Recipes

As promised, here is that chocolate cake recipe we made a few weeks ago that is so good! I got the recipe off the back of a Nestle Chocolate Cocoa can years ago. We made it with Hershey’s Special Dark because we couldn’t find Nestle cocoa at the local grocery store. As long as it’s a name brand cocoa, it should taste great. I’m picky about chocolate. My husband and son tried to buy a store brand and I made them take it back! There are some things a girl just doesn’t tamper with. :)

There are three sections to this cake and two layers:

The cake itself:
Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter softened
2 eggs
2/3 cup Nestle Cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups flour (unbleached)

Beat sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy – 5 minutes. Add water, flour cocoa, soda, and salt. Put in 2 9″ greased and floured pans. Bake for 28-33 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool 5 minutes. Remove to cooling rack.

Fill with:
Cocoa Whipped Cream
1/4 cup Nestle Cocoa
1/4 cup sugar
2 T hot tap water
1 cup heavy or whipping cream

Mix cocoa, sugar and water until paste forms. Add cream. Beat just until firm peaks form. Don’t over beat. Use as cake filling, frosting, or dessert topping.

Frost with:
Chocolate Lover’s Frosting
3 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup Nestle Cocoa
1 stick butter
5-6 T milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat 1 cup sugar, cocoa, butter, 2 T milk, and vanilla. Gradually add alternately – sugar and milk.

After the cake cools, put filling between layers (if you put too much, the cake will slide) and frost with frosting over all (top and sides of cake). Keep refrigerated. You can slightly warm pieces in microwave (less than 10 seconds) to warm up for serving. Or serve immediately.

This cake takes some extra time but it is one of my favorites. (I would add it to my recipe page, but I can’t upgrade that page on my own.)

Enjoy~

Mix together:
2 cups crushed pretzels – bigger knotted kind
3 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup melted butter or margarine

Bake in 9 x 13 pan at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool.

Blend:
8 ounces cream cheese (I use the 1/3 less fat kind)
8 ounces Cool Whip
1 cup sugar

Spread on cooled crust.

Dissolve:
1 large (6 oz.) jello (any flavor, but strawberry works best)
3 cups boiling water

Add to jello:
2 10 ounce boxes frozen strawberries or canned fruit (strawberries are preferred)

Cool until slightly thickened (though I don’t)
Carefully pour over cream cheese layer
Chill several hours until firm.

Mix and let stand for 30 minutes:
1 1/4 cups quick cooking oats
1 1/4 cups milk

In separate bowl mix together:
1 1/4 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1 mashed banana and/or 1 apple (chopped fine)

Add oatmeal mixture to flour mixture after 30 minutes. Fill in greased or paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

1-2 pounds of stewing beef cut into small chunks
2 Tablespoons olive oil (give or take)
1/2 cup pearled barley
6 cups Health Valley Beef Broth (salted)
2-4 cups water
1 cup carrots (fresh)
1 cup green beans (fresh, frozen, or canned)
1 small onion
4-5 red skin potatoes (cut in chunks, don’t peel)
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 green pepper chopped fine
1 medium tomato chopped or pureed
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown beef in olive oil in 8 quart saucepan until thoroughly cooked. Add beef broth, water, and barley. Simmer until barley is tender, about one hour. Add remaining ingredients and cook until vegetables are tender.

Serve with crackers, rolls, or muffins.

Since I can’t easily upload recipes onto my recipe page – something I hope is remedied someday – I have to share these cookies I just discovered on the back of a Reeces chips bag.

Reeces Chewy Chocolate Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey’s cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) butter – softened
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 2/3 cups (10 oz. pkg) Reeces Peanut Butter Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture beating well. Stir in peanut butter chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-9 minutes. (Do not over bake; cookies will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten while cooling.) Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 1/2 dozen cookies.

PAN RECIPE: Spread batter in greased 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 inch jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack; cut into bars. 4 dozen

Enjoy!