Creamy Coconut Cake

Creamy Coconut Cake


1 box white cake mix
1/4 cup/60 mL Watkins Original Grapeseed Oil
3 eggs, beaten
1/ 2 tbsp/7.5 mL Watkins Double-Strength Imitation Clear Vanilla
8 oz/227 g sour cream
8 oz/227 g cream of coconut

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 box (1 lb/454 g) powdered sugar
1/4 cup/60 mL (1/2 stick) butter
2 tbsp/30 mL milk
2 tsp/10 mL Watkins Double-Strength Imitation Clear Vanilla
1 pkg (8 oz/227 g) cream cheese, softened
1 cup/240 mL coconut flakes

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Mix all ingredients. Pour into 9 x 13 (23 x 33 cm) pan which has been sprayed with Watkins Cooking Spray. Bake 35 minutes, or until cake tests done. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:
Mix all frosting ingredients except coconut; spread on cake. Top with coconut.

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Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract - New 1 Ounce and 2 Ounce Sizes

Leave it to the vanilla experts at Watkins to produce the very best! They use only the finest Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans, aged to perfection and processed to our exacting standards. It takes almost a pound of these precious beans to make just one gallon of this premium extract.

This fine, delicate flavor is recommended where true vanilla flavor—with all of its complex notes—is a must, such as in mousses, flans, sweetened whipped cream, and buttercream frostings.

Note: Because the complex topnotes that make pure vanilla extract distinctive are so volatile, its flavor may be damaged by extremely high heat, such as in candymaking.

• Watkins premium Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans: With the best vanilla in the business, this product is far superior to the industry’s best-selling pure vanilla.

• No artificial flavors or additives: For those who demand “all-natural” foods.

• Aged to perfection: Our vanilla extract is aged like a fine wine to bring out all the complex flavors that would otherwise not develop properly.

The difference between Watkins Original Double-Strength Vanilla and Watkins Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla?

Although both contain real Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract, Watkins Original Double-Strength Vanilla is made with considerably less alcohol and is fortified with stabilizers which make it more effective for baking and freezing. Watkins Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract is better used in recipes that do not require baking or freezing, such as adding to whipped cream, butter, cereal or a favorite beverage.

Pure Vanilla - 2 fl oz Article No. 60387 (59 mL/2 fl. oz.) (plastic bottle)

Pure Vanilla - 1 fl oz Article No. 60400 (29 mL/1 fl. oz.) (plastic bottle)


Crème Chantilly (Vanilla Whipped Cream)
1 cup/250 mL heavy whipping cream
2 to 4 tbsp/30 to 60 mL powdered sugar (depending on sweetness desired)
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract

Beat the cream in chilled bowl until it begins to thicken. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until stiff. Do not overbeat. Makes 2 cups/500 mL.

Vanilla Honey Butter
1/2 cup/125 mL butter or margarine
1/4 cup/60 mL powdered sugar
1/4 cup/60 mL honey
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract

Whip butter and powdered sugar together until smooth; stir in honey and vanilla. Use on pancakes, waffles, biscuits or muffins. Makes 3/4 cup/180 mL.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Dip

Vanilla Cream Cheese Dip
1 package (8 oz/227 g) reduced-calorie cream cheese
1 jar (7 oz/198 g) marshmallow cream
1-1/2 tsp/7.5 mL Watkins Double-Strength Imitation Clear Vanilla

Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth. Chill 1 to 2 hours. Serve with assorted fruit, such as pineapple, apples, pears, or strawberries.

Makes 2 cups, 2 tbsp/serving.

Order Watkins Double-Strength Imitation Clear Vanilla at http://www.notjustvanilla.com/

Vanilla Scones

These scones are sweet, buttery, and vanilla-y and have a light and tender texture. Serve with a cup of coffee or tea, or a glass of cold milk.

Vanilla Scones
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cups granulated sugar
5 teaspoons Watkins Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
1 egg
2 teaspoons Watkins Vanilla Extract

Vanilla Glaze
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup whole milk

1.Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.Sift together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Mix cream with the egg and vanilla, then add it to the flour mixture; stir gently with a fork just until it just comes together.

3.Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and press it together, forming a rough rectangle. (Mixture will be crumbly.) Use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Trim the dough with a knife or shape sides with hands and cut the rectangle into 12 squares. Then slice each square in half diagonally, to form two triangles. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake until cooked through, but not yet golden, about 18 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes.

4.To make the glaze:  Mix milk, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar untill smooth. Carefully dunk each cooled scone in the glaze one at a time. Turn over to coat both sides. Transfer to parchment paper or a cooling rack placed over a cookie pan to catch drips. Allow the glaze to set completely, about 1 hour. Serve immediately. Scones will keep several days when glazed. Store in air tight container. Makes 24 scones.

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Leprechaun Pie For St. Patrick's Day

As you all know, March 17th is St. Patrick's Day! This delicious creamy lime-flavored pie is perfect for your family and guests.

This is an absolutely scrumptious dessert and very easy to make. Except for ten minutes in the oven with the crumb crust, it’s a no-bake pie.

This pie can be made in a deep dish pie pan or a nine-inch springform pan. With a fragile crumb crust, I prefer a springform pan.

Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (one packet)
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter

1. Mix the crumbs, sugar, and butter in a nine-inch pie pan or springform pan. Mix until the crumbs have absorbed the butter and the mixture is uniform.
2. Press the crumbs across the bottom of the pan and up the sides.
3. Bake for ten minutes at 350 degrees F.

