Scottish Black Bun

Eaten at New Year, and guaranteed to blow your head off :) My mother made an amazing black bun!

Ingredients for filling:

225g of plain flour
50g of soft brown sugar
450g of currants
450g of raisins
450g of sultanas
175g of mixed peel
50g of chopped almonds
50g of ground almonds
3 eggs
1 egg with the yolk and white separated
Buttermilk to mix
60mls of whisky or brandy
1 teaspoon of mixed spice
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Half teaspoon of cayenne pepper
Half teaspoon of baking soda
Half teaspoon of cream of tartar

Ingredients for Pastry Case:

225g of plain flour
125g of margarine
Pinch of salt
Cold water to mix

For the Pastry:

1.Sieve the flour and the salt.

2. Rub in the butter and then mix in the water. The dough should start to become stiff.

3. On a pastry board roll out the mixture into a thin square.

Set aside and make the black bun filling.

For the Black Bun:

1.To make the filling for Black Bun you should first grease two 2lb loaf tins or a large tin.

2. Sieve the flour and mix in the sugar, ground almonds, mixed spice, cinnamon, ground ginger, cayenne pepper, baking soda and the cream of tartar.

3. Now stir in the dried fruits of currants, raisins, sultanas, candied peel and the chopped almonds.

4. Gently fold in the beaten eggs and the buttermilk until the mixture becomes soft and moist.

5. Add the alcohol.

6. Use about two thirds of the pastry to line the tins. If the pastry has to be joined then wet these so that a good seal is formed.

7. Put the black bun mixture into the tin, on top of the pastry. Make sure it is packed firmly and then level off.

8. Brush the top of the fruit mixture with the white of the egg.


Thanks to Marie Treanor!

Two Bite Brownies

Makes 24 Mini Muffin Cup Servings

(I used mini muffin cups because it makes serving easy and looks fancy).

Ingredients:

1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (or simply use salted butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C for our Cdn friends). Grease and flour your pans if you're not using non-stick.

2. In a medium bowl, beat together the butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Combine the flour, cocoa, and salt (if you're not using salted butter). Stir that into the sugar and egg mixture. Mix in the vanilla. Spread in the unlined mini muffin cups.

3. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the edges are firm and there are no moist spots in the middle (check your oven, mine bakes in about 7 minutes). Cool, pop out of the cups, and eat, I mean serve.

Variations - add nuts if you're going high end.If you want to get all Martha Stewart, place a doily over top and sprinkle with icing sugar to make a design.

Thanks to Kimber Chin!

3 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

Ingredients:

1 Coffee Mug (LARGE)
4 tablespoons regular flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional ... yeah, right!)
Small splash of vanilla

Directions:

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.

Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.

Add chocolate chips and vanilla, and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
(We cooked it 3 minutes total - 2 minutes, then 30 seconds, then 30 more seconds, to be careful) at 1200 watts, and the cake was still really soft/wet in the center. Yummy that way ... with melted chocolate chips at the bottom.

Allow to cool a little and tip it out onto a plate, if desired.

We ate straight out of the mugs. The cake contracts as it cools, and it's moist enough that it doesn't stick to the mug lining.

YUMMMMMMMMMMY! And almost too much for one person. Although, if you really FORCE yourself, you can finish it.

We also thought of ways to adapt/alter the recipe - like substitute a tablespoon of instant coffee for 1 tablespoon of cocoa, or add other flavorings/ingredients. Mint chocolate chips. Raspberry flavoring, etc.

Thanks to Michelle Levigne!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares (taste like Reese's PB Cups)

Ingredients:

3/4c melted butter
2c icing sugar
1c smooth peanut butter
1&1/2c graham cracker crumbs
1&1/2c-2c chocolate chips

Directions:

Mix first four ingredients together and press into 9X13 pan.
Melt chocolate chips and spread evenly on top.
Refrigerate until chocolate is hard.

Thanks to Lisa W!

My Mother's Easter Cakes(Scicilian)

Ingredients:

12 - Eggs
4 - Cups Sugar
12 - Tablespoons Crisco
2 - Cups of Milk
12 - Teaspoons baking powder
16 - Cups (about 3 lbs.) Flour

Directions:

Beat eggs, then put in sugar and continue to beat. Melt Crisco, while this is cooling heat the milk to lukewarm and put in the above mixture along with the baking powder, then put in the cooled Crisco. Mix each time an indgredient is added to the mixture.

Add enough flour for a soft but not sticky dough to form.
Roll out the dough and shape it into a horseshoe or round cakes. Put row of washed eggs on top (this is opptional). Bake at 350 degrees until the cake top is nicely browned (about 20 minutes or less). Use colored frosting to decorate. You can also use tinted coconut (green to look like straw) and put next to eggs.

This large recipe makes 16 cakes and can be halved or quatered to make 8 or 4 cakes.
NOTE: Anise may be added to this mixture.

