Strawberry Shortcut Cake

For Megan's Birthday this year, I made this delicious cake. When looking through Mom's recipe box for a cake recipe, I was looking for a recipe that Meg would like. She does not like chocolate cake but does like strawberries. This cake was just right. The strawberry flavor added a nice sweetness to the golden cake. I frosted this cake with whipped cream before decorating it for her Birthday. But the cake would be just fine without any frosting. While baking, the marshmallows rise to the top and create a nice top layer.

The recipe calls for using frozen sliced strawberries in syrup. I had frozen sliced strawberries, but I did not have any frozen in syrup. So I made my own strawberry syrup by adding about a cup of strawberries to a little bit of water and a third of a cup of sugar to a saucepan, simmered for about 15 minutes until the strawberries begin to break down. Because the syrup is to be mixed with the two cups of strawberries, I did not strain the syrup, but added it to the strawberry slices with some lumps. 

Strawberry Shortcut Cake 

• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• 2 cups frozen sliced strawberries in syrup
• 1 package (3 oz.) strawberry jello
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 eggs

Generously grease bottom of 13x9 inch pan. Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over bottom of pan. Thoroughly combine completely thawed strawberries with syrup and dry gelatin; set aside. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Blend at low speed until moistened; beat three minutes on medium speed, scraping sides of the bowl occasionally. Pour batter evenly over marshmallows. Spoon strawberry mixture evenly over batter. Bake at 350 for 45 to 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Hungarian Pot Roast

In the winter, a hearty meal can be so comforting. This pot roast recipe is no exception. Although it does take some time to prepare, it is worth it. I think the paprika, caraway seeds, and sour cream make this particular pot roast Hungarian. The flavors are delicious and comforting on a cold winter day. Better still, there will be leftovers that will make all the work for this meal worthwhile.

When I made this pot roast, I made bread to go with it. But next time I might try some egg noodles to mix in with the gravy. And despite some lumps, this gravy was delicious. So when you have some time to prepare a filling meal, give this pot roast recipe a try.

Hungarian Pot Roast 

• 5-6 pound roast (chuck, rump, round)
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. paprika
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 can (10 1/2 oz.) condensed beef bouillon
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. caraway seeds
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 1 cup sour cream

Trim any excess fat from meat. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven or heavy kettle over medium heat. Add meat. Brown well on all sides, turning just as it browns (about 15-20 minutes). Remove meat from pan; set aside. Saute onion in fat remaining in pan for five minutes or until golden. Sprinkle onion with paprika. Cook one minute. Return meat to pan. Add 1/2 cup water, bouillon, bay leaf, and caraway seeds. Cover pan. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat to low so liquid just simmers--there will be only occasional small bubbles. Simmer, turning meat occasionally, about four hours or until meat is tender. Remove meat to heated platter to keep warm. Remove and discard bay leaf. Skim fat. Blend 1/2 cup water with flour in small bowl until smooth paste is formed. Stir into pan. Cook on medium heat stirring constantly until thick and bubbly. Lower heat. Stir in sour cream gradually. Heat but do not allow sour cream to curdle. Slice meat and serve with gravy. Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

I often start the new year off with a cake. This recipe certainly fits that trend. This pound cake has just the right density and moistness that you might expect for a pound cake. It has a classic flavor that is delicious on its own or can be accompanied with any frosting, whipped cream, or fruit.

Mom's recipe calls for using an angel food cake pan, which is a tube pan. I do not have a tube pan, but my bundt pan worked just fine. This cake looked so good when it came out of the oven that is was hard to wait for it to cool. In truth, we let it cool a little but had our first pieces while it was still warm. Because I did not put frosting on the cake, I plan to eat the leftover cake warmed up.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake 

• 1/2 pound butter
• 2 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 cups flour
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and sugar; add cream cheese and beat well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Add dry ingredients alternating with sour cream; beating well after each addition. Blend in vanilla. Bake in a greased angel food cake pan for one hour and five minutes at 350, or until cake is done. Enjoy!

