MAKE BOXED CAKE MIX TASTE LIKE HOMEMADE

21 WAYS TO MAKE A CAKE MIX TASTE LIKE HOMEMADE!

I realize that not everyone has the time to whip up a cake from scratch or has a supply of flour and sugar on hand.  But everyone can have a few cake mixes in their pantry.  They have a long shelf life and are inexpensive.  Here are some great ways to improve your cake mix.  NOTE:  If there is NOT an “instead” next to the ingredient then you add this ingredient including the ingredients listed on the box

1.  Softened butter instead of vegetable oil

2.  Buttermilk instead of water

3.   1 teaspoon of flavoring (vanilla, or almond for yellow cake or lemon flavoring for lemon cake)

4.   1 small box of pudding plus 1 cup of sour cream

5.   1 tablespoon of meringue powder

6.   Milk instead of water

7.   Lemon Lime soda instead of water

8.   Orange juice for orange cake instead of water

9.    Chocolate milk instead of water for a chocolate cake

10.  Dark soda (Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Root Beer) instead of water for    chocolate cake

11.  Chocolate syrup for some of the liquid

12.  Chocolate Chips

13. Chopped nuts

14.  Margarita Mix (alcohol free) instead of water plus lemon zest

15.  Apple juice instead of water (spice cake)

16.  Brewed Coffee instead of water (chocolate cake)

17.  Kahlua instead of water (chocolate cake)

18.  Add zest from a lemon, lime or orange

19.  1/4 cup mayonnaise, for a super moist cake

20.  Peanut Butter Chips

21.  Toffee Bits

BASIC ALMOND BISCOTTI

BASIC ALMOND BISCOTTI

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal 
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature 
• 1 cup sugar 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract 
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds, blanched or unblanched

Instructions

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the cornmeal and whisk again to blend.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together at medium speed for 3 minutes, until very smooth. Add the eggs and continue to beat, scraping down the bowl as needed, for another 2 minutes, or until the mixture is light, smooth and creamy. Beat in the almond extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. You'll have a soft stick-to-your-fingers dough that will ball up around the paddle or beaters. Scrape down the paddle and bowl, toss in the almonds and mix just to blend.

Scrape half the dough onto one side of the baking sheet. Using your fingers and a rubber spatula or scraper, work the dough into a log about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. The log will be more rectangular than domed and bumpy, rough and uneven. Form a second log with the remaining dough on the other side of the baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the logs are lightly golden but still soft and springy to the touch. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and cool the logs on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.

If you turned off the oven, bring it back up to 350 degrees F.

Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the logs to a cutting board and, with a long serrated knife, trim the ends and cut the logs into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Return the slices to the baking sheet--this time standing them up like a marching band--and slide the sheet back into the oven.

Bake the biscotti for another 15 minutes, or until they are golden and firm. Transfer them to racks and cool to room temperature.

Serving: These are good with just about anything--including themselves. Eat one, and you'll want another.

Storing: Because they are dry and they're fine if they get even drier, the biscotti will keep at room temperature, covered or not, for about a week. They can be frozen, but I rarely store them that way--mostly because they rarely last long enough to get wrapped up for long-term storage.

Playing Around

I'll get you started with some suggestions for varying these biscotti, but I know you'll have several of your own--just look in your cupboard for ideas.

Dried Fruit Biscotti: Add about 1/3 cup dried fruit, such as raisins, dried cherries, cranberries, apricots (chopped) or currants to the dough. If you'd like an extra shot of flavor, flame the fruits with a port, kirsch, dark rum or amaretto.

Spiced Biscotti: Whisk some spice into the flour mixture: ground cinnamon, ginger, cardamom or even black pepper. For cinnamon and ginger, use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon; for cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon; and for black pepper, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon. Start with the lesser amount, then make to-taste adjustments on the next batch. If you choose to add ginger, you could also add very small pieces of stem ginger in syrup (available at Asian markets and in the Asian foods sections of some supermarkets).

Anisette Biscotti: Many traditional biscotti are flavored with anise, and these can be too. For the best results, grind the aniseed (start with 1 1/2 teaspoons and, if you want, increase or decrease the amount in your next batch) in a food processor or blender with the sugar.

Nutty Biscotti: Substitute walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts or chopped macadamia nuts for the almonds, or following the theory that more is merrier, make the biscotti with a combination of nuts.

Lemon or Orange Biscotti: Rub the finely grated zest of 2 lemons or 1 orange into the sugar before beating the butter and sugar together. 

POTATO SALAD

Potato Salad

Use this to accompany bowls of gumbo.  New Orleans potato salad has a texture of "almost mashed potatoes".  some people will omit pickles if it is intended for gumbo.

2 pounds medium-size red potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

6 hard-cooked eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon white vinegar

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon TABASCO® brand Original Red Sauce

1 sweet pickle, finely chopped (I like dill pickle instead, and in the summer I like to add about a Tablespoon of chopped fresh dill)

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

Fill a 3-quart saucepan two-thirds full of cold water and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook over medium heat about 15 minutes or until tender; drain.

Peel eggs and separate yolks and whites; chop whites and set aside. Mash yolks in a large bowl and stir in oil and vinegar. Add mayonnaise, TABASCO® Sauce and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Dice potatoes and add to mayonnaise mixture along with pickle, celery, bell pepper and egg whites. Mix well and refrigerate until 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

PATE BRISÉE-CLASSIC PIE CRUST

Classic Pie Crust
Pate Brisée 
　
Makes 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust 9- to 10-inch pies.

I chill, and when possible freeze all the ingredients when I make pie crust. If you freeze the butter and lard you can grate them by hand right into the frozen dry ingredients. Pastry LOVES cold. I do this all by hand and it's common sense. You don't need a processor.

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces (I use half lard and half butter)
1/4 to ½ cup ice water

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
　
Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month