Kelsey's Wedding Reception Menu......

Kelsey's Wedding Reception Menu


I made their wedding cake......
The simplest cake I ever made.....rough frosting and no borders on a log with lots of fresh flowers....is what she wanted.  Here it is.....

Swig Cookies   (AKA: Kelsey's Wedding Cookies)        makes 4 dozen

• 6 c. flour
• 1 t. salt
• ½ t. baking soda
• ½ t. cream of tarter

• 1 c. butter, softened
• ¾ c. Vegetable Oil
• 1¼ c. sugar 
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 2 T. water
• 2 eggs, room temp.
• 1 t. vanilla
• Frosting:
• ½ c. butter, softened
• 1/3 c. sour cream
• 4 to 5 c. powdered sugar
• 1/4 t. salt
• 2 T. milk
• 1/4 t. vanilla 
• Red Food Coloring or desired coloring

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cream of tarter, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, vegetable oil, sugar, powdered sugar for 2 minutes.  , and water. Add in eggs & vanilla .
Slowly add in flour mixture until combined. Use a medium sized cookie scoop and roll the dough into golf sized balls and place onto a non stick cookie sheet.
To give the cookies their signature rough edge, dip the bottom of a glass into sugar and press onto the cookie ball to flatten the cookie. You still want the cookie to be thicker so don't press them too thin.
Bake at 350 for 8 minutes.   The cookies stay soft so do not over bake.
To make the frosting: Cream together butter, sour cream, and salt. Add the powdered sugar. Add in the milk to the desired consistency.  Tint icing.   Spread over cooled cookies and let the icing set up. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Best served cold.

For the ones pictured....I used 1 t. lemon extract for one and a half batches of frosting.  I placed a small scoop of frosting on each cookie and then spread it.  This was enough frosting for 2 batches of cookies.
Kelsey's were pink, of course!

Best Ever Cream Cheese Butter Frosting

Beat together:

1 c. butter, softened 

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 1/2 t. vanilla

Gradually add while mixing:  

4 1/2 c. powdered sugar 

We spread this on sugar cookies and topped them with fresh berries.  Made darling little fruit pizzas!!  They were a hit!!



Chicken Salad Cream Puffs
Cooked chicken, diced
celery, thinly sliced
Mayonnaise, Best Foods
Salt & Pepper to taste
Mix together and serve on mini cream puffs.

For the Cream Puffs we used the recipe on Page 200 in the Atkinson Cookbook.
Except we used the small cookie scoop heaped full.  We baked them at 450 for 12 minutes then reduced the temperature to 325 for 18 minutes more.  A batch made 24 mini cream puffs.

Pasta Salad
5 lbs. bowtie pasta, cooked
8 c. small grape tomatoes, left whole
6 large cucumbers, sliced
8 stalks celery, sliced
1 bottle of Olive Garden Italian Dressing from Costco
Made the day before and chilled until serving time.






All of us at the temple......
One special day!!!

Abbi & Emalee were flower girls.......

Connor & Abbi in the photo booth......

This is the hope chest that Grandpa Gene Atkinson gave to Grandma Evelyn for her high school graduation in 1946.  When Kelsey graduated from high school Grandpa gave the hope chest to Kelsey.  Kelsey took it to the reception to hold her gifts.  This is the quilt that Katie & I made for their wedding gift.                                                                                                                          

The happy married couple!!!  Congratulations Austin & Kelsey Haney!!  

Wedding Cake.....

sweet and simple......but very impressive!

 major dessert buffet

Bundt Cakes Galore.....

Bundt cakes have become the new thing to serve at weddings. Ida gave me several bundt cake recipes to make for her son, Kip's wedding reception. The first one I made was very dry so I have adjusted them to make them moist. I have found that any cake mix can be made into a bundt cake by adding a small box of instant pudding, 1/2 c. oil or melted butter, 1 c. water or other liquid, 4 eggs. You can add other ingredients as desired, such as; coconut, chips or nuts. Baking times will vary according to what is added. When glazing I usually do 2 or 3 layers of glaze. I drizzle with a thinner glaze first while still warm so it sinks into the cake (before freezing the bundt cake - for the lemon or blueberry - I don't usually put anything on the others before freezing). When I remove them from the freezer I then spread a layer of thick glaze on the top and then thin the glaze and drizzle a final layer of glaze over that. If you want to garnish them with anything else you need to do it before the glaze sets up. Everytime I make these I learn a few new things. So I update these every once in awhile. If you have any hints to add please email them to me and I will add them too.
This one is Raspberry!!
Blueberry Bundt Cake
1 Golden Vanilla Cake Mix
1 3 1/2 oz. box of Instant Vanilla Pudding mix
1/2 c. oil
4 eggs
8 oz. cream cheese
1 can blueberries, drained (save the juice to be used in the cake and glaze)
Mix together at medium speed, cake mix, pudding, oil, eggs, cream cheese and 1/2 c. of blueberry juice. Beat for 2 minutes and fold in the blueberries. Pour into sprayed bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan. Glaze while warm.
Blueberry Glaze
1 c. powdered sugar
Remaining blueberry juice
Stir together using as much juice as needed to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over cake. If you want to freeze the cake I would add another layer of glaze at serving time. If you do not want to add the blueberries to this cake I would add 1 c. of water instead of the blueberry juice and blueberries. These are great cupcakes, bake for 20 minutes.
For Ben & Manda's wedding we used a can raspberries instead of blueberries. It was a pretty pink color and very yummy!!

