Guacamole Salad

Deconstructed Guacamole Salad

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados, in thick slices
1 red onion, sliced in half moons
A generous handful of coriander
Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
Salt and pepper to season

Dressing-
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 teaspoon of Tabasco sauce
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
-Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl and set aside.
-Assemble the ingredients for the salad on a serving platter, start with the slices of avocado then top with the red onion slices and then the cherry tomatoes. Pick off little leaves of coriander and sprinkle all over the top of the salad.
-Drizzle over the dressing and then season with sea salt and a good grinding of black pepper.
-Serve straight away.

Pineapple Salsa

Pineapple Salsa
inspired by Chef Jamie

Ingredients
1/2 a pineapple {or 1 can} roughly chopped
1/3 red onion, diced
1 tomato, chopped
1 jalapeno, deseeded and diced
1 large handful parsley, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice {or sub lime}
salt and pepper

Method | Simple. Mix together and season to taste. Make sure some of the pineapple juice gets in the mix to ensure it’s extra tasty.

Charlotte's Coffee Cake

Butter for greasing pan

Cinnamon Filling:

1/3 cup brown sugar

4 Tbsp. softened butter

 2 Tbsp. flour

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Coffee Cake:

3 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

16 oz sour cream

powdered sugar

Heat the oven to 350*. Grease a Bundt pan, making sure you get into all the grooves. Combine the ingredients for the cinnamon filling in a bowl and blend them with your fingers. In another bowl, combine flour, powder, soda, and salt. Set both mixtures aside. In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix the sugar into the butter until soft and smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Then beat in the vanilla and sour cream. Add the flour mixture a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Spoon half of the batter in pan and sprinkle the cinnamon filling on top. Pour in the remaining batter. Drag a knife back and forth to swirl. Bake the coffee cake for 50-60 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then invert on wire rack and cool. Dust with powdered sugar.

Banana French Toast

1 lb. loaf french or Italian bread cut into thick slices
1-2 large bananas
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1-2 Tbsp. butter
1-2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

First, cut a wide deep slit through the top crust of each bread slice. Stuff each pocket with 3-4 banana slices. In a shallow dish, whisk together eggs and milk. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium high. Dip each bread in the egg mixture, turning to coat both sides. Cook the french toast 2-3 minutes on the first side till golden brown. Then flip and cook for additional 2-3 minutes. Serve with butter, and maple syrup.

Louis's Alligator Cake

10 inch bundt cake
16 oz white buttercream frosting
Green food coloring
Large marshmallows
4 malted milk balls
Gummy spearmint leaves
Green M&Ms
White yogurt-covered pretzels

Cut the cake into 3 equal pieces. Slice one of the pieces in half at a 45 degree angle. Arrange the cake pieces on a tray or platter to create a curvy alligator body. Use one of the angled halves, placed cut-side down, for the tail. Slice the other angled half into 4 equal pieces for feet. Stir drops of food coloring into the frosting until you have a deep green. Frost entire cake. Cut the marshmallows in half and place the halves on the cake for eyeballs. Press malt ball up against for pupil. Press 2 more on nose for snout. Press gummy leaves and m&MS into frosting along the body for scales, and add leaf to foot for toes. Break yogurt pretzels in half and stick them into frosting along the side of the cake to create teeth.

Pink Yink Ink Drink

1/2 pint fresh or 1/2 c. frozen blackberries, thawed
1 c. milk
6 fresh strawberries
1 tsp. honey


Put the blackberries in a blender and puree them. Pour into a large glass. Put the milk, strawberries, and honey in the blender and blend. Strain the mixture. Pour the strawberry mixture carefully on top of the blackberries.

Silly Sammy Slick's Sodas

8 oz juice
8 oz club soda


Pour the juice into a 16 oz glass. Pour the soda in next and watch it foam.

My Very Best Sugar Cookies

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. salad oil
1/4 c. plus 4 tsp. sugar
1/4 c. packed powdered sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp. vanilla


With the rack in the highest position, preheat oven to 375*.

Combine the flour, slat, soda, and cream of tartar and set aside.

Cream the butter and oil, gradually adding 1/4 c. sugar and the powdered sugar and beat until smooth and light.

Add the egg yolk and vanilla, beating until pale yellow and fluffy.

With a wooden spoon, combine the dry ingredients. The dough will be soft.

Using heaping Tbsp. of batter as a guide, roll the dough into 13 balls. Rolls the balls in the remaining sugar and place them 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.

