Ann Romney’s Meatloaf Cakes

Had to post Ann Romney’s Meatloaf Cakes recipe after the Meatloaf endorsed Mitt.

Ann will make a wonderful First Lady and bring an American Dynamic back to The White House.  

 

 

Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6 small meatloaf cakes (3 to 6 servings).

For the meatloaf cakes:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
4 slices bread, crumbled into small pieces or 3/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
1 large egg
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons seasoned salt

For the sauce:

1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

For the meatloaf cakes: Heat oven to 350ºF. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, crumbled bread or breadcrumbs, egg, onion, lemon juice and seasoned salt. Mix lightly but thoroughly and shape into six small loaves. Space evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes; meanwhile, prepare the sauce.
In a small bowl, mix together the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, cloves and allspice. When the meatloaf cakes have baked for 15 minutes, brush each loaf with sauce and return to the oven. Continue to bake until the meatloaf cakes read 165ºF in the center when tested with an instant-read thermometer, about 20 more minutes. If desired, serve with scalloped potatoes and steamed vegetables. Pass additional sauce separately.

Nannie’s Catfish Cakes

Great use for the Ol' Cast Iron...
I had not been a fan of Catfish until a visit to my mother's in July.  She fried up a batch that didn't have the musky flavor I remember.



Since I've a new appreciation for the fish, I thought this would be an excellent way to prepare it: AND IT WAS! (not to mention how easy the recipe is).  This "Come Back Sauce" is also terrif!

serves 4; makes 8 (2 ½-inch) cakes

Ingredients:

1 sleeve premium saltine crackers
2 tbsp. butter
1⁄4 cup finely diced onion
1⁄4 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper
1⁄4 cup chopped green onions
8 fried catfish fillets
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4 cup olive oil
Come Back Sauce (Link)

Preparation:

Place the crackers in a food processor and grind to crumbs; pour crumbs into a shallow bowl.

Melt the butter in a medium cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and green onions; cook, stirring often, until tender.

Place the catfish fillets in a medium bowl and use your fingers or the back of a fork to mash them into bits. Add the beaten eggs, Tabasco, and Worcestershire; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the onion mixture and stir well. Pat the catfish mixture into 8 cakes about 2 ½ inches wide and 1 ½ inches thick. Gently dredge the cakes in the cracker crumbs, coating well on both sides.

Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Gently place the catfish cakes in the hot skillet and cook, in batches, until golden brown on both sides. Drain on a paper bag and serve with Come Back Sauce.

Croissant French Toast With Fresh Strawberry Syrup

Bring inspired French flavor to your brunch table this weekend. Stale croissants work best in this recipe, so pick them up mid-week and try to resist the temptation to gobble them up before it's time. Top with fresh strawberry syrup and sweetened whipped cream.(no need to edit such great copy)

Ingredients:

4 large day-old croissants
3/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Sweetened Whipped Cream (optional)

Fresh Strawberry Syrup (Link)

Prepartation:

Slice croissants in half lengthwise.
Whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla. Pour into a shallow dish. Dip croissant halves into egg mixture, coating well.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add four croissant halves, and cook about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Repeat procedure with remaining butter and croissant halves. Sprinkle with powdered sugar; top with Sweetened Whipped Cream, if desired, and Fresh Strawberry Syrup.

Cream Puff Dessert

This was one of those hard-to-format recipes I run across, sometimes.  We decided to try it on a whim and it was terrif.  So...I did my best with cut and paste.  I'm going to remember it next time my friend's kids come over.  It's a simple and fast way to have the wonderful Cram Puff taste without all the work.

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 C water

1/2 C butter

1 C flour

4 eggs

1 C chocolate chips 

Filling:

1 1/2 C milk

1 (3.5 ounce) package of instant vanilla pudding

8 ounces cream cheese, softened 

4 ounces frozen whipped topping (cool whip)

Garnish:

2 ounces of shaved chocolate (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium sized saucepan, bring water and butter to a rolling boil.  Reduce heat to low and stir in flour.

Stir until it sticks together and pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Remove from heat; stir in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one.

Continue to stir until you get a creamy (sticky) consistency.

Spread into an ungreased 9 x 13 inch pan. 

Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes (It will be golden brown).

Remove from oven and sprinkle on chocolate chips. Wait a minute until they begin to melt, then spread evenly over the dough; set aside to cool.

Whisk milk and instant vanilla pudding together, set aside to thicken.

Cream together the cream cheese and frozen whipped topping.

Now add the thickened vanilla pudding into the cream cheese mixture and mix again until it's all blended together.

Pour mixture onto the chocolate covered dough.

Sprinkle on some shaved chocolate. Cool in refrigerator for an hour before serving.

Slice, serve and enjoy!

"Come Back" Sauce

This sauce originated at the Mayflower Cafe in Jackson, Mississippi, where it was the house salad dressing. It got its name because diners kept "coming back" for it. Come Back Sauce pairs well with any kind of fried food (try fried green tomatoes) and also makes a tasty dip for cold boiled shrimp.






Ingredients:

1 tbsp. grated onion (using the large holes of a box grater)
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. prepared chili sauce
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and stir well. If the sauce is too thick to drizzle, add 1 tbsp. water to thin.  Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Try it with "Nannies Catfish Cakes"; wonderful!

Pumpkin Sugar Cake

An Easy recipe, and perfect to have on hand for "Sunday Drop-bys" during Autumn.





Yield: 12 to 15 servings

DOUGH:

• 1/4 cup lukewarm water (105° to 115°F)
• 1 packet (2-1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup mashed or canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup milk, slightly warmer than body temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg plus 1 yolk, at room temperature
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour

Pour the water into a small bowl and sprinkle with yeast. Stir to blend, then set aside for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the pumpkin, milk, sugar, oil, egg and yolk, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in the dissolved yeast. Whisk well. Add 2 cups of the flour and beat well with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 cup of flour, 1/3 cup at a time, beating well with the spoon for 1 minute after each addition. Do not skimp on the time: This hand beating eliminates the need to knead. Set the dough aside long enough to butter a 13x9-inch baking pan. Scrape the dough out of the bowl and into the middle of the baking pan. Set aside for 5 minutes.
Tear off a sheet of plastic wrap a little larger than your pan and oil it or coat it with nonstick spray; the oil will ensure that the plastic doesn't stick to the dough. Place the plastic on top of the dough with the oiled side toward the dough, center the plastic, and press the dough out evenly in the pan. Take your time to make it reasonably level. Remove the plastic and cover the pan with a fresh sheet of plastic wrap. Set aside at room temperature for 1-1/2 hours to rest (it won't seem to rise very much).

TOPPING:

• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter

While the dough rests, put the brown sugar, walnuts, and cinnamon into a food processor and pulse until the nuts are very finely chopped. Set aside.
After 1-1/2 hours have passed, preheat the oven to 350° F. Remove the plastic and cover the dough evenly with the brown sugar topping. Using a fingertip, make 12 deep indentations in the dough (three evenly spaced rows of four holes). Melt the 7 tablespoons of butter and spoon evenly over the top, letting some of it drip into the holes. Bake on the center oven rack for 35 minutes. The top will be a rich golden brown, but the best indicator of doneness is total baking time. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Chocolate Ganache Cream Cheese Frosting

 (will frost 24 standard size cupcakes)

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, or if you prefer use milk chocolate chips.
1/2 cup  bittersweet chocolate chips, or you can use good quality dark chocolate as well.
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 package  room temperature cream cheese
1 cup to 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

• Heat heavy cream  until it is hot and bubbles are forming on the surface, pour over small pieces of chocolate, cover  and let stand for 2 minutes. When covering a bowl, first, place a piece of clean dry paper towel over and then place a plate or a lid on top. This helps to keep any water  from condensation dripping into the ganache. Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.Let cool to room temperature.
• Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar, until smooth.
• Gradually add room temperature ganache, add vanilla extract, beat until combined and smooth. 
• Taste, if needed add more powdered sugar. 
• If you find that icing is too stiff, add 1tbl heavy cream and beat until smooth and well combined.
•  Personally don't like frosting that is overly sweet, so you may have to add more sugar based on your taste.
• This is one luscious frosting. You can frost the cake or cupcakes using this frosting.