Easy Lemon Meringue Video

Red Velvet Cake 2

 

 

 

2  ounces red food coloring

2  tablespoons cocoa

1⁄2 cup butter

1 1⁄2 cups sugar

2  eggs

1  cup buttermilk

2 1⁄2 cups cake flour

1  teaspoon salt

1  teaspoon vanilla

1  teaspoon baking soda

1  teaspoon white vinegar



Directions

Cream butter and sugar, add cocoa and food coloring, mix thoroughly.
Add eggs.
Alternate adding the buttermilk with the cake flour.
Add salt and vanilla.
Put 1t soda into 1T white vinegar and fold this mixture into the batter.
Bake in two 9 inch pans @ 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool and split layers.

Red Velvet Original Frosting

 5 tablespoon flour

 1 cup powdered sugar

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 1/2 lb Butter

 1 cup Milk

Blend flour into milk in the mixer. Cook until very stiff, first over a medium heat, but you can increase the heat as it gets thicker. Cool this mixture until it is room temperature. Do not attempt to mix in the rest of the ingredients unless the first mixture is truly room temperature. Cream together butter, sugar,and vanilla. Beat the two mixtures together add the flour, milk mixture a little at a time to the butter ,sugar,vanilla mixture until it is the consistency of whipped cream.



 

Cherry Jubilee

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup orange juice

1 pound dark sweet cherries, rinsed and pitted (or use frozen pitted cherries)

1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

1/4 teaspoon cherry extract

1/4 cup brandy

3 cups vanilla ice cream

Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch in a wide saucepan. Stir in the water and orange juice; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking until thickened. Stir in the cherries and orange zest, return to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. While the cherries are cooking, spoon the ice cream into serving bowls.
Remove the cherries from the heat, and stir in the cherry extract. Pour in the brandy, and ignite with a long lighter. Gently shake the pan until the blue flame has extinguished itself. Spoon the cherries over the bowls of ice cream.


Footnotes
Note on flambeing
The flames may get quite high when flambeing, so pay attention to anything flammable above and around where you ignite the cherries. When the initial large flame has died down, a small blue flame will continue to burn for several seconds. Shake or stir the cherries gently to expose more alcohol to the flame, being careful that they do not burn. The goal is to have the small, blue flame burn for as long as possible, thereby reducing the raw alcohol flavor, caramelizing the sugars, and entertaining your guests!

Pickled Whole Jalapeños

I do truly love these peppers. I can eat them by themselve.

1 pound whole jalapeño peppers

1 white onion or yellow onion

8 garlic cloves

3 cups white distilled vinegar

2 Tablespoons fine salt

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons sugar

2 pint jars with lids

Peel the onion and chop coarsely.Peel the garlic cloves and leave whole
.
Bring the vinegar to a boil, add salt, bay leaves, and sugar. Add the jalapeños, onions, and garlic. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the jalapeños are tender.
Pack the jalapeños and onions into the jars. Top with enough of the vinegar to cover and seal with the lids. Let cool to room temperature. Keep for up to two months in the refrigerator.