Earthquake Cake

Earthquake Cake

recipe from Beth Burke, originally from Lori Birchall

 

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

 

Sprinkle in the bottom:

2/3 cup sweetened coconut

2/3 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

 

Mix 1 box German Chocolate Cake Mix with:

1/3 cup oil

3 eggs

1 1/3 cup water

 

Pour cake batter on top of the coconut/chocolate chip layer in the pan.

In a saucepan, melt:

1/2 cup butter

8 oz cream cheese

 

Beat in 1 lb powdered sugar (3 3/4 cups) until smooth. Then spread on unbaked cake or drop by spoonfuls and swirl into batter with a knife. 

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. 

**It is done when it doesn't wobble in the pan if you shake it. The toothpick test doesn't work because it's a gooey yummy mess of a cake:) I think it's best served warm!

Banana Bars with Browned Butter Icing

Recipe from lifessimplemeasures.blogspot.com

Ingredients:

Banana Bread Bars:

1-1/2 c. sugar

1 c. sour cream

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 eggs

1-3/4 (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Brown Butter Frosting:

1/2 c. butter

4 c. powdered sugar

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 tbsp. milk

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 375F.  Grease and flour 15x10-inch jelly roll pan.  For the bars, in a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy.  Blend inbananas and vanilla extract.  Add flour, baking soda, salt, and blend for 1 minute.  Stir in walnuts.

2.  Spread batter evenly into pan.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

3.  Meanwhile, for frosting, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until boiling.  Let the butter turn a delicate brown and remove from heat immediately.

4. Whisk in milk, vanilla and powdered sugar. Stir until smooth, pour icing over warm banana bars.

NY Style Cheesecake with Berries

Cheesecakes scare me a little bit but this recipe turned out great even if it was overdone or underdone.
Plain Cheesecake with Fresh Berries.
Crust:
2 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 Stick Melted Butter
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

Mix ingredients and press into a 9 inch spring form pan. Bake on 350 for 8 minutes

Filling:
4 Blocks Cream Cheese
1 3/4 Cups Sugar
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
2 tsp. Vanilla
3 Tbsp Flour
5 Large Eggs

Cream together cream cheese, sugar, lemon and vanilla until mixture is smooth. Add flour and eggs and beat until blended, be sure to scrape down the sides and along the bottom. Pour filling into crust and put in oven on the middle rack. On the bottom rack place a sheet pan and a dish of water. Close oven and drop temperature to 325. Bake for 60-70 minutes. It is done when edges are puffed up, cracking and slightly brown. The middle will be jiggly, but not dangerously jiggly. (The recipe said the middle will be just set, but it should still jiggle a little more than jello). Remove from oven and cool for one hour, transfer to refrigerator and chill for 8 hours. Top with fresh berries and enjoy!!

Dee-Licious Dense Coconut Cupcakes

A friend gave me this recipe, I believe it is from Barefoot Contessa.

Cupcake
Ingredients:

3 Sticks of Butter (unfotunately that is not a typo, 3 sticks of butter go into this)
2 Cups of Sugar
5 Eggs
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. Almond Extract
3 Cups of Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 Cup Butter Milk
7 oz Coconut Flakes (1/2 of the bag)

Cream together the butter, sugar and eggs. Mix your dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture. Mix in butermilk on low speed and add your coconut last. Fill cups3/4 full and  bake at 325 for 25-35 minutes... I really need to make these again so I can remember the yeild and a more accurate bake time!

Coconut Frosting- My recipe, not Contessas, I don't want her to be mad at me :)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Sticks of *Butter (has to be butter, not margerine)
1/3 Cup of Crisco
3 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 Tbsp Coconut Extract
1-2 Tbsp Milk

Cream together Butter and Crisco, Slowly mix in powdered sugar then beat on high. Add coconut extract. Add milk little by little if frosting is too thick. Beat or whip on high to make fluffy. Frost cupcake and roll frosted top in coconut flakes. Enjoy!

Cafe Rio Copy Cat

I took this from favfamilyrecipes.com
I made the pork, rice, beans and dressing then I used the delicious cook em yourself tortillas and romaine lettuce and built my salad and I top it with feta cheese and squeezed limes.

SWEET PORK:
2 pounds pork (we like to use boneless pork ribs)
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can diced green chilies
3/4 (1ooz) can red enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness)
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crock pot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!


CILANTRO-LIME RICE:
1 c. uncooked rice
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.


BLACK BEANS:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

CILANTRO RANCH:
1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)

Pink Sugar Cookies (Like Granny B's)

Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup melted butter
Cream together, add
2 eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 cup milk
Mix well
In seperate bowl mix:
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups flour
Add dry ingredients to mixture and mix completely
Mixture will be very sticky, it's okay it's just because the butter was melted
Refrigerate for 4 hours
Roll out on floured surface, you may need to add extra flour if dough is too sticky
Cut in shapes
Bake 350 10-12 minutes, until edges are light brown

Pink Frosting
Ingredients:
1 Package Cream Cheese
1 Stick Butter
4 Cups Powdered Sugar
2 Tablespoons Milk
***just add powdered sugar and milk until desired consistency and taste***
food coloring of choice, I prefer pink
Yummy Yummy, Enjoy!

Cranberry Chicken with French Onion Rice

Chicken Breast
Ingredients:

8 Chicken Breasts
1 Cup Sour Cream or Plain Yogurt
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 1/2 Cups Seasoned Bread Crumbs

Put chicken in a zip lock bag or a bowl and add sour cream and lemon juice, coat the chicken in the mixture and marinate for 3-4 hours (or however much time you have). Put your bread crumbs in a wide bowl or a plate and coat both sides of chicken with crumbs. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and bake uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour depending on size of the chicken breasts.

Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:

3/4 Cup Canned Cranberries
1/3 Cup Butter
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar

Bring to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. That's it. This sauce is amazing. Sometimes I make this and I see people very hesitant to put it on their chicken so they put a small dab on the side of their plate. They sit down, try it, and then they have to get up to go get more because its surprisingly super delicious. Save yourself from having to go back, plop it on good, you'll be glad you did. Put some on your rice or even just on a spoon!

French Onion Rice
Ingredients:

2 Cups White Rice
1 Can French Onion Soup (10 1/2 oz)
1 Can Chicken or Beef Broth (10 1/2 oz)
1 1/2 Cups Water
1 Stick of Butter

Pour everything evenly in a 9x13 pan and cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. You can also used the dry french onion soup mix, instead of using the soup, and broth use the dry mix and add 4 cups of water instead of 1 1/2.