Baked Bean Quintet Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat an oven-proof heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring often, until the fat has started to render and the bacon is beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and bell pepper and continue to cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in the canned beans, barbecue sauce, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire, brown sugar, mustard powder, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper. Bring to a simmer and let cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer the pot to the oven and bake (uncovered) until the sauce thickens and the beans on top begin to brown, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef, onion, and mesquite seasoning until the meat is no longer pink, breaking it up into crumbles as it cooks, about 10 minutes. Drain excess grease, and transfer the meat mixture to a large baking dish. Stir in the baked beans, molasses, brown sugar, barbeque sauce, dry mustard powder, and cayenne pepper, and mix until any small lumps of brown sugar have dissolved.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the beans are bubbling and the flavors have blended, about 20 minutes.

Steps:

• Cake:.
• Place raisins in a bowl and pour boiling water over them, set aside.
• In large mixing bowl, mash beans with a fork.
• Add eggs, oil and sugar, beat well.
• Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
• (I sometimes add a 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cloves to spice it up a little!).
• Stir into bean mixture.
• Drain raisins and reserve liquid.
• Add raisins, nuts and vanilla to batter.
• If batter is too thick, add a little of the raisin water, stirring to combine.
• Pour mixture into a greased 13" x 9" baking pan.
• Bake at 325 degrees for approximately an hour or until tester inserted in centre comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and let cool in pan on rack.
• Icing:.
• Combine sugar and cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
• Bring to a boil, cook for 2 minutes.
• Add butter, remove from heat and stir in nuts, coconut and vanilla.
• Pour evenly over the cake, allow to cool before cutting.
• Note: edited to reduce 1 cup oil to 1/2 cup and 1/2 cup applesauce and reduced the sugar from 2 to 1 1/2 cups with good results. This recipe will makes 24 large muffins, baking time is 30 minutes.
• Enjoy!