Apple Snap Cake (with a warm Cinnamon Sauce)

Proper enunciation is a good thing.  Especially for speakers, singers, as well as in general conversation.

What started out as a snack cake ended up a snap cake because apparently my enunciation was slightly askew when explaining to husband what I was attempting to create.  Each time I said Apple Snack Cake, he was quite certain I said Apple Snap Cake.

He won me over.  I decided "snap" had a nice ring to it.  So, for September's Dessert Challenge from

Lady Behind the Curtain's

I give you the newly christened Apple Snap Cake.  And to top it off, a luscious, buttery sauce with a touch of cinnamon.

Apple Snap Cake
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 large apples, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
1 cup chopped black walnuts
1- 6 oz package butterscotch morsels

Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl; set aside.

Pour vegetable oil into mixing bowl, add eggs and sugar and mix on medium speed until blended.  Add flour mixture alternately with diced apples, and continue to mix just until combined.  Stir in chopped nuts and butterscotch chips.

Spread mixture in a greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes.  Place on wire rack to cool while preparing the sauce.

Warm Cinnamon Sauce
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir together sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan.  Add remaining ingredients and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and blended and sauce coats your spoon.  Serve warm over cake.

This sauce is a variation of a dessert sauce my Mother used to make and it's really tempting to just put a straw in the sauce bowl and finish it off!  But save it for the cake, it reheats nicely in the microwave, and adds a great finish to this quick and easy cake. 

Also linking up at:
Six Sister's Stuff Strut Your Stuff Saturday
Tasty Tuesdays #28
Thursdays Treasures 104
Weekend Potluck #85
Addicted to Recipes Scrumptious Sunday #72
Time to Sparkle #28
Gooseberry Patch Oktoberfest

Swiss Cheesecake

Swiss Cheesecake isn't your typical cheesecake but a delicious, savory appetizer that is lightened up a bit, but still loaded with flavor.  I downsized the ingredients to a 6-inch size springform pan which gave me about 12-15 servings, perfect for a small group.

Our household will jump all over anything cheesy.

Swiss Cheesecake
2/3 cup finely crushed wheat crackers (I used Wheat Thins)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1 1/3 cups reduced fat plain yogurt
1 egg
dash of dried basil, crushed
pinch of dried rosemary, also crushed
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced fat Swiss cheese
Assorted crackers or vegetables

In a food processor, process wheat crackers until crushed; stir in melted butter.  Press in the bottom of a 6-inch springform pan and set aside.

Place cream cheese in a mixing bowl and mix at medium speed until smooth.  Add the yogurt, egg, basil and rosemary (using your own interpretation of "dash" and "pinch") and continue mixing until well blended.

Stir in Swiss cheese.  Pour onto prepared crust.  Place pan on a baking sheet and into a 350-degree oven.  Bake 45-50 minutes until almost set - only the very center will still appear soft.  Cheesecake will set completely as it cools.

Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge to loosen the cheesecake and cool for another hour.  Refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving.  Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary and serve with crackers or vegetables of choice.

  
This recipe clipping looks to be several years old and appears to have been cut from a catalog - or at least there are drapery and rug selections shown on the reverse side.  I don't believe I ordered either but I kept the recipe ... 

glad I did!




Linking up to:
Mix It Up Monday
Trick or Treat Tuesday
Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup
Lady Behind the Curtain's Cast Party
Wicked Good Wednesdays
What's In Your Kitchen Wednesday from Kitchen Meets Girl
Thursday's Treasures
The Bulletin Board - Mrs. Happy Homemaker
Strut Your Stuff Saturday at Six Sisters Stuff

Nutty Danish Pastry

Melt in your mouth?  Yes, Nutty Danish Pastry will do just that.

I found this pastry in a long-forgotten magazine at least 25 years ago and pulled it out for that brunch we hosted recently.  This is a fairly simple recipe but there are three specific steps that at first glance may lead you to think it is much more complicated.

The key is taking it one step at a time, and taking your time, but it is so worth the time spent.  I love this pastry's shortbread-like bottom layer and the top layer is one of my favorites when it comes to frosting.

Nutty Danish Pastry

Layer one:
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water

Cut 1/2 cup margarine into flour until crumbly.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons water evenly over surface; stir with a fork until moistened.  Shape into 2 equal balls. Place each ball on a parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten into a 12-x3-inch rectangle.

