Easy, Elegant Christmas Cakes

                                                                  

I absolutely love chocolate, don't you?  I think it is great any time of year.  Christmas for most means bread pudding, fruit cake; banana and pumpkin bread.  These are wonderful, but if you are like me you prefer chocolate year-round.  Adding simple garnishes with holiday flair can elevate a simple chocolate cake and make it something special your guests will enjoy.

To complete these recipes, you will need both a springform cake pan and a mini bundt cake pan.


My go-to for chocolate cake has always been the  "Chocolatetown Special Cake" recipe via the Hershey Company.  If you are in a time-crunch, a boxed cake will work just as well. 


Mini Bundt Cakes and Walnut torte:  
Spray your mini bundt cake pan and springform pan with cooking spray. Set aside.  


Hershey's Chocolatetown Special Cake

You will need:

1/2 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1/2 cup boiling water
2/3 cup shortening
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups buttermilk or sour milk*
Paper baking cups

*To make sour milk:  mix 4 teaspoons vinegar plus milk to equal 1 1/3 cups.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Stir together cocoa and boiling water in a small bowl until smooth.  Set aside. Cream shortening, sugar, and vanilla together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs; beat well. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a separate smaller bowl. Add alternatively with buttermilk to creamed mixture.  Blend in cocoa mixture.   Pour batter into your mini bundt pan leaving a 1/4 inch space for rising.  Pour the remaining batter into the springform pan.  It should be approximately one-inch thick if you use a small to medium pan.  Place mini bundt pan on a cookie sheet.  I used a double oven to bake both cakes at the same time.  Bake bundt cakes at 350 degrees approximately 20-25 minutes or until an inserted cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Cool ten minutes.  Remove from pan. Cool completely. Set aside. 


For the torte, bake approximately ten minutes, or just as edges begin to bubble.  Remove from oven.

Add approximately 1/4 cup chopped walnuts onto the batter followed by 2-3 tablespoons of sugar.

Continue baking at 350 another 10-15 minutes, or until cake tester/toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven.  Allow cake to cool before removing from the springform pan.

Making Your Presentation Shine

Presentation is everything when entertaining.  To give my mini bundt cakes a little Christmas charm, I added candy melt snowflakes, cranberries, powdered sugar, and sprigs of rosemary as garnish.  Powered sugar is an excellent garish to use when replicating snow, just as rosemary sprigs are similar in appearance to pine needles.  Adding these simple items truly make your cake stand out, and it will impress your guests!

To make the candy melt snowflakes, I simply used this snowflake mold.

 

Melt white candy melts down in a double boiler (or on very low heat).  Spoon into the mold, and allow to cool via refrigeration completely before removing.  To see these treats featured in my Christmas Desert and Tea Tablescape, you may do so by visiting the post on my other blog Parsimonious Décor Darling by clicking here.

Here is a closeup of the torte.

Closeup of the bundts and candy snowflakes. 

Have a wonderful holiday season!!

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Super-Easy Poison Apples

Don't you just love Fall?  A crisp in the air, lovely turning of the leaves; cozy sweaters in front of warm fireplaces......sigh!  

A wonderful treat this time of year is the candy apple.  If you'd like to give your candied apples an upgrade to make them wicked-cool and a hit among your guests, this is a very simple way to do so.  I hope you enjoy the post! 

You will need:

Small apples, rinsed, dried, and polished
Bulk caramel
1-2 tablespoons milk
Black food coloring
Red food coloring
Wax paper

Pour milk into your pan.  I don't have a double boiler, but my little Caphalon pan worked nicely.

Add caramels.  Melt on low heat, stirring constantly until smooth.  I used a skewer to stir.

Add drops of food coloring.  I added the red first.

Mix color until you no longer see the caramel color.  For the last step, hold the apple by the stem and slowly spoon the melted caramel over the apple.  Place on wax paper and allow to cool.

