Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cake

I got this recipe from my sister Kristen. It is Great! You can make it into muffins or bread. I like it with raisins too. I thought I would add shredded carrots as well. Anyway it's harvest time I love this part of the year. Time to make and have those warm bowls of soup as well. Yumm.

2 1/2 C. All-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 C.) unsalted butter. or just omit the salt and use regular butter, softened
1 C. packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 large eggs at room temp.
2 C. coarsely grated zucchini (8 oz.) I use probably a 1/2 cup more
1 C. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 C. walnuts, toasted and chopped

3-quart bundt or fleur-de-lis pan

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter bundt pan well and dust with some flour, kocking out excess.
-Sift together 2 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to medium and add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down side of bowl occasionally, then beat until very smooth and fluffy, about 2 more minutes.
-Reduce speed to low and add all but 1/2 cup flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
-Toss zucchini, chocolate chips, and walnuts with remaining 1/2 cup flour mixture and add to batter, then mix batter with a rubber spatula (batter will be thick).
-Spoon batter into bundt pan, smoothing top. Bake in middle of oven, rotating pan halfway through baking, until side begins to pull away from pan and a tester comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes total.
-Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes, then run a thin knife around outer and inner edges. Invert rack over pan, then invert cake onto rack. Cool completely.

*Keeps 3 days in an airtight container at room temp.

German Apple Cake

OK, this one is so good and even works if your apples are getting a little soft. It has the wonderful flavors of fall sweet Cinnamon and sugar. I know it's cake but I somehow feel healthier about eating it because of all the apples. Totally a false sense of reality but it works for me.

The Cake

2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
5-6 cups apples - peeled, cored and diced


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour(I dusted with Cinnamon and sugar) one 9x13 inch cake pan.
In a mixing bowl; beat oil and eggs with an electric mixer until creamy(over do it). Add the sugar and vanilla and whip well(really really well at least 3 min).
Combine the flour salt, baking soda, and ground cinnamon together in a bowl. Slowly add this mixture to the egg mixture and mix until combined. The batter will be very thick. Fold in the apples by hand using a wooden spoon. Spread batter into the prepared pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes or until cake tests done. Let cake cool on a wire rack. Once cake is cool serve with a dusting of confectioners' sugar or with a Cream Cheese Frosting.

I did neither. It was almost all eaten before I got the chance but I was going to try a caramel glaze.

Glaze:
1/2 C Butter
1/2 C Brown Sugar
1/4 C Cream

Bring to a boil and boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1/2 t Vanilla - let cool slightly before pouring over warm cake. To make perfect serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Conference Cinnamon Rolls

My Friend and walking buddie use to make these with her Pullman walking buddies now that she is here in Spokane she wanted to start the tradition over again. So anytime that food is involved I try and volunteer. These were simple and easy and I loved that I could forget about them for the day, prepare them that night, stick them back in the fridge, take them out in the morning and have warm cinnamon rolls for breakfast for the family.

2T yeast
1/2C warm water
3/4C butter
1C boiling water
1/2C cold milk
1/2C sugar
2t salt
2 beaten eggs
7-8C flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Set aside. Combine and melt butter in boiling water,add cold water, milk, sugar, salt and eggs. Add yeast water. Gradually add flour. Dough should form ball and pull away from the sides of bowl. (mix 5-10 min)
Place dough in greased bowl cover with greased saran-wrap and refridg at least 6 hours before rolling out. Make cinnamon rolls with desired filling, roll up, cut, place in pans and refridge over night. Makes about a 9x13 plus an 8x8 pan. Grease pans. Bake 375 for about 20 min. Frost after baking.

Filling:
brown sugar
cinnamon
butter
raisins & nuts
(or to your liking)

icing:
powder sugar
cream cheese
butter
vanilla
mix in enough milk to your desired glaze consistency or frosting thickness