Before today, I had never heard of depression cake.  This afternoon one of my Facebook friends posted that her daughter made a depression cake and I assumed that meant her daughter made a cake because she was depressed!  Nope.  Apparently, it’s a cake recipe that uses no butter, eggs or milk, so it was affordable even during the depression!  My daughter just had to try it, so we got on Pinterest, found a recipe and whipped it up!  I adapted my buttermilk brownie frosting recipe for this because it’s simple, inexpensive ingredients that I always have on hand.  The links for the frosting in the recipe I found included evaporated milk and chocolate chips or chilled coconut milk and chocolate chips. I found mine to be much simpler!

Start by greasing your pan, which I neglected to do.  *gasp*  Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and whisk until well mixed.

Make 3 wells and put oil in one, vinegar in one, vanilla in one.

Pour water over the top and whisk until combined.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

In the last 5 min or so that it’s in the oven, bring half and half, butter, salt and cocoa powder to a boil.

Add powdered sugar and whisk until well combined.

Pour over hot cake as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Cool and enjoy!

If you mix it in a separate bowl, the cake pan will be prettier, but mixing it this way makes it super easy even for a 9 year old — bonus, they can lick the whisk since it’s egg free!

This was yummy!  I have to say that the texture was different, but not bad and so very easy to make.  Let me know what you think!

[ultimate-recipe id=”2816″]

The post Depression Chocolate Cake appeared first on Little Reasons.

I really do make things other than desserts.  I know you won’t believe me if you’ve only been following my blog recently.  For some reason, I have been exclusively posting these decadent treats.  But I think you’ll thank me for this one!

We were baking bread today and one of my tricks is to bake something while the bread is rising in order to provide heat for the rising process without wasting a hot, empty oven.  My kids decided cookies were the perfect thing to bake, but I was out of baking powder.  How in the world does that happen?  Anyway, I wanted to have a recipe that only used baking soda and I really wanted to utilize oatmeal.  After a short trip on Pinterest, I found a recipe that my kids could easily make.  They decided to change it up and this is what they came up with!

[ultimate-recipe id=”1952″]

The post Chocolate Chip and Toffee Oatmeal Cookies appeared first on Little Reasons.

There are certain things that I’ve been eating since childhood.  They are recipes that were simple for my mom to whip up and made plenty for her family of 7.  This is one of those family favorites.  We call them buttermilk brownies and we are still in love after all these years!  One thing my mom always told me was that when I needed something fast that fed a lot of people, this was the thing to make.  There are no unusual ingredients, so I usually have everything in the house all the time.  It only uses a pot and a whisk, so you don’t need big kitchen equipment.  The biggest factor is that once you’ve done it a few times, it can be made start to finish in 30 min.  That’s amazing!

I start by preheating the oven to 375 and getting out the 1/2 sheet pan, then separate the ingredients… butter, water and cocoa powder in the pan.  This is my favorite kind of cocoa powder.  I love that it’s fair trade, organic and affordable!

Eggs, buttermilk, vanilla in a measuring cup.  I never keep buttermilk on hand.  I will buy the store kind for Grandma’s pancakes because it makes a huge difference!  But for regular baking, you just need acidity to react with the baking soda, so I add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice in the bottom of my measuring cup before I add the milk – probably about 1T. per cup of milk.  Voila!  Buttermilk.

Flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a bowl.  Whisk up the ingredients in the bowl.  I don’t sift things like flour.  I just do that instead.

I have all the steps ready to go and that makes the process go quickly and efficiently.

Bring the ingredients in the pot to a boil.  Then turn off the heat and add in the dry and wet ingredients, whisking them right in the pot.

Pour the batter into your greased 1/2 sheet pan and pop it in the oven for 20 min.

As soon as that’s in the oven, I rinse out the pot and put the butter, cocoa powder and buttermilk in the same pan.

Then I sift the powdered sugar.  This is an important step!  If you don’t sift it, you’ll have really ugly lumps in the frosting and that looks terrible.  I just put it in a screen strainer and then use my whisk to force it through.  The kids love to do this part.

Start cleaning up your kitchen and putting things away while you wait for the brownies to be half done.  When there’s 10 minutes to go, I turn my brownie pan around.  This makes sure that they are the same thickness all the way across, even if your oven is a tiny but unleveled.  Normally it doesn’t matter, but this recipe is so thin that it makes a difference.  Then I make the frosting so that it’s ready to pour on the brownies as soon as they get out of the oven.  Bring the ingredients in the pot to a boil, stirring constantly.  Pull it off the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla.  Make sure there’s no powdered sugar up the side of the pan.  Otherwise you’ll have frosting with sprinkles of powdered sugar all over it.

When the brownies are done, frost them immediately.  I pour it down the center and then use a spatula and gently pull it from the center out to the edges.  Remember they’re fresh from the oven so be careful not to tear it!

