Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
• (recipe follows)

Directions

• 1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
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• 2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
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• 3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. Makes 12 servings.
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• VARIATIONS:
• ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.
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• THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.
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• BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.
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• CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.
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• "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING
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• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
• 2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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• Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
• Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Delicious Easy Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches

2 cans (10.5 oz each) condensed French Onion soup
3 - 4 pound beef chuck roast
2 cubes beef bouillon
8 crusty sandwich rolls
provolone or swiss cheese, thinly sliced
Horseradish, optional 

Sear each side of roast in large frying pan.  Salt and pepper each side.  Place roast in crock pot.  Pour the 2 cans of soup over top of roast.  Unwrap each cube of beef bouillon and place in crock pot.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.  Transfer beef to large plate and shred with forks. Spread horseradish on rolls, top with meat and cheese.  Fill small ramekins with beef au jus for dipping. 

Cleo's Hello Dolly Bars

Don't stir ingredients!  Put in layers, as listed,  in 9x13 baking pan.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup finely crushed graham crackers
1 cup coconut
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts, any kind
Pour 1 can sweetened condensed milk over top of layers.  Bake for 35 minutes at 325 degrees.  Cool and cut into squares.

Chocolate Kiss Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
Chocolate kisses, foil removed

Combine above in a large mixing bowl.  beat with mixer until well blended.  Roll dough into a 1 inch ball in your hands.  Roll balls in sugar.  Place balls onto a cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes.  After cookies are baked, immediately place a chocolate kiss on top of each cookie, pressing chocolate kiss gently into each cookie.  Allow to cool completely before storing the cookies. 

Versatile Homemade Strawberry Sauce

Ingredients:
4 cups strawberries, rinsed, trimmed, cut in half or quartered if very large in size
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
squeeze of lemon

Put ingredients in a large saucepan.  Bring mixture to boil.  Turn on low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Simmer until desired thickness is achieved.  Great over ice cream or cheesecake!

Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4/ teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

In a medium sauce pan melt butter on medium heat.  Add minced garlic cloves, cream, pepper, and salt.  Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to medium low.  Simmer for about 8 minutes.  Stir constantly so cream does not burn.  Remove from heat and slowly add cheese while constantly stirring.  Return to heat and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, stirring constantly.  Pour over hot, cooked Fettuccine noodles and mix completely. 

Easy Jiffy Cornbread

2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix
1 box Jiffy yellow cake mix

Combine cornbread mixes together as directed on boxes.  In a separate bowl, combine yellow cake mix as directed on box.  Gently stir the two mixes together well.  Pour combined mixes into a 9x13 greased pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. 

Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread

2 loaves of frozen bread dough
NEXT DAY:
About 1 stick of butter, melted (may need a little more, just depends)
2 pkgs shredded Parmesan cheese

The night before you want to eat the bread, place the 2 loaves of frozen bread dough on a lightly greased pan/plate. Spray one side of the plastic wrap lightly with Pam spray.  Cover frozen bread dough with plastic wrap  Put into fridge to thaw overnight.
Next day: take out loaves and cut each loaf in half.  Continue cutting each half until you have 16 small pieces of bread.  (no need to shape them into pretty balls)  Dip each ball into the melted butter and then roll in a bowl filled with Parmesan cheese.  Place each ball into a Bundt pan.  There is no need to pre-grease the Bundt pan.  Continue process until all balls have been dipped into butter and rolled in cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, or when bread sounds "hollow" when tapped with finger nail.  Turn out onto platter shortly after removing from the oven. 

Yummy Rosemary Pork Chops or Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 boneless pork chops or 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbs olive oil or coconut oil
• 3 tbs chopped onion
• 2 tbs chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 cup  chopped mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chicken stock, or use 1 cube of chicken bouillon dissolved in 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbs dijon mustard
• 1 tbs butter
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sour cream 

Instructions

1. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add choice of oil. Sprinkle the chops or chicken with salt. Brown pork chops or chicken on both sides.
2. Remove pork chops or chicken from pan.
3. Add the onion, rosemary.  Whisk for 3 minutes, constantly.
4. Add a little chicken stock to the pan while scraping the bottom of the pan.
5. Pour in remaining chicken stock and add mustard. Place the pork chops or chicken back in the pan. Bring sauce to the boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
6. In a separate pan, saute mushrooms until done set pan aside.  
7. Remove your meat choice from the pan and set aside. Add the butter to the pan and stir until butter is melted. Whisk in heavy cream and sour cream. Whisk sauce until it’s smooth. Place meat back in the pan, add mushrooms and heat through.  Serve with potatoes, rice or just a salad!

Monster Cookies

Sally's Soft Baked Monster Cookies

 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick ) salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup  packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup  sugar
• 3/4 cup  creamy peanut butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup  quick oats
• 3/4 cup  M&Ms (any size or variety)
• 1/2 cup  semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed, about 3 minutes. Mix in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla (in that order). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Slowly mix in the baking soda and flour. Do not over mix. Fold in the quick oats, M&Ms, and chocolate chips. If the dough is very soft and unmanageable by hand, chill the dough for 30 minutes before rolling.
3. Rolls balls of dough (or use a cookie scoop), about 2 Tablespoons of dough per ball, onto  baking sheet. Press a few extra M&Ms on top for looks, if preferred. Bake for 9-10 minutes - do not bake past 10 minutes. The cookies will appear undone. I took mine out at 10 minutes because I used a cookie scoop. Slightly press down the baked cookies with the back of a spoon, since the cookies only slightly spread in the oven. Add a couple additional M&Ms on the top of each cookie, if desired.  Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cookies will firm up as they cool. Store cookies covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
4. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months.

Ramen Cabbage Salad

4 cups or one bag of shredded cabbage

1 package chicken flavored Ramen noodles

4 green onions, sliced

2 Tbs sesame seeds

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup salad oil

2 Tbs sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 flavoring packet from Ramen noodles

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Place cabbage in a large mixing bowl.  Break up noodles and place in colander.  Pour several cups of boiling water over broken noodles to soften slightly.  Add to cabbage with onions and sesame seeds.  Combine vinegar, salad oil, sugar, salt and contents of flavoring packet.  Mix well.  Pour over cabbage, mix well.  Cover and refrigerate overnight or for several hours.  Just before serving, stir in slivered almonds.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.