Week 49: Snickerdoodle Cake with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream

Recipe:  Snickerdoodle Cake with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream

From:  www.foodiewithfamily.com (via Pinterest)

Category: Dessert

Rating:  Out of this world!  Delicious!  Addicting!  (I made mini cupcakes and they were really good!)

Ingredients:

For the Cake:
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 sticks butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups fine or superfine sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk, warmed to room temperature
For the Buttercream:
• 4 1/2 sticks butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 8-9 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of half and half, plus more if needed
Optional:
• Whole cinnamon sticks for garnish

Instructions:

To Bake the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Butter and flour two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
4. Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy and pale in color.
5. Beat the eggs in one at a time, fully incorporating each egg and scraping down the bowl between each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
6. Add about 1/3 of the milk, beat to incorporate, then 1/3 of the flour, again beating to incorporate.
7. Repeat this process, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until all of the milk and flour are added and mixed in evenly.
8. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake, rotating midway through, for about 35 minutes or until the cake tests done.
9. Let the cakes cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes before turning out onto the racks to finish cooling.

To Make the Buttercream:

1. Beat together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until fluffy and pale in color.
2. Add 6 cups of the confectioner's sugar and the vanilla extract and beat, starting on low and moving up to high, until it is fully incorporated.
3. Scrape down the bowl and add the half and half. Beat to incorporate again.
4. Add another 2 cups of the confectioner's sugar and beat, starting on low and moving up to high, until fully incorporated. Check the consistency of the buttercream. If it needs to be thicker, add the remaining confectioner's sugar. If it is too thick, add more half and half a teaspoon at a time, beating after each addition, until it reaches the consistency you like.

To Assemble and Frost the Cake:

1. Level out your cooled cakes and cut each into two even layers.
2. Place one layer on a cake plate then add a layer of buttercream, spreading to the edges and evening out as you go. Repeat with the remaining layers.
3. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining buttercream.
4. If desired, garnish the top of the cake with whole cinnamon sticks.
5. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before slicing.
6. Store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Week 44: Pumpkin Brownies

Recipe:  Pumpkin Brownies

From:  Allrecipes.com (Submitted by:  CroqueMadame)

Category: Dessert

Rating:  Pretty Good!  I made them for a bake sale.  :-)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 eggs

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8 inch baking pan. Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
2. In another bowl, stir together the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla extract; beat in the eggs one at a time with a spoon. Gradually add the flour mixture, and stir the batter until it's evenly moistened. Divide the batter in half in two separate bowls.
3. Into one bowl of batter, blend the cocoa powder and chocolate chips. In the second bowl of batter, stir in the pumpkin puree, walnuts, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
4. Spread 1/2 of the chocolate batter into the bottom of the prepared baking pan, and follow with 1/2 of the pumpkin batter. Repeat the layers, ending with a pumpkin layer, and drag a kitchen knife or small spatula gently through the layers in a swirling motion, to create a marbled appearance.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until the brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in the pan, cut into squares, and serve.

Week 42 (Bonus #2): Sangria

Recipe:  Sangria

From:  The Pioneer Woman Cooks (Ree Drummond)

Category: Dessert??

Rating:  It was good, but it made a lot!!

Ingredients:

2 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into cubes

1 cup green seedless grapes

1 cup red seedless grapes

2 cups pineapple chunks

1 small unpeeled orange, thinly sliced

2 unpeeled lemons, thinly sliced

2 unpeeled limes, thinly sliced

1.5 liter red wine

1.5 liter dry white whine

1 cup orange-flavored rum  (I used a four little bottles of random stuff)

1 cup orange-flavored vodka (see above note about rum)

1 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Chop up all the fruit you'd like apples, grapes, pineapple, orange, lemons and limes.
2. Place the fruit in a large container.
3. Next start pouring in the liquids.
4. Add the sugar.
5. Stir well, then cover and refrigerate for several hours, giving the fruit and liquids times to meld.  Serve in glasses over ice, and have tongs nearby so guests can help themselves to the fruit, which is a hugely delicious treat!

 I know, not an attractive serving dish, but it was all I had!