And there you have it!  I’ve even frozen pans of these and pulled them out for an Awana snack and it worked perfectly!  I promise that once you make this a few times, it will be a fast family favorite for you too!!

Buttermilk Brownies

In a large pot add:

1c. butter

1c. hot water

1/3c. unsweetened cocoa powder

Bring to boil, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.

Add dry ingredients first, then wet:

dry:

2c. flour

2c. sugar

1t. baking soda

1/2t. salt

wet:

2 slightly beaten eggs

1/2c. buttermilk (or milk plus a splash of vinegar or lemon juice)

1 1/2t. vanilla

Mix well and pour into greased 15×11″ pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  About 10 min. into cooking time, start making the frosting because you will frost them directly out of the oven.  I rinse my pot out and then make the frosting in the same pot.

Frosting:

1/4c. butter

3T. cocoa powder

3T. buttermilk

2 1/4c. sifted powdered sugar

1/2t. vanilla

Heat the butter, cocoa powder and buttermilk in the pot.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and add powdered sugar and vanilla.  Whisk well. Frost brownies immediately after taking them out of the oven.

The post A family tradition – Buttermilk Brownies appeared first on Little Reasons.

I love this recipe.  I found it years ago when someone shared it on Facebook, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t find the original location to give credit!  One of the things I love about this recipe is that it contains 6 bananas.  That’s a ton!  I don’t know about you, but when I have extra bananas, I have quite a few and my regular banana bread only takes 1!  So this is a great solution for the over ripe banana problem.  Second thing I love about it is that it holds up beautifully to substitutions.  I have a Vitamix dry container and use it to grind local wheat and spelt for flour.  But when I do that, some things just turn out really dense and wheaty.  In this recipe, I cannot tell that I used wheat flour, or raw sugar, or greek yogurt instead of sour cream.  It’s just amazing and decadent every time!  So without further ado, here is your next party pleaser.  Make sure you bring copies of the recipe with you when you take it somewhere because people will be asking!

Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1 c. butter, softened

2 c.  sugar

4 eggs

6 bananas, mashed

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 c. whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

¼ c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 c. sour cream or plain greek yogurt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Sift in flour, baking soda, and cocoa powder; mix well. Blend in sour cream and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a loaf comes out clean.

The post Chocolate, chocolate chip banana bread appeared first on Little Reasons.

Another perfect recipe from a friend of mine is the hot fudge I’ve made for my family for years.  I can’t imagine buying it now that I know I can make it in 10 minutes!

 Super Easy Hot Fudge:

1 1/3c. evaporated milk

1c. chocolate chips (in these pictures I used milk chocolate.  But any kind would work!)

2c. confectioners sugar

1/2c. butter

1/2t. vanilla

dash of salt

Place all ingredients in a pot and boil for 8 minutes, stirring constantly.

It’s amazing hot

or straight from the fridge….shhh don’t tell!

The post Valentine’s Day Chocolate Indulgence Week: Super Easy Hot Fudge appeared first on Little Reasons.

My friends have the best recipes!  This one was passed to me a few years ago and it is very well worn!  It’s a chocolate cookie with chocolate chips – or peanut butter chips.  Completely delicious!  They also work well straight from the freezer.  In these pictures, I show how to put them on a tray to freeze.  Then just throw the frozen balls in a zip top bag in the freezer and you’re ready to put a handful in the oven when you have company unexpectedly stop by!  You may need to add a minute or two to the cooking time, but I haven’t noticed a significant difference.

I also find that when I deliver a meal to a friend who is sick or had a baby or just returned home from a funeral, I can bring them this way.  The dough is wrapped in parchment paper and tied with a  ribbon.  I write the cooking instructions in permanent marker on the cookie cylinder.  Then all they need to to is spend 10 minutes cooking them for fresh baked dessert deliciousness!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cream:

1c. butter

2c. sugar

Add until mixed:

2 eggs

2t. vanilla

Add:

2c. flour

3/4c. baking cocoa

1t. baking soda

1/2t. salt

When the ingredients are all incorporated, add 1 package of chocolate chips or peanut butter chips and stir until just mixed.  Place on cookie sheet a few inches apart – do not bake them as close together as these pictures show.  I was freezing mine raw, so I didn’t need space for them to spread.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  Don’t over bake them.  You want chewy and decadent, not hard and crunchy!

The post Valentine’s Day Chocolate Indulgence Week: Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies appeared first on Little Reasons.

I don’t really like homemade brownies.  I love how the box mix is chewy with that glossy top and slightly crunchy edges.  When I make them from scratch, I don’t seem to be able to replicate that….until I found this recipe.  It was a hit so I’m sharing it with you this Valentine’s Week!!  Quick note — Mine were very dark because I used black cocoa powder, so don’t be surprised if yours look more brown than black.

Rich Fudgy Brownies

If you prefer to cook by scale weight, which is more accurate, those are listed too!

