Beverly Nye's "rich" brownies

This recipe makes a cake-like brownie that (when completely cooled) can easily be cut into small squares.  It is good to take to potlucks as it travels well, too.

Beverly Nye's Rich Chocolate Brownies

Melt 2 sticks butter and add 7 T. cocoa (I often use only 4).

Then add 2 Cups sugar and beat well (I often use 1 1/2).

Add:
4 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups flour
Dash salt

Mix well.  Stir in nuts if desired.

Spread in greased 9 x 12" pan.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 min.

(I have let the butter-cocoa mixture cool and then just added everything else to the saucepan!)

For the thin layer of frosting I used today...

1/2 stick butter at room temperature
2 cups confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa

Blend together in mixer until smooth.  Add milk about a tablespoon at a time until you get the fluffy consistency you want.  Be patient or you will add too much and then you have to add more sugar and then more cocoa and well, it can get to be a mess.

Cherry cheesecake pie

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese (room temperature)

1 1/3 c. (15 oz. can) Borden's Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1/3 c. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (22 oz.) can prepared cherry pie filling (can use other fruit pie filling or fresh fruit)

1- 9" graham cracker crust*

Let cream cheese stand at room temperature until softened; beat until fluffy.

Gradually add condensed milk until thoroughly mixed.

Add lemon juice and vanilla extract until well mixed. Turn into prepared crust.

Refrigerate at least three or four hours, then pour cherry pie filling on top - or - plate up individual slices of pie and fruit filling can be spooned onto each slice.  This is especially good if you want to offer a variety of pie filling options.

Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

*This can also be made in an 8" or 9" square pan by making your own graham cracker crust and pressing it into the pan (9 x 13 dish if recipe is doubled).  Continue recipe as usual...

This is a wonderfully light and creamy dessert!

Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

This recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks called The Amish Cook by Elizabeth Coblentz. It is delicious! It is more a cake texture than brownie. I'll add a picture soon.

Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil*
1 1/2 to 2 cups sugar**
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Your favorite frosting if desired

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the eggs, oil, and sugar in large bowl. In separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and cocoa. Slowly add flour mixture to sugar mixture.

Add the vanilla, zucchini, and nuts (if using) to the batter and mix thoroughly. Batter will be thick.

Spread into a 15 by 10 inch jelly roll pan. Bake for 25-30 min. until center is set.***

Cool and frost if desired (it is very good with a vanilla or cream cheese frosting). I also recently made it with a chocolate buttercream frosting for additional chocolaty flavory. :)

* Original recipe called for 1 1/2 cups oil but I found that made the brownies greasy. I tried 1 cup and found that much better.

** Original recipe called for 2 cups sugar but I've found 1 1/2 to be plenty.

*** I have made this in a 9 x 13 pan, just increase baking time... check after 35 minutes.

Raspberry Truffle Brownies

Picture from Country Woman magazine

The recipe first appeared in Country Woman magazine in their January/February 1994 issue. It has long been one of my most used "fancy" dessert recipes, it has that pastry chef look about it.

However, it is easy to make as written and even easier if you "cheat" a bit and use a boxed brownie mix for the base, just making the truffle topping from scratch. I do that when I'm making it to serve with other baked goods. If it is going to be the star of the dessert show, I'll make it from scratch. It's rich but oh, so yummy. Everyone raves about it.

I usually bake this in a 9 x 13 pan instead of the called for 9" square pan. If you do this, you will end up with a much thinner layer of truffle on top. It tastes just fine but doesn't have the "wow" factor of the 9" dish. If you double the truffle ingredients, you will once again have that nice, thick truffle layer with the 9 x 13 dish. However, I usually just make the one truffle layer as I find it is rich enough that way.

It comes together quickly if you take your cream cheese out the night before you're going to make it. I prefer making it the day before I'm going to serve it, or at least that morning (keep it refrigerated until serving if possible, especially in hot weather). The truffle topping gets time to become firm and cold, as well as easier to cut into small squares.


Raspberry Truffle Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 1-1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

FILLING:

• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup red raspberry jam

GLAZE: (Optional)

• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon shortening

Directions:

In a microwave, melt butter and chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. In a large bowl, beat eggs and brown sugar until blended. Dissolve coffee crystals in water; add to egg mixture. Beat in chocolate until well blended. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add into chocolate mixture.

