Chocolate Cake

(this is an all-time favorite in our group... it was also Jon and Kelsie's wedding cake recipe!)

3/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
3/4 cup butter
1 2/3 cups boiling water
2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups rapadura (or sugar)
1/2 cup sour cream, yogurt, or mayonnaise (Note: This is the "secret" ingredient to making a cake moist!)
2 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9 x 2 pan.

In large bowl (or mixer), place cocoa, butter, and boiling water; with spoon (or mixer whisks), stir until mixture is smooth. Add flour; rapadura or sugar; sour cream, yogurt, or mayonnaise; eggs; baking soda; salt; and vanilla; beat on low speed until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. **You can also make these into cupcakes, which everyone LOVES! :-)

Bake 35-40 minutes or until done in center. Cool completely.

Rapadura Butter Frosting

2 cups (4 sticks) butter, softened
1 Tbsp vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup rapadura

In mixing bowl, cream butter. Add vanilla. Mix in powdered sugar and rapadura.

Magic Cookie bars

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 graham crackers

1 can condensed milk

1 cup chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit in 9 by 13 pen. Melt butter in oven. Sprinkle crumbs over butter. Top evenly with remaining ingredients. Press down firmly and bake for 25-39 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting. Enjoy!

I haven't tried this recipe, so it's not quite "tried n' true. But, don't let that stop you! =)

Fudgie Brownies

This is my family's favorite brownie recipe! It's easy to make and tastes SO good! The best part about it is, you can add whatever you like, and it always turns out great!

Prep. time - 10 min.

Total time - 35 min.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup butter, melted

-1/2 cup cocoa

-1 cup sugar

-2 tps. vanilla

-1/2 cup flour

-1/4 tps. salt

-2 eggs

Whatever floats your boat!

-1-2 cups (or more!) chocolate chips (semisweet, milk chocolate, butterscotch, mint, etc.), raisins, chopped nuts, M&Ms, Reeces pieces, mini marshmallows, etc. (It's also great plain!)

Grease an 8 in. pan or line with foil. In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, and cocoa and stir until cocoa is dissolved. Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time and stir until well combined. Stir in vanilla, flour, and salt and stir until you no longer see any flour. (Do not over mix!) Fold in whatever floats your boat! Spread in pan and cook for about twenty-five minutes. Do not over bake! Cool completely before cutting into squares. For a double batch, cook in a 9by13 in. pan and add five minutes to the baking time.

Enjoy!

~Susi

Dairy-Free Strawberry/Orange Smoothie

-1 cup water

-1 Tbs. Vanilla

-1 - 1 1/2 frozen bananas

-1/2 an orange

-A bit of orange peel

-15-20 frozen strawberries (or until desired thickness)

-Sweetener (optional)

Blend together, and enjoy!

~Susi

Strawberry Shakes

Ingredients:

-1 cup milk

-1 Tbs. vanilla

-1/2 cup sugar (or 1/4 cup honey)

-1 cup yogurt (optional)

-1 frozen banana (optional)

-5 frozen strawberries (you can add more if you like!)

-About 1 1/2 trays frozen milk (or until desired thickness)

Blend together and enjoy!!

~Susi

Homemade Ice Cream

You've had a hard day. You're tired. You need to relax and enjoy, and create some good memories. Ah, what could be better on a day like this than some nice, cool, refreshing ice cream?Shall we go to the kitchen and whip up a batch? Grab your apron and come on!

Passing your recipe cupboard, dig up Nourishing Traditions and turn to page 550:

Vanilla Ice Cream

Will make 1 delicious quart

-3 fresh, orange egg yolks

-1/2 cup maple syrup (I used 1/2 honey, but it was too sweet. Maybe try 1/3)

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1 Tbs. Arrowroot powder (we used about 1 1/2 Tbs. of cornstarch.)

3 cups heavy cream, preferably raw, not ultra-pasteurized (We didn't even have whole milk, so just used 2 % milk.)

Ice cream should be made with the best quality cream you can find, preferable unpasteurized. Never use ultra-pasteurized cream.

Beat egg yolks and blend in remaining ingredients. Pour into an ice cream maker and process. For ease of serving, transfer ice cream to a shallow plastic container, cover and store in the freezer.

If you want something a little different, omit the vanilla and add some cinnamon and nutmeg. When ice cream is about ten minutes from being finished, add about 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts.

To make it extra good, serve with carob sauce or raspberry sauce.

Carob Sauce

Makes 2 1/2 cups

2/3 cup carob powder (or cocoa)

1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup maple syrup

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1 Tbs. chocolate extract (optional)

a pinch of salt

1 cup cream, not ultra-pasteurized

Place all ingredients in the top half of a double broiler. Cook gently, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until well amalgamated.

Raspberry Sauce

makes 4 cups

1 12-ounce package of frozen raspberries

1/2 maple syrup

1-2 cups water

Place partially thawed raspberries in food processor with maple syrup and process to make a thick paste. Gradually add water until desired consistency is obtained.

And you have a deliciously healthy dessert! Serve up the creamy goodness, cuddle on the couch and watch a good old movie with the family and create a new memory!

Best Banana Bread/Muffins

Makes 1 loaf/1 dozen

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas

3/4 cup oil

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1/2 cup nuts

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Beat together bananas. Then add sugar, oil, and eggs. Mix real well and add the remaining ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit bread for 60-70 minutes and muffins for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.