Red Hat Cake
❧ PREP: 1 hour
❧ BAKE: 20 min. + cooling
1 cup butter, softened
2-1/4 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
FROSTING:
1 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter, softened
7-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
3 tablespoons red food coloring
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine
the flour, baking powder and salt; add to
creamed mixture alternately with milk.
Line a 14-in. round cake pan or deep-dish pizza pan with waxed paper; lightly coat
with nonstick cooking spray. Pour 1-1/2
cups batter into a greased 2-qt. round baking dish; pour remaining batter into prepared
cake pan or pizza pan.
Bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes or until a
toothpick inserted near the center comes out
clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing
from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
For frosting, in a large mixing bowl, cream
the shortening, butter and confectioners’
sugar until light and fluffy. Add cream, food
coloring, vanilla and salt; beat until smooth.
Place larger cake on a serving plate; spread
with frosting. Top with smaller cake; frost. Decorate as desired. Save any remaining frosting for another use. Yield:
16-20 servings.
Red Chapeau Sugar Cookies
❧ PREP: 45 min. + chilling
❧ BAKE: 10 min. per batch + cooling
✓ Includes Nutrition Facts.
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons lemon extract
4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Red colored sugar or decorating frosting,
optional
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown
sugar. Beat in eggs and extract. Combine the
flour, baking soda and cream of tartar; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
Divide dough into fourths. On a lightly
floured surface, roll one portion to 1/8-in.
thickness. Cut with a floured 6-in. hat-shaped
cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased
baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.
Sprinkle with red colored sugar if desired.
Bake at 350° for 6-8 minutes or until edges
begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to
cool. Decorate with frosting if desired.
Yield:
5 dozen.
Editor’s Note: Hat-shaped cookie cutters are available from
www.ShopTasteofHome.com.
Nutrition Facts: 1 cookie equals 92 calories, 3 g
fat (2 g saturated fat), 15 mg cholesterol, 57 mg
sodium, 14 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g
protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fat.
Red Potato Salad (Below left)
❧ PREP: 40 min. + chilling
5 pounds medium red potatoes,
halved
5 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1-1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Pajama Breakfast
A pajama breakfast I planned was perfect for the“Early Birds,” our local Red
Hat chapter. The ladies arrived at 7: 30
a.m., dressed in their nightclothes—
and wearing lovely red hats!
I served my guests homemade scones,
fruit salad and two egg dishes from
Taste of Home—Farmer’s Strata (Dec/
Jan ’96) and Scrambled Egg Casserole
(Feb/Mar ’95).
After eating, the ladies opened their
goody bags—which included candy,
beaded pins and Red Hat memo pads
—and we enjoyed more tea and coffee while reminiscing about our Red
Hat experiences and fun.
—Ann Laguna
Newark, California
Editor’s Note: Use the handy Recipe Finder at
www.tasteofhome.com for the Taste of Home
dishes Ann mentions above.
Food for Thought: To me—old age is 15 years older than I am. —Bernard M. Baruch
Place potatoes in a large kettle; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and
cook for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain
and cool. Cut potatoes into 3/4-in. cubes.
In a large bowl, combine the potatoes,
eggs, celery and onion. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over potato mixture and stir gently to coat. Cover
and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
Yield:
17 servings (3/4 cup each).
DREAM UP A THEME? If we feature
your theme meal in a future issue,
you’ll earn $75! Send photos of you
and your table, along with description
and recipes, to “Getting in the Theme.”
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