Lee's Cake

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 6 tbsp cocoa
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups cold water

Instructions:

• Sift the flour, cocoa, and baking soda together.
• Whisk in the sugar and salt.
• Make a well and pour in the oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Pour the water on top.
• Mix the batter until smooth.
• Put the batter into a greased/lined 8" round cake pan.
• Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.
• Poke holes in the top of the cake and spread a thin layer of frosting on top.
• Let cool completely before decorating.

Frosting:

• 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp softened butter
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 2 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat with handheld mixer until smooth.

Grams' Peach Pie

 Make a crust out of:

• 7 graham crackers, crushed
• 3 tbsp powdered sugar
• 6 tbsp butter, melted

For pie:

• Layer 4-5 fresh, sliced peaches (peeled)
• Mix 1 can sweetened condensed milk with 1/4 cup lemon juice and spread over peaches
• Top with sweetened whipped cream (or about 1/2 tub of Extra Creamy Cool Whip)

Don't make too far in advance. May be served immediately or refrigerated over several hours.

300 calories/slice (if 8 slices)

Grams' Hot Fudge Sauce

Ingredients:

• 6-ounces milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/3 cups evaporated milk
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

• Melt milk chocolate chips and butter over low heat. Add milk, powdered sugar, and bring to a boil. Cook about eight minutes, stirring constantly. Add vanilla and serve warm.
• Keeps well in the refrigerator.

Note- To make frosting from this recipe, add 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar to 2 cups of hot fudge sauce. Blend well. Chill until thickened.

Grams' Brownies with Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate (2-ounces)
• 2 eggs, well-beaten
• 1 cup sugar
• dash of salt
• 1 scant cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

• Melt butter and chocolate together over very low heat. Set aside.
• Mix beaten eggs with sugar, salt, flour, baking powder, and vanilla. Add chocolate-butter mixture. Pour into greased and lightly floured 8-inch square baking pan.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Frosting

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 square (1/2-ounce) unsweetened baking chocolate
• 2 tbsp boiling water
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

• Add boiling water to chocolate and butter. Stir to melt. Heat if not thoroughly melted. Add powdered sugar and beat until of spreading consistency.

Gayle's Caramel Brownies

Ingredients:

• 14-oz caramels (2 cups)
• 1 cup evaporated milk, split in half
• 1 german chocolate cake mix
• 3/4 cup butter
• 6-oz milk chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup pecans (optional)

Instructions:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Melt caramels and 1/2 cup of evaporated milk in microwave.
• Mix cake mix, butter, remaining evaporated milk together.
• Spread HALF of the brownie mix in a 9x13 greased pan and bake for 5 minutes.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle 6-oz milk chocolate chips over top evenly.
• Pour caramel mixture over. Drop remaining cake mix in clumps on top. 
• Mix lightly with caramel.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
• Refrigerate.

Texas Sheet Cake

From Pioneer Woman

Cake Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp (heaping) cocoa
• 2 sticks of butter
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Prepare a sheet cake pan.
• In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
• In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa and stir together. 
• Add boiling water to saucepan and allow mixture to bubble for 30 seconds.
• Pour saucepan mixture into mixing bowl with the flour mixture.
• In a small mixing bowl, beat the eggs then pour in buttermilk, baking soda, and vanilla and mix together.
• Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture and stir.
• Pour into cake pan.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on oven and altitude
• While cake is baking, make frosting....

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 and 3/4 stick of butter (yes, 1 stick of butter plus 3/4 of another stick... 1/2 cup plus 6 tbsp)
• 4 tbsp (heaping) cocoa
• 6 tbsp (3-oz) milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 1/4 cups powdered sugar

Frosting Directions:

• Melt butter in saucepan. Add cocoa and stir to combine. 
• Remove from heat and add milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar.
• Stir together and pour over warm cake.

(20 large pieces of cake and 314 calories/slice)

Holly's Fudge

Ingredients:

• 3 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup butter
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• small jar of marshmallow creme
• 12-oz milk chocolate chips
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

• Stir sugar, butter, and evaporated milk together. Bring to a boil over med-high heat.
• Stir constantly for four minutes.
• Remove from heat and add marshmallow creme, chocolate chips, and vanilla and stir together completely.
• Spread out in pan and put in fridge.

