Fully Loaded Potato Skin Cakes

THIS RECIPE NEEDED A PRETTY-PICTURE UPDATE.
THESE WERE SOOOOOO GOOD.

Ingredients:

12 slices of bacon
2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled & cubed
4 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cups shredded old cheddar cheese
3 green onions, thinly sliced
Pepper to taste
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 all-purpose flour
1/3 vegetable oil (approx)
Sour cream & salsa (optional)

* Cook bacon in skilled over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, for about 8 min or until crispy. Drain on paper-towel-lined plate; set aside
* Place potatoes and garlic in large pot of cold water and bring to boil. Boil for about 20 min or until tender. Drain well & return to pot. Using potato masher, mash potatoes & garlic and let cool slightly
* Add cheese to pot & mash to combine. Crumble bacon and stir into potatoes.
* Add green onions & peeper to taste. Add egg & flour and stir until smooth & thick.
* Dust hands lightly with flour and, using 1/2 c of mixture, for patties 1/2" thick and about 2" wide and place on parchment-paper-lined baking sheet.
* Heat some of the oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and fry patties in batches, about 3 min. per side, turning once gently with spatula or until golden and crispy. Place on paper-lined plate.
* Arrange cakes on platter and serve with sour cream & salsa if desired.

NOTE: Can be made ahead and then warmed for 10 min. in a oven preheated to 375 F before serving.

Brie & Puffed Pastry

BRIE IS GOOD.
BRIE WRAPPED IN PUFF PASTRY IS BETTER.

Ingredients:
Package of Puff Pastry, thawed
1 egg
1 T water
1/2 cup apricot jam, or seedless raspberry jam
1/4 cup pecans
Brie, small round

1. Roll out your puff pastry.
2. Mix egg and water and brush over the pastry. Spread jam over the pastry aswell.
3. Place cheese in the center of the pastry. Top with nuts.
4. Fold pastry up over the cheese in pleats. Close the seam as best you can. Brush all with egg mixture.
5. Place in an ovensafe dish and bake for 20 minutes in a 4oo degree oven.

Serve with baguette rounds or crackers.

Mom's Double Chocolate Brownies

ANOTHER CLASSIC THAT RICH IN CALORIES & GOODNESS.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, melted
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 t vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 t baking soda
6 oz chocolate chips

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt butter over low heat along with the chocolate. Remove from heat and let cool a bit.
3. In a bowl beat eggs. Add the sugar and vanilla. Add chocolate mixture once cooled.
4. In a separate bowl, mix flour and baking powder. Add to wet ingredients.
5. Stir in chocolate chips.
6. Pour into a greased 9"x13" pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Cinnamon Bun Cake

Dough:
1 cup milk
1 egg
4 T butter, melted
3 1/3 cup flour
3 T sugar
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t breadmaker yeast

Place all ingredients, in order into a breadmaker, creating a well for the yeast.
Select "dough" setting.
The dough should take roughly 1 hour and 40 minutes in the maker.
When ready, knead for 1 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes.
Roll dough into a thin rectangle.

Filling:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg (optional)
pecans
dried cranberries

Mix all, and spread over dough.
Roll the dough into a spiraled tube and cut into even coins with, either a sharp knife, or a piece of dental floss.

Cake:

Butter a bundt cake pan.
Place the coins into the bottom of the pan, spiral upwards, stuffing them tightly together.
Cover pan with a dry dish cloth and leave to rise for 45 minutes in a warm place.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for 25 minutes.

Icing:

4 T butter, melted
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 cup icing sugar
1 t milk

Heart Pancakes

I loved making them & the kids loved eating them.

