Ruby Red Slippers Recipes

Steps:

• Fill a cocktail shaker with ice; add vodka, orange-flavored liqueur, amaretto liqueur, lime juice, and sugar. Cover shaker and shake. Strain drink into 2 martini glasses; add enough cranberry juice to fill glass 2/3-full. Pour 1 teaspoon raspberry-flavored liqueur into each drink and top with champagne.

Steps:

• Pulse cranberries and juice in a food processor until berries are coarsely chopped.
• Simmer in a saucepan over medium heat with sugar, orange rind, and juice until syrupy, about 10 minutes.
• Strain; cool syrup to room temperature.
• Pour 1-2 T. syrup into glasses (or flutes),
• Top with sparkling wine.
• Garnish cocktails with whole cranberries.
• If desired, rub the rims of champagne flutes with an orange wedge and dip in red sugar.

Steps:

• BAKE THE CAKES:.
• I baked the cakes on two different days; for each cake preheat the oven to 350*F.
• Add 1 box of cake mix, 1 box of jello (lime jello with the yellow cake, strawberry jello with the strawberry cake), 3/4 cup oil, 3/4 water, and 4 eggs in a large bowl.
• Mix on low with an electric mixer, when ingredients are moistened, mix on high for 3 minutes.
• For the yellow cake, use a 9X13", greased pan for baking.
• Bake at 350* for 40 minute.
• Use caution, this type of cake can fall if it is disturbed early.
• For the strawberry cake, divide the batter evenly between 2 8", greased, loaf pans.
• I am unsure of the baking time for the loaf pans, I would carefully check them at 30 minutes and add time accordingly.
• Doneness of the cakes can be tested with a toothpick poked in the center to see if it comes out dry or wet.
• After cakes have cooled, remove from pans and freeze at least 3 hours for easy in cutting and shaping.
• MAKE THE FROSTING:.
• Using Caryn's 7 Minute Frosting recipe, you will need at least one and half batches; you can make two full batches if you want, but I don't think it is necessary.
• For each batch of frosting, add the appropriate amount of sugar, water, egg whites, corn syrup and salt in the top of a double boiler (I use a heat proof glass mixing bowl on top of a sauce pan as I don't have a double boiler).
• Blend.
• Place over simmering water.
• With an electric mixer, beat the mixture constantly at high speed for 7 minutes or until the mixture triples in volume and holds firm peaks.
• Remove from heat add the appropriate amount of vanilla and the appropriate food color for either a full recipe or a half recipe.
• Frosting can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• BUILD THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD:.
• After freezing yellow (green) cake for 3 hours or more, use a serrated bread knife to divide the cake in half horizontally.
• Now carefully cut the top layer in half vertically.
• Cut the top layer in half again, this time from the other side of the cake.
• The top layer is now cut into four equal rectangles.
• Carefully remove each rectangle using a wide spatula and set aside.
• Frost the bottom layer with yellow frosting reserving enough to frost the top layer and the sides of the cake(see pic 2).
• Replace the rectangles and frost top and sides with the remaining yellow frosting.
• If you like, use an accent color "draw" the lines of the bricks on top of the frosting - I did this, but I don't think it added to the over all affect.
• CARVE AND FROST THE RUBY SLIPPERS:.
• On a piece of paper about 8 1/2 inches long by 4 inches wide draw the rough shape of the sole of a shoe; this is your pattern, make sure your drawing is not bigger than the loaf, it should go to the edges of the loaf.
• Cut out your pattern.
• After freezing loaf cakes for at least 3 hours, remove 1 loaf from the freezer.
• Use tooth picks to secure the pattern to the top of the loaf (see pic 3).
• Begin to carve the loaf into the shoe shape.
• Make a small indentation on each side at the bottom to resemble a heel.
• Remove the pattern.
• Cut away a little cake at a time to form the shape of the toe of the shoe.
• Cut diagonally down for about two thirds of the length towards the toe to give the effect of high heels.
• Round the edges.
• Carve out a shallow indentation in the top 1/3 that is still level to create the mouth of the shoe.
• If necessary, freeze again for an hour to make frosting easier.
• Turn an 8x8" baking dish upside down; this is to get the shoe higher up so the edges can be more easily frosted and sugared.
• Place the long, narrow spatula on top of the baking dish.
• Put the shoe cake on top of the spatula, the heel of the shoe should be near the handle (pic 4).
• Frost with red frosting.
• Sprinkle with red sugar.
• Now the tricky part, with one hand begin to lift the shoe with the long spatula.
• If necessary, use another spatula to help lift the other end.
• Slowly and carefully place the shoe on the yellow brick road so the toe and heel are going in the long (13") direction of the cake-you pretty much only have one shot at this.
• Repeat with second loaf cake (see pic 5).
• Add wording or accent frosting if you choose (see pic 6).
• Refrigerate if you do not plan on serving the cake for several hours - or days.
• I suggest making this cake at the house where it will be served; I only had to drive 7 miles with the one I made, but it was uphill and winding; the shoes are just balanced on top, so it was a nerve racking drive! I don't think I breathed the whole way.
• P.S.
• You will get your quota for sugar and food color when you eat this cake.