I made two red apples and three black, adding the black food coloring to the red caramel after making the red apples first.  I decided to make one unusual by first coating in red, allowing it to cool, then drizzling black over the red.  Even more macabre!  Viola!

To see these nummy treats featured in my Dark Tea Party, you may visit the post on my other blog Parsimonious Décor Darling by clicking here.

If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Perfection.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

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Vette's Vampy Tea

Velcome my dahlinks...  Zank you so much for wisiting my blog!  :)

Halloween is such a fun time to entertain!!  Just as I grant my childhood whimsy freedom during Christmas, when it is Halloween, I let my wicked self come out and play.  ;)

When planning a spooky soirée, it seems the consummate drink of choice is a red wine sangria.  However, when entertaining wee spirits and specters, or for people who don't particularly care for alcohol, this recipe is a nice alternative.  I hope you enjoy the post.

You will need:
Tea bags or brewed (pun intended, ha) tea
Cranberry juice
Strawberry syrup


Brew your tea.  Be sure to cackle as you do so.  :0)

You will need approximately 16 teabags per one gallon of tea.  Refrigerate until cool.  

Once cool, add strawberry syrup to taste.  My go-to fave is Torani Strawberry syrup.  The syrup is very sweet; I used approximately one-fourth cup.

A vampy tea should have bite (har-har), so I also added cranberry juice.  The tartness of the juice compliments the sweetness of the strawberry syrup quite well.  For my tea, I used approximately one half cup.  You may add the desired amount to suit your liking.  I didn't do so in this case, but you may also add blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, sliced strawberries, or a combination as garnish.  Enjoy!  

To see this featured in my Dark Tea Party, you may visit the post on my other blog, Parsimonious Décor Darling by clicking here. 

Sharing is caring, dahlinks!!  Feel vree to pin zee photo:

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Deliciously Easy Pot Pie

Hello, friends!  Wow, it seems like this weather is just never going to warm up!  

Spring, where are you?  The fortunate thing about a long, cold winter for a comfort-food lovin' gal like me is that I can indulge in all those naughty heavier foods I enjoy this time of year....maybe like the reverse of the chipmunk or bear saving for hibernation, I instead am stowing away calories for later to sustain me in the Spring and Summer when I like a lighter menu.  :)

On the menu for today, a super easy pot pie perfect for cold weather.  I hope you enjoy the post.  

For two pies you will need:

Four frozen pie crusts, thawed and ready to use

One 8 ounce can of cream of mushroom soup, divided

One 8 ounce can of cream of chicken soup, divided

Large bag frozen mixed vegetables

Approximately 1-1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about three large breasts)

Begin by cubing your breast meat. Season to your liking.  I personally use the same seasonings each time....a dash of garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and seasoned salt.  Brown your meat in a pan until almost completely cooked through.  Set aside.

Press your thawed pie crusts into pie tins.

 

In each tin, add half each of the cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup cans.  Stir together.

Add your cooked chicken and frozen vegetables, and mix together.  Cover each pie with the secondary crusts, and flute the edges.  You may also want to cut a small opening in each pie to allow steam to escape and prevent overflow.  All ready for the oven!

Bake at 350 degrees approximately twenty minutes to thirty minutes, or until crust is golden brown.  I also like to add butter to the crust approximately five minutes before I remove the pie.

Don't these look delish?  Yum, and so easy!

Dinner is served!

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Incredibly Easy Mint-Chip Ice Cream Pie

In my house, we absolutely adore comfort food.  Of those, my favorite most likely is dessert.  It's awful, but I have a terrible sweet tooth.  In honor of Saint Patrick's Day which is forthcoming,  I wanted to share one of my favorite recipes.  This pie is a favorite among guests at holidays, soooo very simple, and great any time of the year.

You will need:
A chocolate pie crust
Mint chip ice cream, softened
Cool whip or spray whipped cream
Chocolate sprinkles for garnish

Chocolate syrup for garnish
Ziplock bag or saran wrap

Begin by spooning your ice cream into your crust.

