Mississippi Mud Cake

 This recipe was introduced to me by my Grandmother at Christmas years ago.  Once my lips touched this sweet confection I was mesmerized to have the recipe!  In honor of my grandmother from Shiner, yes Shiner, Texas where Shiner Beer was born and raised.  To all you Shiner lovers, we were drinking Shiner long before Shiner was crazed by all!  You see, we were having fun long before you were ever born!

Enjoy!
Also this would be a great dessert to make for your sweet other side on Valentine’s Day!

Grease and flour a 9 X 13 inch pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2 sticks of butter

4 ounces of semi sweet chocolate – chopped into pieces

Melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, whisking after each 30 second timing in the microwave

Add the following and whisk until smooth

2 ½ cups sugar

½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon butter flavoring extract
½ cup sour cream
1 ½ cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa
4 large eggs

Bake for 25 minutes and then add a large jar of marshmallow crème.  Spoon the entire jar as evenly as you can over the hot cake.  Spread gently and continue to bake for 10 minutes.

My Grandmother used regular marshmallows and I changed this by using the marshmallow crème.  You make the choice. 

Ice with the following

4 cups of powdered sugar
1 stick of butter melted with 2 ounces of semi -sweet chocolate
1/3 cup of heavy cream
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter flavoring

Mix and beat well and spread over the cake and marshmallow crème.  Top with 2 cups of toasted coarsely chopped pecans.

Rinse and dry fresh strawberries leaving the stem and decorate the cake further by placing them on top of the iced cake.  Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy and have fun!  It is Valentine’s Day.  Make a cozy meal for you and your loved one.  Enjoy together the cake with a bottle of Prosecco!  Stay home and enjoy the evening.   Please do not drink and drive!

 

 

 

Baked Chicken 

Growing up my Grandmother made a mouth-watering comfort food, baked chicken.  She was not concerned of the fat and calorie content.  My Grandparents were farmers and they worked hard physically every day.  They lived to be in their 90’s.  With this said, they had an array of high calorie and fat in their foods and they were not affected with diabetes and high blood pressure.   This is not exactly how my Grandmother baked her chicken.  This recipe is cut back in fat and calories but there is a lot to love as well.  Enjoy, remember we are going to have some fun!

Purchase a package of 4 chicken breast with rib bone and skin.  Yes skin, something we are not encouraged in using these days.  My grandmother never skinned or deboned her chicken and her chicken was busting out with flavor.

Rinse the chicken well and trim off any excess fat.  I bet, my Grandmother never trimmed the fat from her chickens.  She raised her free range chicken for eggs and the meat for her freezer. 

Sprinkle generously Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, Pepper and Granulated Garlic.  In a shallow pie plate with about a 1 cup of flour dredge (Add flour if needed) each piece of chicken and place in an iron skillet which has heated with 1/3 cup of olive oil and brown the chicken on both sides.  Now this is where my Grandmother would add about 2 sticks of her homemade butter and bake the chicken until cooked.  My Grandmothers chicken was moist and delicious.  So I decrease the fat and do not add the butter. 

 

Bake the chicken in the iron skillet in a 350 degree oven for one hour and 30 minutes.  Add about ¼ cup of water in order to make sure there is moisture for the chicken not to burn and stick.  Cover the chicken lightly with foil and the last 30 minutes skin sides up bake uncovered at 375 degrees.

Make a gravy with the drippings left in the iron skillet and serve with mashed potatoes, salad and do not forget that wine!  Family gatherings always included this chicken recipe.  I miss her, but I will never forget this recipe! My grandparents did not understand that us city folk were suffering from high blood pressure.  My grandparents said the stress of city life was the cause of high blood pressure and high pretention.  I think the ole folk are a lot smarter then we are!

 

Strawberry Cake

If you own my cookbook you have a strawberry cake recipe that has been around forever.  Well, last weekend for the super bowl I wanted to make a strawberry cake, but revise my old version.  I like this one, there is always room for change when cooking and baking.  Keep in mind, it is the weekend and I love to indulge, especially with desserts.  I do not create desserts that are sugar and fat free!  Why?  This is our time to have some fun.  You do not have to eat the entire cake, enjoy life!  Trust me on this!

1 – White Classic Duncan Hines Cake Mix
1 - 3 ounce package of strawberry jello

3 – large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup – vegetable oil
1 – 8 ounce cream cheese room temperature
1 cup of sliced and chopped strawberries, which have been sprinkled with ¼ cup of sugar, 1 jigger of rum.  Set aside the strawberries, sugar and rum for  30 minutes before you start mixing the cake.
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon butter flavored extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Mix the above in a mixer for 2 minutes on high speed.  Spray a 9 X 13 pan with a non stick spray coating and then flour.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pour the cake mix in the pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.  Please remember do not over bake.  If your cake tester comes out clean you have baked this too long.  Leaving crumbs on your cake tester is just perfect! Keep it moist!

Let cool and ice with this recipe

4 cups of powdered sugar
4 ounces of cream cheese – room temperature
½ stick of butter – room temperature
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of butter flavored extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoon of heavy cream

Mix until well blended and creamy, add additional heavy cream if you need to.  The consistency should be creamy but not too creamy!   Garnish with fresh strawberries. 

Enjoy and have fun!  Make memories!  How about opening a bottle of Prosecco?  Guaranteed to have fun!  But please remember enjoy responsibly.  Do not drink and drive.  This is a dessert to enjoy at home and not driving to and from someone’s home! 

 

Minus the Potato Dip

This is an easy dip, and this dip consists of everything you would put on a baked potato, minus the potato.

Once the party is over and there are left overs of this dip, bake that potato and use this dip to enjoy further! 

2 cups of sour cream

1 – 8 ounce extra sharp cheddar cheese grated
5 – fresh chive onions, finely chopped
2.8 ounce – Hormel Real Bacon Bits

Mix the above, chill before serving.  Serve with your favorite crackers, chips or a fresh baked potato that has been buttered, of course.  Enjoy with that favorite glass of wine, and remember just have fun!