Spread in a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until brownies test done. Cool completely on a wire rack before adding the truffle filling on top. (If you bake in a 9 x 13 dish, check after 20 to 25 minutes.)

For filling, in a microwave, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Cool. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in jam. Stir in melted chocolate; spread over cooled brownies.

For glaze (optional), in a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over filling. Chill before cutting. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: about 2-1/2 dozen.

This tastes even better made the day ahead and stored (covered) in the refrigerator overnight.

Cheesecake (baked in 9 x 13 dish)

This turned out to be a wonderful recipe and it's very easy if you have a sturdy mixer (even hand held would be fine). It does need to have some advance planning as the cream cheese must be at room temp (I put mine on the kitchen counter the night before I plan to use it) and it needs to chill at least four hours but believe me, the taste and texture is far superior the next day.

New York Style Cheesecake

• 1 Cup crushed graham crackers (about 6 grahams)*
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 3 Tbsp. butter, melted

• 4 or 5 pkgs. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, room temp
• 1 Cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract (optional, original recipe did not include it)
• 1 Cup sour cream
• 4 eggs
• 1 can cherry pie filling (or other topping) **

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix crumbs, 3 Tbsp. sugar and melted butter, press firmly into bottom of 13 x 9 baking pan. Bake 10 minutes... set aside.

* I didn't have graham crackers but I did have a few premade graham cracker crusts I'd bought on sale over the Holidays. I just crushed the graham cracker crust from one of them and spread the crumbs over the bottom of a buttered 9 x 13 dish. I washed the aluminum foil pie plate they came in and stored it for another use. These crumbs worked fine and didn't require baking.

Beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour, vanilla, and lemon extract (optional but adds a little extra flavor) with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream, mix well. Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low spread after each addition until blended. Pour over crust.

Bake 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Cover tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 4 hours but overnight is best. Store leftover cheesecake in frig.

Makes 16 servings, 1 inch each or about 8 large servings.

** Recipe calls for cherry pie filling on top but any fruit filling would work. My husband likes the cheesecake plain with chocolate sauce on top!

From: Food & Family magazine, Winter 2007

Chocolate Cherry Cake

This is an old recipe that I only recently started making again. Everyone I know loves it.

If you are in a hurry, you can make the cake as usual and use a canned chocolate frosting.  It won't be the exact same but it will still be good.

Chocolate Cherry Cake

1 Package chocolate cake mix*
1 can cherry pie filling (a little water if needed)
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla

Combine all ingredients (I use a heavy wooden spoon). The cherries will break apart but that's fine. If needed, put two tablespoons of water in the cherry pie filling can and stir to incorporate some of the cherry "sauce". Add that to the mixture at the same time as you add everything else. The cans are smaller than they used to be and I think the water helps but it isn't necessary.

Grease a 9 x 13 pan (I spray with Pam or something similar) and bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes. In my oven, it needs the entire 30 minutes.

While baking, make the frosting:

FROSTING *

1 Cup sugar
1/3rd Cup milk
5 Tablespoons butter

Let melt together on medium heat and then bring to a boil for about 30 seconds. Take off heat.

Add:

1 heaping cup mini marshmallows
1 heaping cup good quality chocolate chips
1 heaping cup good quality white chocolate chips (optional, but good)

Stir together until smooth. If it sets up a little before the cake is finished, just stir it again really good.

Pour over the hot cake (when it comes out of the oven). Let cool completely before you try to cut it.

I actually like this cake refrigerated and served cold but it also is just fine to serve at room temperature. It's one of those cakes that is even better one or two days after it is made.

* I have increased these ingredients before by 1/2 to make a thicker fudge frosting (using one stick of butter).

**If you like the taste of dark chocolate, use a Devils Food cake mix. I prefer a regular chocolate, milk chocolate, or even a German Chocolate mix as I'm not as fond of dark chocolate as some members of my family. :)

Pumpkin Bars

I know pumpkin bars have been around for awhile. This recipe is from one of the best cooks in Muscatine, Iowa! The church we attended there had amazing pot lucks. It's one of my all time favorite recipes, especially in autumn and winter... so easy and it serves a lot.

Pumpkin Bars

4 eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
16 oz. can pumpkin (I think they are 15 oz. now)
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 Cup toasted walnuts or pecans (optional) *

Cream sugar and oil; add eggs and pumpkin; mix until smooth. Combine flour, salt, soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until blended.

