Sugar Cookies by Cassie Adrian

23 05 2011

Guest post from most favorite now and forever daughter-in-law…Cassie Adrian, Manhattan, Kansas

“Last night and today I should have been doing homework. And whenever I should be doing homework, and it is not the day it is due, I am very good at finding other activities that keep me occupied. I can do that pesky homework tomorrow!

I love sugar cookies. They are probably my favorite of all the cookies, but in the six years since I have had my own kitchen, I have never made them. I figured this out when I realized that I do not own a single cookie cutter. But I really needed to put off that homework, so I decided to make something time consuming and required a lot of clean up. Sugar cookies to the rescue.

I used this recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe. She has some great recipes on her blog that I have made including her Mexican Lasagna, Super Ban Burritos, Smoked Turkey Brie and Apple Panini, Black Beans and Rice, and Baked Oatmeal. This Friday is a salad themed potluck at my work and I have all the stuff for Creamy 5-Cup Fruit Salad (at this point I feel the need to quote my dad who calls these “potblessings” because “there is no such thing as luck only blessings from the Lord”).

Since I have already confessed that I do not own cookie cutters, I pulled out a tool my husband uses to plate food when he makes something fancy. Basically it is a metal biscuit cutter, but only a little larger. Here is how they turned out…

I always forget that last pan!

Okay other than the one light colored cookie, which fell apart when I tried to frost it, all of these are from the last batch. Apparently you have to push the start button on the timer!

Frosted Sugar Cookies

That’s better. I made the cream cheese frosting, which I don’t think I would make again. It is super light and fluffy but I prefer the super sweet original frosting for sugar cookies.

What helped these cookies to be a success…

Red KitchenAid with Matching Red Beater Blade

My beater blade. I have the red tilt-head mixer beater blade that matches my red tilt-head KitchenAid. I love it. It perfectly incorporated the cookie dough and frosting so I did not have to keep stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl. It is a must have for any KitchenAid project that requires the paddle. Oh, if you are wondering where you can get this fantastic little tool, just stop by Adrian’s. Last time I was there they had two or three colors for each mixer size.

I also baked these cookies on my…

USA Bakeware Jelly Roll Pan...AWESOME!

USA Bakewear jelly roll pan.

Disclaimer (the burnt cookies were not baked on this pan. I was using another cookie sheet from a big box store.)

I absolutely LOVE this. It is super high quality and I use way more often than just when I make cookies. It is great for roasting veggies, baking biscuits, baking sheet cakes, pumpkin rolls, roasting meats, and toasting nuts and oats for granola,. Since I have owned this beauty, it has been in my oven more than all of my other bakeware combined! As I wedding gift I received a set of a very expensive brand cookie sheets, but tossed them after only a couple years. This lead me to the belief that you should buy the cheapest pans possible and after the hundreds of Christmas cookies, toss them out. But this bad boy made me realize that cookie sheets did not have to be disposable. As soon as Adrian’s had these in stock, I knew I had to have one. It may even have been the first one that left the building. And the best part, nothing sticks to it. I was a little concerned that the ridges would collect gunk, but cleaning this pan is so easy (which probably contributes to the reason I use it so often)!

What would make these cookies perfect and hide the fact that I did not cream the cream cheese and sugar well enough is…

Diamond Shimmer Sugars

Diamond shimmer sugar from Adrian’s! This picture does not do this product justice. It is so beautiful and really looks like you are eating jewelry (in a good way, not like it is rock solid and hurts your teeth). If you want to add a little pizzazz to your cookies, cakes, or cupcakes, get this stuff! It is dazzling.!

Okay now I’m off to do some homework. Oh but wouldn’t my nails look so cute in that new bright coral/orange nail polish I just bought. New plan, paint my nails, wait an hour or so for them to dry, then I will do homework. Yes, I like that plan better!”
~Cassie Adrian

THANK YOU for sharing Cassie!  So glad that you’re a “foodie” just like me!
(& YES she is my now & forever favorite daughter-in-law! ~Vicki)

We always LOVE to hear from you!  Pop us an email, leave a comment in the box below, or of course, STOP by to see us at Adrians!

