Okay, so I did not actually eat this pie myself, but it got rave reviews. I made it yesterday for my hubby, who has been kind of complaining about my "diet" food and also for neighbors. My neighbor came over like one hour after giving it to him and he said, "Oh my gosh, Heidi. I don't even like pie but this was amazing! I died and gone to heaven." Those were direct quotes. My husband, whom this is his favorite pie, said it was BETTER than MARIE CALLENDARS. It could have been because he has been dieting with me for a month and this is the first dessert to touch his lips in a month or he could have been sincere. Anyways, I have heard it is amazing! It was also so simple to make, totally worth it.
*Makes one 10-inch pie. (My pie plate was 9 inches and it was fine)
1 can coconut milk (can be found in the Asian foods section)
Half-and-half or heavy cream (enough to add to the coconut milk to make 3 cups)
3 egg yolks
¾ cup white sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup flaked coconut, toasted*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 recipe graham cracker crust (below)
Fresh Whipped Cream, lightly sweetened
In a medium saucepan, combine half and half, coconut milk, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Mixture will become very thick. Remove from heat, and stir in ¾ cup of the toasted coconut, coconut extract and the vanilla extract. Pour into baked and cooled pie shell and chill 2-4 hours or until firm. Top with whipped cream and the remaining ¼ cup of toasted coconut.
*To toast coconut, spread coconut on rimmed baking sheet in an even layer and bake at 325 degrees, tossing often, until lightly toasted, about 12-15 minutes.
Graham Cracker Crust
12 whole rectangular graham crackers
1 stick butter, melted and slightly cooled
3 tablespoons sugar
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Finely crush graham crackers in a food processor or in a ziploc bag with a rolling pin. Pour crumbs into a bowl and add sugar, stirring to combine. Drizzle butter over the top and mix with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
Press the crumbs evenly in the bottom and up the sides of a 9- or 10-inch pie plate. Bake for 13-15 minutes until the crust is just barely beginning to brown. Remove from oven and cool completely before filling.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Chili Verde (Mexican Stewed Pork)
This is utterly, amazing! I only had a little bit, because I am dieting, but Chris could not get enough. Really, really good is all I have to say. Chris put this in a tortilla with shredded sharp cheddar cheese, romaine lettuce, diced roma tomatoes, avocadoes, and sour cream. He loved, LOVED it! I had it on top of a romaine salad with tomatoes and a little bit of reduced fat ranch dressing and it was delicious that way as well! It would be good inside enchiladas, really, anything it would be good on. It makes a ton, but freezes well, so I think it is worth making the whole batch. I did the crock pot method, so I cannot vouch for the oven method, BUT Mel over at Kitchen Cafe is like my food celebrity, I trust her, so I am sure either or is fine. I love how I act like I am personal friends with this lady, but seriously, all of her food is so good. Enjoy!
from My Kitchen Cafe (www.melskitchencafe.com)
*Note: don't even think about skipping the step of reducing the sauce. It is absolutely essential to the flavor of the sauce! Just make sure to plan ahead - the roast takes 8-9 hours on low in the crockpot (or 3-4 hours in the oven) and an additional 30 minutes to reduce the sauce.
*Serves 8-10
2 tablespoons canola oil
5 pounds boneless pork roast, trimmed of as much fat as possible
Salt and pepper for seasoning roast
2 yellow onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely minced or crushed
1 (15 oz.) can green enchilada sauce
2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chiles
2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 beef bouillon cube (or 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon black pepper
Cut the roast into 3-4 large chunks. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper on all sides. In a large heavy pot, ( I used my cast iron skillet and it worked well) the oil over medium heat until the oil is shimmering and hot. Add the pork, being careful not to crowd the pot (brown the pork in shifts, if needed). Brown the pork on all sides until golden and well-browned, about 30 seconds to a minute on each side. Leave the roast in the pot and add the onion and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Place the pork and garlic and onions in the slow cooker (read below for oven-roasting method). Stir in the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours. After the roast has cooked for the allotted time, remove the roast. Shred it into bite-size pieces and set aside, covered with foil to keep warm. Pour the remaining liquid and ingredients from the slow cooker into a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil on the stove, and simmer vigoriously over medium-low or medium heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking or burning, until the mixture considerably reduced and thickened. Add the pork roast and sauce back to the slow cooker. Stir to coat the pork with the sauce. Turn the crockpot to low or high and allow the pork to heat through again. Serve with warm tortillas and desired toppings, such as sour cream, cheese, avocados, lettuce, tomatoes.
