Chocolate Zucchini Bread

¾ cup margarine

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp. Vanilla

2 ½ cups flour

1 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Cinnamon

2 ½ tsp. Baking powder

½ tsp. Soda

1/3 cup cocoa

½ cup milk

2 cups grated zucchini

Grease and flour two loaf pans or one bundt cake pan. Cream together margarine and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Mix all dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and then add alternately with milk and zucchini, ending with the dry ingredients. Pour into pan(s). Bake at 350 for one hour or till a toothpick comes out clean.   

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.

Pumpkin Donuts 

1/3 cup warm water

1 Tbsp. active dry yeast

1 cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling)

1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup sour cream (may use light or fat free if desired)

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups white flour (approx.)

Dissolve the yeast in warm water in a large bowl.  Add the pumpkin, egg, brown sugar, sour cream, butter, nutmeg and salt. Mix well. Stir in whole wheat flour one cup at a time, beating well.  Add white flour 1/4 cup at  a time till dough is soft and kneadable.  Turn dough out of bowl and knead for 8-10 minutes adding flour as needed but keeping the dough as soft as possible. Cover dough with a towel and let rise till almost doubled.  Punch down dough and roll out to about 3/4 inch thick.  Cut with donut cutter and place donuts on greased baking sheets to rise.  When the donuts are nearly double in size, heat oven to 375.  Bake donuts for 20 to 25 minutes or till done.  Use either the glaze recipe below or roll them in melted butter and cinnamon sugar.  

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup (more or less may be needed), any type of maple syrup is fine but I use my homemade stuff (with mapeline as the flavoring)

Place sugar in a bowl, add syrup till the glaze is the right consistency to dip the donuts.  

Chocolate Pancakes

Pancakes
4 eggs
2 c. milk
6 Tbsp. margarine or butter
3 C flour
2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c sugar
6 Tbsp. cocoa

Topping
1/2 c margarine or butter
2 c powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp hot water

Beat eggs in a large bowl.  Melt margarine, add to milk, then stir into the eggs.  In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cocoa till blended.  Add to egg mixture and whisk till combined.  Spray a skillet or griddle with non stick cooking spray and heat over medium heat.  Cook about 1/3 c batter at a time, turning when bubbles form on top of first side.  

For the topping: mix margarine, 1 1/2 c powdered sugar, vanilla and water till smooth.  Add more powdered sugar as needed to make a spreadable consistency.  Spread the topping on the pancakes and enjoy!