Category: SAUCES, SEASONINGS, DRESSINGS, VINAIGRETTES, DIPS, RELISHES, GRAVIES & RUBS

MEXICAN COBB WITH JALAPENO RANCH DRESSING revisited

I originally posted this recipe for the beach party at Seaside Simplicity.   It was perfect to accommodate Martha’s Jalapeno Poppers. But that was last year and this year I’ve updated it to include taco meat, black beans and marinated tomatoes. The dressing remains the key element of this salad.

 

MEXICAN COBB SALAD
Bed of Lettuce
Grilled chicken breast, chilled and chopped
1 roma tomato, chopped
1 avocado chopped
1/8 cup chopped green chiles
1/4 cup grated jack cheese
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
Juice of 1 lime

JALAPENO RANCH DRESSING

2 cups buttermilk
2 cups mayonnaise
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon crushed parsley flakes
2 tablespoons Penzey’s California crushed jalapenos
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

  • Whisk all together and chill overnight before serving

PAPRIKA CHICKEN and the RUB RUB RUB!

There are so many foods to work with, but honestly most of us use the same basic meats, beef, chicken pork or fish.  One of the best ways to spice it up a bit is to use spice rubs.  Most rubs use simple ingredients, but finding your favorite flavor combination can make the difference between eating the same old thing or trying a BOLD new flavor.  Sometimes the rub seasoning mixes can be added to your wet mixtures instead of directly being rubbed on the meats and have just as great a flavor enhancement.

PAPRIKA CHICKEN
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon Penzey’s Sweet Smoked Paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
2 cups buttermilk
2/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/4 cup self rising flour
Fresh ground salt and black pepper, to taste
Avocado oil & Crisco

  • Sift together flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon paprika, set aside. 
  • Whisk together buttermilk, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon paprika, oregano, salt and pepper.
  • Dredge chicken pieces in four, making sure to coat ALL edges and folds. Save remaining flour mixture for use later.
  • Submerge chicken pieces in buttermilk mixture and chill 3-4 hours.
  • Heat a combination of avocado oil and Crisco over medium high heat.
  • Place remaining flour in a shallow dish.
  • Remove each chicken piece from the buttermilk shaking off excess.
  • Dredge each piece in flour mixture.
  • Fry until golden, turning only once about 15-20 minutes.
  • Using a wire rack place chicken pieces to drain.

Rubs will store, but I prefer to make them fresh for each recipe. 

Here are a few of my other favorite flavor combinations for rubs:

CHILE COFFEE – great for beef
1 teaspoon espresso powder
2 tablespoon ancho-chile powder
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
pinch of cinnamon
pinch nutmeg

  • Mix together and store at room temperature.

SESAME SPICE – great for chicken
1/4 cup sweet paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground Himalayan Pink salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
pinch sugar

  •  Mix together and store at room temperature.

ORANGE CORIANDER – great for fish
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
2 teaspoons finely ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground Himalayan Pink salt 
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

  •  Mix together and store at room temperature.

Here are a few other flavor combinations that are great for fried chicken:

SPICED MUSTARD
1 tablespoon ground mustard
4 teaspoons OLD BAY seasoning
flour
buttermilk
2-3 teaspoon Frank’s hot sauce

  • Add dry seasoning to dredge mixture.
  • Add hot sauce to buttermilk.
  • Coat chicken pieces with buttermilk mixture for several hours.
  • Drain chicken pieces, dredge through flour mixture and fry as normal.

LEMON PEPPER
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Fresh ground Himalayan pink salt
Zest from 1 lemon
4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice from 1 lemon
flour
buttermilk

  • Add dry seasoning to dredge mixture.
  • Add garlic, zest and lemon juice to buttermilk.
  • Coat chicken pieces with buttermilk mixture for several hours.
  • Drain chicken pieces, dredge through flour mixture and fry as normal.

    BBQ CARROTS
    1 bag baby carrots
    2/3 cup favorite BBQ sauce
    1/4 cup honey

    • Steam or boil carrots until tender.
    • Whisk together the honey and BBQ sauce.
    • Heat sauce mixture for 30-45 seconds on high in the microwave.
    • Toss together and serve.

