Grandma Simmons' Chocolate Cake With Chocolate Fortune Frosting

     One of the very best things about having a large family, and living close to them, is being able to visit with them on a regular basis. Yesterday was one of my nieces birthdays', so I made her some brownie cupcakes with chocolate frosting and pink sprinkles and took them to her. They were not the prettiest cupcakes on the face of the planet, but they were yummy. And we sat and talked for well over an hour. For me it brought back memories of being a child, playing with barbies, dressing our dolls, singing off tune to the "BEST SONG EVAR!!!!" usually by the Spice Girls, or some other Top 40 Hit maker. Before I left, she handed me a few of my grandmother, her great grandmother's, recipe's. This one caught my eye. I haven't tried it yet, but it is at the top of my list for the next time I get a sweet tooth, and it will most likely fill the cupcakes for the kids birthday party which is quickly approaching.
 
     For those of you who were reading quite regularly before I seemingly dropped off of the face of the planet, I'm sorry. We have had a bit of sudden family problems. My maternal grandmother was diagnosed with stage 4  lung, liver, and brain cancer. She started her chemo treatments this week, and will be having them for the next 6 months. 3 days a week for one week and then 3 weeks off. I'm still trying to process all of the information and wrap my mind around the idea of it. So that is why I have not posted, but I am back. I will be posting as often as possible again. And as always, Thank you for reading!

What you will need:
1 3/4 unsifted cake flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients except boiling water; Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Remove from mixer. Stir in boiling water. (Batter will be very thin). Pour into 2 greased and floured 9" layer pans. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or  until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on rack, remove from mans, cool completely. Top with frosting.

Frosting:
2 squares of unsweetened chocolate, 2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar, 3 tablespoons hot water, 1 egg, 1/3 cup soft butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Melt chocolate in mixing bowl over double boiler. Remove from heat. Blend in sugar and water slowly. Beat in egg, and beat until smooth. Then add butter and vanilla.


** PLEASE NOTE ** The frosting DOES in fact have a raw egg in it, so PLEASE keep this cake cold at all times!
 

Southern Comfort Bon-Bon's

What you will need:
3 1/2 cups vanilla wafers, crushed
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup Powdered sugar
1/4 cup Light Corn Syrup
1/3 cup Southern Comfort
1 cup pecans (Optional)
16oz Chocolate Chips, Melted.

Mix Vanilla wafers, Cocoa, Sugar, Syrup and Southern Comfort together in a medium mixing bowl until well blended. Roll mixture into bite size balls and dip into melted chocolate chips. Set on wax paper and let the chocolate harden. Serve immediately, or store in an air tight container at room temperature.

Quick and Easy 'No Bake' Cookies

When I was a child, the women in our family would set aside one day, close to Christmas, and spend that day together making cookies, candy, and all varieties of sweets. Unfortunately, as life often does, things changed. This tradition ended before I was old enough to learn my grandmother's recipes. So I decided to make a new tradition of my own, that my children can grow up with and hopefully cherish when they are adults. 

This week has found me busily baking, mixing, coating and tasting. And most of the foods I've been making this week have Chocolate in them, or on them. Because, lets face it, Chocolate and Christmas just go hand in hand. 

Between family dinners, School Christmas parties and the children wanting to sample every type of sweet I make, I have been very busy this week. Here is just one of the recipes I made this week:

No Bake Cookies

2 cups of white sugar

4 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup of milk

3 cups quick cooking oatmeal

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

Boil together the sugar, cocoa, milk and butter for two minutes. Add peanut butter and stir until completely blended smooth. Stir in Oatmeal until coated completely. Remove from heat and drop by the spoonful onto foil. Let the cookies cool completely before moving them off of the foil. Store in an air tight container in a cool place.

Mint Chocolate Pie

What you will need:
10-12  Chocolate Mints ( I use "Ande's" brand")
1 chocolate pie shell
1 pkg Cook and Serve Chocolate fudge pudding mix
2 tbsp milk
Whip Cream

Directions:
Put Mints and milk into a small microwaveable bowl. Microwave for about 1 minute, stir. If not smooth, microwave for 15 seconds longer and stir smooth. Spread melted mint mixture into the bottom of the pie shell, then set it aside. Make the pudding according to the directions on the back for "Pie Filling". Pour pudding into pie shell and refrigerate for an hour and a half and then cover pie with whip cream. Serve immediately.

Triple Chocolate Brownies

What you will need:
1 pkg Betty Crocker Brownie mix
1 cup chocolate chips
1 container chocolate fudge icing

Follow the directions on the back of the brownie box for "Fudgy" brownies. Before baking add the chocolate chips. When finished baking, remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes. Ice the brownies while their still warm. Cool completely and slice.