Since Memorial Day is right around the corner, I think that this next week, I will concentrate on recipes which you could use for your Memorial Day picnic. Flipping through my old 1970’s spiral notebook which I had written down so many favorite recipes from my Italian neighbor, Cam, I saw this recipe that we used so many times over brownies, homemade icecream or trifles. It is delicious and makes a great gift if you put it in a mason jar and tie a ribbon around the lid.

1 pkg (6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup butter

1 1/3 cup evaporated milk

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 teas vanilla

Melt chips and butter over low heat, stirring occastionally. Add sugar and milk, blending well. Bring to a boil and cook about 8 min over low heat, stirring constantly. Add vanilla. Serve warm. Store unused portion in fridge and reheat when needed. Makes 2 2/3 cup sauce.

Homemade Ice Cream

4 eggs beaten

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 can pet milk

1 tables vanilla.

Mix all ingredients.  Pour into freezer can and then  fill up the ice cream freezer to the fill line with milk.  (Most of the time, I use half and half or part whipping cream.) Remember the more whipping cream and half and half you use instead of just milk, the creamier the ice cream. Freeze according to directions on freezer. Makes 4 qts.

Since it is Mothers day and I am a “mom”, I figured that I could write anything I wanted today (actually, I guess I could write everyday what I wanted since this is my blog,ha)

AND since one of my most favorite things is chocolate, I thought I would give you one of my most favorite and “old” tried and true and easy recipes for a one-bowl chocolate cake that I have made since 1970 …..So here it is and I promise you, it will give you the answer to whatever “chocolate craving” you ever have.

Never-Fail Cake & Frosting

2 eggs (at room temp)

3/4 cup cocoa

1 cup shortening (I use 1 stick of butter and 1/2 cup shortening)

2 cups flour (I use 2 cups flour,ha)

1 cup buttermilk or sour milk (see note below*)

2 teas vanilla

2 teas baking soda

2 cups sugar

1 cup hot water

1/2 tsp salt

Place ingredients in large mixing bowl; do not mix until all are in bowl. Mix for 2 mins at low speed. Place in two 8 or 9 inch layer pans or 1 9×13 pan which you have greased and floured or sprayed with Pam. Bake for about 25 to 35 min depending upon the pans you use, or until a toothpick comes out clean when tested in center of cake.

Frosting:

1 cup sugar

4 tables cocoa

4 tables evaporated milk

1 egg

1 teas vanilla

Put all ingredients except vanilla in heavy skillet over low heat; stir until melted. Boil for 1 min. Remove from heat; add vanilla. Stir and spread over warm cake.

Am making 100 cupcakes for Randy to take to work tomorrow, so wanted to do something a little different than just chocolate or yellow with chocolate frosting. I just made Banana chocolate chip cupcakes with chocolate frosting. Yummy…Randy even ate one and he is not real big on banana flavor.

Duncan Hines Banana flavored cake mix

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup oil

4 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

Mix all ingredients and beat for about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of chocolate chips and stir. Pour into cupcake liners. This recipe made 30 cupcakes. Frost with your favorite chocolate frosting. I have one under desserts for the one I used.

YUM! Wow, made this last night and it is the best and oh so simple….you can mix it up in 5 min, bake it in 4o and be sitting down to eat it in another 5, so when you are wanting something a little chocolatey, try this.

1 Duncan Hines German Chocolate Cake mix (if they don’t have this, buy the Swiss Chocolate)

1 can of Pecan Coconut Frosting mix

3 eggs

1 cup water

1/3 cup oil

Mix all ingredients together for 3 minutes (1 minute on slow and 2 on medium)

Spray a bundt pan with Pam and sprinkle sugar around the bottom and sides of pan coating the cake pan with the sugar. Pour out any remaining sugar. Pour cake mixture into pan and bake at 350 preheated oven for about 40 to 45 minutes or until cake test done with a toothpick. Cool for about 10 minutes and then invert onto serving plate. I made a little chocolate glaze to pour over the top, but this is good enough to eat with just powdered sugar sprinkled over the top. If you want the glaze, mix the following:

2 cup powdered sugar

4 tables softened butter

1/2 cup melted semi sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup whipping cream

1 teas vanilla

When mixed competely, pour over cake while cake is still warm……

 

Well, here is still anothe recipe for a different coconut pound cake from Jerry McGraw. It does sound delish and know I will be making it in the next week. FYI…today, I made chocolate cupcakes and just made my buttercream frosting, but instead of flavoring it will vanilla, I put in coconut flavor and then died coconut green and sprinkled over the top. They were so good witht the coconut flavor in the frosting on top of the chocolate cake…..try it!

Saw your recipe for coconut cake on your blog today, thought I would share my mother’s with you. Definitely not as easy as the one you posted, but is very yummy also!