ADRIANS BOUTIQUE
118 N. Main, Buhler, KS 67522
620-543-6488
adrians@buhlerks.net
www.adriansonline.com
www.facebook.com/adriansboutique
Visit our Blog for hundreds of delicious recipes!
adriansboutique.com


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Categories : Cookies & Candy, Recipe, Recipes, Uncategorized

Teacher Gifts…Easy as 1,2,3!

16 05 2011

It’s that time of year again…the end of the school year, and your little munchkin has spent 7 hours a day with a very special someone…We think Teachers are Tops, and it’s time for a little something to let them know how much you appreciate all they have done for your child. Here are a few ideas that you can surprise your child’s favorite teacher with…

1.  Homebaked Goodies…Always a hit.  Choose something that freezes well just in case they won’t be able to enjoy it right away.  We’ve got a couple of great recipes below.

2.  A fun and practical gift that can be USED…  Some great inexpensive suggestions that are available at Adrians and are “Teacher Approved” include…

Shower Bursts ($3.99 each); Vera Bradley Zip Id Case ($12.00) or “Lets do Lunch” Tote ($28); Gourmet Dessert Mixes ($4.99-$5.99); Tervis Tumblers ($12.99+) and many more!

Adrians has a great selection of Tervis Tumblers!

3.  Let your favorite teacher stop by and choose her own gift…They LOVE Adrians Gift Cards! Call ahead (620-543-6488) and we will have them all ready for you!

We’ve got a couple of great ideas for Homemade Teacher (or or anyone for that matter!) Gifts for you to create in your own kitchen.  These both happen to come from our friend, Suz McIver from Topeka, Kansas.  She blessed us with one of her “Fudgy Snack Cake in a Jar” gifts last Christmas, and we found it yesterday while cleaning out the pantry.  Jenny easily put it together so we are enjoying that today.  We also made Suz’s Banana Bread because we had 4 frozen bananas in the deep freeze that needed to be baked into something!  Hope you enjoy some fast and easy baking and that you can “Bless someone’s Sock’s Off” Soon!

Suz’s Banana Bread
Suz McIver, Topeka, Kansas

This is called a “Quick Bread” for a reason…it is so simple to put together and scrumptious when it comes out of the oven…but the best thing about Banana Bread is that the second day, if you don’t eat the whole loaf, that is…is even better!  This recipe features a 1/2 cup of hot coffee, so as an extra bonus, you get to drink the other 9 1/2 cups! (OK, so I’m a coffee addict!)

Simplicity...The start of something special!Blen

Measure out the 1 cup sugar and 1 stick of softened margarine.

Blend margarine and sugar until fluffy and smooth.

Blend the margarine and 1 cup of sugar until fluffy and smooth…I’m hoping if you own a Kitchen Aid Mixer that you have one of our awesome BEATER BLADES! If not…ride, row, skate, or fly on in and get one right away! You don’t want to go another day without one girl! It scrapes the sides and bottom of the bowl CLEAN…no more scraping down the sides! Here’s a little Beater Blade video clip that you won’t want to miss!

Lightly beat the eggs

Add beaten eggs and bananas, letting mixer beat well after each addition.

Finding these lovely nanners in the freezer is what started this today!

I think it was my sister Nila who originally taught me to put bananas that were “going south” right into the freezer in their original jackets.  You can put them into a zip lock bag, but it really isn’t necessary.  When ready to use, just lay them out on the counter for an hour or so so they can thaw before using.

Freezing the bananas really does preserve them well for baked goods!

You can also take opportunities when bananas go on sale and keep some in the freezer just for baking!

Flour, soda, salt and baking powder

Next add the dry ingredients and blend well.

Hot coffee...Yum!

Next add 1/2 cup of hot coffee and sip the other 9 1/2 cups while you finish and bake the banana bread.  My favorite part!

We're only HALF NUTS here in our house!

