Chocolate Fudge Cake

CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE
2 CUPS FLOUR
2 CUPS SUGAR
1 TEASPOON BAKING SODA
4 TABLESPOONS COCOA
1 CUP WATER
2 CUBES BUTTER (1 CUP)
1/2 CUP BUTTERMILK (OR 1/2 C. MILK W/1 TBLSP VINEGAR ADDED)
3 EGGS
1 TEASPOON VANILLA

FROSTING
6 TABLESPOONS BUTTER
4 TABLESPOONS COCOA
6 TABLESPOONS CANNED EVAPORATED MILK
4-5 CUPS POWDERED SUGAR
1 TEASPOON VANILLA
1 CUP CHOPPED WALNUTS (optional--but they make it really good)

Stir together flour, sugar, and soda in mixer bowl. Bring water, butter, and cocoa to boil in small saucepan, stirring constantly with whisk. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and stir. Add buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour into greased (bottom only) 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degress for 30-35 minutes.

Frosting: Cook butter, cocoa and milk until boiling. Pour in mixer bowl and add powdered sugar and vanilla. Add nuts if desired. FROST WHILE CAKE IS WARM. I like to keep any leftovers in the fridge, covered.

Christmas Ribbon Salad

CHRISTMAS RIBBON SALAD  

FIRST LAYER:

2 (3 oz.) pkg. lime Jello
2 1/2 c. hot water

SECOND LAYER:

1/2 c. pineapple juice
20 lg. marshmallows
1 (3 oz.) pkg. lemon Jello
1 1/2 c. hot water
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

THIRD LAYER:

1 (3 oz.) pkg. cherry Jello
1 (3 oz.) pkg. red raspberry Jello
2 1/2 c. hot water
1 container of cool whip if desired to top it off

First Layer: 

Combine Lime Jello and hot water; stir until Jello dissolves.

  

Pour into 9 x 13 inch pan. Chill until firm.

Second Layer: 

Combine pineapple juice and marshmallows in a saucepan. 

Heat until marshmallows melt. 

Dissolve gelatin in hot water. 

Combine the hot marshmallow mixture, Jello and cream cheese 

Mix well

Cool...the mixture

and pour over the first layer.

Chill until firm.

Third Layer: 

Combine all ingredients; mix until Jello dissolves.

Cool...

and pour over second layer

chill until firm

Cut into 2 or 3 inch squares to serve.
I add (1) container of Cool Whip on top just before serving.

Raspberry Oat Bars

3/4 CUP BUTTER
1 CUP BROWN SUGAR
1-1/2 CUPS OATS-REGULAR
1-1/2 CUPS FLOUR
1 TEASPOON SALT
1/2 TEASPOON BAKING POWDER
10 OZ. JAR OF RASPBERRY PERSERVES

BAKE AT 400 DEGREES, 9 X 13 GREASED PAN

PRESS HALF OF MIXTURE INTO BOTTOM OF PAN, SPREAD PRESERVES OVER CRUST AND THEN CRUMBLE THE REMAINING HALF OVER THE PRESERVES AND BAKE FOR 20-25 MINUTES UNTIL LIGHT BROWN. COOL COMPLETELY BEFORE CUTTING.

AUNT GRETA'S SUGAR COOKIES

2 CUPS SUGAR
1 CUP SOUR CREAM
1 8-0Z. CREAM CHEESE, SOFTENED
3 EGGS
1-1/2 CUPS BUTTER OR MARGARINE

WHIP ALL OF THE ABOVE TOGETHER

3 TEASPOONS BAKING POWDER
1/2 TEASPOON SODA
1/2 TEASPOON SALT
5-1/2 CUPS FLOUR
2 TEASPOONS VANILLA OR ALMOND OR ONE OF EACH

MIX UNTIL SMOOTH, THEN DIVIDE INTO THIRDS AND REFRIGERATE FOR AT LEAST AN HOUR OR OVERNIGHT.

BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR 10-12 MINUTES.

FROSTING:

1/2 CUP BUTTER
1 8-0Z. CREAM CHEESE
ENOUGH POWDERED SUGAR TO MAKE A STIFF CONSISTENCY
1 TEASPOON VANILLA AND 1 TEASPOON ALMOND --ADJUST THE ALMOND ACCORDING TO TASTE
FOOD COLORING

Banana Sheet Cake Bars

BANANA SHEET CAKE
CAKE

Cream:
1 Cup Sugar

½ Cup Butter or Margarine

2 Eggs

1 Cup Buttermilk (substitute = mix 1 Tbsp Vinegar with approximately 1 Cup Milk)

1 Cup Chopped Nuts (suggestion = Pecans)

Add:
2 Cups Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Vanilla

2 ½ Regular-Sized Bananas, Mashed

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into a greased 9”x13” pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Another option is to pour mixture into a sheet cake pan and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Check cake consistency with a toothpick.

FROSTING
Boil over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly:

½ Cup Butter or Margarine
1 Cup Brown Sugar

Stir in ¼ Cup Milk.

Continue stirring until mixture comes to a boil. Cool mixture to lukewarm temperature. Add 1 3/4 Cups Powdered Sugar. Beat until mixture has a consistency that will be easy to spread (hot water may be added to thin frosting).

Caramel Bars

Base mixture Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups oats (oatmeal)
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups melted butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Chocolate layer:
10 oz mild chocolate chips

Caramel Layer:
1 jar Mrs. Richards Butterscotch caramel topping
6 tsp flour
1 1/2 cups base mixture

Make base mixture: Mix brown sugar to melted butter and stir well. Mix
together oats, flour, soda and salt. Add butter/sugar mixture to oats
mixture. Take 2/3 of the base mixture and press into non-greased 9X11
pan and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Take out of oven and sprinkle milk chocolate chips on top.

Combine 1 jar Mrs. Richards Butterscotch caramel topping with 6 tsp
flour and 1 1/2 cup of base mixture. Then spread on top of chocolate chips.

Crumble the remaining base mixture over top.

Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees, making sure not to overcook.

Cool completely.

Perfect Frosting (from www.ourbestbites.com)

3 T Flour
1/2 C milk (whole milk is best, but I used non-fat when it's all I have and it's actually fine)
1/2 C real butter
1/2 C sugar (that's granulated sugar, not powdered sugar)
1 t vanilla extract, or other flavor if you wish.

Whisk together the flour and the milk. Heat in a small sauce pan on medium heat. Whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. (It will get really thick - goopy even!) Let it cook, while stirring, until it looks like pudding (you should be able to see the bottom of the pan when you stir it). Push it through a mesh strainer and then let it cool completely to room temp. or chill it in the fridge. It needs to be cooled completely.

It an electric stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the butter and the sugar for a minute or two until well combined and fluffy. Then while beating, add in the thickened milk mixture and the vanilla. Beat on the highest speed you can get to without it spraying all over the place for 7 minutes.

You will be scared because it will look like a weird goopy mess at first and you'll wonder what on earth you did wrong. Keep beating and something amazing happens. It goes from that goopy mess to something thick, velvety smooth, and perfectly fluffy.

One batch makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes . Use this to top your peppermint fudge cupcake jars.