Swedish Judebrod

These cookies are a special treat because of the use of cardamom. I do not specifically recall these cookies from childhood, but they will make it into my holiday rotation. When searching online, I saw a few similar recipes but could not find out the origin of these cookies. Cardamom is a unique spice that does frequently appear in Nordic sweets, but is not as common in the U.S. But I love cardamom, adding it to coffee or oatmeal, so I love these cookies. 

This cookie requires that the dough gets rolled out and cut into shapes, making it an excellent Christmas cookie. I was skeptical when the recipe said to mix the dough with hands, but this dough does require some hand kneading to come together.

Swedish Judebrod 

• 1 1/2 cup butter
• 6 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1 egg for brushing
• sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling

Mix butter, flour, 2 eggs, 2 cups sugar, baking soda, and cardamom with hands. Roll out very thin. Cut into various shapes with cookie cutter. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes or until light and delicate. Cook on wire rack. Enjoy!

Mexican Mocha Balls

December is prime time for making cookies. Mom's recipe box has an extensive cookie collection, so there are many options. This recipe caught my eye because it has many flavors that I love--coffee, chocolate, and cherries. These cookies did not disappoint; they are delicious.

When I made this recipe, I made some without nuts and some with almonds. Both versions were good. In fact, MDS (who usually prefers no nuts in cookies) liked both versions equally. When I made these cookies, I thought I might freeze some to include in the Christmas cookie gift bags, but I think they might all get eaten before then. When the cookies are still warm from the oven, they are quite delicate and need to be handled with care. Once cooled, they are sturdier and have a slight crunch.

Mexican Mocha Balls 

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp. instant coffee powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup finely chopped nuts
• 1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
• fine granulated sugar for dusting

In a bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Thoroughly stir together flour, cocoa, coffee, and salt. Gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in nuts and cherries. Chill dough for one hour. Shape into one-inch balls. Place on cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes. Cool. While warm but not hot, dust with granulated sugar. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Pan Cookie

Every now and then, instead of making regular cookies, Mom would make a pan cookie. Pan cookies require less oven time, so they are great when you don't have too much time or have too much stuff in the oven already. Many cookie doughs could be used for pan cookies. This recipe is a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe that is just delicious.

Recently, I made these cookies for a Saturday night at Mom's house. In addition to the cookie, I made some vanilla buttercream frosting that could be spread on top of the individual cookie bars. The combination was delicious.

Chocolate Chip Pan Cookie 

• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• optional: 1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugars, and vanilla; beat until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour, soda, and salt; mix well. Add chips and nuts. Spread into a greased 15x10x1 pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

French Apple Slices

Every fall, I enjoy apple-based desserts. Apple pie is a traditional Thanksgiving dessert, but these French Apple Slices could be an excellent substitute. This recipe from Mom's recipe box is similar to the Chicago-area bakery specialty that could be filled with any fruit including apple. This dessert can travel well, possibly better than apple pie. So if you need a dessert to take to a pot luck, this one is worth trying.

When I made this recipe, I ended up using a 9x9 pan, instead of the 13x9 pan, so I adjusted the amounts a bit. The dough puffed up a bit more than I expected and the slices were thicker overall, but the result was delicious. I especially liked the cinnamon seasoning in this recipe.

French Apple Slices 

• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup butter, divided
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 6 apples, peeled, cored, sliced
• cinnamon
• confectioner sugar

Combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in 1/2 cup butter. Beat eggs with lemon juice and vanilla. Stir into flour mix, blending well. Divide dough in half. Roll one half on floured board to fit bottom of 13x9 pan. Arrange apple slices on dough; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon to  taste. Dot with remaining butter. Roll out remaining dough and fit over apples; seal edges against pan and prick top to allow steam to escape. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350; bake for 45 minutes. Dust with confectioner sugar. Allow to cool. Enjoy!