4 large eggs beaten until thick & lemon colored

Sift together:

  3 cups flour

  2 cups sugar

  ½ tsp. soda

  ¼ tsp. salt

1 cup Crisco

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. coconut flavoring

1 cup angel flake coconut.

To egg add Crisco & small amount of dry ingredients. Alternate adding the dry ingredients & buttermilk, then add coconut flavoring.

Fold in coconut.

Bake in greased & floured tube pan @ 350 for about an hour or until tests done.

Glaze:  Mix together 1 cup sugar and ½ cup water until sugar dissolves, boil for 1 minute & add 2 tsp. coconut flavoring. Pour over hot cake.

If you love banana pudding, this will take the place of any banana pudding you have ever eaten. It is listed on the back of the Eagle Brand Milk can, but if you happen to buy an off brand, I will give it to you.

1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk (this is different from evaporated milk)

1 1/2 cups cold water

1 4 serving package instant vanilla pudding mix

2 cups (1 pt) whipping cream, whipped

1 package of Keebler Shortbread cookies crushed

3 medium bananas, sliced and dipped in lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and water. Add pudding mix, beat until well blended. Chill 5 minutes.

Fold in whipped cream. Spoon 1 cup pudding mixture into 2 1/2 quart glass serving bowl (or use individual serving dishes, which makes a very nice presentation, layering the crushed cookies, the bananas and the pudding mixture. Begin and end with the crushed cookies. I like to top with more whipped cream.

Cover and chill until time to serve.

Cream of Coconut Cake

I guess you can tell by this time, that coconut cake is one of my favorite desserts. There are just so many different types, each having their own flavors and consistencies. This cake is such an easy one to bake when in a time crunch, yet, it is delicious and so moist.

1 box of yellow or French vanilly cake mix

1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk

1 can cream of coconut

1 8 oz. container of Cool Whip

1 cup of canned or frozen coconut

Bake cake according to directions on back of box in a 13 x 9 cake pan. Remove from oven and punch holes in hot cake with the end of a wooden spoon. Combine condensed milk and cream of coconut and pour over hot cake. When cake is cool, spread Cool Whip on top and sprinkle with the coconut.

Allow to sit overnight in refrigerator before serving. It allows the flavors to blend.

As you can tell from my recipes, I prefer the French Vanilla cake mixes to the white cake mix. I think it has more flavor and seems to blend so beautifully with the coconut flavors. But the white is just fine to use, if you prefer.

Wow, this cake is scrumptious. I combined two recipes and it turned out delicious.

Mix up a Duncan HInes Devils Food cake mix as follows.

1 Devils Food cake mix

1 small size chocolate instant pudding

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups water

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients. Preheat oven to 350. Set cake batter aside for a minute. Spray a bundt or tube pan with Pam.. Make filling:

Filling:

Beat 3 egg whites for about 30 seconds on high.  Add 1 teas almond extract. Add 1/2 cup sugar about 1 tables at a time (this takes about 2 min). The whites should look whipped and glossy, at this point.  Fold in 1/4 cup flour and then 2/3 cup shredded coconut, just until well blended. Set aside.

Pour half of cake mixture into pan. Spoon the coconut mixture over the cake batter, being careful not to let it touch the sides of the cake pan. Then spoon rest of the cake batter over the coconut mixture. Bake for about 45 to 50 min. Cool in pan and then invert onto cake plate. Frost with the following:

Frosting:

Combine 2 cups whole milk, 1 (4 oz) package shredded coconut, 1 tables powdered sugar, 1 teas vanilla and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until the milk is absorbed and the mixture thickens. Stir occasionally, about 15 mins. Cool completely.  Spoon this topping over the cooled cake. Drizzle the chocolate glaze over the coconut topping.

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, 1 sq of semi-sweet chocolate, which has been melted in the butter. 1/2 teas almond extract. Use milk to thin as necessary to drizzle over the cake.

 

1 box of any chocolate cake mix (I do prefer Duncan Hines)

1 small instant chocolate pudding mix

2 cups milk

1 can cherry pie filling

8 oz. whipped topping, thawed, such as Cool Whip

(I usually use real whipped cream, which would be whipping 8 oz. of heavy whipping cream, adding 1 cup of powdered sugar as you whip. Whip until cream is stiff.

Bake cake mix as directed on box in a 9×13 pan. Cool and cut into 1” sqs.

Prepare pudding mix according to box, but use ½ cups milk instead of 2 cups.

In a trifle dish, line bottom of dish with the cubes of cake. Pour 1/3 can of cherries over cake. Pour 1/3 pudding over the cherries. Top with whipped cream. Repeat layers until dish is full or you have used up all the cake, pudding, cherries and cream.

Cover and chill until ready to serve. This is better if made the day before it is to be served.

If desired, grate chocolate curls over the top.