PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

1 CUP PEANUT BUTTER

1/2 CUP BUTTER

1 POUND POWDERED SUGAR

1 TSP VANILLA

1/3 CUP HEAVY CREAM







BEAT THE PEANUT BUTTER, BUTTER AND POWDERED SUGAR TOGETHER UNTIL WELL BLENDED.


ADD THE VANILLA AND BEAT ON HIGH SPEED AND DRIZZLE IN THE HEAVY CREAM TO THE CONSISTENCY YOU PREFER AND FROST THE CUPCAKES. I USUALLY BAKE THE HERSHEY'S CHOCLATE CAKE RECIPE FOR THE CUPCAKES...YUMMMOOO!!!

CAPPUCINO CUPCAKES

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (8-oz.) container sour cream 

Garnishes: instant espresso, ground cinnamon, and chocolate-covered coffee beans

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

2. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients. Gradually add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beating until blended. Spoon batter by rounded tablespoonfuls into lightly greased miniature muffin pans.

3. Bake at 350° for 13 to 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 5 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 30 minutes). Pipe or spread Double Shot Latte Buttercream onto cupcakes. Garnish, if desired.

Note: To prepare regular-size cupcakes, spoon batter into 2 lightly greased 12-cup muffin pans, filling two-thirds full. Bake at 350º for 22 to 24 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool and decorate as desired. Makes 2 dozen.

DOUBLE SHOT LATTE BUTTERCREAM

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (3-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 tablespoon instant espresso
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
3 to 4 Tbsp. milk

Preparation

1. Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
2. Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with 3 Tbsp. milk, beating at low speed until blended and smooth after each addition.
3. If desired, beat in remaining 1 Tbsp. milk, 1 tsp. at a time, until desired consistency.

BILL'S SPANIKOPITA

Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 pounds spinach, washed and drained
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled
1 to 2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 pound filo pastry sheets
Directions:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saute pan, add half of the spinach and saute until spinach wilts, tossing with tongs, about 2 minutes.

2. Remove spinach and squeeze out excess liquid, then chop roughly. Repeat with remaining spinach, using 1 more tablespoon of olive oil.

3. Pour off any liquid from the pan, and add remaining olive oil. Add scallions and saute until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach to the scallions, along with the parsley, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from heat to cool. (This part can be done ahead and kept refrigerated).

4. Stir the feta and as much beaten egg to moisten the cooled spinach mixture.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a baking sheet with some of the melted butter.

6. Unroll the filo dough on a flat surface and keep it covered with waxed paper and a damp towel so it doesn't dry out and become brittle. Using a sharp knife, cut the filo into 3 by 11 inch strips, and recover with the towel. Use a pastry brush to brush a strip of filo with melted butter. Place a small spoonful of spinach filling 1 inch from the end of the pastry. Fold the end over the filling to form a triangle, then continue to fold up the strip in triangles, like folding up a flag. Continue with remaining strips of dough, placing filled triangles on the baking sheet and keeping them covered with a towel until all are ready to bake.

7. Brush the triangles lightly with butter, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Serve hot. (These may be frozen before baking, layering waxed paper between layers of triangles to keep them from sticking. Bake frozen triangles an extra 10 minutes.)

Variation: Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking pan, and spread 6 sheets of filo, brushing each with butter, on the bottom. Spoon the spinach filling over the filo, then cover with 6 more sheets of filo, buttering each sheet. Score the top 3 sheets with a sharp knife. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until top is golden, let stand 15 minutes, then cut into squares and serve warm.

NANA’S COCONUT FLUFF CAKE

Note – all ingredients must be at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350.

Sift together:

2 ½ cups cake flour

4-½ tsp. double-acting baking powder

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 ¾ cups sugar

Add:

¾ cup vegetable shortening

1 1/8 cups whole milk

Beat: for 2 minutes at medium speed until batter is well blended and glossy. 

Add:

1 tsp. almond extract

2/3-cup egg whites

Beat: for 2 minutes.

Pour: into two, lightly greased and floured, 8-inch square cake pans or 9-inch round layer cake pans.

