ghetto eclairs

13x9 pan

cover bottom of pan in graham crackers
3 c milk
2 pkg (4 serving) instant vanilla pudding
beat with whisk for 2 min
let stand 5 min
fold in 8oz coolwhip

1/2 of filling on top of graham crackers
another layer of graham crackers
rest of filling
layer of graham crackers
frosting/ganache on top

banana bread

350 degrees

1.75  c sifted flour
2 t baking powder
.25 t baking soda
.5 t salt
1/3 c shortening
2/3 c sugar
2 eggs
1 c mashed banana

sift together dry ingredients

mix sugar and eggs, mix in shortening
add dry ingredients to wet

add banana, nuts if desired
bake 1 hour

White and Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Chocolate Cake Bars

Makes 24 bars
1 box devil’s food cake chocolate cake mix (or your favorite boxed chocolate cake mix)
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (bourbon vanilla is especially nice)
1 to 2 tablespoons cold brewed coffee or water, optional if necessary
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1 can (14-ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup (4 ounces) cream cheese, softened (I use whipped cream cheese)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (clear imitation vanilla extract will keep this layer whiter)

Preheat oven to 350F and prepare a 9-by-13 inch pan by lining it with aluminum foil and then spraying it with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, butter, egg, vanilla and mix either with a mixer, with a spoon, or with your hands, kneading it together. The batter will be extremely thick and will be difficult to combine, but keep stirring or use your fingers and knead it together, adding the coffee (will deepen the flavor and does not make them taste like coffee) or water if necessary. Press the dough it into the prepared pan. It will be tacky, sticky, and a bit tricky to work with, but keep pressing, spreading, and finessing it. Sprinkle the white and dark chocolate chips evenly over the top.
In a mixing bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk and cream cheese, stir until well combined, and pour mixture evenly over dough, using a spatula to gently spread and even it if necessary. Bake for 24 to 27 minutes, or until edges of bars begin to barely brown and pull away slightly from the sides of the pan, or until the middle has barely set, taking care not to overbake. Note that the middle will not seem very well set and will be jiggly upon removing from oven and that is okay, you want to keep these gooey. They will continue to set up more after they have cooled. Allow bars to cool well before slicing and serving. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for up to three months.

shrimp bisque

2 t old bay seasoning
12 oz. medium shrimp in shells
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
12 oz. evaporated milk
1 c milk
2 T flour
2 t anchovy paste (can sub fish sauce)
2 c water

1. in 4 qt dutch oven, combine 2 c water, seasoning, shrimp and celery. Cook, uncovered over MH for 5 - 8 min. or until shrimp shells turn pink and shrimp are opaque. Remove shrimp and set aside to cool.

2. In m bowl, whisk together evap milk, milk, flour and anchovy paste. Add to dutch oven. Cook uncovered over M for 10 min, stir occasionally.

3. Peel the shrimp. Chop about half and add shrimp to soup. Cook for 1 -2 min until heated through.

chocolate cake

350 degrees (basically from bakerella) 

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour  (180g)

2/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa (29 g)

1 1/2 cup sugar (300 g)

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

2 eggs 

1/2 cup vegetable oil 

2 teaspoons vanilla 

3/4 cup buttermilk 

2/3 cup hot water(or coffee)

Buttercream Frosting: 1 1/2 cups butter 1 teaspoon vanilla

6 cups powdered sugar 4-8 Tablespoons milk

2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels, if desired

Chocolate Ganache: 3/4 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup butter 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

For the cake:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease the bottom of two 9-inch cake pans. Then place parchment paper cut to size on the bottom of each pan and grease paper. Dust pans with cocoa.
• Sift dry ingredients together and place in a large mixing bowl.
• Add eggs, oil, milk and vanilla and beat for a couple of minutes until combined.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add hot water and mix together.
• Pour into prepared pans and bake for about 28-30 minutes. Batter will be very liquid.
• Cool for about 5 minutes in the pan. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

For the frosting:

• Beat the butter in a mixer until smooth.
• Add vanilla and mix until combined.
• Add the powdered sugar in several additions, scraping down the sides after each addition.
• Add milk a tablespoon at a time and mix together until you achieve a smooth consistency.
• Note: If you want your frosting whiter without using shortening, add a little white icing color to tint.

For the ganache:

• Heat cream and butter in a saucepan until melted and remove before it starts to boil.
• Place chocolate morsels in a small bowl and pour cream on top. Let sit for a few seconds and whisk by hand until completely incorporated and smooth.
• Let cool until thick and pourable.
• The ganache can take a bit to thicken. You can make it before the buttercream, to save time. Just use a wire whisk to stir it every few minutes and keep it smooth

To assemble: trim tops off of cake layers with a long serrated knife so they have a nice, flat top. Place one layer bottom side up on cake stand. Mix about 2/3 cup morsels with about 1 cup of the frosting. Spread frosting on top of bottom layer. Place second layer on top. It helps to have a crumb coat on the outside of your cake first. Simply apply a thin coat of frosting to the entire cake to catch andy excess crumbs. Then place cake in freezer for a few minutes to firm up frosting and cover the entire cake again with a thick layer of buttercream. This will help you keep all those crumbs from getting caught in your pretty work. Slowly, pour ganache over center of cake. Pour just enough to start dripping down the sides.

roman stew

2 lbs top round - cubed
1/2 c seasoned flour
1 T olive oil
6 oz chopped bacon
1 medium onion- chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 stalks celery - sliced
1 T marjoram
1 c red wine
1/2 c beef stock
2 T tomato sauce

1- dredge meat in flour, brown in olive oil
2- cook bacon
3- use fat to saute vegetables
4- add meat and remaining ingredients (sans tomato sauce)
5- simmer 30-40 min to 1 hour with no lid
6- after meat is tender, add tomato sauce and simmer additional 30-40 min

notes: i generally don't have tomato sauce and use marinara or tomato soup concentrate

stupid turkey noodle bake

350 degrees
brown 1-2 lbs ground turkey
2 c shredded cheese
1.5 c uncooked noodles
1 can condensed cream onion soup
1 c milk
8 oz frozen peas

1- brown turkey, season with s + p, paprika, garlic powder, thyme
2- boil egg noodles
3- mix all in bowl. grease 2 qt casserole dish and bake
30-60 min covered

4- uncover and top with last 1/2 c cheese for 15-20 min