I need a recipe with a secret ingredient!

[magdesilver]

My local mom's group has a recipe exchange each month with a theme, where we make a dish and provide copies of the recipe to go with the theme. This month the theme is "recipes with a secret ingredient" and I'm stumped! I'd love to bring something really yummy with a totally unexpected ingredient. Any ideas? It can be any type of recipe- dessert, appetizer, main course, whatever. TIA!

[Aimee]

You could do some sort of baked good where applesauce is substituted for the butter. Most people don't expect applesauce in something non-apple flavored.

[Fenway]

You could do some sort of baked good where applesauce is substituted for the butter. Most people don't expect applesauce in something non-apple flavored.

That's a good idea. You can also substitute applesauce for oil.

[thompso2]

I haven't tried this, but I've heard good things: chili con carne with chocolate (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_29800,00.html).

[Megande]

I have had a really wonderful chocolate cake with mayonnaise as an ingredient (makes sense because it is basically eggs and oil, but it is still surprising!). I haven't made it personally, but every time I've tried it, its been great.

MAYONNAISE CHOCOLATE CAKE

2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
4 tbsp. cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. water
1 c. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. vanilla

Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add the water and beat 1 minute. Add the mayonnaise and beat 1 minute. Add the vanilla and beat 1 minute.

Pour into a greased and floured pan, 13 x 9 inch square for a very high cake. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and chocolate bits for a dandy frosting. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

[karlatta]

Megan, I love that the frosting for your cake is described as "dandy".

[lawyerlee]

This sounds totally bizarre, but it's good and definitely unexpected:

Velveeta Fudge (http://southernfood.about.com/od/fudgerecipes/r/bl30222c.htm)

INGREDIENTS:
* 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
* 8 ounces pasteurized process cheese, Velveeta, cubed
* 1 1/2 pounds confectioners' sugar, about 5 cups unsifted
* 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
* 1/2 cup non-fat dry milk
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts

PREPARATION:
In a large saucepan over medium heat butter and cheese cubes together, stirring frequently; remove from heat. Sift together confectioners' sugar and cocoa; add to cheese, mixing well. Stir in non-fat dry milk, vanilla and nuts. Turn into a 9x9x2-inch pan; chill until firm and cut into squares.

Makes about 3 pounds

[Adaya]

That fudge would be good. I saw Paula Deen make something similar and it looked so good and it didn't even look like it had cheese in it.

[Hello Kitty]

Fruit with alcohol. ;)

There's a recipe for brownies + a can of pureed black beans.

[suzubeane]

Whatever you do, make sure the recipe is not hiding nuts. We make a passover cake that's a flourless chocolate torte; the trick is the "flour" is actually ground almonds. I forgot and nearly poisoned my BIL, who has a nut allergy!

[ysolde]

Whatever you do, make sure the recipe is not hiding nuts. We make a passover cake that's a flourless chocolate torte; the trick is the "flour" is actually ground almonds. I forgot and nearly poisoned my BIL, who has a nut allergy!


You never really liked him, did you? ;)

[Fenway]

Fruit with alcohol. ;)

There's a recipe for brownies + a can of pureed black beans.


LOL! I was thinking it, but I didn't want to say it. :D

[alisong]

I have a recipe for Shepherd's Pie with Vegemite...

[GoCougs]

What an interesting idea for a recipe exchange! Unfortunately, I don't have anything to contribute (unless you consider a meatball recipe that contains chili sauce & grape jelly "unexpected'), but good luck!

[jenny0505]

magdesilver,
Here is a recipe for Brainy Brownies - brownies with spinach as one of the ingredients. It's from the book, "The Sneaky Chef". The author created a number of recipes with healthy ingredients hidden inside that she swears even the pickiest eaters will love. I've never tried these, but adults and kids on a segment from the Today Show loved them. FYI, her recipes call for Purple Puree and Flour Blend, which can be made in batches and used for more of her recipes - the ingredients/instructions for these are at the bottom of the page.

Sounds like a fun theme for a mom's club meeting. Good luck!



BRAINY BROWNIES

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar

Purple puree (recipe follows)

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the flour blend (recipe follows)

1/4 cup rolled oats, ground in a food processor

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Butter or nonstick cooking spray

1 cup walnuts, if desired

Preheat the oven to 350.

Butter or spray the bottom (not the sides) of a 13-by-9-inch or 9-inch-square baking pan.

Melt the butter and the chocolate chips together in a double boiler or metal bowl over simmering water (or in a microwave, checking every 15 seconds). Remove from heat and allow to cool. Meanwhile, in another bowl, stir together eggs, vanilla, sugar and purple puree. Combine this purple egg mixture with the cooled chocolate mixture.

In a mixing bowl, stir together flour blend, oats, cocoa powder and salt. Mix in the chopped walnuts, if using.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in pan before cutting the brownies and use a plastic or butter knife. Dust with powdered sugar or sprinkles, if desired. Keeps for one week in the refrigerator, covered tightly.

Yield: About 30 kid-sized brownies.

PURPLE PUREE

3 cups raw baby spinach leaves (or 2 cups frozen chopped spinach or frozen chopped collard greens)

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (no syrup or sugar added)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3 to 4 tablespoons water

If using raw spinach, thoroughly wash it, even if the package says "prewashed." Bring spinach or collards and water to a boil in a medium pot. Turn to low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. If using frozen blueberries, quickly rinse them under cold water to thaw a little, then drain. Fill the bowl of your food processor with the blueberries and cooked spinach along with the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons water and puree on high until as smooth as possible. Stop occasionally to push top contents to bottom. If necessary, add the rest of the water to make a smooth puree.

Double the recipe if you like. It stores in the refrigerator for two days or freeze it in 1/4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags.

Yield: 1 cup.

FLOUR BLEND

1 cup all-purpose, unbleached white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup wheat germ, unsweetened

Combine the flours and wheat germ in a bowl. This blend can be stored in a sealed plastic bag for months.

Yield: about 3 cups.

[junkinmytrunk]

Very cute and I, too, immediately thought of the fruit with alcohol...;)

Seriously, my mom makes great mashed potatoes and her secret ingredient is a healthy dollop or two of mayonnaise. Not sure how secret that is but I don't know how many people do it.

[em1126]

Along the same lines as thompso2, you could do Cincinnati (Skyline) chili. It's sort of famous for having secret ingredients (which I believe are chocolate, cinnamon and allspice). Here's a recipe:

CINCINNATI "SKYLINE" CHILI

1 qt. water
2 med. onions, finely chopped
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
5 whole allspice or 1/2 tsp. ground
1 1/2 tsp. red pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
3-4 tbsp. chili powder
1/2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 lbs. ground beef
4 garlic cloves
2 tbsp. vinegar
1 whole bay leaf
5 whole cloves
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Add ground beef to water in 4 quart pot. Stir until beef separates to a fine texture. Boil slowly for 30 minutes. Add all other ingredients. Stir to blend, bringing to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 3 hours. Pot may be covered the last hour after desired consistency is reached.
Chili should be refrigerated overnight, so that the fat can be lifted from top before reheating. Serve over spaghetti. Serve with oyster crackers.

3-way: spaghetti, sauce, finely grated Cheddar cheese

4-way: spaghetti, sauce, cheese, onions

5-way: spaghetti, sauce, cheese, onions, beans.

From www.cooks.com (http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1926,158181-246204,00.html)

[tealynn]

I can't remember the name of this recipe but it's basically a desert truffle.

You pulverize Oreos mix with cream cheese, roll into a ball and refrigerate for several hours then dip them in melted chocolate. It's sooooo easy and yummy. The first time I tasted them at a Christmas party, I wouldn't have guessed in a million years that the main ingredient was Oreos.

[tealynn]

I thought of another one...and it can easily be reheated.

It's a soup that my Mom used to make, I can get the exact recipe if you're interested.

It's a soup thats made with carrots, celery, onions, chicken broth, rice, then it's pureed in the food processor and you add cream to it. It looks like a creamy/cheese type of soup and it even tastes cheesy but theres no cheese! It's those sneaky carrots.

[BethIrish]

My Mom used to make a chocolate cookie that had beets as a secret ingredient. If anyone wants it, I'll be happy to ask her for it :)

[Katy]

Well, as others have mentioned, there's always the fruit salad with a splash of alcohol ;)
You could do some sort of baked good where applesauce is substituted for the butter. Most people don't expect applesauce in something non-apple flavored.There's a recipe for brownies + a can of pureed black beans.You can also substitute pumpkin puree. Or what about baking a cake using diet soda and pumpkin puree? It's WW friendly so very low cal and low fat -- and quite good! :cool:

[lilmomma]

I had no idea that there were so many recipes with "secret ingredients".

[janders6]

How about spice cake that uses tomato soup as the secret ingredient?

Spice Cake
INGREDIENTS:
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup butter 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup raisins

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine the tomato soup and the soda in a bowl, and let it stand.
2. Cream sugar, egg, butter, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix in tomato soup and soda mixture, and then flour. Stir in the raisins, and pour the batter in a greased baking dish.
3. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 1 hour, or until done. Cool the cake, and top with cream cheese icing

[t3h_wookiee]

These are the best chocolate chip cookies ever! The secret ingredient is 2 packages of Jello pudding. Makes the cookies so much more moist!

Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

4 1/2 C all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 C butter, softened

1 1/2 C packed brown sugar

1/2 C white sugar

2 (3.4 oz) packages instant pudding mix (I use french vanilla)

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 C semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350o. Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.

2) In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour and baking soda mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3) Bake for 10-12 minutes in the pre-heated oven. Edges should be golden brown. Makes 6 dozen. (I get 4 or so out of it. I tend to eat a lot of dough! lol)

When baking them, I do two sheets at a time, and at 5 minutes I switch the sheets around, top-bottom, and front-back. They bake much more evenly that way.

[Katy]

Oh, I also have a carrot cake recipe that uses baby food instead of shredded carrots.

[magdesilver]

Great ideas ladies, thanks! I think I am going to do the velveeta fudge recipe because I have a lot of the ingredients on hand and it seems so outrageous it will be good for the theme. Thanks!

[Hello Kitty]

I agree - there are lots of crazy recipes and ingredients here, what a fun thread.

Let us know how it turns out. I just don't believe that the fudge would be that good!

[bluebunny]

Originally posted by suzubeane
Whatever you do, make sure the recipe is not hiding nuts. We make a passover cake that's a flourless chocolate torte; the trick is the "flour" is actually ground almonds. I forgot and nearly poisoned my BIL, who has a nut allergy!

OT but are almonds really nuts? I thought they were stone fruits, like cherries. :confused:

[TracieB]

Almonds are the seed of the fruit of the almond tree.

Like its cousins, the peach, cherry and apricot trees, the almond tree bears fruits with stone-like seeds (or pits) within. The seed of the almond fruit is what we refer to as the almond nut.

Confusing, isn't it?

From here: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=20

[LRL]

Oh Mag- let us know how the Velveeta fudge turns out! That is definitely the most surprising ingredient I have seen.

Besides the alcohol and fruit... ;)

[Chicksinger]

I just had to add one more. The "Best of the Best from Iowa" cookbook from 1997 has a mock apple pie that tastes *just* like Dutch Apple Pie. The secret is, it is made of zucchini! So, it really is Zucchini Pie, but if you don't tell, people think they are eating apples. ;)

Zucchini Pie

4 cups zucchini, peeled
1 1/2 t cream of tartar
Dash of salt
2 T flour
1T lemon juice
Dash of nutmeg
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 t butter
1 (9") unbaked pie shell

Topping:
1 stick butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour

1) Peel zucchini. Cut lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Slice to resemble apple slices.
2) Cook zucchini 10 min. in small amount of water; drain.
3) Mix cream of tartar, salt, flour, lemon juice, nutmeg, sugar, and cinnamon with drained zucchini and pour into unbaked pie shell. Dot with butter.
4) Mix all topping ingredients (use fork or pastry blender to cut in butter) and crumble over ingredients in pie shell.
5) Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

[magdesilver]

I made the velveeta fudge. It was okay, not as good as my usual fudge (I make the one with marshmallows from Paula Deen). You could kind of taste that it had a "something" in it, but not really guess what it was, if that makes sense. It was nice for the occasion, but I wouldn't make it again. Thanks!

[Purple]

Oh, I also have a carrot cake recipe that uses baby food instead of shredded carrots.


Katy can you post this please?