Week 41: Chocolate Rascals

Recipe:  Chocolate Rascals (well, Cherry Rascals, according to the cookbook)

From:  Healthy Cooking for your Kids (Sarah Banbery)

Category:  Breakfast or Dessert (I made them as an after school snack.)

Rating:  Really good!  I really liked that it only made six.  Mine had nuts on top; the kids aren't big nut eaters.

Ingredients:
generous 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
generous 1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced and chilled (pretty sure I just used regular butter)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 3/4 oz. dried cherries (here is where I used mini chocolate chips ... a generous 1/4 cup)
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoons chopped nuts (I used pecans)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Put the flours, baking powder and butter in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
3. Add the sugar, spices and chocolate chips and pulse briefly to mix.
4. Add the egg and milk and pulse again to form a soft dough.
5. Turn out onto a floured counter and knead briefly.
6. Divide the dough into 6 pieces, form each piece into a ball, and place on a baking sheet.  Press down lightly, brush with milk and sprinkle with the nuts.  Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes until golden.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.  Serve warm or cold.

Week 38 (Bonus #2): Pineapple Apple Pie

Recipe:  Pineapple Apple Pie

From:  Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking (tasteofhome.com)

Category:  Dessert

Rating:  I was told it was good!  I took it to a potluck, and it was gone before I got a chance to try it.  I guess that's a pretty good endorsement.  :-)  I used a pie crust from Pioneer Woman's cookbook that I had frozen.

Ingredients:

Pastry for single-crust pie (9 inches)

1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple in heavy syrup, undrained

3 medium tart apples, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

TOPPING:

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons butter, melted

Directions:

1. Line a 9-in. pie plate with pastry; trim and flute edges. In a large bowl, combine the apples and pineapple. Combine the flour, cinnamon and nutmeg; add to apple mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to pastry.
2. In a small bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour and butter; sprinkle over filling.
3. Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until topping is browned. Cover edges with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent over browning if necessary. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 10 servings.

Week 36: Mama's Blackberry Cobbler

Recipe:  Mama's Blackberry Cobbler

From:  Allrecipes.com (submitted by: Jonagold)

Category: Dessert

Rating:  Pretty good, considering I used peaches and raspberries instead of blackberries!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup white sugar

1 cup self-rising flour

3/4 cup milk

2 cups fresh blackberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Pour the melted butter into the bottom of an 8x8-inch square baking pan. Mix the sugar, self-rising flour, and milk together until moistened, and pour the mixture over the butter. Do not stir. Spread blackberries evenly over the batter.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the top is browned and the cobbler is bubbling, about 45 minutes.

Week 32: Chocolate Pasta Sundaes

Recipe:  Chocolate Pasta Sundaes

From:  Dakota Earth/Me (The pasta can be purchased at our farmer's market, for those of you who are local.)

Category: Dessert

Rating: Well ... I would eat it again.  It was good as a sundae, but the pasta by itself wasn't so great.  It is; however, a fun dessert that looks pretty impressive.  See photo below!

Ingredients:
Dark Chocolate Pasta (I used about half of the bag for six people.)
Vanilla Ice Cream
Hot Fudge Ice Cream Topping
Caramel Ice Cream Topping
Pecans
Whipped Cream

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions.  I broke it up before cooking it, as to not have to do it once it was cooked.
2. Put warm pasta in the bottom of your bowl.  Top with ice cream and toppings.  Enjoy.

Week 31: Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe:  Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Fosting

From:  Allrecipes.com (Submitted by AMISPKRIS)

Category: Dessert

Rating:

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil (I used 1/2 cup oil; 1/2 cup applesauce)

2 cups white sugar (pretty sure I ran out of sugar so I used half white and half brown)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups grated zucchini

(I added about a teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg)

1/2 cup margarine (I only used 1/4 cup)

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese

2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

(I might have put in some vanilla, too)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Mix in the zucchini. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 20 to 25** minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting. 
4. To make the frosting, blend together the margarine, cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until well blended. Spread over cooled bars before cutting.

**This cooking time would probably work well if you made them bars and not a cake, meaning you cook them in a jelly roll pan instead of a 9 x 13.  I think it took closer to 40 minutes in the 9 x 13 pan.

