If you have ever been to J. Alexander’s restaurant you must have ordered the carrot cake. Here is the wonderful recipe. It is served warm.
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J. Alexander’s carrot cake
2 C all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. cinnamon
2 C sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 large eggs
3/4 C canola oil, plus more for pan
3/4 C buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
2 C julienned carrots
3 oz. shredded coconut, about 1 C
1 C pecan pieces
1 recipe cake syrup (see recipe below)
1 recipe cream cheese frosting (see recipe below)
Generously grease a 9×13-inch cake pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix remaining ingredients in a separate medium bowl. Combine wet ingredients with flour mixture, mixing well. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake approximately 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cake should be 1½ inches thick.
While cake is still hot, poke holes all over the top with a large fork. Pour cake syrup over top, allowing cake to soak up syrup. Refrigerate cake until completely cool.
Frost with cream cheese frosting. Refrigerate cake to let frosting set. Makes 12 servings.
Recipe for cake syrup:
1 C sugar
1/2 C buttermilk
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Using a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved.
Recipe for cream cheese frosting:
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 C confectioners’ sugar
Using the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed, combine ingredients, mixing until smooth and free of lumps.
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No bake crispy cookies
4 C Rice Krispies cereal
1 C light corn syrup
1 C granulated sugar
1-1/4 C creamy peanut butter
5 regular-sized Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
1/2 C milk chocolate chips
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside and place Rice Krispies in a large mixing bowl. In a large microwave safe bowl, combine corn syrup, sugar, and peanut butter and cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until mixture is evenly combined
Pour peanut butter mixture over Rice Krispies and mix. Now mix in chocolate chips.
After a couple minutes, mix in finely chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups to avoid them fully melting. Spoon treats out with ice cream scoop onto lined baking pan and let cool. Using hand or a spatula, slightly flatten them so they look more like a thick cookie instead of a ball.
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No-bake three layer pumpkin pie
1 8-oz. pkg. Philadelphia Cream Cheese softened
1 C (plus 2 tbsp.) half and half cream, cold
2 tbsp. sugar
5 C Cool Whip topping (thawed)
1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust – shortbread or gingersnap is also great
2 pkgs. Jell-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding 4-serving size
1 16-oz. can pure pumpkin – use E.D. Smith Brand (some brands are too runny)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
Mix cream cheese, sugar and 2 tbsp. half and half cream with wire whisk until smooth and no lumps. Gently fold in 3 cups Cool Whip Topping (make sure fully combined).
Spread on bottom of piecrust. Do this by adding dollops over pie, and then spread evenly. Pour 1 cup half and half cream into large mixing bowl, add both pkgs. of vanilla pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk until blended, 1 minute (do not use mixer or it will get too thick and lumpy). Let stand 3 minutes.
Stir pumpkin and spices into pudding and mix well. Spread over cream cheese layer (do this by adding dollops over pie, then spread carefully and evenly over pie, so layers don’t mix together). Top with 2 cups Cool Whip topping. Refrigerate at least 3-4 hours prior to serving.
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She said, “Nutrition and calorie labels should include, ‘What if I ate the whole darn thing section.’”
If you would like to share a recipe with me, just send it to the J-T or email it to me.
(Melanie Behrens – melb@marysvillejt.com)