Southern Pecan Praline Cake With Butter Sauce

Ingredients:

For The Cake:

1 (15 0z) box Butter Pecan Cake Mix
1 (16 0z) tub Coconut Pecan Frosting
4 eggs
3/4 cup oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped pecans

For The Sauce:

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp. butter
 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

I know I say this all the time but it bears repeating for the new cooks out there, I love the nonstick spray that has flour in it for baking.

In a medium bowl (or your stand mixer bowl), combine all the cake ingredients except for the chopped pecans.

Don't forget to add the tub of coconut pecan frosting. That goes into the cake batter too!

I just dump it all in there then let the mixer do the work.

Once it's all combined, stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans.
Pour batter into greased baking dish.

Bake for about 40 minutes.

As with most baked goods, oven times vary but cake should spring back to the touch and be golden brown.  And if you insert a toothpick into the middle it should come out clean.

This cake is perfectly good just like this.

It is moist and yummy.

But we're gonna take it up a notch with some butter sauce.

Butter Sauce:

In a small pot over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp. butter.

Pour in can of sweetened condensed milk with the melted butter and stir.

Continue to stir until heated thoroughly, then add 1/2 cup chopped pecans.
Stir again then take off heat.

Then spoon this deliciously yummy sauce over individual slices of cake.

I pour the sauce over the individual slices instead of just pouring it over the whole cake because I love to be able to scoop up some of the sauce off my plate as I eat it and I don't want the sauce to just become part of the cake. 

But if you are feeding a crowd, it may be easier to pour the sauce over the entire cake before serving.  This sauce takes this cake from yum to yowsers!

Cook's Note: You can also make this in a bundt pan. Bake for about 50 minutes.

Source: thecountrycook.net

Mardi Gras King Cake

"The King Cake is a New Orleans tradition that involves a pastry, a small plastic baby, and a party. The King Cake is baked with a small plastic baby hidden inside, the person who gets the slice with baby in it has to host the next party. Make sure to buy a new small plastic baby so you can get the full effect from this cake! Sprinkle with purple, green and gold sugar, or decorate with whole pecans and candied cherries. Note: Be sure to tell everyone to inspect their piece of cake before they begin eating it. To be extra careful, use a plastic toy baby that is too large to swallow, or hide an orange wedge or 3-4 pecan halves inside the cake (avoid items that may hurt someone's teeth) and then simply place the honorable toy baby outside on the top of the cake for all to see and adore!"

Ingredients:

Original recipe makes 2 cakes Change Servings

• Pastry:
  
  
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 2/3 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 
  

• Filling:
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 
  
• Frosting:
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions:

1. Scald milk, remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of butter. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water with 1 tablespoon of the white sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. When yeast mixture is bubbling, add the cooled milk mixture. Whisk in the eggs. Stir in the remaining white sugar, salt and nutmeg. Beat the flour into the milk/egg mixture 1 cup at a time. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours. When risen, punch down and divide dough in half.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
5. To Make Filling: Combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, chopped pecans, 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup raisins. Pour 1/2 cup melted butter over the cinnamon mixture and mix until crumbly.
6. Roll dough halves out into large rectangles (approximately 10x16 inches or so). Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough and roll up each half tightly like a jelly roll, beginning at the wide side. Bring the ends of each roll together to form 2 oval shaped rings. Place each ring on a prepared cookie sheet. With scissors make cuts 1/3 of the way through the rings at 1 inch intervals. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Push the doll into the bottom of the cake. Frost while warm with the confectioners' sugar blended with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.

Source: allrecipes.com

Strawberry Pecan Cake

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix
1/2 cup milk
1 small box strawberry jello
4 eggs
1 cup wesson oil
1 cup coconut
1 cup fine chopped strawberries
1 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

Mix all ingredients; bake in 3 layers at 350 degrees according to cake
directions. 

Frosting:

1 stick butter 1/2 cup coconut
1 box powdered sugar 1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup strawberries ,drained 8 oz cream cheese
Cream sugar and butter; add remaining ingredients. Spread between layers and over cake. Refrigerate.

Source: James R. Sease Farms, Inc.

Fresh Strawberry Upside Down Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups crushed fresh strawberries
1 (6 ounce) package strawberry flavored Jell-O® mix
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 (18 ounce) package yellow cake mix, batter prepared as directed on package

Directions:

1.Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.Spread crushed strawberries on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Evenly sprinkle strawberries with the dry gelatin powder, and top with mini marshmallows.
3.Prepare the cake mix as directed on the package, and pour on top of the marshmallows. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the pan to loosen the sides, and turn the cake out onto a serving tray. Store cake in the refrigerator.

Source: hard core country

Easy Coconut Cream Pie

Ingredients:

2pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
2cups cold milk
2cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided
1cup BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut, divided
1 ready-to-use graham cracker crumb crust (6 oz.)

Directions:

BEAT pudding mixes and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in 1 cup COOL WHIP and 3/4 cup coconut; pour into crust.

REFRIGERATE 4 hours or until set. Meanwhile toast remaining coconut, if desired.

TOP pie with remaining COOL WHIP and coconut.

Source: Hard Core Country

Fried Peach Pie

Ingredients:

For the Filling:

6 to 7 oz dried fruit, such as peaches, apples, or apricots
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
4 Tbsp (½ stick) butter or margarine
1 Tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp ground cinnamon

For the Dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
½ cup shortening
½ cup milk, plus more if needed
Vegetable Oil

Directions:

1.Place the dried fruit in a large saucepan and add the water and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the fruit is tender and the sugar is dissolved, about 20 minutes.

2.Add all the other ingredients and mash together with a potato masher or fork. Set aside while you prepare the dough.

3.To make the dough, in a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening with a long-tined fork. Add the milk and stir until the dough sticks together. Divide into 10 portions. Roll each portion out on a floured surface into a 5- or 6-inch circle. Place 2 tablespoons of filling in each. Wet the edges and fold over, crimping with a fork.

4.In a large skillet, pour the oil to a depth of ¼ inch and heat over medium heat. Add the fruit pies to the hot oil and fry until browned on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes, turning as needed. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.

Makes: 10 pies

Source: chloesblog.bigmill.com

Banana Bread Brownies

These will melt in your mouth!!! So moist and delicious!

Ingredients:

1-1/2 c. sugar
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 eggs
1-3/4 (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)
Brown Butter Frosting:
1/2 c. butter
4 c. powdered sugar
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. milk

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375F. Grease and flour 15x10-inch jelly roll pan. For the bars, in a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy. Blend in bananas and vanilla extract. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and blend for 1 minute. Stir in walnuts.
2. Spread batter evenly into pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, for frosting, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Let the butter turn a delicate brown and remove from heat immediately.
4. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Whisk together until smooth (it should be thicker than a glaze but thinner than frosting). Using a spatula, spread the brown butter frosting over the warm bars (the frosting will be easier to spread while the bars are still warm).

Source: Courtney Luper