All things sweet and fabulous!
Aunt Betty's Chocolate Cake
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. butter
1 c. water
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. baking soda
4 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 c. sugar
Add baking soda to buttermilk; set aside. Mix flour and sugar in a large bowl. In a saucepan, beat butter, cocoa powder, water, and oil until it boils. Pour mixture over flour; mix well with a spoon, not mixer. Add buttermilk and eggs. Add vanilla. Pour in a 13x9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Frosting:
1/2 c. butter
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
6 Tbsp. buttermilk
4 c. powdered sugar, sifted
1 c. pecans, chopped
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix butter, cocoa powder, and buttermilk until boiling. Pour over powdered sugar; stir until blended. Add nuts and vanilla. Pour over warm cake.
Blueberry Crunch
You know I can never leave things alone. The recipe calls for adding the pineapple, but I don't. I don't like the mix of pineapple and blueberries together. I use chunks or rings instead of the crushed pineapple. I only add the juice and then serve the pineapples on the side. I used rings this time and am saving them to grill to go on top of our burgers for the 4th. I add a little extra blueberries since I leave out the pineapple, closer to 4 cups.
1 (20 0z.) can of crushed (or chunks) pineapple with juice
3 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 c. sugar, divided
1 bx yellow cake mix
2 sticks (1 c.) butter, melted
1 c. chopped pecans
Butter a 9x13 pan. Layer pineapple (or juice only), blueberries, 3/4 c. sugar, cake mix, melted butter, pecans, and 1/4 c. sugar. Cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, until the top is browned.
P.S. It's also good with vanilla ice cream.
Brownie Delight
1 brownie mix
2 boxes vanilla pudding
1 (16 oz) tub Cool Whip
1 Skor candy bar, grated
Bake brownies as directed. Cool completely. Mix pudding as directed. In a trifle bowl, layer 1/2 of each--brownies, pudding, cool whip, skor. Repeat layers. Keep refrigerated.
Candy Cookie Cups
1 (18 oz) pkg individually portioned refrigerated cookie dough
24 mini Reese's cups
Grease mini muffin pan. Half each cookie. Place each half in a muffin cup. Bake at 325 degrees for 11-13 minutes. Immediately place a Reese's cup in each cookie. Press gently. Cool completely. Yields 2 dozen.
Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies
1 bx devil's food cake mix
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. water
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the baking sheets with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray. Beat cake mix, butter, water, egg, and vanilla with a mixer on medium speed one minute. Stir in chips. Dough will be thick and sticky. Drop by heaping tablespoons about 3 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake 12-14 minutes until puffed and set. They'll sink some when they cool. Cool on pan 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Chip Bars
1 box butter recipe cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 (11 oz) pkg chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease your 13x9 pan. Combine cake mix, eggs and butter until blended. Fold in chips. Press into pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes. Cool then cut into bars.
Add nuts if you want. Make variations as well.
Use chocolate cake mix for double chocolate chip bars or mint chocolate for mint chocolate chip bars. You get the idea.
Fruit Platter Pie with Orange Sauce
Here's a dessert I've made many times for special occasions. It makes a pretty presentation and isn't as heavy as traditional Christmas desserts. Maybe you should save it for New Year's when everyone has made their resolutions.
1 pie crust
1 pint strawberries, halved
1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks
1 1/2 c. green grapes
1 banana, sliced
2 Tbsp. sugar
Orange Sauce:
1 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. corn starch
1 c. orange juice
1/4 c. lemon juice
3/4 c. water
1/2 tsp. grated orange peel
1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
Roll out crust to fit on pizza pan. Prick with a fork. Bake 8-10 minutes; cool. Arrange fruit in circles around crust, beginning and ending with the strawberries. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. sugar. For the sauce, combine sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Stir in liquids. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick and boiling. Boil one minute. Remove from heat. Stir in orange and lemon peel. Cool. Drizzle some of the sauce over the fruit. Cut into wedges. Serve remaining sauce on the side. Serves 12-14.
Grammy's Pecan Pie
3 eggs
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 tsp. salt
1/3 c. melted butter
1 c. King syrup (you could substitute cane syrup, but use King if you can get it)
1 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. coconut
2 tsp. vanilla
Mix all together and pour into a 9" crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.
Jack's Jumbo Triple Chippers
4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 1/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 c. milk chocolate chips
1 c. white chocolate chips
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. pecans or walnuts, optional
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. Beat butter and sugars in a mixer until creamy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually add in flour mixture. Stir in chips and nuts. Drop dough onto greased cookie sheets by level 1/4 measuring scoop (told you they were bigger). Bake for 12-14 minutes. Cool on sheets 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks and cool completely. Makes 2 dozen large cookies.
