Caramel Butterscotch Cake

This cake, this cake, oooh this cake. A family favorite. The Tucker’s have been making this cake for years. Specifically in the fall! It’s a classic 90’s cake made from a box cake mix and powdered pudding mix. The original recipe calls for mazola oil in the cake batter and margarine in the icing, I die.

It’s always been called Caramel Cake but there isn’t a lick of caramel in this recipe….I snuck butterscotch into the title to describe its ingredients a bit better. I love, I mean love a butterscotch chip. The best part of the recipe is that it only calls for 1 cup so then you have a leftover cup of chips to snack on. The best dessert is a handful of butterscotch chips.

Cake Ingredients:
1 box Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix
2-3.4oz butterscotch pudding mix
1 1/4 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 cup butterscotch chips

Icing Ingredients:
4 tbsp. or 1/2 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tsp. milk

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Use Baker’s Joy to prep your bundt pan or generously grease and flour it and set it aside.

In a large bowl with a whisk or electric beaters, mix together all of the cake ingredients except the butterscotch chips. Once the batter is combined gently stir in the butterscotch chips. Pour into your prepped bundt pan. Bake for 50 minutes and a toothpick comes out clean. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before attempting to remove from pan.

While the cake is cooling mix together oil, brown sugar, and powdered sugar. Add milk 1 tsp at a time until it forms a thick but pourable icing. Run a nife around the outside and inside edges of your bundt pan. Invert your cooled cake onto a serving platter or cake stand. Pour the warm icing over the cake. Let the icing set before serving.

I hope you enjoy this old family recipe, it’s such a great one!

Annie

Hash brown Quiche

This recipe is a tried and true Tucker recipe. We’ve been making it for years and it’s one of all of our favorites. When you hear quiche you probably think breakfast or brunch, but we always ate this for dinner (and a leftover slice for breakfast the next day). I’m not sure the thought behind that, but point be that it is good any time of day! Mom and I made this together while I was in Oklahoma City quarantining, and it’s a recipe that honestly takes me back to being 10 years old. Make with your momma for Mother’s Day brunch this weekend and I know it will be a hit.

Hash Brown Quiche
serves 4-6 people

Ingredients:
24 oz frozen, uncooked, shredded hash browns, thawed
5 tbsps. unsalted butter, melted
3 eggs
3/4 cup half and half
3/4 tsp. seasoned salt (we use Lawry’s, if you don’t have Lawry’s this copycat recipe uses lots of pantry staples)
1 cup (4 oz) pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 cup (4 oz) gruyère or swiss cheese, shredded
1 cup diced ham*

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Press the hash browns into a quiche or pie pan. Blot with a paper towel to remove all the moisture. Brush the hash browns with the melted butter. Bake for 25 minutes until lightly golden.

Remove the hash browns from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, half and half, seasoned salt, and set aside. Sprinkle both cheeses and ham over the hash brown shell. Then pour the egg mixture over the top. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned. Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy.

*We grew up making Hash Brown Quiche after Thanksgiving or Easter knowing we will have leftover ham from the holiday. If you are stuck with leftover ham, dice up a cup of ham and freeze it until you want to make quiche. If you don’t have a stockpile of ham in your freezer like my family does (ha), go to the deli counter and ask for 2 slices of ham cut about 1/4 inch thick. Once you get home, dice up the slices and you are good to go.

Annie

Ginger Cookies

Ginger Cookies are one of my most favorite Tucker family recipes. They are up there with my mom’s chili and hashbrown quiche. Hashbrown quiche needs to make it’s way to the blog soon now that I think about it.

Growing up, the first batch of ginger cookies signified the start of fall or the holiday season. I have vivid memories of coming home from school to my mom making ginger cookies and being genuinely so happy. Sneaking more bites of dough than the actual cookies.

The original recipe makes almost 7 dozen cookies. I am giving you half the ingredients because having 7 dozen cookies around isn’t good for anyone. I say that because you will make them and then realize you just ate 84 cookies, they are that good. However, if you are attending a holiday cookie swap, these are your cookies!!

The recipe couldn’t be simpler. No wet and dry ingredient separation. All the ingredients go into a mixer at once and you’re done!

Ginger Cookies
yields 30-32 cookies

Ingredients:
3/4 cup shortening, room temperature
1 cup of sugar
¼ cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. ground ginger
sugar

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease with cooking spray or line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Place the first 9 ingredients in a stand mixer fixed with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until the dough comes together, about 1 minute. Pour about 1/2 to 1 cup of sugar in a low dish or bowl. Roll dough into tablespoon-size balls, then roll in sugar. Place on a cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a drinking glass, flatten each ball of dough lightly.