Only HALF of us like nuts in this family, so I reluctantly sprinkled nuts on only half of the loaf. They just don’t know what they’re missing!

Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before removing pan.  Let cool a little longer before slicing.  Serve warm, or double the recipe like we did and have one warm from the oven and save the other one for another day.  This recipe freezes very well. Here is the recipe…Enjoy!

Suz’s Banana Bread

1/2 c. margarine
1 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 to 4 bananas, mashed
1/2 c. hot coffee
2 c. flour
1 tsp. soda
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 c. nuts

Blend margarine and sugar. Add beaten eggs, bananas and dry ingredients. Add coffee and nuts. Bake in a greased loaf pan at 350°  for 45-55 minutes.  Recipe can easily be doubled.

We have several other delicious Banana Bread recipes for you to browse through:

Lori’s Banana Bread, Banana Pineapple Bread (Bundt Pan), Banana Sour Cream Bread, & Best Banana Bread.  Let us know what you think…We think they are all winners!

We always LOVE to hear from you!  Pop us an email, leave a comment in the box below, or of course, STOP by to see us at Adrians!  (We wouldn’t mind if you brought a sample! :-) )

X O X O X O X O X O X O X O X O X O X O X O X O X O X O X O X O X O X O X O X O X O X

Our second idea for a great Thank You to teachers is this Snack Cake in a Jar recipe.  It is easy for you (and your little helpers) to put together and it is easy for the recipient to prepare; plus it is super tasty!

Suz's Fudgy Snack Cake Gift in a Jar

Suz’s Fudgy Snack Cake Gift in a Jar

So easy to prepare…Just layer the dry ingredients into a quart jar, mix up the topping ingredients and place in a plastic bag. Print off the simple instructions and decorate the top of the jar with a colorful piece of cloth.  Give to your favorite teacher!

Here’s how to easily prepare the snack cake:

Lightly beat the egg

Add milk

Add milk

Pour in the milk, then add the melted butter or margarine.

Next add the vanilla

Pour contents of the jar into the wet ingredients an mix well.

Almost to pretty to open!

Mix well with a spoon until lumps are just about gone.  Pour into a prepared 8×8 or 9×9 inch greased baking dish.

Next sprinkle on the topping mix from the small packet.

It is sure starting to look good!

Bake for 30-40 minutes depending on the size of baking dish that you have used.  This came out nice and moist and yummy!  It would be great served with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream!  Make some for gifts, or just make up the recipe for a fast and easy Snack Cake! Enjoy!

Suz’s Gift in a Jar…Fudgy Snack Cake

Suz McIver
Topeka, Kansas

Looking for a great idea for last minute Teacher’s Gift, Christmas Idea or something for a bake sale? Suz is a friend of ours from Topeka, and she gave us this tasty Fudgey Snack Cake for Christmas…while cleaning out cupboards this morning, we ran across it and thought it would be a great fast dessert.  Very easy to prepare, and a really nice gift.  You can easily create multiples of this recipe.

1-1/2  cups  all-purpose flour
1  tsp.  baking powder
1/4  tsp.  baking soda
1/4  tsp.  salt
1/3  cup  unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2  cup  granulated sugar
1/2  cup  packed brown sugar
1/3  cup  bittersweet or semisweet chocolate pieces
1/3  cup  chopped walnuts or pecans
1/3  cup  peanut butter-flavored, butterscotch-flavored or white baking pieces
1/3  cup  bittersweet or semisweet chocolate pieces

1. Layer in a wide-mouth 1-quart glass jar or a 32-ounce canister or container with a tight-fitting lid the following ingredients, adding each ingredient at a time in this order: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and the 1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate pieces. Tap jar gently on the counter to settle each layer before adding the next.

2. For topping: Tear off one 12-inch square of plastic wrap. Place walnuts, peanut butter pieces and the 1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate pieces in center of plastic wrap; twist plastic wrap to seal. (Or use a small plastic bag.) Place topping mixture in jar. Cover the jar.

