Texas Chocolate Cake

Texas Chocolate Cake

Now remember, this is NOT low calorie!! :)

Sift together in large bowl:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar

In saucepan put:
1 cup butter
4 tbsp cocoa
1 cup water

Bring to rapid boil. Pour over flour and sugar - mix well.

Add:
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Mix well. Pour on large greased cookie sheet.

Bake 20 - 25 minutes at 350° F.

Frosting:
4 tbsp cocoa
1/2 cup butter
6 tbsp milk

Bring to boil. Remove from heat, gradually add 1 box of powdered sugar (1 lb - or as much as needed for desired consistency) - mix well.

Add:
1 tsp vanilla
Chopped nuts (optional)

Spread on cake while still warm.

This was always my favorite birthday cake - very rich, delicious with vanilla ice cream!

Enjoy!
Heather
(7/31/01)

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Sweet Chocolate Cake

Sweet Chocolate Cake

This is from an old "Woman's Day" magazine - they used to put in these half-page sized recipe book inserts and my mom saved them *all* for me -- she'd always say "These are your dowry" as she put them into a folder. they're really fabulous -- lots of things to do with ground meat (and good stuff, not like some wierd green jello beef casserole) and some of the best cookie recipes I've ever come across.
anyway -- here's my favorite of all the recipes.

1 pkg (4 oz) sweet cooking chocolate
1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup butter or other shortening (use butter)
2 cup sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-1/2 cup sifted cake flour (sift the flour first and then measure)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
Coconut Pecan Filling (recipe follows)
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

Melt chocolate in water; cool. Cream butter and sugar; add egg yolks, one at square time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add vanilla and chocolate; mix well. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk, beat until smooth. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into three 8" or 9" layer pans, lined on bottom with paper (although buttering and flouring them works in a pinch).

Bake in 350° degree oven, about 35 minutes. Cool, fill and frost.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream 2 tbsp. butter and 4 oz. cream cheese (make it *really* creamy); add 1-1/2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted, dash salt, 1-1/2 cup sifted confectioner's sugar, 1/4 cup cream, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract. Mix well.

Coconut Pecan Filling
In saucepan, mix 1 cup undiluted evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar, 3 egg yolks, 1/2 cup butter or margarine, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Cook over medium heat 12 minutes, stirring, until mixture thickens. Add 1 can flaked coconut and 1 cup chopped pecans. Beat until thick.

** NOTE -- this is not a cake to be taken to a picnic on a hot day. the frosting is soft and tends to slide around. we always kept it in the refrigerator and it is really good served cold.

lea bob
Mother-of-All
(7/31/01)

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Fallen Brownie Pudding

Fallen Brownie Pudding

4 oz unsweetened chocolate

1/2 cup butter

4 eggs, separated

2 cups sugar

pinch salt

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup flour

whipped cream

• Preheat oven to 350°F, melt chocolate and butter together on low heat in medium sized heavy pot. Remove from heat and stir in egg yolks, sugar, salt and vanilla. Scrape into a large bowl.
• Beat egg whites till soft peaks form. Stir 1/4 of the egg-whites into chocolate mixture, then fold in remaining egg whites. Gently fold in flour.
• Pour batter into buttered 8" square baking dish. Place large pan of very hot water into oven. Place baking dish in larger pan. The water should come 1/2 way up the sides.
• Bake one hour or until surface is crispy and hard and inside is gooey and custardy. Remove baking dish from larger pan to cool.

Serve warm or cool with whipped cream. Serves four with leftovers.

Sarah of LA
(7/31/01)

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Caipirinha

Caipirinha
Yield: 4 drinks
Time: 8 minutes
Adapted from Cafe Atlantico, Washington

2 Limes, each cut lengthwise into eighths
4 Tbsp. Superfine Sugar
8 oz Cachaça

Place four lime pieces in a 9-oz. rocks glass, and sprinkle with 1 tbsp. sugar. With a wooden spoon, muddle lime and sugar for about 30 seconds to release oils in lime skin; do not crush lime.

Fill the glass with ice cubes, and add 2 oz. cachaça. Cover with the lid of a cocktail shaker, and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Serve in the same glass. Repeat to make four drinks.

Copyright 2001 The New York Times Company
(07/28/01)

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Cabbage Salad

Here's an easy thing I do with cabbage... guess you could call it cold slaw, but without the mayo. Great with spicy ribs or chicken.

Shred cabbage (2 small heads)... red and white, any varieties
Shred onion (one large)... maui or purple
1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
3-4 tbsp salad oil

Mix it together.

That's it.

