Chocolate Cinnamon Brownies

When I was a kid, I was not a big fan of cinnamon. But now I love cinnamon, especially cinnamon with chocolate. What is it about that combination that is so delicious? And why did I not like it as a kid? Maybe I just needed to wait until my tastes matured.

This brownie recipe is more cake-like than fudge-like. When I made it, it was a little crumbly but that was probably because I set the oven temperature higher than called for for the first ten minutes of the baking. Also, I left out the nuts. As much as I like nuts, I usually prefer brownies without nuts. If I were to use nuts, I would use almonds.

Chocolate Cinnamon Brownies 

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 squares bakers chocolate
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• optional 1 cup chopped nuts

Stir together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Melt butter and chocolate in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Meanwhile beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla until thick and lemon colored. Add flour and chocolate. Beat with a spoon until smooth. Stir in nuts. Spoon into a greased 9x9 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until done. Cool. Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Every Spring, MDS and I cut out sweets during Lent. Because I have such a sweet tooth, it can be a challenge. But in the weeks leading up the start of no sweets, I tend to look through Mom's recipe box for sweets to load up on before going cold turkey. I found this recipe and thought it would be a perfect sweet to enjoy before I go without. This pound cake was a delicious way to get my sweets fix.

This pound cake is a fairly classic cake with common ingredients. It is such a delicious cake that it is great on its own or could support any type of frosting that you might want to add. The cake would also be delicious with fresh fruit. However you serve up this cake, you will find it an easy and delicious dessert.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake 

• 3/4 cup butter
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Cream together the butter and cream cheese until light. Add the sugar and vanilla beating constantly. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Combine the flour and baking powder; add to the creamed mix; beating well. Pour into greased 9x5 pan. Bake at 350 for 75 minute. Cool in the pan. Enjoy!

Three-egg cake

I remember having homemade cakes as a child. I especially loved homemade chocolate cake, but generally I enjoy any cake. In looking through Mom's recipe box I found this recipe for a three-egg cake. Why three-egg? Based on some internet research, it appears that a recipe by this name was published by a baking soda company and seems to have spread. Whatever the source of the name, the resulting cake is a classic vanilla cake that is strong enough to support just about any type of frosting. In fact the recipe calls for making a layer cake, which works best with a sturdy cake.

When I made this cake, I decided to make cupcakes because I was bringing them to Mom's for a standard Saturday dinner with most of my nieces and nephews. Because this is a basic yellow cake, many flavors of frosting would work. I made strawberry cream cheese frosting, which was a hit with just about everyone. But I did bring a few unfrosted cupcakes because a certain nephew claims to not like frosting, as hard as that is to understand. Frosted or not, this cake recipe is classic and delicious.

Three-egg Cake 

• 2 1/3 cup four
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt until well-mixed; set aside. Cream butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs until fluffy. Stir in flour mix alternating with milk until well-blended. Stir in vanilla. Turn batter into greased pans. Bake at 350 for the recommended time for the pan size. Allow to cool before frosting. Enjoy!