Buehrig German Chocolate Cake

This recipe has been in our family for as long as I can remember. It was my father's favorite cake and he often requested this on his birthday.

Cake batter
2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups cake flour
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 pkg. German chocolate
1/2 cup hot water

Filling and Frosting
3 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 cup flake coconut
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 pint whipping cream
1/4 - 1/2 cup butter

Dissolve chocolate in the hot water over low heat. Set aside. Dissolve baking soda in 1/4 cup of buttermilk. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat shortening, sugar, and egg yolks. Add flour, buttermilk with soda and the remaining buttermilk. Add the melted chocolate. Beat well. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff, then fold into the batter. Pour batter into 3 or 4 layer pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until done.

Set aside on rack to cool while you make the filling. Cook all ingredients together over low heat or a double boiler until it thickens enough to adhere to the side of the cake. Stir occasionally. Don't let it burn. Set aside to cool.

Remove cooled cake layers from pans. Put one layer on serving plate and cover top with filling. Add next layer. Again add filling. Continue until cake is assembled. Then use the rest of the filling to frost the top and sides of the cake.

Moo's Pina Colada Cake

1 pkg. yellow cake mix**
1 pkg. Instant vanilla pudding and pie mix
1 1/3 cup water
4 eggs
1/4 cup oil
2 cups angel flake coconut
1/4 cup white rum
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1-1 1/2 jars pineapple preserves

Frosting
1 cup butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup rum

Mix cake mix, pudding, water, eggs oil and coconut. Beat batter, pour into two layer pans and bake according to directions on the cake box.

**Note if the cake mix has pudding mix already in it, just make the cake as directed on the package. Just add the coconut.

When the cake is cool, slice the two layers to make 4 layers. Put the first layer on the cake plate and give it a liberal sprinkling of the pineapple juice/rum mix. Then spread a layer of pineapple preserves. Add another cake layer and repeat process. Do the same with the third layer and top with the fourth.

Make frosting by creaming (beating) butter until light and smooth. Slowly beat in a can of condensed milk and 2 egg yolks. Add rum slowly so that it doesn't curdle. Beat constantly. When thick enough to spread, frost the cake.

Moo's Lemon Curd Cake

Moo made her cakes from scratch...except when she made a dessert where the cake was secondary to the other flavors. In this case, she started with a Betty Crocker or Hines white cake mix. You can always make your cake from scratch...I'm sure it will be a real palate pleaser.

Filling
2 cups sugar
1/4 pound butter
4 eggs
4 lemons
4 tsp. lemon rind, grated

Frosting
2 egg whites
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/3 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla

Cook cake in two layer pans. When cool, slice each layer in half for a total of four thin layers. Prepare the lemon curd filling: Melt butter in top of double boiler. Beat eggs thoroughly and add sugar plus lemon juice and rind. Heat over hot water just below the boiling point until it thickens. Prepare the frosting: Put ingredients (except vanilla) in the top of double boiler over boiling water and beat with rotary beaters until mixture stands in stiff peaks. Scrape bottom and sides occasionally. Fold in vanilla. Put lemon on each layer except the top one. Then frost.

Moo's Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

Oh boy, HICCUP, this is a HICCUP real palate pleaser.

1-1/2 cups raisins
2/3 cup rye whiskey
1-1/4 loaves day-old French bread (about 8 cups of 1/2" cubes)
6 cups milk
5 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
6 T butter, melted and cooled
2 t. vanilla
1 T salt

Sauce
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup whiskey

Soak raisins in 2/3 cup whiskey. Cut French bread into 1/2" cubes. Combine cubes with milk at room temperature, stirring occasionally for about 2 hours. Shortly before that time is up, beat eggs, sugar, melted (and cooled) butter, vanilla, and salt then ad to bread mixture. Combine well. Pour into a well-buttered souffle dish. Cover and chill overnight. Next day bring to room temperature, stir a bit. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 1-1/2 hours, until edge is puffed and golden brown (center will not rise as much).

Sauce
Cream the stick of butter with sugar. Beat in the eggs in one at a time. Transfer to a double boiler over simmering water. Add the cup of whiskey. Cook, stirring until slightly thick.

Serve hot.

Moo's Chocolate Omelet

This chocolate omelet makes a great brunch item. You could also serve it as a dessert with dinner. Also, I like to add a little ice cream for a change. It's a delicious palate pleaser.

2 eggs
2 T cocoa
2 T coconut rum liqueur
4 T sugar
6-8 fresh strawberries, sliced
White creme de menthe
Dark swiss chocolate, grated
Whipped cream
Powdered sugar

Mix eggs, cocoa, liqueur and sugar for omelet. Set aside. Slice strawberries, put in a bowl and drizzle a little creme de menthe on top. Whip up some cream or use prepared whipped cream if you like. Pour egg mixture into hot omelet pan. When the omelet is ready to fold, sprinkle grated swiss chocolate and the strawberries on top then fold. Remove from pan. Add whipped cream and a little powdered sugar.

Margarita Custard Soufflé

Yes, I know, there are a lot of eggs in this recipe, but that's an element of any soufflé or custard, and this recipe is best called both. Frankly, I'm not one to be concerned about eggs. Besides it's not as if you are going to sit down and eat the whole thing yourself in a single sitting. So if you are not opposed to an egg or two, then you're going to like this one. And note that the dish improves as the flavors mingle and merge for a day, making it even more of a palate pleaser.

10 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 t. salt
½ cup tequila
2 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 cup lime juice
grated peel from 4 limes
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
½ cup triple sec

In a large bowl, with mixer on high, beat egg yolks until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat until smooth and a light yellow color. Mix in lime juice, lime peel and salt. To keep from burning the mixture, cook in a double boiler over boiling water until mixture thickens into a custard (about 10-15 minutes), always stirring.

In a small saucepan, sprinkle the packs of unflavored gelatin over the tequila and triple sec. Cook over very low heat until gelatin is dissolved, stirring constantly. Gradually pour into the hot custard and stir gently until well combined. Chill.

Meanwhile, grease a 1 ½ or 2 quart soufflé dish. Make a collar by cutting a strip of wax paper long enough to overlap the diameter by about 3 inches. Cut it wide enough so that even when folded in half it will extend 3 inches above rim of dish. Secure with tape.

In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into custard along with whipped cream. Pour into dish; refrigerate until set (at least 3 hours). Remove the collar before serving.

It also freezes well.