Chocolate Velvet Cake with Coffee Buttercream Frosting

For MDS's recent birthday (still 39!), I made this delicious cake. I found both recipes in Mom's recipe box. The Chocolate Velvet Cake recipe calls for Chocolate Velvet Frosting, but I could not find that recipe, so I used the Coffee Buttercream frosting instead. The cake and frosting combination was meant to be. I made this cake as a layer cake, but it could easily be a pan cake. The extra effort to make the layer cake was worth it.

Chocolate Velvet Cake 

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp. baking flour
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup softened butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup water

Combine chips and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan ad stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Combine sugar, butter, and vanilla in a bowl and beat until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the melted chocolate. Stir in flour mixture alternating with the 1 cup water. Pour into greased and floured pans. Bake at 375 for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool before frosting.

Coffee Buttercream Frosting 

• 1/2 cup scalded milk
• 4 tsp. instant coffee
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Dissolve coffee in milk, let cool to lukewarm. Cream butter and vanilla. Gradually beat in sugar alternating with cooled milk  mixture.

Grandma's Tuna Mac & Cheese

I found this recipe in Grandma's handwriting on an index card. She titled it Charlie's Tuna Mac & Cheese. I assume she copied it from a Starkist tuna can or ad. But, this is just the type of easy casserole type meal that I am not surprised to find among Grandma's recipe. I especially liked the Italian seasoning and garlic powder in the recipe, which dressed up a fairly standard casserole with delicious flavor.

When I made this recipe, I used two no drain packets of tuna instead of canned tuna needing to be drained. I used the very basic boxed mac and cheese, but there are now many variations of mac & cheese, including different noodles and different cheese options. I stuck to the basic here.

Grandma's Tuna Mac & Cheese 

• 1 box macaroni and cheese dinner
• 1 (12 1/2 oz) can tuna, drained
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
• 1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare macaroni according to the package. Mix in the remaining ingredients except the Parmesan cheese. Pour into a 1 1/2 quart microwaveable service dish. Microwave on high for two minutes. Stir casserole and continue heating for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes, or until cheese is melted and mixture is heated through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Grandma Holmes's Lemon Cheesecake

On a a hot summer day, this cool and lemony dessert is a tasty treat. I found this recipe among MDS's Grandma Holmes's recipes. The recipe card has notes and changes, so I think that she made this recipe and enjoyed it. The recipe card seems to call for making two pies, but as Grandma Holmes's notes indicate, I found that the recipe make one good-sized pie.

This no-bake cheesecake is perfect for summer when you don't want to turn on the oven. The notes say to bake the unfilled crust for five minutes, but I think it is better to refrigerate the crust to get it to set. Because this cheesecake needs to set overnight in the refrigerator, it is a great make-ahead dessert. The cheesecake had a subtle and not overwhelming lemon flavor. Because the recipe used jello and sweetened condensed milk, it had more of a gelatinous texture instead of a cake-like texture that baked cheesecakes can have. Nevertheless, it is a perfect summer dessert.

Grandma Holmes's Lemon Cheesecake 

• Graham Cracker crust
• 1 8 oz. package cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 1 package lemon jello
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk

Line a pie pan with the graham cracker crust. Put the crust in the refrigerator to cool while preparing the filling. Dissolve the jello in 1 cup hot water; allow to cool until shaky, but not set. In a bowl, blend cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Whip the condensed milk until soft peaks form. Blend in the cream cheese and jello until well blended. Pour filling into the pie crust. Refrigerate at least six hours. Enjoy!

Sugar Cookies

This recipe is another version of the classic sugar cookie. These simple and tasty cookies are great for any occasion. I made this batch for Tim's high school graduation party hosted by John and Laura. Despite the summer heat, the party was a great success. Tim leaves Riverside Brookfield High School behind and heads off to Illinois State University in August.

This recipe is a rolled-out and cut-out cookie. You can use any shape of cookie cutter. This time, I used a basic round shape by using a glass as my cookie cutter. The cookies are delicious plain, but also popular with frosting and sprinkles.

Sugar Cookies 

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
• Optional: sugar frosting and sprinkles

Sift the first four ingredients together. Cream butter and sugar, then blend in the egg, milk, and flavorings. Blend in the dry ingredients. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Roll dough to 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutter. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes. Frost, if desired. Enjoy!

Chocolate Arctic Pie

When summer heat sets in, this pie makes for a sweet and cool treat. And it is so easy to make even on a lazy summer day, and the leftover pieces can be stored in the freezer to be enjoyed on another hot day.

This pie is made in stages, with some refrigerator or freezer time during the assembly process. The recipe indicates to freeze the pie for 20 minutes, but I found that was not enough time to really get the pie to set. Next time, I will freeze the pie for at least an hour. I made fresh whipped cream for this pie, which only takes just a little more effort than store bought whipped cream but tastes so much better. Finally, I topped this pie with some chocolate shavings.

Chocolate Arctic Pie 

• 1 (3 5/8 oz.) package chocolate pudding mix
• 1 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tbsp. melted butter
• whipped cream

Prepare the chocolate pudding according to the directions, but use only 1 3/4 cup milk instead of 2 cups and add in the vanilla extract. Cool the pudding in the refrigerator. Combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Use half the crumb mix to line a pie pan. Top with half the chocolate pudding, the remaining graham cracker crumbs, and the remaining chocolate pudding. Set in the freezer for at least 20 minutes. Top with whipped cream. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cranberries and Nuts

This recipe is my own creation. These cookies are a fancier version of the classic chocolate chip cookies. I used to make these for Grandpa. The recipe yields a lot of cookies, so Grandpa would store a batch in his freezer ad slowly eat them. Grandpa had specially requested cookies with nuts. When I was a kid, I did not like nuts in cookies, but I like them more and more now that I am older.

One secret of these cookies is the use of cinnamon. It adds a nice flavor, but does not overwhelm the cookie. I also prefer to use milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips. These cookies also feature cranberries, which complement the sweetness of the chocolate chips. When I made these for Grandpa, I usually used chopped hazelnuts, but I did not have any on hand when I made this batch, so I used pistachios.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cranberries and Nuts

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt 
• 1 package milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup chopped nuts

In a large bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, milk, vanilla, egg, and cinnamon. Blend in flour, baking soda, and salt. Add chocolate chips, cranberries and nuts. Drop by the tablespoon onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes, or until edges just turn brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Quick Coffee Cake

Here is an easy recipe for a tasty cake that I found in Mom's recipe box. Mom is a fan of coffee cakes, so her recipe box has lots of coffee cakes that she found throughout the years. I do not remember her specifically making this recipe. I think Mom prefers yeast coffee cakes, but sometimes, there is not enough time to make one. So give this recipe a try when you are short on time but want a tasty cake.

This coffee cake is a basic yellow cake with a crunchy nut topping. Any type of nut could be used. I used sliced almonds. The topping also has cinnamon and brown sugar, which makes the simple cake seem fancier.

Quick Coffee Cake 

• 1 beaten egg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp. melted butter
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• 1 Tbsp. melted butter
• 1/2 cup nuts

Combine egg, sugar, milk, and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Add the flour sifted with salt and baking powder. Mix well and pour into a greased 8 inch pan. Make the topping by combining the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and nuts. spread the topping over the top of the cake. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Allow to cool. Enjoy!