The Ultimate Cake Brownie Recipe

When it comes to Brownie making, we are very picky! After many years of trying several recipes, we have come up with the ultimate best brownie recipe around!

Cake Brownie Recipe: ( makes 1- 9x13 pan)

Ingredients:

1 1/2- cups butter
3/4 cups cocoa

Directions: Melt butter and cocoa on low in sauce pan on stove top ( let cool slightly)

6 eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar                                  
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
(nuts optional)

Directions:
1: mix eggs, sugar, salt together and add flour a little bit at a time
2: pour in melted butter and cocoa mixture, beat well
3: spray a 9x13 pan
4: add batter to pan
5: bake at 350 F for 25 min.
6: when cool may spread with frosting (recipe follows)

 Frosting:

Ingredients:

1 stick- softened butter
2 lbs. confectioners powdered sugar
1 teaspoon - vanilla extract
add whole milk or evaporated milk ( to desired consistency)

Directions:
1: beat well

Variations: substitute the 1 teaspoon vanilla for 1 teaspoon mint extract ( add green food coloring for mint color)
Spread on cool brownies and refrigerate for 1 hr.
Meanwhile on stove top melt stick of butter and 1 package- 12 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Pour on top of frosting and refrigerate until ready to serve

Variations: for a milk chocolate frosting make above frosting recipe, but decrease confectioners powdered sugar by 1 cup and add 1 cup cocoa

*BE SURE AND CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS BLOG FOR MORE UPCOMING 2015 RECIPES! WE ENJOY GETTING FEEDBACK ON ALL THESE RECIPES YOU TRY, AS THEY BECOME YOUR OWN FAMILY'S FAVORITES!!!!

No Fail Butterflake Roll Recipe

This recipe had been a long time standing favorite in our family for years and years. This recipe is our favorite, because they come out fluffy and light every time.

Butterflake rolls: Makes 4 dozen rolls

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups- Evaporated Milk
1 cup- hot water
2 Tbls- yeast
1/2 cup- warm water
2 eggs
6 cups- flour (approximately)      
1/2 cup- sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon- salt
1 stick- softened butter

Directions:
1: dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water
2: Mix with evaporated milk and 1 cup hot water
3: beat 2 eggs and add to mixture
4: mix well
5: add flour, sugar, and salt
6: knead well
7: roll out to 1/2 in. thickness
8: spread with 1/4 stick of softened butter, fold dough in half
9:  repeat rolling the dough out, spreading butter, and folding dough 4-5 times
10: cut with a round cookie cutter ( cut all the same direction)
11: Place with fan side up in greased muffin pans (push down bottom of roll, so roll fans out)
12: let raise 1 1/2- 2 hrs.
13: Bake at 400 F for 10 min or until top is light brown

More award winning casseroles!!!!

If you are looking for an award winning Christmas potluck casserole, this is the perfect one! We always make our chicken casserole around this time of year, because everyone loves it so much! The best part about this recipe is that it can be made the night before or morning of your gathering.

 Chicken Casserole Recipe:

Ingredients-

2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 tsp. curry powder or poultry seasoning  

1/2 cup milk
2 or 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 or 5 cups of cooked chicken
2-16 oz. frozen broccoli & carrots package (we like to use we like to use fresh broccoli,carrots, and cauliflower)

*if using fresh veggies, make sure to boil the carrots on the stove until almost done*



Topping ingredients-

3 cups bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. sage
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup parsley flakes
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions-

1: cook chicken until tender and done
2: boil carrots and broccoli
3: mix together mayo chicken soup, curry powder, milk, broccoli, carrots, and cheese
4: add chicken
5: saute onion in butter
6: add bread crumbs, sage, parsley, and pepper
7: sprinkle on top of casserole
8: Bake at 350 F for 45 min. (cover loosely with foil)

* LOOK FORWARD TO DELICIOUS BROWNIES AND ROLLS NEXT WEEK*

Bringing the warmth of tasty casserole dishes to your home!

With the winter months upon us, and family gathering close in. We want to share with you our tried and tested casserole dishes that are sure to be crowd pleasing, that will leave your guests raving about your dish for years to come.