      PICKLE BRINED FRIED CHICKEN with BUTTERMILK CREAM GRAVY

      PICKLE BRINE FRIED CHICKEN 
      1 jar Zucchini relish
      8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
      2 cups buttermilk
      Flour for dredging
      salt and pepper to taste
      coconut oil for frying
      garnish

      • Poke each piece of chicken with a fork.
      • Add chicken and zucchini relish to a large ziploc bag.
      • Chill 3 hours.
      • Remove chicken from brine, scraping off chunks of relish. Chill until ready to fry.
      • Heat oil in large skillet.
      • Dredge chicken pieces through the buttermilk and then the flour, patting the flour into all the crevices.
      • Add chicken to oil cooking until golden on both sides.
      • Serve with mashed potatoes and buttermilk cream gravy.

      ***Original recipe called for:
      1 tablespoon toasted yellow mustard seeds
      1 tablespoon toasted brown mustard seeds
      1 1/2 tablespoons toasted coriander seeds
      1 cup apple cider vinegar
      2/3 cup kosher salt
      1/3 cup sugar
      1/ cup chopped fresh dill

      BUTTERMILK CREAM GRAVY
      4 tablespoons butter
      1/4 cup Wondra flour
      1 container KNORR chicken gel bouillon
      1 cup water
      1 cup buttermilk
      Fresh ground salt and black pepper, to taste

      • Whisk together the bouillon gel and water until smooth.
      • Add buttermilk until well blended. Set Aside.
      • Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.
      • Add flour, whisking until golden and smooth.
      • Gradually add buttermilk mixture and bring to a SLOW boil.
      • Reduce heat and simmer until thickening begins.
      • Salt and pepper to desired taste.

      ZUCCHINI RELISH
      5 cups shredded zucchini
      1 cup chopped Vidalia onion
      1 cup red pepper
      1 cup green pepper
      2 1/2 tablespoons salt
      2 cups water
      1 tablespoon celery seed
      2 1/2  teaspoons turmeric
      2 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
      1 1/4 cup white or apple cider vinegar

      • Whisk together the spices and sugar. Set aside.
      • Toss together zucchini, onion, red and green peppers.
      • Sprinkle with salt and toss again.
      • Pour 2 cups water over top.
      • Soak over night.

      • Drain and rinse WELL! (I use a cheesecloth to gently wring out remaining water from the veggies.
      • Add veggies to a large pot.
      • Add spice mixture and vinegar, stirring to coat.
      • Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25-30 minutes until veggies are soft.
      • Pour into hot sterilized jars and water bath 10 minutes.

      Chicken Gumbo & Sweet Chile Buttermilk Herb Dressing

      This recipe originally called for okra.  Not even this southern girl likes okra and the best substitution for okra is eggplant, but hubs can’t stand that so I substitute the split peas.

      CHICKEN GUMBO
      *1 1/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken pieces
      1 tablespoon avocado oil
      1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
      1 large shallot, chopped
      5 ribs celery, sliced
      4 cloves garlic, minced
      1 KNORR chicken gel bouillon
      1 teaspoon dried thyme
      1 cup dried split peas
      1 can petite diced tomatoes
      2 teaspoons file’ powder
      Fresh ground salt and black pepper, to taste
      2 cups water
      Brown rice

      • Oil sides of crock pot.
      • Place onions, shallots, tomatoes, garlic and celery on bottom of crock pot.
      • Top with split peas and then chicken.
      • Whisk together water, bouillon gel, thyme, salt, pepper and file’ powder.
      • Pour over Chicken.
      • Cover and cook 8-10 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high.
      • Serve over rice.

      *I add these frozen and they work great.

      SWEET CHILE BUTTERMILK HERB DRESSING
      1 cup buttermilk
      1/4 cup mayonnaise
      1/4 cup sour cream
      3 cloves garlic, minced
      1 small shallot, minced
      2 teaspoons freshly chopped chives
      1 tablespoon parsley paste
      1 tablespoon Frank’s Red Hot Sweet Chili Sauce
      Fresh ground salt and pepper, to taste

      • Using a quart  jar, add all ingredients and shake to mix well.
      • Chill several hours to blend flavors.
      • Shake well and toss with salad.