Filling
1 8-ounce packet of cream cheese, softened
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup limeade concentrate (not mixed with water)
1 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla Extract
green food coloring as desired

1. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft. Add the sweetened condensed milk and beat until smooth, light, and fluffy.
2. Add the limeade concentrate and continue beating until smooth. Add the food coloring.
3. Poor into the pie shell and place in the freezer. Garnish with whipped cream. Serve when nearly frozen.

Variation
Make individual desserts using cupcake paper liners. Place liners in muffin tin, press crumb mixture in bottom and bake according to directions above. Or place a chocolate wafer cookie or a vanilla wafer cookie in the bottom of each tin. Then add filling and place in refrigerator until nearly frozen.

Eleisia
http://www.notjustvanilla.com/
http://www.everydaynecessities.com/

Getting Your Hair to Grow

Some women seem to feel that the only way to get their hair to grow long and healthy is to head to the beauty store or salon for the latest high-end treatment. While these can help, what you put into your body is just as important to hair growth as what products you put on your hair. There are three areas to start working on when trying to grow your hair:

1. Nutrition
Preparing a nutritious meal is hard to do in these busy times, but it's essential if you want a healthy body and a good head of hair. Eat protein-rich foods and increase your fish intake, since fish contains the essential natural oils and fatty acids that your hair needs. I choose organic meats as they don't have any added chemicals which aren’t good for my hair or my body. Also, remember to drink plenty of water. It not only flushes out all the toxins in your body but it also carries the nutrients where they need to go.

2. Vitamins
It's important to make sure you’re getting specific B vitamins in your body. Look for First, seek to get these vitamins in your diet, but if that's not possible I find that a B-complex vitamin works best.

Watkins Superfood Multiple - Complete Multivitamin, #02260

Includes B Vitamin Complex and every important vitamin and mineral in the potencies recommended by leading nutritionists and researchers.

Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
Vitamin B3 (niacin or niacinamide)
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine, pyridoxal, or pyridoxamine, or pyridoxine hydrochloride)
Vitamin B7 (biotin)
Vitamin B9 (folic acid)
Vitamin B12 (various cobalamins; commonly cyanocobalamin in vitamin supplements)

3. Treatment
When looking for shampoo and conditioner choose Watkins Aloe & Green Tea Shampoo, #23326, and Watkins Aloe & Green Tea Conditioner, #23327, both approved by the National Products Association.

 

If you're looking to grow your hair, I'd recommend giving these simple steps a try. They'll save you money over more expensive treatments that may not work, and they're good for your overall health to boot.

Shop at http://www.notjustvanilla.com/

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Golden Vanilla Pound Cake

This pound cake is a rich, brown outside, with an ultra-fine, golden crumb. If you like a dense, firm, loaf-shaped classic pound cake, then this one's for you. One non-traditional touch: the vanilla-sugar glaze brushed atop the cake towards the end of the baking time, which gives it a crackly-crunchy top crust. Bake the cake in a loaf pan or a bundt pan.

Cake
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon salt (1/2 teaspoon if you use salted butter)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon Watkins Baking Powder
2 teaspoons Watkins Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Watkins Almond Extract
5 large eggs, at room temperature
3 tablespoons milk
1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

Topping
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon water

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 5" x 2 3/4" loaf pan, or a 12" x 4" x 4" tea loaf pan. To avoid overflow, be SURE to use the correct size pan!

2) In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese, salt, sugar, baking powder, vanilla extract, and almond extract until well combined.

3) Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; the mixture may look slightly curdled/grainy. After you've added the final egg, beat at high speed for 3 minutes. The batter will still look a little curdled, but will have gained a bit of volume. Once all the eggs are added, stir in the milk.

4) Sprinkle in the flour gradually, with the mixer going at low speed. Mix just until combined. The batter will be smooth and thick (not pourable). Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

5) To make the topping, combine the sugar, vanilla, and water. Stir until the mixture is syrupy. At first it'll seem very stiff, but will become "drizzlable" as you stir. Set the topping aside.

6) Set the cake on a baking sheet, for easiest handling and as a precaution against potential overflow (which shouldn't happen if you use the correct size pan). Bake it for 55 minutes (for either size pan).

7) Remove the cake from the oven, and brush with the sugar mixture. It'll be kind of stiff, and may clump up; again, that's OK. Return the cake to the oven for an additional 15 minutes or so. It's a bit challenging trying to figure out when it's done; the center will test done, while the very top, right under the crust, will still be kind of soggy. The center should register about 200°F on an instant-read thermometer.

8) Remove the cake from the oven, and after 5 minutes loosen the edges. After an additional 5 minutes, turn the cake out of the pan to cool completely on a rack.

Tips from our bakers

Use Watkins Clear Vanilla Extract for a whiter sugary crunch topping.

If desired, substitute 1 tablespoon lemon zest + 1 teaspoon Watkins Lemon Extract for the vanilla and almond extracts.

If desired, bake the cake in a 9-cup tube or Bundt pan. You'll need to bake it a shorter amount of time than in the loaf pan, so start checking at 55 minutes.

Since this cake is so dense, the baking time can be tricky. You want it thoroughly baked, but not dried out. When the cake is done, a cake tester inserted into the center will come out clean, and the internal temperature at the center will be at least 200°F. The top 1/4" or so of the top crust may still be moist and sticky; but it shouldn't be batter-like. The finished cake may have some moist streaks near the top crust; that's ok.

You'll find bringing the butter and cream cheese to room temperature makes them easier to beat without lumps forming. And room-temperature eggs help keep the batter lump-free, too.
Eleisia
http://www.watkinsonline.com/eleisiawhitney
http://www.everydaynecessities.com/