Turkey Cupcakes

From Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

• 1 box yellow flavor cake mix (or your favorite flavor)
• Ingredients from cake box (But must-see the "Cake-Over" recipe I always use.)
• 2 containers Betty Crocker milk chocolate frosting
• Tube of white decorating icing
• Tube of brown decorating gel
• Chocolate sprinkles
• Candy Corn

Instructions:

• Make and bake cupcakes according to package.
• Frost cupcakes with frosting.
• Place remaining frosting in a ziploc baggie and snip off small corner of bag.
• To decorate each cupcake, pipe 1-inch mound of frosting on 1 side of cupcake to look like head of turkey. 
• Make eyes with white decorating icing and brown decorating gel; add candy corn for beak. 
• To make feathers, pipe frosting on opposite side to hold candy corn; place candy corn upright on frosting to look like feathers. 
• Sprinkle chocolate candy sprinkles near head and at base of feathers. 
• If desired, add candy corn at base of cupcake for feet. 
• (See video on link for helpful guide.)

Lemon Bars

Crust:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups flour
• Dash of salt

Filling:

• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 6 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Instructions:

• Mix crust ingredients well and press into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until lightly browned; let rest.
• Combine flour and sugar.
• Mix in lemon juice and eggs
• Pour onto slightly cooled crust.
• Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
• Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Mom's Apple Dip

Ingredients:

• 8-0z cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

• Mix with mixer and serve with apples, strawberries, and/or bananas.

Sour Cream Chocolate Cupcakes and Milk Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

These are the very best cupcakes we have ever had. We made them twice in one week!


Chocolate Cupcakes

1/2 cup butter, softened
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda


Directions:
1. In microwave, melt butter and chocolate; stir until smooth. Cool for 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, water, sour cream, and vanilla.
3. Combine flour and baking soda in a separate bowl.
4. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and mix well.
5. Add chocolate mixture and beat on high speed for 3 minutes.
6. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes (22 minutes for me) or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
8. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.


Milk Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1 C. unsalted butter, softened

2 ½ C. powdered sugar (or more, depending on desired consistency)

4 Hershey’s Milk Chocolate candy bars (1.55 oz. each), chopped (Do NOT under any circumstances use chocolate chips or anything other than Hershey bars!)

¼ C. heavy whipping cream

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1. Put the chopped milk chocolate bars into a small bowl.  Heat the chocolate in 30 second increments in the microwave set to 60% power.  Stir after each increment, and continue to heat 30 seconds at a time, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.  Set aside and allow to completely cool.
2. Once the milk chocolate has cooled, sift the powdered sugar over the butter, in a large bowl. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Measure the whipping cream into a cup, and stir in the vanilla extract into the cream.
4. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually pour the cream mixture the bowl.
5. Once the cream mixture has been incorporated into the frosting, fold on the melted (but cooled) milk chocolate until incorporated.
6. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and beat frosting for an additional 3 minutes.
7. Makes about 2 ½ cups of frosting.

• This makes a medium consistency frosting, which is very spreadable and creamy.
• For a stiff decorator frosting: add more powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, until desired consistency (about another cup or so.)
• For a thinner consistency to fill cupcakes or sandwich cookies, add about ½ cup less powdered sugar.

Better Than Anything Brownies

From Six Sisters Stuff

1 (15.25-oz) pkg German chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 (5 3/4-oz) can evaporated milk, divided
1 (14-oz) bag caramels
1 (8-oz) bag Heath toffee bits, divided
1 (12-oz) bag milk chocolate chips, divided

Grease a 9x13" baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, melted butter, and 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Press half of this mixture into prepared pan. Bake 6 minutes. Meanwhile, melt together caramels and remaining evaporated milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often. Remove brownies from oven after 6 minutes and sprinkle on half the bag of Heath toffee bits. Pour melted caramel over toffee bits. Sprinkle on half the bag of chocolate chips. Spread the remaining batter on top. (The book recommends that it is easier to do this by taking pieces of batter and flatten each individual piece in your hands and place on top. Didn't work so well for me.) Sprinkle remaining toffee bits and chocolate chips on top. Bake 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and then refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.

Makes 24 servings.

Chocolate Marshmallow Brownies

From Six Sisters Stuff Cookbook

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 (10-oz) package miniature marshmallows
Mom's Chocolate Frosting (see recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 10x15 rimmed baking sheet.

Cream together butter, sugar, and cocoa in a large bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add flour, salt, and vanilla and mix well. Spread on prepared baking sheet. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Brownies are done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and cover entire top with miniature marshmallows. Return to oven for 3 minutes, until marshmallows are soft and puffy. Cool and frost with frosting.

Makes 2 to 3 dozen brownies.

Mom's Chocolate Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp cocoa
2 to 3 cups powdered sugar

Beat all ingredients with an electric mixer until smooth. Add more powdered sugar or milk until you reach desired consistency.

Rice Krispie Treats

1 stick of butter
16-oz bag Jet-Puffed Marshmallows
8 cups of Rice Krispies

In a large pan on the stovetop, slowly melt the stick of butter. Once melted, mix in the marshmallows and melt them slowly. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in cereal.
Flatten mixture onto a greased cookie sheet.

Devour.

Reese's White Chocolate Popcorn

From The Sister's Cafe

Peanut Butter White Chocolate Popcorn

submitted by Brittany

2 bags microwave popcorn

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 bag white chocolate chips (2 cups)

1/2-1 cup Reeses Pieces

Pop the popcorn then sift through to remove all unpopped kernels. Soften the PB in the microwave over 30 seconds, stir into popcorn to coat evenly. Melt the white chocolate either in a double broiler or in the microwave (over 2 minutes on 50% power, then stir chips until smooth). Pour over popcorn and gently stir to coat popcorn evenly with chocolate. Add Reeses Pieces as you stir in the chocolate. Spread out popcorn on waxed paper to set. Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Frosting

From Superwoman Spirit

Shannon's Cream Cheese Frosting

12 ounces Cream Cheese softened

1 cup Unsalted Butter softened

*Whip together then add

4 cups Powdered Sugar

*Mix well then add

1 teas. Vanilla Extract

*Mix well then add

2 cups Powdered Sugar

*Mix well then add

3 Tablespoons Whole Milk

*Mix well then add

2 cups Powdered Sugar

Whip until very creamy

You can add up to 1 more cup of powdered sugar if needed and a little more milk.  

You will have to decide the consistency you like. 

The steps in this recipe are why the frosting turns out so well.  It is important to follow exactly to get the same results.  You can color it with anything or flavor it with extracts.  

Same with the cookies just add 1 1/2 teas. of flavor extract. 

Shellie's Sugar Cookies

1 1/3 c. butter 

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. + 2 tsp. milk

4 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tbsp. baking powder

Cream together butter, sugar, vanilla. Add eggs beat until light and fluffy. Add milk and stir in dry ingredients. Divide in half and wrap in wax paper. Chill dough 1 hour (or overnight). Roll to 1/2" - cut into shapes. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes on lightly greased sheets. Cool 1 minute before removing from pan.

Oreo Cheesecake Pie

aka "Girdlebuster Pie"

Ingredients and Directions for TWO pies:
2 pre-made Oreo crusts
2 pkgs 8-oz Cream Cheese
1-1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 pkg Jello instant pudding (3.4-oz) (cheesecake flavor)
1 pkg Jello instant pudding (3.4-oz) (chocolate fudge flavor)
3 1/2 cups Milk
1 pint whipping cream
1/2 bar dark chocolate

Whip up 1 pkg cream cheese with approx 1/2-3/4 cup powdered sugar until smooth.  Spread this mixture in the bottom of one crust.  It will be thick so spread carefully.  Repeat above for 2nd crust.  Then put both Jello packages in a bowl with 3 1/2 cups milk and whip for 3-5 minutes.  Divide this mixture between the 2 crusts and pour over cream cheese mixture.  Whip up the whipping cream, adding powdered sugar to taste.  Spread on top of each pie.  Grate dark chocolate on the top of whipping cream layer.  Refrigerate.

Caramel Chocolate-Oat Bars

48 caramels, unwrapped
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup flour > 1/3 tsp salt
1 1/8 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup quick oats
2/3 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter, softened

Melt caramels and milk in a glass dish in microwave.
Stir every few minutes until smooth.
Mix the dry ingredients and butter until crumbly.
Press 2/3 crumb mixture into a greased 9x13 pan and set aside the rest of crust.
Bake crust at 350 for 5 minutes.
Take out of oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips while is hot.  Pour caramel over top.  Sprinkle remaning crumb mixture on top.  Bake again for 15 minutes, top will barely start to brown.

SOOOOO GOOOOOOD!!

Banana Pudding

1 (8-oz) pkg cream cheese
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (5-oz) pkg instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups cold milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 (8-oz) container whipped topping, thawed
4 bananas, sliced
1/2 (12-oz) pkg vanilla wafers

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.  Beat in condensed milk, pudding mix, cold milk and vanilla until smooth.  Fold in 1/2 of the whipped topping.

Line the bottom of a 9x13 dish with vanilla wafers.  Arrange sliced bananas evenly over wafers.  Spread with pudding mixture.  Top with remaining whipped topping.  Chill