Hazelnut Mochaccinio

1 1/2 oz Kahlua Hazelnut
2 oz hot chocolate
3 oz hot coffee
Top with whipped cream

"Buttery Yellow Citrus Cake"~BH&G

I PLAN TO TACKLE THIS BEAUTY THIS SATURDAY TO SERVE AT MY SONS SECOND BIRTHDAY PARTY. I LOVE LEMON. AND I AM PREGNANT, SO I WILL INDULGE IN WHAT I LOVE.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
6 egg yolks or 3 whole eggs
2 2/3 cups flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t baking soda
1 2/3 cups white sugar
1 cup milk
2 t lemon or lime zest
1 t orange zest
2 T lemon or lime juice
2 T orange juice
1 batch of "Lemony Whipped Cream"*

Preparation:
1. Let butter and eggs stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 x 2-inch round baking pans.
2. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
3. In separate bowl beat butter, adding sugar gradually until creamed. Add yolks one at a time. Add flour mixture and milk alternately. Stir in peels and juices. Spread batter into pans.
4. Bake 20-25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.
5. Spread Whipped Cream between both layers and all over the outside of the cake.
Serve immediately or keep refrigerated.

*Lemony Whipped Cream
In a large chilled bowl beat 2 cups whipping cream, 2 T powdered sugar, and 1 T instant vanilla pudding on medium-high until stiff peaks form. Fold in 1 T lemon zest. If made ahead, chill 24 hours; stir before spreading. Makes 3 1/2 cups.

Lemon Coconut Squares

CLASSIC TANGY GOODNESS

Base:
1 cup melted butter
2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar

Combine all and press into a 9" x 13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes

Lemon Topping:
4 eggs
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 t baking powder
1 1/2 cups toasted coconut

Combine all and pour over cooked base. Bake fore a further 25 minutes.
Cool completely before cutting.

BAKER'S NOTES: The recipe calls for 2 cups of sugar and no coconut in the topping, but I reduced the sugar and added toasted coconut pieces. Do as you please.
Also, I prefer these squares chilled in the fridge. Very refreshing.

Mom's Mocha Cake

Almond Torte

2 T flour
2 1/2 t baking powder
4 eggs
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c ground almonds

Mix flour and b. powder. Beat eggs and sugar on high speed until
smooth and light. Add nuts, mix well. Add the flour mixture. Mix well
on low, but not for long. Pour into two wax paper-lined 8 " layer
cake pans and bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks
and remove the paper. Let cool completely. Prepare the mocha whipped
cream, which will be spread between the layers and over the top. May
be garnished with grated almonds or chocolate curls.

Mocha Whipped Cream

1/2 c sugar
1/4 c cocoa
1 T instant coffee powder
1/4 t salt
2 t vanilla
1 1/2 c whipping cream

Combine sugar cocoa, coffee powder, vanilla and whipped cream. Beat
on high until thick.

Big Red Pizza

Mmmm. For a friend's belated birthday celebration, we decided to throw a pizza party- adult style. We four couples decided to top one pizza each with our favourite things. If Aidan had his way our pizza would be absolutely heaving with meats of all kinds. Ugh. But since I was the one doing the baking. . . Here's what I chose to create, and I HIGHLY recommend it:

The "Big Red" Pizza
Food & Drink Magazine

Crust:
I make my Dad's perfect pizza crust. It's all about beer and basil. Once you've found the perfect crust, you never go back.

Cheese Topping:
12 oz mozzarella
12 0z Provolone
4 oz Romano
4 oz Parmesan

Pesto Sauce:
[to be blended in food processor]
3-4 Roasted Red Peppers
1 Garlic clove
2 T Olive oil
1/2 t Balsamic vinegar
1 cup of the cheese mixture above
1/4 cup Fresh Basil or Parsley

Topping the Pizza:
Roll out the crust
Cover with Pesto Sauce
Sprinkle with cooked shrimp and finely sliced red onion
Top with more of the cheese mixture

I can't tell you how good this was. A very grown up pizza.

Hot Spinach Dip

Rich and Cheesy
[Via Alanna-Thanks!]

1 pkg cream cheese
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup parmesian
1/4 cup Romano
1 clove garlic
1/2t basil
salt+pepper
1 pkg thawed spinach

1.Place all in an ovenproof dish, topped with mozzarella
2.Heat for 25 minutes at 350 degrees