Receipes of the Year, or, Vincent's Favorite

I've been planning several "Year In Review" posts for two or three months now. Best Books of 2008. Best Movies of 2008. Best New Albums of 2008. Best "Your Mom" jokes of 2008. Best Moment of 2009 (which is undoubtedly going to be January 2nd at the Sugar Bowl). Anyway, you get the picture. Like I said, I've been planning these for a while now. Yet with the few free moments I have, writing blog posts just is not a priority. Best Night's Sleep of 2009 keeps getting priority. Sorry you two. I'm sure you've survived without a new update.

So, without further ado, here are a couple of the best recipes cooked in 2009. Tthe first two are new to me this year. Odd, I think, that all three are desserts. While all three of these qualify as my favorite dessert, a friend told me that this first one was his favorite bar-none. Restaurants included. I hope you like it too.


Ameree's Mtn. Dew Apple Turnovers

2 cans Crescent rolls
2 Granny apples, peeled and cut into eighths

2 sticks melted butter
1 1/2 Cup sugar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla

1 can Mtn. Dew

Wrap apple pieces in crescent roll pieces and lay in 9x13 pan.
In medium sauce pan, melt butter and stir in sugar until just mixed. Add vanilla. Pour over rolls. Pour most of a can of Mountain Dew all over into dish. (I do all but about two swallows. Otherwise they aren't quite flaky enough).
Bake 350 F for 40 minutes. Remove from oven.
Sprinkle with cinnamon.

These things are awesome, and they go really quickly, so be sure to get one early.



Jenny's Bread Pudding

Pudding
2 loaves white bread, cut off crusts, cut in cubes
1 1/2 Cup sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cup milk
1 stick butter


Caramel Sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
1 cup corn syrup
1 1/3 cup heavy cream

Caramel Sauce: combine sugars, corn syrup & butter in sauce pan over medium heat. Remove from heat and add cream.


Mix all the pudding ingredients except bread. Fold in bread. Put in non-stick 9x13 pan. Pour 1/2 cup of caramel sauce on top. Bake 350 F for 30 minutes. Rotate pan 180 degrees in oven. Bake 30 minutes more until golden brown on top. Pour remainder of carmel sauce on top. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

This is really tasty but super-rich. People can't usually handle too large a piece, so this will feed more people than you'd expect.



Mom's Strawberry Cream Cheese Cake

1/2 white box cake mix, bake ~15 minutes.

Whip 1 pint cream, add 1/2 cup powdered sugar.
Whip 8 oz cream cheese with 1 cup powdered sugar.
Fold cream and cream cheese together. Spread over cake.
1 pkg danish junket with 1 1/2 cup water. Put as many strawberry slices as will fit on top of cream. Pour junket over top while still hot. Chill and serve.

This has been my personal favorite for the last 10 years. The apple turnovers might be edging it out currently, but I don't know if they can hold on to the lead once the novelty wears off.