Salt Water Taffy

 

Salt Water Taffy

1 cup sugar
1 TBSP cornstarch
1 TBSP unsalted butter
⅔ cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. salt
½ cup water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. flavored extract, of your choice
2 drops food coloring, coloring of your choice

1. Add the sugar to a large pot fitted with a candy thermometer. Sift in the cornstarch and whisk into the sugar until well-combined. Add the butter, corn syrup, salt, water, vanilla, and flavor extract of choice to the pot. Whisk to combine, then turn the heat to medium and cook until the mixture reaches 250°F (120°C).
2. Add the food coloring and stir to combine.
3. Pour the candy into a greased heatproof dish and cool until you are able to handle it, 5-10 minutes.
4. Stretch the mixture out 12 inches (30 cm) (or further) and fold it over itself again and again for 10-15 minutes. The taffy will turn from translucent to opaque.
5. When the taffy becomes harder to pull, roll it to about a 30-inch (76-cm) long and 1-inch (2-cm) thick log on a greased surface. Cut the log in half. Then slice the 
6. taffy will turn from translucent to opaque.
7. When the taffy becomes harder to pull, roll it to about a 30-inch (76-cm) long and 1-inch (2-cm) thick log on a greased surface. Cut the log in half. Then slice the taffy into bite-size chunks.
8. Wrap each piece of taffy in a square of parchment paper and twist the ends to seal.

Chocolate Donut Glaze

2 tablespoons milk (or dairy-free milk)

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Whisk ingredients together until smooth, adding a little more milk if needed.  Dip donuts into glaze, then allow to glaze to firm before serving.

Banana Cream Pie

Banana Cream Pie
http://savoryseasonings.blogspot.com/

5 TBSP flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 TSP salt
2 1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup Half and Half
3 egg yolks (or 2 whole)
2 TBSP butter
1 TBSP vanilla
1 banana
Whipped cream for top
Pie Crust

Mix flour, sugar, and salt in pan. Add milk and cream. Cook over medium heat until thick and smooth, stirring constantly. Put small amount of mixture into eggs and mix well, then put back into pot and cook for 2-3 minutes. Mix in butter and vanilla, then chill. Layer sliced banana's in pie crust, then top with chilled pudding. Makes 1 9-inch pie.


*****
Banana cream pie's are my husbands all time favorite desserts. Thanks to Kris Thorson for this great recipe. It has become a family favorite! For an even richer cream filling, try this pastry cream filling.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (egg free)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (egg free)
http://savoryseasonings.blogspot.com/

I LOVE the taste of cookie dough but I’m hesitant to eat traditional dough with raw eggs. This recipe is fabulous! The dough tastes really good, it’s made from all shelf stable ingredients and it’s a perfect recipe for kids to help make.

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2/3 cup safflower oil (can substitute your preferred mild oil)
1/4 cup rice milk (can substitute your preferred milk)
1 TBSP arrowroot powder (can substitute with tapioca flour)
2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Combine sugars, oil, milk, arrowroot powder and vanilla. Mix with a whisk or blender for 2 minutes until the mixtures looks like smooth caramel. Then blend in dry ingredients. Dough will be a little oily and should be able to form into a smooth ball. Eat straight from the bowl, freeze in small chunks to later blend in with ice cream, or roll into small balls to eat later.

If baking, roll into 1” balls, slightly flatten with the palm of your hand. Bake at 350 F for 8-9 minutes.

*****
Recipe adapted from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. This dough is fantastic but the cookies are just okay. They are perfect for someone needing to avoid dairy and eggs and awesome for using all shelf stable ingredients but flavor wise once the dough is cooked it can’t compete with a great cookie. My favorite use for this dough is to freeze it in small chunks, then add into the ice cream machine the last 5 minutes it’s blending. Heaven! My daughter’s favorite is to inhale as much of it as possible while Mom rolls it into balls.

