Super Easy Black Forest Cake

1 dark chocolate cake ready mix
1/4 c. kirsch (cherry brandy)
1 can cherry pie filling
16 oz. heavy whipping cream
1/2 c. confectioners sugar

Garnish (Optional)
Cherries, drained
Milk chocolate curls or shavings

Drain cherry pie filling in a colander to remove most of the thickened juices.

Make cake, following package directions. Bake cake, as directed, in two 9-inch layer cake pans.

When cool, sprinkle kirsch over both cake layers.

Chill electric beaters and large mixing bowl; beat cream until it thickens slightly, gradually add confectioners' sugar and beat until thick enough to hold its shape.

Using a vegetable peeler, shave chocolate; refrigerate until ready to serve.

To asssemble cake, place one layer on serving plate and spread its top with 1/2-inch thick layer of whipped cream and strew the cherries over the cream leaving about 1/2 inch margin around border of cake with no cherries.

Set other layer on top of cherries and spread top and sides of cake with remaining cream, shape whipped cream into decorative swirls on top.

With fingers, gently press chocolate curls into cream on sides of cake.

Garnish top with drained cherries, if desired, or with a few remaining chocolate curls.

Chocolate Marble Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Grease and flour a 9 inch round pan.

Place flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, butter or margarine, eggs, vanilla, and milk into mixing bowl. Beat slowly to moisten, then beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for about 2 minutes until smooth. Reserve 3/4 cup batter; pour the remainder into pan.

Stir cocoa into the 3/4 cup reserved batter. Drop by spoonfuls over top of white batter. Using a knife, swirl the cocoa batter into the white batter to incorporate it in a marble effect.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean.

Chocolate Banana Bread

1 1/4 Cups unbleached all purpose flour shopping list
3/4 Cup cocoa powder shopping list
1 1/2 Tsp baking soda shopping list
3/4 tsp salt shopping list
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for smearing in loaf pans shopping list
1 1/2 Cups sugar shopping list
3 eggs, lightly beaten shopping list
6 very ripe bananas, mashed shopping list
1/2 Cup shredded coconut shopping list
1 Cup sour cream shopping list
Optional: add chocolate chips to the mixture or some chopped dried cherries

Position racks in center of oven and preheat to 400. Smear two 5 x 9 loaf pans with butter and dust with flour.
Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium size bowl.
In a separate bowl, cream cream butter and sugar using a high speed handmixer until creamy and fluffy and mixture is a light lemon color.
With the mixer now on low, beat in the eggs, banana and coconut at low speed for a few minutes.

Stir half of the sour cream into the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon. Fold in the dry ingredients. Add remaining sour cream and stir until all are combined.
Use a spatula and pour mixture into the two loaf pans.

Bake at 70 to 75 minutes, but check frequently depending on your oven. (toothpick test)
Remove from oven and set on wire rack to cool.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 eggs
2 3/4 c. of bleached all purpose flour (see note below)
1 tsp.of salt
2 c. of chocolate chips

1/2 c. of shortening
1/2 c. of butter
3/4 c. of white sugar
3/4 c. of packed brown sugar
1 tsp. of vanilla
1/2 tsp. of almond extract
1 tsp. of baking soda

Mix cream shortening, butter, sugars, then eggs and vanilla and almond extracts.

Blend dry ingredients and add to mixture.
Stir in Chocolate chips.

Drop large tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet, leaving 2-inches room in between to allow cookies to spread.

Bake at 375° for 10 minutes until lightly brown.
This will make 2-3 dozen cookies depending on size.

The Simplest OREO Truffles Recipe

1 (16 ounce) package OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, divided
1 (8 ounce) package Cream Cheese, softened
2 (8 ounce) packages Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted

Crush 9 of the cookies to fine crumbs in food processor; reserve for later use. (You can also finely crushed the cookies in a resealable plastic bag using a rolling pin.) Crush remaining 36 cookies to fine crumbs; place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1-inch in diameter.

Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.

Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator.

Soda Cracker Chocolate Candy

30 soda crackers
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Place crackers in rows on foil. In a saucepan, melt butter; add the brown sugar and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes.

Pour over crackers and spread until completely covered. Bake at 350 degrees F for 5 minutes (crackers will float). Remove from the oven. Turn oven off. Sprinkle chocolate chips and walnuts over crackers.

Return to the oven until chocolate is melted, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the oven; using a greased spatula, press walnuts into chocolate.

Cut into 1 in. squares while warm.
Cool completely; remove candy from foil.

Simple Bavarian Mints

3 cups milk chocolate chips
1 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 tablespoon butter
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Butter the dish, set aside. In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine milk chocolate chips, unsweetened chocolate and butter. Heat until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in condensed milk, peppermint extract and vanilla extract.

Beat with an electric mixer at a low speed for 1 minute, then at a high speed for 1 minute. Chill mixture for 15 minutes, beating by hand every 5 minutes. Beat again with electric mixer two minutes more.

Pour into prepared pan and chill until firm. Cut into 1/2 inch squares.