Texas Sheet Cake

We were conscripted to make our niece's favorite cake for her first birthday at college. We decided we could stick it in a pizza box for transport and delivery so she wouldn't have to clean and return a pan. This of course meant we had to cut a rectangular cake down to a square and find a home for the leftovers ;)

 

Texas Sheet Cake

Ingredients:

2 c flour

2 c sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c butter (1 stick)

1/2 c oil

1/4 c cocoa

1 c water

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda

 

----------------------

 

frosting

 

1/2 c butter (1 stick)

1/4 c cocoa

3 Tbsp milk

3 c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

 

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Grease and flour a cookie sheet (the silver ones 1/2 sheet size work best).

 

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt.   In a medium sauce pan, combine and bring to a boil the butter, oil, cocoa, and water.   Add the cocoa mixture to the flour/sugar mixture and mix well with an electric mixer.   add the eggs, vanilla, buttermilk, and soda, and mix well again.   Pour into prepared cookie sheet.   Bake for 20-22 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean).   Frost with chocolate frosting when cool.

 

for frosting:

Put the powdered sugar in a mixing bowl.   melt butter in a small saucepan and add cocoa.   Remove from heat and add milk.   Pour cocoa mixture into powdered sugar.   Mix well (starting on low speed) until creamy.   Add vanilla and mix until of spreading consistancy.   If it is too thick, add more milk a little at a time.   If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar.

 

Number Of Servings: that all depends, but generally 15

 

Preparation Time: 10 min. mixing, about 20 min baking, 1 hour cooling, 10 min. frosting

Cranberry Applesauce Muffins

Classic repost 

So it's entirely possible we buy 5 or so bags of raw cranberries every holiday season-since that's the only time they're available- just to make these muffins a few times each year.

Cranberry Applesauce Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg, beat
• 1 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup ground oats
• 1/2 cup Brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped
• 1/2 cup pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease and flour a muffin tin, or use paper liners.
2. In a small bowl, mix together applesauce, oil, and egg.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in applesauce mixture. Stir until just moistened. Fold in cranberries and pecans.
5. Spoon into muffin cups, 2/3 full.
6. Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool in pan 2 minutes before removing.

Original ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped
• 1/2 cup pecans

My modifications and notes.

• Used 1 1/4 cup applesauce and 1/4 cup oil. Next time I make this I will use 1 1/3 cup applesauce and leave the oil out completely.
• Used 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup white.
• I used brown sugar instead of white.
• Added a bit extra cinnamon.
• Didn't use pecans.
• I couldn't find fresh or frozen cranberries at the grocery store, so I used whole berry cranberry sauce. (I actually dumped out the can in a bowl, sifted through it and pulled out the berries. Though I threw in a couple spoonfuls of the jelly part too, for good measure, I guess.)
• Made half the batch with cranberries, and the other half with frozen blueberries.
• Only baked them for 24 minutes. Keep an eye on them.
• These were awesome! They are very moist and tasty. It's a very good base muffin recipe and I'm going to try future incarnations of it with different types of berries. (Maybe raspberries? Mmm...)

Ma K!s Buttermilk Bluberry Muffins

Now for one of my favorite foods growing up. My mom's famous blueberry muffins have recently been updated with our home ground oat flour treatment. Honestly I think it gives a nuttier, richer flavor to these already rich butter heavy muffins

Even better with more butter on the inside

I'm still experimenting on making these healthier. I ran out of butter the other day and made them with olive oil, which started smoking when cooked above it's smoke point at 400 degrees. Elizabeth likes substituting apple sauce for oil, so we'll give that a try too.

Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins
Buttered muffin pan, 2-1/2" diameter 12 medium, muffins*Preheated 400° oven.

• 1  cup sifted regular all-purpose flour
• 1  cup ground rolled oats
• 1/2  cup sugar   (I usually use less)
• 1  tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4  teaspoon salt
• 1/2  teaspoon baking soda
• 1  cup blueberries (frozen or fresh)
• 
  
• 1  egg, slightly beaten
• 1  cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

Into a mixing bowl sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir in oats.In a separate container Combine egg, buttermilk and butter.Stir blueberries into dry ingredients and make a well in the center.  
Add buttermilk mixture all at once to dry ingredients.  Stir until all dry particles aremoistened (20-25 strokes).  Spoon into muffin cups filling about 2/3full.  
Bake 20-25 minutes or until well browned.  Serve immediately.