Friday, November 20, 2009

~Yummy Coca Cola Cake~

Coca Cola Cake Recipe ~ Cracker Barrel


~INGREDIENTS~


1 Stick Butter
1 cup Coca Cola
3/4 cup Miniature Marshmallows
1 Square Semi Sweet Baking Chocolate
1/2 cup Shortening
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
3/4 cup Cocoa
2 Eggs
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Vanilla
3/4 cup Buttermilk
2 cups Sugar
2 1/3 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder



***FROSTING***


1 Stick Butter
1/2 cup Cocoa
1/4 cup Coca Cola (plus 2-3 Tbsp. if needed)
3 cups Powder Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 cup Hershey's Chocolate Syrup

DIRECTIONS:

Place in a sauce pan butter, coke, semi sweet baking square and bring to a boil remove from heat and add marshmallows and stir until all is blended and the marshmallows are disappear. Set aside to cool enough to tepid or room temperature.

In mixing bowl blend the shortening, oil, vanilla and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and buttermilk and beat until smooth. Mix flour with baking soda, cocoa, baking powder and salt, add half of flour mixture to shortening, egg mixture, and beat. Scrape bowl time to time to clean the sides off so ingredients are blended in batter. Add cooled coca cola mixture and beat. Add remainder of flour and beat until completely smooth about 3 - 4 minutes. Batter will be thick.

Place batter into a 13" x 9" x " 2 oiled and floured baking pan. Set pan on top shelf in a preheated 350degrees oven for 35 - 40 minutes. Check for completed baking time with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean by sticking in the middle of the cake it is time to come out of the oven and cool.

For Frosting: Cream butter, add cocoa, vanilla, Hershey's Syrup, and coca cola, beat until smooth. Add powder sugar a little at a time and beat constantly. Scrape the sides of bowl time to time to get all ingredients into the frosting. If the frosting seams a little dry add a little more coca cola and beat well.

Frost warm cake. Serve with natural vanilla bean ice cream and enjoy.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

CaRaMeL PoPCoRn BaLLs

Caramel Popcorn Balls
Ingredients:



8 cups of popped corn (1/2 cup unpopped corn)


*I just used 1 package of butterless microwave popcorn and it was exactly 8 cups.


waxed paper squares


cooking spray

Sauce:


3/4 cup granulated sugar


3/4 cup brown sugar


1/2 cup light corn syrup


1/2 cup water


1 teaspoon white vinegar


1/4 teaspoon salt


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

Directions:


1. Pop corn and place in a large bowl

2. In a saucepan, combine sugars, corn syrup, water, vinegar, and salt. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan; heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring all of the time. Cook until mixture reaches 260F.

3. Reduce heat to low; stir in butter until melted. Pour syrup over corn in a thin stream. Stir until well coated. Cool slightly.


4. While the caramel corn is cooling, cut squares of waxed paper and spray them with cooking spray. (Note: I've never tried this but I think it's a good idea. Even though the caramel corn has so much butter in it, it still sticks to the waxed paper - TRUST ME on this one! haha)


5. Butter your hands. Scoop a small handful of popcorn mixture and form into a 3" ball. Place on a square of waxed paper, twist and turn paper to close. *It is key to seal up the popcorn balls at this point. Do NOT let them cool before you do this or they will harden and turn into rocks.


Yield: 16 popcorn balls
 
*I found this recipe here :) Enjoy!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

WW Slow Cooker Cheesburger Soup

Weight Watchers Slow-Cooker Cheeseburger Soup



I got this recipe from http://www.recipezaar..com/
It is 5 points per serving. The serving size is 3/4 cup plus 3 T corn chips for 5 points so if you want more, double the recipe AND the points.

2¼ hours
15 min prep




Ingredients

cooking spray
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium celery rib, chopped
1 lb uncooked lean ground beef (with 7% fat)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups canned chicken broth, divided
1 cup low-fat evaporated milk
8 ounces kraft Velveeta reduced fat cheese product, cubed
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
24 baked corn tortilla chips, crumbled


Directions


1~Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds.


2~Add garlic, onion and celery to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 5 to 10 minutes.


3~Coat a 3-quart or larger slow cooker with cooking spray; spoon in vegetables.


4~Place same skillet over medium-high heat and brown beef, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5 to 6 minutes; pour off any liquid and add meat to slow cooker.


5~In a small cup, combine flour and 1/2 cup of broth; stir until lump-free.


6~Pour flour mixture into same skillet; add remaining 2 1/2 cups of broth.


7~Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits in bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon, and then pour into slow cooker; stir in evaporated milk, cheese, paprika, salt and pepper.


8~Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting for 2 hours.


9~Serve soup topped with crumbled chips.


10~Yields about 3/4 cup of soup and 3 tablespoons of chips per serving.


11~Note: If the soup cooks too long, the cheese could separate.


12~If that happens, combine 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup of soup in a cup; stir to a paste.


13~Stir flour mixture back into soup in slow cooker; cover and cook on low setting for 10 to 15 minutes (does not affect POINTS values).