Classic Darn Good Chocolate Cake

I love The Cake Doctor books.  My husband recently went to Tennessee to visit his family.  I wanted to bake a cake for him to take.  I didn't want one with icing since it may melt on the 15 hour trip in a warm car.  I looked through The Cake Doctor Returns book and found this recipe.  It was a big hit in Tennessee so I made it again to take to the monthly school nurses meeting to celebrate Nurses Appreciation Week.  Many have asked for the recipe so here it is. Classic Darn Good Chocolate Cake

Page 228 in The Cake Doctor Returns by Anne Byrn. I used Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix and Jello Sugar Free, Fat Free Chocolate Fudge Pudding.  Just make sure your cake mix is plain and not the kind with pudding already in it.

1 pkg plain chocolate cake mix 1 pkg chocolate instant pudding mix 4 large eggs 1 cup sour cream, reduced fat, or plain yogurt 2/3 cup water 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly mist a 12 cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray then dust it with flour. Shake our the excess flour and set the pan aside. 2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream or yogurt, water, oil, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the batter for 1 1/2 minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. The batter should look smooth and thick. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan, smoothing the top with the rubber spatula, and place the pan in the oven. 3. Bake the cake until the top springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, 55 to 60 minutes. Transfer the Bundt pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 15 to 20 minutes. ( I lay a damp paper towel on top to seal in some of the moisture) Run a long, sharp knife around the edges of the cake, shake the pan gently, and invert the cake to a wire rack. ( I then re-dampen the paper towel and lay it over the cake again) . Let cake cool completely. You can then serve as is or sift some powdered sugar on top. 4. This cake can also be baked as cupcakes. It can be frozen also. If you zap it in the microwave, the chocolate chips will become soft just as if it is fresh out of the oven again.

Servings: 16

Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1/16 of a recipe (3.5 ounces). Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Aunt Georgia's Sugar Cookies

I have tried  many different sugar cookie recipes but this is a family favorite.  I have a dear friend, Brenda, who I've literally known all of my life.  Our parents were friends before we were born.  We started attending the same school in middle school.  At some point during our friendship, I was given the recipe for these cookies. Years later, her sister, Cheryl, had a son and I had a daughter.  I made these cookies for almost every holiday when my children were small and continue to do so.  My daughter knew that "Aunt" Brenda  had a sister and that the sister had a son but Cheryl's son and my daughter did not know each other even though they were just a year apart in age.  My daughter grew up and went to college.  She was home for spring break when we attended a celebration for Brenda & Richard's 25th wedding anniversary.  Lauren and Ryan met, married and now have two children.  Many people avoid making sugar cookies because of the time it takes to decorate them.  Don't try to be Martha Stewart!  I just sprinkle a little sugar and decorative sprinkles to match the occasion and design.  No one minds that they aren't iced like butterflies, bunnies etc.  Sometimes I put chocolate chips on top of a few just as they come out of the oven, and then as the chocolate melts, I spread the it around like icing and them put a few decorative sprinkles on top.  Aunt Georgia's Sugar Cookies. This recipe came from Georgia Redington,my son-in-law's great aunt. If you use the small cookie cutters from Pampered Chef or similar, the recipe will make approx 270 cookies at about 30 calories each. 1 cup  oil, ( canola , olive, etc.) 2 sticks  butter 2 eggs 1 tsp  baking soda 1 tsp  cream of tartar 1 tsp  vanilla 1 cup  sugar 1 cup  powdered sugar 4 cup  flour 1 tsp  salt 1 tsp  lemon juice 1 cup  powdered sugar for rolling dough 1 Cream oil, butter, and eggs. 2 In separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients then add to creamed mixture. Add lemon juice to all and mix well. Put dough in refrigerator for several hours. 3 Generously sprinkle powdered sugar on counter or other rolling surface and roll dough to ¼" thick , cut with cookie cutters, decorate as desired and bake at 350° for 7 - 10 min. or until starting to brown. 4 ** Other ways to make the cookies is to roll dough into 1" balls, roll in granulated sugar and press with a decorative cookie press or with the bottom of a glass. 5 ***For chocolate frosting, don't decorate cookies before baking but immediately as they come out of the oven, place a few chocolate chips on top of the cookies, wait until the chips melt and then spread around to "ice" the top of the cookie. You can then add decorations to the top of the chocolate. I like to use the Ghiradelli 60% cocoa chips. Servings: 60  Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1 serving Percent daily values based on a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. The following ingredients were not linked to the ingredient database and were not included in the nutrition information: powdered sugar for rolling dough Amount Per Serving Calories 111.45 Calories From Fat (54%) 59.94 % Daily Value Total Fat 6.80g 10% Saturated Fat 2.22g 11% Cholesterol 11.02mg 4% Sodium 82.73mg 3% Potassium 18.39mg 1% Carbohydrates 11.76g 4% Dietary Fiber 0.23g 1% Sugar 5.35g Sugar Alcohols 0.00g Net Carbohydrates 11.53g Protein 1.00g 2% Recipe formatted and exported by Living Cookbook from Radium Technologies, Inc.

