My Mom's Birthday Dinner...

Today I was so happy about the success I had. I made Paula Deen's Caramel Cake. One thing I don't understand though is that It made double the amount of frsoting and caramel sauce. But, I'm so excited I now know how to make homemade caramel sauce. Plus, it's so simple. 2 sticks of butter, 2 cups of light brown sugar and 1/4th of a cup of heavy cream. But now I have lots of extra sauce and frosting. Haha. Of course I had to taste both and snacked on a little too much. But both came out perfect including the cake. I was nervous because I didn't have "self rising" flour. I took a risk and put 1 tsp of baking powder and it worked just fine.

I'm also making Giada Di Laurentis's Citrus Herb Roasted Game Hens. Oh my gosh, the smell of the Orange Zest, Lemon Zest, Mint, Thyme, onion, salt and pepper was incredible. Food network is pretty much the only network I watch now except a couple others. Thank heavens it hasn't been taken off our satellite like it has been taken off of Cable vision downstate.

I love using a wide variety of chef's recipes now, not just Ina's. I was going to make Sandra Lees recipe for wild rice but decided to simply use the recipe on the back. My mom is helping me out with that one, I must admit. I'm not that experienced with making the rice and she is. Especially since Wild Rice takes longer than regular white rice. I'm excited about this dinner. A little fancier than usual. My mom completely deserves that for her birthday. I'm so thankful for her and honestly don't know what I'd do without her. Happy Birthday Mom!!

Here are the recipes for you

Roasted Citrus-Herb Game Hen

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, 2008

Show: Giada at Home Episode: Table for Two

Cook Time : 45 Min
Level: Easy
Yield: 2 servings

• 2 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) Cornish game hens
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 shallots, minced
• 2 tablespoons orange zest, from 2 medium oranges
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest, from about 3 lemons
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons Marsala wine or dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries or currants
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions

Place an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Rinse the game hens and pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, shallots, orange zest, lemon zest, thyme, mint, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Rub 2 tablespoons of the zest mixture over the skins of the game hens. Place the remainder of the zest mixture under the skin and into the cavities of the hens. Using kitchen twine, truss the legs together. Place the hens in a shallow 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Add the chicken stock, Marsala wine, lemon juice, orange juice, and cranberries. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the leg juices run clear. Remove the game hens and set aside. Place the flour in a small saucepan. Whisk in the pan juices. Bring the juices to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Whisk in the butter and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

To serve, remove the kitchen twine and place the hens on 2 serving plates. Drizzle with the citrus-herb sauce.

Cook's Note: Reserve 1/4 cup of the citrus-herb sauce for the Crouton Salad.

Bobby's Caramel Cake

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, 2007

Show: Paula's Home Cooking Episode: Happy Birthday

Cook Time: 35 Min

Level: Easy

Yield: 16-20 servings

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups sifted self-rising flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the filling:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the frosting:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup heavy cream, or more if needed
• 1 (16-ounce) box confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Directions

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans.

Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add granulated sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Level batter in each pan by holding pan 3 or 4-inches above counter dropping it flat onto counter. Do this several times to release air bubbles and assure you of a more level cake. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

For the filling:

While cake is baking, in a saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, and milk. Cook and stir over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Remove cake layers from oven and allow cake to remain in pans as you prepare to stack and fill. Remove first layer and invert onto cake plate. Pierce cake layer with a toothpick over entire surface. Spread 1/3 of filling mixture on cake layer. Top with second layer, repeat process. Top with last layer and repeat process again.

*Cook's Note: As I stack layers together, I stick them with toothpicks to prevent cake from shifting.

For the frosting:

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat and stir in brown sugar and cream. Bring to a boil, and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat with a handheld electric mixer until it reaches a spreading consistency. At this time it may be necessary to add a tablespoon of heavy cream, or more, if frosting gets too thick. Just be sure to add cream is small amounts because you can always "add to", but you can't take away. Frost cake and sprinkle top with chopped nuts, if desired.