Chocolate Banana Cake with Mocha Buttercream

This is such an easy delicious recipe.  I am hooked on this!  Starting with a chocolate cake mix prepare as directed and add two very ripe bananas before mixing.  Bake as directed on the box. I like using a Bundt Cake pan.
For the Icing:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup real butter
1/2 cup cocoa
1 single serving pkg instant coffee
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup strongly brewed coffee

Beat butter, cocoa, and vanilla then slowly add the powdered sugar and coffee alternately until all combined.
Allow cake to completely cool before icing.
This is even better the next day - warm it up in the microwave and have Cake for breakfast!  Delicious!

Poppy Seed Bread

Much to my surprise when I came looking for our poppy seed bread recipe on here it wasn't here.  It is the very best poppy seed bread I have ever put in my mouth!  It was passed to me from my mother who got it from one of her sweet friends Renee Whitley.  Renee is one of the best cooks out there.  Everything that she cooks is worth putting in your mouth!
So, without further ado,

Poppy Seed Bread

3 eggs beaten

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

1 ½ teaspoons butter flavoring

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla flavoring

1 ½ teaspoons almond flavoring

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

3 cups flour

1 ½ cups milk

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

Combine eggs, sugar, oil, poppy seeds and flavorings together.  Mix well. 

Add flour and milk alternating slowly.  Add salt and baking powder. 

Grease and flour 2 loaf pans, then grease and flour wax paper to line the loaf pans.  Pour in batter dividing it between the two.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour.  Test with toothpick in the center of the loaf to make sure that it is completely done. 

Cool on wire racks for 3 minutes before removing from pans.  Carefully remove the bread and Glaze immediately

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

½ teaspoon almond flavoring

½ teaspoon vanilla flavoring

½ teaspoon butter flavoring

Tip on Cheesecake

I learned this week that if you will bake your cheesecake with a pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven, your cake will turn out much better.  I tried this with my mother's key-lime cheesecake just today.  I haven't ever made this cake where It didn't crack in the middle.  - Today it was perfect!  The pan of water made all the difference!  Can't wait to sink my teeth into it!  (in the refrigerator for 24 hours momentarily!)
Cheesecake loves a MOIST oven!

Peach Berry Crisp

 Hungry Momma's house is in the middle of a fast. 
You haven't heard much from us lately and for that we are very sorry - However I have some yummy stuff to share with you!

This is a Daniel Diet friendly dish that we love to have.  The use of frozen fruit makes it easy to make in the dead middle of winter!

Im sorry that there are no measurements for this recipe, I cook in an eyeball it sorta style quite often. So, I put lots of pictures here for you to see.

 In the bottom of a casserole dish put a single layer of frozen peaches.

 On top of the peaches, put on a layer of frozen mixed berries.  The best mixture in my opinion is Blueberries, Blackberries, and Raspberries.  I removed the Strawberries from the mix.

Sprinkle with Cinnamon all over the top.

 Use a little bit of Pure Maple Syrup to lightly sweeten the crisp.

Top the fruit with granola.  Whatever your favorite variety - I use whichever one I have on hand.  I make my own sometimes, and you can use that too.

 I use about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water and sprinkle over the top.

Bake your crisp in the oven at 375 for 30-45 minutes. 

Momma Lorraine's Sugar Cookies

We have several sugar cookie recipe's in our house.  This one is my mom's recipe that Im sure was passed on to her from someone else!

Cream Together:
1 1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Crisco
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Corn Syrup

Sift Together:
3 Cups Flour
3/4 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp Soda
Add to creamed mixture.
Chill dough, Roll out 1/4" thick.
Using your favorite cookie cutters - cut them out.
Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Cool + Frost.

Frosting
2 Tbsp. Butter, Melted
3 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
pinch salt

Add enough milk or water to make spreading consistency.

Momma's Rocha (Toffee)

 

This toffee is a newer holiday tradition at my parents house.  Super easy to make and so yummy.  

Here is what you need to know - It hasn't ever flopped on my mom, but she ALWAYS uses a Cast Iron Skillet!