Sarah
(7/26/01)

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Princess Re's Pasta Salad

Princess Re's Pasta Salad

1 small box of any kind of pasta (I like Fusilli)
1 pound Sea legs, any type of shell fish, or chicken
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup grated or thinly sliced carrots
1/4 to 1/2 cup celery chopped fine
1/2 to 1 cup Parmesan cheese
Red Wine Vinegar Italian dressing
Optional: oregano or parsley, salt and pepper

Boil up the pasta, rinse well. Combine all the ingredients and chill. Serve with French bread.

The Princess Re
(7/25/01)

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Virtually Fat-Free Chicken Salad

I have been making this virtually fat free chicken salad:

Slice up grilled teriyaki chicken breasts.

Add sliced snow peas, toasted sesame seeds, diced sun-dried tomatoes, diced red pepper.

Dress with a little soy sauce and rice wine vinegar.

We serve this over fresh lettuce or mesclun.

Joan F.
(7/25/01)

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Tuna, Peas and Parmesan Salad

Tuna, Peas, and Parmesan Salad

• Boil water; add a small bag of shells, cook until al dente and drain.
• Drain a can of tuna fish, put in a bowl and break up with a fork.
• Add pasta.
• Add most (or all) of a small bag of frozen peas.
• Add mayonnaise (we guesstimate - just enough to make things kinda stick together)
• Add dill to taste.
• Add parmesan cheese to taste.

Serve cold.

lea bob
(7/24/01)

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Watermelon Gazpacho (from NYT)

Watermelon Gazpacho

Time: 10 minutes, plus 2 hours' chilling time

3 very ripe tomatoes, cored and seeded
4 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 2" chunks
1/2 large Vidalia onion, or other sweet onion,
     peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into large chunks
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tbsp fresh lemon
juice, or more to taste
Coarse sea salt or kosher salt
Coarsely ground black pepper.

In a blender, combine tomatoes and watermelon. Purée for about 30 seconds. Add onion, cucumber, garlic, basil, olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Purée until very smooth, about 2 minutes.

Adjust lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. If necessary, thin with water until loose enough to drink from a glass.

Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 2 ours.

Place 2 ice cubes in each of 6 tall glasses. Fill the glasses with gazpacho, and serve.

Yield: 6 servings (6 cups).
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/18/dining/182WREX.html?ex=996494897&ei=1&en=be8a28aef178e54e
Copyright 2001 The New York Times Company

Shared by Lani
(7/18/01)

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How to make Brownie Cups for Small Tart-like Desserts

How to make Brownie Cups for Small Tart-like Desserts

This was related to the forum after going to a "Pampered Chef" party:

The dessert of the day was "brownie cups" filled with some kind of pastry cream. You could use whatever you wanted - mousse, lemon curd, etc., and top with one very nice berry. Bite size.

The crucial part was how they made the cups. Use one of those mini muffin pans - (non stick recommended). Must be mini, though.

Make up a brownie mix (no nuts) according to the box and put about one tablespoon of batter into each cup. (They used the smallest size of ice cream scoop.)

Bake until the toothpick-doneness test. Remove from oven. Immediately, use the thick, round handle of some kitchen implement (rolling pin?) etc. (or the bottom of a shot glass would work-grease lightly!) to make an impression in the still-warm, still-soft dough. Voila! Instant "Cup." They had an implement which was made especially for this part of the operation, of course, looked like a very small wooden barbell. Just experiment with finding what would fit in the cups before you bake.

When cool these were the consistency of a firm, soft cookie. Sturdy enough to pick up and eat with the filling and berry topper. They had a surprisingly good, fluffy cream cheese concoction to squeeze out of a "gun" (I'd use a pastry bag instead) and they passed out a copy of the recipe for this, but I don't have it at hand. Good enough to share, also, and I'll post it when I find it.

Susanna in So. Cal.
(7/17/01)

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Grilled Flank Steak with Provencal Herbs

Grilled Flank Steak with Provencal Herbs

Time: 30 minutes

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves
2 tsp fresh lavender leaves or 1/2 tsp dried lavender
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1-1/2 to 2 pounds flank steak.

1. Start a charcoal or wood fire or heat a gas grill (or the broiler). Combine all ingredients except steak in a small food processor, and blend until minced (or mince by hand). Do not puree. Rub all over the steak.

2. When the fire is hot, grill or broil about 4 minutes to a side, or until nicely browned, for medium rare, turning only once. Remove from fire, and let rest about 5 minutes before slicing thin and serving, preferably over a bed of greens.

Yield: 4 servings.

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/11/dining/111MREX.html?ex=995959188&ei=1&en=84c52f4c96527bb6
Copyright 2001 The New York Times Company
(The link above is still viable in 2016)

I made this last night - it was wonderful!

QQQ
(7/12/01)

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