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 There’s no denying that my family loves beef, especially a good slow cooker roast. I have to admit that I was a little worried they wouldn’t like this one as the brandy sauce adds a little sweetness to the flavor, and my brood has always been pretty traditional. According to them, savory goes with savory, and sweet with sweet, no combining. Much to my surprise, they all loved this recipe! My husband was the biggest surprise at all, actually taking a second helping and telling me how much he loved it.

Rating: 5
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours, 15 minutes

Yield: 4-6 servings

Slow Cooker Roast with Brandy Sauce Recipe

slow cooked beef -Slow Cooker Roast with Brandy Sauce
Slow Cooker Roast with Brandy Sauce Recipe slow cooked beef
Ingredients
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3 pound beef bottom round roast
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup brandy
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 1/2 cup brewed coffee
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Instructions
  1. Combine allspice, salt, pepper and cloves in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture all over the roast.
  2. Heat olive oil in a skillet and sear roast on all sides.
  3. While roast is browning, combine brandy, broth and coffee. Reserve 1/2 cup of the broth mixture and set aside. Add garlic and bay leaves to the remaining broth mixture.
  4. Remove roast from skillet and place in the slow cooker. Remove excess oil from skillet and return to stove. Add the broth/garlic mixture to the skillet. Heat to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Pour heated mixture over the roast in the slow cooker.
  5. To the reserved 1/2 cup broth mixture, add dark brown sugar and lime juice and stir to combine. Pour over roast in slow cooker.
  6. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours.
  7. Remove roast and tent with foil for ten minutes before slicing. Remove bay leaves and spoon sauce over beef.
Rating: 5
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 5 cups (1.25 quarts)
Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Calories per serving: 263
Fat per serving: 10.7 g

Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

vanilla ice cream recipe - Vanilla Blackberry Jam Ice Cream
vanilla ice cream recipe
Ingredients
  • 14-oz can low fat sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 1/2 cups half and half
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup seedless blackberry jam or preserves, divided

Instructions
  1. Combine sweetened condensed milk, cream, and half and half in a large bowl. Add vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of the jam to the milk mixture. Whisk until completely combined.
  2. Pour milk/cream mixture into your ice cream maker.
  3. Meanwhile, while ice cream is churning, heat the remaining jam in a small saucepan over medium heat until jam is thin and liquid-like. Drizzle the thinned jam into the ice cream maker five minutes before the churning is complete.
  4. Transfer thickened ice cream to a freezable container and freeze overnight.
Notes 
Saturated fat: 6.7 g Unsaturated fat: 2.9 g Carbohydrates: 37.3 g Sugar: 24.3 g Fiber: 0 Protein: 4.9 g Cholesterol: 35.6 mg
If you are a fan of Cracker Barrel you’ll want to try this copycat coke cake. The frosting is pretty sugary, but if you have a sweet tooth I’m sure you will love it! If you prefer a cake that is less sweet, omit the marshmallow cream layer, poke holes in the cake, then add the chocolate frosting. Either way is good.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Cracker Barrel Copycat Coke Cake Recipe 

Cracker Barrel Coke Cake
Cracker Barrel Copycat Coke Cake Recipe 
Ingredients
    Cake
  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
  • 1 cup Coca Cola
  • 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • Topping
  • 7 ounces marshmallow cream
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 9 tablespoons Coca Cola
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 cups confectioners' sugar

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick spray.
  2. Whisk together flour, granulated sugar and baking soda in mixing bowl. Set aside.
  3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 cup butter with 5 tablespoons cocoa and 1 cup Coca Cola. Bring to a boil, whisking together as it melts.
  4. Pour the warm chocolate mixture over the flour mixture and whisk until thoroughly combined. Add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and continue whisking until combined.
  5. Pour batter into prepared 9x13 pan and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.
  6. During last 10 minutes of baking prepare frosting.
  7. Set the marshmallow cream aside. Sift 4 cups of confectioners' sugar into a large mixing bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat melt 1/2 cup butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa powder and 9 tablespoons Coca Cola. Whisk together and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
  8. Pour the warm chocolate mixture over the sifted confectioners' sugar. Whisk together until completely combined.
  9. Remove cake from oven and immediately drop dollops of marshmallow cream onto the top of the hot cake. Allow it to sit for a minute or so. Carefully spread the marshmallow cream across the top of the cake. Slowly drizzle the warm chocolate frosting over marshmallow layer.
  10. Allow cake to cool completely before serving. Tastes even better the next day!
Notes 
Recipe adapted from Food.com
By  
I have tried many different brownie recipes over the years. But I have to admit, I had never made blender brownies before. It seemed a little odd actually, since I owned one of the best blenders on the market, a Blendtec. I got it quite a few years ago, when I was still living in Las Vegas. I moved back to Wisconsin in 2007, so I’ve had it for more than 7 years and it was still going strong.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Cracker Barrel Coke Cake Recipe - Cracker Barrel

Cracker Barrel Coke Cake Recipe - Fudgy Blender Brownies
Cracker Barrel Coke Cake Recipe - Fudgy Blender Brownies
Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 7/8 cup all purpose flour (1 cup minus 2 tablespoons)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line a 9x9 baking pan with foil. Allow foil to hang over the side to use as handles later.
  2. Add melted butter and chocolate chips to the blender jar. Put the lid on and select the "Batters" button. Add eggs, cocoa, sugar and vanilla and put lid back on. Press the pulse button 3 or 4 times. Add the flour and put lid back on. Pulse 5 more times.
  3. Scrape the batter out of the jar and into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.