Thursday, December 1, 2011

Christmas Baking Time--Even For The non-Cooks

This is what you will be getting on Ticker's blog from now until who knows. Well at least until after New Years. 

You can read all the political stuff at everyone else's blog site and comment away.  You can go to a separate blog site for food and stuff from one of our other blogger friends sites, but only on Jus'Sayin' can you find such delectable goodies from now through the rest of the Holidays.

Most of these goodies are for those with a sweet tooth and who won't care if they put on an extra five or ten pounds from now until Christmas time. After all you can always make a New Year's Resolution to lose those extra pounds and not worry about it until then. 

I love to cook and I love to bake. I was fortunate to have a Mom who also loved to cook as well as a grandmother that I called Mammy and both taught me well, starting about the age of 5 or six.  

My first attempt at a cake came at the age of eleven. My Mom was in college and didn't seem to have the time to bake all those great chocolate cakes that I and my Dad loved so much.  I complained one night at the supper table (yes, we had supper, not dinner where I grew up) that I sure did miss having chocolate cake for dessert.  Mom said, "Then why don't you bake one and we can all enjoy having chocolate cake."  She showed me where her recipe was located and were I could find all the ingredients.  No we didn't open a box mix and stir up a cake real quick in those days, we made them from scratch.
 
Next day this eleven year old got up the nerve to give it a try.  I followed the recipe to the letter and when I was ready to pour the batter into the cake pan, lo and behold, I had enough for three pans so a triple layer cake was in the making.  
While the cakes were baking I commenced making the icing, again from scratch. 
Now anyone who has made icing from scratch knows that sometimes it can turn out a bit "sugery". In other words it ain't creamy and has the consistency of chocolate sugar.  Fortunately mine turned out creamy on first try. 
Somebody up above must have been watching over this eleven year old boy because that's the only explanation that I can offer for the success. 

The cake turned a little side wonkie,( it was not stacked just exactly right and there was a bit more icing on one side maybe than on the other) but nevertheless it was ready for supper that night.  
I held my breath as Mom sliced it and placed it on the plates with a generous scoop of ice cream on the side.  I was turning blue by the time Mom and Dad got the first bite swallowed and then the sun began to shine in my little boy heart as I heard both Mom and Dad say, "Son, it is delicious"!.  
Then the other words came out of my Dad's mouth, "...and you cook just like you Momma, you dirty every pot in the kitchen." Truer words were never spoken for I had a mess in the kitchen when I finished making the cake and the icing but I did clean it up with the help of my Dad who got home before Mom when he worked the day shift at Eastman.

So now to share a simple recipe that won't make a mess and yes you can use a box mix for this recipe.  I call it the BEST --------COOKIES.  in this case Chocolate. Some of you may have made this recipe but heck I'll share it with those who haven't and give you some hints on how to "power" them up for Christmas.

1 Box of Devil Food Cake Mix. ( I use Double Fudge)
1/2 cup of oil ( I use canola)
2 eggs
Sugar to roll cookies in( granulate or confectionary--I prefer confectionary but the choice is yours)

Directions: Mix ingredients until well blended, adding eggs one at a time. Place cookies on a cookie sheet 1 inch apart or so. I use a melon ball scoop or a table spoon will do and roll the dough into balls then roll the balls in the sugar or other "power" goodies that I will suggest below. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes (twelve). Remove and allow to sit for 2 Two minutes before removing them from the pan.  This makes about 2 to 2.5 dozen depending on the size of the scoops you use.

POWER UP:  Add some peanut butter chips to the mix for chocolate peanut butter cookies.
                   Add some chopped pecans to the mix and also roll the balls in  chopped pecans.
                   For the holiday spirit add some York Peppermit Patties pieces to the mix.
                   For color crush some candy canes and roll the balls in the red and white candy cane pieces.
                   Use you imagination and I am sure that  you  can find other "power ups" for you
Best Chocolate Cookies.

Bake and enjoy. Be sure to get yours early one because they disappear fast. They are the lightest, softest morsels that ever melted in your mouth.


Coming up: How to make other BEST----- COOKIES that are sure to be a hit at  your Christmas Party or just to perhaps send over to a neighbor.

3 comments:

sue hanes said...

Ticker - Although a non-person
on your blog - I - for one - am glad to have you back.


When I was growing up we always had supper at dinnertime.

Today - my mother says Dinner for lunch - I say lunch - and I say supper for the evening meal - unless it is eaten at a restaurant
then it is dinner.


My mother and I always get confused about whether we have eaten our dinner yet - because she means lunch when she says dinner and I am thinking supper.

:}

Ticker said...

It's supper unless it is formal, then it is dinner.
It's lunch if it is casual; a luncheon if it is a dress up occasion. Luncheon, the ladies wore hats and gloves to the affair and it was Sunday best for wear. For lunch they may have worn a hat depending on the time of year and dress was casual sometimes referred to as "shopping clothes". At least that is the way it was in the South.

Now make the cookies.

sue hanes said...

Ticker - thanks.


:)