Banana Raisin Bread

  This week I was given an abundance of old banana's and I had to do something with them fast.  This recipe comes from the Red book cookbook of which I have use many times.  It just has so many fantastic recipes, and this is one we always go to when we need to make some banana bread.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup Flour

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 tsp Baking soda

2 tsp Baking powder

1 tsp Salt

1 cup Old fashioned oats

1/3 cup Vegetable oil

1/2 cup Buttermilk

2 Eggs

Optional:

Raisins

Pecans

also optional:

1 Tbsp Cinnamon 

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

1 tsp Vanilla

  Preheat oven to 350 F.  In a large bowl sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.  (If you are going to add the cinnamon and nutmeg, now would be the time.).  Next, stir in the oats and make a well in the center.  Pour the buttermilk, eggs, vegetable oil,(now would be the time to add the vanilla) and banana in to the well, stir that till well combined.  Because I had so many banana's I baked a double batch at the time.  This resulted in about 3 loaves of bread, and third one was a bit smaller.  So a single would probably make1 1/2 to 2 loaves.  So , now you will want to spray and flour your pan or pans, then evenly distribute.  Bake at 350 F. for 45 to 50 minutes.  Once a toothpick or sharp knife comes out clean when stuck in, take out and lightly go around the outside of the bread with a butter knife to separate from the pan.  I prefer to cut it as soon as it comes out so that I can melt the butter on right away.  If you don't prefer set on cooling racks. 

   I hope you enjoy, God bless!

Raspberry Almond Shortbread Cookies

     Christmas time has come and gone,but the hunger for sweets will never leave.  Though I know I shouldn't indulge, it seems I must.  I found this on pinterest so I can not take the credit on this recipe.  Seriously though......they were gone in the same night I made them.   This recipe is also so easy to make that it hurts....my waistline.

Ingredient:

1 cup Butter softened

2/3 cup gran. Sugar

1/2 tsp. Almond ext.

2 cups all-purpose Flour

1/2 cup seedless, Raspberry jam

1 cup powdered Sugar

3 to 4 tsp of Water

1 1/2 tsp Almond ext.

     In a medium bowl beat the butter at medium speed for about 30 seconds.  Add granulated sugar and the 1/2 tsp almond ext.  Beat till will combined.  Mix in flour until well combined and then chill in the fridge 1 hr or till it is easy to handle.  Preheat oven to 350 F.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls, place dough 2-inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Use your thumb and press a well into the center of each ball.  Spoon 1/2 tsp of jam into each indention.sprinkle with sugar.  ( I accidentally left this part out....:().  Bake 10 minutes or until edges are light brown.  Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute then transfer to wire racks to finish cooling.  For the icing, in a medium bowl combine powdered sugar, 1 tsp water and 1 1/2 tsp of almond ext.  Add enough of the remaining water to get drizzle consistency with icing.

  This is very simple and easy.  Hope you enjoy, and God Bless!

German Chocolate Cake

  "It brings back so many memories".  That is what my mom said when she had her first bite.  When my mother was growing up, this cake was something they ate on Christmas and on her Grandfather's birthday.  My mother's people came from the area of Nassau, Germany.  They arrived in Galveston Tx, on the "Brig Auguste Meline",  December 31, 1845 . Texas had just joined the United States and was giving out free land settlements in right in the middle of Indian country.  Where they settled is what you would know now as Fredericksburg, Tx.  All this to say that this cake is a tradition that was brought from Germany by our ancestors, and I would like to keep this tradition going.

      

Cake ingredients:

2 C. flour

2 C. sugar

3/4 C. cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 C. milk

1/2 C. vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 C. boiling water

Frosting:

1 C. evaporated milk

1 C. sugar

3 egg yolks beaten with 1 tsp of water

1/2 C. butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 C. chopped nuts

1 C. coconut 

1 Tbsp cornstarch

    Starting off with the cake, Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Grease and flour three 8-in or two 9-inch round baking pans.  I did not have any round ones, so I compromised and used a 9 x 13.   In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Stir until well mixed.









 
  Next add the milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to the flour mixture, stir until well mixed.  Add and stir boiling water a fourth a cup at a time.  Pour into prepared pan or pans.  Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean out of the center.

   Now to the frosting.  In a large sauce pan, combine evaporated milk and cornstarch, then turn stove on low heat.  !!!It is very important that you mix the cornstarch in while the milk is cold because it will not dissolve in hot liquid!!!  Add sugar, egg yolks with the water, butter, and vanilla.  Cook over low to medium heat till thick. This could take 5 to 10 minutes once it gets hot.

  Once thick remove from heat, add the pecans and coconut, let it sit for 1 hour.  When that hour is up, spread onto cake.

   Now is the important part.....make a fresh pot of coffee, pour yourself a cup, cut a piece of cake and enjoy!  Hope you like this as much as we do! God bless!