Isabel's 5 Cup Salad/Dessert

Sunday mornings, I visit a senior woman who lives across the street from me. Isabel isn’t your typical senior. She’s got a flat screen TV, a computer and she even has an e-reader. Here’s hoping I’m that up-to-date at her age, but, knowing me, I’ll be wearing acid wash overalls and trying to work an iPod.

A few Sundays ago, I noticed a package of coconut, a can of pineapple and a tin of mandarin oranges on Isabel’s side table. Naturally, my caker senses starting tingling. I asked her what everything was for.

“5 Cup Dessert,” she replied. Needless to say, I got her to write down the recipe.

Now, there’s some debate over whether this is a dessert or a side dish. Isabel says it’s a dessert. I remember it as a side dish. (Of course, I also grew up in a house where Cool Whip was considered dairy.) And, when I found the same recipe in another cookbook, it recommended serving it on a lettuce leaf. So we may never know the answer.

What I do know is that 5 Cup Salad/Dessert has been enjoyed by generations of cakers. The marshmallows get soft and squishy, the pineapple stays crunchy and you’ll have hours of fun picking the coconut out of your teeth.

Thanks, Isabel! And happy belated birthday.

1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup pineapple pieces, partially drained
1 cup mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup sour cream

Make the day before and refrigerate. Isabel also adds in quartered maraschino cherries.

Source: Modern Girl Isabel

He Shoots! He Skors!

Clockwise: Christmas Crack, Skor Squares, Quick and Easy Skor Bars

Along the right hand column of this blog, you’ll see a list of Caker Cooking’s most popular posts. (Yes, the rock star status of Imperial Cheese Cookies is a complete mystery to me, as well.) But second in popularity are Quick and Easy Skor Bars, a delectable ditty I featured last June, using saltines, chocolate and a whole lotta butta.

Last month, I featured a tuna casserole recipe from a family friend. When Carmelle sent me that recipe, she also included a recipe for Skor Squares made with 65 Ritz crackers.

That got me thinking.

Then a Caker Cooking reader named Kittyn recently commented that she'd had Quick and Easy Skor Bars, only they were called "Christmas Crack" and were made with pretzels instead of saltines. 

That got me thinking again. 

Then I had to stop thinking because it hurt real bad.

After much soul-searching, I decided to do what any caker worth his sodium would do – make all three versions. Now, me + three batches of Skor Bars = guilt, tears and a marathon of The Facts of Life, so I brought everything to work and asked my colleagues to vote.

In the end, the chewy toffee decadence of Carmelle’s Skor Squares took the crown with saltines coming in at a close second. In a distant third, sadly, was Christmas Crack. (Although the people who voted for it were very passionate. They also seemed a little fidgety.) Sorry, Kittyn.

Not only is this Carmelle's second time on Caker Cooking, but this might be the shortest recipe I’ve ever featured – and in the world of caker cuisine, that’s quite the accomplishment. Congrats, Carmelle! Your prize, a Caker Candy Tree, is in the mail.

Do you have a different Skor bar recipe? God help me, but send it along to caker cooking at gmail dot com and I'll do my best to feature it. 

Skor Squares

Mix together approximately 65 crushed Ritz crackers (See Note 1), 1 can condensed milk and 1 package of Skor bits. (Keep ¼ cup for topping.)

Pour into a 8” x 8” square pan (see Note 2) and bake for 25 minutes at 325º.

Note 1: I wasn't sure if a regular-sized box had 65 crackers, so I bought a larger one. But I only used about 3/4 of it, so you could probably go with a regular-sized box.

Note 2: Line your pan with some parchment paper as my squares stuck.

Source: Caker Queen Carmelle

UPDATE: Check out fellow food blogger, Nacho Mama, for her spin on Skor Squares, appropriately renamed Nacho Mama's Caker Bars.  Lookin' good to me!

Reader Recipe: Low-Cal Peanut Butter Cup Pie

Can you believe I’m still on a sugar high from last week’s Coca Cola Salad? (I’m also down four teeth, but whatever.) So when fellow blogger, Mimi, emailed me a low-cal caker recipe, my Spanx and I jumped at the chance.

