How to Make a Red Velvet Cake

A Red Velvet cake can be a delicious dessert for almost any occasion, and it doesn't have to be a hard cake to make either! Read on to find out how to make this delectable dessert.

Ingredients

For cake:

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 1/2 oz red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon soda
• 1 tablespoon vinegar

For Frosting:

• 1 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 1 c. butter
• 1 c. vitamin D whole milk

Steps

1. Gather all of the ingredients.
2. Cream shortening and gradually add in sugar.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg is added.
4. Make a paste out of the cocoa and food coloring, then add in cream.
5. Add salt, flour, vanilla, and buttermilk, beating well after each ingredient is added.
6. Pour vinegar over the batter.
7. Stir until well mixed.
8. Finally, put the cake in a 30 inch cake pan (can other size if preferred) and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
9. Wait about 20 minutes to cool before frosting.
10. FROSTING RECIPE
11. Cook flour and milk in a double boiler until thick, stirring constantly.
12. Cream sugar, flour, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
13. Blend the cooked mixture with the creamed one and keep refrigerated.
14. Frost the cake and enjoy!

Warnings

• Wear oven mitts when handling cakes or any other hot food.
• If you use other than whole milk for the frosting, your frosting may come out too runny.

Things You'll Need

• cake pan
• double boiler

How to Make a Pie Crust in a Food Processor

Pie crust is a hard thing to make, especially by hand. The food processor makes it much easier, but it still can turn out badly. This recipe is for making a double crust (bottom and top) in a 12- or 14- cup processor.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose unbleached white flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flower or an additional 1/2 cup of white flour
• 1 teaspoon(ish) salt
• 1 tablespoon(ish) sugar
• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 8-12 tablespoons iced water

Steps

1. Place all your dry ingredients in the food processor, with the multi-purpose blade (the standard metal cutting one) and pulse three to five times for one and a half seconds each pulse.
2. Add the butter, cut into little chunks, and pulse three to five times for one and a half seconds per pulse. Lift the mixture completely by stirring it in an upwards motion, bringing the stuff on bottom to the top.
3. Add shortening in little chunks and pulse three to five times for one and a half seconds per pulse. Lift the mixture again.
4. Add three or four tablespoons of iced water (no chunks of ice should be added) and pulse three to five times for one and a half seconds per pulse. Lift mixture.
5. Add three or four more tablespoons of water. Pulse and lift, as above. Add just enough water that the mixture forms a dough and lifts away from the food processor walls.
6. Squeeze some of the mixture in your hand. It should be lightly sticky but still soft and fluffy.
7. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and shape into two approximately even balls.
8. Set down a large sheet of waxed paper or a pastry cloth with some flour on it. Use your hand to press one of the balls into a disc. Then roll it out, being careful not to rip it, until it's a bit bigger then a pie pan and approximately round.
9. Place your pie pan on the rolled out dough upside down and. Using the wax paper to lift the dough, flip the whole deal over. Tuck your pie dough down into the pan without stretching or ripping it.
10. Use the other dough for the top crust or for a second pie, depending on your recipe.
11. Form the outer crust by pinching with fingers or pressing a fork along the rim. If the pie has a top crust, form both edges together.
12. Trim off any excess with a knife and roll it into the next crust. If you have small scraps left over, you can bake them separately with a little cinnamon and sugar, and just enough butter to make it stick.

Tips

• Learn to get the right amount of water. Too much, and you have a really tough crust; too little and it falls apart when you're making it. It may take quite a few bad crusts to get it figured out right, but once you do, it's like riding a bike.
• Keep the mixing to a minimum. Pulse as little as possible, especially after adding the shortening. The less you mix, the larger the chunks of fat are. The larger the chunks, the flakier and tastier your crust will be. Be careful, though, since you don't want fat chunks larger then about the size of peas.
• The less pressure you apply, the less working and mixing you do, the more tender the crust.
• Make sure you use plenty of flour on your work surface, hands and rolling pin. It will help keep the dough from sticking and tearing.
• If the dough rips and will not go back together by rolling against it or pushing back with hands, use a bit of water to help the sides stick to each other.
• If you don't have a food processor, you can mix pie crust with your hands, two forks or knives, or a pastry mixer. Mix the flour, butter, and shortening until they have a crumbly consistency, a bit like corn meal.

How to Make a Doughnut

This is how to make doughnuts and it might not work for everyone.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cup of flour
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp.cinnamon

Steps

1. Mix all ingredients except the oil for about 2 min or until smooth.
2. Make three long, thick dough strips and then make them like a doughnut shape and connect the 2 sides really well.
3. Put the oil in a medium sized pan on the stove set on med or med high.
4. When warm (before the oil starts bubbling) gently place in one doughnut.
5. Keep in for approximately 7 minutes or until gold.
6. Let cool and enjoy!
7. Optional. Put more sugar in a bowl and dip the entire doughnut in it to make it taste sweeter.

Things You'll Need

• Medium pan
• Mixing bowl

How to Make a Cinnamon Pretzel

Ingredients

• For the Pretzels
• 1 loaf frozen white bread dough, thawed
• Flour, for dusting surface
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup coarse salt
• For the Topping
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 TBS ground cinnamon
• 1/4 honey -sugar glaze

Steps

1. Separate the dough into 14 sections. Lightly sprinkle flour on a large board or counter top. Roll each section of the dough in a 14-16 inch rope and form them into a the shape of a pretzel.
2. Put the dough into the refrigerator until you are ready to boil them.
3. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Add 4 quarts of water to a large pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and add the pretzels, three at a time.
5. Cook about 2 minutes until you see them rise to the surface. Carefully remove them and place on a paper towels to drain.
6. Place them on a buttered sheet pan, separating them about 3 inches apart.
7. Brush with a beaten egg. Brush on the cinnamon topping
   
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   • Use a small bowl and add the topping ingredients, combining it with 1-2 Tbs water to create a glaze and set aside.
     
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8. Brush the pretzels with honey mixture and bake about 15-20 minutes until they are brown.^[1]

Tips

• Soft pretzels are best eaten fresh-baked and salted on top.
• Dip them in a dipping sauce of choice, or mustard for a different taste.
• The thickness is determined by now thin you roll them.

Warnings

• Use a slotted spoon to remove the pretzels from the boiling water. Be careful not to burn yourself.

Things You'll Need

• large pot
• pastry brush
• slotted spoon