Friday, May 29, 2020

Snickerdoodle Crazy Cake


Snickerdoodle Crazy Cake is the cake form of Snickerdoodles!  Made without eggs, milk, or butter and mixed in the same pan, you can't get much easier than that.  And the warm caramel sauce and ice cream on top?  Divine!

Caramel sauce is shown but not listed in the ingredient list of the recipe.  Ice cream not shown.

Snickerdoodle Crazy Cake

This delectable recipe comes from Sweet Little Bluebird:  

Note:   I advise leaving off the cinnamon sugar topping and instead, drizzling the cake with warm caramel sauce and topping with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

Friday, May 22, 2020

Instant Pot Baby Back Pork Ribs


These are the most tender, mouthwatering, fall-off-the-bone ribs you will ever eat!  The best part?  They're ready to eat in a little over an hour!


Instant Pot Baby Back Pork Ribs

Yield:  4 servings
Approximate Total Time:  1 hour, 15 minutes (20-minute prep time, 55-minute cook/finishing time)
Electric Pressure Cooker Size:  6 quarts

This amazing recipe for ribs comes from iwashyoudry.com: https://iwashyoudry.com/instant-pot-baby-back-pork-ribs/

Easy Pork Rib Membrane Removal Trick Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-RL_f8qdJE

Instant Pot Baby Back Pork Ribs 101:

While this recipe is a great starting point for ribs, the following changes take ribs to the next level!

1)  Use a 3- to 3.25-pound rack of baby back pork ribs or loin back pork ribs.

2)  Use 2.5 tsp. of salt, 1-2 tsp. liquid smoke, and desired amount of BBQ sauce.

3)  Place the rack in your pressure cooker first, pour in the water, vinegar, and liquid smoke, and then place the ribs inside the pot.  Stand them on their side, wrapping them around the inside of the pot:




4)  Cook for 30 minutes for fall-off-the-bone ribs or 25 minutes for ribs with a bit of chew.

Click here to print!

Friday, May 15, 2020

Cherry Dump Cake


A buttery crumb topping over pecans, coconut, pineapple, and warm cherry pie filling?  Yes, please!  Cherry Dump Cake is more like a cobbler than a cake, but one thing that can be agreed upon is that it is easy and delicious! 🍒


Cherry Dump Cake

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling
1 cup coconut (optional)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 yellow cake mix
1 1/2 sticks of butter (3/4 cup)
Optional topping:  ice cream or whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 baker with a non-stick cooking spray.  In order, spread evenly in the baker:  the crushed pineapple with juice, cherry pie filling (spoon on top of pineapple--you will not cover all of the pineapple), coconut, and chopped pecans.  Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the top.  Slice the butter putting the slices down into the cake mixture.  (See photo.)  Bake for 1 hour.  Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.  Store in refrigerator.


Notes:

1)  Slice the butter putting the slices down into the cake mixture:


2)  Cake mixes can sometimes be lumpy, and if so, I sift mine before putting it on top.

3)  This dessert has a very moist texture.  You may not think it's done baking after an hour, because the inside is soft, but that is normal.  There may be some dry areas of cake mix on top, too.  That is also normal.

Friday, May 8, 2020

Lemon Delight Trifle


This lemony treat is different from other trifles as it uses lemon Oreos.  Light and refreshing, what better dessert for a spring occasion?


Lemon Delight Trifle

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened 
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 1/2 cups 2% milk
2 (3.4 oz.) packages instant lemon pudding mix
2 (8 oz.) cartons whipped topping, thawed
2 (15.25 oz.) packages lemon Oreos

In a large (4-5 qt.) bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar until smooth.  In another large bowl (3-4 qt.), whisk the milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes.  Let stand for 2 minutes.  Gradually stir the pudding into the cream cheese mixture until blended.  (I use my Kitchenaid stand mixer on "stir" to do this.)  Fold 1 and a half cartons of whipped topping into the pudding mixture.  

Crush Oreos into large pieces, reserving desired amount for topping. (See note below.) Place half of the remaining cookies in a 3-qt. trifle bowl; top with half of the pudding mixture.  Repeat layers.  Garnish with remaining 1/2 carton of whipped topping** and remaining crushed cookies. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.  Best made and served on the same day.


Note:  I don't crush all the cookies at once.  My trifle bowl widens at the top, so I crush two rows of cookies (20 cookies) for the bottom layer, three rows of cookies (30 cookies) for the second layer, and the desired amount of remaining cookies for the top.  I use a little less than half of the pudding mixture on the bottom layer and more than half for the second layer for the same reason.

**I have a Wilton Cupcake Decorating Set and use the 1M tip from it to make the whipped topping swirls.




Friday, May 1, 2020

Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Green Chile Sauce


These enchiladas...wow!  Flour tortillas are stuffed with a delicious chicken filling, cheese, and topped with a creamy green chile sauce...and then topped with more cheese!

Optional toppings not shown.

Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Green Chile Sauce

2 (10.5 oz.) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (8 oz.) carton sour cream
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles, drained
1 tbsp. butter
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1 tbsp. taco seasoning mix
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 2-3 breasts)
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Optional toppings:  shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sliced black olives, sour cream, 
                               cilantro, green onions, salsa

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, stir together the soup, sour cream, and drained green chiles.  Set aside.  Melt the butter in a 3 qt. saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and taco seasoning mix and cook until onion is tender.  Stir in the chicken and 2 tablespoons soup mixture.

Spray a 9x13 baker with nonstick cooking spray.  Spread a small amount of the soup mixture in the bottom of the baker.  Spoon a level 1/4 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla.  Sprinkle with desired amount of cheddar cheese.  Roll up and place seam-side down into the baking dish.  Spoon the remaining soup mixture over the enchiladas and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Cover with desired amount of cheddar cheese and bake for 5-10 minutes more until cheese melts.  Serve with optional toppings.


A good friend gave me a version of this recipe years ago.  I've made tweaks to it through the years, until I came up with this final version, which is amazing.