Place a sheet of wax paper over the sugared cookie balls. Using the bottom of a glass, lightly flatten each cookie.

Bake for 6 minutes. Reverse the pan so back is in the front and bake 4 minutes more. The cookies will be golden and crackly on top.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 2-3 minutes. Remove cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Brownie Layer Cake

1 c. butter, melted
2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
4 eggs
3/4 c. cocoa powder
1 c. flour
3/4 tsp. powder
1/2 tsp. salt
chocolate frosting
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

In a mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar and vanilla. Mix ingredients together with a scraper.

Add each egg one at a time, and mix.

In a small bowl, mix cocoa, flour, powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the mixing bowl, and stir together.

Spray 2 9x9 cake pans with nonstick spray. pour half of the batter into each pan. Bake at 350* for 30 minutes or until the edges become crusty.

Remove from the oven, and allow to cool for 1 hour.

Place one cake on a plate and frost. Then place the other cake on the frosted cake. Frost the top and sides, then add nuts.

Cookies and Cream Cake

1/2 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
4 egg whites
1/2 Tbsp. vanilla
1 pkg. oreo cookies
1 batch cream cheese frosting

In a mixing bowl, cream together shortening and sugar with a scrapper.

Add flour, powder, salt, and milk to the mixing bowl. Mix ingredients with an electric mixer on low speed 1 minute. Mix 2 minutes on medium speed.

In a small bowl, separate egg white. Add egg whites and vanilla to mixing bowl and beat for 2-3 minutes.

Place 15 cookies in a bag. Gently smash bag with a rolling pin until cookies crumble. Stir into batter.

Spray a 9x13 pan with a nonstick cooking spray. Pour half the batter into pan. Spread 18 whole cookies over batter. Cover with remaining batter. Bake at 350* for 30-35 minutes.

Remove cake from oven. Allow cake to cool for 1 hour. Frost cake, and crumble 5 cookies and sprinkle on top.

Triple Chocolate Cake

1 c. butter
1 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. cocoa powder
2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 c. plain or vanilla yogurt
1 1/2 tsp. soda
1 batch chocolate frosting
1/4 c. mini chocolate chips

Place butter into a saucepan. Add buttermilk and cocoa. Heat mixture on high until boiling, about 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from the heat. Let mixture cool 30 minutes.

When cocoa mixture has cooled, add flour, sugar, and salt to the saucepan. Stir together with wooden spoon.

Crack eggs into a small bowl and throw away shells. Add eggs, yogurt, and soda to the saucepan. Beat ingredients with a whisk until batter is smooth.

Spray 2 cake 9x9 cake pans evenly with nonstick cooking spray. Pour batter into cake pans. Bake at 375* for 20-25 minutes.

Remove cake pans from oven. Allow cakes to cool 1 hour.

Spread frosting on top of one cake. Place the other cake on top of frosted cake. Cover sides and top with frosting, and sprinkle mini-chocolate chips on top.

Gooey Apple Dump Cake

2 (21OZ)cans apple pie filling
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 (18oz) box spice cake mix
3/4 c. butter
1 c. granola
1/4 c. powdered sugar

pour both cans of apple pie filling into a 9x13 inch pan. Spread out pie filling with a scrapper.

In a small bowl, mix cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and sugar. Sprinkle mixture over the pie filling.

Sprinkle dry cake mix over the spiced apples.

In a glass bowl melt butter, and pour melted butter evenly over cake mix. Sprinkle with granola on top.

Bake at 350* for 50-60 minutes or until brown on top and bubbly along the sides.

Remove pan from the oven. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the cake. Serve warm.

Cheesecake Cupcakes

5 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 (21oz) can cherry pie filling

To make the crust, place butter in a small bowl. Add graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, and 1/2 Tbsp. sugar. Use a pastry blender or fork and mix together.

Put baking cups into a muffin pan. Press 1 Tbsp of the crust firmly into the bottom of each cup.

In a mixing bowl, add cream cheese, 1/2 c. sugar, and vanilla. Mix ingredients together with an electric mixer on low speed for 2 minutes.

Crack eggs into a second small bowl and throw away shells. Add eggs to the mixing bowl. Mix on high for 3 minutes. Stop several times to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a scrapper.

Fill each baking cup 2/3 full of batter. Bake at 350* for 25 minutes or until cracks start forming on the cupcakes. Turn the oven off and crack the oven door open. Leave cupcakes in the oven for 10 minutes.

Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove pan from the over. Refrigerate 1 hour. Top each cupcake with pie filling.