Mint Chocolate Chip Cake Mix Cooies

These are so yummy! Super fast and easy to make. We gobbled them right up!

1 box chocolate cake mix (any variety)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/3 C oil
2 eggs
2 Tbsp water

1 (10 oz) bag Nestle dark chocolate and mint morsels

Mix cake mix, eggs, oil, and water until soft dough forms

Fold in morsels. Drop by spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Cranberry Pear Cake

This picture doesn't have the sauce on it yet. And I used the same recipe but filled three 8x8 disposable pans instead of one 9x13.

Cranberry Pear Cake

2 c flour

2 c sugar

2 eggs

2 t baking soda

1 large can pears, with juice, mashed

1 bag cranberries

Combine all ingredients. I like to add everything except the cranberries and then use my hand mixer, which effectively mashes the pears, then stir in the cranberries with a wooden spoon. Pour the batter into a greased 9x13. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. (My mom swears hers bakes in 40 minutes, but mine always takes infinitely longer.) Do a toothpick test to be certain it is done.

Sauce:

3/4 c cream

1 c sugar

3/4 c butter

1 t pure vanilla extract

Combine in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.

Drizzle (liberally) over individual pieces of cake and top with a hefty dollop of freshly-whipped cream.

Spudnuts

We started a new tradition making doughnuts this year! The batch is huge, I am not sure how many dozen....but you should half or third the recipe if you are only making it for your family. They turned out yummy, so I thought I would share.

Spudnuts
7 pks dry yeast
3/4 cup water
1 cup + 1 TBS sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 TBS salt
4 beaten eggs
2 cups mashed potatoes (we made the ones from the box)
1 qt. scalded milk, cooled
15 cups flour

1/2 batch fit in my Kitchen Aid Mixer.

Dissolve yeast in 3/4 cup lukewarm water with 1 TBS. sugar. Cream shortening and sugar. Add salt, eggs, and mashed potatoes (no lumps). Mix in yeast mixture and milk alternately with the flour. Let rise until doubled(about 1 hour), roll out on floured surface 1/2 inch thick and cut with donut cutter (or a cup and a smaller circle). Place on greased wax paper. Let rise again until doubled(about 1 hour).

Frosting
12 cups powdered sugar
1 1/3 cup milk
3 tsp. vanilla

Mix and adjust until somewhere in between runny and thick. Put in a shallow bowl for dipping.

Heat oil to 375 in an electric skillet pan. Fry raised doughnuts in oil. Place on paper towels to cool a bit and drip. While still warm, dip doughnuts in the frosting on both sides. Place on cooling rack (with pan beneath). Enjoy warm or cool.

Holiday Wassail

Here's a simple recipe for yummy holiday wassail. I didn't really measure the spices, just adjusted to taste.

1 qt. apple juice or apple cider
1 qt. orange juice
2 cups cranberry juice cocktail
2 cups pineapple juice
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup sugar
cinnamon (about 1 Tab.)
cloves (maybe a tsp.)
allspice (about 1 tsp.)
navel orange slices from 1 orange

Put all ingredients in a crockpot and heat through until warm.