CHOCOLATE OATMEAL CAKE

See UPDATE below.

This just might be the first time I have been served a dessert that I really enjoyed and a couple of days later I made it -- not once but twice in one morning. 

Friend Vicky had the group over on Tuesday for an afternoon of canasta and served this Chocolate Oatmeal Cake. She said it was one of her mother's recipes. She has served us other family recipes and they have always been delicious and just a little bit different. (Vicky is from Canada and so I don't know if that's why they always seem to be just a little bit different.)

When I decided to try the recipe this morning, I allowed my creative juices to flow and made a couple of changes. Nothing extreme. I have friends who like my recipes because they are diabetic and need to avoid the sugar. I am not diabetic, but I try to avoid using real sugar as much as I can. I do this with regular recipes so I always say you can make it using sugar if you like.

If the recipe calls for brown sugar, I just substitute my truvia (brown) sugar complete. For sugar, I substitute stevia. If the recipe calls for a cake mix, I substitute the Zero Sugar yellow or Devil's food cake mix.

Vicky served her cake with whipped topping. I thought I had some canned Zero Sugar frosting, but didn't so I left the first one plain but topped the second one with coconut and then baked it. It gave it a slight German Chocolate Cake look. I could have added some chopped pecans with the coconut, but didn't. You can also sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the cooked cake, stick it back in the oven for about 2 minutes to heat up the chips and then spread the softened chips with a knife for a thin frosting. I thought the toasted coconut looked pretty on top.

Print recipe.

CHOCOLATE OATMEAL CAKE

 1/2     cup oats (I used quick oats)

1          cup boiling water

2         tablespoons cocoa

1          cup brown sugar (I used truvia brown sugar complete)

2         large eggs

1          stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened

1          cup flour

1         teaspoon baking powder

1/2     teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1/4     cup water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 - inch square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Measure the oats and add to boiling water. Stir. Set aside.

Combine brown sugar and cocoa in a mixing bowl until well blended.

Add eggs and softened butter. Stir until mixed together with a spatula.

Add cooled oats/water mixture. (All of the water should be absorbed.) Stir.(Forgot to take a picture.)

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together to blend. Add to the wet mixture along with the 1/4 cup of water.

Stir until well blended.

Pour into prepared pan

and bake for 30 minutes or until cake checks done with a toothpick. Cool on wire rack.

Serve with ice cream or whipped topping. You could also frost it if you liked with your favorite frosting. (When Vicky served it to us.)

The second time I made the cake, I sprinkled 1/2 cup of coconut evenly on the top of the batter and then baked it.

I took this one to our neighbors as a Thank You for allowing us to add a little bit to his load to the landfield. They were very pleased. Said it would be their dessert for the evening.

o

You could add chopped nuts also if you liked. Don't be afraid to experiment.

UPDATE: I challenge you to be creative and make this recipe your own and I would love to hear from you if you did.

My husband sometimes has difficulty eating chocolate and so he told me he didn't want a chocolate cake. I really wanted to make the recipe again and so I decided to make a coconut cake, one of his favorites. I omitted the chocolate thereby just making a light colored cake. I also added a capful of coconut flavoring and 1/2 cup of shredded coconut.

After I poured the batter into the pan, I sprinkled another 1/2 cup of coconut evenly to the top.

It took longer to bake it, about 40 minutes. I just kept checking the center with a toothpick until it came out clean. (They do make unsweetened coconut, if you are making the cake for someone who is diabetic.)

We enjoyed it with our favorite ice cream. (Who says it has to be vanilla?)

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP SNACK CAKE

 Tuesday was my turn to host our canasta group. It was just four of us as one was in Hawaii for two weeks. This Double Chocolate Chip Snack Cake I served helped make up for the rest of us not there with her.

I found the recipe in a "Dump Cake" cookbook, but I don't really consider it a dump cake type recipe. I chose it because it used a devil's food cake mix for the "base" and that meant I could substitute a Zero-Sugar devil's good cake mix to make a dessert that is sugar-free. Since Monday was St. Patrick's Day and no one in the group requires sugar-free, I used some chocolate mint chips I like. Even though the recipe only has 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, Friend Ellen, recognized with the first bite that it contained cinnamon. 

The recipe calls for a 10 inch round baking dish but I used a 9-1/2 inch Corning Ware baking dish. The result was a very generous piece of cake when I cut it in 9ths. It was very pretty and even though Friends Fran and Janice thought it was too big and they would take half of it home, they enjoyed the whole thing. I do think the next time I will use a 9 x 13 - inch baking pan and it will still be good, just not as thick a serving.

If you like a chocolate cake to serve ever once in a while, this is just the recipe for you. Take my word for it.

