Red Velvet

I love a good layer cake but around my house, an 8 or 9-inch layer cake is going to sit around and harden into a logger's wedge. You know what I mean you always end up with that slice or two that hangs around taunting you...frosting starting to crack…you end up shoveling it in your mouth while standing over the kitchen sink after walking in the door from work…No? Maybe it is just me.

My daughter had a birthday at the end of January and requested Red Velvet Cake for her celebratory dessert it is her absolute favorite that and my Maple Bacon Cupcakes (another post I promise), but this year she went with Red Velvet. Now as I said I hate large layer cakes so what I do is I cut the recipe in half and make a 6 in. layer cake. It makes the perfect amount to serve 6 reasonable slices of cake without leftovers lingering.

I use Sunny Anderson’s Red Velvet Cake recipe to me it tastes the closest to what I remember as a child, and it was easy to half the recipe. I have been using her recipe for years. It is always delicious. I don't make the traditional frosting we prefer Cream Cheese Frosting which is simple enough. Cream together 4 oz. of cream cheese and 1 stick of butter. Once that is creamed together add 1/2 lb of confectioner sugar a little at a time and beat well incorporating the sugar into the butter and cheese add 1 tsp. vanilla extract and blend in well until your frosting reaches a good spreadable consistency.

When you half the recipe it will take 1 fluid oz. of red food coloring.

Make sure you cream things together well.

Make sure you use fresh buttermilk ( I really think that is the secret ).

Add small amounts of flour at a time and blend in well after each addition.

Have your cake pans ready to go and your oven preheated. I line my cake pans with parchment paper and grease and flour the sides. I don't want any sticking.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Keep an eye on them it really depends on your oven, and if you over bake them they will be tough.

When they are completely cooled you can frost your cake. Please keep in mind that I sliced off a the pointed/rounded tops on the layers to even them up for frosting. I just didn't get any photos of that part.

Make sure you get the second layer on straight. I always stack my layers bottom side up to give me an even work surface.

I don't know of a way to NOT get crumbs in the frosting. I have just gotten real handy at covering them up.

I think it turned out super cute.

The best part...after blowing out the candles the five of us ate all but one slice, which the birthday girl had for a snack while standing over the kitchen sink on her way to class.

My city got a substantial amount of snow on Friday and more yesterday and the weather forecast is calling for more today and tonight. I was fortunate to be able to get to the grocery store yesterday (thanx to my son and his 4x4) to do my weekly shopping before things got too bad. In my neighborhood we have roughly eight to ten inches of snow. I hope all my friends are off the roads, warm, and home safe.

Mac n Cheese

I've seen some pretty horrid mac n cheese recipes in my day, and some that are so complicated and expensive to make they just seem ridiculous. Mac n Cheese around my house is a creamy, cheesy affair between two of my favorite cheeses and pasta. I don't always use the standard large elbow pasta sometimes I use chochiglie, cavatappi or rigatoni basically it is whatever I have plenty of on hand as long as the pasta can hold the cheese sauce.

You start by making a roux. Melt 6 Tlb butter into a large saucepan. When the butter is melted and bubbly add 6 Tlb flour and a good amount of salt and pepper. Cook the flour and butter together over medium heat for a few minutes stirring as it cooks. In a very large seperate pot bring enough salted water to boil to cook 1 lb. of pasta of your choosing, but cut a few minutes off the cook time of the pasta according to the package directions.

Pour into saucepan 4 cups of warm milk and add 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce and 2 tsp stone ground mustard. Heat white sauce until it thickens, slowly and stirring frequently so you don't burn or scorch the sauce.

When the sauce has thickened turn off the heat, taste and adjust salt and pepper and add 3 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese and 1 cu. shredded mozzarella cheese. Do NOT use pre-shredded cheese you will be unhappy with the results. You can use some sharp cheddar cheese but I wouldn't make all of it sharp. Stir until all of the cheese has melted.

Drain your cooked pasta.

Place your cooked pasta back into the pan you cooked it in pour in all of the cheese sauce and stir until well incorporated. I added cubes of ham this go around because it was the main dish and not a side.

Pour into a lightly greased, oven proof pot. Isn't that a darling little blue cast iron enamel coated pot. It was a Christmas gift from the BF.

In s small bowl combine bread crumbs, 1/2 cu. of cheddar cheese and melted butter. Mix together and sprinkle on top of the mac n cheese.

Bake in a 350 degree oven until brown and bubbly.

Leftovers? What leftovers?

A plate of homemade mac n cheese is as much a part of America as a slice of apple pie and a baseball game. It went from being a side on a blue plate special to a stand alone main with the additions of varied cheeses, vegetables and proteins. I have recipes that call for raw eggs, lump crab meat and leeks to recipes where you just add cream and grated cheese to hot pasta and bake. This recipe is my favorite and my family's favorite. It is rather basic, but it does the trick. It conjures happy memories and puts a smile on their faces and that is really all that matters.

Have a wonderful weekend.