Oven-roasting Instructions: When beginning the recipe, make sure to use an oven-safe pot for the browning (such as a large enameled cast-iron pot). Follow the recipe up until the point of adding the pork to the slow cooker. Instead, keep the pork in the oven-safe pot. Add in all the other recipe ingredients plus 1/2 cup water. Stir to combine. Cover the pot and cook in the oven at 300 degrees for 3-4 hours. When finished cooking, remove the roast as directed in the above instructions. Follow the recipe to reduce the sauce.
from My Kitchen Cafe (www.melskitchencafe.com)
*Note: don't even think about skipping the step of reducing the sauce. It is absolutely essential to the flavor of the sauce! Just make sure to plan ahead - the roast takes 8-9 hours on low in the crockpot (or 3-4 hours in the oven) and an additional 30 minutes to reduce the sauce.
*Serves 8-10
2 tablespoons canola oil
5 pounds boneless pork roast, trimmed of as much fat as possible
Salt and pepper for seasoning roast
2 yellow onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely minced or crushed
1 (15 oz.) can green enchilada sauce
2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chiles
2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 beef bouillon cube (or 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon black pepper
Cut the roast into 3-4 large chunks. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper on all sides. In a large heavy pot, ( I used my cast iron skillet and it worked well) the oil over medium heat until the oil is shimmering and hot. Add the pork, being careful not to crowd the pot (brown the pork in shifts, if needed). Brown the pork on all sides until golden and well-browned, about 30 seconds to a minute on each side. Leave the roast in the pot and add the onion and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Place the pork and garlic and onions in the slow cooker (read below for oven-roasting method). Stir in the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours. After the roast has cooked for the allotted time, remove the roast. Shred it into bite-size pieces and set aside, covered with foil to keep warm. Pour the remaining liquid and ingredients from the slow cooker into a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil on the stove, and simmer vigoriously over medium-low or medium heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking or burning, until the mixture considerably reduced and thickened. Add the pork roast and sauce back to the slow cooker. Stir to coat the pork with the sauce. Turn the crockpot to low or high and allow the pork to heat through again. Serve with warm tortillas and desired toppings, such as sour cream, cheese, avocados, lettuce, tomatoes.
Oven-roasting Instructions: When beginning the recipe, make sure to use an oven-safe pot for the browning (such as a large enameled cast-iron pot). Follow the recipe up until the point of adding the pork to the slow cooker. Instead, keep the pork in the oven-safe pot. Add in all the other recipe ingredients plus 1/2 cup water. Stir to combine. Cover the pot and cook in the oven at 300 degrees for 3-4 hours. When finished cooking, remove the roast as directed in the above instructions. Follow the recipe to reduce the sauce.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Eggnog Bundt Cake with Caramel Sauce
Yum, Yum, and Yum! I made this for one of our desserts on Christmas day, and let me just say it is divine. You have to, of course though, be an eggnog fan. If you are, make this and you will be amazed! The cake is moist, light, and just so so good and the caramel sauce is out of this world! You add ice cream to the caramel sauce, which I know is unorthodox, but I believe it made all the difference. Anyways, it is also not too heavy of a dessert so you don't get that nauseous sick feeling. Another bonus to this recipe. We all enjoyed it and so did our Christmas guests so it is a keeper for sure.
Source: Sisters Cafe Blog
1 yellow cake mix (preferably with pudding in the mix)
3 T. flour
2 c. eggnog
¼ c. butter, softened
2 eggs, slightly beaten
¼ tsp. rum extract
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Beat until smooth and creamy. Pour into greased bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes. Dust lightly with powdered sugar for presentation.