Chocolate Bundt Cake
1 Devil's Food Cake Mix
1 3 1/2 oz. box Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix
1/2 c. oil
4 eggs
3/4 c. water
8 oz. sour cream
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Mix together, cake mix, pudding, oil, eggs and water. Beat for 2 minutes. Add sour cream and chocolate chips, mix well. Pour into sprayed bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan. Cool completely before glazing.

Chocolate Frosting Glaze  (enough for 2 bundt cakes)
1 c. milk chocolate chips
3 T. butter
2 c. powdered sugar
3 T. hot water
chopped candy bar pieces, any kind you like
Melt together the chips and butter in microwave at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until melted together. Beat in powdered sugar and water using more as needed to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over cake. If freezing for later use add the glaze at serving time. Before the glaze sets up sprinkle with chopped candy bar pieces. If you like mint you could also add 2 t. mint extract. I did not add the extract but I used packaged mint pieces sprinkled over the glaze and it had a definite mint flavor, the extract might make it kinda overpowering. This recipe also makes great cupcakes!!
Heath candy bits are one of my favorite toppings sprinkled over the glaze.

I like this glaze too......

CHOCOLATE FROSTING:

2 c. (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 c. butter, cubed

1 c. (8 ounces) sour cream

4-1/2 to 6 c. confectioners' sugar

In a small saucepan, melt chips and butter over low heat (or in microwave). Transfer to mixer bowl; cool for 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake. Thin with water to make a glaze......

Red Velvet Pound Cake
1 1/2 c. butter, softened
3 c. sugar
5 eggs
3 c. all purpose flour
1/3 c. cocoa
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1 c. buttermilk
1 oz. red food coloring
1 t. white vinegar
1 t. vanilla
In a large mixing bowl beat together, butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. In another bowl combine dry ingredients and set aside. In another bowl combine buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with the buttermilk mixture. Mix well. Pour batter into sprayed bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 35 to 50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan. Cool completely before adding glaze. If freezing add glaze when removed from freezer.
Cream Cheese Glaze
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 T. milk
Beat cream cheese at low speed until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until combined. Add milk and beat until smooth. Drizzle over the cake.
I like to top this cake with shaved chocolate OR drizzle with a little bit of the chocolate glaze used for the Chocolate Bundt Cake.
HINTS: Do NOT double this recipe!! It makes a big batch of batter just as it is. Also when filling pans be careful. If you overfill your pan it will overflow when baking and you have a BIG MESS!!! This batter rises more than the other ones so DO NOT FILL YOUR PANS AS FULL as you do on the other ones. I fill one regular sized bundt pan and 1 small sized bundt pan with this recipe and it works much better. (Or I think 2 batches would fill 3 regular sized pans nicely) I changed the cooking temperature from 325 to 350 and reduced the cooking time. It cooked much better and was more moist and the batter didn't seem to overflow from the pan after that.

Ultimate Carrot Bundt Cake
1 Carrot Cake Mix
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. oil
4 eggs
8 oz. crushed pineapple, undrained
1/2 c. chopped nuts
1/2 c. coconut
1/2 c. raisins
Mix together cake mix, water, oil and eggs. Beat for 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into a sprayed bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 35 to 45 minutes. Cool for 10 mintues and remove from pan. Glaze with the above Cream Cheese Glaze. If desired garnish with chopped nuts OR toasted coconut before the glaze sets up.

For the Lemon Bundt Cake I used my Lemon Pound Cake recipe on page 81 in the Atkinson Family Favorites Cookbook. ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE RECIPES from my MOM!!
Well, for those of you who don't have our family cookbook....here is the recipe.

Lemon Pound Cake
1 lemon cake mix
1 small box lemon instant pudding
1/2 c. oil
1 c. water
4 eggs
Beat together at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into sprayed bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in pan and dump out onto cake plate. Drizzle with glaze while still warm.
Sometimes I use loaf pans or muffin pans and don't bake them as long.
Sometimes I add 1 T. poppy seeds to batter & sometimes I sprinkle more poppy seeds over the glaze.
These are great made ahead and frozen. Sometimes I add more glaze after removing from freezer.
Glaze
1 c. powdered sugar
2 to 3 T. lemon juice
Mix together until desired consistency. After removing from freezer, I like to do a coat of thick glaze on the top and then thin the glaze and drizzle a finished layer.


Ben & Manda - April 24, 2009

Bundt cakes are great...but they don't take the place of a wedding cake!!! But then...that's coming from a wedding cake maker!!!!
That's it for now.....Would love to hear what your favorites are?????