Perfect and Easy Chocolate Cake

What you need for the cake:

1 box chocolate cake mix (any brand, any type of chocolate-this time I used Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge)
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
1 cup sour cream (can use light)

Just dump everything into a bowl and mix until combined. Pour into two 9 inch round pans that have been greased and floured (the baking sprays with flour work great). Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

*And guess what: you can use this recipe for any flavor of cake mix-just switch out the pudding flavor.

What you need for the Chocolate Buttercream:

3 sticks butter, softened
2 Tablespoons milk
9 oz. semisweet chocolate (I use chocolate chips and they work great-1 1/2 cups), melted and cooled to lukewarm temp.
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the milk carefully and beat until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and beat well, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for 3 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat on low speed until creamy and of desired consistency. Before tasting the buttercream, I recommend sitting down. Or, if your kitchen permits, laying down.



From Tiffany Dixon Hansen

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, soft (don't use margarine, NO EXCEPTIONS)

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed firm

1 tsp vanilla

2 large eggs

12 oz. (2 cups) chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, mix in eggs. Add dry ingredients. Stir in chips and nuts. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit 7-9 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for about 3 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Makes about 3 dozen (36) cookies.

Helpful hints:

-Use a cookie scoop.

-Slightly press down cookies with wet fingers.

-Use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper

-These cookies may be a little crisp the first day. Store in a covered container and they will turn soft.

Enjoy!

English Trifle

TRIFLE

Tapioca (recipe follows) Gelatin mixture (recipe follows)

1 angel food cake, broken into chunks Whipped cream

Tapioca

¾ cup tapioca ½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup sugar (or equivalent 8 cups milk

sugar substitute) 4 egg whites

4 egg yolks 1 tablespoon vanilla

8 tablespoons sugar (or equivalent

sugar substitute

Mix tapioca, salt, ¾ cup sugar (or sugar substitute), milk, and egg yolks in pan. Let stand 5 minutes. Beat egg whites until foamy; gradually beat in 8 tablespoons sugar (or sugar substitute, beating to soft peaks. Set aside. Cook tapioca mixture over medium heat to a full boil, stirring constantly—6 to 8 minutes. Graudauuly add to beaten egg whites, stirring quickly just until blended. Stir in vanilla. Cool.

Gelatin

2 packages (3 oz. each) red gelatin 2 10-oz. packages frozen raspberries

3 cups boiling water 2 10-oz. packages frozen strawberries (I like fresh)

1 cup vanilla ice cream 1 large can diced peaches, drained

(I've also used frozen peaches sliced in the Cuisinart)

Dissolve gelatin in 3 cups boiling water. Stir in vanilla ice cream, and fruit. (Fresh fruit may be substituted for frozen and canned fruit.) Let chill till partially set.

Pour one-fourth of gelatin mixture into each of two trifle bowls. Layer one-fourth of angel food cake chunks on top of gelatin mixture in each trifle bowl. Top with one-fourth of tapioca pudding in each bowl. Repeat layers. Refrigerate. Serve with whipped cream.

NOTE: If making in a large punch bowl, place one-half of each mixture in punch bowl in layers.

MAKES 2 Trifle Bowls - about 16- 20 servings

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 chocolate cake mix

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup melted butter or oil

2 eggs beaten

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix eggs and butter or oil. Add dry ingredients and mix all together well. Drop onto lightly greased cookie sheet (silpat) and bake 9-11 minutes.

This is the first time I've tried a cake-mix cookie. My family gobbled them up.

Easter Egg Nests

1 stick butter
4 cups mini marshmallows
4 1/2- 5 cups All-Bran or Fiber One cereal

Melt butter and marshmallows. Add to cereal in a large bowl. Stir well till combined. When cool enough to handle form into "nests" for your Easter Eggs. Spray hands often with Pam. It kinda stuck to wax paper, but lifted right off my silpat. I would say Pam the wax paper and you should be alright. Makes about 4-6 nests depending on size.

Key Lime Pie

1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1 cup fresh lime juice
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, mix together lime rind, lime juice, and condensed milk. Whisk in pudding mix and allow to set up 5 minutes. Fold in 8 ounce tub of whipped topping. Pour mixture into pastry shell. Chill at least 2 hours before serving. Garnish with additional whipped topping if desired.


Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS
Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter or margarine, and cinnamon until well blended . Press mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 7 minutes. Cool. If recipe calls for unbaked pie shell, just chill for about 1 hour.

Soft Sugar Cookies

Cream together:
½ cup butter
1 cup sugar

Add and Cream:
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg

Add:
½ cup sour cream

Sift separately and then combine with the mixture:
3 ¼ cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt

Roll them out thick and bake in 400 degree oven for 8-11 minutes

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

6 cups flour
3 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 tsp baking powder
3 tsp vanilla
1 ½ tsp soda, salt, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon
1 ½ cup shortening
29 oz can of pumpkin
2 bags milk chocolate chips

Cream shortening and sugar, add eggs, then pumpkin and vanilla. Sift flour and seasonings. Gradually add to pumpkin mixture. Mix in Chocolate chips. Bake about 10-15 minutes at 375, depending on the size. They're best if you cover and let them sit for several hours...they get softer.

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

....the softest, most wonderful-est ones ever, I might add.

2 ¼ cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter, softened (not too melted or cookies will come out greasy and flat)
¼ cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 small box instant vanilla pudding (3 ½ oz)
2 eggs
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Combine flour & baking soda; set aside. Cream butter, sugars, vanilla & pudding mix. Beat in eggs. Add flour mixture. Add chocolate chips. Bake 9-10 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

Turtle Pumpkin Pie {picture coming soon}

INGREDIENTS 

• 1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
• 1 (6 ounce) HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust
• 1/2 cup PLANTERS Pecan Pieces
• 1 cup cold milk
• 2 pkg. (4 serving size) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 (8 ounce) tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
• 2 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping
• 2 tablespoons PLANTERS Pecan Pieces

DIRECTIONS

1. Pour 1/4 cup caramel topping into crust; sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans.
2. Beat milk, dry pudding mixes, pumpkin and spices with whisk until blended. Stir in 1-1/2 cups whipped topping. Spread into crust.
3. Refrigerate 1 hour. Top with remaining whipped topping, caramel topping and pecans just before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Blueberry Pie

Courtesy of Pioneer Woman's mom.....

2 Pie Crusts
2-3 Pints Blueberries
Sugar
A dash or two of nutmeg
2-3 Tbsps Flour

In a large bowl place 2-3 pints of fresh blueberries. Coat them with regular white sugar, not too much, just enough to bring out the natural sweetness. Throw in a dash or two of nutmeg and a few Tablespoons of all purpose flour. If you would prefer a pie that is more juicy you can leave out the flour.

Pour the blueberries into a pie crust and top with 8-10 small pats of butter. Cover with a second pie crust. Press both edges together, tucking the dough under as needed, working all the way around the edge of the pie. While pinching the top and bottom crusts together, form the edge into a sort of lip, Then pinch the dough between your thumb and index finger all the way around the edge of the pie for a fluted look. Cut three or four slits in the top of the pie for ventilation.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for approximately 35-40 minutes.