Week 30 (Bonus): Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Recipe:  Chocolate Zucchini Cake

From:  Zucchini Patch (Kathey Shreves and Bonnie Millhollin)

Category: Dessert

Rating: It was okay ... a little crumbly.  And, I forgot a picture.  I have two of the three cakes in the freezer, so when we eat the next one, I'll try really hard to take a picture.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped nuts  (I may have used chocolate chips, but I don't remember.  I know I didn't use nuts ... the kiddos don't like nuts in their food.)

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs.
2. Combine all ingredients, stir well until blended.
3. Spoon into 2 greased and floured loaf pans.  (I used 3 9-inch round cake pans.)
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes.

Week 28: Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

Recipe: Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

From:  South Dakota Human Services Center (submitted by Barb P.)

Category:  Dessert

Rating: Yummy!

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup softened butter
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 egg
1/4 cup seedless red raspberry jam

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.  
2. Combine 1/2 cup sugar and butter in large bowl.  Mix well.  Stir in flour until crumbly.  Press into pan.  Bake 15 to 18 minutes, until edges are lightly golden.  Mixture will not be fully cooked.
3. Combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar, cream cheese, almond extract and egg.  Beat with mixer on high speed until well blended.  Pour cream cheese mixture over crust.
4. Place 2 tablespoons jam in microwavable bowl and microwave 15 seconds, until slightly melted.  Stir to blend.  Spoon over cream cheese mixture.
5. Using tip of spoon, carefully swirl jam into cream cheese layer, being careful not to disturb the crust.  
6. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until set.  Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes.
7. Stir remaining jam and spread evenly with back of a spoon over the bars in a thin layer.  Refrigerate 30 minutes before cutting.  Store in refrigerator.

Week 25 (Bonus): Crazy Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Cream Frosting

Recipe:  Crazy Chocolate Cake

From:  Potluck Paradise:  Favorite Fare from Church and Community Cookbooks (Rae Katherine Eighmey and Debbie Miller)

Category: Dessert

Rating:  Crazy good!  And I really liked that it was made in an 8 x 8-inch pan.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup all-purpose vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
2. Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt into an ungreased 8 x 8-inch pan.  Make three depressions in these ingredients.
3. Put oil in one, vinegar in another and vanilla in the third.  Gently pour milk over the entire pan and carefully stir with a fork until ingredients are well blended into a slightly lumpy batter.
4. Bake until cake is firm in the center, about 25 to 30 minutes>
5. Cool and frost with Chocolate Cream Frosting.

 The dry ingredients with the liquid filled depressions.

Now I've added the milk, but haven't stirred!

_______________________________________________________________

Recipe:  Chocolate Cream Frosting

From:  Potluck Paradise:  Favorite Fare from Church and Community Cookbooks (Rae Katherine Eighmey and Debbie Miller)

Category:  Dessert

Rating: Oh some yummy and worth the work.  The left overs were really good between graham crackers, too!

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
3 squares unsweetened baking chocolate
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
2 to 3 cups sifted powdered sugar

Directions:

1. In a 2-quart saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly.  
2. Add brown sugar and water, increase heat to medium and bring to boiling point, stirring from time to time.  Boil 3 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm.  Add enough sifted powdered sugar to make a  spreading consistency.

The cake with the frosting on top.  

It was served with some vanilla ice cream.

  

Week 20: Apple Ginger Egg Rolls

Recipe:  Apple Ginger Egg Rolls

From:  The Pampered Chef's Season's Best (Spring/Summer 2011)

Category: Dessert

Rating: Great, somewhat healthy, dessert!  The kids all really liked them too.

Ingredients:

1 1-inch piece peeled fresh gingerroot

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

10 sheets thawed frozen phyllo dough

1 tablespoon butter, melted

powdered sugar, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Finely grate/chop ginger to measure 2 teaspoons.  
3. Core and coarsely chop apples.
4. Combine ginger, apples, granulated sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon.  Mix well.  Microwave mixture 3-4 minutes or until thickened and bubbly; stir.  Cool 5 minutes.  Add cream cheese; mix well.
5. Lay one sheet of the phyllo on cutting board spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Fold phyllo in half crosswise.  Cut folded sheet in half lengthwise, leaving folded edge intact.  
6. Spoon a rounded tablespoon filling to within 1 inch of folded edge of phyllo, leaving a 1-inch border on each side.  Lift folded edge of phyllo up over filling, tucking phyllo tightly around filling.  Fold sides of phyllo in toward center; gently roll up.  Repeat with remaining phyllo and filling.  (I'm not sure I followed this exactly, but the end result looked like an egg roll!)
7. Place egg rolls, seam sides down onto large bar pan; lightly brush with melted butter.  Bake 12-14 minutes or until egg rolls are golden brown.
8. Remove from oven to cooling rack.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Week 18 (Bonus #2): Mexican Chocolate Cake