      PORK SCHNITZEL, PLUM SHALLOT CHUTNEY & GRANDMA DOLL POTATO SALAD

      PORK SCHNITZEL
      6-8 thin pork cutlets
      1 cup Panko crumbs
      1/2 cup Wondra flour
      Coarse sea salt to taste
      Fresh ground pepper to taste
      1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
      2 large eggs, beaten
      4 tablespoons butter

      • Stir together the flour salt, pepper and cayenne.
      • Melt butter in large skillet over medium high heat.
      • Dredge each cutlet through the egg and then the flour mixture before adding to the hot butter.
      • Brown to golden on each side.

      PLUM SHALLOT CHUTNEY
      1 jar Smuckers Red Plum Jam
      1 large shallot, sliced thin

      • In a small food processor add both the jam and shallot slices, processing until smooth AND chunky.

      GRANDMA DOLL’S POTATO SALAD
      3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, baked and cooled
      4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
      1 small red onion, chopped
      2 large kosher dill pickles, chopped
      2 tablespoons dill relish
      Lots of mustard
      A little mayonnaise
      salt and pepper to taste

      • Grate potatoes in a large mixing bowl.
      • Add eggs, onion, pickles and relish, mixing to blend well.
      • Add mustard and mayonnaise to taste and desired consistency.
      • Add seasonings to taste.

      VANILLA LATTE MEATBALLS with COFFEE GRAVY

      Anyone can make a meatloaf or fried chicken.  When I search for recipes for recipe experiment night I look for the unusual. I found this recipe loose in my file. Heaven only knows where it came from.  It was a xerox of a xerox called Norwegian Meatballs. I changed it enough to utilize what I had on hand and we really liked it so I’ll make it the same way again, but I changed up the directions a bit.  I’ll give you the original ingredients in red with my changes in black.

      VANILLA LATTE MEATBALLS with COFFEE GRAVY
      1 1/2 cups ‘nilla wafer crumbs 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
      1/2 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup half and half
      1/4 cup espresso 1/4 cup strong coffee

      2 eggs, lightly beaten
      1 medium onion, finely chopped (I used a small Vidalia)
      1/4 cup fresh chopped Italian leaf parsley
      1 teaspoon fresh ground Himalayan Pink salt 1 teaspoon salt
      1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
      1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
      1/4 cup organic butter
      3/4 pound ground chuck 1 pound ground beef
      3/4 pound ground country pork 1/2 pound ground turkey or ground pork

      • In a large mixing bowl combine ‘nilla wafers, heavy cream and espresso until evenly moist.
      • Add eggs, onion, parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper, mixing again by hand until well blended.
      • Add meat and blend again until evenly mixed.
      • Cover and chill for several hours.
      • With gloves or moist hands form golf ball sized meatballs.
      • Chill again for 30 minutes or so.
      • In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over a medium-high heat.
      • Cook meatballs, turning as necessary until cooked through, about 10 minutes. As meatballs finish remove them with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels as you cook the rest of the meatballs.  Add remaining butter as necessary until it is all in the skillet.

      1/4 cup flour
      1 KNORR beef gel bouillon 1 cup beef broth
      1 cup boiling water
      1 cup espresso 1 cup strong coffee
      1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
      1/2 teaspoon  Himalayan Pink salt 1 teaspoon salt
      1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

      • After meatballs are all cooked, whisk flour into skillet, scraping all the bits from the bottom.
      • Whisk together KNORR gel, coffee, water and seasoning.
      • When flour is golden and smooth, gradually add coffee mixture, whisking until smooth.
      • Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
      • Return meatballs to gravy, lower heat, and simmer a few minutes until meatballs are hated through.

      BEEF RAGOUT with SALAD & ONION BACON VINAIGRETTE

      The definition of Ragout is well seasoned meat and vegetables cooked in a thick sauce.  Translated it means YUMMY, flavorful and perfect for a cold winter’s night.

      BEEF RAGOUT with SALAD
      4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
      1 1/2 pounds quality stew meat cut into bite sized pieces
      4 tablespoons Classico Sun-dried tomato pesto
      1 large can pureed tomatoes
      1 cup baby carrots, halved
      1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
      2 large stalks celery, chopped
      4 cloves garlic, minced
      1 can diced tomatoes, seasoned (I used basil, garlic & oregano)
      1/2 cup red wine
      1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
      1/2 teaspoon Pink Himalayan salt
      1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
      1 teaspoon dried oregano
      1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil

      • Coat crock pot with non stick cooking spray.
      • Stir together all the ingredients until well mixed.
      • Cover and cook on low 8-9 hours or 4-5 hours on low.
      • Serve over pasta.

