Banana Hazelnut Split Cake

After enjoying a version of this cake at my friend Janet's place several times...I re-created it in my kitchen.  It was my daughter's birthday cake a few weeks ago...and was a hit!

Banana Hazelnut Split Cake

• 1 cup margarine or butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3-4 mashed bananas
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 cups whipping cream 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)
• 1 pint fresh strawberries

1. Mix butter and sugar.
2. Beat in eggs...and vanilla, bananas and buttermilk.
3. Combine flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.  
4. Add to banana mixture; stir until blended.
5. Pour into two well greased nine inch round cake pans.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes...or until set in centre. 
7. Allow cakes to cool completely.

To assemble:

1. Whip cream, vanilla and sugar until stiff.  
2. Split each cake layer in half horizontally. 
3. Spread the bottom half of each cake with a generous layer of Nutella, and reassemble to form two cakes.
4. Create a flat top on one of the cakes by shaving off the rounded top.
5. Set this layer on a cake plate...and spread with whipped cream, sliced strawberries and more whipped cream.
6. Gently set remaining cake layer on top.  
7. Frost with whipped cream.  Garnish with strawberries.

Enjoy the goodness of bananas, strawberries, chocolate and hazelnuts all rolled into one...and smothered in whipped cream!

Dinosaur Cake

My grands have all kinds of requests for birthday cakes...

but my youngest grandson never really has any opinions about his birthday cake...

and so he got a dinosaur this year.

I got the idea from a book called Cakes for Kids by Matthew Mead...

and then improvised. 

• 1 chocolate cake mix
• 1 recipe creamy vanilla frosting
• purple gel food colouring 
• 15 - 20 half-round fruit slices (scales)
• 1 large marshmallow (eyes)
• Smarties or M&M's (dots)
• green gummy worms (claws)
• red shoestring licorice (mouth)

1. Prepare cake mix according to directions.  Pour batter into greased  9" round and 6 " round cake pans that have been lined with parchment paper.  Fill pan about two-thirds full. Bake at 350° F until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (about 25 minutes for the 6" pan and 35 minutes for the 9" pan).  Cool cakes completely before removing from pan.
2. Prepare frosting. 
3. Place the cooled cakes on a cutting board, and cut each one in half vertically.  Spread frosting over the top of one 6" half round and one 9" half-round.  Stack the matching halves on top of each other.  
4. To shape the head...cut away a pie-shaped wedge on the left side of the arc, as shown in the diagram above.
5. Transfer the larger cake to one end of a large platter (about 15" by 18"), having the curved part up.  This is the body of the dinosaur.
6.  Place the head on the platter in front of the body.   
7.  I used large mallows to build a base for the tail and legs before frosting the cake.
8. Spread a skim coat of white frosting over entire cake to mask and seal in crumbs.  Chill until firm...about 30 minutes.
9. Add colouring to remaining frosting.  Put a generous layer of frosting over entire cake.
10. Arrange two rows of fruit slices along the top of the back.
11. Add smarties to dot head and body.
12. Use an appropriate length of red shoestring licorice for mouth.
13. Eyes are made with a slice of white marshmallow and a brown candy attached with white icing.
14. Claws were cut from green gummy worms.

Creamy Vanilla Frosting
This frosting spreads and pipes smoothly. Make sure the butter is really soft so the frosting won't split when tinted.

• 1-1/4 cups (300 mL) butter, softened
• 6 cups (1.5 L) icing sugar
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) whipping cream
• 2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla

1. In large bowl, beat butter until fluffy. 
2. Alternately beat in sugar and cream, making 3 additions of sugar and 2 of cream. 
3. Beat in vanilla. 

Cranberry Orange Scones

Much like the scones served at a popular tea shop in our town, these scones are flaky, moist and delicious. 

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, chilled
• 3/4 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped *
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
• 1 egg, beaten with fork
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

1. Combine dry ingredients in mixing bowl.
2. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. Mix in orange zest and coarsely chopped cranberries.
4. Combine buttermilk and egg; add to dry ingredients and mix until dough sticks together.
5. Drop by large spoonfuls (scoop) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment.
6. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes or until golden.
7. Cool slightly and then drizzle with glaze.

Yield: 12 scones

Glaze:

• 3/4 cup icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 3 tablespoons orange juice

Combine ingredients and stir until smooth.  Using a spoon, drizzle the icing over the scones.

*Frozen cranberries can also be used...just be sure to chop first. 

