Halloween Pumpkin Spice cupcakes

Halloween is my very favorite holiday!! These are always a big hit for all the Fall celebrations and I have friends who don't like pumpkin, that like these. They are made with a cake mix, but don't taste like it and for homeroom mothers, they make at least 24 cupcakes. I frost them with the cream cheese frosting, I use with my Carrot Cake and decorate them, according to the holiday. Enjoy!!!

1. 1 package Spice cake mix (I use Duncan Hines)


2. 1 can (15 ounces) Libby's 100% pure pumpkin


3. 3 large organic Eggs


4. 1/3 cup vegetable oil ( I use Crisco in baking)


5. 1/3 cup water


6. 1 Recipe cream cheese frosting, found with my carrot cake recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Paper-line or grease 24 muffin cups(may make 2 or 3 more). Blend cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, vegetable oil and water in a large mixer bowl until moistened. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Bake for 18 to 23 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center, comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes and remove to wire racks to cool completely. Ice with cream cheese frosting. Happy Fall!

Ginger Angel Food Cake with Coconut Frosting

I found this recipe in "Cooking Light" magazine. Angel Foods are my favorite cakes and this is a really good one. I increased the ginger a little to give it more flavor. It would be pretty for the holidays, too and a lighter dessert.

1. 1 cup sifted cake flour



2. 1/2 cup cornstarch



3. 12 large organic Egg whites



4. 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar



5. 1/4 teaspoon salt



6. 1 1/2 cups sugar



7. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract



8. 1 teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup. combine flour and cornstarch, stirring with a whisk. Place 12 Egg whites in a large METAL bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar and salt. Beat until soft peaks form. Add 1 1/2 cups sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla and ginger. Sift 1/4 cup flour mixture over egg white mixture and gently fold in. Repeat with remaining flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time.

Spoon batter into an UNGREASED 10-inch tbe pan, spreading evenly. Break air pockets by cutting through batter with a knife. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan, cool completely. Loosen cake from sides of pan and invert onto a cake plate.

FROSTING: Please see my confetti angel food with whippy pink frosting. You will make this cooked frosting with the following additions: 1/4 teaspoon of coconut extract. Please do not tint pink or color. Top with 3/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut, toasted (Spread in pan and toast for 5 minutes or so in a 350 degree oven, until lightly browned- WATCH carefully).

Gary's pound cake

Here is a wonderful pound cake that holds up well at high altitude. Pound cake has so much butter in it that it tends to fall at high altitudes and this one uses shortening. I substituted butter flavor shortening for regular. Our friend, Gary Owens sent me this and I'm sharing it with you. Great gift for the holidays!!!

1. 1 cup butter flavor Crisco


2. 2 cups sugar


3. 1 teaspoon orange extract


4. 1 teaspoon lemon extract


5. 1/2 teaspoon butter flavor extract


6. 1 teaspoon vanilla


7. 6 organic Eggs


8. 2 cups flour


9. 1 teaspoon salt

Cream shortening and sugar and add the flavorings. Add eggs, one at a time, beating at high speed. Sift the flour and salt and fold into the egg mixture. Bake in a greased and floured tube pan at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Check with toothpick for doneness. Cool for 25 minutes in pan on rack. Remove from pan to cake plate and cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Carrot Cake

I recently took my carrot cake to my bridge group for a birthday party and I've had so many requests from them for the recipe, I decided to post it. I've had this for years, and I prefer carrot cake without a lot in it, except I liked toasted pecans in the icing. this recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, I have mentioned before "Kitchen Keepsakes". So for all those requests, here you go----

1. 2 cups unbleached flour( I use King Arthur or Pillsbury)
2. 2 cups sugar
3. 2 teaspoons cinnamon
4. 1 teaspoon salt
5. 2 teaspoons soda
6. 1 cup oil (I use Crisco for baking)
7. 4 eggs(organic or free range are far better)
8. 3 cups fresh, organic carrots, grated
9. 1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix dry ingredients. Add oil and vanilla and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg. Stir in grated carrots. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes, depending on where you live, in 2 greased and floured 9 inch cake pans or one 9x13 inch pan . Cool, in pan, on a cake rack for 15 minutes and then remove from pan onto rack. If using the 9x13 pan, cool completely in the pan. Ice with cream cheese frosting below.