Flaky Pastry Crust

Flaky Pastry Crust
http://savoryseasonings.blogspot.com/

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup cold butter, cut in small pieces, then chilled*
1/4 cup shortening, chilled
6 to 8 tablespoons ice cold water

Cut your fat into small pieces, then chill in the fridge. Mix all dry ingredients together, then cut the fat in quickly with a pastry cutter or by pulsing in a food processor. When you are finished some of the fat should remain as pea sized lumps with the rest reduced to the consistency of coarse crumbs. Be careful not to over mix.

Slowly add the water--just drizzle it in--and watch closely as you work it in with the edge of a spatula or continue pulsing. It should still look dry. Press down on the dough with a spatula, if the balls of dough stick together you have added enough water. If it didn't, add a little more water and mix quickly. Test again.

Divide the dough in half to make single crust amounts. Wrap the dough up by placing a portion of it on a piece of plastic wrap. Using the wrap, instead of your hands, push the dough into a flat disk. By making a flat disk at this point you make it a little easier to roll out. Refrigerate this for an hour or more to allow the dough to rest (the dough at this point can be stored in the fridge for 2 days or frozen for 6 months).

Remove from the fridge and roll out between two sheets of wax paper, then carefully transfer into pie crusts. These two steps require extra care and practice, for additional information on how to roll out a crust, please refer to the Joy of Cooking cookbook.

If your pie recipe requires pre-baking (such as for a custard pie) preheat oven to 350 F. Line pie crust with parchment paper and rice or beans to weigh it down. Bake for 20 minutes with weights. Remove weights, then bake an additional 10 minutes or until just golden. Cool completely.

*For a dairy free option, an additional 1/2 cup shortening can be substituted in place of the butter.

*****
This is my favorite pie crust. The butter adds flavor and the shortening adds the flakiness. For Thanksgiving I make these pie crusts, roll them out, place them in the pie pans, then freeze until the day before Thanksgiving when I bake the pies. Recipe from the Joy of Cooking.

Vanilla Ice Cream

Vanilla Ice Cream
http://savoryseasonings.blogspot.com/

1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar

2 cups heavy cream*
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Using a wisk, combine milk and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in heavy cream and vanilla to taste. Pour into ice cream machine and follow manufactures directions.

*If one is unable to find heavy cream, substituting the entire whole milk and heavy cream for half and half (3 cups total) works great.

*****
I have the Cuisinart ICE-20 Series and love it. It takes about 25 minutes to make a batch of ice cream and I’m very pleased with the results. This is a perfect recipe base to start with and add additions to whatever you have on hand.

Strawberry Yogurt Pops

Strawberry Yogurt Pops
http://savoryseasonings.blogspot.com/

1 LB strawberries (fresh or frozen), hulled
¼ cup sugar
1/2 TBSP lemon juice

2 cups yogurt, sweetened with sugar and vanilla to taste

Puree strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Pour into a squeeze bottle or bowl, then set aside. If using plain yogurt, sweeten with sugar and vanilla then pour into a squeeze bottle or bowl.

Fill each popsicle mold with strawberry and yogurt mixes, alternately squeezing or spooning the mixtures into each mold to create a swirl pattern. Insert wooden sticks and freeze for at least 6 hours or until solidly frozen.

Remove molds from freezer and allow to soften for 5 minutes, then remove popsicles from molds. Serve immediately or wrap separately in plastic wrap and store in a bag in the freezer.



*****
If you don’t have squeeze bottles on hand, using a bowl and spoon will work just fine. Squeeze bottles are usually just over $1.00 at any super store (like Wal-Mart) or kitchen store. They are great to have around for dispensing syrup, dressings and sauces. I keep several of them on hand and use them often. Recipe inspired from Women’s Day magazine.

Godfather's Streusel Dessert Pizza

Godfather's Streusel Dessert Pizza
http://savoryseasonings.blogspot.com/

Pizza dough
1 TBSP butter, melted (or 1 TBSP oil)
Cinnamon

Streusel (makes enough mix for 3 pizzas)
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup bread flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1/8 cup brown sugar
2 TBSP solid shortening
2 TBSP olive oil

Icing
1/2 - 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 TBSP water
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix together streusel ingredients with a pastry knife, then side aside.