The recipe would probably give you at least 4 dozen regular size cookies if you want to use a regular cookie scoop.
Michigan Dried Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
Sheila wrote on the recipe that she found it at cooks.com. If you can't get hold of some dried cherries, you could use raisins. The recipe says it yields 5 1/2 to 6 dozen cookies. Maybe in oompa loompa land. I got 3 dozen and wouldn't have wanted them any smaller.
1 1/4 c. butter, softened
1 1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3 c. uncooked oatmeal
1 c. dried cherries
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add to butter mixture. Stir in oatmeal and cherries. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. Bake 8-11 minutes. Cool on pan 1 minute. Remove to wire cooling rack.
Mint Chocolate Delights
2 c. all purpose flour
2/3 c. cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. butter, softened
2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. va Oatmeal S'more Cookies
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. old-fashioned oats
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. mini marhsmallows
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in the oats, chips, and marshmallows. Drop onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. Let set for two minutes then cool completely on a wire rack.
nilla
2 large eggs
1 (10 oz.) pkg mint & chocolate morsels
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. In a mixer, beat butter, sugars, and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Gradually add flour mixture until combined. Stir in chips. (Batter will be sticky.) Drop by spoonfulls onto baking sheets. Bake 11-13 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yields approx. 4 dozen.
Oatmeal S'more Cookies
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. old-fashioned oats
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. mini marhsmallows
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in the oats, chips, and marshmallows. Drop onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. Let set for two minutes then cool completely on a wire rack.
Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies
1 pkg brownie mix
1/4 c. butter, melted
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
chocolate sprinkles
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, beat brownie mix, butter, cream cheese, and egg for 50 strokes with a spoon until well blended. Drop 24 rounded tablespoonfuls of dough on ungreased cookie sheets; smooth to round edges. In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar and peanut butter. Form into 24 balls; press lightly onto cookies. (They'll stay this shape so if you want the peanut butter spread more over the cookie, flatten the peanut butter ball before pressing into cookie.) Apply sprinkles onto peanut butter. Bake for 10-14 minutes. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets. Cool at least 30 minutes.
Pumpkin Pie (Jon's mom's recipe)
3 c. pumpkin
1 tsp. salt
1 can evaporated milk plus regular milk to equal 2 1/2 c.
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. cloves
2 pre-baked pie shells
Beat all ingredients together. Pour into pie shells. Bake in the bottom of the oven for 15 minutes at 400 degrees, then 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Simple Southern Peach Cobbler
A definite summertime requirement. Take it to your Memorial Day picnic if you've got fresh peaches nearby. Cut up your peaches over the bowl so that the juice goes in, keeps it extra yummy.
1 stick butter
2 c. sugar
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 c. milk
3 c. peaches, cut up
Place butter in 13x9 pan; place in oven as it heats to 350 degrees. Combine sugar, flour, and baking powder; add milk and stir to moisten. When butter has melted, remove from oven. Pour batter in pan. DO NOT STIR. Add peaches and juice evenly in dish. Bake 40-45 minutes until golden brown.
Southern Banana Pudding
3/4 c. sugar
5 bananas
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
dash of salt
4 eggs separated
2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 box Nilla wafers
Combine 1/2 c. of the sugar, flour, and salt in a saucepan on medium heat. Stir in 4 egg yolks and milk; blend well. Cook, uncovered, stirring constantly until it begins to thicken. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Place a small amount on the bottom of a 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish. Cover with a layer of vanilla wafers; top with a layer of bananas. Spoon about 1/3 of the pudding and spread over bananas. Repeat layers, ending with a layer of pudding. Beat egg whites until stiff; gradually add remaining sugar. Beat until still peaks form when you pull out the beaters. Spoon on top of pudding, being sure to seal the edges. Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes, or until golden brown.
Upside-Down German Chocolate Cake
1 1/2 c. flaked coconut
1 1/2 c. chopped pecans
1 bx chocolate cake mix
8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 lb. (4 c.) confectioners' sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 pan. Spread coconut evenly on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with pecans. Prepare cake mix according to directions on package. Pour over coconut. Combine cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl. Beat at low speed until creamy. Add sugar and beat until blended and smooth. Drop by spoonfulls evenly over cake batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Cool completely in pan. To serve, cut individual pieces; turn upside down onto plate. Yields 12-16 servings.
