So how much butter is in this cake?

Happy Easter to all. We had a DELICIOUS meal today...tons of food as always...and great company. For Easter, I attempted to make Mary's Hot Cross Buns, but once again (I had attempted them a few years back), they came out like hockey pucks. I don't know if it is the recipe or something I am doing. I was reminded by my cousin Alison that Mary's Hot Cross Buns were always a little hard, but something is definitely not right. I was able to cover this mistake by preparing another non Mary recipe. I promise I will post some of her recipes soon. For dessert, I made Paula Deen's Coconut Lime Cake - A light sorbet as we say in our family...which usually means a recipe has a sh** load of butter, fat, or other unhealthy substitute.

Coconut-Lime Cake

Makes 1 (9-inch, 3 layer) cake

11/2 cups butter, softened

2 cups Domino Granulated Sugar

5 Large Eggland's Best Eggs, separated

1 teaspoon coconut extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

31/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups coconut milk

1 cup buttermilk

Luscious Lime Frosting (recipe follows)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray (9-inch) cake pans with nonstick baking spray with flour.

2.  In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with a mixer until fluffy.  Add egg yolks and extracts,beating until combined.

3.  In a medium bowl, combine flour,baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

4.  In a small bowl, combine coconut milk and buttermilk.  Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with coconut milk mixture, beginningand ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition.

5.  In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold intobatter.  Spoon batter into prepared pans, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

6.  Spread Luscious Lime Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.   Press coconut flakes around edge of cake. Garnish with fresh raspberries and lime slices; if desired. Chill until ready to serve.

Luscious Lime Frosting

Makes about 5 Cups

1 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon lime zest

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

5 cups Domino Confectioners' Sugar

1 (8 ounce) container frozen

whipped topping, thawed

1.  In a large bowl, beat butter, lime zest, and lime juice at medium speedwith a mixer until combined.  Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth.  Add whipped topping, beating

until combined.

 My aunt Carol gave me an "Easter" gift today - The Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook that Mary gave her 40 years ago! My mother made a comment of how it looks like new. Carol's response was "Well I don't cook so I never really opened it." This will definitely get used now!

Gluttonously Unnecessary

It has been awhile since my last post. Life seems to have gotten in the way of baking the past few weekends! I have had some time to catch up on work/de-stress over this vacation, so it was back into the kitchen. Today I wanted to try a recent recipe I found on a blog I follow. It isn't a Mary recipe, but I felt like it needed to be posted because it was so absolutely unnecessary and gluttonous...Mary would be proud.

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies!

2 sticks softened butter
3/4 Cup packed light brown sugar
1 Cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
3 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
10 oz bag chocolate chips
1 bag Oreo Cookies
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.   In a stand or electric mixer cream butter and sugars until well combined.  Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.
2.  In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking soda.  Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined.  Using a cookie scoop take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of an Oreo Cookie.  Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo Cookie.  Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo Cookie is enclosed with dough.

  
Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking.  Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. 
Makes about 2 dozen VERY LARGE Cookies 

 

Two Words - Gluttonously AWESOME!