Cracker Barrel Meatloaf

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This Cracker Barrel Meatloaf is easy, delicious, and a crowd-pleaser that feeds the whole family at a fraction of the price. Make this old fashioned comfort food at home and serve it with buttery biscuits or mashed potatoes! Meatloaf often gets a bad rap. Especially if you’ve ever had the “mystery meat” that’s often served … Read more

The Best Almond Cake Recipe

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The Best Almond Cake is an easy one layer cake. It has a dense crumb and a crunchy toasted almond topping. This is rustic simplicity at it’s best. Perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day or just because!

WHY THIS IS THE BEST ITALIAN CAKE

  • Easy and quick to prepare!
  • Simple ingredients ~ made without almond paste.
  • Rustic appearance ~ this is a one layer cake that has a toasted almond top and needs no fussy decorating.
  • Texture ~ the almond cake has a dense and soft crumb with the best sweet and crunchy almond topping.
  • Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea!

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

  • Butter the baking pan and lightly dust with flour, which will help to make removing the cake from the springform pan easy.
  • Eggs yolks and egg whites separate best when they are cold.
  • Save one of the egg whites for the toasted almond topping.
  • Use the toothpick test to tell when the almond cake has finished baking; when just a few moist crumbs remain on the toothpick the cake is done.

PREP TIME: 15 minutes

BAKE TIME: 45 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS:

Almond Cake 
  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (156g)
  • ¼ cup almond flour (28g) (I like Bob’s Red Mill)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled (113g)
  • 1 large egg
  • 4 large egg yolks (save at least one white for the topping)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Almond topping
  • 1 ½ cups sliced blanched almonds
  • 1 large egg white
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • confectioners’ sugar (optional for dusting over finished cake)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
  2. Lightly butter 9 inch spring form pan and dust with flour and tap out any excess.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour (1 ¼ cups/156g), almond flour (¼ cup/28g), kosher salt (½ teaspoon), baking powder (½ teaspoon) and ground cinnamon (1 teaspoon). Set aside.
  4. Melt the unsalted butter (½ cup/113g) and set aside to cool.
  5. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the egg (one large), egg yolks (4 large yolks) and sugar (1 cup/200g) on medium (speed 4 or 6 on a KitchenAid mixer) until thick and pale yellow, approximately 3 minutes.
  6. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture; mixing until well combined. Scrape up and down the sides of the bowl, and then mix in vanilla extract (1 teaspoon) followed by the melted butter. The batter will be quite thick and a bit sticky.
  7. Adjust your mixer to medium speed and beat for 30 more seconds.
  8. Spread the batter evenly in your prepared pan. The batter is quite thick; I use an off-set spatula.
  9. Make the topping: Place the sliced almonds in a bowl. Lightly beat the one egg white in a small bowl until foamy and light.
  10. Pour half of the egg white over the almonds and stir to coat them evenly. Discard remaining egg white.
  11. Sprinkle the granulated sugar (3 tablespoons) over the almond and egg white mixture and toss to coat.
  12. Spread the almond mixture evenly over the surface of your cake batter.
  13. Bake 35-45 minutes until it’s golden brown on top and a cake tester come out mostly clean.
  14. Allow cake to cool 10 minutes in the pan, then remove the sides and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
  15. Once cool dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired.
Notes:

To serve: remove cake from the bottom of the spring form pan with an offset spatula and transfer to a serving plate or cake stand.

Wrap any left over cake and store at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Nutritional Info:

YIELD: 12 SERVING SIZE: 1

Amount Per Serving: CALORIES: 389TOTAL FAT: 21gSATURATED FAT: 7gTRANS FAT: 0gUNSATURATED FAT: 13gCHOLESTEROL: 129mgSODIUM: 197mgCARBOHYDRATES: 44gFIBER: 3gSUGAR: 31gPROTEIN: 9g

 

 

Paula Deen’s 5 Min Fudge Recipe

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The holidays are not the same unless there is fudge in the house. I admit that i had quit making fudge due to the time it takes to do so. However, there is now a fudge that can be made in % minutes.