PRINT RECIPE.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP SNACK CAKE

1       package devil's food cake mix, divided (I used a Zero Sugar one)

2       eggs

1/2    cup water

1/4    cup oil

1/2    teaspoon ground cinnamon

1       cup chocolate chips, divided (I used chocolate mint chips)

1/4    cup packed brown sugar (I used truvia brown sugar complete)

2       tablespoons butter, melted

3/4    cup white chocolate chips, melted (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 10 - inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.

(I used a 9-1/2 inch round baking dish, but next time I will use a 9 x 13 - inch pan so the cake feeds more.)

Reserve 3/4 cup dry cake mix. Set aside.

Combine the remaining cake mix, eggs, water, oil, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.

With the electric beater in the lowest speed, mix until mostly dry. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the pan.

Spread the batter in the pan.

Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips. Set aside.

Combine the reserved dry cake mix with the brown sugar in a smaller bowl. Stir in the melted butter with a fork to make sure all of the cake mix is wet.

Add the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.

Sprinkle evenly over the batter in the pan.

Bake 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool before cutting in squares/bars for serving.

Option: Drizzle the white chocolate (melted) over the cooled cake. I did not do this.

It was a fun, entertaining afternoon even though Janice and Fran beat Ellen and me by 30 points. We were down as much as 1200+, but never gave up. That's what's important isn't it? How you fight the game.

CHOCOLATE CHIP BUTTER COOKIES

 I loved how the teenage boys responded to these cookies yesterday at the Cafe Treats at church. One came back with a friend and said they were good as he pointed them out to his friend. I would tell people they were like a butter cookie but with chocolate chips thinking they might be disappointed that it wasn't a chocolate chip cookie, but they weren't. That seemed to entice them to choose one.

The recipe is also a good one right now because it is egg-free. Even though I didn't use it, I could have used my powdered sugar made with stevia I bought and then use sugar-free chocolate chips to have a sugar-free cookie.

There were a number of reasons I especially liked the recipe besides what I just mentioned. Since the butter was melted in the microwave, I didn't need to use my electric mixer so that saved some clean-up time. I always use parchment paper when I bake cookies because it makes clean-up so much easier. I used to change out my parchment paper with new paper after each pan, but then a friend told me you could use parchment paper three times before having to get  a new piece. Worked for me! Thanks, Judy.

The easiness of this recipe is just an extra treat. Even if it were more difficult, it would still be worth the effort. This recipe is definitely a keeper.

PRINT RECIPE.

CHOCOLATE CHIP BUTTER COOKIES

1     cup (2 sticks) butter

1     teaspoon vanilla extract

2     cups flour

1     cup powdered sugar

1     cup mini chocolate chips

Chocolate or white chocolate chips for drizzling or icing.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Have two ungreased cookie sheets available to use to bake the cookies. Set aside. (I always line my cookie sheets with parchment paper.)

Cut the butter in cubes and

melt in a microwavable bowl.

Add the vanilla and stir. Set aside to cool.

Measure the flour and powdered sugar and combine with a whisk in a mixing bowl.

Add the butter/vanilla mixture to the flour mixture and stir until all of the flour mixture is wet.

Add the chocolate chips and

stir to distribute the chips. Mixture will be crumbly.

Using a tablespoon cookie scoop, measure a flat scoop of dough and

drop the dough on the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Flatten with your fingers.

Bake for 12 minutes.

Cool slightly before removing to a wire rack to cool.

Melt about 1/4 cup of chocolate chips in a small bowl following the directions on the package.

Drizzle or ice the cooled cookies. (I drizzled and then just used the back of the spoon to spread the melted chocolate over the cookie.)

May enjoy plain or drizzle/ice with melted chocolate chips.

I stored the cookies in the refrigerator and then separated the layers with wax paper to transport to the church.

I'M BACK

 My last post was on January 6. Seems longer actually. Our January and February have been cruel to us and everyone is eagerly looking forward to spring and warmer temperatures. Actually this week is going to feel like spring with temperatures in the mid to high 50s. By the end of the week we might even see 60.

The cold temperatures (try low as low as -10 and the high only 4 or 5 degrees F) is just one of the reasons I have been away from my blog. I needed to take a break with everyone going on in the country, but probably the main reason is my depression and busy-ness with the repercussions of falling for a scam. 

I won't go into details of the scam but just issue a few warnings. When you suspect an email isn't for real, DON'T respond to the email - just delete it and move on. DO NOT OPEN any links. (I think this one is publicized a lot, but that doesn't mean it doesn't need repeating.) DEFINITELY do not call a number that is listed in the email. Always go to the source and find number to call. This is what I did or didn't do. The address he told me to go to brought up a legitimate looking website for the company, of course, which gave me a false sense of security. 