Years ago, our grandmother Hazel Bertoch came up with an easy-does-it spaghetti. This actually was made by adding uncooked spaghetti in the pan, which would soften as it cooked. We have included her recipe, but modified it by creating our own updated recipe called: All in one spaghetti casserole

EASY-DOES-IT SPAGHETTI CASSEROLE (GRANDMAS):

2 Tbsp. oil
1 lb. hamburger
1 Tbsp. onion chopped
1 cup chopped mushrooms
3 1/2 cups tomato juice
1/4 tsp. all spice
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 oz. package uncooked spaghetti
1- 8oz. tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried mustard
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1: brown hamburger with the oil
2: add onion and seasoning
3: arrange broken spaghetti over meat in layers
4: add tomato sauce, mushrooms,and tomato juice
5: cover and simmer for about 30 min. or until tender
6: put in a frying pan

ALL IN ONE BAKED SPAGHETTI CASSEROLE:

2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 cup onion chopped
1- 4 oz. can sliced olives
1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)  
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
4 cups tomato juice
1- 8 oz. can tomato paste
1-8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup mild cheddar cheese
1 large package of spaghetti noodles

1: cook spaghetti as directed on package (drain well)
2: brown ground beef until done, drain
3: add onion, seasonings, olives, and mushrooms simmer until onions and mushrooms are soft
4: add tomato juice,sauce, and paste
5: simmer on low for  20 min.
6: arrange in casserole dish
7: half of the spaghetti noodles, half of the meat sauce, 1 cup of both cheeses
8: repeat layers with cheese on top
9: bake in 350 F oven for 30 min.



The next casserole we will introduce is a favorite with adults and children alike, featuring the award winning Tater-tot Casserole!

TATER-TOT CASSEROLE

1 package tater-tots (seasoned is the best)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp onion salt
2 cans of cut green beans                                  
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1-8 oz. sour cream
2 lbs. ground beef
1 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce

1: brown the ground beef and drain
2: add cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, seasonings, and worcestershire sauce
3: heat through until sour cream is melted on low
4: In a 9x13 casserole dish layer green beans, hamburger mixture, and tater-tots on top
5: cover with foil bake at 375 degree oven for 1 hour

Creating Holiday Favorites with "FRESH" Ingredients

One of the best pies around this time of year is the classic homemade pumpkin pie. This is a tried and true recipe that we have created using fresh pie pumpkins. There is nothing that compares to making fresh pie fillings, and this is the first one of a series of pie fillings made from scratch. We have also included for your enjoyment our famous no fail pie crust recipe! We will also share our directions for making your own pumpkin puree, and how to store it for later use. We've included other fabulous recipes for your pumpkin puree! We hope you enjoy!

Pumpkin Puree:

1: pie pumpkin (makes 1- 9 in. pie)

Instructions:

1- Cut pumpkin in half w/o stem

2- Scoop out seeds of pumpkin

3- Place on foil lined baking sheets

4- Cover pumpkin with foil

5- Place pumpkins so the inside is facing down

6- Bake at 350 F until tender for 1- 1 1/2 hours

7- Scoop out of pumpkin shell and puree in blender or food processor

8- Use immediately or put in freezer-safe bags for later use

Pumpkin Pie Filling:

Ingredients-

~1 1/3 cup pumpkin puree

~1 1/3 cup sweet condensed milk

~ 1 egg

~ 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

~ 1/2 tsp nutmeg

~ 1/2 tsp ginger

~ 1/4 tsp cloves

~ 1 cup hot water

Directions-

1: mix ingredients together

2: pour in 9 in. pie shell

3: Bake at 375 F for 55-65 min.  

Pie Crust: Makes 3 pie crusts

Ingredients-

~3 1/4 cups flour

~ 1 1/4 tsp salt

~ 1 cup shortening

~ 1/2 cup ice water

Directions-

1: use hands to mix together flour, salt, and shortening

2: make ingredients cornmeal consistency 

3: add water and lift dough to make a ball( may take less or more water)

4: roll out thin ( we use a plastic bag over the top to roll out the dough)

5: place in pie dish and seal the sides by pinching the crust 

6: place foil over the sides of crust ( take off the last 10 min. of baking)

LOOK FORWARD TO FUTURE PIE CRUST VARIATIONS...... YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS OUT!!!

Pumpkin Rolls:

Ingredients-

~ 2 eggs

~ 1 c. sugar

~ 2/3 c. pumpkin

~ 1 tsp. lemon

~ 3/4 c. flour

~ 1 tsp. baking powder

~ 2 tsp. cinnamon

~ 1 tsp. ginger

~ 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions- Beat eggs for 5 minutes. Add sugar, pumpkin, and lemon. Mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Add to sugar mixture. Put on a large jelly roll pan lined with foil, or a baking sheet, well greased. Bake at 350 F for 10 min. When done turn out onto a dishtowel that is sprinkled heavily with powdered sugar. let stand for 2 min. Then pull off foil. Roll up in towel and place in refrigerator to cool.

