Tres Leches Cake

This is one of my husband's favorite desserts. I'm SO glad my friend gave me the recipe. She's amazing!

Tres Leches Cake

1 yellow cake mix

1 box cook and serve vanilla pudding

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 medium sized carton heavy whipping cream

pecan bits

caramel

Make cake mix using milk instead of water and add the box of cook and serve pudding. Bake in two 9” round cake pans. While they bake pour sweetened condensed milk into a deep, flat pan. Deep enough and big enough to dip cakes into. While the cakes cool whip the whipping cream until it starts to thicken, add a little sugar and vanilla to taste. When the cakes are cool dip them in the sweetened condensed milk. Let them soak up the milk but not until they’re soggy. Cover the first layer with the whipped cream, pecan bits and caramel. Don’t warm the caramel too much or it will ruin whipped cream. Set the second layer on the top and top it the same way as the first. Stick in the fridge. Serve cold. Keep refrigerated.

Honey Apricot Sesame Chicken

The first time Sam and I made this was definitely a trial and error. The combination of onions and crushed red pepper makes us cough everytime so be careful and have a window open or something. Haha. Also, we put WAY too much of the crushed red pepper in and about died of heat. We change it up between rice and whole wheat spaghetti noodles, too. Now that we've made it a few more times it is a family favorite. I HIGHLY recommend it.



Honey-Apricot Sesame Chicken

2 Tbs honey
3 Tbs apricot jam
1/8 tsp grated ginger
2 Tbs sesame seeds
5 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce
1 clove crushed garlic
1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 small onion, diced
1/4 cup cornstarch
vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped in 2-inch cubes

-Combine honey, jam, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and ginger in small bowl, set asid. Season chicken with salt and then dredge in cornstarch.
-In a large, non-stick skillet heat oil over med-high head. Add half the chicken. Cook, turning occasionally until golden and opaque throughout, 6-8 minutes. Transer to paper towel lined plate. Cook remaining chicken, adding more oil if needed. Put on paper towel plate.
-Add more oil if needed thena dd pepper flakes. Head for about 30 seconds. Add onions, garlic and zucchini or squash and cook until tender.
-Add sauce and bring to boil. Return all chicken to skillet and toss with sauce to coat. Cook until chicken is heated through; cook longer if thicker sauce is desired. Serve with steamed white or brown rice.

*Sam says the picture doesn't do it justice. Haha*

Bread Recipe and Raspberry Cream Sweet Rolls

Master Recipe for Bread

*Makes 4 1 pound loaves. It's easily doubled or halved.

3 Cups lukewarm water

1 1/2 Tablespoon yeast (1 1/2 packets)

1 1/2 Tablespoons kosher or other coarse salt

6 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

(For a light wheat version substitute 1 cup whole wheat flour)

1. Warm the water slightly, about 100. Warm water will rise the dough to the right point for storage in about 2 hours. You can use cold water and get the same results but your first rising will take 3 - 4 hours.

2. Add yeast and salt to the water in a 5-qt bowl or preferably, in a resealable, lidded (not airtight) plastic food container or food-grade bucket. Don't worry about getting it all to dissolve.

3. Mix in flour - KNEADING IS NOT NECESSARY! Add all the flour at once, measuring with a scoop and sweep method. Mix with a wooden spoon, a high capacity food processor fitted with a dough attachment, or a heavy duty mixer. If you are hand mixing and the flour becomes too difficult to incorporate use very wet hands and press the mixture together but DO NOT KNEAD. You're finished when everything is uniformly moist, without dry patches. This step is done in a matter of minutes, the dough will be wet and loose.