Layer two:
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine 1/2 cup margarine and one cup water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil.  Add one cup of flour.  Reduce to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture forms a ball and leaves the sides of the pan.  Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.  Add eggs, one at time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Divide mixture evenly onto the 2 pastry rectangles and spread until covering the first layer from end to end.  It will seem like way too much but it is the thicker layer so just keep spreading.  Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes until set and golden brown.

Frosting
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans, divided

Melt 1/4 cup margarine in a medium saucepan.  Stir in brown sugar and cook over low heat about one minute.  Add 1 1/2 tablespoons milk, sifted powdered sugar, and vanilla.  Use remaining 1/2 tablespoon of milk, if needed, for better consistency.  I used the full 2 tablespoons.

  
Spread frosting evenly over the two pastries while still warm.  This frosting sets in the blink of an eye so you will need to work quickly.  Sprinkle 1/4 cup chopped pecans on each.

  
Slice each pastry crosswise into 12 1-inch pieces.

Serve immediately, or if serving later cover and refrigerate then bring back to room temperature when you're ready.

Linking up at -

Mix it Up Monday!

Trick or Treat Tuesday

Lil Luna Link Party

Thursday's Treasures

Six Sister's Strut Your Stuff Saturday

Lemon Sugar's Share-It Saturday
Gooseberry Patch Breakfast & Brunch Roundup

Tater-Tot Casserole

5 ingredients plus seasonings!!

My idea of a quick and delicious weeknight meal.

Our first football game is this week which means we are heading full steam ahead into another marching band season.  Mixed feelings on that one though, because this is our last marching band season.  My baby is now a high school senior!

After school rehearsals, weekend ballgames, weekend marching competitions, all team up to add a few more layers of busy-ness to our schedule so anything quick and easy is very much in order right now.

Tater-tot casserole goes together before you can turn around twice and bakes almost as quickly.

Tater-Tot Casserole

1 lb. lean ground beef or turkey
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
(or cream of mushroom but I am not a fan of mushrooms, in fact, I dislike them intensely)
frozen tater tots
shredded colby-jack cheese

Press ground meat in the bottom of an 8- or 9-inch casserole dish.  Season with salt and pepper then sprinkle with chopped onions.

Spread soup over onions and top with a layer of frozen tater tots, placed end to end and squeezing in as many as you can.

Cover with a generous sprinkling of shredded cheese and bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes until bubbly.

While the casserole is baking, mix up a nice, green salad and you have yourself a meal.

 
Linking up at ...
Mix It Up Monday
Trick or Treat Tuesday
Weekend Potluck #31 
Strut Your Stuff Saturday
Gooseberry Patch Best Back to School Recipes 

Spaghetti Pie

This was a staple in our cabinet when I was growing up.

We had Kraft spaghetti at least once every other week if not more often.  And, the sauce was made from the directions on the box using the herb seasoning packet included and usually a pound of cooked and crumbled ground beef.

To me, it's hard to beat.

This was confirmed years ago when we had out of town family over for dinner, the daughter bringing a boyfriend with her.  He filled his plate several times and said over and over how wonderful the spaghetti was.  As it turned out, his grandmother was an Italian immigrant!  That's someone who should know his spaghetti so what a compliment for Mother's simple boxed version!

Here is a little variation on the usual plate of spaghetti.

Spaghetti Pie
1 package Kraft Tangy Italian Spaghetti Dinner
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
shredded parmesan cheese

Prepare spaghetti according to package directions and drain well.  Stir in eggs, parsley, and the package of grated parmesan cheese included in the box.

Place half of the spaghetti in a greased 9-inch pie plate.  Sprinkle one cup of shredded mozzarella.  Repeat layers.  Bake in a 350-degree oven for 12-15 minutes.

While spaghetti is baking make sauce as the box directs, using the tomato sauce option.  Empty the two cans in a medium saucepan, stir in herb seasoning and 1/2 can of water.  Heat until warm.  

Slice spaghetti in wedges just as you would a pie, top with sauce and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

Pressed for time on a weeknight?  Spaghetti Pie can be ready to serve in about 30 minutes!  Add a salad, some garlic bread, and you're done.

Linking up at ...
Strut Your Stuff Saturdays at Six Sisters' Stuff 
Weekend Potluck #28 
Trick or Treat Tuesday 
Thursday's Treasures
Mix it Up Monday at Flour Me With Love