Tennessee Whiskey Cakes

The Christmas season is upon us and I'm into gift mode in every possible way. For me, gifts are love wrapped and presented to those that mean the world to me.  Food is a major love language so it's the first of my go to expressions for those that I adore.

This is a Tennessee Whiskey Cake that completely lives up to it's expectation!   This is a from scratch cake that takes just minutes to pull together and only half an hour of baking time.  You can embellish this as you wish on presentation but no matter what you choose, I guarantee that there won't be a crumb left over! 

You'll need:

1 stick butter - softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup self rising flour
3 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup Tennessee Whiskey (I used Jack Daniels)

Blend together, butter and sugars until creamy, add eggs and flour alternating.  Add remaining spice and milk, add whiskey last and mix thoroughly. 

If you smell the whiskey overtly in your mixture, correct this with 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tsp white sugar and / 1 tsp flour.

You want a medium thick consistency with no alcohol detected.

Bake at 350* for 20 - 25 minutes.  I did mine in mini loaves but you can do this in layers or a bunt pan.  Check the centers for doneness with a toothpick (should come out clean).

I serve this with candied pecans, a spritz of caramel sauce and chocolate sauce, topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!

Package this up pretty and tell the ones you love how much they mean to you!

Merry Christmas!

P.

Pappardelle with Butternut Squash

Thanksgiving is upon us and you need to bring a side dish to the family meal.  If you're tired of the same old things, give this dish a try for fabulous fall flavor!  Only 5 ingredients to find and less than 30 minutes of  your time.

You'll Need:

1 Medium butternut squash peeled and cubed

2 Tbl Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

8 Oz Pappardelle Noodles

12 Tbl Unsalted Butter

1 C Walnuts toasted and lightly chopped

3 C Baby Kale

Toss the butternut squash with olive oil, salt and pepper then back for 20 minutes (until tender) at 375*.

While your squash bakes, boil your noodles until al-dente' then rinse and drain.

Heat butter in a large skillet until it begins to foam and brown, toss in squash, noodles and walnuts.  Toss well, add baby kale and cook until the kale begins to wilt.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

This entire dish takes less than 30 minutes to prepare.  I buy my squash already prepped and it SO worth it.  That is the best time saver ever!  This reheats easily in the microwave if you need to make it in advance.

Share this with those you love and don't get stressed out about cooking this Thanksgiving!