Chocolate Brownie Cake

Cake

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• 1 box fudge brownie mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 cup oil

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a bundt pan with bakers spray or use the butter/flour method.
2. Combine first five ingredients in a large bowl and whisk for 2 minutes or until lumps are mostly gone.
3. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and bake for 50-55 minutes.
4. When done baking, remove cake and allow to cool in pan for up to five minutes.  Carefully turn cake out onto a cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes more

Ganache

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 bag (12 oz) semi sweet chocolate morsels

 

1. Place heavy whipping cream in a large microwave safe bowl and heat for about two minutes.  You want the cream to be just boiling.
2. Carefully pour chocolate morsels into cream…it may rise up and bubble and this is ok.
3. Let sit for 5 minutes.  Whisk the chocolate and cream until shiny and smooth, about 1 minute.
4. Pour over cooled cake and serve.

~Baked and brought to the 2017 Jones reunion by Kaye Hooker. Kaye found the recipe at  iambaker.net/chocolate-brownie-cake .

Pumpkin Soup

 

• 3 to 4 shallots, unpeeled
• 1 1/2 pounds pumpkin (untrimmed), or butternut squash or 1 1/4 pounds peeled pumpkin
• 2 cups canned or fresh coconut milk (Phoebe and I used light coconut milk)
• 2 cups mild pork or chicken broth
• 1 cup loosely packed coriander leaves (Phoebe used basil leaves)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce, or to taste (I omitted the fish sauce)
• Generous grindings of black pepper
• 1/4 cup minced scallion greens (optional)

In a heavy skillet, or on a charcoal or gas grill, dry-roast or grill the shallots, turning occasionally until softened and blackened. Peel, cut the shallots lengthwise in half, and set aside.

Peel the pumpkin and clean off any seeds. Cut into small 1/2-inch cubes. You should have 4 1/2 to 5 cups cubed pumpkin. (Phoebe cut the pumpkin in half, scooped out the seeds, roasted it until tender then scooped the pumpkin out of the shell. I used frozen pumpkin that I had cooked and pureed earlier. You could also use two 15 oz. cans of pumpkin–not pumpkin pie filling.)

Place the coconut milk, broth, pumpkin cubes, shallots, and coriander leaves in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the salt and simmer over medium heat until the pumpkin is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the fish sauce and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Taste for salt and add a little more fish sauce if you wish. (The soup can be served immediately, but has even more flavor if left to stand for up to an hour. Reheat just before serving.)

Serve from a large soup bowl or in individual bowls. Grind black pepper over generously, and, if you wish, garnish with a sprinkling of minced scallion greens. Leftovers freeze very well.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Silky-Coconut-Pumpkin-Soup-Keg-Bouad-Mak-Fak-Kham-104372#ixzz2oPbOCYV2

~Shared with family at a November lunch by Phoebe Magee and a December lunch by Kay Windsor

Margaret’s Oyster Dressing

This recipe was my mother’s signature oyster dressing. She even prepared a version without eggs for some of us with egg allergies at holiday meals for many years. Her Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for family always included this delicious dish.

Oyster Dressing

8 cups bread crumbs

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 stick margarine (I also remember her using butter instead of margarine)

1 tsp. sage

1 tsp. black pepper

4 beaten eggs (She used a little baking powder instead of eggs for the eggless version)

1 pint oysters

Pour hot chicken broth over bread crumbs and margarine.

Let cool, then add other ingredients.

Add beaten eggs and oysters.

Bake at 350 degrees until brown. Serve while hot.

Cook celery until tender before adding to dressing.

~Margaret Jones Harper (1921-2011)

Fresh Vegetable Marinate

 

4 stalks fresh broccoli

8 large fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 medium green pepper, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 small head cauliflower, broken into flowerets

1 cup sugar

2 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup vinegar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 small onion, grated

2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Remove flowerets from broccoli; cut into bite-size pieces. Reserve stalks for other use. Combine flowerets, mushrooms, pepper, celery and cauliflower. Toss lightly.

Combine remaining ingredients; mix well. pour over vegetables. Chill at least 3 hours. Yield: 10-12 servings.

~ Served by Janet McCorkle; recipe from Gail Hatter.

Oven Shrimp

 

Melt one stick of butter in a baking dish.

Slice one lemon and layer on butter.

Put 1 lb. cleaned, fresh shrimp on top of butter and lemon slices.

Sprinkle one pack of dried Italian seasoning mix on top of shrimp.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

~Shared by Janet McCorkle

Eggplant Parmesan

 

2 medium eggplant, washed and sliced thick

2 cups marinara sauce

Mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Panko Bread crumbs

Place eggplant on baking sheet. Brush with oil; add salt and pepper. Bake 25 minutes at 400 degrees. Layer in an 8 x 12 dish the eggplant, marinara sauce, cheeses, then sprinkle pank crumbs to cover. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

~Shared by Janet McCorkle

 

Christmas Breakfast Eggs

 

7 slices regular white bread

8 oz. cheddar cheese, grated

6 eggs

3 cups milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. dry mustard

3 strips bacon, halved

Trim crusts from bread, crumble.

Mix bread and  grated cheese, and spread in bottom of greased 7 1/2″ x 12″ oblong Pyrex baking dish.

Beat eggs and milk, and add seasonings.

Pour egg mixture over the bread-cheese mixture.

Lay halved bacon strips on top.

Refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or less. Serve immediately.

~Served by Janet McCorkle to cousins; recipe from Jean W. Redfearn

Jalapeno Bites

 

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

8 oz. Parmesan, grated, (about 2 cups)

4 tablespoons seeded and finely chopped jalapeno peppers

1 large egg, beaten

3 cups dry plain breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the cream cheese, Parmesan, jalapenos and egg to form a paste.  Shape into balls using about ½ tablespoon of mixture for each ball.  Roll the balls in breadcrumbs.  Place on an un-greased baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.  Serve warm.   (I usually shape the balls and refrigerate them.  I remove them from the refrigerator, roll them in the breadcrumbs and then bake and serve.)

~Shared by Pat Reed

Cheese Cookies

 

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

10 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, softened

2 cups self-rising flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. hot sauce

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Cream butter and cheese in mixing bowl. Add the flour gradually, mixing well after each addition. Add salt, paprika, dry mustard and hot sauce and mix well. fold in the pecans.

Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls. Place on cookie sheet.

Flatten with a fork making a crisscross pattern.

Bake at 400 degrees for 13-15 minutes.

Yield: 5-6 dozen.

~Janet McCorkle made these for cousins and family from a recipe that Dana’s neighbor Susan shared. 

Moist ‘n’ Creamy Coconut Cake

 

1 pkg. yellow or white cake mix with or without pudding in the cake mix

1 ½ cups milk

½ cup sugar

2 cups Baker’s “Angel Flake” Coconut

8 oz. Cool Whip topping, thawed

Prepare cake mix as directed on package.  Bake in a 13” X 9” prepared pan.

Cool 15 minutes, then poke holes down through cake with a utility fork.

Meanwhile, combine milk, sugar and ½ cup of the coconut in a saucepan.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 minute.  Carefully spoon over warm cake, allowing liquid to soak down through holes.  Cool completely.

Fold ½ cup of coconut into whipped topping and spread over cake.

Sprinkle with remaining coconut.  Chill overnight.  Refrigerate any leftover cake.

~Beverly Jones Shore brought this to the Jones reunion in June 2013, and Pat Reed made it and shared with other Jones cousins in September 2013. It reminds me of the coconut cakes that my mother Margaret Jones Harper used to make.