The bottom line is I froze my credit with the credit bureaus and had to get three new credit cards, change my bank accounts, yes accounts with an S, and order new checks. That might not sound like too much, but if you use bill pay with your bank to pay your bills, that has to be dealt with which means some bills might not go through because of changing account numbers. Anyone who direct deposits paychecks, etc, for you has to be notified of new account numbers and sometimes that might take a while to process and don't forget if you use a credit card to pay for bills and you replace the credit card, you have to notify them of your new number.

I guess another biggy I forgot to mention and it's the main reason I haven't been writing any posts...I thought my laptop was not fixable but I took it to the Geek Squad at Best Buy and they wiped the hard drive clean and so I have my laptop back.

 It just make me tired going through it again, but I felt like I had to warn you so maybe you wouldn't make the same mistake I did. I also won't mention to my husband the next time I receive getting a suspicious email and just ignore it like I always (well, almost always) do.

To celebrate my return to My Patchwork Quilt, I'm going to share a really delicious cookie that Cafe Treats Baker Linda brought to church yesterday to share in the Cafe. She said she just searched the internet until she found a recipe that she had the ingredients for. 

Gooey Butter Cookies is what she came up with and they were delicious. Since I always like to share a way to reduce the sugar in recipes, you could make this sugar-free if you used a Zero-Sugar yellow cake mix and Sugar-free powdered sugar. I know the latter sounds like an oxymoron, but you can make powdered sugar in the blender using Splenda or stevia. If you don't want to go to all that trouble, you can buy it already made. How sweet!

PRINT RECIPE

GOOEY BUTTER COOKIES

1      stick (1/2 cup) softened butter

8     ounces cream cheese

1      egg

1/4  teaspoon vanilla extract

1      box yellow cake mix

1      cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, cream cheese, egg, and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.

Stir in the dry cake mix until the dough becomes thick but smooth.

Pour the powdered sugar into a separate bowl.

Using a tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop a flat spoonful of the cookie dough and form into a ball in the palm of your hand. Drop ball into the powdered sugar and roll around until it is fully covered. (If the dough is too soft to deal with, chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before forming dough balls.)

Place cookie balls on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart and bake for 12 minutes.

Cool slightly before removing to a rack to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER PIE

 I think I have finally found a comparable Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie as with a local cafe that we eat at often serves. They chop up some Reese's peanut butter candy and places around the crust edge.

Friend Fran has started back hosting our quilters canasta group after dealing with some health issues. Since I have always made the dessert for her to serve us, that means I had the opportunity to make something truly awesome again for us to enjoy.

And I scored a big hit with this truly awesome Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie. I found the recipe in my The Best of Mennonite Fellowship Meals cookbook by Phyllis Pellman Good and Louise Stoltzfus. Winnifred Wall from Freeman, South Dakota made a Peanut Butter Delight in a 9 x 13 - inch pan but I made a few changes and ended up with two 9 - inch pies. I served one and froze the other one. I also used Zero sugar products when I could and 1/3 less fat Neufchatel cheese. I do this often with great results.

PRINT RECIPE.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER PIE

1/2    cup peanut butter

8       ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1        cup powdered sugar

1        cup whipped topping from an 8 - ounce carton

2      small packages of instant chocolate fudge or chocolate pudding + 1-3/4 cup milk for each package

1        cup of whipped topping for topping, if using

2       pie crust (9-inch baked or graham cracker crumb crust)

If using a regular pie crust, bake as directed and allow to cool.

 

Cream together the peanut butter and cream cheese

until smooth.

Add the powdered sugar and

mix together.

Fold in the cup of whipped topping.

Divide the mixture evenly and spread over the crust using.

Set aside.

Prepare the pudding mixes in separate bowls using 1-3/4 cup milk. Whisk until pudding thickens.

Top the creamed cheese mixture in each pie with a pudding.

Cover and refrigerate to firm up. I refrigerated mine overnight.

When ready to serve, top with the rest of the whipped topping.

I ended up freezing the one using the graham cracker crumbs. I covered it with the plastic lid that comes with the crust and closed it down all the way around. Then I wrapped the pie with two pieces of foil. It fit in a gallon freezer bag so I did that next. When I am ready to eat it, I will remove it from the freezer the night before and place in the refrigerator. I may or may not top it with whipped cream. I made one pie using a Zero sugar chocolate fudge instant pudding mix and then a Zero sugar chocolate instant pudding mix for the second one. We loved the chocolate fudge one so I hope we like the chocolate one too.