Pecan Pie Cookies

Buttery and Delicious!

If you like pecan pie, you'll love these little gems!   These are another new addition to the cookie tray this year.  I know, I can't help myself, I just love trying new cookie recipes.

The recipe I used is from the Land O Lakes website, but I did make a couple of slight revisions, one being the amount of flour.  It called for only 2 cups, but I had to add another 1/4 cup to be able to roll them easily.  I think they would have flattened out had I not done that.  

The second thing was to use a smaller cookie scoop (the smallest) to make them for the Christmas cookie tray.  I ended up with 44 cookies, instead of the 2 dozen it listed, and they are actually still a nice size cookie.

Oh, and did I tell you, they are so easy to make!  

Ingredients:

Cookie:
1 cup light brown sugar, packed firmly
3/4 cup butter
1 egg, large
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
2-2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (it called for 2 cups, so stop there first.  But I needed and extra 1/4 cup to get "rolling" consistency)


Filling:
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed firmly
1/4 cup heavy or whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 350'F.

Combine all cookie ingredients except flour and baking powder in large bowl.  Beat at medium speed until creamy.  Add flour and baking powder; beat at low speed until well mixed.

Shape dough int 1 1/4" balls.  Place 2 inches apart onto lightly greased cookie sheets.  Make indentation in each cookie with thumb; rotate thumb to hollow out slightly.

Combine all filling ingredients in bowl; fill each cookie with 1 round teaspoon filling.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned (I always check them at 8 minutes, then go 1 minute more at a time, if necessary).  

Cool one minute on cookie sheets before removing to cooling rack. (If you move them too quickly they fall apart - that's the one I tested, heehee).  

Be encouraged!

"Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins."   -Acts 5:31

White Chocolate Macadamia Cranberry Dreams

• A dream of a cookie!

It's just two weeks until Christmas 2016 and I'm actually ahead of myself this year.  No, I can't explain it...just being very thankful.   I've already made several of the family's favorite cookies.  So, "yay for me!"  Haha!

Sometimes the "hundreds" of cookie recipes in my file just aren't enough, so I search for something new to add.  I'm so glad I found this yummy recipe on "All Recipes", it's practically perfect. They're soft, buttery and delicious!

I made them with the small cookie scoop and they're just right for the cookie tray, but if I were just making these, I'd make them regular size and bake them 12-14 minutes.  I'm thinking this way because I'm sure I don't want to wait until next Christmas to make these again.  

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt

1. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
2. 
   

1 cup softened butter (DO NOT USE SHORTENING)
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1 tsp. vanilla

      Cream together butter and sugars; add slightly beaten eggs and vanilla.  Mix well.

1 cup white chocolate baking chips
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup dried cranberries

      Blend in white chocolate baking chips, chopped macadamia nuts and dried cranberries.
      Add flour mixture and blend until just mixed.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 

Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet by small scoop or rounded teaspoon. 

Bake for 10 minutes or just until set...do not over-bake.

Remove from oven and let cool.  Cookies will sink slightly.

"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child."   -Luke 2:4-5
   

Chicken Crescent Casserole

Tasty comfort food is always a winner! 

I'm always looking for new ways to make chicken, which was not one of my hubby's favorites, but he did enjoy chicken casseroles, pot pies and such.  He was an "only white meat" kind of guy, and that really cuts down on flavor in a chicken dish.

This casserole combines both chicken and buttery crescent rolls.  It's easy to prepare and sure to be a hit with the whole family!  And it's TASTY too!

I switched out water chestnuts from the original recipe and included the mushrooms and peas.   Next time, I'm going to add some carrots or broccoli...all the things my family likes. That's how it should be, right?  It's all about "la famiglia!"   


Ingredients:
1 celery rib, sliced
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup diced onion
1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
3 cups cubed cooked chicken (rotisserie would be fine)
1 small can sweet peas
8-10 slices Swiss cheese
1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
Poppy or Sesame seeds to sprinkle over crescent rolls (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°F.   Prepare 13x9" baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large saucepan, saute celery in 2 tablespoon butter until tender. Stir in the soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, onion, chicken, and mushrooms.  Add peas last.  Cook and stir over medium heat just until mixture begins to bubble.  Transfer to prepared 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.  

Lay cheese evenly over top of mixture in pan.

Unroll crescent roll dough into a rectangle; seal seams and perforations. Stretch them out a little to cover top.  Place over cheese. 

Melt the remaining butter; lightly brush over top.  Sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds, if desired.

Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. 

Yield: 8-10 servings.


Be encouraged!

"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery."  -Galatians 5:1

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Milk and cookies...still a winner!