This is a recipe you need to try and keep handy. You can make this at any time and have fudge when you want.

This recipe is insanely simple, even a child could pull this off! This 5-minute fudge is the perfect dessert for busy days. The best part about this recipe is this is easily customizable according to your mood!

Yield: 20

PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES

COOK Time: 15 MINUTES

TOTAL Time: 20 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 and ⅔ cups white sugar
  • 2/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 (6 ounce) packages milk chocolate chips
  • 16 large marshmallows
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chopped nuts
How To Make It

Step 1: Add the sugar, milk, butter and salt together in a saucepan. Then cook for 5 minutes, while stirring constantly.

Step 2: Add in chocolate chips while stirring and cook until it melts. Then remove from heat, add marshmallows, vanilla and nuts and stir well.

Step 3: Pour into an 8-inch pan, leave it to cool and cut into squares. Serve!

Grilled Cabbage Wraps

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Grilled Cabbage Wraps These cabbage wraps are filled with flavorful sticky rice, then wrapped and grilled to achieve that smoky flavor. They are then paired with a simple sweet and spicy sauce for a perfect meal. Enjoy! PREP TIME20:minutes mins COOK TIME20: minutes mins RICE COOKING: TIME45minutes mins TOTAL TIME:  1hour hr 25minutes mins INGREDIENTS for Grilled Cabbage Wraps 3 cups cooked glutinous … Read more

Marinated Cucumber, Tomato, And Onion Salad

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Active Time: 15 mins

Marinate Time: 12 hrs

Total Time: 14 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients:

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon dried herbes de Provence or Italian herb blend

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

3 large ripe beefsteak-style tomatoes, cored and cubed into ¾-inch chunks

1 medium red onion, halved and sliced into thin half-moons

1 large English or seedless cucumber, peeled and quartered lengthwise, then diced in ½-inch chunks

Garnish: Minced fresh herbs to serve, such as parsley, basil, chives or chervil (optional)

Directions

Make dressing:

Mix oil, vinegar, dried herbs, salt, black pepper, and red pepper in a large bowl with a tight-fitting lid.

Add cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions:

Add the vegetables, and toss well to coat and combine.

Marinate:

Leave at room temperature for one hour. Toss again, and taste for salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning as needed. Cover with lid (or spoon into a zip-top bag), and store in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours, stirring occasionally.

Season and serve:

Let come to room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes before serving. Top with optional minced herbs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should you eat cucumbers and tomatoes in a salad together?

Yes, absolutely. Cucumber and tomatoes are natural partners in a salad—and we like them even more with onions.

Should I leave the skin on a cucumber for a salad?

This is up to you and what you prefer. English cucumbers have softer skins, so they’re OK to leave on. Kirbys are a bit tougher, so you might prefer to run a vegetable peeler down them before you slice.

 

Beef and Bean Nacho Casserole

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In this delicious Mexican dinner, layers of ground beef, black beans, cheddar cheese, and more cover tortilla chips. Pop it in the oven for 30 minutes and you’re done!

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Servings: 8 as a main dish

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 15-oz. can black beans, drained
  • 2 c. salsa
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
  • 1/2 c. frozen corn kernels, preferably fire-roasted
  • 5 c. tortilla chips, roughly crushed
  • 1 c. sour cream
  • 2 c. shredded cheddar
  • 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1/4 c. green onions, sliced

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. In a large skillet, brown ground beef. Drain, then add black beans, salsa, taco seasoning, and frozen corn. Cook until heated through.
  3. Spread half the crushed tortilla chips in a layer in the prepared pan. Top with half the beef-bean mixture. Dollop with half the sour cream and sprinkle with half the cheddar. Repeat these layers: chips, beef-bean mixture, sour cream, shredded cheddar. Distribute halved cherry tomatoes, cut side down, over the top of the casserole and sprinkle with slicedgreen onions.
  4. Bake 25-30 minutes or until heated through and cheese has melted.

Notes:

A Love Letter to Food Original Recipe.