Candied Yams

Ingredients:

2 pounds sweet potatoes
1 stick butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. all spice
1/4 tsp.nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:                     

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel the sweet potatoes and rinse them well. Cut the potatoes into desired shape (I prefer chunks). In a pot over medium low heat, melt the butter. Add in the sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the cinnamon, all spice, and nutmeg. Add in the vanilla extract. Let the mixture bubble, the remove it from the heat and stir in the sweet potatoes, making sure they are fully coated with the syrup. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour, (or until desired texture is reached) stirring halfway through.

6 Flavor Butter Cake

What's up foodies. Y'all doing good? You good? You good? I'm good! You good? Okay, good. Today I am going to share my recipe for a 6 flavor Butter Cake. I am pretty sure you have heard of the Kentucky Butter Cake and I figured it was time I made my version of it.

This cake is essentially like a pound cake, the only difference is there isn't a pound of each ingredient and this cake has a delicious butter sauce that goes over it once it's cooked. I have been making this cake for the past couple of weeks to get it just like I want it. I will say that just like a pound cake, this cake tastes better the next day. I don't know why, it just does.

My recipe is not that different from any others, but I do like the variety of different flavorings in it. Although I have the flavorings listed, you don't have to use what I have. Use what you want and it will be fine. You'll notice on some of the stronger flavorings, I only added half a teaspoon, but you may use a whole teaspoon if you wish. I strongly encourage you to only add 1/2 teaspoon of the maple extract as it overpowers everything else.

I really hope you enjoy this cake. I have received some really good feedback from the people I have shared it with, considering I have made 4 or 5 of them the past two weeks while I was perfecting the recipe.

Recipe

For the Cake:

- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. butter flavoring
- 1 tsp. rum flavoring
- 1/2 tsp. maple flavoring (use 1 tsp. if desired)
- 1/2 tsp. coconut flavoring (use 1 tsp. if desired)
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract (use 1 tsp. if desired)

Butter Sauce:

- 6 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a bundt pan. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a bowl, mix together the butter ans sugar until fluffy and well combined. Add eggs one at time. Add one third of the flour mixture and mix. Add half the buttermilk and all of the flavorings and mix. Repeat steps until flour and buttermilk are combined. Pour batter in prepared pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Once the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes in it using a skewer or butter knife. Poor the butter sauce over the cake. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.

Butter Sauce

In a saucepan over medium low heat, add the butter, water, sugar, and vanilla and mix until the butter is melted and sugar is dissolved (DO NOT BOIL).

Slow Cooker Strawberry Sauce

Recipe By: Devin Judkins

Ingredients:

- 1 pound fresh strawberries

- 1/4 cup sugar

- 2 tsp. cornstarch

- 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp water
- juice of half a lemon

- splash of vanilla extract (1/4 tsp.) [optional]

Directions:

Wash strawberries really well with cold water. Remove the tops of the strawberries and slice them. Place the strawberries into the slow cooker. Mix together the cornstarch and water. Add the sugar, cornstarch and water mixture, and the vanilla extract in with the strawberries and give them a stir. Put the slow cooker on low temperature and cook for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours, stirring every 20 or 25 minutes. When the strawberries have cooked down and thickened, remove from the heat and let cool. Place the strawberries into the food processor and process until smooth. Run the sauce through a strainer to remove the strawberry seeds. Place in an airtight container into the refrigerator for about a week.

Notes:

- You can also do this on the stove in a saucepan, just make sure the stove is on low temperature.