4. Allow to rise. Cover with a lid (not airtight) that fits well to the container you're using. Allow the dough to rise at room temp until it begins to collapse (or at least flattens on the top), about 2 hours, depending on the room temp and water temp. Longer rising times, up to about 5 hours, will not harm the result. You can now use the dough at any time after this period. Fully refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and is easier to work with than dough at room temp. So, the first time you try it's best to refrigerate the dough overnight or at least 3 hours before shaping a loaf. Dough will keep up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

When you want to bake it, you need to pull some off, then put it on a pizza stone that's been dusted with cornmeal. Heat the oven up to 450º and after letting the dough rise on the pizza stone for 40 minutes put it in the oven for 30 minutes.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Sweet Rolls

1 - 2 pounds of Master Dough

1 tube raspberry filling (from the bakery) or 1 can pie filling or 1 jar of fruit jam

Cream Cheese Filling:

4 oz ream cheese

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Frosting:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

4 teaspoons milk

Mix and frost while warm.

Directions:

Roll out dough. Spread filling over rolled out dough. Top with raspberry filling. Roll dough jelly-roll fashion and pinch ends. Cut with a knife. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and let rise for 40 min. Bake at 350º for 25 - 35 minutes or until golden. Frost while warm.

first post!

This blog is for sharing of recipes. Here's my first contribution. I'm going to move all my recipe posts from my other blog to this one so be prepared for a handful. Haha.

Broken Glass Jello

4 small boxes of jello, different colors

1 (14oz) can condensed milk
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
water

-Dissolve each box of jello separately, into one cup of hot water. Pour into individual containers (small tupperware works well) and chill overnight.
-Ready a 9x13 pan. Cut flavors of jello into small blocks. Mix together carefully in pan.
-In a separate bowl, dissolve 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Add dissolved gelatin to 1 3/4 cup hot water and condensed milk. Cool.
-Pour cooled milk mixture over jello and chill overnight.
-Cut into squares and serve!


Vampire Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix (also eggs, oil, water as it asks for)
1 can cherry pie filling
1 tub any kind of white colore icing (i really like cream cheese frosting)

-Bake cupcakes according to directions on box. While they bake, pour the cherry pie filling in a blender or food processor of some sort and puree. Let cupcakes cool completely. 
-Once they've cooled, take a small paring knife and cut a small cone (about 1 inch across and 1 inch deep) in each cupcake. Cut off the pointy end of the cone leaving a little cap to place back on each cupcake. 
-Spoon about a tablespoon of the pie filling into the holes and then place the "plug" back on top to cover the filling.
-Stir the icing so its nice and soft then ice them by putting a dollop of icing in the center of the cupcake and gently spreading outward from the center. 
-Dip a wooden toothpick into the remaining pie filling and poke to fang marks on the top. Dribble a little filling out of the holes for effect.
-Enjoy!


Spider Web Eggs

1 dozen large eggs
8 cups water
2 cups frozen blueberries

-Place eggs in single layer in a large saucepan, and cover with water and blueberries. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand for 10 minutes.
-Using a slotted spoon, remove eggs one at a time, and place on several layers of paper towels. Lightly crack shell on one side with the handle of a whisk or wooden spoon. Transfer egg to medium bowl. Repeat with remaining eggs and then pour all of the cooking liquid on top of the cracked eggs. Place bowl in the refrigerator and let cool completely.
-Carefully peel shells from eggs. Serve with salt.


Bloody Eyeballs

Eyeball Ingredients:
2 pounds (1 kilo) ground chicken breast
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1/2-3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
oregano to taste
basil to taste
thyme to taste
a generous amount of garlic powder
a generous amount of onion flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Sauce Ingredients:
1 larger can of tomato paste (it was a little more than a cup)
more of the same seasonings as the chicken 
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
water to thin—about 1 1/2 cups

1 car or jar of black olives (do yourself a favor and buy them pre-pitted)

-Combine all chicken ingredients except olives and set aside.
-Combine all sauce ingredients.
-Preheat oven to 375ºF/190ºC
-Line a large rimmed cookie sheet with foil and brush with olive oil or spray with cooking spray.
-Form eyeball sized balls and shove an olive into the center of each one. Make it look as eyeball like as you can.
-Arrange finished eyeballs on the baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 20-30 minutes depending on your oven.
-Serve the eyeballs over the sauce, and with some type of bread