For those of you not familiar with Mimi’s blog, 1972: The Retro WW Experiment, it's all about Weight Watchers, less the Jennifer Hudson. (If I see another one of those “I am you, you are me” commercials, I’m going to throw a Twinkie at the TV.) Thankfully, our girl Mimi kicks it old school with 1970s Weight Watchers recipes. And if you think Caker Cooking has featured some food fuckery, check out Mimi’s Frankfurter Crown Roast, her Buttermilk Chicken Loaf and her – gulp – Fluffy Mackerel Pudding.

Who said being thin is glamourous?

While this Peanut Butter Cup Pie doesn’t have the sophisticated decadence of, say, Impossible Pie, it ain’t too shabby for a guilt-free, low-cal treat. I found the crust a little finicky and would've added some melted marshmallows for pliability, but I guess that would've defeated the low-cal purpose. And, in my defence, that's a dollop of low-fat Cool Whip in the photo.

If you've got a caker recipe you want to share, just email cakercooking at gmail dot com.

Thanks, Mimi!

1 1/2 oz. crispy type rice cold cereal (Editor’s note: Oh, for god’s sake. Just say Rice Krispies.)
4 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp honey
1 envelope (four 1/2 cup servings) instant reduced calorie chocolate pudding mix
2 cups skim milk
1 medium banana, sliced

In a small bowl, mix peanut butter and honey. Heat in microwave on high for 20 seconds. Stir in cereal. Mix well. Press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. Chill. Prepare pudding according to pkg directions. Place banana slices over prepared crust. Spread prepared pudding over bananas & chill. Makes 4 servings.

Source: In Mimi's own words, "This is a Weight Watchers recipe that was member-created. In other words, it is not 'officially' sanctioned by the powers that be at WW. I can only guess it was created sometime in the early 80's by a very hungry woman who was really craving some pie. It was typed up on ditto paper, copied and secretly passed around WW meeting rooms all over the land."

Coca Cola Salad

When the warm weather hits, I think of two things: getting a Brazilian and sipping an ice-cold Coca Cola. Cakers love Coke almost as much as we love Cream of Mushroom soup. We pour Coke over our roasts, we plop ice cream into it and we use it as mouthwash. Some of us even use Coke in science experiments with our baby teeth. (See the comments section for Coke Roast.)

In fact, cakers and Coke seem to go hand-in-hand. Maybe it’s the sugar. Or that we enjoy belching.

In any case, here’s a ruby-hued salad that packs all of summer’s sweetness into a single bowl. It’s got cherry JELL-O, cherry pie filling, Dream Whip, a can of you-know-what and about 4296 calories.

Why is there a can of Coke in this? Who knows? A caker might say it adds flavour. I think it’s more about adding another 10 teaspoons of sugar. I should've been a caker dentist.

1 large package cherry JELL-O
1 ½ cups boiling water
1 10 ounce bottle Coke (1 can)
1 can cherry pie filling
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 package Dream Whip (see note)
1 package cream cheese
½ cup icing sugar

Dissolve JELL-O in boiling water. Add Coke and allow to thicken slightly. Stir in cherry pie filling and pineapple. Chill until set. Beat cream cheese. Add icing sugar. Fold in Dream Whip. Put on top of JELL-O. Decorate with cherries.

I made mine look real purdy-like.

Note: Make the Dream Whip as per the package instructions before adding it in.

Source: The Best of Enbridge

Overnight Cinnamon Buns

When it comes to brunch, most cakers make one thing: reservations. Brunch simply involves too much coordination too early in the morning. We have to toast the Eggos and then take out the Aunt Jemima syrup and then make Tang and, well, there are only so many hours in the day.

So imagine my angst over having ten people for brunch last Sunday. Ten Italians. One of whom was my mother-in-law. And it was Mother's Day.

It took some big caker balls to make these buns for the Italians. But sometimes in life, you just have to snip the dough, boil the ice cream and trust that the good women of the Canadian Bible Society will see you through, even if what you're putting into the fridge looks like chunky brown vomit. (See below.)

