Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Cherry Almond Buttercream Frosting



Cherry-Almond Butter Frosting Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

3 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

Allow butter to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Beat butter until smooth. Gradually add 1 cup confectioners’ sugar. Beat in maraschino cherry juice and almond extract. Gradually beat in remaining confectioners’ sugar. If necessary, beat in additional juice or milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until frosting reaches piping consistency. Make 2 cups. This recipe from the Better Homes & Garden Cupcakes Edition 2011


I used my Dense Cake Recipe with the Cherry Chip mix for the cupcake:)

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Perfectly Simple Cake/ Cupcakes (more dense cake)

White Almond Sour Cream Cake
2 boxes white cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
2 2/3 cups water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp real vanilla
1 tsp almond extract (optional)
2 cups (16 oz) sour cream
8 large egg whites



Place all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir together with a wire whisk. Add the remaining ingredients and beat on a low speed for 2 minutes. Bake at 325 degrees until cake tests done.

This recipe makes: All pans are 2 inch deep
One 14" round and one 6" round or
One 16" round or
One 12" round and one 10" round or
One 12 X 18" sheet cake or
One 12" round and one 8" round and one 6" round

Half the recipe makes:
Two 8" rounds or
Two 6" rounds and 6 cupcakes

Double the recipe makes:
one 18" round + one 10" round
all 4 sizes in the Wilton petal pan set


For chocolate cake: use chocolate mixes, omit almond extract and substitute 6 whole eggs for the whites. Same applies to Marble Cakes.

For liqueur flavors: substitute alcohol (such as champagne or Kahlua) for about 1 cup of the water in the recipe

For berry flavors: Substitute one 3 oz pkg Jell-o instant Pudding in a coordinating flavor for part of the sugar in the recipe. Use a 16 oz pkg frozen berries, thaw reserving the juice. Substitute the berry juice for part of the water in the recipe, and stir the berries in at the end. *You'll need to add a little extra batter to each pan for this version.* I found I needed at least another cup and a half of batter for a 10 inch round when using the fruit version.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Diet Saving Delish Dilly Dip


Ok so I have searched and tried many recipes for dilly dip to find one that tastes like Litehouse light Dilly of a Dip.. They used to put in in Costcos veggie platters then they changed brands:( Now I can only find the full fat version (BOOO) at stores..But FINALLY I have found a great recipe!! YAY!

8 oz. light sour cream
2 tbsp. dillweed
1 tsp. onion salt
8 oz. light mayonnaise
2 tbsp. minced parsley
1 tsp. lawrys seasoned salt

Mix together and let stand overnight. Serve with fresh veggies (sweet mini peppers from Costco are my FAVE with this)or in large round rye bread. Use scooped out bread for dipping ENJOY!