August Mingle Sunday

Another delicious spread, prepared by the best cooks in Orlando!

Carrot Cake by Evangelia Johnson

Cake Ingredients:
2 cups cake flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups oil
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrots

Directions:

1. Mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon
2. Add oil and mix well
3. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition
4. Add grated carrot and mix thoroughly
5. Divide batter into 3 8" cake pans, greased and floured (lined with parchment paper)
6. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes; set aside to cool completely.

Frosting/Filling Ingredients:
1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 16-oz pkg confectioner's sugar
1/4 stick butter, melted
1 3.5-oz can Angel Flake coconut (1 1/2 cups)
1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

Directions:

1. Mix confectioner's sugar into cream cheese
2. Stir in melted butter and mix well.
3. Add coconut and nuts and stir until combined

Assembly:
Spread 1/3 frosting mixture on the first cake layer; top with second cake layer and another 1/3 of frosting mixture; top with third cake layer and finish off with the remaining frosting.
ALTERNATIVELY - bake as a sheet cake, frost and cut into individual pieces

Mexican Egg Burrito by Dianne Hartle

Chicken Noodles by Sherri Harrington

Ingredients:
1 large whole chicken, or chicken pieces
4-6 cups chicken broth, to cover chicken
4-5 stalks celery, chopped
1 1/2 onions, chopped
1 large bag noodles

Directions:

1. Cook the chicken in the chicken broth along with the celery and onions about 45 minutes, until chicken is done.
2. Set aside chicken to cool, and remove the meat from the bones
3. Bring broth to a boil; add noodles and chicken and cook 10-12 minutes, until noodles are done.

Outrageous Chocolate Cookies by Evangelia Johnson

Are these the most delicious chocolate cookies ever invented? We think so.

Ingredients:
8 oz semisweet chocolate bar, roughly chopped
4 Tblsp butter
2/3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 11-12 oz pkg semisweet chocolate chunks

Directions:

1. Heat chopped chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl in 20 second increments, stirring between each, until almost melted:  do not overheat.
2. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low:  beat in melted chocolate-butter mixture.  Mix in flour mixture until just combined.  Stir in chocolate chunks.
4. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough 2-3 inches apart onto parchment lined baking sheet (use teaspoons for smaller cookies). 
5. Bake at 350, rotating pans halfway through, until cookies are shiny and crackly yet soft in centers, 12 to 15 minutes (9 - 10 minutes for smaller cookies).  Cool on pans for 10 minutes; with a thin metal spatula, transfer to racks to cool completely

Batter consistency: don't worry if the batter seems thin. It should look more like brownie batter than cookie dough.

Cabbage Salad by Sherri Harrington

Ingredients:
1 head purple cabbage, chopped into small bites
1 each of yellow, red and orange bell peppers, coarsely chopped
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cucumber, finely chopped
1 lemon
Bottled raspberry-hazelnut dressing

Directions:

1. Combine chopped cabbage, peppers, broccoli, carrots, and cucumber. 
2. Zest and juice the lemon and stir into vegetables.
3. Mix with dressing to taste

Sausage Pie by Carole O'Fallon

Ingredients:
2 8-oz pkgs. cream cheese, softened at room temperature
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 cans crescent dinner rolls
1 lb. bulk sausage

Directions:

1. Brown the sausage, breaking up the pieces; drain the grease
2. Combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and sausage
3. Lay out 1 can of crescent rolls in greased 9 x 13 pan
4. Spread sausage-cheese mixture over pastry
5. Lay 2nd can of crescent rolls on top
6. Bake 30 minutes at 350 until golden brown.

Mexican Cheese Dip by Cathy Alphin

Ingredients:
4 8-oz containers jalapeno cream cheese, softened (room temperature)
2 16-oz cans creamed corn
1 c mayonnaise
1 8-oz pkg Kraft Mexican Four Cheese Blend
4 slices thick cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 c finely chopped onion
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

1. Stir together cream cheeses until blended together
2. Stir in creamed corn and mayonnaise until well blended
3. Add cheese, bacon, onion and garlic powder
4. Serve with crackers or chips