Recipe: Mexican Chocolate Cake

From:  Allrecipes.com

Category: Dessert

Rating:  It was good; nothing incredibly amazing; I would make it again.


Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup sour milk or orange juice
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 12x18-inch pan.  (I used a 10x15-inch jelly roll/bar pan.)
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon.  Add the butter, oil, water, sour milk, eggs and vanilla, mix until smooth.  Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.  Allow to cool.  Frost as desired.  (I desired a sprinkling of powdered sugar; my husband desired some frosting.  He won.)

After frosting it, I decided it needed some sprinkles too!

I served it with vanilla ice cream.

Week 16 (Bonus #2): Fresh Strawberry Pie with Perfect Pie Crust

Recipe:  Perfect Pie Crust/Strawberry Pie

From: The Pioneer Woman Cooks (Ree Drummond)/Jansen Family Treasurers (Submitted by Shawna G.)

Category: Dessert

Rating:  Awesome combination and easy to make.  A little time-consuming, but totally worth it.

WW PointsPlus:  Well, the strawberries are 0!  Does that help?

Perfect Pie Crust

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups vegetable shortening

1 egg

5 tablespoons cold water

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Directions:

1. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl.
2. Add the shortening and cut in using a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles pepples.
3. Lightly beat egg with a fork, then add it to the mixture.  Then add the water and vinegar.
4. Stir the mixture until just combined, the remove half the dough from the bowl and place in a large plastic bag (do not seal).  Slightly flatten with a rolling pin and then seal the bag.  Repeat this with the remaining dough.  Place both bags in the freezer.
5. When ready to use the dough (and I only needed one for this recipe), remove the dough and let it set out for 20 minutes before rolling out.
6. After it is rolled out, place in the pan, prick the bottom several times and then bake for 10-20 minutes or until golden brown.  (I made mine in a Pampered Chef Stone pie plate, and it took a good 20 minutes, but the recipe says 10.)
7. Remove from oven and cool.

Before baking the pie crust.

The sides were not pretty, but the bottom kind of was!

Strawberry Pie Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

3 tablespoons corn starch

2 1/2 tablespoons white corn syrup

3 tablespoons strawberry Jello (I used a packet of sugar-free jello)

4 cups fresh strawberries

Directions:

1. Cook the first four ingredients until clear.  
2. Add dry Jello.  
3. Let cool and add strawberries.

My notes:  Okay, so I cut up my strawberries, and put a layer of powdered sugar on the bottom of my crust before adding the strawberries.  (My mom said my grandma did this.)  And I just put the fresh strawberries into the pie crust, then put the syrup on top and kind of stirred it up.  Either way would be fine, I'm sure.

Of course, ice cream makes everything just a little better!

Week 15: "The Best" Brownines

Recipe:  "The Best" Brownies

From:  "Cooking with Unsweetened Cocoa" a pamphlet by Hershey

Category:  Dessert

Rating: If there's any left tomorrow, that would be amazing! :-)  Really, they are that good.
WW PointsPlus:  Really?  Do you want to know?  Okay: 4 points; with 16 brownies per pan

Ingredients:
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)  I put in 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips.

Directions:

1. Stir together butter and sugar in mixing bowl.  
2. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well with spoon.  
3. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; beat until well blended.  
4. If desired, stir in nuts (or chocolate chips).  
5. Spoon into a greased 9-inch square pan. 
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until browning springs back when touched lightly in center.  Cool completely.  (Yeah, right!)

Still in the pan ... with a little knife mark.  Oops!

Little square of yumminess.

