Spice-Guy's Kitchen

Crust topping:
2 1/2 cups flour, all purpose
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt 
1 cup sugar 
1/2 cup Crisco shortening 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
3/4 cup milk

1 box yellow cake mix (dry part only) 

Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients, add milk and mix to a smooth batter.  Set aside. 

Filling: 

1 number 10 can sliced cling peaches in light syrup 
9 tablespoons cornstarch 
2 cups brown sugar 
1/2 cup sugar 
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground 
1 stick of unsalted butter 

Directions:

• Make crust topping and set aside. 
• Drain peach syrup and place into a medium size sauce pot.  Set peaches aside. 
• Add all of the cornstarch to the peach syrup and whisk until all lumps of cornstarch are dissolved. 
• Cook the syrup and cornstarch with both sugars and cinnamon until it becomes thickened. 
• Mix in the drained peaches and place into a large dutch oven or large casserole dish or dishes. 
• Sprinkle all of the yellow cake mix on top of the peaches. 
• Cut pieces of butter and distribute evenly on top of cake mix. 
• Drop spoonfuls of crust topping batter over the entire surface. 
• Bake at 350F until the top crust is golden brown and delicious, takes about an hour.

Thanks Glenn.

A different kind of cannoli. 

Ingredients
15 ounces Ricotta cheese
2/3 cup Powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon Grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
2 tablespoons Miniature chocolate chips
10 Sugar ice-cream cones

Directions

In a large bowl with electric mixer at low, beat ricotta cheese, sugar, orange peel, and vanilla just until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. Spoon mixture into ice-cream cones.

I didn’t know whether to call these truffle cookies or cookie truffles. Whatever you call them, they rock!

Ingredients:

1 cup of peanutbutter
1 cup of firmly packed brown sugar(or light brown)
1 large egg(or ex-large)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 heaping cup of roughly chopped chocolate miniatures(you know the kind)

Preheat oven to 350F.

 In a small bowl with a wooden spoon, mix all ingredients until well blended, then stir in the chocolate.

 Drop rounded teaspoonfuls on a sprayed, or non-stick cookie sheet,(or use parchment paper), an inch or two apart.

 Bake for 9 minutes, remove from the oven and cool. Makes about 36 scrumptious little truffle-cookie things, but who’s counting?

Ingredients:
1box-yellow cake mix
1Lg. pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
4eggs
1/2cup canola oil
1cup-milk
1/4cup whiskey
1cup-chopped nuts(dusted with flour)
Mix all ingredients.
Grease and flour cake pan, add batter.
Bake in 350F preheated oven, until a toothpick comes out clean.(30-50min)
While cake is baking, make the glaze.
Glaze:
To a small saucepan add
1/3cup-butter
1/4cup-water
1/4cup-whiskey
3/4cup-sugar
Over medium heat, bring to a gentle boil. Boil for 5min., stirring constantly. When the cake is done, pour the glaze over it while it is still hot.
Allow to cool before cutting.
This cake puts all others to shame, thanks Carol!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
3 1/2 – 4 1/2 cups flour unsifted
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest, this is lemon rind, grated
1/2 cup warm milk
5 egg yolks
1 stick butter cut into slices and softened, plus 2 tablespoons more softened butter
1 egg slightly beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1″ plastic baby doll

Directions
Pour the warm water into a small shallow bowl, and sprinkle yeast and 2 teaspoons sugar into it. Allow the yeast and sugar to rest for three minutes then mix thoroughly. Set bowl in a warm place for ten minutes, or until yeast bubbles up and mixture almost doubles in volume. Combine 3 1/2 cups of flour, remaining sugar, nutmeg and salt, and sift into a large mixing bowl. Stir in lemon zest. Separate center of mixture to form a hole and pour in yeast mixture and milk. Add egg yolks and, using a wooden spoon, slowly combine dry ingredients into the yeast/milk mixture. When mixture is smooth, beat in 8 tablespoons butter (1 tablespoon at a time) and continue to beat 2 minutes, or until dough can be formed into a medium-soft ball.

Place ball of dough on a lightly floured surface and knead like bread. While kneading, sprinkle up to 1 cup more of flour (1 tablespoon at a time) over the dough. When dough is no longer sticky, knead 10 minutes more until shiny and elastic.

Using a pastry brush, coat the inside of a large bowl evenly with one tablespoon softened butter. Place dough ball in the bowl and rotate until the entire surface is buttered. Cover bowl with a moderately thick kitchen towel and place in a draft-free spot for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough doubles in volume. Using a pastry brush, coat a large baking sheet with one tablespoon of butter and set aside.

Remove dough from bowl and place on lightly floured surface. Using your fist, punch dough down forcefully. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top, pat and shake dough into a cylinder. Twist dough to form a curled cylinder and loop cylinder onto the buttered baking sheet. Pinch the ends together to complete the circle. Cover dough with towel and set it in draft-free spot for 45 minutes, or until the circle of dough doubles in volume. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Brush top and sides of cake with egg wash and bake on middle rack of oven for 25 to 35 minutes until golden brown. Place cake on wire rack to cool. If desired, you can hide the plastic baby in the cake at this time.

Colored sugars

Green, purple, & yellow paste
12 tablespoons sugar
Squeeze a dot of green paste in palm of hand. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over the paste and rub together quickly. Place this mixture on wax paper and wash hands to remove color. Repeat process for other 2 colors. Place aside.

Icing

3 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 – 6 tablespoons water
Combine sugar, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons water until smooth. If icing is too stiff, add more water until spreadable. Spread icing over top of cake. Immediately sprinkle the colored sugars in individual rows consisting of about 2 rows of green, purple and yellow.

Cake is served in 2″ – 3″ pieces