Nana’s Never Fail Chocolate Cake

Nana’s Never Fail Chocolate Cake
 
by: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Print
Ingredients
  • 1 Egg
  • ½ cup Cocoa
  • ½ cup Crisco
  • 1 ½ cups Flour
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla
  • 1 tsp. Baking Soda
  • ¼ tsp. Salt
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • ½ cup strong Instant Coffee
  • ½ cup Sour milk or Buttermilk
Instructions
  1. Put all in bowl in order given.
  2. Mix only after last item is added.
  3. Bake in 300 oven one hour.
  4. inch tube pan or 8x8x2 inch pan.
  5. In making cup cakes - 300 oven for 25 or 30 minutes.

Nana’s Grape-Nut Pudding

Nana's Grape-Nut Pudding
 
by: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Print
This is my favorite thing ever!!! Mom always makes a double batch and this is the amount I remember Nana bringing to Grandma's at various times.
Ingredients
  • ½ cup grape nuts
  • hot water
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 cups milk
Instructions
  1. Measure ½ cup grape nuts into measuring cup.
  2. Add enough hot water to make 1 cup.
  3. Beat 3 eggs in deep bowl.
  4. Add ½ cup sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, pinch of salt and beat well.
  5. Add 2 cups milk and beat again.
  6. Add grape nuts .
  7. Butter casserole dish and pour mixture set in pan of water. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 min. or until knife comes out clean.
  8. *I made this with soymilk one time and it took forever to set. I think I cooked it for an extra half hour or so and it was still jiggly when I took it out, but firmed up as it cooled.
  9. **DonaMom made this before with the lactose free milk and it tasted great. I don't think she had to adjust the recipe at all.

Grandma Joyce’s After School Apple Cake

After School Apple Cake
 
by: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Print
Ingredients
  • 6 apples
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • ¾ c. vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 ¼ c. sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. baking powder
  • 1 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 c. whole wheat flour
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour a 13x9x2 inch baking pan.
  2. Peel, core, and slice the apples, set them in a large bowl, and sprinkle them with the cinnamon.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend the oil, eggs, and sugar.
  4. Add the baking powder, flour, and wheat flour and blend until combined.
  5. Pour the batter over the apples, gently stirring until the apples are just coated.
  6. Pour this mix into the prepared baking pan, arranging the apples in an even layer, and bake for 35-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. When the cake is cool, cut into small squares. Makes 18 pieces.

Grandma Jean’s Key Lime Pie Recipe

Grandma Jean's Key Lime Pie Recipe
 
by: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Print
Ingredients
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 6 egg whites
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • ½ cup fresh lime juice (about 6 or 7 limes)
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ½ tsp. cream of tartar
  • 9” pie shell, baked
Instructions
  1. Beat egg yolks & slowly blend in condensed milk.
  2. Add lime juice. Mix well.
  3. In large bowl, add cream of tartar to egg whites and beat until it starts to thicken.
  4. Continue beating, adding sugar a little at a time. Beat until stiff peaks form.
  5. Take 6 Tablespoons of this mixture and mix into filling.
  6. Pour filling into pie crust. Put meringue on top of crust & mixture.
  7. Bake at 350 until lightly browned - about 7-8 minutes.
  8. *CRUST*
  9. From Betty Crocker, make the baked 2 crust recipe. I tend to use ¾ of the recipe. (The whole thing makes the crust too thick, but half isn’t quite enough.)
  10. cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
  11. ½ teaspoon salt
  12. ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
  13. to 3 tablespoons cold water
  14. Heat oven to 475ºF.
  15. Mix flour and salt in medium bowl.
  16. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas.
  17. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
  18. Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Wrap flattened round of pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
  19. Roll pastry, using floured rolling pin, into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.
  20. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate.
  21. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate; flute as desired.
  22. Prick bottom and side of pastry thoroughly with fork.
  23. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown; cool on wire rack.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
 
by: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Print
Serve with powdered sugar dusted on top. Or fresh whip cream!
Ingredients
  • ½ cup margarine (softened)
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1½ tsp vanilla
  • 1½ cups grated zucchini
  • 1⅔ cups flour
  • ⅓ cups cocoa powder
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ⅓ cup milk
  • ⅔ cups nuts (optional)
Instructions
  1. mix margarine & sugar well
  2. add eggs & vanilla and mix again
  3. add zucchini & mix.
  4. mix dry ingredients together. add alternately with milk.
  5. add nuts (optional).
  6. bake in a 10” tube pan for 1 hour at 350.

Nana’s Baked Rice Pudding

Nana's Baked Rice Pudding
 
by: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Print
Ingredients
  • ⅓ c. raw regular white rice *Cannot be instant!
  • 5 c. milk
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 4 eggs
  • ¾ c. sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp. vanilla or lemon
Instructions
  1. In top of double boiler, combine rice & 4 cups of the milk, salt. Cook over boiling water, stirring occasionally one hour. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 2 quart casserole. Place in baking pan.
  2. In a large bowl combine eggs, sugar, vanilla & remaining 1 cup milk. Beat just until blended. Gradually stir in hot rice mixture. Pour into prepared casserole. Pour hot water to one-inch depth around casserole. Bake uncovered for 60 minutes or until silver knife inserted in custard 1 inch from edge of casserole comes out clean. Remove from hot water to wire rack to cool. Then refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours or overnight.

Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake with Raspberry Sauce

Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake with Raspberry Sauce
 
by: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Print
Ingredients
Cake
  • 12 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped coarsely
  • 4 oz unsweetened chocolate
  • 1# unsalted butter, in chunks
  • 1 cup espresso, or 1T instant espresso in 1c water
  • 1 cup packed golden brown sugar
  • 8 eggs beaten
Sauce
  • 3 10oz packages frozen rasberries in syrup, or fresh
Instructions
  1. FOR SAUCE (optional) : puree raspberries and syrup, strain or not according to your preference. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
  2. FOR CAKE: preheat to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9" diameter cake pan with 2" high sides with parchment paper cut to the traced out bottom. Cover parchment and sides with a thin layer of butter from the remnants of a stick of butter's wrapper.
  3. Place all chocolate in a large bowl. Bring butter, espresso and sugar to a boil in a saucepan, or over a double boiler. Stir until butter and sugar have dissolved.
  4. Add butter mixture over the chocolate, whisk until smooth. Let cool a minute before whisking in the eggies.
  5. Pour the batter into your pan. You can put this into the oven just as it is and keep a close eye on it, to make sure it doesn't get over done. The REAL directions say to cook it in a roasting pan with a water bath. This to me is both dicey, as I am clumsy enough to get the water in the cake every time. Also, I can never seem to find a roasting pan big enough to both fit the cake pan, and also high enough to fit two inches of hot water. Do whichever you want, but I promise it will still work without the water bath.
  6. To know when it's done, stick a knife in the middle and when it comes out just a little cakey, it should be done. Also, if you jiggle the cake and it wiggles slightly in the middle, that's perfect. Take the cake out and stick it in the snow for an hour or two, or put it in the fridge until its quite cool, or overnight. Serve with the sauce if you want, or experiment with ganache!

Julie’s Granola

Julie's Granola
 
by: 
Nutrition Information
  • Serves: 30
  • Serving size: 4 oz
Cuisine: breakfast, snack
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Print
This kept Julie going while she hiked the AT. Makes over 3 pounds.
Ingredients
Dry:
  • 5 cups gluten free organic oats
  • ¼ cup flax seed
  • 1-1/2 cups shredded coconut
  • ½ cup sesame seeds
  • ½ cup sunflower seeds
  • ¾ cup slivered almonds
  • ¾ cup other nuts (pecans or cashews or hazelnuts, whatever you have)
  • ½ cup pumpkin seeds (optional)
Wet:
  • ½ cup honey (raw Vermont honey is best of course)
  • ⅓ cup oil
  • ¼ cup maple syrup (VT grade B)
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp vanilla
Fruit:
  • 1 cups dried fruit (raisins, dried cranberries, dates, or even candied ginger)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°
  2. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl
  3. Heat wet ingredients in a sauce pan until mixed, but do not boil
  4. Add wet ingredients to dry, stir until well mixed
  5. Spread in a thin layer on five 13x9 jelly roll pans
  6. Bake 45 minutes, stirring occasionally
  7. Cool then add dry fruit
Notes
Lately I've been mixing the granola without nuts, then dividing it into 2 or 3 bowls and adding different nuts to each smaller batch. Later I can also add different fruits to different batches also. Some possibilities: cashew-raisin, hazelnut-cranberry, cashew-ginger.

Basil & Strombie Lemonade (Strawberry + Zombie = Strombie)

Basil & Strombie Lemonade
Print
Strawberry + Zombie = Strombie
Ingredients
  • 3-4 washed basil leaves, plucked in the prime of their life.
  • 1tsp sweet fairy cocaine.
  • 4 fresh strawberries, scalped.
  • 4oz. life essence, freshly harvested from the eviscerated carcasses of several unfortunate lemons.
  • 1oz. Lucille-strength vodka. The good stuff.
  • Dash of balsamic vinegar
  • Fancy toothpick, small strawberry, and basil leaf for classy garnish
Instructions
  1. In the bottom of a tumbler, muddle basil leaves with the sugar.
  2. Add the strawberries and continue to smush.
  3. Once combined, add ice, lemonade, vodka, and a dash of balsamic vinegar.
  4. Shake, then strain into a classy martini glass.
  5. Finish with garnish and enjoy.

Slow Cooked Black Beans

black-beans
Slow Cooked Black Beans
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Print
I love these delicious, savory, slow cooked beans. The slow cooker lets you skip that whole "soak overnight" step, and ensures that the aromatic onions and garlic flavors are absorbed by the beans.
Ingredients
  • 1 lb dry black beans
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 3 whole cloves garlic
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 Tbl cumin
  • 1 Tbl chile powder
  • 1 Tbl salt
Instructions
  1. sort through the dry beans, removing any broken beans and stones
  2. add beans, water, onion, cloves, and bay leaves to dry cooker
  3. cook on low for 6 hours
  4. about ½ hour before they're done, add the salt and spices
  5. remove the garlic cloves and bay leaves before serving
  6. serve with grated cheese and cilantro
Notes
These will keep a week or more in the fridge. And stored in ziplock bags and flattened out they also freeze well.