Classic Southern Caramel Cake

Classic Southern Caramel Cake
Posted on The Art of Cooking's Facebook Page

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups flour, self-rising
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare three 9-inch cake pans by greasing them and adding optional parchment paper. Beat butter until light and fluffy and then add sugar and beat for about 5 more minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and mix well after each. Add flour and buttermilk, alternately, beginning and ending with flour and mix well after each. Add vanilla and beat well. Divide among pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until set.

Turn out of pans onto cooling racks and allow to cool completely. Prepare Southern Caramel Icing as cakes are cooling then frost the cake.

Southern Caramel Frosting

2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup Crisco
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix all ingredients in a 3-4 quart cast iron dutch oven.
Swirl pan to keep ingredients moving in the pan. Cook to softball stage 235 - 245 on a candy thermometer or when tested in a cup of cold water. Remove from heat and beat with a wooden spoon until creamy and ready to spread.

No thermometer? Do the cold water test:

Take a some of the caramel and drop it into a bowl or cup of cold water. Give it a few seconds to cool. Fish around in the bowl or cup of cold water and try to retrieve the caramel and make a little ball with it.

If you stick your fingers into the bowl, pull out a gooey mess and you can't do anything but smear the caramel, you need to boil the caramel some more. There is still too much water in your caramel and the concentration of sugar is too low. The caramel may even form little threads in the water, but if you cannot get the threads to form into a ball, you have some more boiling to do.

Sea Salt Caramel Brownies

Sea Salt Caramel Brownies
Posted on Culinary.net

Ingredients

1 package fudge brownie mix
Eggs
Vegetable oil
Water
20 pieces individually wrapped caramels
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon Morton Coarse Sea Salt

Preparation

Heat oven and prepare brownie mix per on-pack directions. Place brownie mix in 8-inch by 8-inch baking pan and set aside.

Place unwrapped caramels and milk in microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute, then 10-second intervals until the caramels are easily whisked.

Whisk caramel sauce until caramel mixture is smooth and thoroughly combined. Drizzle caramel sauce on top of brownie batter.

Bake brownie batter per package directions. Remove brownies from oven. Sprinkle Morton Coarse Sea Salt over brownies. Cool brownies before cutting.

Crab & Cream Cheese Snacks

Crab & Cream Cheese Snacks
Posted on Rose's Healthy Kitchen Table's Facebook Page


1-8 oz. tube crescent roll dough
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup cooked crabmeat, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1/8- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Unroll dough on work surface. Pinch seams to seal and roll with a rolling pin to create an even rectangle. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows to make 24 squares.

In small bowl, mix cream cheese, mayo, crabmeat, onion, and red pepper. Salt and pepper to taste. Divide crab mixture evenly among the squares, dropping it by spoonfulls that are 1/2 inch from 1 corner of each square. Starting with same corner, fold dough over filling, and tuck end tightly underneath filling; continue rolling to within 1/2 inch of opposite corner. Roll opposite corner of dough over roll; press to seal. Place on cookie sheet. Brush with egg white, if desired.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

Mexican Chicken

Mexican Chicken Posted on Susan Holley Odom's Facebook Page
4 1/2 lb frozen chicken tenders
2- 15oz can corn (drained)
2- 15oz can black beans (drained and rinsed)
2- 15oz can rotel
2- blocks cream cheese

Dump all ingredients over frozen tenders and cook for 6-8 hrs. Before serving shred chicken and serve over chips/rice/flour tortillas and top with cheese and sour cream.

Never-Ending Dryer Sheets

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 Container with an airtight lid (grabbed out of my pantry)
4 sponges cut in half ($1.00 for a 4pk at the dollar store)
1 cup of your favorite fabric softener ($0.30 worth of fabric softener)
2 cups water (free from my tap)


WHAT TO DO:

Mix the water and fabric softener into a plastic container.

Add the cut sponges so they can soak in the mixture.

When ready to use, squeeze the excess liquid from 1 sponge and place into the dryer with your wet clothes.
Run the dryer cycle as normal. Once complete place the now dry sponge back into the container of liquid for use next time.

Clothes smell good, are soft and have no static just like the expensive non-reusable dryer sheets.


*Borrowed this picture from ~ http://www.livingonacoupon.com/2013/07/simplify-my-life-homemade-shout-stain.html

Snickerdoodle Bread

Snickerdoodle Bread
Posted on Gerrie Vernon's Facebook Page

2½ cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup butter softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
¾ cup sour cream
1 pkg. Hershey's cinnamon chips
3 TB sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon

Directions

Cream butter, sugar, salt and cinnamon until fluffy.

Add eggs and mix well.

Add vanilla and sour cream and mix well.

Mix flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add to wet ingredients and mix until all combined.

Add cinnamon chips and stir into batter. Set aside.

Spoon batter into 4 mini loaf pans until about 2/3 full.

Mix 3 T. sugar and 3 t. cinnamon in a bowl and sprinkle over the batter in each loaf pan.

Bake at 350 for 35-38 minutes. Let cool before removing from pan

Peanut Butter Chocolate Eclair Cake

Peanut Butter Chocolate Eclair Cake
Posted on The Art of Cooking's Facebook Page

1 box chocolate graham crackers (there will be a few graham crackers left over)
2 (3 1/4 -ounce) boxes vanilla instant pudding
1 cup peanut butter
3 1/2 cups milk
1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip
1 can chocolate frosting

Spray bottom of 9 X13 pan with cooking spray.

Line the bottom of the pan with whole graham crackers.

In a bowl using an electric mixer, mix pudding with milk, peanut butter; beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in whipped topping.

Pour half the pudding mixture over graham crackers. Place another layer of whole graham crackers on top of pudding layer. Pour over remaining half of pudding mixture and cover with another layer of graham crackers.

Heat the container of prepared frosting, uncovered for 1 minute. Pour over top of cake.

Refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving!