Chocolate Sheet Cake

Okay, this is for all my family and friends who requested it!!I've had this recipe for years and years. It is always a winner and when made in the jelly roll pan, makes a large quantity for school functions, pot lucks, etc. Although my family has never had a hard time finishing it off!! This also makes a great 9x13 cake. I will give diections for both. Be sure to put confetti sprinkles on the top. It makes it look so festive.

• 2 1/3 cups flour( I use Pillsbury or King Arthur unbleached)



• 2 cups sugar



• 1 teaspoon baking soda


• 1 cup butter


• 1 1/4 cups water


• 4 Tablespoons cocoa


• 1/2 cup buttermilk


• 2 eggs, beaten


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter


• 4 Tablespoons cocoa


• 6 Tablespoons buttermilk


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract


• 1 pound powdered sugar


• 1/2 cup chopped pecans(optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 9x13 cake and 400 degrees for jelly roll pan. To make cake, mix flour, sugar and soda in bowl. Bring butter, water, and cocoa to a boil in a saucepan. Pour over dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Add buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in cake, comes out clean. If using a 17x11x1 jelly roll pan bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake, comes out clean. WHILE cake is in the oven, make frosting. Heat butter, cocoa and buttermilk to boiling. Remove from heat and mix in vanilla, powdered sugar and nuts, if using. Frost hot cake immediately with hot frosting. Will appear runny, but hardens as it cools and it HAS to be done this way so it seeps into cake and spreads smoothly on top. Sprinkle with colored sugars, if desired. Now watch it disappear!!

Potato Refrigerstor Rolls

I love these rolls!! They were in a little cookbook called"Knit One, Cook Two", that was put out by my mother and sister's knitting group, many years ago. This recipe was from a friend of theirs, Shigeno Hentschel. The dough will keep several days in the refrigerator, and you can bake up little at a time for your family, or you can lightly bake them and freeze them. this is such a versatile dinner roll and wonderful for the holidays. Yummy!!!

• Potatoes(enough to make 1 cup mashed , saving water



• 1 package yeast



• 1 1/2 cups water from cooking potatoes



• 2/3 cup butter(use only) SOFTENED



• 2/3 cup sugar



• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt



• 1 cup mashed potatoes from above, UN-SEASONED



• 2 eggs



• app. 7 cups flour(I use King Arthur or Pillsbury, unbleached)

Have 1/2 cup potato water at 110 to 115 degrees. Add yeast and set aside. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cream butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add mashed potatoes to butter mixture. Beat eggs and add to yeast mixture. Beat egg-yeast mixture into pota mixture, in large bowl. Add remaining 1 cup potato water. Add flour until dough no longer sticks to bowl. Knead until smooth. Let rise in a warm place until double in bulk(about 2 hours).

Punch down and make up what is needed into rolls. Round rest of dough in bowl and butter top. When taken from refrigerator, let rise(warm up) before making up.

Form rolls( I roll my out into a corcle, cut in wedges and roll up crescent style, make sure you tuck the points under). Place on cookie sheets( I let mine rise 15 minutes or so) and bake 15-18 minutes, or lightly browned. if baked and frozen, brown in oven when ready to serve. Makes 4 dozen

Jo Blom's Brownies

This is the most wonderful recipe for brownies!! It is easy, looks nice and chocolatey wonderful! All of the women in my family use it and received the recipe as brides-

• Melt 2 squares unsweetened chocolate and 1/2 cup butter or margarine(I always use butter!), in a large saucepan. Remove from heat and add 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and a pinch of salt.



• Beat 2 eggs in a separate bowl and add 1 teaspoon vanilla, cream together.



• Add egg mixture to large saucepan and with a wooden spoon(or any large spoon), stir the mixture until smooth and egg mixture is incorporated.



• Pour into a greased 8x8 inch square cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE!! Check with toothpick and should still be a little moist.



• Cool on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes and dust with powdered sugar. Cut in squares and watch them disappear.

Holiday Sugar cookies

I've had this recipe since I was a young bride. It is a little different than your usual sugar cookie recipe, with the addition of nutmeg and the way the eggs are added. It makes wonderful crisp cookies which you can sprinkle with colored sugars only or ice. What a fun way to spend an afternoon with kids or grandkids. My kids all like these iced and still as grownups fight over the colors they want to use to ice them, but I love the crisp, nutmeg taste of them with sprinkles only.

