Tuesday Tip of the Day ~How to Make a Heart Cake without a Heart Pan

With Valentine's Day this coming weekend, 

you may be thinking about making a special dessert.

Perhaps you have seen this idea on your facebook newsfeed or on pinterest.

These directions are from the Boys and Girls cookbook 

that I used as a child when I was in 4-H.

pinterest image

Be sure that you if you use an 8x8 inch square pan,

that you use a round pan that is 8 inches in diameter.

Grease and flour the pans and divide your cake mix batter 

between the square and the round pans.

Bake the square layer 30 to 35 minutes and the round layer for 35 to 40 minutes 

or until the toothpick comes clean.

Decorate the cake with pink frosting with red accents.

This idea can be used for Mother's Day too, as shown here.

Happy Valentine's Day from the Old Farmhouse.

Deep Dish Apple Pie

 

Deep Dish Apple Pie

Apple Pie Filling

6 cups pared, cored, and thinly sliced apples 

2/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp. flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

2 tbsp. butter

Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl. 

Stir in the prepared apples. 

Pastry~Pie Crust

3 cups flour

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 cup shortening

8 – 10 tbsp. cold water

Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in the shortening. Sprinkle 2 tbsp. water over the flour mixture. Gently toss with a fork. Repeat until all flour is moistened.  Form dough into two balls. Place between two sheets of waxed paper. Flatten ball with hand. Roll from center to edge until 1/8 inch thick.

To assemble pie: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place 1 crust in bottom of the pie pan. Turn the apple mixture into pastry lined pan. Dot with butter. Cover with the top crust that has slits cut to allow steam to escape.  Seal top and bottom crust with a little cold water. Flute the edges.

 Dab milk on top crust. Sprinkle with sugar. Protect fluted edge with a pie shield. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 40 minutes.

Serve warm with ice cream.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Pie

The Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup granulated sugar

6 tbsp butter, melted

My favorite appliance for the graham cracker crust is my food processor.

Place the crackers in the processing bowl and with a few pulses of the blade, you have perfect crumbs.

Add sugar and pulse a couple more times to blend thoroughly.

With the processor running, slowly pour the melted butter in through the feeding tube.

Press the crumb mixture into a 9" pie pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 7 minutes.

Cool completely.

The Chocolate Pudding Pie Filling

1 pkg. (5 oz) Cook and Serve Chocolate Pudding

1 egg

2 1/2 cups milk

Place egg in saucepan. Add milk.

Whisk this together thoroughly.

Add package of chocolate pudding and pie filling.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Be careful not to scorch your pudding.

When the pudding bubbles and thickens, remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Spread into cooled crust.

The Whipped Topping

Prepare whipped cream or use a prepared whipped topping.

Add a dollop to each individual serving or

"frost" your entire pie.

This is perfect for summer, 

as you need to have the oven on for just a short time.

This, by the way, is my hubby's all time favorite dessert!

Fruit Pizza

This is a cool and refreshing dessert...

perfect for summer.

The Cookie Crust

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup flour

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup butter, softened

Mix the dry ingredients together. Cut in butter with a pastry blender.

Press cookie crust into a round pizza pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

Cool completely.

The Cream Cheese Layer

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp. pineapple juice (reserved from canned pineapple)

Beat together and spread on cooled crust.

Fruit Topping

Arrange any assortment of fruit on top.

I recommend:

Fresh Strawberries

Kiwi

Banana

Pineapple Tidbits

Mandarin Oranges

Blueberries

Maraschino Cherries

Use your imagination and creativity when arranging your fruit.

(On the fourth of July, I use strawberries, banana, and blueberries 

for a red, white and blue pizza.)

Enjoy!

Easy No-Bake Cheesecake

This is an Easy...Easy...No Bake Cheesecake...

Graham Cracker Crust

• 1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted

Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter or margarine, until well blended .

 Press mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate.

Chill for about an hour.

Cheesecake Filling

1/2 c. sugar

8 oz. cream cheese

8 oz. Whipped Topping

1 tsp. vanilla

Beat cream cheese with sugar and vanilla. Fold in whipped topping.