Using the ziplock bag or Saran Wrap, smooth the ice cream into the pie crust by gently pressing down.  The warmth from your hands will aid in this process. 

Spoon or spray whipped cream on top of the ice cream. 

Add chocolate sprinkle garnish. 

Place into a very cold freezer for 45 minutes to an hour to allow for setting time.  

To plate:  

I begin with a small saucer chilled beforehand. So cute!  Just love Ralph Lauren!  

Drizzle saucer with chocolate syrup. 

Set your pie slice in the center.  All set!

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Tex-Mex Style Chicken Soup

At the first iota of an inkling of colder weather, my kiddos (and admittedly the hubs and I) get our palates ready for one of our favorite cold-weather foods. We love soup!  Nothing warms the body nor the soul like a great bowl of hot soup.  Chicken soup, in particular, is one of my favorite things to cook for our family.  My recipe for this post, which incorporates the use of Hispanic seasonings, gives this chicken soup a decidedly Tex-Mex flavor.   

You will need: 

Chicken drumsticks, frozen or thawed

Cilantro (about 1/2 of a bunch)

One 8 ounce can of Rotelle tomatoes (I like lime cilantro or green chili flavor)

One whole garlic 

One small onion or half a large onion

Three large ears of corn

Two lemons

Four bell peppers of your choice. 

Approximately five medium-sized carrots 

Two stalks of celery

Caldo Pollo bullion

Celery Salt 

Begin by rinsing all of your vegetables.  Shuck corn, rinse.  Zest the lemons and discard skin (meaning peel, but minimally and not down to the flesh) .  IMPORTANT.  You must taste a small bit of lemon to ensure they are sour, and NOT bitter.  Bitter lemon can wreak havoc and ruin your whole dish.  Slice onion and peppers into large pieces or slivers.  Think fajita sized.  You may opt to hull your peppers and discard the inner flesh and seeds; if you prefer a spicer version, leave as is.  Slice garlic into thin slivers.  Divide lemons into quarters or six pieces each.  Remove as much seeds as possible.  Set lemon aside. Chop celery and remove any leaves. Discard the leaves.  Cut corn into pieces approximately two inches wide.  Set aside with other vegetables. Peel carrots, and slice into 1 inch sized peices. Reserve carrots. 

Years ago, a friend of ours Eric made a soup using whole drumsticks.  I had never seen it done before, but the soup was terrific. Every time I make this particular soup, I utilize that technique.  Fill a large stock pot with water.  Place all of the prepared vegetables (except carrots) and lemon pieces into the pot along with the drumsticks.  Using kitchen scissors, chop cilantro and add to the pot.  Add the canned tomatoes. Cook on medium to high heat.  Once you put your soup on, peel and chop your carrots.   As your soup cooks, add the Caldo bullion to your liking.  Add approximately one to two tablespoons of celery salt.   

Starting to become lovely, no?  I love the aroma of these flavors as they meld!

Continue cooking until the vegetables are cooked through.  You can gauge that by looking to see if the onion is transparent.  I am not a fan of raw celery, so I tend to use the celery as a gauge.  If the celery is cooked through, the other vegetables will certainly be.   Finally, add the chopped carrots. Carrots cook fairly quickly, so always add them last or they will be overcooked.  When the carrots are firm but you are able to pierce them with a fork or knife easily, your soup is ready to enjoy!

I prefer to serve this wonderful soup with a nice dollop of white or Spanish rice along with warm tortillas, tortilla chips, or both.

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Thanksgiving or Christmas Stuffing Makeover

I have such fond memories of my grandmother at Thanksgiving making her traditional from-scratch cornbread stuffing. I so miss that wonderful flavor.  Times definitely have changed...people tend to be busier and want things faster.  If you find yourself in a time-crunch this holiday season, this recipe is an easy way to make a delicious stuffing, lickety-split. 

