MeMom's Cake in a Pan

It took me years to get the recipe for the icing down right. I was using too much milk! This is my Dear Professor's family treasure--a recipe for what some call Texas Sheet Cake, or simply chocolate cake from scratch. It is good. And others love it as well. You just can't go wrong with chocolate!

(The recipe is written as I received it. Be sure to read my comments about the amount of milk for the icing.)

MeMom's Cake in a Pan

Cake
2 1/2 c sugar
1 c shortening
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c flour
1/3 c cocoa
1 c buttermilk
1 c boiling water.

Cream shortening with sugar, salt, eggs, soda. Add
cocoa. Add remaing ingredients, mixing in boling water
last. Pour into 9x13 inch pan and bake at 325*F for 45
minutes to an hour. (test by sticking a toothpick in the
middle. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done.)


Icing
1/4 c cocoa
2 c sugar
2/3 c milk
1/2 c butter
1/4 tsp salt
tsp butter flavored vanilla

Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Add sugar.
cocoa, salt. Add milk (I have used 1/4c to 1/3c
buttermilk or evaporated milk) Bring to a boil, stirring
constantly. Boil gently 2 minutes, or until it begins to
thicken. Remove from heat and beat in the vanilla.
Pour over warm cake.

Crockpot Chicken Pie

We belong to a house church that meets every Sunday afternoon for a time of worship and prayer followed by a fellowship meal. I spend some part of my Saturdays deciding what dish to bring. Last week I researched what was in the freezer and pantry and came up with something tasty, Crockpot Chicken Pie.

Ingredients:
2 small cans cream of mushroom soup
1 small can Swanson chicken broth
boneless chicken breasts
frozen mixed vegetables for soup (if you're inclined, substitute fresh veggies)
2 small cans garbanzo beans, drained
small onion, diced
Mrs. Dash original blend salt free to season
noodles

Directions:
Throw everything into a crockpot(chicken on bottom, soup and broth on top), cover, and bake for 5-6 hrs on high. An hour before it's done, add noodles. Serves 6.

Gluten Free Boule

Thanks to the folks behind the book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day, here is a great recipe for a gluten free boule:

Gluten-Free Crusty Boule

Makes enough dough for at least four 1-pound loaves

2 cups Brown Rice Flour

1 1/2 cups Sorghum Flour

3 cups Tapioca Flour (also called tapioca starch)

2 tablespoons yeast (can be reduced but you will have to increase the rise time)

1 tablespoon kosher salt (increase or decrease to taste)

2 tablespoons Xanthan Gum

2 2/3 cups lukewarm water

4 large eggs, whisked together

1/3 cup neutral-flavored oil or olive oil

2 tablespoons honey or sugar

Click here for instructions. Or watch the video:



Jeff and Zoe have made it so easy that there is no excuse to try baking your own bread. Nothing says "home" like the smell of bread in the oven.

Another wonderful place to visit for recipes and video tutorials is Breadtopia If you get serious about breadmaking, you must gift yourself with a danish dough whisk. Easy to clean, and does a quick job of mixing dough, especially if you make large batches. Also check out his video tutorials on sourdough culture and baking.

Easy Refrigerator Rolls

It's important to understand that although I like to eat, I do not like to spend hours slaving over a hot stove.  Unless it's Christmas or Thanksgiving!

Way back in the dark ages before personal computers, I clipped recipes from newspapers (remember newspapers?) and magazines and taped them to recipe cards.  This is a family favorite, and easier than pie!

Heloise's Bootleg Beans

These are simple, tasty, and go with just about anything. They can be cooked in the oven, on top of the stove, in a crockpot, or "nuked" in the microwave. You can dress them up with water chestnuts or crushed pineapple.

Heloise's Bootleg Beans

3 strips bacon, fried and diced
1 small chopped onion
1 can pork and beans in tomato sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons ketchup

Fry the bacon until crisp, then cook the chopped onion in the bacon grease until it is brown. Pour off most of the grease and add the beans, brown sugar and ketchup. Stir well, cover and simmer slowly for a few minutes. You also can bake this dish in a 300-degree oven for about an hour, or simmer in a crockpot for an hour or two.

King Arthur Sausage Cheese Biscuits

From the King Arthur Flour website

* 2 cups cooked, sliced breakfast sausage links (1/2"

pieces)
* 1 cup diced cheddar cheese
* 3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon Pizza Dough Flavor, optional
* 1/2 cup butter, cut in pats
* 1 cup yogurt, buttermilk, or sour cream (low-fat is fine)

* 3/4 pound breakfast sausage links, cooked and sliced in

1/2" pieces
* 4 ounces diced cheddar cheese
* 12 3/4 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon Pizza Dough Flavor, optional
* 4 ounces butter, cut in pats
* 8 ounces yogurt, buttermilk, or sour cream (low-fat is fine)

Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2) In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking
powder, baking soda, salt, and Pizza Dough Flavor. Add the
butter, cut in pats.

3) Work in the butter till the mixture is crumbly.

4) Add the sausage and cheese, mixing to distribute. Add the
yogurt, buttermilk, or sour cream.

5) Mix just till everything is evenly moistened.

6) Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment or a lightly
floured work surface. Pat and roll it into an 8" x 10" rectangle
about 3/4" thick.

7) Cut the dough into twenty 2" squares.

8) If you've been working on parchment, simply lift the
parchment onto a baking sheet. Separate the scones so
there's about 1" between them. If the scones aren't on
parchment,, space them on a lightly greased baking sheet,
leaving about 1" between them.

9) Bake the scones for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they're a
medium- to deep-golden brown.

10) Remove the scones form the oven, and cool them on a
rack briefly. Serve warm.