AMISH CHOCOLATE APPLESAUCE CAKE

 Yesterday afternoon I hosted the canasta group. Two of the members have soy or dairy issues so I had to look a little longer for a recipe I could make. The recipe called for shortening (lard, actually) and no milk so I thought I was good. I wasn't sure if I had chocolate chips which the original recipe called for so when I was at Aldi I thought I would buy a package just in case. Surprise! Surprise! The chocolate chips, actually all of the baking chips, contained milk and soy. I had no idea about the soy.

So I had to put on my creative cap and came up with substituting dried cranberries and they were so delicious on top of the baked cake. I had to keep checking it to see if it were done because I wasn't sure what size baking dish to use since it was not included in the recipe which took me away from the canasta game but it was worth it. My version was nice and thick because I used a glass 8 x 11 inch baking dish, but I would use an aluminum pan next time. And there will definitely be a next time for sure. It was so moist and light tasting.

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AMISH CHOCOLATE APPLESAUCE CAKE

1/2     cup shortening

2        eggs

1-1/2  cup sugar

1/2     teaspoon cinnamon

2        cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2     teaspoon salt

3        tablespoons cocoa (I used unsweetened special dark)

2        cups applesauce (I used natural chunky)

1/2     cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

1/2     cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 - inch baking pan. Set aside.

Cream together the shortening, eggs, sugar, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. (I just let it beat while I prepared the dry ingredients so it was nice and light and creamy.)

Sift together the dry ingredients twice in another bowl. This will make sure that the cocoa is well blended with the flour, etc.

Add the dry ingredients and the applesauce alternately to the creamed mixture beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Spread the batter evenly in the pan.

Sprinkle the nuts on top and then the dried cranberries.

Bake until done in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. (I baked mine in a glass 8 x 11 inch dish and had to cook it longer.)

Cut into squares to serve. Best while still warm. So moist and light.

COCONUT COOKIE BARS

As I have said many times, I love versatile recipe because I can make them using almost any of my ingredients in my pantry that go into desserts. Friend Sandi texted me the other day with this recipe. She had made them using M & M's alone with a zero sugar yellow cake mix and took them to her mother who lives in an assisted living apartment. Sandi does this probably does this every week because she knows that her mother and her friends enjoy sweets so much. I thanked her and told her I would definitely be making them Saturday for the Cafe Treats. Our treats are nut-free so I couldn't use the M & M's but I did have lots of other things I could use. Since I also had a Zero Sugar yellow cake mix, I wanted to keep the recipe sugar-free and chocolate chips, or dried fruit would add sugar, I decided to just add unsweetened coconut.

I was not disappointed with the results. They were so buttery and soft and chewy and perfect with the coconut since I love coconut. I might try a zero sugar devil's food cake mix the next time. I think that would be divine.

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COCONUT COOKIE BARS

1     stick (8 tablespoons) + 3 tablespoons butter

1     egg

1     cake mix - your favorite (I used a Zero Sugar yellow cake mix)

1     cup coconut (I used unsweetened coconut)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 - inch baking pan. Set aside.

Cut the butter into pieces and melt in the microwave in a microwaverable safe bowl. Allow to cool a few minutes.

(I poured the melted butter into another bowl to cool faster.)

Pour the cake mix into a larger bowl and stir in the coconut to blend well. Set aside.

When the butter is not hot to touch, beat the egg in a small bowl and then pour it into the butter stirring to blend.

Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and then pour the butter/egg mixture into the bowl.

Stir with a spoon or spatula until all of the dry mixture is wet.

Drop some globs of dough into the baking pan

leaving some to be added where needed to cover the pan.

Press with your fingers the dough to evenly cover the bottom of the pan

adding small amounts to fill in holes.

Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. I did bake mine the full 25 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan.

Cut into squares to serve. 

For storing, place a piece of wax paper between layers.

Note: I decided to add coconut to my recipe because I wanted my cookies to be sugar-free and I had unsweetened coconut, but you could add any additive that you liked such as M & M's, or raisins, or other dried fruit, or your favorite baking chip. Your choice to make them your own.

CHARMIN' CHERRY BARS

What a beautiful day it was yesterday! My husband played golf with a friend and I played canasta with some of my friends. Friend Fran hosted and where I sat at the table I could enjoy an ocassional visit by a gorgeous male goldfinch and a dove to get a drink of water at her water bowl on her deck.  It was just so good to be with friends and laugh n gab together.

