The BEST chocolate cake and frosting

WOW... it's been a long time since anyone has posted on here!  I actually

have quite a few good recipes, I'll try to share.  Alot of 

yummy healthy ones too!  

But here is a classic one that I love and thought I had on here, but I didnt.

If you love some yourself some chocolate cake, this certainly won't disappoint!

I honestly can't remember where I found it, sorry to whoever's recipe it is for not giving you credit, but it's really really yummy!  I want to say it was in LDS living magazine???

The BEST Chocolate Cake and CUPCAKES!

 sift together:

3 c. flour

2 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c. baking cocoa

slowly add:

2 c. cold water

3/4 c. vegetable oil (I use Canola . . . it’s healthier)

2 Tb. white vinegar

2 tsp. vanilla

Pour into 9×13 pan – cook at 350* for 30-35 mins (depending on your oven & altitude, it can take even longer than 35 mins. Poke the middle with a toothpick & if it comes out clean, the cake is done).

This recipe also makes great cupcakes (just cook for 15-18 mins) or two cake rounds (cook time will be similar to that of a box cake).

  

Perfectly Perfect Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Cranberry Orange Cookies

My mom used to make these around Thanksgiving for the widows in our ward when I was little. I  haven't had them in years, but got a major craving for them the other day.  YUM! Found recipe at www.allrecipes.com by Mordavia.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chopped cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
•  
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg until well blended. Mix in 1 teaspoon orange zest and 2 tablespoons orange juice. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the orange mixture. Mix in cranberries and if using, walnuts, until evenly distributed. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Cookies should be spaced at least 2 inches apart.
3. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are golden. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.
4. In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 teaspoon orange zest, 3 tablespoons orange juice and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over the tops of cooled cookies. Let stand until set.

carmel apple cookies

This turned out very yummy, I didn't use the almonds though.

Caramel Apple Cookies
Makes 36 two inch cookies | Preparation: Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cookie base adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

•1 ¾ cup unbleached all purpose flour
•½ teaspoon baking soda
•14 tablespoon unsalted butter
•½ cup granulated sugar
•½ cup packed dark brown sugar
•1 teaspoon salt
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1 large egg
•1 large egg yolk
•1 cup diced apples, 4oz.
•¾ cup chopped salted roasted almonds
•½ cup toffee bits
INSTRUCTIONS:

1.Whisk flour and baking soda.
2.Heat 10 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat until melted about 2 minutes. Continue stirring for another 1-3 minutes until brown and there is a nutty aroma. Remove from heat. Pour heated butter through a sieve into a heat proof bowl. Stir in remaining butter until completely melted.
3.Add both sugars, salt and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully combined. Add egg and egg yolk, whisk until mixture is smooth and no sugar lumps remains, about 30 seconds.
4.Let mixture stand for 3 minutes then whisk for another 30 seconds.
5.Repeat step four 2 more times until mixture is thick and shiny.
6.Stir in flour until combined. Stir in apples, roasted almonds and toffee bits combined.
7.Use an ice cream scoop to form cookies. Place dough 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
8.Bake cookies one tray at a time, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking. Bake until cookies are golden brown and still puffy. Approximately 10-14 minutes.

Peach pie

Photo via taste of homes website

This peach pie was so yummy!  It was like pie and cobbler combined, definitely did not disappoint!

Ingredients

    1 egg white, lightly beaten

    1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)

    3/4 cup all-purpose flour

    1/2 cup packed brown sugar

    1/3 cup sugar

    1/4 cup cold butter, cubed

    6 cups sliced peeled fresh peaches

Directions

    Unroll pastry into a 9-in. pie plate; flute edges. Brush egg white over the bottom and sides of the pastry.

    In a small bowl, combine flour and sugars; cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Sprinkle two-thirds into pastry; top with peaches. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.

    Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until filling is bubbly and peaches are tender. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Peanut Butter Cup Bars

I found the recipe on Stylish Cuisine They were YUMMY!  Very close to reese's peanut butter cups, very rich though!  You'll want to eat lots, but one will do it for a while :)  But oh so good! (not so good for you though).  P.S. She has some fabulous pictures of them, if you want to see them.  I didn't get a picture before they were all gone!