Bake: for 30 to 40 minutes. Note – check after 25.

FLUFFY WHITE FROSTING

Combine 3 egg whites, ¾ cup sugar, 6 tablespoons light corn syrup, and ½ tsp. salt.

Place on top of double boiler over rapidly boiling water and beat with electric mixer for 4 to 5 minutes until mixture stands in soft mounds. Remove boiling water and cool. Add 1 tsp. vanilla; continue beating until frosting stands in peaks. Spread on cooled cake and sprinkle all with coconut.

LEMON FILLING

¾ cup sugar

3 Tbsp. Cornstarch

¼ tsp. salt

2/3-cup water

1 Tbsp. Butter

1 tsp. grated lemon peel

¼ cup lemon juice

2 drops lemon food color

Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt in saucepan. Gradually stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir one minute, then remove from heat.

Stir in butter and peel until butter is dissolved. Gradually stir in juice and color. Cover. Cool for two hours.

Put all of cooled lemon filling in the middle of the cake.

Once cake is filled and frosted with above fluff icing, keep in refrigerator.

NOTE: THIS CAKE IS MY MOM'S SPECIAL CAKE AND IT'S OLDER THAN ME! I WAS BORN IN 1952, SO DO THE MATH....IT'S A KEEPER!! SHE SURPRISED ME ON MY BIRTHDAY WITH THIS CAKE AND IT IS REALLY WORTH THE TIME AND EFFORT TO MAKE IT. SHE AND HER BEST FRIEND USED TO MAKE IT ALL THE TIME BEFORE I WAS EVEN BORN. THANKS MOM!!!!

Lemon-Limoncello Cupcakes

Yield: 1 dozen

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons limoncello
½ cup buttermilk
¼ cup lemon juice
Zest of one lemon

For the lemon curd:
Zest of 2 lemons
½ cup lemon juice
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk

For the cream cheese limoncello frosting:
2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon limoncello
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:

1. Prepare the cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position a rack in the center. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until light and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the limoncello and beat an additional minute. On low speed, add flour mixture and buttermilk alternatively, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Add the lemon juice and zest and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Divide the batter between 12 muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely.

2. Prepare the lemon curd. In a heavy medium saucepan, stir together the lemon zest, juice and sugar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and egg yolk. Whisk the lemon mixture into the eggs to temper them. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium heat, whisking constantly until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let cool completely.

3. Prepare the cream cheese limoncello frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the limoncello and beat for an additional minute. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat until fully incorporated and smooth.

4. Assemble the cupcakes. Cut a hole into each cupcake with the large end of a melon baller or the back end of a large pastry tip. Fill each cavity with the lemon curd. Fill a pastry bag with a star tip (I used Wilton 1M) with the cream cheese limoncello frosting and pipe onto each cupcake. Decorate with lemon and berries, if desired.

Greek Lemon Potatoes

 

Makes 12 servings of 2 wedges each

1/2 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, smashed with a knife and finely chopped

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

6 large potatoes, scrubbed and cut lengthwise in quarters

1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 teaspoon fresh or dried rosemary

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Whisk olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and zest in a large bowl. Add the potato wedges and toss to thoroughly coat. Pour the broth or water into a shallow baking dish (an 11-inch Pyrex works well).
2. 
   

Arrange the potato wedges in a single layer in the broth. Sprinkle with the rosemary, sea salt and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees, turning occasionally, until tender. If you like remove foil and bake 30 minutes longer, until nicely burnished. You can also run potatoes under the broiler for 5 minutes if you prefer a crisper outside.

Note: Leftovers freeze well or are great in salads.

Crockpot Candy ~

To keep from eating it all, give as gifts!

32 oz dry roasted peanuts 

            
12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

4 oz German sweet chocolate bar (found in baking isle with chocolate chips)

32 oz white vanilla candy melts

Place ingredients in a crockpot as listed. Do not stir.

Cook on low for 1 1/2 -2 hours - do not open the lid!

After cooked, stir and drop by spoonfuls on a parchment paper

 

lined pan. Allow to harden and store in a closed container...

THESE ARE ADDICTIVE..