When Fran hosts canasta, I always make the dessert for her. She would buy something, but since I enjoy baking so much, I offered years ago to bake the dessert for her. I always try to find something that I think will be enjoyed by everyone keeping in mind the number of calories and any dietery considerations I need to remember.

I found this recipe in my Pillsbury The Complete Book of Baking cookbook. It was the 1951 Junior Winner from the 3rd Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest. Everyone really thought it was perfect and yummy. I did use a square pan that was 9-1/2 inches instead of 9 inches, so it was a tiny bit thinner that it would have been in a smaller pan.

I'm glad I found it and then decided to give it a try.

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CHARMIN' CHERRY BARS

CRUST...

1     cup flour

1/4  cup powdered sugar

1/2  cup (1 stick) butter, softened and cut into slices

FILLING...

1/4  cup flour

3/4  cup sugar

1/2  teaspoon baking powder

1/4  teaspoon salt

2     eggs

1/2  cup maraschino cherries, well drained and then cut in half

1/2  cup coconut

1/2  cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Prepare the crust...

In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour and powdered sugar with a whisk.

Using a fork, or pastry blender, or your fingers (which I did), work in the slices of butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

(Mine looked like pie crust dough.)

Press into a 9 - inch square ungreased pan.

(My pan measured 9-1/2 inches square.) 

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

Make the filling...

Meanwhile, in the same bowl (I did wash mine.)  combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt with a whisk.

Add the eggs and "beat" the mixture well

(with a spatula or spoon).

Add the cherries,

coconut, and walnuts stirring well.

Spread filling over the partially baked crust and bake 25 to 30 more minutes or

until golden brown.

Cool completely and cut into bars to serve.

Makes 9 generous servings.

TIP FOR THE DAY...

Some baking powder that you buy comes in a container that has a piece in it to aid in leveling the spoon when measuring the baking powder. Some have a removable paper "lid" that you remove. I needed to open a new container of baking powder when I made these cherry bars and the brand I bought didn't have that piece to level off the measuring spoon. So I decided I would make my own aid. 

I took a sharp knife and inserted it on the edge of the center and just cut across the paper lid on the "diameter". Then I removed one of the halves and

now I can level off the measuring spoon when I am measuring the baking powder.

NEW ENGLAND BANANA MUFFINS

 

I was gifted ten bananas that were left after a recent mission project the church participated in with Rise Against Hunger to use for Cafe Treats. The Cafe did not serve our Cafe Treats that Sunday but instead offered donuts and bananas. Wayne and I volunteered the first hour shift and by the time we finished the donuts were all gone and we enjoyed a banana. 

I ended up freezing the bananas until I had time to make something with them. I checked, I think, four different cookbooks, but ended up choosing four recipes from Mad about Muffins, a Cookbook for Muffin Lovers by Dot Vartan. (There are lots of other muffin recipes I want to try that do not use bananas, but right now that is what I will be focusing on.) These New England Banana Muffins is the first one I made. Of course, I made mini-muffins because they are easier to serve for Cafe Treats and even though they will make 12 regular sized muffins, I made 48 mini-muffins. They weren't strong with banana flavor because of the maple syrup I used. I can't wait to make the other recipes.

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NEW ENGLAND BANANA MUFFINS

1-3/4     cups flour

1           teaspoon baking soda

1/2        teaspoon baking powder

1/2        cup sugar

1/4        cup melted butter

1           egg, slightly beaten

1           teaspoon vanilla extract

2           medium bananas, mashed

4           tablespoons milk

4           tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease muffin tins or line with paper cups and spray gently. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.

Mix in the sugar. Set aside.

In another bowl combine the melted butter, vanilla extract, bananas, milk, maple syrup and beaten egg.

Beat with a fork or whisk until well blended.

Stir the banana mixutre into the flour mixture,

just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups.

( I used a tablespoon cookie scoop and leveled off the batter to fill the cups for my mini-muffins.)

Bake 20 minutes for regular sized muffins (12) or 12 minutes for mini-muffins (24) or until the muffins are lightly browned. 

Transfer from the tins to wire racks.

 

Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 48 mini-muffins.