Filling:

Ingredients-

~ 1 cup powdered sugar

~ 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)

~ 4 Tablespoons butter

~ 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions- Mix butter and cream cheese well. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix well, spread on pumpkin roll side. After you roll out flat. Then re-roll up and place in refrigerator until it sets up. Remove, slice, and serve.

Erin's Famous Banana Bread

One of our family's all time favorite quick bread recipes is Banana Bread! Bananas in the winter time are hard to come by, but we found that you can freeze bananas instead of throwing them away. We have also found other ingredients to give variety to the Banana Bread.

Preserving bananas all year long:
~ Instead of throwing away your ripe bananas, take a freezer bag and place whole bananas unpeeled in freezer bag. Place in freezer unthaw as needed.

Ingredients:
~ 1 cup sugar
~ 2 medium bananas mashed
~ 1/2 cup butter softened
~ 1/4 cup milk
~ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
~ 2 eggs
~ 2 cups flour
~ 1 teaspoon baking soda
~ 1/2 teaspoon salt
~ Optional ingredients: 1/2 cup crushed pineapple drained, 1/2 cup chopped nuts, 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips ( in this picture we have used pineapple which is our favorite)
~ Topping: brown sugar and cinnamon sprinkled on top of batter

Directions:
~ heat oven to 350 F
~ grease a 9x5 or 8x4 loaf pan
~ In large bowl blend first 6 ingredients
~ beat 1 min. at medium speed
~ stir in dry ingredients until moistened
~ pour batter into prepared pan
~ bake for 50-60 min. or until toothpick inserted comes out clean
~ cool 5 min. and remove from pan
~ makes 1 loaf

Grandmother Wilkinsons' Famous Lasagna

Grandmother Wilkinson is a fabulous cook, and we have had wonderful years of learning from her. She always believed in preserving your garden tomatoes, so you can make wonderful tomato juice to use in various recipes. This is Grandmother Wilkinson's famous recipe made with her homemade tomato juice. We have taken this recipe, and added our own seasonings to make it more flavorful. We have also found a few secrets in making this recipe even more perfect!

Homemade Tomato Juice-

~ Take your favorite tomatoes wash them, and discard the stems
~ make an x in the bottom of the tomato with a paring knife
~ bring a pan of water to a boil
~ blanch tomatoes for 30-40 seconds
~ immediately put in a water bath of ice to cool
~ remove tomato
~ quarter the tomatoes, and spoon out the seeds (preserve the juice)
~ put the tomatoes and preserved juice in a pot
~ add 1/2 cup lemon juice for every 7 quarts of tomato juice
~simmer on low 3-4 hours until tomato juice has been reduced down
~ mash tomatoes to a puree
~ put in freezer-safe containers
~ good for 6-7 months

Lasagna Recipe-

 Ingredients:
~ 1 lb. ground beef
~ 1 clove garlic minced
~ 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
~ 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
~ 1 teaspoon salt
~ 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
~ 2 cups fresh tomato juice
~ 1- 6 oz. can tomato paste
~ 1 teaspoon onion onion salt
~ 1 teaspoon pepper


~ 12 oz. lasagna noodles
~ 1 lb. shredded mozzarella cheese or sliced thin
~ 3 cups small curd cottage cheese
~ 2 beaten eggs
~ 1 teaspoon salt
~ 2 tablespoons parsley flakes
~ 1/2 cup parmesan grated cheese

Directions:
~ brown the ground beef slowly
~ spoon off excess fat
~ add garlic, parsley flakes, oregano, salt, tomato juice,onion salt, pepper and tomato paste
~ simmer slowly uncovered until sauce is thick
~ stir occasionally
~ cook noodles in boiling salted water until tender
~ remove from water and rinse with cold water
~ combine cottage cheese, eggs, salt, parsley flakes, and parmesan cheese
~ In a 13x9x12 in. pan place half the noodles in the bottom of the pan with 2 layers of noodles, and sealing the seams
~ put half of the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles
~ layer half the mozzarella cheese, and half of the meat sauce
~ repeat process (make sure you double the layers of noodles each time)
~ Bake in 375 F oven for 30 min.
~ let stand for 15 min. before cutting in squares
~ makes 12 servings