Jello Sugar Cookies

In my home, sugar cookies are usually baked  for special occasions...stars, trees and candy canes at Christmas...and hearts for Valentine's Day.  But here's a simple sugar cookie recipe that the grands enjoy anytime of the year...one that requires no icing since the dough is coloured.  The jello makes a very pale pastel cookie; if you prefer a somewhat deeper colour...add food colouring.  An added bonus is the flavour of the jello.

• 3-1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1-1/2 cups  butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 packages Jello (4-serving size /any flavor), divided
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Mix flour and baking powder; set aside.
3. Beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer until creamy.
4. Add sugar and 1 pkg. of the dry gelatin, beating until light and fluffy.
5. Add egg and vanilla; mix well.
6. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until well blended after each addition.
7. Shape dough into 1-inch balls.
8. Dip top half of each ball into reserved gelatin crystals.
9. Place on ungreased baking sheets...crystal side up.
10. Flatten with bottom of clean glass...one with a design if you want a pattern.  
11. Bake 8 to 10 min. or until edges are lightly browned.
12. Remove from baking sheets to wire racks.

*The featured cookies were made with peach jello.

 To make cut out cookies in any shape or form...use the same recipe and roll out the dough to about 1/4" thick.  Omit the gelatin crystals on top.  They make great 'cookiegrams' for any occasion!

Spicy Green Beans

Before I move on to the recipe of the day...I would just like to thank all of you...our faithful reader's...for your overwhelming response and encouraging comments on yesterday's post.  Without all of you...there would be no cookbook!  We look forward to whatever the future may hold...and thank you in advance for your continued support.

I would also like to thank our sponsors...whose links are listed on our sidebar...and who have for some time been helping us to 'feed the hungry' with their donations.  One of those sponsors is Lepp Farm Market...a wonderful place to visit if you happen to live in our area.  If you don't...their website is also a wonderful place to visit...especially the recipe section!  Today's spicy green bean dish is from Charlotte Lepp's collection...one we have enjoyed at our table several times now.

Spicy Green Beans

• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed  
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek Asian chili paste (or 2 or 3 teaspoons if you like it hot!)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed

 

1. Steam beans until tender crisp.
2. Combine all remaining ingredients for sauce...and heat until sizzling.
3. Pour sauce over the beans and serve. 
4. These also make a great finger food appetizer.

* Hoisin sauce, chili paste and oyster sauce are all found in the Asian food section of the grocery store.

Butternut Squash Soup

It's that time of the year. The squash is fresh from the garden...and the cool fall days make soup a favorite.

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ginger root, minced
• 3 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
• 2 apples, cored and cut into chunks
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced
• 4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• dash of nutmeg
• 1/2 cup cream

1. Melt butter in large pot, over medium heat.
2. Add garlic, onion and ginger root.  Cook and stir for about 10 minutes, or until soft.  
3. Add broth, squash, apples and carrot.
4. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until very tender. 
5. Purée soup using a handheld immersion blender.  (Can also be done in a regular blender in small batches.)
6. Return pot to stove and re-heat on medium-low heat.
7. Add seasonings and cream and heat until steaming, stirring as necessary.

Serve with savory cheddar scones (pictured) for a delicious lunch. 

Chocolate Layer Cake

Here's a tried and true recipe for chocolate cake...adapted from one I found in the Mennonite Treasury cookbook many decades ago. It became a favorite of my hubby's...and is still served every year on or around September 11th (his birthday).  Quick, simple and moist!

Quick Chocolate Cake

• 1 cup Kraft Miracle Whip salad dressing
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup Fry's cocoa

1. Blend Miracle Whip and sugar. 
2. Stir together dry ingredients and add alternately with water. 
3. Pour into 2-nine inch round layer pans...greased and/or lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
5. Allow to cool slightly before removing from pans.  
6. Frost with your favorite chocolate frosting when cool.

I was thinking of keeping our favorite frosting recipe a secret...since it seems to have fallen out of favour over the decades.  But I'll share it with you...and you can decide for yourself.  Since this recipe contains raw egg, it is not recommended for those who are pregnant or who have a compromised immune system. If you have any concerns, use pasteurized eggs. It is a fluffy, not-so-sweet icing that goes down as smooth as silk!

French Silk Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (not icing sugar)
• 6 tablespoons Fry's cocoa
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 2 eggs (pasteurized eggs are an option)

1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. 
2. Add cocoa and vanilla; beat. 
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating for about 5 minutes after each addition. 
4. Chill before spreading. 

I'm not a huge chocolate fan myself, but add French silk frosting to this moist chocolate cake and I quite enjoy a nice slab!   However you wish to frost it...give the cake a try.