Recipes

CAKE
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
3 egg yolks
½ cup plus 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
½ cup all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp water
¾ cup finely chopped pecans
3 egg whites, at room temperature
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1/8 tsp. salt
Icing (below)
Pecan halves

Line bottom of 9″ springform pan with aluminum foil; butter foil and side of pan. Set aside. Combine ¾ cup melted butter, the sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl; beat well. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in cocoa, flour, oil and water; beat well. Stir in chopped pecans.

Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in small mixer bowl until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold into chocolate mixture.
Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until top begins to crack slightly. (Cake will not test done in center.) Cool 1 hour. Cover; chill until firm. Remove side of pan.

Prepare Icing at serving time. Cut cake into 12 slices, and place each slice on a serving plate. Pour ganache over each slice of cake, allowing it to run down the sides of each slice. Garnish with pecan halves. You can pour the ganache over the entire cake and garnish with pecan halves before slicing, and allow to cool, then slicing it at serving time.

GANACHE

1 1/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup heavy or whipping cream

Combine chocolate chips and cream in small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth; do not boil.

Serves 12

60 MINUTE CINNAMON ROLLS

1 cup warm water

3 tablespoons regular yeast

¾ cup room temperature

½ tablespoon salt buttermilk

2 eggs

½ cup sugar

5-6 cups bread flour

¼ cup melted butter

Filling 2 tablespoons butter, melted ½ cup sugar ½ cup brown sugar 2 tablespoon cinnamon Preheat oven to 400°.

Mix together water, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter and yeast in a bowl. Allow to sit for 15 minutes. Add salt, eggs and flour and mix for 10 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. While it is resting, prepare your filling. Roll dough out on to a greased countertop into a 12 x 16-inch square. Sprinkle with filling and roll up. Cut into 12 large rolls. Place rolls on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Mix together frosting and spread on warm rolls.

If desired,  Frosting ¼ cup butter, softened enough milk or half and half 3 cups powder sugar to make it spread 1 teaspoon vanilla consistency

STRAWBERRY LEMON POPPY SEED PANCAKES Syrup:

½ cup water

1½ cups strawberries, hulled

½ teaspoon vanilla diced

1 tablespoon honey

1 cup sugar

Batter:

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

2 medium lemons juice and zest

 

1½ tablespoons poppy seeds

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 egg

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup strawberries, diced ¼ cup sugar

Prepare the syrup. Add strawberries, sugar, water, vanilla, and honey to  a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat stirring throughout until sugar is dissolved, remove from heat. Use a blender to purée syrup. When syrup is smooth with only small bits of strawberries left, allow to sit and thicken over very low heat until pancakes are ready. Preheat large nonstick pan or griddle over medium-low heat and spray with cooking spray. Prepare the pancakes. In a large bowl combine flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk until well mixed. In a medium bowl whisk, together lemon juice and sugar. Add lemon juice, zest, buttermilk, vanilla, and egg and whisk until smooth. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour dry ingredients into the well you just made. Whisk all ingredients until just incorporated (batter will be lumpy). Pour ¼-1⁄3 cup batter onto preheated pan or griddle. When edges begin to look “dry” and bubbles form and burst in the batter, use a large spatula to flip pancake. Cook 1-2 minutes longer. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm with strawberry syrup and additional fresh strawberries and powdered sugar if desired