Welcome to my Blog!


I am so glad you stopped by. A couple of months ago I saw the movie Julie & Julia, where a young woman decides to take a year and make every recipe in Julia Child's French Cookbook. I enjoyed the movie very much and became intrigued. Maybe I could do something like that, so, I got out my barely used, 13 year old, Better Homes Cookbook and started flipping through. Thus began my cooking experiment.

Cooking is something I have always hated to do, it was a chore for me, not a pleasure. I am not a professional cook, and never will be, but the movie ignited a spark in me and revealed a new discovery, cooking can be fun!

I am learning that with patience, motivation, and good recipes anyone can be a good cook. Believe me, if I can do it, so can you! I hope you will experiment along with me and let me know what you think of the recipes I share.

I will post each new recipe I try along with a picture (I can't stand cookbooks that don't include pictures!) so you can see the final product. I will also share tips that I have learned along the way. For you seasoned chefs, the tips may seem like common sense, but for those of us who are dummies in the kitchen, they are epiphanies.

Happy Cooking!

Nancy

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Chocolate Potato Cake



  • I loved this cake, especially the frosting.  I should not have told my family there was potato in it because that tainted their experience of it.  Make sure the potato is as smooth as possible, otherwise there are chunks in the cake.  Definitely worth a try, but keep the one ingredient a secret.

  • Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup cold mashed potatoes (without added milk and butter)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

  • CARAMEL ICING:
  • 1/2 cup butter, cubed
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup evaporated milk
  • 2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  • In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add potatoes and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in nuts.
  • Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
  • For icing, in a saucepan over low heat, cook butter and brown sugar until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in evaporated milk; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; cool to room temperature. Stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread between layers and over top of cake. Yield: 10-12 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 slice) equals 671 calories, 31 g fat (15 g saturated fat), 101 mg cholesterol, 374 mg sodium, 94 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 8 g protein.
www.tasteofhome.com

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Disclaimer:


None of the recipes posted on this site are mine, they are all taken from other sources, or given to me to try. I am not nearly creative enough or good enough in the kitchen to have come up with any of them.

I also cannot promise that any of these recipes are going to turn out good, or taste good for that matter, so you try them at your own risk.

Enjoy!!! Nancy
SmileyCentral.com