Bake for 7-9 minutes. As usual, I stress not to over-bake cookies. These are ginger cookies, not gingersnaps meaning they are to be soft and chewy, not crisp and crunchy. Mine are perfectly done at 8 minutes.

Annie

Best Breakfast Casserole

I originally published this post in November 2018. After partnering with Happy Egg Co. I knew this was the perfect recipe to use with their Heritage Breed Eggs. I kept the post the same, but the recipe and photos have been updated. Enjoy!

With her permission, I’m so glad to be sharing the recipe for one of my best friend's family’s breakfast casserole. Madeline first introduced our group of friends to this casserole at our other great friend’s bachelorette trip in Austin back in May. It feeds a bunch (especially if you double it!!) and it is simply a crowd pleaser. I quickly asked for the recipe and have made it 4 times since.

We then made it for our big friend Memorial Day Lake trip, I made it again for a family trip to the lake, and then again for an early morning breakfast tailgate. And yet again this past weekend, for another early morning breakfast tailgate. It’s clearly great for all occasions. I must add that on the image of the recipe Madeline sent me, written above the recipe, the word Christmas is added to the title. “Christmas Breakfast Casserole.” Without a doubt this would make for the best holiday breakfast. Before the big meal on Thanksgiving or before the presents are opened on Christmas!

I’ve made just a few adaptations since making it multiple times now. I know butter the bread before slicing, use spicy sausage, and I’ve taken the mushrooms down from 4 oz to 2 oz. I love mushrooms, but not everyone does, so just a few here and there are perfect. Do not omit the mustard powder, I swear it’s the secret ingredient. And add a pinch of pepper, because I never make eggs without pepper!

Breakfast Casserole adapted from The O’Connors
serves 8

Ingredients:
1 lb. spicy sausage
6 eggs
2 cups whole milk
6 slices of white sandwich bread
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (Colby Jack, Mexican Blend or Cheddar will work, Pepper Jack would be great too!)
2 oz mushrooms, stalks removed and thinly sliced
4 tbsp. salted butter
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
pinch of pepper

Directions:
In a pan over medium, cook the sausage until brown. Drain and set aside. Beat eggs and milk together. Add salt and mustard powder and beat again. Spread 3 tablespoons of butter over the 6 slices of bread. Cut into cubes and add to wet ingredients and stir until bread is coated. Stir in the cheese, mushrooms, and sausage.

Butter a 9x13 baking dish with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Perfect with a cup of coffee and as the original recipe states, “good with hot biscuits and fresh fruit!”

Annie

Thank you Happy Egg Co. for letting me work with you. While I was compensated for this post, all thoughts and words are 100% my own. Grab a coupon for their heritage breed eggs here.

Bites of My Life

Thankful, grateful, blessed. << my feelings coming off Thanksgiving mega week. I mentioned this to friends and family a couple of times in the past few days, but I was slightly dreading my extra long week at home. Dreading may not be the right word, but I was weary of being out of my routine and living out of a suitcase for 9 days. When it came down to my last couple days at home I didn’t want to leave. Having my whole family under one roof (mom, dad, sisters, brother-in-laws, nieces, even Gabe) made for the best time at home. I’m happy to be back in Dallas and to make fun holiday plans, but I’m also eagerly counting down to being back in OKC for Christmas! This time of year just craves time with family and oldest friends!

-The makings of my banana cream pie included a pie crust rolled out on crushed graham crackers. My contribution to our work Thanksgiving! I used Cook’s Illustrated recipe.
-Best Breakfast Casserole got a little photo update!
-It’s not Thanksgiving morning without a slice of our Pumpkin Bread while watching the Macy’s parade.
-Thankful for my momma, sisters and Hallie (and dad and brother-inn-laws and Elle)!
-Picture of the big meal or the hours in the kitchen wasn’t worth it.
-Are you a one slice of pie person or a sampler plate? We had 8 pies and I sampled 4 :)
-No Spend November came to an end on Black Friday with an impulse buy of 1/2 off OPI nail polish and restock of my favorite lip color.
-Wrote our letter to Santa with the cutest kit from All Good Things.
-One last, but important event of the holiday weekend included Hallie’s baptism!

Annie