      *Original recipe called for Pancetta, but I find it a bit too salty and expensive so just used quality bacon from my butcher.

      ONION BACON VINAIGRETTE
      4 slices bacon
      1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
      1/2 cup Tarragon vinegar
      3/4 cup cream sherry
      1/4 cup Avpcado oil
      2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
      salt and pepper to taste

      • Cook bacon until crisp.
      • Drain bacon on paper towels.
      • Add green onions to bacon grease and cook until tender.
      • Add vinegar, simmering 5 minutes.
      • Add cream sherry, simmering another 5 minutes.
      • Remove from heat and whisk in oil.
      • Fold in thyme leaves and bacon.
      • Season to taste with salt and pepper.
      • Serve warm.
      • Refrigerate leftovers.

      CHICKEN SANDWICH with BLACKBERRY RELISH

      I’ve been having very strange cravings for vinegar based food lately.  Today I decided to make a Blackberry Relish and stranger yet to put it on a fairly plain sandwich (Onion roll, rotisserie chicken pieces, mayo and provolone cheese).  Next time I’m thinking of chopping the chicken and mixing it with the relish and putting it on a nice fresh sourdough.

      BLACKBERRY RELISH
      2 cups blackberries*, chopped
      1/4 cup minced green onions
      4 cloves garlic, minced
      2 tablespoons chopped green chiles, drained well
      2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

      •  Mix all together and chill.

      *frozen are okay to use, but if you use frozen thaw first draining off all moisture.

      MARINATED PRIME RIB & OVEN ROASTED ASPARAGUS with LEMON SAUCE

      This was our Christmas Eve meal with the Caramel Apple Cheesecake for dessert. We used to have larger Christmas eve family gatherings when I was young and those tended to be buffets.  Now that it is usually either just the 2 of us or a smaller gathering I make a more formal and traditional meal. 

      I used the scraps leftovers (not that there were many) to make the New Year’s Day Black Eyed Pea Chili.

      MARINATED and SEASONED PRIME RIB
      5 pound boneless beef rib roast
      3/4 cup Mad Housewife Merlot wine
      1 small Vidalia onion, sliced thin
      1/4 cup water
      1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
      Avocado oil
      *2 tablespoons  Savory Spice Shop Hidden Cove Lemon Garlic Blend
      *2 tablespoons  Penzey’s English Prime Rib Rub 
      *1 teaspoon  Penzey’s OR Savory Spice Shop’s Horseradish powder

      • Whisk together the wine, water and Worcestershire sauce.
      • Place roast in a large plastic bag that has been placed in a shallow baking dish.
      • Pour marinade over roast and seal bag.
      • Marinate 6-8 hours, turning bag occasionally.

       

      • Preheat oven to 325°.
      • Place sliced onions in bottom of roaster.
      • Drain roast and discard marinade.
      • Rub roast generously with the avocado oil. Let roast sit on drainboard a moment to allow excess oil to drain off.  At this point wash your hands to remove the excess oil also so the rub will go on better.
      • Stir together the Hidden Cove Lemon Garlic Blend, English Prime Rib Rub and the horseradish powder until well mixed.
      • Sprinkle rub mixture over roast until well coated all the way around.
      • Place roast, fat side up on onion slices.
      • Insert oven thermometer.
      • Roast until desired doneness (we like medium rare which was 135 degrees and about 2 1/4 hours), but no more!
      • Transfer roast to cutting board and immediately tent with foil for 20 minutes before carving. This is the resting phase and mandatory to the perfect prime rib. During this phase your roast will raise another 10 degrees. 

      *If you want a thicker rub add more spices making sure to keep these proportions.

      DO NOT SKIP THE RESTING PHASE!!

      OVEN ROASTED ASPARAGUS with LEMON SAUCE
      1 bunch asparagus
      Avocado oil
      sea salt
      fresh ground black pepper

      • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
      • Snap off woody ends. 
      • Wash asparagus and drain well.
      • Pat dry and then drizzle with avocado oil, smoothing all along each stalk as you place asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet.
      • Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
      • Roast 10 minutes or until fork tender, but snappy and browning on the outside.