Grease a cookie sheet so that it is ready for the completed toffee.

In this order place in your hot cast iron skillet:

1 Cup of Sugar

1 Cup of Butter - No substitutes - otherwise it will flop

On High you are going to bring this to a boil for 3 minutes.  Just adjust your temperature to make sure that you don't scorch it but don't go below medium high.  Stir this constantly with a very heat resistant spoon. 

Have hot pads handy.  When the color changes you will know that it is ready for the Vanilla.  It will start to have darker amber swirls, add 1 Tsp of Vanilla, and stir it up.  Pour immediately onto the greased cookie sheet.  Wait a few seconds and sprinkle with chocolate chips over the top. When they look glossy you will use your spoon and spread out evenly over your toffee mixture.  You can add nuts to the top now if you prefer.  Let it cool and break apart. 

So here are the notes momma gave me - 

ALWAYS use cast Iron

ALWAYS use a very heat proof utensil.

Have a hot pad handy.

If you would like to change it up a bit - you can omit the vanilla and replace with a rum flavor, and add almonds to the toffee before pouring onto the cookie sheet.

Hungry Momma Spice Cookies

This is Santa's favorite cookie at our house!  We hope He enjoys it at your place too!
They get eaten so quickly that I often double the batch because they are a perfect gift and no one eats just one.  They are thin, chewy and crispy on the outside - Perfection in a cookie!



Makes 36 * Prep time: 25 minutes * Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon (heaping)
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
12 T. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1/4 cup Molasses

What to do:
1. Preheat oven to 350*. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a shallow bowl, place 1/2 cup sugar; set aside.

2. With an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining cup of sugar until combined. Beat in egg, and then molasses until combined. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in dry ingredients, just until a dough forms.

3. Pinch off and roll dough into balls, each equal to 1 tablespoon. Roll balls in reserved sugar to coat.

4. Arrange balls on baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. Bake, one sheet at a time, until edges are just firm, 10 to 15 minutes (Cookies can be baked two sheets at time but they will not crack uniformly). Cool 1 minute on baking sheets; transfer to racks to cool completely. Store in air tight containers, 3-4 days.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

 These cookies are a large, chewy, yet crunchy treat.  Packaged beautifully they would make a great gift! They are delicious and special!  My husband is a self proclaimed research nerd, and he is the one who dug out this recipe.  He received Cook's Illustrated for his birthday from my Mom last year which sent him running to the library to find back issues.  Their test kitchen's will make 175 batches of cookies to find the perfect one, and my sweetheart agrees that this is the perfect chocolate chip cookie! 

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teas. baking soda
14 Tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teas. salt
2 teas. vanilla
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.  Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper.  Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

2.Heat 10 Tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes.(Avoid using a nonstick skillet to brown the butter; the dark color of the nonstick coating makes it difficult to gauge when the butter is browned.) Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl.  Stir remaining 4 Tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.

3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated.  Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds.  Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds.  Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth and shiny.  Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute.  Stir in Chocolate chips and nuts, giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.

4. Divide dough into 16 equal portions, each about 3 Tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop).  Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (smaller baking sheets can be used, but require 3 batches.)

5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until the cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking.  Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool.  Cool completely before serving.

Carrot Cake

Carrot cake is my brother's favorite cake, or one of them anyway! I made this for the holiday weekend. I hope you enjoy it.
When baking this cake you can make it as cupcakes and bake it at 350 for 25-30 minutes.  Or if making it into a 13x9 you will need to bake it for much longer.  Your times will vary depending.  Always just check the center of the cake with a toothpick to see if it comes out clean.

3 1/2 cups Grated Carrots
1 cup oil
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup of chopped walnuts
1 20 oz  can of DRAINED Pineapple

Mix all together and Bake at 350 until done!

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/2 stick of butter
8 oz cream cheese
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
2 Cups of Powdered Sugar

Blend this all together and frost the cake after completely cooled.

This is a very runny batter.  That is normal for this recipe.