Every Christmas, I make the Peanut Blossoms.  You know, the peanut butter cookie with the Hershey's Kiss in the middle.  My kids have always loved them, and so do my grands. But, the other day, I realized it's been ages since I made the good ol' classic Peanut Butter Cookie.  You guessed right...it was time!

They turned out better than I remembered, crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.  Now, that's a great cookie in my book!  I used the smooth peanut butter because not everyone can tolerate the nuts themselves.  But, if you can,  then definitely try the crunchy...or divide the dough and add chopped peanuts to half.  Hmmm, why didn't I think of that sooner?  Oh, well, I don't think anyone was disappointed since they're just about gone.  

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup smooth peanut butter (or crunchy...your choice)

1 cup white sugar                                     

1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla 

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Cream butter, peanut butter, vanilla, and sugars together in a bowl; beat in eggs.

In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir into butter mixture. Refrigerate dough 1 hour.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and put on baking sheets.  Flatten each ball with a fork, making the classic crisscross pattern. 

Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for about 8-10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown.  Careful not to over-bake or they'll be dry.

Now, grab a glass of milk and enjoy! They're good for dunking too! LOL!


A Tip from Grammy:

-Roll into balls first, then refrigerate.

-Roll into brown or granulated sugar for an extra crunch.

-Lightly sprinkle with a little bit of sea salt; looks pretty and adds that extra touch of "sweet & salty" flavor.

-Add chocolate chips, M&M's, Reese's Pieces or broken up peanut butter cups. Let your imagination go wild.

Be encouraged!

"So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless." - 1 Corinthians 15:58

Homemade Pasta

There's nothing like homemade pasta!

My granddaughter has been asking to learn how to make homemade pasta, so I got out my old pasta machine and we had a lot of fun making these delicious and easy noodles together. I even found an old cassette tape with all Italian music to add to the ambiance. Now, finding something to play it on took a bit longer...I'm so glad my hubby doesn't throw anything away.  

Funny, I haven't made them in so long, I forgot how incredibly easy they are to make! Within an hour and a half, we were done...and some of that time was letting the dough dry a bit before putting the pieces through the pasta machine.  


Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil (optional)
3-4 Tbsp. water


In a large bowl, combine flour and salt.  Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, olive oil, and 1-2 Tbsp. of the water.  Mix together until it forms a stiff dough.  Add more water if necessary, 1 tablespoon at a time.

On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for about 3 to 4 minutes or this can be done with a dough hook in your Kitchen Aid machine.  Cover and let rest 15 minutes. 

With a pasta machine or by hand roll dough out to desired thinness.  Make sure each piece is lightly floured and left out to dry for just a few minutes.  

What to use when you don't have a "pasta drying rack" haha! 

Using a pasta machine or knife (I like to use a pizza cutter) to cut into strips of desired width.  If you're cutting the noodles by hand, loosely roll the thin dough like a jelly roll, and slice into desired width.  Unroll them and lay out on a lightly floured board.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil;  using a large amount of water will  prevent the pasta from sticking together.drop.  Drop the pasta gently into the water and stir just once or twice.  If you have enough water in the pot, sticking shouldn't be a problem.

DO NOT COVER the pot or the water will boil over. Quickly bring the pasta back to a rolling boil, stir, and boil until al dente, or firm to the bite, about 2-3 minutes. 

Drain into a colander.  Add enough sauce to the hot pasta and toss.  Serve immediately with your favorite sauce, olive oil or melted butter.

Yields: 4-6 servings


Be encouraged!

"You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into ... the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." - 1 Peter 2:9

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

Comforting...will warm you inside and out!

(Updated from 8/24/16)

This soup is delicious and perfect for a cool fall day!  But, I couldn't wait for fall, so I turned up the A/C and made it last night.  Heehee!   Seriously, it was so good, my family is already asking for it again.  

It's really easy to prepare, takes no time to cook and is filled with ingredients most all of us have on hand...garlic, celery, onions, etc.  Someone said to add a teaspoon of thyme, so I finally tried it and YES, it added more deliciousness (is that even a word?) Oh well...trust me, it did! 

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, shredded
1 tsp. thyme
3 cups cooked chicken breast, cubed (I used leftover Rotisserie chicken...yum!)
4 cups chicken broth, lower sodium
1 (16 oz) package potato gnocchi
1 (6 oz) bag baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped (I didn't use it all)
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. cold water
2 cups half-and-half cream (fat-free is fine also)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Cook onion, celery, garlic and carrots until onion is translucent, about 5-8 minutes.  Add thyme and stir in cubed chicken and chicken broth; bring to a simmer.

