APPLE COFFEE CAKE is straight out of my Betty Crocker Bridal Edition Cookbook. (A very awesome wedding shower gift idea for any bride-to-be! I've been cooking out it for 9 years now and have yet to find a meal that doesn't please. Plus, it has great tips, charts, and pictures of dishes to show the cook what they might have done wrong if their meal came out looking like X, Y, Z pic.) But, enough about that! Let's get to the good stuff! *wink wink*My alteration of the recipe was a simple swapping of the 2 medium, sliced baking apples for a can of Cromstock's Cherry Pie Filling. LOL I chose the swap because at 7am, I had no desire to peel and slice the apples.
Hope you have a pen handy, because you'll be wanting to jot this recipe down! Talk about a perfect Sunday morning treat!
CHERRY COFFEE CAKE
Cake Batter:
2 cups Original Bisquick
2/3 cup milk
3 tablespoon sugar
1 large egg
Filling:
1 can of Cromstock's Cherry Pie Filling (originally was 2 med. cooking apples, sliced and peeled.)
2 tablespoons nuts (I omitted)
Streusel Topping:
2/3 cup Original Bisquick
2/3cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I omitted)
1/4 cup butter or margarine (firm
Directions for Streusel Topping:
Mix Bisquick, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cut in butter, using pastry blender, fork, or criss-crossing two knives, until mixture is crumbly.
Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3teaspoons milk
Directions for Glaze:
Mix ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. (I had to add an extra teaspoon or two of milk.)
DIRECTIONS:
1) Heat oven 400*. Grease bottom and sides of a square pan, 9x9x2 inches, with shortening. (I used an 28x18x4, which made for a thicker cake.)
2)Make Streusel Topping; set aside.
3)Stir in Bisquick, milk, egg, and sugar until blended; beat vigorously 30 seconds. Spread half of the batter in pan. Pour cherry filling over the top of the batter, sprinkle with half of the Streusel Topping. Spread remaining batter over the cherry filling/streusel topping. (I used my finger to help spread the batter over the gooey-goodness.) Sprinkle with remaining Streusel Topping and nuts.
4)Bake 20-25 mins or until toothpick inserted in center comes clean. (I opted for 23mins and think I will lessen by a minute or so next time.) Cool 20 minutes in pan on wire rack. Drizzle with Glaze. (I didn't wait the 20mins to drizzle. I glazed it after 5mins, because we were taking the dish with us to my in-laws. It was still yummy!)
I was really surprised by how fast everything came together. I think I had it baked and out the door in about an hour. Fast + Tasty= A perfect breakfast!
RECIPE RATING:
5 Stars *****
(Kid, hubby, AND father-in-law approved! lol)
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EASY-PEASEY MEAT LOAF! Meat loaf is a meal that can easily be made earlier in the day or the night before. When it's time to slap it in the oven, the dishes are all ready done and you're eating in less than an hour!
Here is the version I make (which has been kid and hubby tested and approved!)
1 1/2lb Ground Beef
1/2 cup Ketchup
1/3 cup Tomato Juice (I sub one can of tomato sauce)
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
(I add: couple dashes of Garlic Powder)
3/4 cup Bread crumbs (sometimes I use oatmeal instead)
1/4 cup Onion, chopped
2 teaspoon Prepared Mustard
(I also add: one envelope Lipton's Onion Soup Mix; a healthy dollop or two of my fav BBQ sauce; a dash of Worcestershire Sauce.)
Topping:
1/4 cup Ketchup
1/2 Teaspoon Prepared Mustard
2 teaspoon Brown Sugar
(I add: a dash or two of Worcestershire Sauce)
**I've found it necessary to double the topping recipe, so there is plenty of sauce to go around.
Directions:
1) Preheat oven 400*F
2) Mix all ingredients. Put in dish (I grease w/ PAM= easy clean up!). Shape meat mixture like a log.
3) Make topping and pour over meat loaf.
BAKE: 35-45min or until temps 160*F (I use a thermometer.)
When cooking this dish, I'll pair it with mashed potatoes, stuffing, or rice pilaf. For a veggie, usually I opted for corn or a peas and carrots mix.
If you have the time, extra meat, and space in your freezer: Make a second loaf and freeze it!! I do everything but make the sauce when freezing it. You can take the frozen meat loaf out and let it thaw in the refrigerator. I'll be making one or two to put away for when the baby comes! I'm all about making life easy!!
Hope your taste buds fall in love!! Enjoy!
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DOUGHNUTS: A Mama Writer's way of Sucking UP To The Family for always being strapped to a PC!
Prep: 30mins (if that!) Cook time: 2min Chill: 2hrs
3 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg (I OMITTED)
1/3 cup milk (used 2%)
1/2 cup (1stick) butter, melted
4 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup sugar
Vegetable oil for frying
Powdered sugar or cinnamon-sugar mix for dusting
(I made a glaze, because I'm all about making things fatter!)
1/2 cup Powdered sugar
2 tsp. milk
dash Vanilla
*I tripled these items, but added more of each until I liked the consistency.
DIRECTIONS for DOUGHNUTS:
1) In a bowl combine dry ingredients (except sugar); set aside.
In another bowl combine milk and melted butter (be sure butter isn't scorching hot). In a large mixing bowl, add eggs and the sugar; beat for 5mins or until thick. (will be white, frothy, and creamy looking). To the egg/sugar mixture, stir with wooden spoon to combine. Add flour mixture and stir with wooden spoon until smooth. Cover and chill dough for 2 hours (dough will remain slightly sticky)
2)Turn chilled dough out onto lightly floured surface (I had to use a little more than "lightly". Roll dough to 1/2" thickness. Cut dough with floured 2 1/2" cutter. Use 1 1/4" cutter for doughnut hole. You can also use the standard doughnut cutter.
3)Fry 2-3 doughnuts at a time in deep hot oil (375*) for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until brown, turning halfway. (Hubs found it easier to flip them using a bamboo skewer.) Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining doughnuts and doughnut holes.
4)Shake warm doughnuts in a bag with powdered sugar or cinnamon-sugar mix. Serve warm. (I glazed some of them with the powdered sugar/milk/vanilla mixture. It's a moist glaze, but gives the doughnut a caramel-like flavoring.)
Family's RATING: 5 stars- for both Taste AND Ease!!
Enjoy! :)
