Yummy Chocolate Frosting

Everyone has their favorite chocolate frosting, right? Well...here’s mine. I used this for my grandson’s birthday cake a while back. I used it on a chocolate cake....chocolate and more chocolate. Can’t go wrong with that, right?

Yummy Chocolate Frosting

1 1/2 cups butter ~ room temperature

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

7 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup milk

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and cocoa powder. Mix in the vanilla.

Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until it’s all added.

Drizzle in the milk and beat on high until light and fluffy.

This recipe makes a lot but is easily reduced by half. This amount frost a 3 layer 9-inch cake, two 9x13 cakes or 30 cupcakes.

Mmmmm......frosting!

Combine the butter and cocoa 

then add the vanilla.

Gently add the powdered sugar, 

one cup at a time.

Next add the milk and whip until fluffy.

Couldn't you just dive right in?

Frost your cake then chill 

it until ready to serve.

Here's what we did! Cute, huh?

Now go make a cake!

Turtle Poke Brownies

Poke CAKES are fun, right? How about a poke BROWNIE? Yeah...that's right, you heard me. Chocolate, caramel, pecans...what's not to love? I saw a picture of this run through my Pinterest feed but the brownies were homemade. I decided to switch it up to a box mix because hey...this IS SIMPLE FARE, right? So starting with a basic brownie mix, you can soon have something decadent and wonderful. Richness galore....you're going to hate me. HAHAHA! To top off the whole she-bang, serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. That seals the deal right there. You're welcome.

Turtle Poke Brownies




1 fudge brownie mix (plus the ingredients to make it)
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 to 1 1/2 cups caramel ice cream topping
Chocolate frosting ~ recipe follows

Spray the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray. Preheat oven to temp on the brownie mix box.

Prepare brownie mix using the directions for CAKE LIKE brownies. Usually that means adding one extra egg.

Add 1 cup mini chocolate chips and 1 cup chopped pecans to the batter.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for amount of time directed on the box.

Allow pan to cool for 15 minutes.

Poke holes all over brownie with the end of a wooden spoon.

Pour 1 cup of the caramel sauce over the holes and on top. Spread to smooth.

Frost with chocolate frosting.

Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips and pecans over frosting then drizzle with remaining caramel sauce.


Chocolate Frosting

6 tablespoons softened butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 tablespoons milk

In a medium bowl, combine the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, corn syrup and vanilla.

Pour in enough milk to thin the chocolate mixture and stir until smooth.

Frost brownies.

 

Let's make some brownies!

 

Prepare brownie mix using the 

directions for CAKE LIKE brownies. 

Usually that means adding one extra egg.

 

Add 1 cup mini chocolate chips and 

1 cup chopped pecans to the batter.

 

Pour batter into the prepared pan. 

Bake for amount of time directed 

on the box.

 

Allow pan to cool for 15 minutes. 

Poke holes all over brownie with 

the end of a wooden spoon.

 

Pour 1 cup of the caramel sauce over 

the holes and on top. Spread to smooth.

 

Now let's make the frosting. In a 

medium bowl, combine the butter, 

powdered sugar, cocoa, corn syrup and vanilla.

 

Pour in enough milk to thin the 

chocolate mixture and stir until smooth.

 

Frost the brownies with chocolate 

frosting. Sprinkle remaining chocolate 

chips and pecans over frosting then 

drizzle with remaining caramel sauce.

 

Slice and eat! Don't forget the milk!

You know...living in the south means at almost every potluck or get together, you can be assured that a red velvet cake will show up somewhere. So I figured...if you can eat red velvet cake...why not red velvet pancakes? I found out you can!!! These were so fun! How neat would they be on Christmas morning?? Of course I served them with a touch of cream cheese icing along with maple syrup. Yum!!

Red Velvet Pancakes

2 cups  flour

2 tablespoons cocoa

4 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups buttermilk

2 eggs

1/4 cup oil

Red food coloring

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium/low heat.

Mix dry ingredients together in medium bowl.

Combine eggs, buttermilk and oil in a separate bowl and stir just until blended.

Add red food coloring.

Add the wet ingredient to the dry ingredients just until combined. Batter will be slightly lumpy.

Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto warm griddle.

Cook until bubbles begin to form on top...a couple of minutes.

Flip over and cook another couple of minutes.

Serve warm with maple syrup and cream cheese frosting. (Recipe follows)

Here's the stuff you'll need.

 

Combine the dry ingredients.

 

Then the wet.

 

Then add the wet to the dry. Stir until 

combined but don't overmix. 

It's okay if the batter is a little lumpy.

 

Then drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls. 

Cook until pancake starts to bubble 

on top then flip them over to cook on the other side.

 

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounces softened cream cheese

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Milk

Whip cream cheese and butter in a mixer until combined. Add vanilla. Slowly add powdered sugar and enough milk to make a frosting.

Here's the stuff for the cream cheese frosting.

 

Combine the butter and cream 

cheese in a small mixing bowl. 

Then add the powdered sugar and vanilla.

 

Add a little (1 - 2 tablespoons) of milk to thin.

 

Perfect!

 

Add a dab of frosting to the top 

then drizzle with maple syrup!