Peanut Butter Cup Bars


1/2 cup butter
1 3/4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
(Line a 8×8, 9×9, or 7×11 pan with foil for easy removal of bars later.)
Melt 1/2 c. butter of low heat. Remove from heat and stir in confectioner’s sugar. Add peanut butter and graham cracker crumbs, stirring until creamy. Spread mixture into pan, patting down evenly.
In same pot, on low heat, melt butter. Add chocolate chips and stir until chips are nearly melted and very soft. Remove from heat and continue stirring until chocolate is smooth and shiny. Spread over peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut into bars.
Store peanut butter cup bars in refrigerator.
Yield:  16 or more bars (depending upon how big you cut them)

Key lime Cupcakes with Blackberry frosting

THE MOST VERY BEST AND YUMMIEST CUPCAKES YOU'LL EVER MAKE!  Seriously though. these are amazing!

 Found on http://www.bakedperfection.com/

Key Lime Cupcakes with Blackberry Frosting

makes 30 cupcakes

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons key lime juice
zest of two limes
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or paper-line 30 baking cups.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla, key lime juice and lime zest; mix well. Add the flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream (batter will be thick). Fill muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely and frost as desired.

Blackberry Filling
recipe from Baked Perfection

1 32oz container frozen blackberries
3 tablespoons sugar
Juice of one lemon
3 tablespoons cornstarch
pinch of salt

Place blackberries in a small bowl and sprinkle with sugar, let thaw. Drain blackberries, reserving liquid. Squish the blackberries and push through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds, set aside. Add enough water to the blackberry liquid to equal 1 cup. In a large saucepan, combine the blackberry liquid, lemon juice, cornstarch, and salt. Heat and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Cool completely. Stir blackberries into the cooled mixture. Refrigerate until ready to use. (This can be made several days in advance and any leftovers works well on toast, on pancakes, or mixed in plain Greek Yogurt.)

Blackberry Buttercream
recipe from Baked Perfection

2 sticks butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup blackberry filling (seedless blackberry jam or preserves can be substituted)
pinch of salt
6 cups powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk

Beat butter and vanilla until creamy. Mix in blackberry filling and salt. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until combined. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency.

The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever

This recipe comes courtesy of The Pioneer Woman.  I have to say this is in my top 5 of favorite desserts and it is soooooo easy and fast to make.  I LOVE this recipe!!

 

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE:

• 2 cups Flour
• 2 cups Sugar
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1 cup Boiling Water
• ½ cups Buttermilk
• 2 whole Beaten Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla

FOR FROSTING:

• ½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
• 1-¾ stick Butter
• 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
• 6 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar 

Preparation Instructions

Note: I use an 18×13 sheet cake pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.
While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you’ve just made the best chocolate sheet cake. Ever.

Posted by Ree on July 31 2009

Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

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	About Concordance™

INGREDIENTS

Brownie Base

1	box (1 lb 2.4 oz) brownie mix, mixed according to directions

Filling

1/3	cup butter, softened
1/3	cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/3	cups powdered sugar
1 1/2	teaspoons milk

Topping

3/4	cup semisweet chocolate chips
3	tablespoons butter

1. 1 Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of 8-inch or 9-inch square pan with cooking spray or shortening. (For easier cutting, line pan with foil, then grease foil on bottom only of pan.) Make brownies as directed on box. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
2. 2 In medium bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over brownie base.
3. 3 In small microwavable bowl, microwave topping ingredients uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds; stir until smooth. Cool 10 minutes; spread over filling. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set. For brownies, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.I
   

I actually prefer these made with my homemade brownie recipe, but my sister likes them with the boxed mix. Oh so yummy either way!

Yummy Chocolate cake

This really is good, so yummy as cupcakes and it's egg-less :)

The BEST Chocolate Cake

 sift together:

3 c. flour

2 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c. baking cocoa

slowly add:

2 c. cold water

3/4 c. vegetable oil (I use Canola . . . it’s healthier)

2 Tb. white vinegar

2 tsp. vanilla

Pour into 9×13 pan – cook at 350* for 30-35 mins (depending on your oven & altitude, it can take even longer than 35 mins. Poke the middle with a toothpick & if it comes out clean, the cake is done).

