Tennessee Banana-Black Walnut Cake with Caramel Frosting courtesy Paula Deen Yield: 12 servings Cake: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 eggs 2 ripe bananas, mashed 1/4 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup chopped black walnuts* Frosting: 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 1/3 cup heavy cream, plus more as necessary 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 1 (16-ounce) box confectioners sugar 2 cups finely chopped black walnuts, for garnish (optional)* Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans. For the cake: In a medium bowl, stir together flour and baking soda; set aside. Using an electric mixer, cream together shortening and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add flour mixture, mix until just combined. Stir in black walnuts. Pour into prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool in pans on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare frosting. Melt butter in small saucepan. Add brown sugar and 1/3 cup cream. Cook over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Transfer to a large bowl. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat in confectioners' sugar a little at a time until smooth. If frosting is too thick, add 1 tablespoon heavy cream at a time until consistency is right. Sandwich 2 layers of cake with frosting. Frost the outside of the cake. Press chopped black walnuts on the sides of the cake, if desired. *Cook's Note: DO NOT substitute English walnuts for black walnuts. BANANA SPICE CAKE Yield: 12 servings Bananas, pecans and currants give rich flavor to this recipe. Baking 1 hrs. 20 min. 3/4 cup currants or raisins 1/4 cup orange-flavored liqueur or orange juice 1 1/4 cups sugar 1 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted* 2 eggs 2 teaspoons freshly grated orange peel 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 3 medium bananas, peeled, chopped 1/2-inch 3/4 cup chopped pecans Topping Ingredients: Vanilla ice cream, if desired Caramel sauce, if desired Instructions: Heat oven to 325°F. Combine currants and orange liqueur in small bowl; let soak 30 minutes. Drain well. Set aside. Combine sugar, butter, eggs, orange peel and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves. Beat until well mixed. Stir in soaked currants, bananas and pecans by hand. Spoon into greased and floured 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 80 to 90 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove sides of pan. Cool completely. (Cake may dip slightly in center upon cooling.) Top each serving of cake with ice cream and drizzle with caramel sauce, if desired. *Substitute LAND O LAKES® Soft Baking Butter with Canola Oil. Calories: 330 Banana Cake Cockaigne Adapted from Joy of Cooking Grease and flour 2 round cake pans (8 or 9 inch) or one 9X13 inch rectangular pan. I usually line pans with waxed paper before I grease and flour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Mash two ripe bananas, or enough to make one cup. Add 1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (fat free is OK) ot buttermilk and 1 teaspoon vanilla Sift together: 2 1/4 cups flour (Cake flour) 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt Cream in a large mixing bowl: 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup butter Add 2 eggs, one at a time, Add the flour mixture, alternating with the banana puree, STIR until smooth after each addition. ( DO NOT OVER MIX...THINK MOISTEN) Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and bake at 350 until the cake springs back when touched, about 30 to 40 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if serving warm or frost with a chocolate frosting, mock whipped cream frosting. or a cream cheese frosting. I make it with the Mock Whipped Cream Frosting and sprinkle the filling and top with a crushed Heath Bar. Mock Whiipped Cream Frosting Ingredients: 2/3 cup milk 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup sugar 2/3 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened 1/2 teaspoon vanilla combine milk, 2 tablespoons flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil (4 to 6 minutes). Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Cover surface with plastic food wrap; cool completely (1 hour). Beat 2/3 cup sugar, 2/3 cup butter and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in large bowl at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Continue beating, gradually adding cooled flour mixture and scraping bowl often, until light and fluffy. Frost cooled cake. Banana Cake Mocha Frosting: 6c powdered sugar 1/2c cocoa 1/2c butter, softened 1/2c brewed strong coffee Sift powdered sugar and cocoa` together. Add softened butter and mix on very low speed till incorporated. Add coffee and beat till smooth.

Is this it? Found at another forum.... WOW, that does look good. Since it's sitting right here, here's the recipe from the PRO 600 manual: 2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked and peeled 1/2 cup low-fat milk 1/3 cup sugar 2 eggs 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Place potatoes in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and flat beater to mixer. Turn to speed 2 and mix about 30 seconds. Add milk, sugar, eggs, 2 tablespoons butter, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Turn to speed 4 and beat about 1 minute. Spread mixture in greased 9" pie plate. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes or until set. Clean bowl and beater. Crunch Praline Topping: 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 3/4 cup corn flakes 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar Place all topping ingredients in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and flat beater to mixer. turn to STIR speed and mix about 15 seconds. Spread on hot puff. Bake 10 minutes longer. Yield: 6 servings (1/2 c. per serving) Per serving: about 268 cal, 6 g protein, 35 g carb, 12 g fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 176 mg sodium Brooks in Dallas PRO 600 "I can have dinner on the ceiling in 5 minutes."

