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how to make Homemade Play Dough

February 5, 2016 By Talya Tate Boerner 11 Comments

how to make homemade play dough

A few days ago I made homemade play dough. You may find this odd considering I have no young children at home. But I figure since we’re all coloring againย (did you get an adult coloring book for Christmas?), we may as well get in a little play dough time, too.

When we were kids, my sister and I loved toย makeย homemade play dough. This is NOTย one of thoseย woe is me I walked barefoot in the snow to school uphill both ways sort of stories. Any time we spent in the kitchen with Momma was fun.ย Plus, there was food coloring involved.

Food coloring was on par with glitter.Continue Reading

Milky Way Cake

November 4, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner 5 Comments

If you are following along, you mayย remember I am recreating recipes from Keiser’s Kitchen, a recipe book created by the Keiser Elementary School PTA moms in 1969. A few weeks ago, I made the Yum Yum Cake. It was delicious. If you missed it, you’ll want to goย back andย check it out.ย This week’s dish is the Milky Way Cake. With company coming for Halloweenย weekend, it sounded like the perfectย choice. Plus, I had a bag of those fun-sized Milky Ways. Whatย a great way to use up leftover Halloween candy…

Milky Way Cake oh my!

After having made only two of these vintage recipes, here’s the thing I’ve realizedโ€”the art of cooking has drastically changed. In only forty years, ingredients have evolved. Recipes are written differently. Like everything, there are trends in cooking.ย Foods go in and out of style,ย and the language of food changes.

I was reminded of the importance in handingย down recipes. These recipes are part of our family stories.

I experienced this first-hand while making the Milky Way Cake, mainly becauseย this recipe was contributed to the Keiser cookbook by my Aunt Lavern. For those of you who never knew her,ย Aunt Lavernย had a sweet, generous spirit, loved family, friends and God, and was a fabulous cook. Sheย even ownedย a little restaurant one timeโ€”her southern, down-home cooking was that good.

As I began making this cake, I imagined Aunt Lavernย mixing the batter. I remembered the smells of her comfy kitchen. Several times I wanted to ask her questions, especially while trying to get the icing toย “soft ball stage”. ย Even though myย icing boiled over onto my stove and made a huge sticky mess, the cake turned out amazing. I think sheย was helping me.

The ingredients were basic.

Milky Way Cake - basic ingredients

I am no baker, but I truly believe this isย the most beautiful icing I have ever made. It was smooth and creamy and rich like fudge.

milky way cake - best icing ever.

Ummmmm.

Look at my lovely, giddyย taste testers!

happy taste testers!

So you want the recipe, right?

Here it is…

Milky Way Cake. Heavenly.

Milky Way Cake

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Milky Way candy bars
  • 1 stick oleo I used unsalted butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Milky Way Icing

  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup marshmallow cream
  • 1 stick oleo I only used 1/2 stick in the icing

Instructions
 

  • Melt candy bars and 1/2 stick butter. Set aside.
  • Cream sugar and 1/2 stick butter in large bowl.
  • Add eggs.
  • To the sugar/egg mixture, alternatively add flour and buttermilk until mixed together.
  • Add melted chocolate/butter mixture and mix well.
  • Add pecans.
  • Bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes or until done.

Milky Way Icing

  • Mix sugar and milk and cook in a double boiler until soft ball stage. Add chocolate chips, marshmallow cream and butter. Stir until melted.

Notes

Candy bars in general are much larger these days. Be sure to buy "regular" sized Milky Way bars. Or two "fun-sized" bars = one regular candy bar.
In the icing, I couldn't bring myself to add an entire stick of butter so I reduced the butter to 1/2 stick. This may be why my icing was fudge-like, but I thought this was the best part!

Here’s a helpful YouTube video that explains soft ball stage…

Milky Way Cake. Heavenly.

 

Aunt Lavern (left), Nana (right)

Aunt Lavern (left), Nana (right)

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Musical Pairing:

The Church – Under the Milky Way

 


Hi! I'm Talya Tate Boerner. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (Now Available!)

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