Stir gnocchi into the simmering soup and cook until they begin to float, 3-4 minutes.  Stir in spinach; cook until wilted, about 3 additional minutes.

Whisk cornstarch into cold water until smooth.  Stir cornstarch mixture and half-and-half into simmering soup.  Cook until soup thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Serves: 6

Be encouraged!
For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” -Romans 1:17

Peach Cobbler Dump Cake

A peach of a dessert!

I seriously couldn't believe how easy this was to make...I've never made a "dump" cake before, but I will definitely be making more of them!

The family loves peach cobbler, but I've only made it once and wasn't that pleased with it. So every summer, we take a trip to our local peach farm and make sure we have our homemade peach cobbler before we leave with our load of peaches, veggies and other goodies.

But, this year we just couldn't get there, so I went searching for a cobbler recipe and found a whole list of it made with this dump method.  Using the information I read about it, I added some extra peaches and spices, knowing that's what my crew would love.

It was a big hit!  My granddaughter's first words after tasting it were, "Wow, Grandma! 
This is even better than the one at the peach farm!"  Gotta love grandkids, huh?

Ingredients:
2 (15.5oz) cans sliced peaches in heavy syrup
2 (15.5 oz.) can sliced peaches in heavy syrup, drained
1 (18.25) box yellow cake mix
1 stick butter, cold, sliced into 16 pieces
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
1/2 cup pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350'F.

Spray bottom of a 9x13" baking pan.  

Using the juice and peaches of two cans, pour into baking dish.  Then drain the liquid from the third can of peaches; using only the peaches.  (This added more fruit without adding too much liquid.)

Cover with the dry (Yes, you heard me right...I said "dry") cake mix and spread evenly over the peaches.  Press lightly onto the peaches.  

Cut cold butter into 16 small pieces and place on top of the cake mix. 

Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over the top. 

Add chopped pecans, if desired.

Bake at 350'F for 40-45 minutes until bubbly and when touched, the cake feels firm.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping!

Be encouraged!
 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.   -Acts:2:21

Inside-Out Stuffed Peppers

A great dinner any night of the week!

As I was looking through the veggie drawer in my fridge, I noticed I still had half a package of tri-colored, chopped peppers, an onion and garlic.  I also had left-over rice...and even sauce!   I wished the peppers were whole, so I could make hubby one of his favorite dinners, stuffed peppers.

I wasn't giving up though, so I decided to make a casserole out of all these yummy ingredients.  It's always fun to throw a bunch of things together and see what comes out of it.  Guess what? They all loved it!  Yay!  

Don't forget, in these types of recipes, you can add your favorite ingredients. Maybe some Italian sausage, chopped olives, crushed red pepper for heat,

Provolone instead of Mozzarella!  It's your kitchen and your show...have fun!

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic, minced                       
1/2 cup onions, chopped
2 cups bell peppers, chopped (I used 2 cups of combined yellow, red and green)
2 cups cooked rice
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 Tbsp. parsley
1/2 cup Parmesan (plus some for topping)
1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup mozzarella, shredded (for top of casserole)

Pour olive oil in large skillet, on medium high heat.  Add garlic, onions and peppers; cook until just tender, about 8-10 minutes.  Remove to a bowl; set aside.

Place ground beef in the same pan and brown; drain any extra fat.  Add peppers and onions mixture back to the pan with beef, stir together.  

Add cooked rice, parsley, Parmesan and tomato sauce, salt and pepper.  Mix well and cook together for another  few minutes.

Pour into a prepared 7X11" baking dish.  Top with the mozzarella and a sprinkling of more Parmesan.

Bake at 375'F. for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole heated through.


Be encouraged!

"Keep looking up and kneeling down."   -Corrie ten Boom

Baked Cod Italian-style

Italiano merluzzo al forno!

When I was a little girl, my mom would make us fish, baked in the oven, with tomato sauce, onions and peppers. It was always one of my favorite meals.  She didn't have a recipe, just put in what she knew we enjoyed.  I remember how good it smelled, the sauce and spices rose up and there was no fishy odors at all.

Tonight, I decided to try to re-create her baked fish.  I played with it and used some of the herbs my family love.  Also, added white wine, because that makes everything taste good. I like to use wine when I cook, sometimes I even put it in the food.  Just kidding!

Anyway, the family really enjoyed it and I will be making this often.  So easy to make and yet one of the tastiest ways to serve baked fish I know...and it's healthy.  Shh...let's keep that part to ourselves, we don't want to spoil it.  (wink)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 lbs. white fish, such as cod or haddock
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 cup bell green pepper, chopped (or a combination of red, yellow & green)
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
1/2 tsp. basil
1/8 tsp. oregano
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 400'F.  Spray bottom of a 9x13" baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and add garlic, peppers and onions; cook on medium for about 2 minutes or until slightly softened.

