BACARDI RUM CAKE

Probably one of the most famous recipes and familiar to us (because it has been in magazine ads for years) is the Bacardi Rum Cake. You have probably made it sometime yourself but since I haven't made it for a while - this morning I made one. I didn't have time to put the icing glaze on yet and will do that tonight as friends are coming for dinner. 

I need to be careful today and type this correctly as I passed a flyer in my store with a cake recipe and had the wrong measurement for the baking powder.  Typos can be dangerous so when you are reading a recipe - always question anything that looks like it "might not be right".  It is worth the time to google it or call someone or lay it aside until later.  

This cake calls for 1 cup pecans or walnuts chopped, (1) 18 1/2 oz pkg yellow cake mix, (1) 3 3/4 cup pkg Jello Vanilla Instant Pudding and Pie Mix, 4 eggs, 1/2 cup cold water, 1/2 cup Wesson oil, 1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum

The glaze calls for 1/4 lb butter, 1/4 cup water, 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup Bacardi Dark Rum You can substitute rum flavoring but it won't taste quite as good!

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees right from the get go....

You will grease and flour a 10" or 12" bundt pan and sprinkle the chopped nuts in the bottom of the pan. Mix all cake ingredients together.  Pour batter over nuts and bake for 1 hour.  I covered the top with loose foil the last 10 minutes. Cool and then invert on serving plate.  Prick the top of the cake and spoon and brush glaze evenly over top and sides. Allow cake to absorb glaze.

Glaze: Melt butter in saucepan, stir in water and sugar.  Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Stir in rum. Pour over cake!

CHEESECAKE

I started making cheesecakes back in the 70's for our church Fall Festival.  Each year I doubled this recipe and made a huge one to sell.  I always put blueberry pie filling on the top.  This recipe was from an old Southern Living Magazine from that era and is really easy. 

I loved the scene in "Julie and Julia" where Julia Child talked about when things go wrong in the kitchen and said "whose to know - it's just you in the kitchen".  I had one of those moments last night after putting the cheesecake in the oven and looking over to see the flour still on the counter.  Yes, I forgot to put it in!

So....I grabbed the cake pan back out of the oven - dumped everything back in a bowl and mixed in the flour and returned it to the oven. Of course, some of what was intended as the crumb crust was now mixed through but it didn't matter really.  I topped mine with cherry pie filling.

Here is the recipe and remember to add the flour!  You will need these ingredients:  For the crust:  1 1/2 cups cinnamon graham-cracker crumbs and 1/2 stick of butter melted

For the cheesecake filling:  (3)  8 oz pkg of cream cheese at room temperature,  1 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, 6 eggs separated, 1 pint sour cream, 1/3 cup sifted flour, 2 Tsp vanilla, grated rind of 1 lemon, juice of 1 lemon

To make the crust:  Generously grease a cheesecake pan with butter.  Place pan in center of a piece of aluminum foil and press foil up around side of pan

Combine graham cracker crumbs with butter in a bowl and mix well. Press them in the pan on the bottom and up the lower sides and put in the refrigerator

Now the filling:  Mix on low in a large bowl: cream cheese and gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg yolks one at a time until well blended and stir in sour cream, flour, vanilla and lemon rind and juice until smooth.

Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl till stiff peaks from.  Fold these into the cake mixture and pour all into the cake pan. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  This recipe suggests leaving the cake in the oven to cool for 1 hour.  I didn't have time for that as I had to go to bed but I am sure it has to do with keeping it from "falling".  Mine fell - no one cared.

Chill overnight before serving and put any pie filling on top if desired.

THE VIOLETS RETURN

To me nothing says springtime better than violets.  They aren't even coming up yet here in Colorado but I know they will soon.

           I seem to have a lots of violets

 around my house....

I am always drawn to violet linens....

can't you just smell them?

These little plates

with flowers pockets

were popular in the 1950's.

Everything in Colorado is quite brown but I am watering and I see signs of some bulbs popping out.....that makes my heart sing.

DECORATING FOR EASTER

I always look forward to decorating my home for Easter....the colors are delightful and this means that spring is right around the corner.  So that will be wonderful.

 Actually it snowed a little last night at my house and today it is quite warm. But we know that things sure can change fast.  I have been pulling out all my pretty Easter things to share!

I love mixing new things with old things

 and using vintage linens.

To me violets and pansies most represent spring!

Bunnies also multiple when spring arrives.....

KEY LIME SCONES

Monday night I decided to make scones with a recipe I had from the July/August 2007 issue of Tea Time. Delicious Key Lime Scones were made and quickly consumed!  I found the recipe made about 13 scones.

Of course a nice pot of tea 

goes with the scones!

Here is what you will need: 2 cups sifted flour, 5 Tb sugar, 1 Tb baking powder (reduce in high alt), 3/4 tsp salt, 5 Tb cold unsalted butter, diced, 3 oz cream cheese, cubed, 1 egg slightly beaten, 3 Tb fresh key lime zest, 1 1/2 Tb lime juice, 1 tsp vanilla extract,1/2 cup plus 2 Tb heavy cream, divided. 

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  

In a medium bowl, sift flour, 4 Tb sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter and cream cheese until the mixture is crumbly,  Stir in egg, lime zest, juice and vanilla. Mix in 1/2 cup cream until combined. Form dough

 

Roll on floured surface and cut using scone cutter. Brush tops with other cream and sprinkle with sugar......bake 15 minutes till lightly brown.