Extreme Chocolate Cake

I recently tried the extreme chocolate cake recipe from allrecipes.com and it was oh so chocolaty good. I made a few modifications from the original recipe based on the reviews (something I love about that site).

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed coffee
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans.
2. Use the first set of ingredients to make the cake. In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 3 minutes with an electric mixer. Stir in the boiling water by hand. Pour evenly into the two prepared pans.
3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely.
4. To make the frosting, use the second set of ingredients. Cream butter until light and fluffy. Stir in the cocoa and confectioners' sugar alternately with the milk and vanilla. Beat to a spreading consistency.
5. Split the layers of cooled cake horizontally, cover the top of each layer with frosting, then stack them onto a serving plate. Frost the outside of the cake.

Comments: I did not split the two cakes so I had over 1/2 of the icing left over. The icing is seriously chocolaty and seriously sweet. The original recipe called for 5 c of sugar. I used 4 and could have probably used 3. This was my first time EVER making a cake from scratch and it is a pretty easy recipe.

Berry Easy Pie

Ingredients

1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 1/2-2 cups fresh berries (I used frozen blueberries and fresh raspberries)

1 (8oz) container frozen non-dairy whipped topping, thawed

1 package cream cheese

1 (6oz) prepared graham cracker pie crust

Instructions

1.  In a large bowl mix cream cheese with sweetened condensed milk until smooth.  

2. Fold in fruit and pour mixture into pie crust, refrigerate 4 hour or overnight

3. top with whipped topping before serving

This is one of my summer favorites!  It is a modified recipe from Eagle Brand

Scrumptious slow cooker applesauce

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 8 apples - peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Combine all ingredients into slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours.

So easy and so tasty!

Also great 1/2 apples, 1/2 pears!

Worth the work cinnamon rolls!

I'll never make the instant ones again!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS
1. Dissolve yeast in warm water, mis in sugar, margarine, salt and eggs. Next add in flour. Roll
into a ball and place into a warm oven (I preheat to 200 then shut it off) for 1 hr and allow
dough to rise.
2. After dough has doubled ins ize, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest
for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread pecans in the
bottom of a 9x13 baking pan.
3. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle
evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls on top of
pecans in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled,
about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking,
beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt.
5. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

This is another great modified recipe from allrecipes.com

Pistachio Cake ala Momma Riggs

This recipe comes from Dan's mom Karen. It's one of Dan's favorites, of course ;)

Ingredients

1 yellow cake mix

2 (3oz) pistachio instant pudding mix

3 eggs

1 cup club soda

1 c oil

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1 envelope dream whip

11/2 c cold milk

Directions

1. Blend cake mix, 1 pudding mix, eggs, club soda, oil and nuts.

2. Bake in greased and flowered bundt pan in a preheated oven 40-50 minutes

3. Cool cake, cut into 2 layers

4. Make frosting by beating dream whip, pudding mix and milk until thick. Frost between layers and on top of cake.

Yes I Can! Apple Pie

INGREDIENTS
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
8 med Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced
(or 6 large)
1 tbls cinnamon
1 Tbls vanilla
dash of nutmeg

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work of crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Modified version of Apple Pie by Gradma Ople on allrecipes.com
Picture of my pie....

Yummy Pie Crust

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup water

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening and butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water until mixture forms a ball. Divide dough in half, and shape into balls. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Roll out dough on a floured counter. Don't over work it. Use as directed in pie recipe.

tip: place the dough between plastic wrap when rolling!


Recipe from Allrecipes.com Best Ever Pie Crust

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, beat oil and honey together. Add eggs, and mix well. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then add to batter.
3. Blend in chopped nuts. Spread batter into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.
4. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 1/2 hour before slicing.

from allrecipes.com

New York Style Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cup crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon ground cinammon
dash of nutmeg

4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup milk
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch spring form pan. Place a pan with water on lowest oven rack.
2. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of spring form pan.
3. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking. Chill in refrigerator until serving.

MODIFICATIONS
Chocolate version:
1. Replace milk with 1/2 cup melted chocolate chips
2. Use chocolate graham crackers as a crust

Flavors:
1. Replace milk with Kahlua or Irish cream liquor

Recipe modified from Allrecipes.com