FROSTING

1. 1 - 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
2. 1 Ib. powdered sugar
3. 1 stick butter or margarine( I use organic butter)
4. 1-2 Tablespoons milk, cream or half and half
5. 1 teaspoon vanilla
6. 1 cup toasted, chopped pecans

To make the frosting, cream together the cream cheese and butter, blend in powdered sugar and vanilla. Add enough milk or cream or half and half to make smooth. Stir in nuts.

Ann's famous Peach Cobbler and Peach/Blueberry Cobbler

This is my most requested dessert, in season. Even when I go back to Missouri, everyone wants me to make it. Of course, peaches have to be in season. I have always called this Peach cobbler, as Wilhelmina, the woman who taught me to make it when I was a child, called it that, it is really a peach pie too. She used to help my mom and Grandmother, Buggie with parties, and made the best biscuits, fried chicken and peach cobbler this side of heaven!! I owe her a great debt for this recipe. I've put the recipe for Peach/Blueberry too and the picture is of it.

• 1 recipe of mine for a 2 crust pie (look in index)



• 6-7 large ripe peaches(add a couple of more if smaller, to make 5 cups or so), peeled



• 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar



• 3 tablespoons of flour



• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg



• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon



• Dash salt



• butter



• small amount of milk



• cinnamon sugar

Roll out bottom crust and place in a 9 inch pie pan. Mix together the peaches, flour, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Place mixture in pie plate and dot with a few pieces of butter. Roll out other crust and cut in 1 inch strips. Place on top of pie in lattice pattern. Brush top with a pastry brush and a small amount of milk. Sprinkle entire top with cinnamon sugar,. Bake at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes. I like to place fruit pies on a baking sheet so they don't run over into oven. check pie at about 35 minutes and cover with foil if getting too brown. Can serve with vanilla ice cream and make cinnamon crust with leftover crust from pie(See my index). Wait for the raves!!

Peach/Blueberry Cobbler

Take out a peach and add 1 cup of fresh blueberries. Continue with recipe as above

Coffee Angel Food Cake

Next to my confetti angel food and my peach cobbler, this would have to be my most requested dessert. It is my favorite birthday cake and I don't even drink coffee!!! My mom, Nancy Aton, always made it and so it is to her credit and greatskill in cooking that I have this recipe. I believe she told me long ago that it came from a Julia Child cookbook. Just look at my confetti angel food for the basic angel food cake recipe or you can start with a 2 step box angel food. the toasted almonds are our family addition. You're goin" love it!!!!

• One recipe of my angel food cake or one 2 step boxed angel food, to which you add 1 Tablespoon of powered instant coffee.

ICING

• 2 Tablespoons powdered coffee


• 1/2 cup butter, softened


• 1/4 teaspoon salt


• 3 cups powdered sugar


• 3-4 tablespoons milk


• 1 teaspoon vanilla


• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted in a little butter until light brown

Cream butter, add salt and sugar. Add vanilla and milk, a little at a time, beating until light and fluffly and it spreads easily. Ice cake and spread toasted almonds over the top and into the sides. FABULOUS!!

Cherry Slices coffee cake

This is a wonderful recipe for breakfast or coffee with a big group. It makes lots!! Even though it calls for a can of cherry pie filling, blueberry and peach work well too. I got this recipe from a quilting friend, many years ago and have used it lots. Hope you enjoy it!

• 1 cup shortening


• 1 3/4 cups sugar


• 4 Eggs


• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla


• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract


• 3 cups flour


• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 16 oz. can of cherry pie filling(can use blueberry or peach, too)

Cream together the shortening and sugar thoroughly. Add the 4 eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Add the vanilla and almond extract. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, Mix thoroughly. Set aside one cup of the dough and spread the rest into a greased 10x15 jelly roll pan. Spread a can of cherry pie filling over the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edges. Drop remaining 1 cup batter by spoonfuls over cherry pie filling. Bake 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees until light golden brown. When cool drizzle with powdered sugar frosting. Use about 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and enough milk to make it drizzle over cake. Enjoy!!!