To make pizza, pat dough into a 12 inch pie pan that has been sprayed with oil, then brush with 1 TBSP melted butter. Sprinkle cinnamon all around buttered crust. Top pizza crust with 1/2 - 3/4 cup streusel mix (freeze remaining streusel mix for another pizza). Bake at 460 F for 8 to 9 minutes depending on the thickness of the pizza. Cover with aluminum foil halfway through to keep streusel from burning. Mix icing ingredients until it is of a drizzle consistency. If it is too thick, then thin with a small amount of water until you have reached your desired thinness. When finished baking, top with icing in a circular pinwheel pattern. I usually ice the pizza with a sandwich bag with the end cut off.

*****
I have fond memories of eating the all you can eat buffet from the Godfather’s pizza chain growing up. We occasionally ate there as a family but it was also a common gathering place with friends. I’m always surprised at how taste is so tightly intertwined with memories. Even though it has been years, I still remember the taste of their famous streusel dessert pizza and I miss it. I found this recipe and it’s a great match. It’s a lighter version from the original as it has a lot less fat and oil. It’s perfect and we love it. What a great way to use any extra pizza dough! Thanks to Danny Beason for this great recipe.

Cupcakes

1 cup water (can use milk if available)
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract (or more vanilla)

3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 TBSP Arrowroot powder or cornstarch*
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour

Mix together water, vinegar, oil, sugar, vanilla and almond extract. Sift in dry ingredients and mix until no large lumps remain. Fill cups two-thirds full, bake for 20 to 22 minutes at 350° F. Transfer to cooling rack. Frost once cupcakes are completely cool. Cupcakes can be frozen, unfrosted. Simply thaw, frost, then serve.

*I personally avoid cornstarch and use arrowroot powder as a substitute. Arrowroot powder is often sold at health food stores or specialty baking stores and is a great thickener for baking and especially for sauces and gravies.

*****
These cupcakes are moist and tender with a lot of flavor. Recipe adapted from the cookbook Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. This cookbook has a lot of clever recipes and ideas for cupcakes, I love it!

Libby’s Famous Pumpkin Pie

1 can (29 oz) 100% pure pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground cloves

4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups (24 oz) milk (or a combination of milk and heavy cream)

2 unbaked pie shells

Mix pumpkin puree, sugar, salt and spices together, then add beaten eggs. Slowly mix in milk until well combined. Pour into pie shells and bake at 425° F for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F and bake 40-50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.


*****
My dad is famous for making all the pies for Thanksgiving each year. I loved the yearly debate (that still takes place today) on how many pies we can all consume in one week. If it was my dad’s choice there would be enough pies for each of us to have a whole pie for breakfast, lunch and dinner! I loved watching him roll out the pie crust dough and mixing all of the fillings. This is the recipe he has used for years that everyone loves.

For the past several years I have skipped the Pumpkin Pie due to the evaporated milk that is always added. Finally I got brave and started looking for alternatives and it turns out plain milk or a combination of milk and cream work perfectly!

If you are making pies for a holiday and are short on time, you can premix a few of the ingredients ahead of time. I like to make pumpkin bread a week or two before Thanksgiving, then while my pumpkin and spices are out I measure out 29 oz. of pumpkin and mix it with the sugar, salt and spices. Then freeze until the day before I make the pies. Just thaw the mixture in the fridge for a day. With as much baking as there is for Thanksgiving, it’s nice to have a few shortcuts.

Recipe adapted from the original Libby’s Famous Pumpkin Pie.

Easy Girl Scout Samoa Bars

Shortbread Cookie
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
up to 2 TBSP milk

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed, followed by the vanilla and milk, adding in the milk as needed to make the dough come together without being sticky (it’s possible you might not need to add milk at all). The dough should come together into a soft, not-too-sticky ball. Add in a bit of extra flour if your dough is very sticky.