      Juice of 2 lemons
      1 tablespoon cornstarch
      1 tablespoon cool water
      2 teaspoons sugar
      2 LARGE egg yolks

      • In a small saucepan whisk together the water and cornstarch over a medium heat.
      • Bring to a slow boil, whisking constantly.
      • Add sugar and whisk until dissolved. Immediately remove from heat to cool!
      • Return the saucepan to the lowest setting.
      • Beat egg yolks and lemon juice until well blended.
      • Whisk egg yolks into cooled sauce and cook slowly to thicken.  TOO HIGH A HEAT WILL CURDLE YOUR SAUCE.
      • Season as necessary and pour over plated asparagus.

      BAKED HAM with APPLE PINEAPPLE GLAZE

      BAKED HAM with APPLE PINEAPPLE GLAZE
      7-8 pound ham
      2 medium apples (I like Honey Crisp)

      • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
      • Peel, core and thinly slice 2 apples.
      • Add apple slices to bottom of baking dish.
      • Place ham cut side down on top of apple slices.
      • Insert oven thermometer and bake 2 1/2 – 3 hours or until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.
      • Brush with glaze last 20-30 minutes.

      8 ounces crushed pineapple
      8 ounce jar pineapple preserves
      1/2 cup tangerine juice
      2 medium apples (I like Honey Crisp), peeled, cored and thinly sliced

      •  In a small sauce pan whisk together the crushed pineapple, pineapple preserves and tangerine juice.
      • Add apple slices (or chunks if preferred).
      • Bring to a SLOW boil and then reduce to low simmer.

      GRAN’S VINAIGRETTE

      2 cloves garlic, minced
      1 large green onion, minced
      1 tablespoon brown sugar
      1 tablespoon white sugar
      1/2 teaspoon sea salt
      1/3 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
      1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
      3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
      2 tablespoons heavy cream
      juice of 1 lemon
      juice of 1 lime
      3/4 cup olive or peanut oil

      • In a dressing bottle combine the garlic and onion. sugars, salt and pepper.
      • In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, oil, sugars, salt and pepper.
      • Pour over the garlic and onion.
      • Shake well to combine until well blended.

      BLACK FRIDAY THANKSGIVING WRAP UP with NEW RECIPES for GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE, CRANBERRY POMEGRANATE TANGERINE SAUCE, PUMPKIN PECAN BUTTER CAKE with CARAMEL SAUCE & CINNAMON PECANS

      As I mentioned before, I DO NOT shop Black Friday, unless it’s from the comfort of my desk chair talking to a computer.  Thanksgiving weekend for us is and always has been casual.  This year was no exception. With just 2 of us this year I bought a turkey breast only.  So my questions is, where does the rest of the turkey go?

      Our range is on the way out also – losing the heating elements one by one and the oven is now 75 degrees under temperature.  I didn’t want to take a chance so I started the turkey breast in the slow cooker and then used the oven to only brown the top.  Amazingly, it turned out PERFECT!  I see great turkey sandwiches tomorrow! And there are plenty of leftovers until the new range is installed next week.

      Our morning started out foggy and drizzly before turning to serious cold and rain.  I did manage to capture this Robin hanging out in the old garden bed.

      And the first opening bloom of the Christmas Cactus this season.

      99.9% of my recipes are made from scratch, but every now and then I do cheat a bit.  Part of Thanksgiving’s dessert, PUMPKIN PECAN BUTTER CAKE with CARAMEL SAUCE & CINNAMON PECAN was one of those small cheats and believe me I will cheat again, but next time I’ll add some fresh whipped cream.  MOST of the recipe is scratch ingredients, but it called for a Betty Crocker SuperMoist yellow cake mix.  Instead I used a SuperMoist BUTTER PECAN cake mix and it was FABULOUS!  I’ll give you the original recipe (which for the life of me I can’t remember where it came from – probably pinterest) with my changes in red.

      GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
      3-15 ounce cans cut green beans, drained VERY WELL!
      2 1/2 tablespoons butter
      2 tablespoons Wondra
      1 1/4 cup whole milk
      3/4 cup heavy cream
      1/2 teaspoon each, paprika, sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
      1 teaspoon Savory Spice Shop Hidden Cove Lemon Garlic Blend
      1 teaspoon celery flakes
      2 tablespoons Riverhouse Parmesan Herb dressing **
      3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
      1 cup +/- French’s French fried onion rings

      • Over medium heat melt butter in saucepan.
      • Whisk in Wondra until golden.
      • Add milk and heavy cream gradually, bringing to a boil JUST SLIGHTLY!
      • Reduce heat and simmer, stirring continuously until sauce begins to thicken.
      • While still stirring add in paprika, salt, pepper, Lemon Garlic and celery flakes. When you reach your desired consistency set pan aside to cool slightly.
      • In a large mixing bowl toss the green beans with the Riverhouse Parmesan Herb dressing.
      • Pour sauce over beans and gently toss and coat.
      • Pour into a baking dish and top with crumbled bacon and fried onion rings.
      • Bake 20-30 minutes until heated through.

      **If you can’t find this brand, Litehouse Parmesan Caesar is a great substitute.

      CRANBERRY POMEGRANATE TANGERINE SAUCE
      1 bag cranberries
      1 cup pomegranate seeds

      1/2 cup fresh squeezed tangerine juice with pulp*
      1/2 cup pineapple juice*
      2 cups sugar
      ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
      1 teaspoon orange peel
      • Wash cranberries and drain in colander.
      • Mix tangerine juice, pineapple juice and sugar in saucepan until dissolved.
      • Add cinnamon and orange peel. Stir well.
      • Add the cranberries and pomegranate seeds simmering over medium high heat until bubbling, stirring often.
      • When the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat.
      • Cook uncovered or until all cranberries and pomegranate seeds have ’popped’.
      • Sauce will thicken as it cools.
      • Can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or frozen for future holidays.

      Yields: 2 cups
      *You can use ALL orange juice if you prefer

      ***I like to make a double batch at Thanksgiving and freeze half for Christmas.

      PUMPKIN PECAN BUTTER CAKE with CARAMEL SAUCE & CINNAMON PECANS
      CAKE BOTTOM 
      1 Betty Crocker SuperMoist yellow cake mix (Butter Pecan)
      8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
      1 Egg

      • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
      • Line the bottom of your 10 inch springform pan with parchment paper. I cut a square sheet and close it into the seam of the bottom with the latch and then trim into a circle. Lightly spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray.
      • NOTE: you can use a 9×13 cake pan, but coat it well with non-stick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl combine the cake mix, melted butter and egg until well blended.Press batter into the bottom of your springform pan.

      FILLING 
      8 ounces softened cream cheese
      15 ounce can pumpkin
      8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
      1 teaspoon PURE vanilla
      1/2 teaspoon orange peel 
      3 eggs
      2 cups powdered sugar
      2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
      Caramel sauce (recipe follows) 
      Candied pecans (I used Fisher’s Cinnamon Pecans) 
      Kraft Caramel Balls 
      Smucker’s Pineapple Sauce, slightly warmed (optional)

      • In a large mixing bowl beat together the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth.
      • Add melted butter, vanilla and eggs, beating until well combined.
      • Fold in powdered sugar, orange peel and pumpkin pie spice until just mixed.
      • Pour batter over cake base and smooth even.
      • Bake 60-75 minutes until cake is set and top is only slightly wobbly (similar to a cheesecake consistency).
      • COOL COMPLETELY on a wire rack BEFORE removing the pan.
      • Serve sliced with Caramel sauce, pineapple sauce, caramel balls and pecans.

      NOTE: YOU WILL NEED LESS TIME USING A 9X13 PAN!

      CARAMEL SAUCE 
      1/2 cup heavy cream
      4 tablespoons butter, softened
      2 tablespoons light corn syrup
      3/4 cup sugar
      2+ tablespoons water

      • Combine the cream and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
      • Remove from the heat.
      • In a medium saucepan cook the corn syrup over a medium heat until bubbly.
      • Fold in 1/4 cup of the sugar and continue to cook until the edges begin to turn a light amber color.
      • Add in 1/4 cup sugar more and repeat until all the sugar is blended in.
      • Continue cooking until amber color darkens stirring constantly.
      • Remove from the heat and carefully fold in the cream mixture.
      • Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until caramel is bubbling.
      • Serve warm.
      • Makes 1 1/2 cups.

      Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Microwave 20-30 seconds to soften refrigerated caramel before serving.

      I’m off to wrap Christmas presents – Have a great weekend! 

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