Simple no-mix cake a favorite
Dear Heloise: You had a recipe for a No-Mix Cherry-Pineapple Nut Cake that my husband was wild about. I haven’t made it in a while, so I’m not sure what all the ingredients are or the amount of butter to use. Please reprint this wonderful recipe so I can make it for my wonderful guy.—Karen P., Kenner, La.
Karen, yes indeed! This always has been one of my favorites, too!
NO-MIX CHERRY-PINEAPPL
NUT CAKE 1 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
1 21-ounce can of cherry pie filling
1 package of yellow cake mix (2-layer size)
1 3-ounce package of pecans (1 cup), chopped
1/2 stick of butter or margarine
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13inch baking pan. Spread the pineapple with its syrup evenly in the pan. Spoon the cherry pie filling evenly over the pineapple. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the mixture, then the chopped nuts over all. Slice the chilled butter or margarine into thin slices, then place evenly over the other ingredients. Bake for 50 minutes, or until golden. Serve warm. Makes 12 servings.
If you like this recipe, you’ll love my cake recipe pamphlet with many other mouthwatering delights. Just go to Heloise.com to order, or send a long, stamped (70 cents), self-addressed envelope, along with $3, to: Heloise/Cakes, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Remember to always place your cake pan in the center of the rack, and in the middle of the oven, for an evenly baked cake.— Heloise
DEEP-FRYER DILEMMA Dear Heloise: Can you please tell me what is the best kind of oil to use for a deep fryer?—Nancy G., Omaha, Neb.
Nancy, first you need to fry foods at a very high temperature in order to keep oil from saturating the food and making it greasy. For the best results, experts in the culinary field suggest peanut oil. Peanut oil has a high smoke point, which means you should deep-fry at about 350-375 degrees. The exception to this is, of course, if someone has an allergy to nuts of any kind. Other recommended oils are coconut oil, avocado oil and palm oil. Since so many vegetable oils are ultraprocessed foods, it’s best to avoid them for deep frying. These include corn oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, etc.—Heloise
FROZEN MEALS
Dear Heloise: To stay on my diet AND budget, I make a pot of stew, spaghetti or beans. I spoon a measured amount for one serving (3/4 cup suits me) into a fold-over-top sandwich bag, held open in a glass, and I close it with a bread tie.
Then I scatter the bags around in the freezer to keep them from clumping. As soon as they are frozen, I put them together in a bag or bowl and label it. Lowcost, nutritious, convenient meals! — S.W., Ventura, Calif.