I had nothing to doubt, of course. These buns were sticky, gooey and made my house smell like a food court Cinnabon. Best of all? My mother-in-law had two servings.

Score one for the cakers.

2 packages of frozen bun dough (See note)
½ cup butter
¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
1 cup vanilla ice cream

Take slightly thawed bun dough and with kitchen scissors snip them into walnut sized pieces and place into a large sprayed cake pan. In saucepan, bring the butter, white sugar, brown sugar and ice cream to a boil. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Pour mixture over dough and sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover and let sit in fridge overnight. In the morning, bake for a 20-30 minutes at 350°.

Note: I couldn’t find frozen bun dough, so ended up buying a five-pack of frozen loaf dough. I used about 2 ¾ loaves, but packed the pieces in too tightly, so the centre came out uncooked. If you go with bread loaf dough, 2 loaves should do it.

Source: Celebration Cookbook, Canadian Bible Society

Suzanne’s Peanut Candy Bar Cake

Get out the Captain Morgan and Bits & Bites – it’s Caker Cooking’s first year anniversary!

It seems like, well, only a year ago I picked up a can opener, some coil-bound cookbooks and set out on my caker journey. And what a dark fascinating journey it’s been! There have been a few highs (like this), a few lows (like this) and a few WTFs (er, like this.)

As with most celebrations in my life, I’m spending my anniversary with a stranger. I don't know who Suzanne is, but make no mistake – this lady knows her way around a 9x13 like nobody's business. Her Peanut Candy Bar Cake kicks butt. It’s sweety, salty, crunchy, chewy, cakey and squarey. In other words: deliciousy.

Thanks to everyone who visits Caker Cooking. If I've helped you come to accept your caker heritage, I can only hope that flag is waving proudly.

1 package yellow cake mix
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 egg
3 cups miniature marshmallows
2/3 cup light corn syrup
¼ cup butter
2 cups peanut butter chips
2/3 teaspoon vanilla extract (See note)
1 ½ cups crisp rice cereal
2 cups salted peanuts

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine cake mix, 1/3 cup butter and the egg. Press into greased 9”x13” pan and bake in the preheated oven for 14 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with miniature marshmallows. Bake for 1 minute more or until the marshmallows start to puff.

In a saucepan over medium heat, cook corn syrup, ¼ cup butter and peanut butter chips until melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, cereal and peanuts. Spoon mixture over top of marshmallow-topped cake and spread to cover. Allow to cool before serving.

(Note: I've never heard of a 2/3 teaspoon before. Either it's a typo or Suzanne has the world's most comprehensive measuring spoon set.)

Source: Royal Canadian Legion Branch 99

Tuna Casserole

When it comes to the Caker Hall of Fame, Tuna Casserole is right up there with meatloaf, mock apple pie and the neon-green coleslaw from Kentucky Fried Chicken. But there are dozens of Tuna Casserole recipes and I’ve been suffering from performance anxiety. I couldn’t decide which recipe would be [insert echo effect] The Mother of All Tuna Casseroles…roles….roles….roles…

So when a family friend approached me recently, promising me that she had in her possession the “best tuna casserole recipe ever,” I told Carmelle to send it along and I’ve give it a whirl.

I’m thrilled to report that Carmelle’s version is not only the Mother of All Tuna Casseroles; it’s the father, the kids, the in-laws and your web-fingered third cousin. In short, it's got everything: canned vegetables, crushed potato chips, French Fried onions and a sodium content so high, you’ll be sticking your head under the bathtub faucet two hours later.

Thanks, Carmelle!

Think your tuna tops this recipe? Post it or email me at cakercooking at gmail dot com.

1 can Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup
½ cup milk
2 cans of tuna
1 cup green peas
1 ¼ cup crushed potato chips
1 can sliced mushrooms
½ can French Fried Onions

Empty soup into a small casserole. Add milk and mix thoroughly.  Add tuna, 1 cup potato chips, peas and mushrooms. Stir well. Sprinkle top with remaining ¼ cup of potato chips. Bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes. Five minutes before end, sprinkle with onions.

Source: Caker Carmelle