Pour into well greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 min (20 min. seems to work fine in my stove). Ice when completely cool.

ICING **

All ingredients at room temperature

3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup butter (one stick)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon maple extract (optional but good)
2 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter and cream cheese; add vanilla and then powdered sugar. Mix until well blended. This is not as fluffy as regular icing.

Spread over pumpkin bars when they are completely cooled.  If desired, press toasted nuts into part of the freshly iced cake before cutting into squares.

** I often double the icing recipe, especially if I'm going to press nuts into it.  I double everything but leave the butter to one stick, which is more than enough.

 * I love checking out how professional caterers fix and display food, that's where I learned this trick of pressing toasted nuts into part of a baked good instead of putting them in the batter.  It is especially good for making one recipe for people who dislike nuts in their food and people who love them.

I was at an "After the Concert" open house for the youth symphony in the City.  The caterer had used this idea.   I have "borrowed" it in so many baked goods since then.

Weight Watchers Pineapple Angel Food Cake

This is so quick and quite delicious. It doesn't have to be refrigerated when finished but I like the texture when it is cold. Serve with a dollop of Cool Whip or whipped cream if available.

Pineapple Angel Food Cake

1 Pkg. angel food cake mix
1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple in its' juice

With a spoon, mix together (do not drain the pineapple) the pineapple and cake mix. Pour into ungreased 9 x 13 dish. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Pan must be ungreased so cake can rise properly.

1,2,3,4 Cake

This makes a delicious yellow cake. It is an old fashioned recipe that still works. The name comes from the amounts... 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour, and 4 eggs.

1,2,3,4 Cake

• 1 Cup (2 sticks) butter, room temp
• 2 Cups sugar
• 4 Large eggs, beaten
• 3 Cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 Cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and mix.

In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder.

Add half flour, then half milk, remainder of flour, remainder of milk.

Add vanilla.

Bake in 9" cake pans for 25 - 30 minutes.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

We all thought this was delicious when I made it over the Holidays. Next time I'm going to use lemon extract and add some lemon zest. Whatever extract used, this would make a wonderful cake to be served with strawberries and whipped cream. I drizzled some melted white chocolate over it before serving at Christmas. As with many such cakes, it is even better the second and third day after baking... albeit hard to stay away from that first day. :)

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until combined.

Combine flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch Bundt pan.

Bake at 300° for 1 hour and 40 minutes* or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire rack.

Yield: 1 (10-inch) cake


From: Southern Living, NOVEMBER 2001

*You should also be able to bake these in two (2) 8 1/2" loaf pans for 60 to 70 minutes. Test center with a toothpick, if ready then set the loaf pans out to cool about ten minutes, then remove the pound cake.

Mamaw's Marvelous Lemon Pound Cake

I love this recipe! It is one that I cut out of a magazine and "pasted" it in one of the photo albums where I keep such magazine and newspaper articles I've clipped out to save. (The kind that has a plastic sheet that you can lift up and has a sticky background to hold pictures...or magazine articles!)

The recipe calls for it to be baked in a Bundt pan. However, since I was making it the last time for a dessert buffet, I baked it in the mini Bundt pan that makes six mini cakes. I then cut the little cakes into 1/8ths and drizzled the glaze on the cut pieces. This way, all the cake gets some of the drizzle. (There was enough batter left over to make mini muffins, too!)

The article didn't say what magazine this was from but I think it was either Tea Time or Southern Lady.

Mamaw's Marvelous Lemon Pound Cake

2 sticks butter, room temp
3 cups sugar
5 eggs, room temp
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
3 Tablespoons pure lemon extract (I used 1 Tablespoon lemon and 1 Tablespoon vanilla)*

*I think orange extract would taste great, too.

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
4 Tablespoons lemon juice (or milk if you don't have juice)

Cream the butter and sugar, beating very well, recipe says "almost beat to death"! Add eggs, one at a time.

Combine the flour, baking powder and lemon extract in one bowl. (I add the extract to the milk, it works better for me that way.)

Add flour mixture and milk to batter, alternating flour/milk/flour/milk. Do not over mix.

Pour batter into a greased Bundt pan and place in a cold oven. Set the oven to 325 and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

For the six mini Bundt cakes pan, I bake in a preheated 350 oven for 35-40 minutes.