Thanks to Michelle!

Everything Cheesecake

Ingredients:

CRUST
One 12 ounce package of refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (or frozen, thawed)

FILLING
5 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese - softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup toffee chips (chocolate covered toffee chips if available)
1 cup crushed Oreo® Cookies (cheesecake)
1/2 cup crush Oreo® Cookies (topping)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Directions:

CRUST
Cut cookie dough into slices, press evenly in the bottom of a greased 10" spring form pan. Set aside.

FILLING
Beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy.
Mix in the peanut butter and vanilla. Add eggs. Beat just until blended.
Stir in chocolate, peanut butter, and toffee chips and 1 cup of crushed Oreo® cookies. Pour the mixture over the crust. Sprinkle top with 1/2 cup crushed Oreo® cookies.
Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until the center is set.

NOTE: Place a dish filled with water in the oven while baking the cheesecake. This helps keep the oven hydrated and the cheesecake from cracking.

Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes, then carefully run a knife between side of pan and the cake to loosen from sides of pan.
Cool completely before removing the sides of the springform pan, and then refrigerate the cheesecake for several hours (preferably over night) before serving.

Thanks to Kim!

Banana Pudding

You take vanilla instant pudding, make like normal

On a separate bowl I use see through cause its pretty looking

Line it with vanilla cookies ( nillas)

Then add the pudding and put fresh sliced bananas in layers in it.
Looks pretty when its done.

Thanks to Tina!

Banana Cake

(Shelley's favorite recipe - from the Edmonds Cookery Book)

Ingredients:

125g (4 oz) butter
175g (6 oz) sugar
2 eggs
2 mashed bananas
1 teaspoons baking soda
2 Tablespoons boiling milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
225g (8oz) flour

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, mashed bananas, then baking soda dissolved in boiling milk. Lastly add flour and baking powder previously mixed. Bake in two greased sandwich tins for 20 mins at 180 degrees C (350F).

Note - I tend to improvise when I cook anything. I like to add either walnuts or chocolate raisins or plain chocolate chips to my cake. I cook mine in one loaf tin. I also like to add some wholemeal flour so substitute some of the white for wholemeal. My oven is a fan bake one and it tends to cook more quickly so I set my timer for ten minutes and check my cake. Normally it takes around 15 minutes before the top springs back when I touch it and/or cracks appear in the top. Once cool I ice with either chocolate icing or lemon icing, depending on my mood. I make a glace icing with icing sugar, a bit of butter, cocoa and a dash of boiling water to bring it to the right
consistency.

Thanks to Shelley Munro!

LINDA'S COMPLICATED BUT WORTH IT 3 POUND CHEESECAKE

ALL INGREDIENTS SHOULD BE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
Note: If you don't have a stand mixer or a REALLY GOOD hand mixer, don't bother with this one.

Ingredients:

A double batch of your favorite crumb crust, pressed onto the bottom and slightly up the sides of a 9 inch spring-form pan, and baked at 300 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool thoroughly (I usually do this the night before and let it sit). Crust will be thick.

1 pound of cream cheese
1 pint of sour cream
1 pint of small curd cottage cheese
4 eggs
one and a half sticks of butter, melted (not margarine!! c'mon--if you're gonna go to this much trouble, use the real thing)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 tablespoons corn starch
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions:

Put cottage cheese, eggs and flavorings into food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Pour into large mixing bowl.

Add cream cheese and beat until smooth
Add sour cream, flour and corn starch, beat until smooth

Bake in a 300 degree oven for an hour and five minutes. Turn off oven and leave cheesecake inside for an additional 2 hours.

Remove cheesecake and allow to cool for 7 hours (overnight)
Refrigerate until chilled.
Serve any way you want it.

This is a New York deli-style cheesecake. It's as good as they get.

Thanks to Linda!

Easy Dump Cake

Ingredients:

1 box cake mix, any flavor (I use chocolate)
1 large can crushed pineapple
1 large can cherry pie filling
2 sticks butter or margerine (Each cut into 12 slices)
1/4 C chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a 9x13 baking pan.
Dump pineapple into pan and smooth. Spoon cherry pie filling on top of pineapple, but do NOT mix, leave in layers. Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the fruit
layers. Place butter slices evenly all over cake mix.
Add nuts on top if desired. Bake for 1 hour. To serve,cake out with a large spoon like a cobbler. Great served warm or cold. Can also be served with ice cream.

Thanks to Pat Cochran!

Strawberry-Rhubard Pie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups fresh rhubarb -- peel with a vegetable peeler and chop
3 cups fresh strawberries -- clean and slice in half
1 plain (homemade or store-bought) pie crust -- enough for bottom and
top crust

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Sift together all dry ingredients. Sprinkle bottom of crust with 1/3 of dry mixture. Gently add rhubarb and strawberries and heap onto pie shell. Create a slight mound in center. Sprinkle remaining mixture over rhubarb and strawberries. Dot with butter; cover with top crust,
arranging the pastry in a lattice pattern, or leave whole with decorative cuts to vent.

