Cocoa Bundt Cake

1 2/3 cups flour1 ½ cup sugar½ cup cocoa½ teaspoons baking soda½ teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon salt2 eggs½ cup shortening1 ½ cups buttermilk or sour milk*1 teaspoon vanilla extract Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan. Blend flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder, and salt; add remaining ingredients.… Continue reading Cocoa Bundt Cake

2 Dozen Cupcakes

Another old family recipe here. There are three variations written down. Marked on the recipe card after the title, with a different pen and handwriting: “(1 ½, really)”. With that warning in mind, we begin. 1 ½ cups flour1 cup sugar2 teaspoons baking powder1 tablespoon orange extract½ teaspoon vanilla extract½ teaspoon salt2/3 cup milk1/3 cup Crisco1… Continue reading 2 Dozen Cupcakes

Devil’s Food Strawberry-Cream Cake

There are a lot of steps to complete this recipe. In the physical recipe-box, it takes up both sides of three 3" x 5" cards. Sad to say, we have never attempted it. For cake:2 cups sugar1 ¾ cups cake flour, not self-rising1 cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted1 teaspoon baking soda½ teaspoon baking powder3 ounces bittersweet… Continue reading Devil’s Food Strawberry-Cream Cake

Double-Chocolate Cake

For the cake:4 ounces bittersweet chocolate1 teaspoon vegetable oil2 ¼ cups flour½ cup cocoa powder1 ½ teaspoons baking soda½ teaspoon salt¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened1 ½ cups sugar4 eggs2 teaspoons vanilla extract2 teaspoons white vinegar1 ½ cups milk For the frosting:12 ounces white chocolate chips8 ounces sour cream½ cup (1 stick) unsalted… Continue reading Double-Chocolate Cake

Beacon Hill Brownies (Baker’s)

8 ounces Baker’s unsweetened chocolate1 cup unsalted butter5 eggs3 cups sugar1 teaspoon vanilla1 ½ cups unsifted all-purpose flour2 cups chopped walnuts, optional Heat oven to 350°. Grease a 13" x 9" pan; set aside. In a saucepan, over very low heat, melt chocolate and butter, stirring constantly; cool slightly. In a large mixer bowl, beat… Continue reading Beacon Hill Brownies (Baker’s)

Old-Fashioned Brown Rice Pudding (Custard)

3 eggs½ cup sugar3 cups milk, scalded¼ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon vanilla extract1 ½ cups cooked brown rice½ cup raisinsground nutmeg Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a shallow baking dish, 13" x 9". Beat eggs, add the sugar, and beat until smooth. Pour in scalded milk, salt and vanilla. Add rice and raisins. Pour into prepared… Continue reading Old-Fashioned Brown Rice Pudding (Custard)

Apple Cider Doughnuts

There is an orchard we know of, where every autumn they make apple cider donuts when the apples come in. If we are passing by, we will stop in for their doughnuts. This recipe, unfortunately, is not their recipe, which nevertheless might be good anyway. I don’t know if we ever will make this recipe,… Continue reading Apple Cider Doughnuts

Mom’s Chocolate Cake

This is one of those old family recipes, handed down from my spouse’s mother. It is from before the time when science discovered that trans-fats are no good for you, and before the reformulation of Crisco to exclude them from the product. This new formula has not proved to be a problem for any of… Continue reading Mom’s Chocolate Cake

Hershey’s Chocolate Cheesecake

For Crust:1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs¼ cup butter For Cake:3 packages, 8 ounces each, cream cheese, softened1 ¼ cups sugar8 ounces sour cream2 teaspoons vanilla½ cup cocoa2 tablespoons flour3 eggs For Drizzle:½ cup chocolate chips2 teaspoons Crisco Combine crumbs with butter; press onto bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Heat oven to 450°. Beat… Continue reading Hershey’s Chocolate Cheesecake

Creamy Cranberry Tart

Crust:2 cups graham cracker crumbs6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted1 tablespoon sugar¼ teaspoon salt Filling:1 eight-ounce package cream cheese, softened1/3 cup sugar1 egg1 teaspoon vanilla1 16-ounce can whole-berry cranberry sauce½ cup confectioners’ sugar Heat oven to 350°. In medium bowl, stir cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, and salt until crumbs or evenly moistened. Press into a 10… Continue reading Creamy Cranberry Tart