Black Magic Cake

 Black Magic Cake                     Hershey’s Homemade

2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. cocoa (don’t use Dutch processed)
2 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 eggs
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 c. strong, black coffee or 2 t. powdered instant coffee plus 1 c. boiling water
1 c. buttermilk or sour milk* (I use powdered buttermilk I keep in the freezer. Mix powdered buttermilk with correct amount of water before adding to cake batter)
1 t. vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9” round baking pans or one 13 x 9 x 2” baking pan. In large mixer bowl, blend sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder & salt. Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil & vanilla; beat on medium speed 2 minutes (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes for round pans; 35-40 minutes for large pan or until wooden toothpick inserted in center tests clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as desired.

(If you don't have buttermilk: To make sour milk use 1 T. white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup)

Easy, Basic Cream Cheese Pie with Variations

 Basic Cheese Pie           ReaLemon Recipe Collection

1 (9”) graham cracker crumb crust
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese @ room temperature
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 c. lemon juice
1 t. vanilla extract

In large bowl, beat cheese until fluffy. Gradually add sweetened condensed milk. Beat until smooth. Stir in lemon and vanilla. Pour into crust. Chill 3 hours or until set. Refrigerate leftovers.

Make It Yours

* Top Basic Cheese Pie with store bought fruit pie filling such as cherry, blueberry etc.
* Top Basic Cheese Pie with Glazed Strawberry: In a small saucepan combine 3 T. apple jelly and 1 T. lemon juice. Cook and stir until jelly melts. Combine 1/2 t. cornstarch and 1 T. water; add to jelly mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and clear. Cool 10 minutes. Arrange sliced strawberries over top of pie; spoon glaze over strawberries.
* Top Basic Cheese Pie with Ambrosia: In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 c. peach or apricot preserves, 1/4 c. flaked coconut, 2 T. orange-flavored liqueur and 2 t. cornstarch. Cook and stir until thickened. Remove from heat. Chill thoroughly. Arrange fresh orange sections (1 or 2 oranges) on top of cheese pie. Drizzle with sauce.
* Top Basic Cheese Pie with Cranberry Nut: In a small bowl, combine 1 c. chilled cranberry-orange relish; 1/2 c. chopped walnuts and 1 t. grated orange rind. Spread over pie. Garnish with orange twists if desired.

Fun Recipes to Make With Children

 
1 pkg instant pudding
1 1/2c milk
2c cool whip.
Dissolve pudding in milk, whip in cool whip. Spoon into 3 oz Dixie cups and insert Popsicle stick. Freeze.

Chocolate Banana Pops

Combine:
2 c. milk
1 package (4 serving size) chocolate pudding mix.

Gently stir in:
1 c. Cool Whip
1/2 c. mashed bananas.

Spoon into Popsicle molds. Freeze.

Graveyard Gelatin Dessert

2 1/4 c. finely crushed chocolate wafer cookies
Measure 1/4 crumbs and set aside.

Mix crumbs with

1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. melted butter
press into bottom of 13 x 9" pan. Refrigerate.

Beat:
1 8 oz. package, room temperature cream cheese

Stir in:
1/2 container, 8 oz. Cool Whip
Spread evenly over refrigerated crust.

Reserve & refrigerate remaining cool whip.

Boil:
2 c. water
Add:
2 3 oz. packages orange flavored Jello
Stir until gelatin is completely dissolved

Add ice cubes to:
1/2 c. cold water
measuring 1 1/2 c. ice cubes + water
Stir into gelatin and continue stirring until gelatin thickens.
Remove any unmelted ice and spoon gelatin over cream cheese layer.

Refrigerate 3 hours until firm.

Spread remaining Cool Whip over top of gelatin. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.

Use Pepperidge Farm "Milano" cookies or similar type cookie as tomb stones. Stand these on end in the dessert. You might choose to decorate one end of each cookie with some epitaph, such as RIP, before sticking them into the dessert.

Bunny Salad

For each serving place:
1 lettuce leaf on plate
1 chilled pear half
2 raisins for eyes
1 red cinnamon candy for nose
2 blanched, slivered almonds pieces for ears
1 scoop cottage cheese for tail

Leg of Lamb

leg of lamb
2 - 4 (more will be needed if you have a large leg of lamb) garlic cloves, peeled and slivered
crushed rosemary
salt & pepper
melted butter

Make tiny incisions with a sharp knife and insert garlic slivers all over the surface of the meat. Rub down with rosemary. Season with salt and pepper.
Place in oven and bake at 350 degrees, fat side up, until meat reaches 135 degrees for rare, 140 degrees for medium. Or longer, if desired. Occasionally brush with melted butter.

Chai Tea Mix (Yield: 8 or 9 cups)

 

3/4 cup non-fat dry milk powder
1 1/4 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
1 1/2 cups French vanilla flavored powdered non-dairy creamer
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 cups instant tea (do not use the sweetened and/or lemon flavored instant tea--use plain)
2 teaspoons ground ginger

 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon ground allspice

Combine all spices in food processor or blender, blend until fine powder. Combine spices and all other ingredients in large mixing bowl or pitcher. Run entire mixture through the blender. (This step can be omitted if you do not include the brown sugar) To serve, mix 2 heaping teaspoons Chai mix in mug of hot water.

Note: you may omit sugars and sweeten mixture to taste with your favorite sweetener when preparing it

If making a lot of Chai you can mix the spices separately in volume and just add 1/4 cup of spice mix to each batch of tea.

Note from Dan Lathrop: "...You need to run the whole mixture through a blender if you include the brown sugar (I don't normally use the sugars). It is hard to mix in. I drink a lot of this Chai and I mix the spices in large volume (easier to measure) and just add 1/4 cup of spice mix to a batch of tea rather than mix the spices each time.

Blueberry Betty, NYT Cookbook, 1990

Filling:
1 qt. fresh blueberries
1 T. lemon juice
1/4 t. cinnamon

Wash berries & drain. Place in 1 1/2 qt. casserole. Sprinkle with lemon juice & cinnamon.

Sift together:
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. sugar

chop/blend into flour mixture until crumbly:
1/4 lb. butter
Sprinkle over berries.
Bake 375 degree oven, 45 minutes

Serve hot, topped with vanilla ice cream

Chocolate Cheesecake

 Crust:
18 Oreo cookies, finely crushed, about 1 1/2 cups, or equivalent crushed, dark chocolate cookies
2 T. butter, melted (might need a little more for plain chocolate cookie crumbs)

Mix cookie crumbs and butter, press firmly into bottom of 9" springform pan.

Filling:
3 pkg (8 oz. each) cream cheese at room temperature
3/4 c. sugar
1 (generous) t. vanilla
six ounces melted semi-sweet chocolate, cooled slightly
3 eggs

Beat together sugar and cream cheese until fluffy; add remaining ingredients and thoroughly combine. Pour over crust. Bake 350 degree oven until center is just barely set, about 1 hour. Allow to cool.

Topping:
1/4 c. melted, seedless raspberry jam
1/2 c. sour cream

Spread melted jam over top of cheese cake; top with sour cream and gently spread evenly over jam.

If desired, add white chocolate shavings

Easier method:

Purchase 2 pre-made chocolate cookie or Oreo crusts and divide filling evenly between the crusts. Bake until set. Finish as directed above.