3. Give as a gift (or store the layered jar of cake ingredients at room temperature up to 1 month)  and attach a recipe card with the following instructions:

4.
1. Before using, remove topping mixture; set aside. Shake remaining ingredients in jar to mix.
2. Lightly grease an 8x8x2-inch or 9x9x2-inch baking pan.
3. In a large bowl, combine 1 egg, lightly beaten; 3/4 cup milk; 1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled, or 1/3 cup vegetable oil; and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Using a wooden spoon, stir in jar contents until combined. Spread batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with topping mixture.
4. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven about 35 minutes for the 8x8x2-inch baking pan or 25 to 30 minutes for the 9x9x2-inch baking pan or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Makes 9 servings.

We always LOVE to hear from you!  Pop us an email, leave a comment in the box below, or of course, STOP by to see us at Adrians!  (We wouldn’t mind if you brought a sample! :-) )

ADRIANS BOUTIQUE
118 N. Main, Buhler, KS 67522
620-543-6488
adrians@buhlerks.net
http://www.adriansonline.com
www.facebook.com/adriansboutique
Visit our Blog for hundreds of delicious recipes!
adriansboutique.com


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Categories : Breads & Rolls, Desserts, Recipe

“Busyness”

15 05 2011

Busyness…Our sermon last Sunday was very appropriate for Mother’s Day.  We are in a series called “Antidote…Gods Answer to _______” featuring Psalm 23, and each week Pastor Doug Wyatt from The First Church of the Nazarene in Hutchinson, Kansas has been speaking to a particular subject such as Worry, Fear, Damaged Emotions, Hurt, etc.  It has been very good so far and he seems to hit the target on the head in a way that we can all relate to it.

“It is senseless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night…God wants his loved ones to get their proper rest.” Psalm 127:2 (Living Bible)

Have you ever been in a church service and had the feeling that the Pastor had prepared his sermon only for you?  Well, that is how I felt when I walked out of church last Sunday.  He talked about many careers that make it hard for people to leave their work at the office, but my ears perked up when he talked about “entrepreneurs” he said they were the worst! (I’m thinking, hey, I’m one of those)…and said, you know those people NEVER leave work…they take it home with them, they take it in their car, to their Dr. appointments, and even take business reading material into the bathroom! They never take a break! I am guilty, guilty, guilty of every example he gave. I always thought that for entrepreneurs, that didn’t count because we LOVE our WORK… it can’t be that stressful because we LOVE what we do!  God uses ways to get our attention though…

Psalm 23:2 says He MAKETH me to lie down in green pastures.  Pastor Doug said that He does not say that He WANTETH me to lie down, but that he MAKETH me… He said that God WILL get our attention, and that if we don’t lie down and rest in our own bed, he just might find us in a hospital bed…

Fast forward to the wee hours of Wednesday morning.  I wake up feeling so sick, with a terrible stomach ache and spend the next 12 hours between the bedroom and the bathroom (and no, there was no business reading going on :-)) and my mind did flit back to Doug’s sermon a couple of times in there and I thought, wow, here I am not at work today, maybe God’s trying to get my attention…but was too BUSY being sick to really think much about it. (Don’t worry, I won’t be posting any pictures of my experience!)  The next morning (Thursday) I woke up and was thankful that I had slept most of the night, so I must be getting better.  Got up and took a shower and about passed out in there, but came back and laid on the bed for a few minutes before drying my hair and getting a bit of make up on so I wouldn’t frighten anyone before I went, you guessed it, to WORK…

Of course I told my husband that I could drive and would be just fine.  After all, I was done with all the flu like stuff and hadn’t thrown up in at least 8 hours, all I had left was a pain in my right side, and that was probably from all of the throwing up that had happened the day before.  I would see him in town when we went for coffee. During the next hour, I realized that A) The pain in my side was getting more and more intense, not lessening and that B) I was having trouble walking and was getting weak.  I called my Physician in Sterling (about a 40 minute drive) and got an appointment for 10:30.  Met some friends at The Mustard Seed for breakfast at 9 but had no appetite, so passed along my breakfast to my husband, who by then had decided that HE WOULD be driving me to the Doctor…which was a very good idea…I am just stubborn about things like that! 🙂