Coconut Macaroons

 When I was a little girl my grandparents lived in Conway Arkansas.  They had a fabric store downtown on Main Street which was very close to a yummy shop called Ed's Bakery.  Among the many yummy things they served was a phenomenal Macaroon.  I have been trying to find a recipe that resembled theirs for quite some time.  I think this one that I made up taste like what I remember.  I would love to have some of my Arkansas family members make this (that remember Ed's Bakery) and tell me what they think. 

Here is what I did:

In a Food Processor I put a small bag of coconut and 1/3 cup of flour.  I did a small chop on these to just make the coconut a bit smaller.

Next I took three egg whites at room temperature and beat them until soft peaks  formed.  Then I slowly added 1 cup of sugar while still beating with my electric mixer. 

 Next I folded in the Coconut flour mixture and added a splash of Vanilla.  

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes on Parchment paper and allow to cool completely.

Eat up these are yummy!

Spice Cake

Here at the Hungry Momma we apparently LOVE cake!  So many recipes here!
This is for my Daddy - He LOVES LOVES LOVES this spice cake.

Mix together these dry ingredients:
2 cups of Flour
1 cup of Sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cloves
3/4 tsp cinnamon

Beat together for 2 minutes:
2/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup Buttermilk

Add and beat 2 more minutes:
3 Eggs

Combine the wet and dry ingredients. 
Nuts *optional

 Bake at 350 - about 35 minutes (possibly less depending on your oven)


Icing:
1/2 - 3/4 cup Butter
1/4 - 1/2 cup of Shortening
Pinch of Salt
1 lb Powdered Sugar
Vanilla and enough half and half to make it spreadable - add it a Tablespoon at a time.

Toasted Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting

This recipe goes well on many cakes, but is posted here to go with The Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake.

Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter softened
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 (16 ounce) pkg of powdered sugar
1 cup of chopped pecans

 Preparation:
Toast your pecans in the oven at 375 - just watch them it doesn't take long for them to get that yummy toasty flavor.

Beat the first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. 
Stir in the pecans after they have cooled! 
You will need three cups of the icing for the Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake.

Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake

Blame it on her roots that my oldest who just turned 10 wanted a Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake. She likes to eat grown up foods like this - it isn't something most kids would choose for a birthday cake. Her friends were less than impressed that I had worked forever on it.
I will tell you that this cake is a labor of love.  The first time I ate it was at my sweet Friend Leah's house.  Leah is one of the biggest givers I know.  She wanted our time together to be special so she slaved over this cake for us to eat when we were passing through Oklahoma one time.  I had never had it before and was so delighted with my very first bite.  It was like I had died and gone to heaven.  Why does cake make you feel this way?  Good cake anyway?
You will also need to pull up the post Fresh Orange Curd, Glazed Pecan Halves, and Toasted Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting.

You will need to start this cake a day ahead because the Fresh Orange Curd must chill for 8 hours.
Yeild: Makes 12 - 16 servings
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups of sugar
5 large eggs separated
1 Tbs vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup sweetened flaked  coconut
Fresh Orange Curd
3 cups Toasted Pecan Cream Cheese Icing
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut lightly toasted (optional)
Glazed Pecan Halves (optional)

Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy.

Gradually add sugar, beating well.

Add Egg yolks one at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
Add Vanilla; beat until blended. 

Combine flour and soda; add to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Beat at low speed until blended after each addition.  Stir in one cup of Flaked Coconut.








Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. 

Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

Spread 3/4 cup chilled Fresh Orange Curd between each layer.

Spread the remaining Fresh Orange Curd on top of the Cake. (The Fresh Orange Curd layer on the top of cake will be very thick.)
If desired, loosely cover cake and chill 8 hours.  Chilling the cake with the curd between the layers helps keep the layers in place and makes it much easier to spread the frosting.





Spread 3 cups Toasted Pecan - Cream Cheese Frosting on the sides of cake

reserving remaining frosting for another use. 

Sprinkle Toasted coconut over the top of the Fresh Orange Curd.
Arrange Glazed Pecan Halves around the top edge of Cake. If desired store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.