Cherry Dump Cake

I was asked today for my Dump Cake recipe. I’ve seen all kinds of variations, from blackberry to blueberry and even peach, I even have an old friend Maxine’s on the blog, only because she loves rhubarb. Me, I actually prefer the plain old cobbler that every woman from church makes. I’ve eaten it for as long as I can remember; it’s just to easy to make. So here it is, hope you all enjoy it.

INGREDIENTS:
1 (20 ounces) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 (21 ounces) can prepared more fruit cherry pie filling
1 (18.25 ounces) box yellow or white cake mix
2 sticks (1 cup or 16 Tablespoons) of butter or margarine, each cut into 12 slices
1/4 cup chopped nuts (I use pecans or walnuts, but you can use your favorite)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 for glass baking dish).
Dump undrained pineapple into a 9x13x2 baking dish and spread it out evenly.
Using a spoon, dump globs of cherry pie filling evenly on top of the pineapple.
Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the cherry and pineapple layers.
Cut butter into slices with a butter knife and place slices evenly over cake mix.
Sprinkle nuts on top if you’re using them.
Bake for one hour.
To serve, scoop cake out with a large spoon like a cobbler and add a  scoop of vanilla ice cream. Serve warm or cold.

Yield: about 10 to 12 servings

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Many people miss their share of happiness not because they never found it but because they didn’t stop to enjoy it.

 

Buttermilk Cornbread

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, separated
3/4 teaspoons soda
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons melted shortening

DIRECTIONS
Lift the cornmeal by spoonfuls into the measuring cup, then level off. Sift cornmeal and salt together. Beat egg yolks thoroughly, add soda and buttermilk and beat until completely mixed. Add to cornmeal mixture and stir until ingredients are blended. *Add hot melted shortening, beat again (work quickly so it doesn’t fry) and fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Turn immediately into a piping hot greased 10 inch heavy skillet and bake in a hot oven (450 degrees F.) for 30 minutes. Serve at once with melted butter.

Yield: 5 servings.

* Preheat the oven to temperature with the skillet in the oven. Pull out right just before time to bake. Add 3 tbsp tablespoons of shortening and swirl around until it covers the bottom and sides of the skillet. Dump 2 tbsp of the melted shortening into the batter.

That’s the way my mom always coated her skillet. My oldest sister Shirley only uses white cornmeal and adds 2 tbsp of sugar to the mix. She makes everything sweet.

I hope that everyone has a huge assortment of iron skillets, I know I do. Just make sure as soon as you wash them, to place them on top of the burner or back in the oven to dry out. When pan is completely dry, season the skillet (wipe inside & out with a cooking oil on a paper towel).

My dad’s favorite food was always cornbread and buttermilk. Sometimes he’d use crackers instead of the cornbread in his buttermilk. My kids would have staged a protest if I had served them, buttermilk with anything. I still use it in the occasional biscuit or cake. They don’t know the difference. sh

I remember as a kid being cold a lot, and hungry sometimes. We’d go to bed with just cornbread and milk, and I remember wearing shoes with holes in the bottom. I remember having twine for shoestrings. ~ Buck Owens

 

Red Hot Popcorn

8 qt popped popcorn
1/2 c corn syrup
1 c butter
9 oz red hot cinnamon candies

In a saucepan, melt the corn syrup, butter and red hots together, stirring well. Pour over popcorn. Spread out on baking sheets and bake for 1 hour in 250 degree oven, stirring every 15 minutes.

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A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. ~ Mignon McLaughlin

 

Carrot-Zucchini Muffins

2/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup fat-free cholesterol-free egg product
OR
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups Bisquick® Reduced Fat baking mix
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 small carrot, shredded (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup shredded zucchini

Heat oven to 400º. Spray 12 medium muffin cups, 1 1/2 × 1 1/4 inches, with nonstick cooking spray, or line with paper baking cups. Beat milk, egg product and oil in large bowl until smooth. Stir in baking mix, sugar and lemon peel just until baking mix is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Fold in carrot and zucchini.

Fill cups about three-fourths full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm or cool.

YIELD: 12 muffins

The only difference was one of them was trying to make a perfect cake and one of them was trying to write a great book. But if we remove that from the equation, it’s the same impulse and they are equally entitled to their ecstasies and their despair.
Michael Cunningham

 

Cheesecake with Strawberry Topping

4 cups plain nonfat yogurt
4 chocolate wafers, crushed (about 1/4 cup)
1 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup low-fat milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 egg whites
OR
1/2 cup cholesterol-free egg product
Strawberry Topping (recipe follows)

STRAWBERRY TOPPING
1 (10 ounce) package frozen strawberries in light syrup, thawed, drained and syrup reserved
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Line 6-inch strainer with basket-style paper coffee filter or double thickness of cheesecloth. Place strainer over bowl. Spoon yogurt into strainer. Cover and refrigerate 12 hours, draining liquid from bowl occasionally.

Heat oven to 300º. Spray springform pan, 9 × 3 inches, with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle chocolate wafer crumbs on bottom of pan. Beat yogurt and cream cheese in medium bowl on medium speed until smooth. Add sugar, milk, flour, vanilla and egg whites. Beat on medium speed about
2 minutes or until smooth. Carefully spread batter over crumbs in pan.

Bake 1 hour. Turn off oven; leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool 15 minutes. Prepare Strawberry Topping; spread over cheesecake.
Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours. Run metal spatula along side of cake to loosen; remove side of pan. Refrigerate any remaining cheesecake.

STRAWBERRY TOPPING:

Add enough water to reserved syrup to measure 1 1/4 cups. Mix sugar and cornstarch in 1 1/2-quart saucepan. Stir in juice mixture and strawberries. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring frequently. Boil and stir 1 minute; cool.

Serves: 12

Let them eat cake. ~ Marie Antoinette

 

Curried Meatballs in Chutney Sauce

Chutney Sauce (recipe follows)
1 pound ground turkey breast
1/2 cup crushed cracker crumbs
1/3 cup evaporated skim milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder (1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons)
1/4 teaspoon salt

CHUTNEY SAUCE
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 tablespoon finely chopped chutney
1/4 teaspoon curry powder

Prepare Chutney Sauce. Heat oven to 400º. Mix remaining ingredients. Shape into forty-eight 1-inch balls. Place in ungreased rectangular pan, 13 × 9 × 2 inches. Bake uncovered 10 to 15 minutes or until no longer pink in center. Serve hot with sauce.

CHUTNEY SAUCE:

Mix all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Serves: 48

A great chef is an artist that I truly respect. ~ Robert Stack