Caramel sauce:
½ lb brown sugar (~1 1/8 c.)
½ lb butter
½ lb powdered sugar (~2 cups)
½ T. cinnamon
½ qt. rich vanilla ice cream
Melt together over medium heat. Once melted, it is done, no need to bring to a boil or simmer, just melt it, it takes about 5-8 minutes. Pour warm over individual servings immediately before serving.
Source: Sisters Cafe Blog
1 yellow cake mix (preferably with pudding in the mix)
3 T. flour
2 c. eggnog
¼ c. butter, softened
2 eggs, slightly beaten
¼ tsp. rum extract
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Beat until smooth and creamy. Pour into greased bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes. Dust lightly with powdered sugar for presentation.
Caramel sauce:
½ lb brown sugar (~1 1/8 c.)
½ lb butter
½ lb powdered sugar (~2 cups)
½ T. cinnamon
½ qt. rich vanilla ice cream
Melt together over medium heat. Once melted, it is done, no need to bring to a boil or simmer, just melt it, it takes about 5-8 minutes. Pour warm over individual servings immediately before serving.
Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes
For Christmas, we normally always have funeral potatoes, or yummy cheesy potatoes as one of the sides. But, this year, we invited some families over and I was not in charge of potatoes. However, the family that was going to bring the potatoes had to cancel due to illness and so I was then in charge of potatoes. I found this out about 3 hours before dinner. So, luckily, I had potatoes in the house, and luckily this awesome blog saved me! I made these in no time at all and I had all ingredients on hand, which is rare for me, and they are delicious! Everyone loved them, even the kids. SO so good! My husband is not normally an au gratin potato fan, but even he ate these all up! This complements any meal, but was especially delicious with our ham.
from My Kitchen Cafe (www.melskitchencafe.com)
*Note: the key to this dish is the evenly and very thinly sliced potatoes. It will be nearly impossible to accomplish this feat by hand, since the potatoes need to be sliced 1/8-inch thick. I don't have a mandoline, which would work perfectly, however, a slicing disk on a food processor/shredder works great and in a pinch, I've used the slicing side of my box grater. I used the slicing disk on food processor like mentioned, and it worked like a charm.
*Serves 6
1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and adjust an oven rack to the middle position. In a large bowl, toss the cheeses and cornstarch together until evenly coated.
In a large gratin dish (about a 2- to 3-quart dish), shingle half of the potatoes. Sprinkle the potatoes evenly with 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Top with the remaining potatoes, shingling them neatly and evenly. Sprinkle another 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper evenly over the top.
Combine the cream and the broth in a large measuring cup and pour the mixture over the potatoes. Top with the remaining cheese mixture and bake until golden brown and a fork inserted into the center slides in easily with little resistance, 75 to 85 minutes. Let the potatoes cool for 10 minutes. Serve.
Heidi's Note: I put this dish in a 9 by 13 inch pan, and because of this, my potatoes cooked in about 60 minutes rather than 75-85 minutes.
from My Kitchen Cafe (www.melskitchencafe.com)
*Note: the key to this dish is the evenly and very thinly sliced potatoes. It will be nearly impossible to accomplish this feat by hand, since the potatoes need to be sliced 1/8-inch thick. I don't have a mandoline, which would work perfectly, however, a slicing disk on a food processor/shredder works great and in a pinch, I've used the slicing side of my box grater. I used the slicing disk on food processor like mentioned, and it worked like a charm.
*Serves 6
1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and adjust an oven rack to the middle position. In a large bowl, toss the cheeses and cornstarch together until evenly coated.
In a large gratin dish (about a 2- to 3-quart dish), shingle half of the potatoes. Sprinkle the potatoes evenly with 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Top with the remaining potatoes, shingling them neatly and evenly. Sprinkle another 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper evenly over the top.
Combine the cream and the broth in a large measuring cup and pour the mixture over the potatoes. Top with the remaining cheese mixture and bake until golden brown and a fork inserted into the center slides in easily with little resistance, 75 to 85 minutes. Let the potatoes cool for 10 minutes. Serve.