Bake 10 minutes at 425 degrees F; reduce to 350 degrees F, and bake 40 to 50 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack before cutting.

Thanks to Pamela K. Kinney!

Strawberry Chiffon

Total time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Hands-on time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 envelopes (1/4 ounce each) unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
2 pints (2 pounds) strawberries, hulled
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup sour cream

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water. Let stand for 5 minutes to soften.
2. Set aside 6 whole strawberries for garnish. In a food processor, puree the remaining strawberries, the jam, sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
3. Measure out 1 cup of the strawberry puree, place in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in the softened
gelatin and cook, stirring, until dissolved, about 3 minutes.
*4. Transfer the strawberry-gelatin mixture to a large bowl and stir in the remaining strawberry puree. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until thick enough to mound slightly on a spoon, about 3 hours.
5. In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream to loosen it, then gently fold into the strawberry mixture. Spoon into 6 serving glasses or bowls and garnish with reserved whole berries.

Makes 6 servings

Note:
*To short-circuit the time it takes to get the gelatin to set (see step 4), you can quick-chill it in an ice water bath. Fill a large bowl with ice and water and set the bowl with the strawberry-gelatin
mixture in it into the ice bath. Stir occasionally until the mixture s thick enough to mound on a spoon, 20 to 30 minutes.

Thanks to Pamela K. Kinney!

Amanda Young's Quick and Easy Cheesecake

Ingredients:

3 blocks of cream cheese
1 box cinnamon graham crackers
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 tub of vanilla whipped cream
2 cans cherry topping

Directions:

Crust:

1. Smash graham crackers into itty bitty pieces
2. Mix with sugar and butter
3. pat down inside deep 13x9 pan to form your crust
4. Cool in freezer while you work on the cream cheese

Filling:

1. Chop cream cheese into blocks and then put it in the microwave until it's soft
2. Stir in 1/2 tub of whip cream until the consistency is smooth
3. Spoon over graham crackers and smooth out level
4. Pour cherries over top

Cover and refrigerate until cold.

Thanks to Amanda Young!

Elizabeth II’s Coronation Cake

Ingredients:

½ C butter

1 ½ C sugar

2 eggs

2 oz. red food coloring

2 T cocoa

1 t salt

2 ½ C cake flour

1 C buttermilk

1 t vanilla

1 t soda

1 T vinegar

Directions:

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating well. Make paste of cocoa and red foodcoloring. Add to creamed mixture. Sift cake flour and add salt and soda. Alternating flour and buttermilk, add tocreamed mixture. GENTLY fold in vinegar
until mixed well.

Grease and flour 2-9 inch round cake pans. Fill pans equally and bake at 350 degrees for
30-35 minutes. Allow to completely
cool.

With a thread, cut cake into two equally thick round pieces
until you have four layers. Spread icing between each layer and stack. It will look like a torte. Ice top and sides.

Mock Whipped Cream Icing

5 T flour

½ C milk

1 C butter

1 C sugar

1 t vanilla

Directions:

Blend flour and milk and cook over medium flame until boiling, then turn low, stirring constantly.
When mixture thickens like gravy, remove from heat and allow to thoroughly cool.

Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla and beat until fluffy like whipped cream. Stir in flour
mixture but do not beat.

Cake Flour

To make the cake flour, place ¼ cup + 1 T cornstarch in the bottom of a measuring cup and add all-purpose flour to the 2 ½ C mark.

Thanks to Joanna Waugh!

Gluten Free Chocolate Duo Brownies

Ingredients:

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 ounces butter (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 Tablespoons rice flour
1 Tablespoon potato starch
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8x8 inch square (or 8-inch round) coffee cake pan, set aside. In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt the unsweetened chocolate,
the sugar, and the butter together, mixing until smooth. Remove from heat, but stir to keep smooth. In a large bowl, mix the eggs just to a froth, then add the chocolate mixture, stirring smooth so as not to "cook" the eggs. Add the vanilla, stir.
Add the dry ingredients, stirring smooth.
Last, add the chopped chocolate, stir, and pour the batter into the prepared 8x8 inch pan.
Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes. Brownies should pull away from pan slightly, but not be over cooked.

Thanks to Pamela K. Kinney!

Everything Cheesecake

CRUST:

One 12 ounce package of refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (or frozen, thawed)

FILLING:

5 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese - softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup toffee chips (chocolate covered toffee chips if available)
1 cup crushed Oreo® Cookies (cheesecake)
1/2 cup crush Oreo® Cookies (topping)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Crust:

Cut cookie dough into slices, press evenly in the bottom of a greased 10" spring form pan. Set aside.

