Butter Pecan Cake

I love butter pecan ice cream, so when I saw this recipe for Butter Pecan Cake on Pinterest and how beautiful it was, I decided to pin it and try it out one day. That day has come, and oh my gosh, it is fantastic! This would be a great addition to a summer cookout, so hold on to this one!

2-2/3 cups chopped pecans
1-1/4 cups butter, softened, divided
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsps vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk

Place pecans and 1/4 cup butter in a baking pan.

 

Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream sugar and remaining butter until light and fluffy.

 

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

 

Stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.

 

Stir in 1-1/3 cups of toasted pecans.

Pour into three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans.

Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

FROSTING

1 cup butter, softened

8 to 8-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk (I found this to be a bit much so add it slowly until you reach the correct consistency)

2 tsps vanilla extract

remaining toasted pecans

Cream butter and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl. Add milk and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in remaining toasted pecans. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake.

Lime Bars

If you like key lime pie, then  you will love these bars! It's basically just key lime pie in an 8X8 dish, and made with real lime juice and a from scratch crust with lime zest to kick it up a notch from the quick style versions. I came across the recipe for Lime Bars perusing Pinterest one day. This is a straight recap (except I didn't use fat free sweetened condensed milk) of the original.

Crust

1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

6 Tbsps salted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
zest of one lime

Filling

2 large egg yolks

1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup lime juice

Heat oven to 350 degrees, then grease an 8 inch square pan, line it with parchment paper that hangs over the edge of the pan by a few inches (so you can remove the bars from the pan more easily).

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and zest.

 Press into the prepared pan, pressing the crust mixture one inch up the side of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

Once the crust is cooled combine the egg yolks and condensed milk until well mixed. Stir in the lime juice and combine. It will begin to thicken slightly.

Pour the filling into the crust, making sure the filling reaches the edges. Bake for 15 minutes, or until just set.

Cool to room temperature, then chill for at least one hour, overnight is better. Pull the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares with a serrated knife. To make cutting cleaner wipe the knife with a damp cloth between cuts.

Store in the refrigerator in an air tight container. They last for about five days.

Marinated Asparagus

I like quite a few more vegetables than I do fruit, but even so, I don't eat as much as I should. Oftentimes, my vegetables are simply steamed or boiled and plain, so I'm on the lookout for new vegetable recipes to try out. Asparagus is one of the vegetables that I really like. And this recipe is my own. I started fixing this as a fluke one night many years ago just to see how it would work. I'll give you some alternatives and tips throughout the dialogue, so here goes!

1/2-1 lb of asparagus

3-5 cloves of garlic, minced

4 Tbsp butter, melted

1 cup Dale Sauce

optional - garlic salt, garlic powder, any other seasoning you like

Start by washing off and then cutting about an inch off the ends of your asparagus. This allows the asparagus to absorb more of the marinade.

Melt butter in the microwave in 10 second intervals until it is melted, and mince the garlic. Add the garlic to the asparagus, then the butter and then the Dale Sauce.

If you do not have fresh garlic, then you can use about a tablespoon of garlic powder. You can also use other types of seasoning. When I made this batch, I also added a few dashes of a roasted garlic and herb seasoning I have just to up the flavor a notch. I will also occasionally use garlic salt if I will not be able to marinate the asparagus long. If you are marinating it more than two hours, then don't add anything that has salt. Dale Sauce is naturally salty, and the asparagus will get saltier as it marinates. I normally try to marinate it about an hour, sometimes a little longer. When you are ready to cook, add 1-3 Tbsps of butter to your skillet (depending on how large of a skillet you are using) and a bit of the marinade.

Cook the asparagus, occasionally turning, until it is fork tender. I know this picture looks silly, and you do not have to cook the asparagus in small batches. I had two very large pots on my stove, and I did not have room for a large skillet. The asparagus is done when a fork goes through it smoothly. You don't want to overcook it. It tastes much better when there is a bit of a crunch left to it. 

Sometimes I will serve the asparagus with bernaise or hollandaise sauce, but whether with a sauce or not, this asparagus is amazing!