Mom's Best Ever Carrot Cake

Ingredient List:


Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups Corn Oil
• 1 3/4 cups Granulated Sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 3 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Ground Cloves
• 2 cups peeled & grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 can crushed pineapple

Frosting:

• 2 8oz packages cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• I teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish:

• 1 cup shredded coconut

Preparation:

1. Beat together corn oil, sugar & eggs until well combined.
2. In a seperate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon & cloves.
3. Add to egg mixture in sections, mixing well.
4. Drain pineapple well.
5. Add carrots, walnuts, & pineapple to mixture. Blend to mix well.
6. Pour batter in a greased & floured 9 or 10 inch cake pan.
7. Bake at 350 F for about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
8. Let cake cool on rack.
9. Prepare Frosting.
10. Split cake into 2 layers. Add cream cheese frosting in center of layers. Assemble. Cover with frosting. Sprinkle entire frosted cake with coconut.

Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas

Feeds 4- 6 depending on size of chicken breast.

The Chicken: 

• 4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 large onion, halved and sliced
• 1 7 oz can of chopped green chilies
• Fiesta chicken rub

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Season the chicken with the Rub on all sides.
3. In a cast iron skillet, brown the chicken on both sides.
4. Top chicken with chilis (juice and all) and sliced onion.
5. Cover with foil and cook in oven for about 30- 40 minutes or until chicken is done.
6. Pour the broth that has collected in the pan into a container and save for the sauce.
7. With two forks, shred the chicken leaving the onions and chilis with the chicken. Put to side. 

The Sauce:

• 4 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 Cups of the broth from the chicken (add water or chicken broth to make 2 cups if not enough).
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• Half of a 7 oz can of chopped green chili

1. Melt butter
2. Add flour and let cook for about a minute.
3. Add Broth/water mixture
4. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. 
5. Add Sour Cream and Chili
6. Heat until hot. Do NOT let it boil.

For Assembly: 

• 25- 30 Corn tortillas
• 16 oz shredded white cheese (we like Monterrey Jack). 
• Shredded chicken
• Sour Cream Sauce
• Deep-oven pan

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cook Corn Tortillas in oil for about 5 seconds on each side. Drain with paper towels and let cool enough to handle. 
3. Fill tortillas with shredded chicken and cheese.
4. Roll up and put in pan seam side down.
5. Pour sauce over rolled tortillas (save some of the sauce for table service). 
6. Heat in oven uncovered for about 10- 15 minutes. 

Cardamom Orange Sugar Cookies

Ingredient List: 

• 2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 1/4 Teaspoons Ground Cardamom
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 1/2 Cups Unsalted Butter (3 Stocks) - Room Temperature
• 1 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Finely Grated Orange Zest
• 1/2  Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Large Egg - Room Temperature
• Raw Sugar

Dough Preparation:

• Whisk Flour, Cardamom and Salt together in a separate bowl. Set aside. 
• In another bowl, using mixer, beat butter until creamy. 
• Gradually add sugar, beat until fluffy. 
• Beat in Zest of Orange and Vanilla. 
• Add egg and beat until blended. 
• Add Flour gradually, in three additions, beating until blended after each. 
• Refrigerate until firm enough to share (about 1 hour). 
• Roll mixture into a ball, divide in half and flatten. 
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll out (about 45 minutes).

Baking Instructions: 

• Preheat oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit. 
• Position 1 rack in top third of oven, and second rack in bottom third of oven. 
• Roll out dough until about 1/8 inch thick. 
• Cut out cookies with your favorite cutters. 
• Space about 1 inch apart on cookie sheet. 
• Sprinkle with Raw Sugar.
• Bake until light golden brown (about 16 minutes) rotating sheets halfway though baking for even cooking. 
• Cool cookies on rack. 
• Let cookie sheets cool completely between baking each batch. 

9 Dec 2009: In Today's Kitchen

Eka and I are having fun in the kitchen today. We rummaged through my mother's old recipe box last night and decided on Chicken Enchiladas for dinner. 


To curb Eka's sweet tooth for a taste of Swedish goodness, we found a cookie recipe for Cardamom Orange Sugar cookies. We're baking those for desert in small Texas state shapes. Should be yummy! 


Pictures and recipes to follow!