Coke Cake

This one is from my mother-in-law. She gave it to me in 1984, and at that point had been making it for years. Years later, it's still the best!

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2 tbls coca

1 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

2 sticks butter

1 cup coke beverage

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup miniature marshmellows

Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, soda and salt. Bring butter and coke to a boil and add to dry ingredients. Add buttermild, eggs and marshmellows. This will be very thin and marshmellows will float to the top.

Bake in 9x13 greased, floured pan at 350 for 45 to 60 minutes.

Rum Cake

I don't often like recipes that call for mixes, but this one is a classic. Again, my mother gave it to me over 25 years ago, and it never fails.

1 cup chopped pecans in bottom of greased and floured bundt pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Batter:

1 pkg yellow cake mix

1 (3 3/4 oz) pkg instant vanilla pudding

4 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup rum

1/2 cup water

Mix and beat 4 minutes. Pour on top of pecans and bake for 1 hour.

Let cool 5 minutes and turn onto plate (with a lip). Prick top and pour on the following glaze:

1 stick butter

1/2 cup rum

1/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

Melt butter, stir in water and sugar, and boil for 5 minutes. Stir while heating. Take off heat. Stir in rum. Slowly pour over cake - may not take all the glaze.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

My mother gave me this recipe a billion years ago:

Melt 1/2 cup butter and 6 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips in a double boiler or microwave. When it is cool, stir in 2 slightly beaten eggs and 1 cup of sugar. Add 1/2 cup of flour, a pinch of salt, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Stir in 1/2 cup coarsely broken pecan pieces (or walnuts) and turn into a prepared or store-bought chocolate wafer crumb crust (unbaked). Sprinkle on top another 1/2 cup of unbroken pecans (we lay them delicately in a swirl pattern from the outside in). Bake in a 300 degree oven 30 minutes (it seems it takes a LOT more than that). Cool before serving, or chill.

We like it served with fresh whipped cream.

A family favorite for many, many years.

Decadent Chocolate Cake

This is our favorite. It's a bundt, but we've used it many times for all special occasions, including birthdays. It is somewhat forgiving, but if you make it Exactly like it says, it's exquisite.

1 cup boiling water

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate

8 tablespoons butter (unsalted)

Pour the water over the latter 2 ingredients and let sit till all is melted. Stir gently.

Add:

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups granulated sugar

Separate:

2 eggs

Whip whites till they have stiff peaks. Add the yolks to the mixture above.

Set the whites aside.

Mix separately:

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon baking soda

Also mix:

2 cups (less 2 tablespoons) flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Add the sour cream and flour mixtures alternately, blending nicely.

Fold in egg whites.

Pour batter into greased and floured 10" tube pan. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and then tump out onto a plate and ice when cool.

This is from the Silver Palate Cookbook - same cookbook as the Chili I make. Sometimes we flavor it with mint, a big hit at our house.

Icing:

2 tablespoons sweet butter

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

6 tablespoons heavy cream (I use anything from skim milk up)

1 1/4 cup XXX sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

I often approximate the above - I carefully melt the first 3 ingredients in the microwave, although a double boiler is recommended. And again, sometimes we do mint flavoring.

Lots of calories and lots of compliments!

Hot Chocolate By Jessica Riegel

1. Get a container of cocoa mix with marshmellows mixed in (if you don't have them it's fine)

2. Put some water on to boil (high)

3. Take your favorite cup out and put the powder in

4. Pour the hot water in but don't mix

5. Add a dash of cream

6. Stir and drink