You will need:  

Two boxes of instant stuffing (stovetop is my favorite)

1/2 cup walnuts or filberts

1/2 cup of dried cranberries

1/4 teaspoon thyme

2-3 tablespoons water

Begin by preparing stuffing according to package directions, set aside. 

Finely chop walnuts and cranberries.  Add to stuffing with 1 tablespoon of water. 

Across your stuffing, sprinkle the 1/4 teaspoon of thyme.  Add 1 tablespoon water. Mix altogether. This stuffing is best when used inside your fowl.  If comes out so wonderfully. 

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Mini Banana-Nut Loaves

Hello, friends!  Thank you for visiting my blog.

In our home, we really adore banana bread.  We love it as a snack, dessert, or as a traditional breakfast on Thanksgiving morning.  The following recipe is one I've used for several years and I absolutely love it.  You may use this recipe to make a traditional 9X5 loaf, or several mini loaves such as I've done here.

Ingredient List:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup real butter, softened (do not substitute)
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup (approximately 2 1/2 medium to large) very ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons melted butter
1-2 tablespoons sugar for dusting

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Grease bottoms of your mini loaf pans.  I personally prefer to use butter-flavored Crisco. 

In a large bowl, beat sugar and butter together until it has a light and fluffy consistency.  Beat in eggs.  Add mashed bananas, milk, and vanilla; blend well.  In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine flour, nuts, baking soda, and salt...mix thoroughly.  Add banana mixture to dry, stir until dry ingredients are moistened.  

Pour mixture into your pan(s).

Bake at 350 for approximately 50 minutes for one loaf, 40-45 for mini loaves.  I like a dense loaf, so do not overcook or the bread will turn out dry.  You can gauge this by inserting a toothpick into the bread.  The toothpick should come out almost completely clean.  

Remove your loaves from the oven. While still warm, brush with melted butter. 

Dust with sugar.

Cool approximately 3 minutes before removing from your pan.  Enjoy!

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Quick and Easy Chow Mein

Some of my favorite types of food in the whole world are dishes that come from the Orient.  From delectable Sushi in Japan, Pad Thai in Thailand, and the stir-frys of China, I adore them all!  One of my favorite Chinese dishes is Chow Mein.  This recipe for Chow Mein is super quick and easy. 

 

You will need:

 

1 small Onion

Garlic, approximately 2-3 cloves

Beef or Pork, approximately 1.5 lbs (I used a package of beef stew meat for this recipe)

Carrots, 3-4 medium

Cabbage (approximately 1/2 cup)

Six packages of instant Ramen noodles

Green onion as garnish

1-3 Tablespoons of Vegetable or Peanut oil

Dash Soy Sauce

1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Salt

 

First, put on a pot to boil.  Cook your Ramen noodles according to the package directions and set aside.  For this recipe, I used two Oriental Flavor, Two Beef Flavor, and Two Spicy Chile Shrimp.  Be sure to omit any extra moisture.  There should only be a small amount of soup. 

 

Next, slice your onion into medium-sized pieces.  Do not chop or mince.  Sliver approximately 3 cloves of garlic.  Heat oil on medium to high heat.  Begin sautéing the onion and garlic together along with the garlic salt in the oil when the oil is hot (I test this by sprinkling a little water into the oil.  If it sizzles, it's
ready).

 

When the onion is almost transparent, add the carrots.  Sauté for approximately five minutes.

Add the cabbage and sauté for about another five minutes.  

While this is cooking, season your meat.  I always implement my favorite seasonings: garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, and pepper.  Add the seasoned meat to your stir fry and sauté altogether.  

When the meat is nearly cooked through but still a bit pink on the inside, add your ramen noodles and stir-fry altogether.  Keep turning and sautéing approximately 5 minutes or until meat is cooked through. Right before you remove from heat, add a dash of Soy, and if you prefer, diced green onion. Cook approximately one minute.  All set!  Serves about 8-10.

 

 

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