I’ll spare you all of the gory details but ended up having an appendectomy later that afternoon.  The pain just kept intensifying and I knew that they needed to get it taken care of.  When waking up after surgery, I was thinking back to our sermon on Sunday, that if we won’t take time to REST, God will help us “Unwind” HIS way.  Later that evening, Pastor Doug popped in to say hello and I said “It was YOUR SERMON!”…He laughed and we talked about the situation a bit…but it is so true.  God does have to get our attention sometimes!  Here is the rest of the outline from the sermon with the “Antidote” to Busyness…Enjoy!

God’s Way to R.E.L.A.X.

I.  Realize my worth…God gave us life, we are important to him. There is NOTHING we can do that will make God love us more. James 1:18, Matthew 6:26, Isaiah 49:16

II.  Enjoy what you already have. Don’t be so busy aquiring more. Eccl. 3:13, Ecc. 4:6

III. Limit my labor.  The Sabbath means Rest. Mark 2:2, Eccl. 10:15, Exodus 20:9 & 10

IV. Adjust my Values. What good is it to gain the whole world yet forfeit your soul? Eccl. 4:4, Mark 8:36

V.  eXchange my pressue for God’s Peace.  Physical fatigue, Emotional fatigue, Spiritual Fatigue Matt. 11:28, 29

So, here I am, at home, RESTING after surgery.
(Ok, that’s not really me, I would at least have earrings and a necklace on 🙂

I won’t post any real pictures because I wouldn’t want to frighten anyone except my own family, and I am trying to be a good little sheep. Hopefully this will be a good reminder to just take time away and relax a bit…after all, you could stay at a really nice spa for a whole lot less than what this hospital bill is going to be!

Thank you to our daughter, Jenny and my husband, Jack for taking good care of me…and to our friends & family who have kept us well fed and encouraged since I came home.

I will be working on posting recipes soon, but for now, going to go take a nap!  ~Till next time.  Vicki


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Categories : Uncategorized

BBQ Beef Brisket

5 05 2011

Vicki Adrian
Buhler, Kansas

There is just nothing like delicious BBQ, and there are so many ways to prepare it!  Unlike many of you, I am NOT talented on the Grill…I tend to like to stay inside where there are no giant mosquitos, flies or other flying insects to deal with.  This recipe is easy to prepare ahead of time and can be frozen or kept in the fridge for a couple of days so you don’t have to deal with it at the last minute.

The lineup of savory seasonings

This is a variation of a recipe that my sister, Nila makes and hers is delicious as well!  Once again, I like to prepare foods that I already have most of the ingredients for.  Here is the starting lineup…Liquid Smoke, Vinegar, Worscestershire Sauce, Garlic & Beef Broth.

The trimmed Brisket

The brisket is, however, the most important part of this recipe.  We ordered ours from Andrew & Jeni Bryan who own Jackson Meat in Hutchinson, Kansas (620-662-4465) because they trimmed it so nice and it was all ready to go into the pans. PS, I LOVE their store…clean, clean, clean and their meats are fresh and beautiful.  SIDENOTE: Their chicken breasts are excellent too…no gooey, slimy stuff)

My original recipe

You know it’s a good one when your recipe looks like this!  I have tweaked this one a bit so please, go off of the typed official recipe below.  I have made this so many times, I couldn’t count it!  We served this out at our pond one year for a fall get together and it was even better served outside.

OK, back to the recipe…I tend to ramble 🙂

Liquid Smoke...it is magical!

Mix up all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl.  Liquid Smoke, Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Garlic, Worchestershire and beef broth.

Lea & Perrins Worcestershire...Magic in a bottle!

Place your trimmed Brisket into a large roasting pan that has been lined with an Oven Bag for easy clean up later.  We use the Reynolds Turkey Size bags in this instance.

Don't forget these!

