Texas Sheet cake (brownie)

Here is my recipe for Texas Sheet cake.

2 Cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup butter (two sticks)
1 cup water or Postum type drink (pero, caffix, Roma etc Postum is no longer sold so I make do with something else.)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 dash salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs, beaten
4 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 400
Butter an 11 x 17 jelly roll pan
Mix sugar and flour in a bowl. In a saucepan (large enough to make frosting later) bring to boil the butter, water/postum mix, cocoa and salt. Pour cocoa mixture over flour mixture and stir until combined.

Beat in buttermilk, baking soda, eggs and vanilla. (It is thin not thick like other brownie recipes) Pour into baking pan and bake for 15 minutes. The center is barely set, so very soft. Do not overbake, the center is slightly puffed but will fall if not overbaked when cool.

Frosting

1/2 cup butter
6 tablespoons milk, (I use whole milk)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

In the same pan that you cooked the chocolate mixture for the brownie bring to a boil butter, milk and cocoa. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar, and vanilla. Stir until nice and smooth. Pour and spread carefully over the brownie immediately after removing it from the oven. The frosting melts into the cake. Cool and refrigerate if needed.

Enjoy this easy to make and very chocolatey brownie. A favorite at any family gathering.

Mock Mince Pie

This is a recipe I found in my grandmothers old Better Homes and Garden cookbook. I'm not a mince pie person, but when I saw this recipe I knew that it was a good one and anyone that likes mince or raisin pie it is a keeper. Be prepared, it is very, very rich and a very small sliver is plenty.

Prepare your favorite pastry of a 2 crust 9 inch pie.

In a bowl, mix together 1 1/3 cups sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, and 1/2 tsp ground ginger.

Add 1 1/2 cups finely chopped pared apple, 1 cup raisins, 1/2 cup canned jellied cranberry sauce, broken up, 1/3 c coarsely chopped walnuts, 1 tsp grated orange peel (make sure you use a fresh orange not dried), 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel (fresh like the orange peel) and 1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh not the bottled stuff). Mix well

Line 9 inch pie plate with pastry: fill. Dot with butter. Adjust top crust over filling, tucking edge under rim of bottom crust; seal. Crimp edge. Cut design in top crust for escape of steam.

Bake at 400 for 30 to 35 minutes or till browned. Serve warm. Top with shredded or think slices of Cheddar or sharp cheese if desired.

I made this for Christmas and for those of my family that enjoy mince meat it was a hit. Enjoy.

Cranberry Apple Crisp

5 cups sliced apples (I use a sweet apple, tart is too much with cranberries)
1 1/2 cups cranberries. (The recipe used whole, I chopped the 1 1/2 whole)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
(The recipe ended here, I added 1/2 to 3/4 cup oatmeal, you may need more butter if you do that)

Place the apples and cranberries in a 9x13 pan, I found this cooked down thin so you could use a 8x8 or 9x9 pan to make it a thicker serving.

Mix the rest of the ingredients together, and sprinkle over apple mixture. bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Yummy stuff.