Heidi's Note: I put this dish in a 9 by 13 inch pan, and because of this, my potatoes cooked in about 60 minutes rather than 75-85 minutes.
Maple Brown Sugar Ham in the Slow Cooker
I am not very good at making ham. Granted, I have only made ham like three times in my life, but each time it turned out dry and just, okay. But, then, I made this ham for Christmas this year, and now I will never cook ham another way again. It was NOT dry at ALL, and it was the tastiest ham I have had EVER! It was so so easy too! I never would have thought to cook ham in a slow cooker, but now I am convinced, it is the only way to go.
I got this from My Kitchen Cafe, who adapted slightly from Year of Crockpotting
7-8 pound bone-in spiral-cut ham
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup all natural maple syrup (yes, please use pure maple syrup and not pancake syrup)
2 cups pineapple juice
Use a 6-7 quart slow cooker. Unwrap the ham and discard flavor packet. Place the ham into the slow cooker stoneware, flat-side down. Rub brown sugar on all sides. Pour on maple syrup and pineapple juice. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. An hour before serving, baste ham with the collected juices from the bottom of the slow cooker. When cooking is done, remove carefully and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before carving.
I got this from My Kitchen Cafe, who adapted slightly from Year of Crockpotting
7-8 pound bone-in spiral-cut ham
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup all natural maple syrup (yes, please use pure maple syrup and not pancake syrup)
2 cups pineapple juice
Use a 6-7 quart slow cooker. Unwrap the ham and discard flavor packet. Place the ham into the slow cooker stoneware, flat-side down. Rub brown sugar on all sides. Pour on maple syrup and pineapple juice. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. An hour before serving, baste ham with the collected juices from the bottom of the slow cooker. When cooking is done, remove carefully and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before carving.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Italian Bread Bowls
I have made these bread bowls twice now and each time turned out equally delicious! It makes soup even better and it fills you up more quickly! i love that you can eat this bowl when done with the yummy soup inside. I love to put the broccoli cheese chowder in here and also chilies. So good! These are pretty fool proof as well. Source is again, from the Kitchen Cafe.
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
In a large bowl (or bowl of an electric mixer), dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
Add salt, oil and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture; beat well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with an electric mixer at medium speed after each addition until a soft but not sticky dough is formed (you may not need to use all 7 cups).
When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes (or let knead in an electric mixer). Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Punch dough down, and divide into 6-8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a round ball. Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal (or use silpat liners or parchment paper). Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, beat together egg white and 1 tablespoon water; lightly brush the loaves with half of this egg wash. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Brush with remaining egg mixture, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
In a large bowl (or bowl of an electric mixer), dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
Add salt, oil and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture; beat well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with an electric mixer at medium speed after each addition until a soft but not sticky dough is formed (you may not need to use all 7 cups).
When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes (or let knead in an electric mixer). Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Punch dough down, and divide into 6-8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a round ball. Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal (or use silpat liners or parchment paper). Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, beat together egg white and 1 tablespoon water; lightly brush the loaves with half of this egg wash. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Brush with remaining egg mixture, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.
Homemade Make Ahead Yellow Cake Mix
This is easy and so much better than a boxed cake mix. I am definately using this for lexi's birthday cake next year instead of duncan hines, no offense guys. I used this for the coconut tres leches cake, already posted, and it is so so good! You can trust me, I am not even a cake person, and I like this cake. That speaks volumes! Anyways, make this, you will not regret it.
Update (6/28/10): When I originally made this cake, it baked up just fine in a 9X13-inch pan. However, when I went to use the same recipe for one of the Wilton cake pans (Spiderman, to be exact), there was way, way too much cake batter. The instructions on the Wilton pan said to use one recipe boxed cake mix. This homemade version is supposed to be the equivalent of one boxed mix; however, I'm realizing that the homemade version gives you more cake than what a boxed version does. So what I ended up doing for the Spiderman cake is taking out batter from the pan before I baked it (since I knew it was going to overflow in the oven). I had enough leftover batter for 8 cupcakes (filling them about 2/3 full). If you plan on making this cake in a 9X13-inch, bundt or 9-inch rounds, I would recommend taking out some of the batter, especially since some commenters have indicated the cake has baked up unevenly (burnt edges, gooey middle). It seems like the batter needs to be downsized in order for the cake to bake evenly. I will continue to test the recipe and scale it back as needed (including weighing the dry ingredients next time to compare with the weight of a boxed mix), but until "then" take this note into consideration. Cupcakes will still work great - you'll probably get more like 30+ cupcakes out of the batch. Incidentally, I love the flavor and taste of this cake enough to keep baking it, despite the annoyances of batter.