Roll the dough out on a flat cookie sheet with a piece of wax paper between the dough and rolling pin to about 1/4-inch thickness (or slightly less). Bake for 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cookies are set.

Topping
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
Caramel
1 heaping cup dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

Preheat oven to 300 F. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 10 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler (or microwave). Spread a thin layer of chocolate on the top of the cookie crust and place the cookie sheet in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to cool completely.

Warm caramel, then fold in toasted coconut with a spatula. Using a small offset spatula, spread topping over cooled chocolate. Cut into 1x2 inch bars. Freezes well.



*****
My sister in law had a great idea to make these cookies into bars. I made a batch this weekend and they were so fast and easy. Very easy to roll onto the cookie sheet, easy to assemble and easy to cut. If you aren’t looking for a look-a-like Samoa cookie but want the taste, I would highly suggest these bars.
You may find that you need to adjust the caramel/coconut amounts depending on how thin you roll out the shortbread. I needed all of the caramel and only 1 ½ cups of coconut but my sister in law needed extra of both caramel and coconut.
Recipe adapted from www.bakingbites.com

Baked Doughnuts

1 ½ cups milk
1/3 cup shortening

2 TBSP dry active yeast
1/3 cup warm water

¼ cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 TBSP flax seed (optional)
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 ¾ cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar mixed with 1 tsp. cinnamon

Combine milk and shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave until shortening is melted (about 1 ½ minutes). Set aside and cool to lukewarm (between 105° and 115° F, any hotter will kill the yeast. It is helpful to have a digital thermometer to test liquids when working with yeast. If you don’t have one, let the milk cool until it feels cool enough for a warm bath).

While milk is cooling, combine warm water and yeast in mixing bowl. Pour milk mixture into yeast mixture. Stir in sugar, salt and eggs. Gradually mix in flax seed and flour (adding more if needed) until dough forms a smooth ball. Cover bowl with a damp cloth (to prevent dough from drying out) and place in a warm place and allow dough to double in bulk, about an hour (if your home is cool, turn the oven on for 1-2 minutes, then turn it off. Place the bowl in the oven to rise).

Dust counter with flour and pat the dough into a ½ inch thick rectangle (this dough is soft and needs flour on the surface to prevent sticking). Cut into doughnuts with a doughnut cutter or form into golf ball size balls to make doughnut holes. Place 1 inch apart on a greased baking sheet. These don’t spread much; they rise.

Let doughnuts rise for 20 minutes, uncovered. Bake at 425° F for 7-10 minutes or a little longer, until they have a touch of golden brown. Remove from oven and have melted butter and cinnamon sugar mixture ready. Brush each doughnut and doughnut hole with butter and roll in cinnamon sugar. Serve warm.



*****
These are a great alternative to deep fried doughnuts. They are light and tender and from start to finish they take just under two hours to make. Surprisingly these freeze well too! We prefer the doughnut holes but the doughnuts are good too. This recipes makes 98 doughnut holes (40 calories and 1.2 grams of fat each). Recipe adapted from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook.

Eclairs

Pastry Cream
Pate a Choux
1 cup chocolate chips
½ tsp. canola Oil

Prepare pastry cream and allow plenty of time for cream to cool (I usually make mine the day before), then prepare Pate a Choux to use as the pastry shells. In a double boiler melt chocolate chips and oil. If you have cake decorating tips, attach a large star tip to a disposible ziplock bag (so much easier to use and makes for an easy clean up). Fill ziplock bag with pastry cream and use star tip to puncture hole into the size of the pastry shell. Squeeze cream into center of shell until you feel a little resistance. Dip the tops of each éclair in chocolate icing and refrigerate until icing sets up (15-20 minutes). Refrigerate until ready to serve.

