Orange Julius Frosting

I have a whole cabinet full of cookbooks. Some I've received as gifts, some I have bought at second hand stores, some are from my mother, but my very first cookbook is a little homemade 15 recipe booklet I got way back in 2nd grade.

My very first cooking class was an after school class that I sort of got thrown into because my other siblings had after school activities and my mom didn't want to come to the school to get just one of us only to have to come back later to get the others so it was a class I took to fill the time. I was a little reluctant at first because I was 8 and didn't have much interest, but after the first class, when we made chocolate cake, I was hooked. I had found my passion for cooking in 2nd grade.

This week as my kids are getting ready to go back to school, I was feeling a bit nostalgic. I grabbed my little 2nd grade cookbook out of my cupboard and thumbed through it. I landed on a recipe for Orange cake. I got a container of orange juice and followed all the directions and made 24 orange cupcakes. They smelled amazing and looked beautiful...for about 3 minutes until they cooled down. Then the center of each cupcake fell and they turned into little lumps of weirdness. I figured even though they looked weird they would still taste good. Wrong!!!

See, even I have fails in the kitchen. I try things and it just doesn't taste good. This was one of those times. I wanted to try to salvage these cupcakes so I found a recipe for frosting that included dream whip and vanilla pudding. I whipped it together and it was again - ok, but not great. I was trying to brain storm to see what I could do to make it better. I wanted to keep the orange theme going. I had used the last of my orange juice in the cupcakes and I was totally out of orange flavoring. But...I happened to have one lonely looking orange in my fruit drawer in the fridge. I decided I would use it up. I grabbed my cheese grater and turned it to the zest side (that's the side with the teeny tiny holes. I took the orange and grated all of the skin. Then I cut the orange in half and used the juice from the orange for flavoring.

My end result was amazing. It didn't help my orange cupcakes and I didn't want this delicious frosting to go to waste so I made a new batch of vanilla cupcakes from a cake mix and topped them with the frosting. It was a huge success.

Orange Julius Frosting

2 pkgs Dream Whip
2 1/2 c milk
1 small pkg instant vanilla pudding
2 TBSP orange zest
Juice from 1 orange (about 1/2 cup)

Mix dream whip, milk and vanilla pudding with electric mixer for about 5 minutes, until it's nice and thick.  Then add orange zest and juice from an orange.  Mix another 2 minutes till fluffy.  Put in fridge till read for use.

Pipe onto cupcakes.  Must be refrigerated. 


Sometimes we learn by trial and error and that's ok. In the end I found one recipe that was awful (so I crossed it out in the book, since that's how I mark recipes that I've tried that I don't like) but I ended up with something amazing in the end.

BIG two hour cinnamon rolls

These are some of the tastiest, most yummiest, biggest "sweet Rolls" (as my father in law likes to call them) EVER!!!    I found this recipe online a few years ago and I have searched to find the original but I can't seem to find it. :( Sorry if it's yours, we love to give credit where credit is due!!  But they are just too delicious not to share!  I have put the original recipe (which makes 24 giant rolls!!! 2 sheet cake pans full)  and a halved recipe (makes 12 rolls, 1 sheet cake full)

Big two hour cinnamon rolls   


makes 24 rolls
makes 12 rolls


3 1/2 c. warm water  1 3/4 c.
3/4 c. sugar 1/4 c. + 2 T.
1/2 c. oil 1/4 c.
6 T. yeast 3 T.
1 T. salt 1 1/2 tsp.
3 eggs 2
10 1/2 c flour 5 1/4 c.
extra oil or Crisco to oil the counter.
1/2 c. butter divided 1/4 c.
cinnamon and sugar mixture (I mix mine in a jar with holes poked in the lid for easy shaking out)


Mix together the water, sugar, oil and yeast and let sit for 15 minutes or until frothy.

Then add: salt, eggs, and flour and mix for 10 minutes,   then sit for 10 minutes.

Oil the counter, divide the dough in half if making the large batch (it will be a little sticky, so use the oil on your hands as well) spread one half into a rectangle using your hands.   Melt half of the butter and spread evenly over the dough.  Cover in as much cinnamon and sugar as desired.  Roll long ways and cut into 12 equal pieces.

Grease a large sheet cake pan/cookie sheet and place 12 rolls on it.  Repeat with other half of dough..  Let rise,  mine usually doesn't take more than 30 minutes, (they will also get bigger while cooking so don't let them rise too big!!!!)

Bake in a 400* oven for 12-15 minutes.  let them cool slightly then slather them in frosting!!

Frosting

mix together
1 cube butter 1/4 c.
2 dashes salt 1 dash
2 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp.
6 cups powdered sugar 3 c.
add milk until desired consistency, usually only a quarter cup or so..

Ultimate Buttercream Frosting: 10 flavors

I went to a wedding a couple of weekends ago where they were serving cake, of course.  While I'm sitting there I realize that I have scraped the frosting off the top and sides of my piece of cake.  This is a typical reaction for me.  I'm not a giant frosting fan.  I find that it's usually too sweet, or too sticky, or just leaves a bad sugary aftertaste.  Something is wrong...frosting should be wonderful and flavorful and not so sweet that you want to eat a giant bag of potato chips afterwards.

But then I remember that I have a solution.....my very favorite homemade buttercream recipe, it's been in our family for years.  My mom has used it for as long as I can remember and I myself use it for everything, cake, cupcakes, cookies, brownies,  and graham crackers (try it).

As usual I couldn't sleep, my mind was racing and the next thing I know, I'm up at 3:30 am baking cupcakes.  So many yummy flavor combinations to try, ideas running through my head. The end result - 6 dozen cupcakes, 10 flavors of buttercream and so many more to try later. The best part is that it is the easiest recipe ever and it turns out great every time.

Ultimate Buttercream Frosting
 1/2 c butter softened (replace with Earth Balance Buttery stick for dairy free)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c warm water
4 c powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients together with a hand mixer till light and fluffy.  Super easy.

*If its a little runny add more powdered sugar 1 TBSP at a time.  If it's a little stiff, add a little bit of water 1 TBSP at a time.  This recipe is easy to adjust to what you want.

*I replace the butter with earth balance buttery sticks to make this recipe dairy free, it turns out just as great!

The cupcakes are vanilla and chocolate.  I kept that part simple because the frosting has so much yummy goodness already.

Flavor Combinations (as pictured above)

1. Vanilla - as above
2. Peanut Butter - replace the butter with peanut butter and use 1 tsp of vanilla extract, top with Reese's pieces
3. Lemon - replace vanilla with Lemon extract, add 3-5 drops of yellow food coloring
4. Caramel - replace vanilla with caramel extract - top with crushed up heath bar
5. Orange Dreamsicle - replace vanilla with orange extract, add 2 drops of yellow food coloring, 2 drops of red food coloring
6. Cookies n Creme - 1 batch vanilla frosting, crush up Oreos and mix them in with the frosting or crushed on top
7. Strawberries n Creme - replace vanilla with strawberry extract, add 3-5 drops red food coloring, top with shavings of white chocolate
8. Mint Chocolate Chip - use 1 tsp of vanilla extract and 1/8 tsp peppermint extract (it's got a really strong flavor so you won't need more than that), add 3-5 drops green food coloring, top with mini chocolate chips
9. Coconut - replace vanilla with coconut extract, top with toasted coconut
10. Root beer - replace vanilla with root beer extract

There are so many flavors you could make, Raspberry, Banana Cream, Chocolate, Smores, etc.  My mind is still racing.  Seriously, the sky is the limit.  Happy Baking!!