For mini muffins, I baked them in a preheated 350 oven for approx. 20 minutes.

Glaze: Combine the powder sugar and lemon juice (or milk), making it as thick as possible (sometimes I have to add a little more liquid for the right consistency), then apply the glaze to the cake. Let the glaze "set" before serving.

(As I said, if I'm serving it buffet style--already sliced and on a platter--I don't drizzle it on the top of the cake, I drizzle it over the slices.)

Oatmeal Cake

This is one of my husband's favorite cakes. It originally came from his mother, who has a Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. I've seen it in Amish cookbooks, too. I used to make this for him and then freeze big slices (wrapped in foil) for him to take with his lunch to work.

I think this cake tastes better the day after it is made. Makes a great picnic cake.

Oatmeal Cake
1 cup oatmeal
1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 stick butter (room temp)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour (I like to use 1 cup white and 1/2 cup whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 taspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup raisins

Pour boiling water over oatmeal, let stand 20 minutes.

Cream sugar, butter, eggs. Sift dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Add oatmeal mix and raisins.

Pour into 9 x 13 pan (well greased) and bake 30 minutes. Frost while warm.

This cake was cut before it cooled so it fell apart.  :)

Frosting Recipe *
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
1/2 cup coconut

Mix together and spread on baked warm cake...carefully. May have to spoon it on at first. Place under broiler until it starts to bubble and gets ever so lightly browned. Watch carefully or it will BURN! Let cool before eating.

*I often double this frosting recipe.

Easy fruit cocktail cake

This was one of mother-in-law's favorite cakes. She loved easy recipes like this for her bridge club.

Easy Fruit Cocktail Cake

Mix:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder

Add:
2 cups drained fruit cocktail
1 egg, beaten

Pour into a greased 9 x 12 (I use 9 x 13) pan.

Top with mixture of:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Cocoa Bars

This is another good Beverly Nye recipe. So many of my favorites came from her cookbooks! It's simple to put together. It is a cake style brownie but I always bake it as a regular cake. It's one of those recipes that is just as quick as a cake mix but has no additives.

Frost with a favorite chocolate icing (I use the one on the back of Hershey's cocoa).

Cocoa Bars

Beat together:
1 stick butter (room temp)
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Add:
3/4 cup sour milk (buttermilk or regular milk with a little vinegar poured in--about a teaspoon)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Then add:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa (I now use 1/4 cup with great results)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 taspoon salt

Mix well...pour into a greased 9 x 13 dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Let cool before icing.

Christmas Date Cake

This cake was made every Christmas by my sister's German mother-in-law. She says it is delicious. My sister is in her 70s so this would be another Victorian era (or slightly later) cake recipe.

Christmas Date Cake

Mix together and let stand the four following ingredients:

1 small package of dates, cut up
1 cup of raisins
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup boiling water

Cream 1/2 cup butter (room temp) with 1 1/3 cups sugar, add 2 eggs and date mixture.

Add 1 1/2 cups cake flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 cup chopped nuts.

Pour into a tube or bundt pan that has been greased and floured.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Frost with a cream cheese icing.

MaMaw's Victorian Jam Cake

My sister, Jean, updated my grandmother's original Victorian era Jam Cake recipe. When she made MaMaw's version, the cake was 12 in. high! This one she says is delicious and managable.

Jam Cakes were very popular in the Victorian age. I've seen them mentioned often in old fashioned books. I have not made this but Jean is an excellent cook.

Grandma Vick's Jam Cake (ala' Jean)

Cream together: 2 cups sugar, 1 cup butter, then add...4 large eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda (disolved in buttermilk)

4 Cups flour
1 tsp. each: ground cloves, cinnamon, allspice

2 cups blackberry jam (seedless better)

Sift flour and spices; add to creamed mixture, alternating with buttermilk. Add jam last, mix well.

Pour batter into four 9" round cake pans that have been greased and floured. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until it tests done. Cool cakes completely before filling and frosting.

Filling:

3 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup milk
1 cup butter

Boil to soft stage, stir in:
1 box raisins (1 lb.)
1 pkg. figs, cut up (small package), more if you like
1 cup coconut
Beat until thick (enough for three layers)

Caramel Icing:

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
6 Tbls. butter
Powdered sugar
Cream cheese (optional)

Cook brown sugar and butter to boiling, pour into mixer, while beating add powdered sugar gradually, until thick enough to spread on cake.

