EFFIE'S BLACK BOTTOMS

I met Friend Effie when she visited my post on How to Make a Rag Quilt. She wanted to make one for a queen size bed and needed to know how much fabric she would need to buy and a design she could use. 

Well, recently Effie shared with me a favorite recipe of hers for what she calls Black Bottoms. She makes so many of these that she ended up doubling the recipe. (I am sharing the original recipe with you. It makes 5 - 6 dozen.) Last time she made 12 dozen. 

EFFIE'S BLACK BOTTOMS

1-1/2        cups flour
1               cup sugar
1/4           cup cocoa
1/2           teaspoon salt
1               teaspoon baking soda
1-1/4        cups water
1/2           cup oil
1               teaspoon vanilla
1               tablespoon vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a mini - muffin pan with liner cups. (If you have a 24 - mini cup muffin pan, it will save time.)

Mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. 

Add the water, oil, vanilla, and vinegar. Stir til well mixed.

Make the CREAM CHEESE TOPPING

1            8 - oz cream cheese
1/3        cup sugar
1            medium egg
1/2        teaspoon salt
1            cup (6 - oz) chocolate chips

Thoroughly mix well with electric mixer all the ingredients except the chocolate chips til smooth.

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Fill the cups half full (a little less than a tablespoonful) of the chocolate cake batter.

Top with 1 teaspoonful of the cream cheese topping.

Bake for 18 minutes. Do not let the cream cheese burn. Cool. (Effie uses a silver pan. She says if you use a dark pan, you may need to adjust cooking time.)

Keep in the fridge, freeze, or eat. (They will come out of the paper liners better if they are cold.)

She also gives them as gifts. She wraps them in plastic wrap and then in foil and puts them in the freezer. When she is ready for them, she takes a package out and puts it in a gift bag. 

If Effie is going to a party, her friends expect her to bring them and if she doesn't, everyone is quite upset. To take them to a party she uses a large foil pan with lid. She will place a layer in a the pan, then cover with plastic wrap and repeat.The pan will hold four dozen nicely. At the party Effie keeps them in the freezer until she needs to refill the platter. That way they are nice and fresh for everyone to enjoy.

Well, I made these BBs to take to Hillcrest on Tuesday to the volunteers. Here is what they look like if you forget the chocolate chips in the cream cheese topping. Yes! I forgot the chocolate chips! I guess the good news is that everyone really liked them. I took 4 dozen and when my shift was over 3 hours later, there were maybe 5 or 6 left. Effie says the chocolate chips really make them taste great - so I guess I will have to try again after Christmas. 

My dil Sara told me she has been making these for years. She now takes a shortcut and uses a chocolate cake mix for the cake portion. She also recommends using mini chocolate chips. She says they are easier to eat then. Thanks, Sara, I had wondered about the mini chips myself.

Thanks Effie for providing me with your pictures. I couldn't have written this post without them.

Tomorrow is Christmas Day and I will be taking a break until next week. I hope all of you who celebrate Christmas have a merry one. See you next Monday.