If cake decorating tips are not availble slice the eclair shells in half lengthwise through the center. Gently spoon the pastry cream into the bottom half of each shell. Place the eclair tops on a wire rack and spoon about 1 tablespoon of the warm icing across the top of each eclair. Carefully place the iced eclair tops on each of the filled bottoms and serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

*****
Who doesn’t like eclairs? If you have the pastry shells already in the freezer, then it’s easy to quickly make a batch of pastry cream and filling them is pretty fast. I prefer filling these with a cake decorator tip because you can pipe more filling in each one and they are so much easier to serve and eat (the cream is trapped inside and doesn’t spill out when you take your first bite). Enjoy!

Pastry Cream

2 cups milk
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 TBSP butter (cut into bits at room temperature)

Heat milk in microwave or in a small saucepan (no need to bring to a boil, just get the milk pretty hot). Meanwhile, in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the yolks together with the sugar and flour until thick and well-blended. Still whisking, drizzle in about 1/4 cup of the hot milk—this will temper or warm the yolks so that they don’t curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remainder of the milk. Put the pan over medium heat and whisking vigorously, constantly and thoroughly, making sure to get the sides. Bring to a boil, still whisking, until it thickens, about 1-2 minutes, then remove pan from the heat.

Let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk in vanilla and the bits of butter, stirring till they are fully incorporated and the pastry cream is smooth and silky. Scrape the cream into a bowl, then press a piece of plastic onto the surface of the cream (to keep a skin forming on top of the cream) and refrigerate until cold, or place it in a larger bowl filled with ice and cold water, stirring occasionally till thoroughly chilled, about 20 minutes. Use within a week (do not freeze).


*****
Have you ever had a recipe that you thought was perfect and couldn’t get any better? That was my pastry cream recipe that I’ve been using the past several years. I loved it and it turned out perfectly every time. Recently I found this recipe while reading Dorie Greenspan’s Baking book and fell in LOVE with it. It is so creamy and full of flavor. It mixes well and cooks five times faster than my old recipe. I’ve made this several times and it has been a success each time. I can’t say enough good things about it- it is easy to make and the taste is impressive.

This cream can be used for an éclair filling, a banana cream pie filling, or anything that calls for vanilla pudding. If you plan to use this pastry cream for Eclairs, save two of your egg whites for the puff pastry shells. Recipe adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

Caramel Sauce

1 cup sugar
½ cup water
6 TBSP butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or half and half


Prepare all ingredients first- the cream and the butter next to the pan, ready to put in. If you don't work fast, the sugar will burn.

Heat sugar and water on moderately high heat in a 2-quart or 3-quart saucepan (a heavy bottom pan works best). As the sugar begins to melt, stir vigorously with a whisk or wooden spoon. As soon as the sugar comes to a boil, stop stirring.

As soon as all of the sugar crystals have melted (the liquid sugar should be dark amber in color, about 20 minutes), immediately add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter has melted. Use caution as the sugar will be hotter than boiling water (use oven mitts for added safety).

Once the butter has melted, take the pan off the heat. Count to three, then slowly add the cream or half and half to the pan and continue to whisk. Note than when you add the butter and the cream, the mixture will foam up.

Whisk until caramel sauce is smooth. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then pour into a glass mason jar and allow to cool. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Warm before serving. Makes a little over one cup of sauce.

*****
Recipe courtesy of www.elise.com

Pate a Choux (Cream Puff Shells)

1 cup water
3/4 stick butter (6 tablespoons)
1 TBSP sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup flour (5 3/4 ounces)
4 large eggs and 2 egg whites

Preheat oven to 425° F. Boil water, butter, salt and sugar. Add flour and remove from heat. Work mixture together and return to heat. Continue working the mixture until all flour is incorporated and dough forms a ball. Transfer mixture into bowl of a standing mixer and let cool for 3 or 4 minutes. With mixer on lowest speed add eggs, 1 at a time, making sure the egg is completely incorporated before adding the next egg. You will notice that after you have added the egg, the dough will separate. As you keep working the dough, it will come back all together again. Once the dough has come back together, add the next egg. In the end the dough should be thick and shiny and when lifted it should fall back into the bowl in a ribbon.