I've posted this one many times before but it sticks in my memory because it was offered at a dinner party by a very busy lady, head of a university department, who came home after work to prepare this dish for her guests. We were all so impressed that she managed to make something tasting so good without working at it all day. She had made mimeographed copies of the recipe beforehand as she said everyone asked for it when she served this dish. This was before the days of photocopiers ! LOL. This was a simple but prize winning recipe in a cross country cooking contest sponsored by a Canadian womens' magazine in the 1960s. Tastes better if made one day ahead. 1 kilo of veal shoulder steak, cut into small bite-size pieces 2 medium onions, sliced 1 cup water 1/2 cup ketchup or tomato sauce 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 teasp salt 1/2 teasp pepper 1 1/2 cups cashews (rinse if they are salted) 2 TBS butter Worcestershire sauce 1). Grind garlic, salt and pepper together in mortar and pestle. 2). Roll veal pieces in this mixture in the mortar and then on a clean plate, being sure pieces are well coated. 3). Brown veal in butter in a saucepan. When brown, add onions, water, tomato sauce and cashews. 4). Simmer slowly until meat and nuts are both tender. About 40 minutes. It may need a bit of water added. 5). Thicken with a bit of flour and a few drops of Worcestershire sauce. 6). Best served the next day. Goes well with rice and a crisp green salad. SharonCb

KILLER CUPCAKES (makes 20-22) Cupcakes: 4 squares (4 oz) semisweet chocolate 1 tsp vanilla 2 sticks butter 4 eggs 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup flour Preheat oven to 350°. Line standard muffin tins w/paper cupcake liners. In the top part of a double boiler over simmering water, melt the chocolate w/the vanilla & butter. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until thick & add the sugar. Beat in the flour. Fold in the butter-chocolate mixture. Spoon into the prepared tins, filling the cups 2/3 full. Filling: 8 oz cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup sugar 1 egg, beaten Dash of salt 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips Mix the cream cheese, sugar, egg & salt until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop a rounded teaspoon of filling onto the top of each cupcake. Bake 30 minutes.~~ San Francisco Encore MARLEN'S RASPBERRY LOVE MUFFINS 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 heaping cup white chocolate chips 1 stick softened butter 3/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 Tablespoon finely grated orange zest 1/2 cup milk 2 cups fresh or unsweetened frozen raspberries Sift flour with baking powder and mix in the white chocolate chips; set aside. With an electric mixer, beat softened butter with sugar until light and fluffy, add vanilla and orange zest. Mix in dry ingredients in two additions, alternating with milk. Fold in raspberries. Do not overmix. Spoon into greased muffin tins and bake at 375 degrees F. for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from tins.~~ These are REALLY popular: MARLEN'S CHUBBY HUBBY COOKIES 2 cups butter or margarine, softened 1 cup sugar 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed 2 large eggs 2 Tablespoon vanilla extract 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda Pinch of salt 1 12 oz pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 12 oz pkg peanut butter chips 1 cup salted peanuts 2 cups crushed pretzels* Preheat oven to 350* degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Blend into creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate and peanut butter chips, peanuts and pretzels. Drop by heaping tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. bake 10-13 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned and centers are still soft. Do not overbake. Cool one minute on cookie sheet. Cool completely on wire racks. Store tightly in covered container. Source: Bob Zotto, Bruker AXS Cookbook Note from Marlen: The pretzels should be about the size of the chocolate chips, not pulverized. You want to taste bits of pretzel as you munch. This is a crunchy cookie. I use a food processor and just pulse until the desired size is achieved.~~ TOFFEE BARS (3 dozen - freezes well) 2 cups flour 1 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 3 sticks butter (don't use margarine for this) 1 cup pecans, chopped One 6 oz pkg semisweet chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350°. Mix the flour & 1 cup of the brown sugar; cut in 1 stick of the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Press into the bottom of a 13x9" ungreased baking pan. Sprinkle w/the pecans. Bring to a boil the remaining 2 sticks butter & 3/4 cu of brown sugar. Boil exactly 1 minute (after the mixture comes to a boil), stirring constantly. Pour over the pressed mixture & bake exactly 20 minutes. Let sit 1 minute; then sprinkle w/chocolate chips. When completely softened, spread the chocolate with a spatula. Chill thoroughly; return to oom temperature before cutting.~~Georgia on my Menu