Grandma Rosia Mable's Party Grape Salad

I guess I get my love of cooking from both sides of my family.  My grandma Rosia Mabel was a short little German woman who loved to cook and feed people.  She collected recipes by the dozens.  I can only imagine what she would think of the internet access to all things culinary.  The other side, my great-grandmother Hetchaw could throw a 8 course meal together in an hour.  She raised 8 children by herself, I don't know how she did it, but I'm glad she passed down the cooking gene to her daughter, my grandma Marge, and my mom Pat.  Don't know if my kids have the same passion!

My Mom and grandmother Marge  1958

1 ½ lbs red grapes (rinsed and dried) 

1 ½ lbs green grapes (rinsed and dried)

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

8 oz. sour cream, stirred

¾ cup sugar 

1 tsp vanilla

Mix creams/sugar until sugar is dissolved. Then pour cream mixture over grapes and fold together. Spoon evenly into an serving dish.

Topping:

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 cup brown sugar

Mix pecans and sugar

Sprinkle/spread mixture on top of grapes. Refrigerate.

Great Grandmother Hetchaw in front row with my mom  about 1945

                                                     

Grandma Rosia, Me, and my mom  1972

Randalla's Carrot Cake

I have had this recipe since the 1980's and it has always been a favorite of my family and my customers over the years.  The longer it sits the better it tastes!!

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups Vegetable oil
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 2 Cups Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 3 Cups Carrots, Grated
• 1 Can Crushed Pineapple, Small, Drained
• 1 Cup Chopped pecans or walnuts (Extra fro garnish)
• Buttermilk Glaze
• Cream Cheese Frosting

Preparation

Line 3 (9-inch) round cakepans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.

Cream oil and sugar, add eggs, 1 at a time.  Sift together dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture.  Stir in grated carrots and drained crushed pineapple. Stir in nuts. Pour into 3 greased and floured 9" cake pans or 13x9 pan.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes in 9" cake pans, and a little longer in 13x9 pan, or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean.  Drizzle Buttermilk Glaze evenly over layers; cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. See note on decorating tips

• Buttermilk Glaze

• 1 cup sugar 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine 
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring often, 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla. 

Cream Cheese Frosting:  You might want to make an extra batch for decorating the cake. I double this recipe to insure I have plenty of frosting to decorate and piping.  No need to double the vanilla

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Beat softened butter and cream cheese until well blended.
2. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until creamy.

Decorating the cake:

Crumb coat the cake.  Let sit in the fridge for 20 minutes.  Put aside two small bowls of frosting and tint them green and orange.  Then finish frosting cake as directed.  While the cake is still "wet from frosting, take some of the reserved nuts and gently press on the sides of the cake going all the way round.  

Next make carrot garnishes for the top.  I usually do one carrot for each piece cut. 

I like the Wilton Icing Colors you can get at Walmart. But you can use any kind. Next  you will need both the #9 round frosting tip and the #116 leaf tip. These can be purchased for really chap, around $1 a tip, and you will need a frosting bag.  I use the disposables.  You also buy these at Walmart

Load your frosting bag with the orange frosting using the round tip. At the top of the cupcake, make a zig zag motion back and forth getting smaller and smaller as you go making the carrot shape. At the end pull up with the frosting so you get the point of the carrot. Load another bag with the leaf tip and with the green frosting. This time position the tip at the fat part or top of the carrot, use the most pressure and make the widest part of the leaf, tapering off just like the carrot. The leaf tip is AWESOME and basically does the work for you.

Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Cake

This recipe is soooo good, and who would think it came from a boxed cake and frozen cheesecake bites?  

If you cant find the Smuckers dulce de leche, look for it on the isle where they sell Mexican food products.  This recipe came from one of my Southern Living Christmas Cookbooks.

• Unsweetened cocoa
• 1 (18.25-oz.) package devil's food cake mix ( I use Duncan Hines)
• 1 (3.4-oz.) package chocolate instant pudding mix
• 3 large eggs 
• 1 1/4 cups milk 
• 1 cup  oil 
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chocolate extract (optional)
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 3 (1.55-oz.) Hershey's milk chocolate bars, chopped 
• 3 (16-oz.) cans homestyle cream cheese frosting ( i use homemade cream cheese frosting see below)
• 3 (7.75-oz.) boxes frozen cheesecake bites, coarsely chopped (we tested with Sara Lee)
• 1 (12-oz.) jar dulce de leche caramel sauce (we tested with Smucker's)
• Double chocolate rolled wafer cookies, coarsely broken (we tested with Pirouline)
• Chocolate fudge rolled wafer cookies, coarsely broken (we tested with Pepperidge Farm)

Preparation

1. Grease 2 (9") round cakepans, and dust with cocoa.
2. Beat cake mix and next 7 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute; then beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Fold in chopped milk chocolate bars. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake at 350° for 32 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool cake in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Wrap and chill cake layers at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. (This step enables you to split cake layers with ease.)
4. Using a serrated knife, slice cake layers in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on a cake plate. Spread with 1/2 cup cream cheese frosting; sprinkle with one-fourth of chopped cheesecake bites. Repeat procedure with remaining 3 layers, frosting, and cheesecake bites, omitting cheesecake bites on top of last layer. Frost sides and top of cake with remaining frosting. Drizzle desired amount of caramel sauce over cake, letting it drip down sides. Chill until ready to serve. Decorate cake with rolled wafer cookies and remaining chopped cheesecake bites. Store in refrigerator.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Beat softened butter and cream cheese until well blended.
2. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until creamy.