Once all eggs have been added and the mixture is smooth put dough into piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe immediately into golfball-size shapes, 2 inches apart onto parchment lined or silicone lined sheet pans (or use 2 spoons to shape dough into rounded spoonfuls on cookie sheet). Cook for 12 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350° F and bake for 10 more minutes or until golden brown (do not open oven during cooking process as Pate a choux needs steam to rise and opening the oven will cause the steam to escape and the pastries to collapse). Once they are golden brown, removed from the oven and pierce with a paring knife immediately to release steam. Cool away from drafts, then use for éclairs or chicken salad sandwiches, bag them and store on counter for up to a week or freeze for up to one month until ready to use. Makes 12 éclairs or 24-30 small puffs.


*****
Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown from the Food Network. I prefer this recipe over others I have tried because of the additional egg whites. The egg whites produce a lighter, crisper cream puff that doesn’t collapse as easy after baking. I know I shouldn’t be concerned with fat content when making éclairs but I do like that this recipe uses less butter and only water (compared to the option of using half water and half cream as the liquid). The taste is fantastic and I find this recipe the easiest to use. These really are easy, just plan on a few mistakes on your first batch but going forward they are very simple to make.

If you don’t have a standing mixer you can mix the eggs in with a wooden spoon but it does take a lot of work. Be patient and keep mixing, the dough will separate but if you keep mixing it will eventually come back together. For more information on making Pate a Choux, watch Alton Brown’s Good Eats episode called “Choux Shine.”

Peach Cobbler

Cobbler Filling
2 cups canned peaches
½ cup sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. vanilla

Cobbler Crust
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup white flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ cup shortening
2/3 cup water

In an ovenproof baking dish, add the peaches and cover with sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Mix together and bake for 10 minutes at 400° F. While peaches are baking, mix together all the dry ingredients for the cobbler crust. Cut in the shortening with your fingers or a pastry cutter until it forms a coarse texture. Add the water and mix well. Remove the peaches from the oven and carefully spoon the batter over the top of the fruit. Do not stir (the batter will form a nice crust over the peaches).

Bake for 20-30 minutes until the fruit is bubbly and the crust is nice and golden brown.

*****
If available butter and milk can be substituted for the shortening and water for more flavor.

Hot Fudge Sundae Cake

1 cup flour
¾ cup sugar
2 TBSP Hershey’s cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp salt

½ cup milk
2 TBSP oil
1 tsp. vanilla

¼ cup Hershey’s cocoa
1 cup brown sugar

1 ¾ cup hottest tap water

Heat oven to 350. In an ungreased baking dish (9x9x2) stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Mix in milk, oil, and vanilla with a fork until smooth. Spread evenly in a dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup brown sugar and ¼ cup cocoa. Pour hot tap water over batter. Bake 40 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Let stand 15 min. Cake makes its own sauce. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

*****
This is my husbands favorite treat- he requests it each year for his birthday. It's super easy with almost zero clean up as it is mixed in the same dish it is baked in.

For a dairy free option, water or rice milk may be substituted for the milk.

Sugar Cones

1 egg
¾ tsp. vanilla
3 TBSP water
¾ cup brown sugar
1 ½ TBSP melted butter

Combine all ingredients and beat until sugar dissolves. Add ½ cup flour and mix until smooth. Grease baking sheet, sprinkle with flour and pour 2 ½ TBSP batter unto a 6” diameter circle. Smooth out circle with bottom of a measuring cup. Bake 15 minutes or until firm at 300° F. Loosen from pan and bake 3 more minutes, until slightly brown. Cool slightly and roll into a cone, pinching the bottom or drape over a ceramic bowl to make a sugar cone bowl.


****
These are a little tricky but with a little practice it’s easy to know when the dough is cooked enough and how to shape the dough. Sugar cone bowls are easiest to form. If dough becomes too stiff to shape into a bowl, return to oven for 1 minute. If cones or bowls don’t turn out as planned, break up cone and use bits as an ice cream topping. They taste SO good they are definitely worth the work!