Sampling a Cheeseball, Cream Cheese Cookies, and a Victoria Sponge at the Tangled Web Bee

There will be even more goodies at the kitchen table for the Tangled Web Bee!  Quilters' Book Club member Cheryl is bringing her Dad's Cheese Ball and her Cream Cheese Cookies.  She's also bringing her paper pieced blocks to remove the paper and then begin to embroider the names on the books for her Harry Potter: The Project of Doom Quilt. 

Cheryl's Dad Larry’s Cheese Ball
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 small can crushed pineapple
2-3 tablespoons chopped bell peppers (red and/or green)

2-3 tablespoons chopped chives
2-3 tablespoons chopped pecans
Seasoned salt to taste
1 cup chopped pecans

1.  Mix cream cheese with the bell peppers, chives, and the 2-3 tablespoons of pecans.
2.  Drain pineapple.  Lightly squeeze the pulp (too dry, you will have a dry cheese ball; too wet, it won't form). 
3.  Add pineapple to cream cheese mixture and then add seasoned salt to taste. 
4.  Form into a ball and roll in the 1 cup of chopped pecans. 
5.  Chill overnight (the flavors blend better after time).  Can be garnished with cherry halves, if desired.

Cheryl's Cream Cheese Cookies
8 oz package cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 yellow cake mix*
  
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2.  Soften the cream cheese and butter.  Mix well. 
3.  Add cake mix and mix well again. 
4.  Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake about 10 minutes.  (I use a cookie scoop.) 

*Cheryl has also used several other flavors of cake mix in the past (Red Velvet, Devils Food, Lemon, etc).

Member Diane Kelsey is travelling all the way from the UK!  She's bringing a Victoria Sponge along with her Christmas redwork stitcheries to work on.  She writes, “Mary Berry is the queen of baking in the UK. This is her recipe and it never fails. A Victoria Sponge is a simple, but traditional cake baked in two 7" round tins. It is basically the weight of 4/5 eggs, in Self Raising flour, butter and castor sugar. The two layers are usually sandwiched together with jam and icing sugar dusted on the top, but I prefer to add buttercream icing. http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/495936/mary-berry-s-victoria-sandwich

Mary Barry’s Victoria Sponge
   (courtesy of Diane Kelsey)

Skill Level:  Easy Peasy

Costs:  Cheap as chips

8 ounces softened butter (2 sticks or 1 cup)
8 ounces caster sugar (1 cup)*
4 large eggs, room temperature
8 ounces self-raising flour (2 cups self-rising flour)
2 level teaspoons baking powder
4 tablespoons strawberry or raspberry jam
A little caster sugar, for sprinkling

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C/Fan 160 degrees C/gas 4 (350 degrees F.)  Grease two sandwich tins (8” round cake pans) then line the base of each tin with baking parchment. 2.  Measure the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and baking powder into a large bowl and beat until thoroughly blended. 
3.  Divide the mixture evenly between the tins and level out.
4.  Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 25 minutes or until well risen and the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly pressed with a finger.  Leave to cool in the tins for a few minutes then turn out, peel off the parchment, and finish cooling on a wire rack.
5.  When completely cold, sandwich the cakes together with the jam.  Sprinkle with caster sugar to serve.
       From Mary Berry’s Baking Bible

*Caster sugar is superfine refined sugar.  It is finer than granulated sugar but not as fine as powdered sugar.  You can make your own by putting granulated sugar in a blender or food processor.  Pulse until it reaches a super-fine, but not powdery consistency.  Allow the sugar to settle for a few minutes before using.
(note from Starwood Quilter)

Diane continues, “The Women's Institute takes great pride in making this cake, and there is usually a category for this in their summer fete competion. It has to be made to the traditional recipe and made using homemade jam.

http://www.thewi.org.uk/what-we-do/recipes/cakes-and-desserts/Victoria-sandwich

Diane adds that it's important to have the eggs and butter at room temperature.  She says this recipe is also great for making fairy cakes (cupcakes) as well.

Please join us at the Tangled Web Bee along with Sarah McClure of The Quilter's Apprentice.  What recipe and quilt project will you bring?  Email your recipe and project idea to starwoodquilter@gmail.com .

When you send a recipe, I will automatically enter your name in my drawing to win Marie Bostwick's latest novel, Between Heaven and Texas.  The winner will be announced May 1.