Black Bottom Cupcakes

I was first introduced to these at my mother-in-law’s home. Every time W and I would come home for Christmas, there would be a large Tupperware bowl full of bite size versions. Multiple times throughout the days, I would quietly sneak into the kitchen when no one was looking, and pop a whole one in my mouth. I think I ate most of them over the week of our visit. Hopefully the empty bowl was blamed on W. :)
I wasn’t much of a baker back then. My resources of time and energy and money were dedicated to finishing up my degree. When the price of a cake mix became affordable, I called my mother-in–law for the recipe. To my horror, she listed ingredients like flour and cocoa. I simplified it on my own and have used a cake mix ever since.

Black Bottom Cupcakes

1 devil’s food cake mix, made as directed on box.
Filling:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/3 cup white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Beat together cream cheese, egg, sugar, and salt.
Stir in 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips.
Fill muffin tins 1/2 full with the batter and top with a dollop of the cream cheese mixture.
The cream cheese mixture “sinks” during baking.
Bake in preheated 350 oven for 15-20 minutes (depending on size), or until done.

These really don’t need a glaze, but to fancy them up, use your favorite chocolate glaze.

The 3 dozen mini cupcakes I made yesterday are nearly gone. I am not to blame! (I’ve been snacking on lemon cake.)

Chocolate Chocolate Cookies

In the neighborhood where we bought our first home, we were blessed with great neighbors. As the years passed, they all moved on and out of our starter home neighborhood. We added a couple of extra bedrooms and a large family room to the house and thus had plenty of room for our growing family. The dynamics of our neighborhood changed, and I felt a little lonely. When the house next door again sported a "For Sale" sign, I prayed for good neighbors that could provide friendships for me and my kids. God smiled on us and an amazing family moved next door. Their oldest daughter learned to bake these chocolate cookies at an early age. We would often hear the doorbell ring and answer the door to see her with a warm plate of cookies. Life was perfect!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 chocolate cake mix (devils food, triple chocolate, chocolate fudge)
1/2 cup buttered flavored Crisco
2 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix the cake mix with the eggs and Crisco until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Don't over bake. They will set as they cool.
Fancy them up by drizzling cooled cookies with 2 melted Hershey bars (1.55 oz. size). Immediately sprinkle them with holiday sprinkles, or chopped nuts.

I have used many different brands and versions of chocolate cake mixes. I've never heard a complaint. This is a quick, simple recipe resulting in a fantastic chocolate indulgence.
Our perfect neighbors and friends are now someone else's blessing far across the state. However, every time I make Rylee's cookies, our family's friends don't seem so far away.

Chocolate Cream Cake

I was at the store today with the intent of just quickly picking up some Cool Whip. I noticed cake mixes were on sale. I went back to the store entrance and exchanged my basket for a cart so could stock up.
My thoughts returned me to my most memorable childhood Christmas.
On that cold December night, long ago we stood in awe for a moment of the service done on our behalf. After we brought all if the tall brown grocery bags into the house, we unloaded each one with delight. It had been a few years since we had this much food in the house at one time. One of the sacks had a couple of cake mixes in it. All of our eggs had been used to make the Holiday Pumpkin Bread, so it wasn't possible to make a cake. Nonetheless we dumped one of the mixes into a large bowl and the six of us kids huddled around it eating the dry mix by the spoonfuls. We were thrilled by our treat.
The recipe I share today isn't written down in any of my recipe indexes. Thus- I haven't made it in a considerable amount of time. But it's a simple dessert that is a hit anywhere I take it.

Chocolate Cream Cake

Use a 12 x 17.5 baking sheet. Begin by making Yummy In My Tummy Chocolate Cake, omitting the chocolate chips. This is a refrigerated dessert. If you make the cake with chocolate chips, they will be hard and produce an undesirable crunch to your dessert.
Chill the cake.
Spread the chocolate cream onto the cake layer.

Chocolate Cream
12 oz. softened cream cheese
3/4 cup dry chocolate pudding mix (about 5 oz.)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp. almond extract (optional)

I use the food processor to thoroughly blend all of the ingredients until smooth.
Then, fold in 12oz. Cool Whip.

Spread 12 more ounces of Cool Whip onto the chocolate cream layer.

Refrigerate for several hours.
Before serving, drizzle with room temperature Chocolate Glaze.
Serve cake well chilled and refrigerate leftovers.

The 12 x 17.5 baking sheet makes nice snack size informal desserts. You can also make this into a round, square or rectangular layer cake.

I have been experiencing some memory glitches lately- can’t remember why I enter a certain room, names of people I’ve known for twenty years are unable to be recalled, etc. A friend who is just a few years older than me has assured me it is just a phase. She told me I’d never again be as sharp as I was in my twenties, but I won’t settle into middle age long term being quite this bad. My family was delighted that I could still remember this recipe :) It was enjoyed tonight after the Stromboli we ate for dinner.

Lemon Cake

A conversation via text between a friend and I last night awaiting the news on Y’s status with the basketball team-
Friend: “Hope the spirits are high at your home tonight because things went well for Y. Good luck!”
Me: “Actually, he was cut. He isn’t home yet so we haven’t talked.”
Friend: “Oh shoot…hope he handles it well. How is mom handling the news?”
Me: “Me?-I’m completely rational. All I want to do is sell the house and get the heck outta here!”
Friend: “Oh good…I was worried that you would lose it and do something crazy like make lemon cake!”
And so I did. . .

Lemon Cake
1 lemon cake mix
1/3 cup oil
½ cup water
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1 small package of lemon pudding
I toss it all in the bowl and let the Kitchenaid work it. Several minutes later, it’s in the desired baking pan (jelly roll, rounds, bundt, cupcakes- whatever your feeling) baking at 350 degrees. Time depends on size of pan.
I keep it simple by frosting with a canned lemon frosting and setting the wow flavor factor with a glaze made of 2+T lemon juice to 2 cups of powdered sugar.
Mix.Bake. Share.

Y is handling the disappointment with toughness- probably because that’s how most 16 year olds think they should. He was quiet last night. In family prayer, his sister asked God to “help Y get over it”- before we could reverently giggle she quickly followed by asking “please let the Spirit comfort him.” I think he has felt that comfort. I have too- what an incredible gift the Comforter is.