Streusel Nut Coffee Cake

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 1/2 cups sugar, divided
4 eggs
2 tsp vanill aextract
2 tsp almond extract
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups (16 oz) sour cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 tsp instant chocolate drink mix
2 tsp ground cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and 2 cups sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Combine flour and baking soda. Add to the creamed mixture althernately with soure cream. Spoon half into a greased 10 intu tube pan.

In a bowl, combine the walnuts, drink mix, cinnamon and remaining sugar. Sprinkle half over batter. Top with remaining batter and nut minsture. Bake at 350 for 60-70 minute sor until a toothpick insreted near the encter comesout clena. Cool for 10 mintues before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completley.

Brown Sugar Pound Cake with vanilla Glaze

Cake:
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 lb light brown sugar
5 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar

Glaze:
1 cup convectioners sugar
2 tbs milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350'. Butter and flour a 10 inch tube pan or bundt pan.

2. Make cake: Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, 1 at a time. Reduce speed to low; alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, starting and ending with flour.

3. In a dry bowl, beat egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add sugar 1 tbsp at a time, beating until whites form stiff peaks. Fold 1/3 of egg whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites. Transfer batter to pan.

4. Bake 75-85 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cake stand in pan 10 mintues, invert onto wire rack; let cool.

5. Make glaze: Mix sugar, milk and vanilla in a bowl until smooth. Spoon glaze atop cake.

Fruit Cocktail Cake

1 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup golden raisin
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 can (8 3/4 oz) fruit cocktail, undrained
confectioners sugar

Butter sauce:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup evaporated milk or half and half cream
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, nuts, raisins, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In a small bowl, beat egg; add fruit cocktail. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Pour into a greased and floured 8 inch round baking pan. Bake at 325 for 55 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool in pan for 5 mintues before removing to a wire rack. Cool completely. Dust with confectioneers sugar if desired. For sauce, combine sugar, butter nad milk in a small saucepan; bring ot a boil. Cook and stir for 3 mintues. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Serve warm over the cake. Refrigerate leftover sauce.

Serves 4

Caramel Popcorn

nonstick vegetable cookign spray
3 bags (2.85 oz each) microwave popcorn (no salt or butter)
1 stick butter
1 cup golden brown sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 300'. Spray 2 large cookie sheets with nonstick spray.
2. Microwave popcorn according to package instructions. Place the popcorn into a very large bowl or roasting pan. Set aside.
3. In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, stir butter, sugar, and corn syrup until butter is melted and sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook 4 mintues withou stirring. Remove from heat and add baking soda to caramel sauce (mixture will foam).
4. Drizzle caramel sauce evenly over popcorn. Using 2 wooden spoons, toss popcorn to coat evenly with caramel sauce(popcorn will defate somewhat).
5. Spread caramel corn in an even layer on each prepared cookie sheet. Bake until caramel corn is almost crisp, stirring every 15 minutes, for a total of 45 minutes. (rotate pans halfway through baking.)
6. using a metal spatula, loosen caramel corn from cookie sheets. Cool caramel corn completely.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.