Pour the marinade over the brisket and seal up the bag.  I also put heavy duty foil on the top of the pan…don’t really know why! 🙂

Pour the marinade over the brisket

Let this marinade all night.  I usually put this together when I get home from work and let it sit in the fridge until early the next morning.  Do not skip this step!

This is only half of the brisket we cooked for this event!

Pull out the brisket the next morning and pop it into the oven.  Low & Slow is the name of the game for this recipe.  Bake at 250 degrees…for as long as possible!  I usually let it go for about 10-12 hours.

When the brisket is done, pull off the foil and open up the cooking bags so that the brisket can start to cool enough to handle it.  Scoop out as much of the juice as you can and refrigerate so that all of the fat will come to the top and harden. (I leave this in overnight and remove the fat in the morning).

Remove the fat from the brisket and discard.  Slice or shred meat as desired.  I put all of the meat into a gallon size freezer Zip Lock bag and store in the fridge or freezer until ready to serve.  Pour in several cups of the beef juices to keep it nice and moist.

All ready to serve

About 3-4 hours before you’re ready to serve, place Slow Cooker liner in Crock Pot and place the beef and the juices into the Crock Pot.  Heat on high until hot, then turn to low to keep warm for serving.

You can serve this so many different ways!  With BBQ sauce (we served it with our favorite Bronco Bob’s Raspberry Chipotle Sauce), with or without buns, rolled up in a burrito, on a philly steak style sandwich, more like a roast with potatoes & carrots, and on and on.

Hope you enjoy this as much as our family has over the years!  It is a great dish to make ahead and serve to a crowd, and can be easily frozen.

BBQ Beef Brisket

4-6 lbs. (or more) brisket, trimmed
2 T. liquid smoke
5 oz. soy sauce
1 T. vinegar
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 can beef broth
1/4 c. Worchestershire

Mix all ingredients except brisket.  Place brisket in an oven cooking bag and pour in marinade.  Use twist tie to close.  Marinate in refrigerator overnight.  Cut 3 small slits in top of cooking bag.  Bake at 250 for 8-10 hours.  Let cool some before removing any remaining fat.  Slice or shred and place meat in a zip lock bag. Refrigerate meat juices until fat rises to the top and remove fat.  Pour reserved juices over the meat and store in a zip lock bag until ready to serve. I make this ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze until serving day.  Put cooked meat and juices into a lined Crock Pot and reheat until ready to serve. Delicious!

We have served this Beef Brisket several times for Events at Adrians, and just featured it in our recent Southern themed menu for our 2011 Spring Open House.  It is a great choice for a make ahead recipe and can be easily frozen to serve later.

We LOVE to hear from you!  Please leave a comment in the box below. We recently served this at Adrians Spring Open House along with a full Southern Lunch of
Beef Brisket, Original Beer Bread Company Beer Bread, Marie Callendars Corn Bread, Brookville Cole Slaw & of course “Pig-Pickin’ Cake” for dessert.

Adrians Boutique
118 N Main, Buhler, KS
620-543-6488
adrians@buhlerks.net


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Categories : Main Dishes, Recipe

Southern “Pig-Pickin’ Cake”

4 05 2011

We recently spent about a week in Nashville for a trade show and really enjoyed the delicious food served on every street corner…especially the BBQ!  We came home knowing that we had to bring this light, delicious traditional Southern dessert home to Kansas…so here we go!

It's a very simple lineup of ingredients

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease you pans for baking.  You can use a 9 x 13, a Jelly Roll, or if you really want it fancy, make this in two 9 inch round cake pans.

The ingredients are probably items that you already have in your pantry…nothing fancy for those Southern Belles! They know how to whip up something good and sweet without running to the store!

Yellow Cake Mix, Mandarin Oranges, BUTTER (real, of course), eggs and vanilla.

Mandarin Oranges just look so plump and pretty!

Drain your Mandarin Oranges very well and set aside.

Have I mentioned that I LOVE my Beater Blade???

Place the dry cake mix, melted butter, 1/2 cup of mandarin orange JUICE (not the oranges yet), 4 eggs and vanilla extract into your mixing bowl and blend, then mix on medium high speed for 4 minutes.  Set the timer…4 minutes is FOREVER when you’re in a hurry, but this really gives the cake a nice light texture.

