Recipe: Super Easy Key Lime Cake Goes Well With Seafood

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From Denny: Since we love seafood so much in the South, well, you need something citrusy to chase the garlic taste. Another food popular in Louisiana is cream cheese icing and this cake has a cream-cheese key lime icing. Key limes from Florida are awesome! This simple recipe is just the ticket, enjoy!

From: Mae Hogg

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix

1 1/3 cups vegetable oil (I like canola as it is a neutral oil that doesn't influence other flavors)

4 eggs

3/4 cup orange juice

1 (3 ounce) package lime Jell-O

1 (1 pound) package plus 1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine

8 ounces cream cheese

3 Tablespoons lime juice


Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, vegetable oil, eggs, orange juice and lime Jell-O. Pour into 3 greased and floured (8-inch) cake pans.

2. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F. oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

3. Let cool 10 minutes, then remove from pans. Let cool completely.

4. To make icing, combine powderedsugar, butter, cream cheese and key lime juice.

5. Ice between layers and on top and sides of cake. Enjoy!

Recipe: Chocolate Black Raspberry Brownies

Photo of 500 pounds of chocolate in a bakery! (since these brownies did not come with a photo this was the next best thing to salivate over in the way of chocolate)

From Denny: It's never too early to start thinking about what you will be cooking for the holidays. Now is a great time to test drive a few dessert recipes that are easy to make and easy to transport if you are asked to bring a sweet to the gathering! Brownies are a crowd pleaser and easy on the home cook who is pressed for time. In the ongoing series on brownies here's the latest yummy and elegant version of our beloved chocolate! :)

From: Diane H. Floyd of Atlanta, Georgia

Hands on time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 55 minutes
Serves: 20

Ingredients:

4 squares unsweetened chocolate

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter

2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided

10 ounces black raspberry jam, preferably seedless (do not substitute red raspberry or blackberry), at room temperature

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13-by-9-inch pan. In the microwave or a double boiler set over simmering water, melt chocolate and butter together and stir until the mixture is smooth. By hand, stir in sugar, eggs, vanilla and flour until well-combined. Spread in pan. Sprinkle evenly with 1/3 cup of the chocolate chips.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until slightly firm when touched lightly. Do not overbake. Let cool at least 15 minutes.

Spread the jam evenly over the brownies. Melt the remaining 2/3 cup chocolate chips with the 2 teaspoons vegetable oil. Stir until smooth. Pour melted chocolate over the jam. Using a knife, spread the melted chocolate over the jam in as even a layer as possible. Chill thoroughly and cut into small squares. Serve chilled.

Notes:

Total time for this recipe includes 1 hour of chilling time.

These rich brownies, which are topped with a layer of jam and a thin coating of chocolate, freeze extremely well and can be refrozen.

"You can make them in the mini foil baking cups, resulting in very pretty individual bonbons for parties, " she says. "Just use a scant tablespoon of brownie batter in each cup and sprinkle with a few chocolate chips. A finger is the ideal method of spreading both the jam and chocolate over the little cups of brownie. Just remember not to lick it until you are finished."

She recommends using the microwave when melting the chocolate.

Nutrition:

Per serving: 278 calories (percent of calories from fat, 41), 3 grams protein, 41 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 14 grams fat, 46 milligrams cholesterol, 85 milligrams sodium.


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Recipe: Easy Oven Barbecued Baby Back Ribs

Image by maggiephotos via Flickr

From Denny: Who doesn't want easy? Who doesn't like ribs? This recipe was put out by a local charity in their cookbook and published in our local newspaper back in 2006. It's still an easy recipe! :) This is one of those recipes you could marinate and cook the first three hours on Sunday afternoon while you snooze for your nap and bake the last half hour on Monday when you get home from work. Or better yet, marinate on Saturday, cook extra on Sunday, warm it up in the oven on Monday and an extra day of the work week. Yeah, now we're talking!

Oven Barbecued Ribs

From: "The View From Our Kitchen" by the Baton Rouge Eye Bank Auxiliary

Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

3 or 4 spans of baby back ribs

Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

Kitchen Bouquet

Meat tenderizer, unseasoned

garlic powder (not garlic salt)

Tony Chachere's Original (Cajun) Seasoning

black pepper

Sauce:

1 stick butter or margarine, melted

1/2 onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 (36 ounce) bottle ketchup

1 Tablespoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

5 dashes Tabasco sauce


Directions:

1. Using a brush, coat the meaty sides of the ribs with Worcestershire and Kitchen Bouquet. After coating, liberally sprinkle with meat tenderizer, garlic powder, Tony's Seasoning and black pepper.

