Ingredients
2-3/4 cups sifted flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup champagne
6 egg whites
6 large marshmallows, quartered

Coconut Filling
1/4 cup butter
16 large marshmallows, quartered
1 tablespoon white wine
1 cup flaked coconut

Fondant Frosting
1 pound powdered sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Dash salt
Few drops almond extract
2 to 3 drops red food coloring

Instructions
Resift flour with baking powder and salt. Cream shortening with 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in flour mixture and champagne alternately, mixing to smooth batter.

Beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, continuing to beat to stiff meringue. Fold about half of meringue into batter, mixing gently but thoroughly with whisk. Gently fold in remaining meringue.

Turn into 2 greased and floured 9-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, just until cake tests done. Let stand 10 minutes then turn out onto wire racks to cool.

When layers are cool, fill with Coconut Filling between layers. Using 2/3 cup Fondant Frosting, spread thin layer smoothly over top and sides. This seals any crumbs. Pour about 1/2 cup additional frosting over top of cake and spread quickly to smooth layer. Cover sides of cake with second layer of frosting.

Dip marshmallow quarters in remaining frosting to coat both sides and set randomly over top and sides of cake. Makes 10-12 servings.

Coconut Filling
Combine butter, marshmallows and wine in top of double boiler. Set over simmering water and stir occasionally until marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat and stir in coconut. Cool until thick enough to spread.

Fondant Frosting
Sift sugar into top of double boiler. Add corn syrup and water. Stir over simmering water until smooth. Blend in vanilla, salt, and almond extract. Stir in food color, if desired. Keep frosting warm while using so it spreads smoothly.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Recipe from: Thirty Years of Recipe Requests to the Los Angeles Times by Rose Dosti (Los Angeles Times)

Posted by InfoMedia at 02:02 PM | Permalink

Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 325 F.
Temperature is critical so use an oven thermometer to verify the
correct oven temperature and adjust as necessary. Melt the butter in
a small saucepan and set aside to cool until it?s lukewarm. In a
large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt. Do not sift.
Place both sugars in a medium mixing bowl. Pour melted butter into
sugar and mix until completely blended. Add egg, yolk, and vanilla
extract. Mix until blended. Add flour mixture and mix until blended.
Add chocolate chips. Mix just until chips are evenly distributed.

Line 11 x 17 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Don?t use waxed
paper. It?s too flammable.

Baking Instructions: Using a scant 1/4 cup of cookie dough, roll a
ball in the palms of your hands. Grab the ball with the fingertips of
both hands and pull the dough into two pieces resembling half moons.
Rotate the halves so the two jagged/flat sides point toward the
ceiling and push the two halves together. You?ll now have a cookie
with a jagged top surface (they look like little tree stumps). (I
didn't do this for all of them and they were fine) Place the cookies
(about 6 per sheet) onto the cookie sheets. Put cookies in oven and
bake for 15 minutes.

Start checking for doneness after about 13 minutes and every two
minutes thereafter. They are done when they are turning light golden
brown and the edges are starting to get dry and firm while the
centers are still soft. Cool cookies completely on their cookie
sheets.

The twin secrets to these "mall style" cookies are the melted butter
and the extra egg yolk.

Serving Suggestions Serve warm or allow to cool completely. Store
completely cooled cookies in airtight containers, separating layers of
cookies with waxed paper. The dough will keep refrigerated for 2 days
and frozen for about 30 days. Be sure to wrap it closely with plastic
wrap and place it in an airtight container. Thaw frozen dough
overnight in the refrigerator. Baked cookies will keep in the freezer
for a few weeks. Wrap individually in plastic wrap. Thaw 15 minutes
at room temperature for a quick cookie fix.

NOTES: 1) The dark brown sugar makes darker colored cookies. The light
brown or golden brown sugar makes lighter colored cookies. I prefer
the dark ones because of the little extra flavor the molasses adds.
2) For a nice variation, use light brown sugar instead of dark,
substitute white chocolate chips, and add 2 or 3 tsp. grated orange
peel (from one large orange), to the batter. These are called White
Chip, Orange Dream Cookies.

Continue reading "Big Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies" »

Posted by Scott at 03:25 PM | Permalink

1 Preheat the oven to 325~F
2. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, sugar, and salt
with an electric mixer on medium speed.
3. Add the eggs and beat well.
4. While mixing, slowly add the flour, baking soda, and water.
5. Chop the pecans into very small bits using a food processor or
blender on low speed. Be careful not to overchop; you don't want
to make pecan dust. The pieces should be about the size of rice grains.
6. Add the pecans to the dough and knead with your hands until the pecans
are well blended into the mixture.
7. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and press flat with your hands
onto ungreased baking sheets. The cookies should be about 2 inches
in diameter and 1/2 inch thick.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are
golden brown.

Continue reading "Pecan Sandies" »

Posted by Scott at 03:25 PM | Permalink

Recipe by: unknown Heat oven to 350'F. In small saucepan over very low
heat, melt peanut butter chips and 3 tablespoons softened butter.
Remove from heat; cool slightly. In large mixer bowl, beat remaining
1/2 cup softened butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add
corn syrup, egg and vanilla; blend thoroughly. Combine 2 cups flour,
baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture, blending well. Remove 1
1/4 cups batter and place in a small bowl; with wooden spoon, stir in
remaining 2 tablespoons flour and peanut butter chip mixture. Blend
cocoa, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and melted butter into remaining
batter. Refrigerate both batters 5-10 minutes or until firm enough to
handle.

Roll both doughs into 1" balls; roll in additional sugar. Place on
ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-11 minutes or until set. Cool
slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.
Place 1 marshmallow on flat side of 1 chocolate cookie. Microwave at
MEDIUM (50%) 10 seconds or until marshmallow is softened; place a
peanut butter cookie over marshmallow, pressing down slightly. Repeat
with remaining marshmallows and cookies. Serve immediately.

Makes about 2 dozen sandwich cookies.

Continue reading "Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cookie Sandwich Cookies" »

Posted by Scott at 03:25 PM | Permalink

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Stir in oil, buttermilk and eggs. Add water and stir until combined. Pour into a greased 13in x 9in x 2in baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely. Frost. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Yield: 12-16 servings.

Continue reading "One-Bowl Chocolate Cake" »

Posted by Scott at 03:25 PM | Permalink

In a mixing bowl, beat cake mix, peanut butter and brown sugar on low speed until crumbly. Set aside 1/2 cup. Add water, eggs and oil to remaning crumb mixture; blend on low until moistened. Beat on high for 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup each chocolate and peanut butter chips. Pour into a greased 13in x 9in x 2in baking pan. Combine peanuts, reserved crumb mixture and the remaining chips; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely. Yield: 12-16 servings.

Continue reading "Peanut Crunch Cake" »

Posted by Scott at 03:25 PM | Permalink