Praline Yams

Praline Yams

I found this recipe on the back of a can of yams.  (Sorry, I can’t remember the brand.)  I really liked yams and wanted a recipe to make for a holiday dinner so I decided to try it.  It turned out to be so simple and delicious that I saved the recipe and make it several times a year now.  It seems to be a crowd pleaser when taken to potlucks or dinners.  My Father even  likes it and he is a picky eater.

40 ounce can of cut yams

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

(Note: you can substitute walnuts or almonds instead of pecans.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Drain the yams and place them in an ungreased 2 quart baking dish.  Combine the remaining ingredients, blend them well.  Sprinkle the mixture over the yams.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes (depending on your ovens temperature) until bubbly and slightly browned.

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Orange Sherbet Fudge

If you like orange sherbet you will like this fudge.  The first time I tried it I fell for it.  A co-worker brought it to a potluck and I just had to get their recipe.  You can use another flavor instead of orange if you like another better.

Orange Sherbet Fudge

1/2 stick margarine

3 cups sugar

3/4 cups heavy whipped cream

1 (10-12 oz.) white chocolate chips

3 teaspoons orange extract

1 small jar marshmallow creme

10 drops red food coloring

5 drops yellow food coloring

Grease a 9″ x 13″ pan with margarine.  Mix margarine, sugar, and whipped cream and boil for 4 minutes.  Next, add the marshmallow creme, orange extract, and white chocolate chips tot he mixture.  Mix well until the mixture is a smooth consistency. (The mixture will become thick and hard to stir.)

If you want a marbled looking fudge, take out one cup of the mixture and set aside.  Add the food coloring to the remaining mixture and pour it into the 9″ x 13″ pan.  Drop spoonfuls of the mixture you set aside into the pan and streak it through the orange mixture with a knife to create a marbled look.

Refrigerate until set and cut into squares.

Suggested variations

3 teaspoons mint favoring and 12 drops green food coloring

3 teaspoons peppermint flavoring and 12 drops red food coloring

OATMEAL CAKE

Oatmeal Cake

When I was a small child I remember my Mother making this cake at the holidays.  It was always a family favorite.  After many years, I decided to revive the tradition and began making this cake for family get together’s, birthdays, or holidays.  Once again, it has become a family favorite.

I am presenting two versions here.  The made ‘from scratch’ recipe and the simpler version.  I usually make the ‘from scratch’ version, but they taste the same.  Either version will be a crowd pleaser.  I have very little left over for snacking.

Oatmeal Cake (simple version)

1 ½ cups boiling water

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 box spice cake mix

Lightly grease a 13” x 9” cake pan.  Preheat oven to 350°.  Pour the boiling water over the oats, stir, and set aside.  Prepare cake mix according to box instructions.  Add oatmeal mixture to cake batter and mix well.  Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center of the cake comes out clean.  After removing from oven, use a toothpick to poke 12-14 holes in cake so the topping will soak into the cake more easily.

Oatmeal Cake (from scratch version)

1 ½ cups boiling water                                        ½ cup oil

1 cup quick cooking oats                                     1 teaspoon soda

1 ½ cups self-rising flour                                     ½ teaspoon salt

1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)                         1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup white sugar                                              ¼ teaspoon cloves

2 eggs                                                             ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Lightly grease a 13” x 9” cake pan.  Preheat oven to 350°.  Pour the boiling water over the oats, stir, and set aside.  Mix the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg together.  Combine brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and oil, then mix well.  Combine dry and wet mixtures and stir well, then add oatmeal mixture and stir well.  Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center of the cake comes out clean.  After removing from oven, use a toothpick to poke 12-14 holes in cake so the topping will soak into the cake more easily.

Cake Topping (for both versions)

1 ½ cups brown sugar (firmly packed)

¾ cup evaporated milk (or regular milk)

1 ½ sticks of butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups coconut

1 ½ cups chopped pecans

Dissolve brown sugar in milk, add butter, and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until the mixture boils.  Cook until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove the mixture from the heat, add vanilla, coconut, and pecans, and then mix well.  Pour over the cake while the mixture is hot.

Sugar mixtures will burn your skin severely. Watch for bubbling and splatter.

Cover and allow the cake to cool.  The cake will become moister if you allow it to sit for 2 – 4 hours before serving.