Texas Sheet Cake (chocolate)

Ingredients:
1 C butter

3 T cocoa powder

2 C flour

2 C sugar

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ C buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour* a jelly roll pan (13x18" baking sheet with a 1" lip).

Melt butter in meadum saucepan; stir in 1 C water and cocoa powder, bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl, wisk together eggs, vanilla and buttermilk.

Stir melted butter mixture into dry ingredients; then stir in milk, egg and vanilla mixture.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake 24 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

* I often use a mixture of flour and cocoa powder to prepare pans for chocolate cakes.

Frost as desired.

For an almost pourable chocolate glaze/frosting...

Ingredients

½ C butter

¼ C milk

3 T cocoa powder

2 C powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

dash salt

Directions

Melt  butter over medium heat. Stir in milk and cocoa powder and bring just to a boil.

In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar and salt; stir in melted chocolate mixture. Add vanilla stirring until smooth. Pour and spread over sheet cake.

White Hot Chocolate

Ingredients
2 C whole milk

1½ oz white chocolate

1½ tsp tahini

1½ tsp maple syrup

1 cinnamon stick

½ tsp vanilla paste (or extract)

½ C heavy whipping cream

   optional: extra whipped cream, ground cinnamon as garnish for serving

Directions

Stir together all ingredients except heavy whipping cream in a saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently until chocolate is melted. Continue to simmer to steep cinnamon flavor into milk...  To serve: remove cinnamon stick, whisk in heavy cream. If desired, top with fresh whipped cream and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

Cranberry Sauce ('Glaze') for Pork Loin

 (pork loin or... use your imagination!)

Ingredients:

½ C canned cranberry sauce (whole berry)

½ C jelly – anything that would complement the cranberry

3-4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 tsp chicken bouillon (powder/granules or ‘Better than Bouillon’)

1½ tsp Dijon

1 tsp minced garlic (or garlic paste)

½ tsp horseradish

Directions:

Bring everything to a boil in a small saucepan; let rest so thyme can release flavor. Remove thyme shoots, leaving any leaves that fall off. Use sauce to baste a pork loin (or chicken, beef…) every 10 minutes during cooking; use remaining sauce to garnish for service.