Week 9: Candy Bar Cookie Squares

Recipe:Candy Bar Cookie Squares

From:  allrecipes.com  (I know, not a cookbook, but I would guess that my 101 Things to do with a Cake Mix cookbook would have something similar; I just can't find that cookbook right now.)

Category: Dessert

Rating: Yummy!!!
WW PointsPlus: 4 (30 servings)

Ingredients:
1 (18.25 oz) package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 Snickers candy bars (2.07 oz each), chopped (I used 4 Rolo candy bars)

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, brown sugar, eggs and butter.  Beat on low speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally.  Stir in chopped candy.  Spread into an ungreased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.  Cut into squares.

So I cut out a few circles with a biscuit cutter; I am working on my food styling.  Mostly they have just been cut out of the pan and eaten a little bit at a time.  :-)  I also used 4 Rolo candy bars instead of Snickers, as we had a handful left over from Miss P's Valentine's.

Week 8: Chocolate Cake (Gluten, Dairy and Egg Free)

Recipe: Chocolate Cake

From: Youth Enrichment Services We're Cookin', Submitted by Jim A.

Category: Dessert

Rating:  The people I made this for:  my nephew, sister-in-law and supervisor at work all thought it was fabulous!  I also thought it was pretty good. 
WW PointsPlus:  6 (24 servings)


Ingredients:
3 cups brown rice flour
1 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
5 Tbs cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups cold water
2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbs vinegar


Directions:

1. Mix everything together and pour into a 9 x 13-inch greased pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Note:  If you don't need this gluten free, you can use regular flour.  I would like to add a little cinnamon and try using half applesauce/half oil next time.  And, I would like to remember to take a picture next time.  Sorry!  There was a lot going on last weekend when I made this.  Also, I made a 9-inch round cake and an 8-inch square cake (instead of a 9 x 13) and topped them both with powered sugar.  Rest-assured, it looked like a chocolate cake!

Week 5: Oatmeal Cake

Recipe: Oatmeal Cake

From:  Youth Enrichment Services We're Cooking, submitted by Denise A.

Category:  Desserts

Rating: With out the frosting, I'd serve it for breakfast with some yogurt!  This a yummy and moist cake.
WW PointsPlus:  4 without frosting; 7 with frosting for 24 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup oatmeal
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup flour

Directions:

1. Pour boiling water over oatmeal and butter.  Let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Mix in rest of ingredients, pour into greased 9 X 13-inch pan and bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes.

Brown Sugar Frosting:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
2 1/2 cups powered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook sugar and butter on low for 2 minutes.  Stir in milk.
2. Bring to a good boil and cool.
3. Add powered sugar and vanilla.
4. Frost cake and top with nuts.

Okay, I will admit, not great pictures this time.  I will try harder next week. :-)  I already have the recipe picked out, as I'm planning my Super Bowl Menu!!

Sneak Peak: Mini Kisses Butter Pecan Bars

As the new year doesn't officially start until tomorrow, here's a bonus recipe, and a sneak peak at the format I plan to use.  Any comments are, as always, appreciated!

Recipe: Mini Kisses Butter Pecan Bars

From: Hershey's Recipe Collection

Category: Dessert

Rating:  Yummy!  Everyone seemed to like it tonight.  It is rich, but that may come from my use of semi-sweet chocolate instead of milk chocolate.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups (10-oz. package) Hershey's Mini Kisses Milk Chocolates, divided**

3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans, divided

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees (F).  Grease 8-inch square baking pan.

2.  Beat butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla in small bowl; blend in flour.  Stir in 3/4 cup chocolates and 1/4 cup pecans; spread evenly in prepared pan.

3.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned; remove from oven.  Immediately sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chocolates.  Let stand 5 minutes or until chocolate softens; with knife, spread evenly.  Immediately sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup pecans over top; press gently.  Cool bars completely in pan on wire rack.  Cut into bars.

Here are the bars still in the pan.  Notice that I have used finely chopped pecans, as the kids are not huge fans of nuts.

Served with a little whipped cream while still warm.  Yum!

**Note:  I didn't have mini kisses on hand, so I used mini semi-sweet chocolate chips in the batter and regular-sized ones on top!  Use what you have, I say!