Five Flavor Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups white sugar
5 eggs, beaten
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon rum flavored extract
1 teaspoon butter flavored extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Five Flavor Glaze:

1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 teaspoon rum flavored extract
1/2 teaspoon butter flavored extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 10 inch tube pan. In a small bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Set aside. In a measuring cup, combine the milk and 1 teaspoon each coconut, lemon, rum, butter and vanilla extracts; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening and 3 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat until smooth. Beat in flour mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spoon mixture into prepared pan.

Bake for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, or until cake tests done. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Turn cake out of pan onto wire rack. Place waxed paper under rack to catch glaze drippings. Slowly spoon Five Flavor Glaze onto top of hot cake. Cool completely.

***

To make the Five Flavor Glaze:                                      

In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup sugar, water and 1/2 teaspoon each coconut, lemon, rum, butter and vanilla extracts. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

Sandy Barrette

Eggless Sugar Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1½ c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ c. unsalted butter
½ c. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add sour cream and vanilla and beat to combine.

Turn mixer speed to low and gradually add dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, form into a disc, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

When ready to bake cookies, set oven rack to the center position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness.

Use a cookie cutter to cut dough into desired shapes, gathering and re-rolling any leftover dough until it is all used. Place cookie cutouts onto prepared baking sheet.


Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies are just barely golden at the edges. Cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies directly to wire rack to cool completely.

Microwave Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. dry mustard (optional)
1 frying chicken (2 1/2 or 3 lbs.)
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. cooking oil
2 tbsp. butter
Paprika

Directions:

In paper bag, put flour, salt, pepper, and mustard. Shake well. Rub lemon juice on chicken. Shake chicken in bag. Preheat 9 inch browning dish for 4 1/2 minutes. Add oil and butter to dish. Arrange chicken, skin down, on dish without crowding. Cover loosely with waxed paper.

Cook on high for 3 minutes. Turn chicken; sprinkle with paprika. Cook another 3 minutes. Let stand, covered with foil, for 5 minutes.

Serves 8 to 10 people.

Chicken Fried Steak

Ingredients:


1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 pounds cube steak (tenderized round steak that's been extra-tenderized)
Kosher salt
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Begin with setting up an assembly line of dishes. Mix the milk with the eggs in one; the flour mixed with the seasoned salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, paprika and cayenne in another; and the meat in a third. Then have one clean plate at the end to receive the breaded meat.

Work with one piece of meat at a time. Sprinkle both sides with kosher salt and black pepper, then place it in the flour mixture. Turn to coat. Place the meat into the milk/egg mixture, turning to coat. Finally, place it back in the flour and turn to coat (dry mixture/wet mixture/dry mixture). Place the breaded meat on the clean plate, then repeat with the remaining meat.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter. Drop in a few sprinkles of flour to make sure it's sufficiently hot. When the butter sizzles immediately, you know it's ready. (It should not brown right away, if it does, the fire is too hot.) Cook the meat, 3 pieces at a time, until the edges start to look golden brown, about 2 minutes each side. Remove the meat to a paper towel-lined plate and keep them warm by covering lightly with another plate or a sheet of foil. Repeat until all the meat is cooked.