Pour into graham cracker crust and spread until smooth.

Chill at least 2 hours.

Serve with fruit topping.

We served our cheesecake with cherry and blueberry toppings... 

on the side.

This is light and refreshing for a quick summer dessert.

Sweet Roll Dough ~ Cinnamon Rolls

Sweet Roll Dough

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

1/3 cup dry milk

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup shortening

1 tsp. salt

1 egg

3 1/2 cups flour

+ flour for kneading

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl.

Stir in milk, sugar, shortening, egg, salt and 2 cups of the flour.

Beat by hand until smooth.

Mix in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface.

Knead until smooth and elastic, minimum of 5 minutes.

Place in a greased bag and refrigerate overnight.

Cinnamon Rolls

The next day, remove dough from refrigerator and allow to return to room temperature.

Punch down and roll into a rectangle.

Spread dough with softened butter, leaving one long edge "naked".

Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon mixture...be sure to leave the one long edge "naked".

Stretch and roll toward the "naked" edge, and seal.

With seam side down, cut into 16 rolls.

(for tips...click here)

Place cut side down in a greased 9 x 13" baking pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes.

Drizzle with Powdered Sugar Glaze.

Submitted by,

~Natalie

Tins and Treasures

White Bread

I've tried many different white bread recipes over the years and this one has to be the BEST one yet!!!

Below is the recipe for the bread that Walter Sands made faithfully once a week for years. Walter was the father of Frank E. Sands, King Arthur Flour's current chairman of the board. Because of his arthritic hands, he used a bread bucket with a crank, which kneaded hundred of loaves of this fragrant bread with all its happy associations.

2 cups (16 ounces) warm water
2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) sugar or honey (1 1/2 ounces)
1 scant tablespoon or packet active dry yeast
1/2 cup (2 ounces) dry milk powder or granules (1 1/4 ounces), optional
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) butter, softened, or vegetable oil (7/8 ounce)
6 cups (25 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons salt

Pour the warm water into a mixing bowl. Add and let dissolve the sugar or honey and then the yeast. When the yeast is bubbling, add the dry milk, butter and 3 cups of flour and the salt. Mix together and then stir in a further 2 1/2 cups of flour. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup on the surface you intend to use for kneading.

Knead the dough for 3 to 4 minutes, until it begins to behave as if it belonged together. Let it rest while you clean and grease the bowl. Continue kneading a further 3 to 4 minutes, until the dough feels smooth and springy.

Let the dough rise until doubled (1 to 2 hours). Knock it down, knead out any stray bubbles, cut it in half and form two loaves. Place them in two lightly greased 4 1/2 x 8 1/2-inch bread pans. Let rise until almost doubled (45 minutes to 1 hour).

Preheat the oven for 15 minutes to 350°F. Bake the loaves 35 to 40 minutes, or until nicely browned. Remove bread from oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Yield: 2 loaves.

This recipe reprinted from The Baking Sheet Newsletter, Vol. III, No. 6, July-August 1992 issue.

Bread in a Bag

1 Large Heavy Duty Freezer Bag

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (105 - 115 degrees)

1/3 cup powdered milk

2 tbsp. sugar

2 tbsp. margarine

1 tsp. salt

3 cups + 1/2 cup flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water in the bag.

Add all ingredients except the flour.

Close the bag with one hand, using the other hand to mix the ingredients.

Add the flour, one cup at a time.

When the dough begins to form a ball, empty the bag onto a lightly floured surface.

Knead the dough about 5 minutes, until it becomes a smooth round ball.

Do not add too much flour.

Place dough into a greased bag and place in refrigerator overnight.

The Next Day

Allow dough to return to room temperature.

Shape into a loaf or dinner rolls.

For crescent rolls,

roll dough into a circle, using your hands to help shape the dough.

Spread with softened butter or margarine.

Using a pizza cutter, cut into uniform sized wedges.

Starting at the base of the triangle, stretch and roll.

Bend the roll to create a crescent shape.

Place on a greased baking sheet, tip side down.

Allow rolls to rise until double in size.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes until golden brown.

Enjoy!

recipe by Natalie from Tins and Treasures