Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

I am revisiting some of my old favorites.  If you would like to try something a little different than your usual mayonnaise on sandwiches then try this tangy sandwich spread on your sandwich and turn it into a gourmet sandwich. The creamy blue cheese dressing is a smooth dressing with crumbled blue cheese throughout. It is great on BLTs, Bacon Lettuce and Avocado sandwiches and makes a great blue cheese dressing for hamburgers. Serve it on a hamburger with lettuce and tomato and your guests will be asking for more or at least for your recipe. I personally like to serve it on toasted rye bread spread generously with the blue cheese dressing and then add lettuce, 2 slices of bacon and sliced avocado on top – I then drizzle the sauce over top. It is not only delicious but is a very attractive sandwich. If avocados are not in season, or are too expensive, than you can substitute them with sliced tomatoes.

¼ cup buttermilk
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped onion
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Dash
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled – about ½ cup

Mix first 5 ingredients plus half of the blue cheese in a blender or food processor and blend on high until smooth. Then add the remaining half of the blue cheese to the mix and fold in. Spread on bread or toast.

I sometimes add cayenne powder or garlic pepper sauce for extra heat.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

3 cups grated carrot
1 ½ cups flour
2 t baking powder
½ - 1 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 t ground cinnamon
4 eggs
2 t vanilla extract
1 c brown sugar packed
½ c sugar
1 ¼ oil
1 c walnuts finely chopped
½ c raisins


Cake Directions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare 11 X 8 rectangular baking pan by lining with non-stick parchment and grease.

Step 2: Grate carrots and set aside.

Step 3: Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl.

Step 4: Beat eggs with electric mixer. Add vanilla, all sugar, and oil and mix until well incorporated.

Step 5: Slowly add the flour mixture and beat until well mixed.
Add the carrots, walnuts and raisins and fold into the mixture.

Step 6: Pour the mixture into prepared pan and bake in pre-heated oven until cake springs back when touched lightly. About 40 – 45 minutes.

Step 7: Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Remove the cake from the pan and remove the parchment paper carefully.

Ingredients For frosting
8 oz. cream cheese
1 stick butter (allow to warm up from refrigerator)
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

In a mixing bowl gradually beat the cream cheese, butter, and sugar until creamy. Stir the vanilla and chopped walnuts in by hand. When the cake is cool top the cake with the icing. You can wait until after the cake is iced then add the walnuts.