Buttermilk Oatmeal Berry Muffins

Blueberry season will soon be here again.  I still have a few quart size bags in my freezer.  I love them!  They are such an easy little berry to use in so many things.  As I made these this morning, my 3 year old granddaughter came for a visit.  She walked in and said " Oooh!  Whatcha making Nina?"  I lifted her onto the counter top so she could watch as I put in each ingredient.  Oh my goodness how I love having another grandchild  who can share the joys of baking with me!  After they were done, she, along with her little brother helped eat several of them.  They were wonderful with my morning coffee!
           

Buttermilk-Oatmeal Berry Muffins

I use the Saco Buttermilk powder but you can add 1 TBSP of lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of milk and let it stand for 10 minutes, and you have a wonderful and easy substitute. I didn't use the walnuts because my daughter is allergic but I'm sure they would be wonderful! I use frozen blueberries but you can use any berries that you choose.

1 1/8 cups Old Fashioned Oatmeal 1 cup buttermilk 1 Tbsp vanilla extract 1 cup flour, all purpose 1 Tbsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1 egg 3/4 cup light brown sugar 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 1/3 cup blueberries

1 Generously butter ( I use PAM) 18 standard size muffin tins. Place on rack in center of oven . Preheat oven to 400 degrees. I did not do this. I just put the batter into cold muffin tins. 2 Blend oats, buttermilk and vanilla in a medium bowl; set aside. 3 Combine egg, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl (I used my KitchenAid mixer) and blend well. 4 Add butter and beat for 1 minute. 5 Add buttermilk mixture and blend well, 6 Add dry ingredients and blend until flour is just incorporated; do not over mix. 7 Fold in berries. ( Since my berries are frozen I don't have to be too careful because they aren't as delicate as thawed berries) 8 Fill muffin tins 1/2 full dividing the batter equally among the 18 tins. 9 Bake until muffins are lightly browned, about 15 to 20 min. Turn out onto rack to cool.

Servings: 18

Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1/18 of a recipe (2.1 ounces). Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. Amount Per Serving Calories 118.74 Calories From Fat (24%) 28.96 % Daily Value Total Fat 3.29g 5% Saturated Fat 1.86g 9% Cholesterol 12.32mg 4% Sodium 275.3mg 11% Potassium 71.04mg 2% Total Carbohydrates 20.33g 7% Fiber 1.05g 4% Sugar 10.76g Protein 2.1g 4%

Honey Oatmeal Bread

I made homemade bread to go with our chicken noodle soup the other night.  I posted pictures on Facebook  (https://www.facebook.com/NansNappies) and had some requests for the recipe so here it is.

The recipe is in my cookbook that came with my Kitchenaid Mixer almost 20 years ago.