*Note: the recipe calls for cake flour, which I never have on hand so I substituted 2 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and 3 tablespoons cornstarch for the three cups of flour called for in the recipe. It worked beautifully.
*Makes enough for two 9-inch layer cakes (bake according to recipe), or one 9X13-inch cake (bake for 35 to 40 minutes), or one 12-cup bundt pan (bake for 40 to 45 minutes), or 24 cupcakes (bake for 18 to 20 minutes)
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons butter (2 sticks), cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Process sugar, flours (or flour and cornstarch if making the substitution for the cake flour), milk powder, baking powder, and salt in a food processor for 15 seconds to combine. Add butter and vanilla and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal (you want this much finer than, say, a pie crust). Freeze the dry mixture in a zipper-lock bag for up to 2 months or use immediately.
To make the cake, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour your pan of choice (see the note above the recipe).
With an electric mixer, beat the prepared cake mix, 1 1/4 cups warm water and 2 large room-temperature eggs until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan(s) and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25-27 minutes for two 9-inch layer cakes. See the note above the recipe for alternate cooking times with other baking pans. Cool the cake(s) in pan(s) for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
Source: Kitchen Cafe, of course!
Update (6/28/10): When I originally made this cake, it baked up just fine in a 9X13-inch pan. However, when I went to use the same recipe for one of the Wilton cake pans (Spiderman, to be exact), there was way, way too much cake batter. The instructions on the Wilton pan said to use one recipe boxed cake mix. This homemade version is supposed to be the equivalent of one boxed mix; however, I'm realizing that the homemade version gives you more cake than what a boxed version does. So what I ended up doing for the Spiderman cake is taking out batter from the pan before I baked it (since I knew it was going to overflow in the oven). I had enough leftover batter for 8 cupcakes (filling them about 2/3 full). If you plan on making this cake in a 9X13-inch, bundt or 9-inch rounds, I would recommend taking out some of the batter, especially since some commenters have indicated the cake has baked up unevenly (burnt edges, gooey middle). It seems like the batter needs to be downsized in order for the cake to bake evenly. I will continue to test the recipe and scale it back as needed (including weighing the dry ingredients next time to compare with the weight of a boxed mix), but until "then" take this note into consideration. Cupcakes will still work great - you'll probably get more like 30+ cupcakes out of the batch. Incidentally, I love the flavor and taste of this cake enough to keep baking it, despite the annoyances of batter.
*Note: the recipe calls for cake flour, which I never have on hand so I substituted 2 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and 3 tablespoons cornstarch for the three cups of flour called for in the recipe. It worked beautifully.
*Makes enough for two 9-inch layer cakes (bake according to recipe), or one 9X13-inch cake (bake for 35 to 40 minutes), or one 12-cup bundt pan (bake for 40 to 45 minutes), or 24 cupcakes (bake for 18 to 20 minutes)
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons butter (2 sticks), cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Process sugar, flours (or flour and cornstarch if making the substitution for the cake flour), milk powder, baking powder, and salt in a food processor for 15 seconds to combine. Add butter and vanilla and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal (you want this much finer than, say, a pie crust). Freeze the dry mixture in a zipper-lock bag for up to 2 months or use immediately.
To make the cake, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour your pan of choice (see the note above the recipe).
With an electric mixer, beat the prepared cake mix, 1 1/4 cups warm water and 2 large room-temperature eggs until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan(s) and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25-27 minutes for two 9-inch layer cakes. See the note above the recipe for alternate cooking times with other baking pans. Cool the cake(s) in pan(s) for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
Source: Kitchen Cafe, of course!
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