Add tomatoes and wine; continue to cook for 10 minutes or until liquid has evaporated and leaves a chunky sauce.

Trim fillets by taking off any skin and removing any bones.  (Usually they come trimmed and cleaned from the fish section of your grocery store.)

Place fish fillets in the prepared baking pan in a single layer; sprinkle with lemon juice, then spoon the tomato mixture over the fish; sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired.

Bake, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until fish is opaque all the way through and flakes easily with a fork.

Serve immediately.

Yields: 4 servings

Be encouraged!
"I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being." - Psalm 146:2

Baked Lemon Chicken

A terrific recipe for the whole family!

This is a lovely, quick and easy recipe to make for family dinner or for company.  It's one of those dishes that you can add some of your favorite spices and put your own twist on it too.  

My granddaughter, Andrea, found this recipe, so I want to thank her for sharing it with the family.  We really loved it!  The chicken turned out moist and tender, and the lemon flavor with the garlic was great!  

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. butter, melted                                  
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts(I pound them to about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.)

Preheat oven to 350'F.  Spray 9x13" baking dish with cooking spray.

In a shallow dish, combine melted butter, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt and pepper.

Pour breadcrumbs into a separate shallow dish.

Dip chicken in butter mixture and coat with breadcrumbs.  Place in the prepared 9x13: baking dish.

Drizzle with any remaining butter mixture.  (This gets thick, and I made a fresh 1/2 recipe of it to drizzle over the chicken, but that's just me. Haha!)

Bake, uncovered at 350'F. for 25-35 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken, or until juices run clear.


Be encouraged!

"I will walk in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts."  Psalm 119-45

Old-fashioned Pound Cake

Mom's old recipe!

Lately, I've been going through my mom's old wooden recipe box and finding treasures I had forgotten about.  This Pound Cake recipe is one of those treasures!  I can still remember her baking this and my anticipation as I waited for it to come out of the oven.  

It's so easy, too!  Just put all the ingredients in a bowl and blend until smooth, pour into the loaf pan and you're done...let the oven do the rest.  

This cake is delicious with a cup of tea or coffee, or used as the base for a beautiful fruit dessert!  Slice it lengthwise into three sections and you can fill it with cream, mousse, ice cream.  It's just so versatile and with a little imagination you can make it into a very special dessert.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup butter                                        

Works great for Strawberry Shortcake!

1 1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp. lemon extract
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 300'F.  Grease and flour (or spray) a 9x6x3" loaf pan.

Beat all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Pour into prepared loaf pan.

Bake at 300'F. for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  

Be encouraged!

“Faith does not eliminate questions. But faith knows where to take them.” - Elisabeth Elliott

Turkey, Spinach & Feta Burgers

So tasty!

I always felt Turkey burgers had somewhat of an identity crisis...I mean they're shaped like a burger, served on a bun, but...hmmm. 

This is one of the recipes my granddaughter found while searching for some healthier alternatives to a beef burger.  I switched it up a little to satisfy my hubby's taste-buds and he loved these.   They've actually become one of my favorite burgers too.  Of course, I love feta cheese, so maybe that has something to do with it.  You know the old saying, "Everything's betta with feta", or did I just make that up? Haha!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey

1-2 cups baby spinach, chopped

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. butter

1 cup red onion, diced (I used vidalia onion)

2 cloves garlic, minced

3.5 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Black pepper, to taste

Salt, to taste

Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil and butter until translucent; set aside to cool.

1. Chop the spinach into one-inch pieces. (I used between 1-1 1/2 cups of it chopped, but you might like more.)
2. Place ground turkey, feta cheese and chopped spinach in a bowl; add cooled onion & garlic; mix until all ingredients are evenly distributed.  
3. Divide the meat into quarters and form into ½-inch-thick patties.
4. Cook the patties over medium-high heat in a frying pan, with a little olive oil.  Flip the patties every 2 to 3 minutes.  You will know they are done when the juices run clear and the meat is light brown all through the center. Use a knife to cut into the centers to make sure the meat is cooked.
5. Serve on buns.  Makes 4 delicious burgers!  

Be encouraged!

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." - Matthew 7:7-8

Easy Cheesy Baked Ravioli

Absolutely delicious!

This has got to be my new favorite dish.  Not only was it super easy to prepare, but the family devoured it! Basically, it's just 4 ingredients, and who doesn't like that kind of recipe!