2. Cover tightly and store in refrigerator until ready to cook. This can be done a day or two in advance of cooking.

3. To make sauce, saute onion and celery in melted butter until soft. Add brown sugar and stir until blended. Add ketchup, Lea & Perrins, garlic and Tabasco and stir well.

4. Cook on medium heat until bubbly, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, cover pot and cook for 2 hours stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken and turn darker. It may be stored in airtight container in refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

5. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a pan/pans with a rack, cook marinated ribs, covered for 2 hours. After 2 hours, remove from oven, drain juice and remove rack/racks.

6. Liberally brush on barbecue sauce, cover and lower heat to 300 degrees F. Cook for 1 more hour. Turn oven off, uncover ribs and allow to sit in the warm oven for 30 minutes before serving. Serve with warm barbecue sauce to spoon over the ribs if desired.



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Recipe: Oreo Brownies

From Denny: Nicknamed chocolate butter bombs by those who love them, try this brownie for your next special occasion!

Make and take: Brownies must be kept chilled. For added lasting power at room temperature, cut into squares and freeze before transporting them.

Hands on time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Serves: 96

Ingredients:

FOR THE OREO LAYER:

1 (18-ounce) package Oreo cookies

1/2 cup pecans

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

For the chocolate layer:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

5 tablespoons Kahlua

FOR THE WHITE CHOCOLATE LAYER:

6 ounces white chocolate

6 tablespoons heavy cream

1 1/2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

For the chocolate ganache:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate

3/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

Directions:

To prepare the Oreo layer: Crush Oreos and pecans in blender until smooth. Add melted butter. Press into bottom of a 12-by-8-inch pan. Freeze while you prepare the next layer.

To prepare the chocolate layer: In a double boiler (or in the microwave, in 30-second intervals), melt chocolate with cream, sugar and Kahlua. Stir well. Spread the mixture on the Oreo layer and freeze for 15 minutes.

To prepare the chocolate ganache: In double boiler, melt chocolate in cream and butter. Spread over the white chocolate layer and freeze for 15 minutes or chill in refrigerator until set.

Cut into 1-inch squares. Store in the refrigerator until serving time, or freeze before transporting so the squares are slightly thawed but still cold at serving time.

Notes:

Serve tiny squares of these super-rich treats on a plate with fresh strawberries.

Nutrition:

Per serving: 107 calories (percent of calories from fat, 73), 1 gram protein, 7 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 9 grams fat (5 grams saturated), 15 milligrams cholesterol, 39 milligrams sodium.


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Recipe: Cream Cheese Brownies

From Denny: These are from the Homespun Cafe in Atlanta, Georgia, published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

From the menu of . . . Homespun Cafe
2020 Howell Mill Road N.W., Atlanta, GA
404-352-4120

Q: I would love to have the recipe for the Cream Cheese Brownies at the Homespun Cafe. They are exceptional. - Susan Bowen, Atlanta

A: Neesha and Beena Nana bake a different kind of cake every day at this cheery little cafe owned by their father, Chhotu Nana, who came to Atlanta via Zimbabwe and India. While the double chocolate, strawberry, lemon and other cakes are served only one day a week, the Cream Cheese Brownies are so acclaimed that they have earned a permanent place on the menu.

Hands on time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Serves: 18


Ingredients:

For the cream cheese layer:

1 large egg

1/3 cup granulated sugar

5 1/3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/3 cup self-rising flour

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon almond extract

For the chocolate layer:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, divided

2 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels

2 large eggs

1/3 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

2/3 cup self-rising flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Grease bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the cream cheese layer: In a mixing bowl, combine egg, sugar and 5 1/3 tablespoons melted butter. Stir in flour, cream cheese and almond extract. Spread evenly in prepared pan.

For the chocolate layer: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt 1 stick butter. Cool slightly. Pour 5 1/2 tablespoons melted butter into a mixing bowl and leave remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons in saucepan. Add chocolate morsels to saucepan and return to low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate melts.

Into bowl containing melted butter, add eggs and granulated and brown sugars. Stir in flour and vanilla. Pour in melted chocolate/butter mixture and combine well. Spread evenly on top of cream cheese layer. Draw a knife through the pan to swirl batters.
Place in oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes or until tests done. Cool on wire rack before cutting into bars.

Notes from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

The Homespun Cafe bakes these extremely moist brownies in large quantities with the cream cheese layer on top. After cutting down the recipe for one pan and trying a couple of batches, our tester said the layers seem to stay together and the brownies cut better when the cream cheese layer is on the bottom.

Nutrition:

Per brownie: 335 calories (percent of calories from fat, 56), 4 grams protein, 37 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 21 grams fat, 72 milligrams cholesterol, 229 milligrams sodium.


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