 I let it cool for about 30 mins and then frost it with an entire can of milk chocolate frosting from the grocery store.  I frost it while it’s still a little warm & the frosting melts into the cake.

 This recipe also makes great cupcakes (just cook for 15-18 mins) or two cake rounds (cook time will be similar to that of a box cake).

"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Perfect Pie Crust

I will tell you this much, I never made a pie from scratch...never!  But Chad's been begging since we got married so I did it last night and it was SO good!  This is an awesome recipe!  I made it with a variation of her blackberry pie (I did blueberries and blackberries... YUM!!! ) 

 (Recipe from Simply Recipes)

All Butter Crust for Sweet and Savory Pies (Pâte Brisée)

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
• 1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 6 to 8 Tbsp ice water

Method

1 Cut the sticks of butter into 1/2-inch cubes and place in the freezer for 15 minutes to an hour (the longer the better) so that they become thoroughly chilled.

2 Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, add a little more water and pulse again.3 Remove dough from machine and place in a mound on a clean surface. Gently shape into 2 discs. Knead the dough just enough to form the discs, do not over-knead. You should be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These small chunks of butter are what will allow the resulting crust to be flaky. Sprinkle a little flour around the discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days.

4 Remove one crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes in order to soften just enough to make rolling out a bit easier. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. If necessary, add a few sprinkles of flour under the dough to keep the dough from sticking. Carefully place onto a 9-inch pie plate. Gently press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the pie dish.

5 Add filling to the pie.

6 Roll out second disk of dough, as before. Gently place onto the top of the filling in the pie. Pinch top and bottom of dough rounds firmly together. Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving a 3/4 inch overhang. Fold the edge of the top piece of dough over and under the edge of the bottom piece of dough, pressing together. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with a fork. Score the top of the pie with four 2-inch long cuts, so that steam from the cooking pie can escape.

Valentine jam filled pie tarts

These were way easy, way fun and yummy! Kid friendly too!

**Adapted from Family Fun**

Ingredients

 Prepared piecrust

 Jar of strawberry jam

1 egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water

Frosting

2 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon softened butter

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Sprinkles

Heat the oven to 400° and cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

On a floured surface, roll out the piecrust to a 1/8-inch thickness. Use a large heart-shaped cookie cutter (ours measures 4 inches wide) to make pairs of hearts, gathering the scraps and rerolling the dough as necessary.

For each tart, spread 2 teaspoons of strawberry jam on a heart, leaving a ½-inch margin on all sides. Brush the egg mixture around the edge before placing a second heart on top. Use the tines of a fork to seal the edges, then brush the tops with the egg mixture.

Bake the hearts on the prepared cookie sheet until their edges are just beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Let them rest on the sheet a few minutes, then move them to a rack and let them cool completely.

Whisk the first four frosting ingredients in a medium bowl, adding more water a teaspoon at a time if needed to make a smooth, creamy frosting. Add a few drops of food coloring and mix until well blended. Spoon the frosting into a ziplock bag, snip off a corner, and squeeze it onto the tarts. Top with sprinkles.

Cowboy Cookies

Ingredients
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
X

Instructions
In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, blend the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and continue to beat until fluffy, about 1-1/2 minutes. Blend in the vanilla extract.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the dry mixture into the butter mixture one half at a time. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Refrigerate the dough for 1 to 2 hours.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large, preferably light-colored baking sheet with aluminum foil, then grease the foil.

Using a scant 1/4 cup per cookie, shape the dough into balls and place them on the sheet about 2 inches apart.

Use your fingertips to flatten each ball to 1/3 inch thick. Bake the cookies on the center oven rack for 13 to 14 minutes, turning the sheet about halfway through. When they're done, the cookies should be very lightly browned and still look moist. Don't overbake them.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Customizing Cowboy Cookies:
Add some variety to your cookie jar by replacing the walnuts and chips with different mix-in combinations:
Coconut Cowboy Cookies: 1 cup of flaked sweetened coconut, 2 cups of chocolate chips, and 1 cup of chopped walnuts.
Cranberry White Chocolate Cowboy Cookies: 1 cup each of white chocolate chips and dried, sweetened cranberries.
Peanut Butter Cowboy Cookies: 2 cups of peanut butter chips or 1 cup each of peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.