I had already started a pot of my Sunday Sauce and was trying to decide what pasta to make, when I came across this recipe.  So, I used my own sauce.  But, if you have a favorite jarred spaghetti sauce, I'm sure that would be great!  

Don't be afraid to play with the ingredients either; a little more sauce or cheese, maybe add a layer of loose sausage, spinach or meatballs.  If you're doing the cooking...create, have fun and cook for your family's taste buds!

Ingredients:

1 (28oz) jar of spaghetti sauce (your favorite or home-made)
1 (16oz) bag of jumbo frozen ravioli
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400'F.   Spray bottom and sides of a 13 x 9" casserole dish.  

Spread 3/4 cup of spaghetti sauce into the bottom the prepared casserole dish to cover the bottom.   Arrange half of the frozen (keep frozen) in a single later over sauce; top with half of the remaining sauce and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese.  Repeat layers once, starting with ravioli.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil & bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Remove foil; bake uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes until bubbly and hot in the center.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.


"For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."   2 Timothy 1:7

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

Decadent, delicious and easy!

Looking through my mom's recipe box, I found some great old recipes...oldies but goodies! It was like a treasure hunt and I came across my favorite childhood cake...Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake.   Anyone else remember this classic from long ago?

Anyway, the spirit of "must bake now" pulled me into the kitchen and I started feverishly working on this cake.  Yes, it was going to be just like I remembered, my mind dreamed of eating that first piece and falling back into my childhood! Ahhh!

I couldn't wait to get it into the oven and I was on full speed ahead.  Well, great plans, and daydreams, don't always go as we would wish. I don't recommend this speed when baking!  

So, you know what's coming...my masterpiece came out flat and hard, looked and tasted pretty bad, but what did I do wrong?  I followed the recipe exactly, right? Wrong!  You can't leave out the baking powder and soda...ugh, a rookie mistake. But, that wasn't going to stop me...I began again (I really wanted this cake).

The results of not giving up were totally worth it.  It brought me back to my childhood and I enjoyed every bite of the best chocolate cake ever!  Beautiful texture, light, fluffy, moist and delicious!  It's all there in every bite, and the Fluffy Cool Whip Frosting was an added bonus because it really brought out the flavor of the cake. 

I added the recipe for the Cool Whip Frosting below...you're welcome! LOL!

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup real mayonnaise (not salad dressing)
1 cup cold water
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray with cooking spray or grease and flour 13x9 inch baking pan or 2-9" round pans.

In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add mayonnaise, vanilla and water.  Beat until smooth and well-blended, about 2 minutes on medium.

Pour batter into a prepared pan(s).

Bake at 350' for 28-30 minutes (9" round pans) or 30-35 minutes (13x9").  Cake is done when middle springs back when touched or toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Careful not to over-bake or it will be dry.

Cool before frosting with your favorite Buttercream, 7-Minute Frosting or Chocolate Frosting...or just dollop with whipped cream and confectioners' sugar.  The cake is the star!

Vanilla Cool Whip Frosting:

1 (3.5) pkg. of instant vanilla pudding

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1 cup milk

1 (8oz) tub whipped topping

Combine pudding, confectioners' sugar and milk in bowl; beat for about a minute. Fold in whipped topping.

Be encouraged! 

"He has shown you, o man, what is good.  And what does he require of you?  To act justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God!"  Micah 6-8

  

Best Basic Brownies

A Chocolate Lover's Dream!

Have you been under the impression that a boxed brownie mix might just be the easiest and best way to go?  Guess what, this recipe will prove you wrong.  It was quick, easy and the texture is the same fudgy, chewy one as the mix.

Now who doesn't love brownies?  I know they've been a favorite in my family forever, and this is the best and easiest basic brownie recipe I know.  

The beauty of this recipe is that you can add walnuts, peanut butter, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, frost them, leave them plain...it doesn't matter, you can do it all!  


Ingredients:                      

                           

1 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350'F.  Grease a 9x13 pan.

Melt butter.  Remove from heat and add ingredients in the order listed, stirring well by hand, until all ingredients are blended.  Do not over-stir or brownies will get tough.

Bake for 25-30 minutes (mine took exactly 24 minutes).  Do not overbake.

If you want those wonderful clean edges, use a plastic knife to cut them (best brownie trick ever).

Creamy Brownie Frosting: (optional)

6 Tbsp. butter, softened
6 Tbsp. cocoa
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups confectioners' sugar
4-5 Tbsp. milk (add a little at a time until of spreading consistency)

In a mixer bowl, beat butter, cocoa, corn syrup and vanilla until blended.

Add powdered sugar and milk; beating until spreading consistency.


Be encouraged!
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." - Psalm 33:12