Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

Chocolate cake is great. But, what happens when you are out of eggs? This is what happens.
Mayonnaise replaces the eggs and butter and makes a moist delicious cake.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
You will need a 9"x13" baking pan. Grease and flour it.


Ingredients:

1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 cups cake flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and water. Cool to room temperature.
Whisk in the vanilla extract and the mayonnaise. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, blend the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
Add the cocoa mixture. Mix with a mixer on low speed until everything is moistened. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 1 minute. Use high speed with a hand mixer.
The batter may seem thin. That is OK.
Pour the batter into the baking pan.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or til a toothpick comes out clean when poked into the center of the cake.
Cool on a wire rack.
Frost as desired.

If you want to you can use all-purpose flour. If you do only use 1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour instead of the 2 cups cake flour.

Cocoa Banana Muffins

A good muffin with the heartiness of oatmeal and the yumminess of chocolate and bananas.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grease 12 muffin cups.


Ingredients:

1-1/4 cups flour
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup mashed banana(2 or 3)
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, oatmeal, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
In another bowl, mix the bananas, milk, butter, egg, and vanilla extract.
Add the flour mixture and stir until moistened.
Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups.
The cups will be pretty full.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the muffins test done when checked with a toothpick.
Cool in pan for 5 minutes.
Turn out to finish cooling.

12 muffins.

Preparing Your Baking Pans

When you are baking, your recipe always specifies if you need to prepare your pans in any special way.

But sometimes you can do things a bit differently and still have fabulous results.

When the recipe states to grease the pan, use solid shortening, not cooking oil.
Butter can also be used. But, shortening is recommended.

For pizza crusts, many times you can just sprinkle your pan or stone with cornmeal instead of using shortening. But, use shortening if you are making a pan pizza so the crust won't stick to the sides of the pan.

When making cookies, instead of greasing the pan you can line it with parchment paper. You can also buy silicone mats to line cookie sheets with. The cookies will slide off either the parchment or silicone mat lined pans.

For baking goods that call for flouring and greasing the pan, you can buy sprays that are a combination of flour and cooking spray. One brand is Baker's Joy and the other is made by Pam cooking spray.

When you are making something chocolate and you need to grease and flour the pan, instead of flour- use cocoa powder. 
You won't have a white ring show on the brown chocolate.


If you have a non-stick pan, do not use cooking spray on it.
The spray leaves a residue that may build up and be hard to remove.


Hopefully these tips will help you.

Cocoa Mints

If you are fond of chocolate and mint together, you are going to love these candies.
They are great to make with younger children. They will love using cookie cutters to cut them out and you don't use the stove or oven at all.

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Aluminum foil will work too.
You will also need cookie cutters and a rolling pin.

Ingredients:

1 cup processed cocoa powder- Dutch cocoa is preferred but any kind is yummy.
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon creme de menthe or peppermint extract
1/2 cup water
2 pounds powdered sugar- you would need 7-1/2 cups

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and knead until well blended. If it is too thick, add some water, a 1/4 teaspoon at a time.
On a counter, place the dough and roll out to 1/4 inch thick.
Using cookie cutters, cut out and place on waxed paper. Chill for 1 hour til firm.
Store in an airtight container.

You will get 2-1/4 pounds of candy.

Black Bottom Banana Bars

These are so good. They are very moist. If you love bananas and chocolate, you will love these bars.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
You will need a greased 13x9 baking pan.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup softened butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups mashed bananas- you will need 3 or 4 bananas
1-1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup baking cocoa

Cream the butter and sugar.
Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until smooth. Pour half of the batter into another bowl.
To the mixing bowl add the cocoa powder and mix well.
Spread the cocoa mixture into greased pan.
Carefully spread the reserved batter over the top and use a knife to swirl the batter.
Bake for 25-30 minutes til bars test done when a toothpick is inserted in the middle.
Cool before cutting.

Makes 12-16 bars.
They are very moist so don't stack together for storage, without putting a paper towel in between layers.

Unbaked Cookies

These cookies are known by many names.
They can also be called chocolate drop cookies or minute cookies.
Whatever you call them, you have to include the word good to describe them.

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 cups powdered sugar

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper or aluminum foil.
Combine the oatmeal and cocoa powder and set aside.
In a large pan melt the butter and peanut butter over low heat. Stir it constantly til mixture is smooth.
Remove from the heat and stir in the milk. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar. Blend in the oatmeal and cocoa powder.
Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.
Let cool until firm.
You will get 4-5 dozen.