In a small sauce pan combine :

 1 1/2 cups water,

 1/2 cup honey ( I used Agave Nectar)

 1/3 cup butter

 I like to use Agave Nectar because it has a lower glycemic index and is lower in calories.

Place the sauce pan over low heat until the liquids are very warm ( 120-130 degrees F)

As you can see from my thermometer, I got the liquids too hot.  It is important to let them cool before adding your yeast or you will kill the yeast!  I was in a hurry, as usual, and didn't want to wait for it to cool so I filled a bowl with some ice cubes and placed the pan on top. I kept stirring the liquids and in under two minutes they were the correct temperature.

Set the liquids aside.

In your mixing bowl place 5 cups all purpose flour.  Again I changed the recipe.  I used 3 cups bread flour , not all purpose, and 2 cups whole wheat flour.  I sometimes subsitute 1/2 cup ground flaxseed for 1/2 cup of the white flour.

To the flour add 1 cup quick cooking oats.   I do not like quick cooking oats and always use Old Fashioned Oats.

Add 2 tsp salt and 2 packages of dry active yeast.  I always use the jar of Bread Machine Yeast which says 2 1/4 tsp equals 1 package of yeast .

Attach the bowl with the dry ingredients to your mixer with dough hook attached.  Mix on speed 2 for about 15 seconds.

Gradually add your saucepan of warm liquid to the flour mixture and mix about 1 minute.  Add 2 eggs and mix an additional minute.

Continue mixing on Speed 2  and add up to 1 1/2 additional cups of bread flour 1/2 cup at a time, until dough clings to hook and cleans the sides of the bowl.  Knead on Speed 2 for 2 minutes longer.

Place in a greased bowl ( I spray mine with Pam or equivalent but you can also use Crisco or butter in the bowl)  When placing it in the bowl, try to form a ball with the dough.  Then you can either turn it over to get the top greased or spray more Pam on the top of the dough.  Cover with a cloth or piece of wax paper and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk about 1 hour.  If you want it to rise faster, turn your oven on to 200 degrees.  Once oven is warm, turn it off and place your bowl of dough in the oven.  You will know when the bread has doubled if you press it with your finger and it tried to bounce back.

Punch dough down.  That is exactly what you do!  Use your fist and punch it straight down in the center.

  Spray or grease two loaf pans.  Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a loaf and place into greased loaf pan.  Cover and let rise again until doubled in bulk for about 1 hour.

There are various methods for shaping.  I sometimes place the ball of cough on a flour covered board and roll it out to a rectangle about the width of my bread pan.  Then , beginning on the wide end of the dough I roll it up like a jelly roll, tuck the ends in and place it in the pan.  This does give the bread a good consistency.  If I am too hurried, I just kind of mold it into a loaf and put in the loaf pan.

Turn your oven on to 375 degrees.  While it is heating, take a small bowl and combine 1 egg white with 1 Tbsp water.  Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of each loaf.  Then sprinkle with some more oatmeal.

Now it's ready to go in the oven for  around 40 min. or until the tops are golden brown.

This bread is great fresh from the oven.  The next day it's best when heated a little in the microwave or lightly toasted.  That is my favorite way to eat it!

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cakes

 

Love to Cook: Reese's Cup Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake (Annie's Eats)

Oh my goodness!  Andy and I LOVE chocolate and we love peanut butter.  When I  saw this recipe on Jenn Mair's blog I had to share.

I have not tasted the above cake but I have tasted the cake in the next link.  It is from Taste of Home.

Blue Ribbon Peanut Butter Torte. 




http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Blue-Ribbon-Peanut-Butter-Torte

Our pastors wife, who is an excellent baker, brought this cake to our missions conference ladies luncheon.  the cake is a moist peanut butter cake but the chocolate filling is to die for.  It is so smooth and rich and creamy.  Almost like a silky truffle on your tongue.  And the icing is wonderful too!