Monday, November 17, 2008

Hershey's Deep Dark Chocolate Cake!!






Oh My Goodness! This has got to be one of my favorite cakes ever! Thanks so much to my AL nestie bud...lilcrablegs...for posting this recipe in her blog. It is not too sweet....just enough richness from the dark chocolate..without being bitter....it's just the perfect dark chocolate cake!

**note...even though the recipe says to cool your cakes on a wire rack...I always cool my cakes just slightly in their pans...then I always begin to ice them when they are still warm. My mom always made her cakes this way...and I think it turns out a much more moist cake!**
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

*Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans or one 13x9x2-inch pan!
*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 electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour into prepared pans.
*Bake 30-35 minutes for round pans. 35-40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. (cake may be left in rectangular pan if desired) Frost with One-Bowl Buttercream Frosting (recipe below)!

One Bowl Buttercream Frosting!
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2-2/3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup Hershey's Cocoa or Hershey's Dutch Pressed Cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*Beat butter in medium bowl. Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency (additional milk may be needed). Stir in vanilla. Makes about 2 cups.



Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Christmas Brunch Casserole


This week my hubby and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary. I really wanted to make a special breakfast to surprise my hubbs...so I headed off to one of my fav sites...allrecipes.com! I found this recipe...and I made a few alterations....and the husband loved it! It was not my favorite...It tasted a little to "egg" for me...but he loved it..so that's all that really matters :) Mission Accomplished!




1 pound bacon **I substituted 1lb. sausage**

1 tablespoon butter

2 onions, chopped **I only added 1 large onion**

2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms **omitted**

4 cups frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese **I added 2 cups**


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish.

Place bacon in large, deep skillet. Cook over med high heat until evenly brown. Drain and set aside. In skillet, melt butter and fry onions and mushrooms until tender.

Mix potatoes, onion, mushrooms, bacon, salts and pepper and place in prepared casserole dish.

In a large bowl, beat eggs with milk. Pour over casserole. Top with cheese. **if making the night before..cover and refrigerate**

Cover with foil and bake in oven for 1 hour or until set. If preparing and baking the same day, cook for 45 minutes.