8 oz. (1 cup) unsalted butter; plus more for the pan
15¼ oz. (2 cups) granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
2½ oz (¾ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
3 oz (2/3 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour or almond flour (for gluten free)
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. table salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and position rack in the center of the oven. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan or line with parchment paper.

2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the sugar and whisk until well combined. Add the beaten eggs and vanilla and whisk until well blended. In a large separate bowl whisk together the cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt. Transfer butter mixture to bowl with flour and stir with spatula or wooden spoon until batter is smooth.

3. Spread into prepared pan and bake for approximately 37-40 minutes. Insert a pairing knife or steak knife straight into center. If it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, the brownies are done. Let cool completely in pan on rack.

Can’t you just see these cut out with heart cookie cutters for your Valentine? Or they would be amazing cut into little squares and dipped in melted chocolate for a Valentine’s Fondue night!  However you eat these, I hope you love them!

The post Valentine’s Day Chocolate Indulgence Week: Just like brownies from a box! appeared first on Little Reasons.

I adore Valentine’s Day.  I decorate my house in reds and pinks and make delicious chocolate desserts.  Don’t you just love love?!  So this week, I’m dedicating my blog to Valentine’s Day Chocolate Indulgences!!!  Doesn’t that sound decadent?  I’m kicking it off with a recipe I grew up with.  I love that a simple taste of pudding can bring me back to childhood.  I had not made this recipe in years.  But the second the spoon hit my lips, I was instantly transported back to 5 year old Joelle.  I have fond memories of made from scratch treats that my Mom made and I love to think that my kids might grow up to have similar feelings of childhood when they eat those same things!  So here is my Mom’s chocolate pudding recipe.  I bet you have all these ingredients in your house right now.  Go make it!  And please invite people over to share it with you….the guilt of eating cup after cup yourself is just too much!

In a pan, mix:

1 1/3 c. sugar

1/2 c. (minut 1T.) flour

1/2 t. salt

1/3 c. cocoa powder

Whisk ingredients together and add:

4 c. milk

Turn on heat to medium or low, whisking mixture until it comes to a boil and thickens.  Watch corners to make sure it doesn’t stick.

Remove from heat and add:

4 T. butter

2 t. vanilla

1/2 t. almond extract (Sometimes my mom would add peppermint instead.  But my favorite way to eat it is with almond!)

Pour into coffee mugs…

Or bowls…

And start making memories with the people you love!  This pudding is not like instant pudding.  It’s thick and rich and has a skin on the top when it cools.  I personally love that, but if it’s not your thing, you can put it in a big bowl to cool.  Put plastic wrap or foil over the bowl, touching the top of the pudding.  That should help it not develop the skin as it cools.  Then you could serve it in tall mugs, layered with dollops of homemade whipping cream and chocolate shavings on top.  Or you can be like me and put it in mugs, wait for it to (sort of) cool and then dive in!

The post Valentine’s Day Chocolate Indulgence Week: Mom’s Chocolate Pudding appeared first on Little Reasons.

I love cocoa almonds.  You know, those kind you buy for a snack at Target because you’re starving and they seem sort of healthy?  My husband always gets annoyed with me when I open food in the store to feed my ravenous kids (or myself!).  But I justify it by saying that I end up saving us so much money by not shopping while I’m hungry, right?!  I digress.  So those cocoa almonds are completely addicting.  I was looking in my cupboards today and realized that I have cocoa.  I have almonds.  I have honey.  I bet I could make some.  So, after searching Pinterest for way too long and pouring over everyone’s version of these crunchy treats, I decided to combine them all and here’s what I came up with!

Cocoa Almonds

3c. raw almonds

2-3T. honey

4T. cocoa powder, divided

2T. powdered sugar

Drizzle honey over almonds – actually I estimated 2-3T.  I didn’t measure.  So just use about this much.

Toss the almonds in the honey until they are evenly coated.

Sprinkle cocoa powder on top and stir until it coats the almonds. Just a disclaimer…I used black coca powder. I buy it through frontier co-op.  It’s awesome in chocolate cakes and brownies.  But I don’t know if I’d use it again for this.  It was a bit too black for my liking.

Spread nuts on a half sheet pan coated with cooking spray, a silicone baking mat or parchment paper (NOT wax paper.  Looks similar, but it’s not the same thing!)  Bake at 275 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.  Take them out of the oven and let them cool for 5-10 min, until you are able to handle them.  Toss in a paper bag with about 2T. cocoa powder.  I did mine in groups.  I added about a cup of almonds, tossed them in the bag, added another cup right on top, tossed and the put final cup.  So they end up all being in the bag together.  That way they didn’t stick together.  Make sense?

They were so beautiful and velvety and chocolatey!

These were really good, but they weren’t sweet like the ones I remember buying.  So to fix that, my hubby suggested that I toss them back in the bag with a little powdered sugar.  Brilliant!  They were perfect!

The post Cocoa Almonds appeared first on Little Reasons.