Black Forest Cherry Cake

2 ¼ cups flour

1 2/3 cups sugar

2/3 cups cocoa

1 ¼ tsp. Baking soda

1 tsp. Salt

¼ tsp. Baking powder

1 ¼ cups water

¾ cups shortening

2 eggs

1 tsp. Vanilla

Cherry pie filling (one can)

1 bar sweet cooking chocolate (I use a hershey's bar)

2 cups chilled whipping cream

¼ cups sugar

maraschino cherries

Heat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9 or three 8 inch round layer pans. Beat first set of ingredients (down through vanilla) at low speed scraping constantly for 30 seconds then on high scraping occasionally for 3 minutes. Pour into pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or till done. Cool 5 minutes in pan and then remove from pan and cool on rack.

Beat whipping cream and ¼ cup sugar till stiff peaks form. Assemble cake, topping each layer with cherry filling and then whip cream. Finish covering completed cake and then decorate with shaved chocolate and maraschino cherries.

Butterscotch oatmeal cookies

¾ cup margarine
 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
 ½ cup sugar
 2 eggs
 2 tsp. Vanilla
 ½ tsp. Baking soda 
2 ¼ cups flour 
1 ½ cups quick oatmeal
 1 ¼ cups butterscotch chips

 Cream margarine and sugars, add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add flour and baking soda, mix thoroughly. Stir in oatmeal and chips. Drop by spoonfuls on ungreased baking sheets and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or till set but a bit soft. Cool on racks.

 If you want to make them fancy, melt white chocolate chips and drizzle over the cooled cookies.

Almond Poppy Seed Muffins

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 can evaporated milk (13 oz.)
1/4 cup milk
1 cup vegetable oil
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 cup poppy seeds

Heat oven to 325. Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, evaporated milk, milk and vegetable oil. Add baking powder and salt. Mix well. Add flour and stir till well combined. Add vanilla, almond and poppy seeds stirring just till combined. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes or until done.