FILLING:

Beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy.
Mix in the peanut butter and vanilla. Add eggs. Beat just until blended.
Stir in chocolate, peanut butter, and toffee chips and 1 cup of crushed Oreo® cookies. Pour the mixture over the crust. Sprinkle top with 1/2 cup crushed Oreo® cookies.
Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until the center is set.

NOTE: Place a dish filled with water in the oven while baking the cheesecake. This helps keep the oven hydrated and the cheesecake from cracking.

Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes, then carefully run a knife between side of pan and the cake to loosen from sides of pan.
Cool completely before removing the sides of the springform pan, and then refrigerate the cheesecake for several hours (preferably over night) before serving.

Thanks to Pamela K. Kinney!

Chocolate Orange Rum Cake

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon sugar
3 eggs
Juice and grated zest of one orange (or 1/3 cup juice and 1 1/4 teaspoon dried rind)
Pinch of salt
1 1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup grated dark chocolate
1/4 cup heavy cream or half and half (not milk)
3 Tablespoons additional sugar
1/2 cup light rum

Directions:

Prepare a 9x5 loaf pan (glass is best) either with flour spray or grease and flour.
Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.
Mix in sugar and eggs, beating to a light froth.
Stir in the orange juice, grated zest, and salt.
Add the cream, mix.
Add the flour and the baking powder, beating well, but do not over mix. If mixture is too thick, add a touch or cream or orange juice to thin a bit.
Stir in the grated chocolate, just to give a tweed-like appearance to the batter.
Pour into the greased and floured 9x5 loaf pan (glass is best).
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 45-50 minutes. Check for doneness it should not be too wet; toothpick should come out clean but not dry. Add time if needed.
Cool for 5 minutes but do not remove from pan.
Pierce top of cake with fork or toothpick, to allow rum/sugar mixture to seep in. Set aside.
Warm the rum with the remaining sugar carefully and slowly over low heat. The rum should be warm, not hot, and the sugar just dissolved.
Do not overheat.
Pour warm rum mixture gently over warm cake in pan, allowing the rum mixture to seep in. Cool completely in the pan.
Serve in slices with fresh fruit or with a dollop of whipped cream.
Or decorate with marzipan fruits--oranges, of course.

Thanks to Pamela K. Kinney!

Nada's Cake

Ingredients:

4 large eggs
9½ ozs sugar
6½ ozs unsalted butter, melted
4 fl ozs extra virgin olive oil
5½ fl ozs milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
14 ozs all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
zest of 2 lemons, grated
zest of 2 oranges, grated
1 lb 6 ozs fresh blueberries
greaseproof paper or butter and flour for cake pan

Directions:

Preheat oven to 175°C/350°F/gas 4. Line the bottom and sides of a 9½ cake pan with greaseproof paper, or generously spread butter on bottom and sides, and then lightly flour. Either by hand or with an electric mixer beat and whisk the eggs and sugar for about 3 mins
until thick and pale yellow.

Next add butter, olive oil, milk and vanilla extract. Mix well, then sift in the flour, baking powder and salt. Add lemon and orange zest and stir with wooden spoon until
thoroughly blended. Set aside for 10 mins to allow the flour to absorb the liquid.

Gently stir the blueberries into the batter, spoon it into the prepared cake pan and smooth out the top with a spatula. Place cake pan in center of preheated oven and bake for 45 mins. Check cake and bake for a further 10 - 15 mins if not firm to touch with a deep golden brown top. Leave cake in pan and place on rack to cool. After 10 mins run a knife along the sides of the pan and turn out the cake.

Thanks to Maz (Marion De Sisto)!

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

2 c. flour 1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. sugar 1 3/4 c. veg. oil
2 tsp. baking soda 4 eggs
2 tsp. cinnamon 3 c. gratted carrots (about 1 pound)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together bake as 325 degrees for 1 hour. Best to bake in 3 8 inch round pans, but can be done in a 10 x 13 cake pan too. Cool completely before frosting...

Frosting---

1 8 ounce pkg cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 1 pound box powdered sugar
1 c. walnuts

Mix softened creamcheese and butter, beat well. Gradually add sugar, continuing to beat. Frost cake and garnish with walnuts.

Thanks to Laurie Sorensen!

Blackberry Cobbler

Ingredients:

4 c. Blackberries, washed
1 c. sugar
1Tbl. Cornstarch
1/2 lemon juice
1 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 egg

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread berried in ungreased 2 quart casserole dish. Reserve 1 tsp. of sugar. Mix remaining sugar, the cornstarch andlemon juice. Drizzle this over the berries and stir gently. Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl, stir in milk, butter and egg. Spread batter evenly over the berries, sealing the edge. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake 30-35 minutes, til
topping is golden brown.

Thanks to Laurie Sorensen!