture, blending completely after each addition

Scoop into cupcake papers, about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full.

Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool for one minute in the pan then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Now make the frosting-

Cream the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes.

Add vanilla extract and mix.
Add powdered sugar gradually, continually tasting to get to desired sweetness.

Spread onto cooled cupcakes.

Cheery Cherry Valentine's Day Cookies

Ingredients:
3/4 cup finely chopped dried cherries
2.5 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup very cold butter
12 oz white baking/candy making chocolate, chopped
1/2 tsp vanilla
1-3 drops red food coloring
2 tsp shortening
Optional - red/pink sprinkles or red/pink sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 F.
In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar.
Cut in the butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Stir in chopped cherries and 2/3 cup of the chopped white chocolate.
Stir in vanilla and food coloring (you choose how pink or red).
Knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball.
Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls.
Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet
Flatten balls to 1.5 inches wide
Sprinkle tops with some regular sugar and gently press it into the dough
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes
Once done, cool for a few minutes then transfer to waxed paper.
In a small saucepan, combine remaining white chocolate and shortening.
While constantly stirring, heat over low heat until melted and consistency of syrup.
Dip a spoon into the melted chocolate and let some drizzle off the spoon onto the middle of each cookie, covering most of the top surface.
Sprinkle tops with colored sprinkles or sugar while chocolate is still wet.

Fall Recipes-

These are my autumn offerings. Hope you enjoy them. Comments are appreciated. The first week of December, I'll be posting recipes for some more holidays - Eid-ul-Adha, Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa.

KAREN'S SOUTHERN COMFORT CAKE

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cake-
1 yellow cake mix with pudding in the mix
(If you can't find this kind of cake mix, add a small bag of vanilla pudding powder)
4 eggs
1/2 cup COLD water
1/2 cup oil
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup Southern Comfort
glaze-
1/4 cup butter
1/8 cup water
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup Southern Comfort
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1. Preheat oven to 325F
2. Combine all ingredients for cake at medium speed for 2 minutes
3. Pour into greased/floured 10 or 12" bundt pan
4. Bake 1 hour and let cool
5. While cooling - make glaze:
6. Melt butter in sauce pan
7. Stir in water and sugar
8. Boil for 3 minutes
9. Remove from heat and add in Southern Comfort
10. Back to the cake:
11. Once cooled, invert onto plate and prick holes in top (this will let the icing soak in deep)
12. Brush glaze evenly across top of cake
13. Just before serving, sift powdered sugar on top of cake

My boss used to bring in this cake and it is delicious. Moist and tasty! Once she boozed it up a little more for us - guess she didn't mind lesser productivity that day!

Zucchini Bread

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2 loaf pans - 5x9"
3 eggs
1 cup apple sauce
2 cups Splenda or sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups coarsely grated zucchini
1 8oz-can crushed pineapple
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup golden raisins
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1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Beat eggs with mixer
3. Then add in apple sauce, sugar and vanilla and beat until foamy
4. With a spoon, stir in zucchini and pineapple
5. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda & powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg
6 Add one-third of the dry ingredients to wet ingredients bowl and mix. One mixed well, add half of the remaining dry ingredients and mix again. Once that addition is mixed well, add the rest and mix well.
7. Mix in raisins and nuts gently
8. Divide batter between two greased/floured loaf pans
9. Bake 1 hour, do toothpick test.
10 Cool about 10 minutes and then turn onto wire rack

Serving option #1 - cut a thick slice and put in a bowl. Top with more applesauce. Yum!
Serving option #2 - cut off a small piece and eat every time you walk by the kitchen.

I made this recipe last year and my mom and I loved it. Sorry I didn't take any pictures to make this recipe page look a little prettier! Tell me how you like this recipe!

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ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS-

MY DAUGHTER'S FAVORITE

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1.5 cups raw, whole pumpkin seeds

1 TBS melted butter

salt

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1. Wash pumpkin seeds. Seeds will float and pumpkin guts tend to sink so use that to your advantage. Let dry by spreading out on foil or cookie sheet. Don't use paper towels - they'll stick.

2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 C)

3. Toss seeds with melted butter and drain off excess butter

4. Spread seeds out on nonstick cookie sheet. Lightly sprinkle with salt.

5. Bake about 45 minutes until golden brown. Stir every 15 minutes during baking.

6. Line container with paper towel to absorb any remaining moisture from the butter.