Chocolate Oatmeal Cake

Let's just pretend I didn't change the post date and really did post this on Monday. :)

Chocolate Oatmeal Cake
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Topping:
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp butter, melted
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
6 Tbsp half and half
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a bowl, combine the oats and boiling water. Let stand for 15 minutes or until cooled. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Add the oat mixture, mix well. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture.
Transfer to a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Combine the topping ingredients; spoon over top of warm cake; broil about 4 inches from heat for 3-4 minutes or until top is lightly browned.

Garbage Digger

Look what I found in someone's trash.


It's not what it is. It's what it will become.

Stay tuned.

I Scream

It's getting pretty hot around these parts so yesterday we cooled off a little with some homemade ice cream. This is the easiest, yummiest recipe around. We had it with chocolate cupcakes for a cute little 2-year-old's birthday. ☺

Vanilla Ice Cream
4 cups half and half
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 Tbsp vanilla

Mix it all together and pour into your ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Crush about a half package of Oreo's (or fruit, or your favorite mix-in) and stir it in when the ice cream is done. Makes about 12 small servings.

Happy summer!

Cutie Pies

I love this Pie In A Jar idea I've been seeing lately. You just get some 4 oz canning jars (Walmart), press some pie crust into the jar, along the bottom and up the sides most of the way. Add some pie filling and then use the band from the lid to cut a circle to press and pinch onto the top. I think it's necessary to cut open the top a little for breathing room. But these can be frozen and then popped into the oven straight from the freezer. Remember to take the entire lid off, put them on a cookie sheet and bake them at 350° for about 15 minutes or until you see through the jar that the crust is starting to brown.




Then, of course I had to try it my own way and made some using my all time favorite pie recipe. Here is the original recipe:

Cookie Crust Lemon Pie

1 pkg (20 oz) refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 eggs
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 Tbsp butter
yellow food coloring, optional
additional sugar

Cut the package of cookie dough in half. Put one half in the freezer to keep firm while you prepare the filling. Press other half into bottom and up sides of pie pan. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and eggs. Mix well. Over medium heat, add the lemon juice and boiling water, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until it boils and thickens, then cook 1 minute longer. Remove from heat. Add the butter and stir until melted. Add food coloring if desired (I usually don't. Au natural is good for me). Pour into the crust. Cut remaining cookie dough into 16 rounds. Place rounds over top of pie filling. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with sugar. Cool completely, then chill in fridge completely for a few hours before serving.

To adapt it for the jars I just smooshed the cookie dough into the jar just like the pie crust, filled it with the lemon filling and then cut a thin slice of the dough to lay on top.





I think I put too much of the filling or cookie dough or both because this is what happened in the oven.


I should have taken into account how much cookie dough expands. There's always next time. It sure didn't affect the taste though. Yum!!

Now you can have a piece of pie anytime or a tasty little gift for someone!

Oh Mama!!

These are to die for. They're similar to the yummy Cake Balls but different. Here are a few variations we tried. You may want to come up with your own concoction.

Truffles

1. Crush an entire package of regular Oreo's by putting them in a large Ziploc and beating them with a meat mallet or a rolling pin. Crush them as fine as you can. Mix them in a mixer with 1 block of softened cream cheese until well blended together. Roll them into little balls, place them on a wax paper covered cookie sheet. Put them in the fridge for about an hour. Then dip them into some melted chocolate chips (I prefer Milk Chocolate). Use a toothpick or slotted spoon, whatever works best for you. Set them on the wax paper to harden. I will probably thin out the melted chocolate chips with a little Crisco next time to make the dipping part easier and prettier. After you dip them you can either put them back in the fridge or eat them right away.

2. Crush 3 Butterfinger bars and add them to the crushed Oreo's and then proceed as above.

3. Crush a package of Nutter Butters instead of Oreo's and then proceed as above.

Rice Is Nice

Rich Rice Pudding

4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups half and half
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup cooked rice, cooled
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl beat together eggs, half and half, sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Stir in rice and chocolate. Pour custard mixture into a 1 1/2 qt or 2 qt casserole. Place dish in a 9x13 baking pan. Carefully pour 1 inch of boiling water into the 9x13 pan (not the pudding!!)
Bake uncovered for 60-65 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
To serve, spoon warm pudding into bowls. Pour 1 to 2 tablespoons Molasses-Chocolate Sauce over each serving. Serves 6-8.

Molasses-Chocolate Sauce

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp chocolate syrup (like Hershey's)
1 Tbsp molasses
Combine the brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the water, chocolate syrup and molasses. Cook and stir mixture over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.