Super Moist Lemon Sour Cream Cake

I found this recipe on food.com but made a few changes...

Ingredients:

1/2 lb butter softened (2 sticks)

3 cups sugar

6 eggs

1/2 pint sour cream (8 oz)

3 cups all purpose flour

1 (3oz) box instant lemon pudding (I used Vanilla)

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon lemon extract (didn't use, I don't have any)

zest of two lemons

juice of 1 lemon (roughly 1/4 cup) (I used 3/4 cups (3 lemons) in place of not having the lemon pudding or the extract) 

Preheat oven to 325

Spray bundt pan with nonstick spray and set aside. (I just used two cake pans)

cream together softened butter and sugar

add eggs, one at a time and beat, then add sour cream

sift flour and soda together and add next along with instant pudding

last add vanilla, lemon extract, juice and zest. mix until well blended batter will be light and fluffy

pour into pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. (I cooked ours about 50 mins checked after 45 then did 8 more mins.)

Then I made a glaze of 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla in saucepan on low until thin, drizzle over cooled cake. 

Enjoy!

Banana Bread

I love banana bread! I had never made it before, but after I made it and tried some I realized, I have been missing out on something truly amazing!

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened (heat in microwave about 30 seconds)
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped walnuts, if desired (but banana bread is just not the same without nuts
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

1. Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 inches, or 1 loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches.

2. Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour into pans. 

3. Bake 8-inch loaves about 1 hour, 9-inch loaf about 1 1/4 hours, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (Mine cooked a lot faster than these directions. I checked mine at 45-50 minutes and they were almost too done. So check them frequently!) Cool 10 minutes.

Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

No bake Cookies

So I absolutely love cookies!! And this is a pretty easy and semi-healthy recipe!

2 c. sugar
1/4 c. cocoa
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter (one stick)
2 c. Oats (may need a little extra)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. peanut butter (optional)
1/2 c. coconut (optional)
1/4 c. nuts (optional)

In large pot mix cocoa, salt and sugar. Turn onto medium-heat add evaporated milk stirring (whisking works well) constantly. Bring to rolling boil while stirring frequently. Boil 3 minutes longer. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla (peanut butter, coconut, or nuts if desired) then add oats. Mix well, if too runny add extra oats. You don't want it to be too thick otherwise they won't set. Lay out wax paper (you can use foil but it doesn't work as well) and scoop tbsp. size portions. (Makes about 14 cookies).

You can make the basic oat and cocoa cookie or mix it up and make peanut butter or more traditional with the coconut. It's fun that you can make a variety of different cookies with just one recipe and a few additions.