Since this icing gets very hard and will crack on cake, Jean mixes in a little cream cheese (1/2 of three ounce package) to keep icing softer.

Can cut recipe in half for a 2-layer cake.

Christmas Cheesecake

Here's another cheesecake recipe that can be made without a springform pan.

Christmas Cheesecake

Crust:
1/2 Cup flour
1/3 Cup butter, room temp
1/2 Cup brown sugar

Filling:
2 - 8 oz. cream cheese, soft
1/2 Cup sugar
2 large eggs
4 Tablespoons milk or cream
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Crust: Combine ingredients, pat in an ungreased 8" square (or 8" round) pan. bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven.

Filling: Combine filling ingredients, beat until smooth. Spread over the partially baked crust and put back in the oven.

Bake for 30 - 35 more minutes.

From: Goosebury Christmas

Brownie Swirl Cheesecake

This recipe is far better made early and allowed to chill all day (or all night!). Also, I made it in a 9 x 13 dish rather than a springform pan. The only change was to lessen the final baking time.

Brownie Swirl Cheesecake

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Brownie Mix -- and ingredients it calls for
(or use your favorite brownie "from scratch recipe)

2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, room temp
1/2 C. Sugar
1 t. Vanilla
2 Eggs
1 C. Milk Chocolate Chips to melt (I used regular semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare brownie mix according to directions for chewy brownies. Spread into greased 9" springform pan (I used 9 x 13 Pyrex dish). Bake for 15 minutes. Then cool 10 minutes on wire rack.

Meanwhile, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add eggs, beating one at a time. Pour over brownie mix. Melt chocolate, drizzle on top. Cut through batter with knife to form a swirl or marbled affect.

Bake 350 for 35-40 minutes if in springform pan. Bake 25-30 minutes if in 9 x 13 dish.

Cool completely, best left chilled for at least a six hours.

You could make a rather thin ganache and pour it on top after it has cooled a bit. I didn't have the time to do it but it would taste great and add an additional layer of chocolate.

Carrot Cake

This recipe is from The Best of Goosebury Patch Christmas Favorites. It turned out very good and moist. The recipe calls for a 9 x 11 pan. I believe you could also put the batter in two round cake pans and check after 25-30 minutes.

Ingredients:
2 C. Sugar
2 C. Flour
2 t. Baking soda
1 t. Salt
3 t. Cinnamon
16 oz. can Crushed pineapple, well drained (the can I used was 20 oz.)
1 1/2 C. Vegetable oil
4 Eggs
3 C. Carrots, grated
1/2 C. pecans, chopped (optional, I didn't have any so I left them out)

Mix sugar, flour, soda, salt and cinnamon together...set aside (I sifted them onto parchment paper). Mix oil and eggs and beat together, add pineapple and carrots. Mix in dry ingredients, fold in pecans if you use them. Bake 30-35 min (mine took 40 min. but that may have been because I used a 20 oz. can of pineapple). Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting
1/2 C. Butter, room temp (one stick)
8 oz. Cream cheese, room temp
1 Box Powdered sugar
2 t. Vanilla

Beat together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Blend in powdered sugar and vanilla, beat until fluffy. Frost on cake that is completely cool.

I find cold days and baking are made for each other.

Tulip Time Brownies

This recipe is also known by a few other names, including Texas Sheet Cake.

Use a 10 x 15 jelly roll pan, well buttered (or sprayed with something like Pam).

In large saucepan, boil for about thirty seconds while whisking, then let cool:

1 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup water

Mix together: 2 cups flour and 2 cups sugar--in large bowl. Add the cooled cocoa mixture.

Combine together and then add to the above:

1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Pour into jelly roll pan and bake at 375 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes. Frost (recipe follows) when WARM.

Frosting

Heat slowly in large saucepan:

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa
6 Tablespoons milk

Add: 1 box confectioners sugar (or about four cups)

Pour over warm cake. Let cake cool completely before serving. Cake stores well and travels well.

*You can sprinkle finely chopped pecans over all or part of the cake if desired, right after pouring on the frosting.

(When serving this in the hot weather, I like to refrigerate it and then serve cold. It sounds different but it is very good.)