Add those beautiful oranges to the batter.

Now fold in those Mandarin Oranges just until they are broken up into about 1/4 inch pieces…it doesn’t take too long, and you want to be able to see the pieces of orange in your finished cake.

Pour batter into greased baking dish

OK, so not a very good picture there, but you get the idea.  Pour the batter into a greased baking dish and spread out evenly.

*SIDE NOTE…Because I was making multiples of this recipe, plus baking 45 lbs of brisket at the same time, I used every single baking dish that I own!  Our favorite turned out to be the Jelly Roll pan.  They were easier to serve, made a very pretty presentation with the mandarin orange slice on the top, and just weren’t as top heavy….plus they baked faster, which is a real plus when you’re trying to prepare food for a crowd!

9 x 13 pan…Bake for about 40 – 45 minutes
Jelly Roll Pan…Bake for about 30-35 minutes
9 inch round…Bake for about 30 minutes

Be sure to use the toothpick test to tell when your cake is done. Let cake cool COMPLETELY before spreading on the topping, or you will have one soupy mess!

OK, now on to this luscious, light (not in calories of course) cold topping!

The dreamy topping ingredients

Start with very soft cream cheese and place into your mixer.  Pour in the Country Home Creations Tropical Orange Dip Mix (yum-o!) and blend very well for about two minutes.

Creamy & Luscious Topping...YUM!

Next, fold in the Cool Whip and add the VERY WELL DRAINED pineapple.  Mix this up carefully…you don’t want to take out the “Fluff”!

Spread over cooled cake

Spread the fluffy topping over your cooled cake.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.  This cake just gets better as it ages.  Cut into serving size pieces and top with a slice of Mandarin Orange before serving.

Light, fluffy & delicious!

Your guests will love this, if you don’t eat it all yourself first!   Hope your guests enjoy this as much as ours did even though we didn’t have an actual “Pig” to Pick!

*NOTE: No pigs were harmed in the making of this dessert! 🙂

Southern “Pig-Pickin’ Cake”
Click link for recipe
Cake Mixture:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
1 can (14 oz) Mandarin oranges, drained, 1/2 cup juice reserved
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Topping Mixture:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 pkg. Country Home Creations Tropical Orange Dip Mix
1 container Cool Whip, thawed
15 oz. can crushed pineapple, very well drained
1 small can Mandarin Oranges, drained for garnish

Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix cake mix, melted butter, 4 eggs, 1/2 cup Mandarin orange juice and vanilla.  Beat on medium high speed for 4 to 5 minutes until well blended and light.  Add Mandarin oranges and blend just until oranges are broken apart.  Cake can be baked in two 9 inch round cake pans, a 9 x 13 baking dish, or a jelly roll pan.  I actually prefer the jelly roll pan.  Use the back of the cake mix box for baking times and use the toothpick test to test for doneness.

Topping:  Blend softened cream cheese, sour cream and CHC Tropical Orange Dip Mix until very well blended.  Fold in thawed Cool Whip and very well drained pineapple.  Spread over completely cooled cake.  Refrigerate several hours or overnight.  Serve garnished with additional Mandarin oranges on each slice.

*Note: This is a beautiful light dessert that is perfect for spring or summer.  It is traditionally served at Whole Hog Roasts (or “Pig-Pickin” Events) in the south.  Our clients loved it when we served it at our recent Spring Open House!  Don’t forget the Sweet Tea to wash it down!

We LOVE to hear from you!  Please leave a comment in the box below. We recently served this at Adrians Spring Open House along with a full Southern Lunch of Beef Brisket, Original Beer Bread Company Beer Bread, Marie Callendars Corn Bread, Brookville Cole Slaw & of course “Pig-Pickin’ Cake” for dessert.

ADRIANS Boutique
118 N Main, Buhler, KS
620-543-6488
adrians@buhlerks.net


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Categories : Desserts, Recipe, Road Trips, Uncategorized