• 2 Egg yolks




• 1/2 cup sugar




• 1 cup UNSALTED sweet butter, softened




• 1 cup sugar




• 2 Egg whites




• 1 teaspoon baking soda




• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar




• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg




• 1/4 teaspoon salt




• 1 teaspoon vanilla




• 3 1/2 cups unbleached flour(I use King Arthur or Pillsbury)

Beat egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar until thick and lemon colored, reserve. In a large bowl, cream butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy; beat in egg whites(batter may look curdled). Mix in egg yolk mixture you reserved, baking soda, cream of tartar, nutmeg, salt and vanilla, gradually add flour. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or 2. The dough gets really hard if left overnight in the frig, but just put it out about an hour before you use it, to warm it a little and it is fine. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough on lightly floured pastry cloth or board to a scant 1/4 inch if using sprinkles and a heavier 1/4 inch if icing, so cookies won't break. Cut into shapes(Valentine hearts, Halloween shapes,Christmas) . Place on GREASED cookie sheets and sprinkle with colored sugars, if not icing. Bake until light brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on racks. If icing, put confectioners sugard in small bowls and add cream or milk to desired consistency(not too runny) and then color with food coloring or Wilton icing pastes/gels. Spread on cooled cookies and decorate with sugars, etc.

Oatmeal Bread- Makes 2or 3 laoves

There is nothing so satisfying as a slice of warm Oatmeal Bread on a cold winter's day with a bowl of homemade soup! This bread uses dark molasses so it is a nice dark brown color when finished with a warm, soft inside. So start kneading and enjoy!

• 2 packages dry yeast



• 1 cup warm water



• 1/4 cup dark molasses



• 1/2 teaspoon salt



• 1/2 cup unbleached flour



• 1 1/4 cups scalded milk, cooled to lukewarm



• 1/4 cup molasses or honey



• 1 Egg



• 2 teaspoons salt



• 2 cups unbleached flour( I use King Arthur or Pillsbury unbleached)



• 2 Tablespoons shortening



• 1 cup quick cooking rolled oats ( I use organic)



• 3 1/2 cups unbleached flour

First, I scald my milk and get it cooling. Then in a large bowl combine yeast, warm water, dark molasses, salt and 1/2 flour. Beat until smooth and let stand in a warm place for 15 minutes. Add Scalded milk, molasses or honey, egg, salt, 2 cups flour, shortening and oatmeal. Beat 2 minutes with an electric mixer. Gradually add about 3 1/4- 3 1/2 cups more flour. Form into a smooth ball, cover with bowl and let rest 10 minutes (see photo). Knead dough for 5 minutes on a flour covered pastry cloth and shape into 2 or 3 balls, cover with cloth and let rest 10 minutes more. Shape into 2 or 3 loaves and place in 2 standard loaf pans or 3 8x4 inch pans. The smaller ones are nice for gifts at Christmas or to share with friends and neighbors on a cold day. Cover and let rise in a warm place 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Bake on middle rack of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes.

Banana Bread a la Food Processor

I acquired this yummy recipe from a class I took 25 years ago, when Cuisinart introduced their food processor. Very easy and quick to make, besides being delicious, it has been a staple in my recipe box ever since.

• 2 very ripe medium sized bananas, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 TBLS. lemon juice
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds or slightly chopped pecans(can toast the pecans too)
• 1 3/4 cups unbleached flour(I use King Arthur or Pillsbury)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine(I use butter) at room temperature, cut into 8 pieces
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Fit processor with steel blade. Place bananas and lemon juice in work bowl and process until bananas are mashed, about 5 seconds. Add 1/4 cup of the nuts, and all remaining ingredients to banana mixture. Process on/off 10 to 12 times, or until flour is moistened well. Do not overprocess. Batter should be slightly lumpy. Pour batter into greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 or 9x5 loaf pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup nuts(chopped) over batter. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Cool bread 15 minutes in pan. Remove from pan and finish cooling on wire rack. Cut a warm piece, savor and enjoy!