Perfect Chocolate Cake

from McAll's Cooking Lessons (ingredients need to be edited)


CAKE
1 cup unsifted unsweetened cocoa
2 cups boiling water
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
'/•> teaspoon salt
Vz teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter or regular
margarine, softened
2Vz cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1V: teaspoons vanilla extract
FROSTING
1 pkg (6 oz) semisweet
chocolate pieces
1/2 cup light cream
1 cup butter or regular
margarine
21/2 cups unsifted
confectioners' sugar
FILLING
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
1/4 cup unsifted confectioners'
sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 In medium bowl, combine cocoa with boiling
water, mixing with wire whisk until smooth. Cool
completely. Sift flour with soda, salt, and baking
powder. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease well and
lightly flour three 9-by-11/2-inch layer-cake pans.

2 In large bowl of electric mixer, at high speed,
beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla, scraping bowl
occasionally, until lignt—about 5 minutes. At low
speed, beat in flour mixture (in fourths), alternately
with cocoa mixture (in thirds), beginning
and ending with flour mixture. Do not overbeat.
Divide evenly into pans; smooth top. Bake 25 to
30 minutes, or until surface springs back when
gently pressed with fingertip. Cpol in pans 10 minutes.
Carefully loosen sides with spatula; remove
4 from pans; cool on racks. Frosting: In medium
saucepan, combine chocolate pieces, cream, butter;
stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove
from heat. With whisk, blend in 21/2 cups confectioners'
sugar. In bowl set over ice, beat until it
holds shape. Filling: Whip cream with sugar and 6 up. To frost: With spatula, frost sides first, covvanilla;
refrigerate. To assemble cake: On plate, ering whipped cream: use rest of frosting on top,
place a layer, top side down; spread with half of
cream. Place second layer, top side down; spread
with rest of cream. Place third layer, top side
swirling decoratively. Refrigerate at least 1 hour
before serving. To cut, use a thin-edged sharp
knife; slice witn a sawing motion. Serves 10 to 12.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Crunch

1 1/2 c unbleached AP flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 c plus 2 T packed light brown sugar
3/4 c crunchy peanut butter
1 large egg at room temperature
1 t vanilla

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease two baking sheets.

In a medium bowl, whisk together: flour, soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and both sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Beat in the peanut butter. Beat in the egg, blending well, then beat in the vanilla. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture in two additions.

Scoop out a slightly rounded teaspoonful of dough for each cookie, roll the dough into a scant 1-inch ball, and place the balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. With the back of a fork, gently press a crisscross pattern into each cookie, flattening it to 1/4 inch thick.

Bake for 9-12 minutes, switching the position of the baking sheets halfway through baking, until the cookies are golden brown on the bottom and barely colored on top. Let cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer the cookies to racks to cool completely.

VARIATION:
Stir 1 1/4 cups mini-chocolate chips into the dough. Bake as directed.

Sweet Gratitude, by Judith Sutton

Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 c unbleached AP flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 c plus 2 T granulated sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 T packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 t vanilla
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 c semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
1 c milk chocolate chips
1 c mini semisweet chocolate chips

Put the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together: flour, soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and both sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture in two additions. Using a sturdy wooden spoon, stir in all the chocolate chips.

Drop the dough by slightly rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, switching the position of the baking sheets halfway through baking, until the cookies are golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the baking sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer the cookies to racks to cool completely.

Sweet Gratitude, by Judith Sutton

Triple-Layer Pumpkin Spice Pie

2 c cold milk
2 pkg (4-serving size each) pumpkin spice flavor instant pudding
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1 8oz tub Cool Whip
1 graham cracker pie crust
1/2 c pecan pieces
1 T honey

Beat milk, dry pudding mix and cinnamon with whisk until blended. Spread 1 1/2 c into bottom of crust.

Add 1 1/2 c Cool Whip to remaining pudding mixture; stir gently. Spoon over layer in crust; top with remaining Cool Whip.

Refrigerate 1 hour. Meanwhile, cook pecans and honey in skillet over medium-low heat 2-4 minutes or until pecans are caramelized, stirring frequently. Spread onto sheet of waxed paper, separating large clusters. Cool. Sprinkle over pie just before serving. Store leftovers in fridge.

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

1/4 c plus 2 T caramel topping, divided
1 graham cracker pie crust
1/2 c plus 2 t pecan pieces, divided
1 c cold milk
2 pkg (4 serving size each) vanilla flavor instant pudding
1 c canned pumpkin
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1 tub Cool Whip, thawed and divided

Pour 1/4 c caramel topping into crust; sprinkle with 1/2 c pecans.

Beat milk, pudding mixes, pumpkin and spices with whisk until blended. Stir in 1-1/2 cups Cool Whip. Spread into crust. Top with remaining Cool Whip.

Refrigerate 1 hour. Top with remaining caramel topping and pecan pieces before serving.