Triple Chocolate Bunt Cake

My mother-in-law makes this delicious bunt cake that she calls Death by Chocolate cake. It's always a crowd favorite and there is never anything more than crumbs left over. It comes out of this little paper recipe book that she has and we all love it. I finally got my act together and called her up to get the recipe for a party that I was hosting and I'm so glad that I did. I renamed it, because you use three different chocolate ingredients and I think that it rolls off the tongue nicely. 

Triple Chocolate Bunt Cake

Source: Sue Peaden 

Ingredients: 

1 chocolate cake mix

1 small instant chocolate pudding mix

3/4 cup sour cream

4 eggs

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup oil

1-2 cups of chocolate chips

Directions:

Grease and flour a bunt pan. (This cake will sometimes fall apart if you don't grease it well - so be generous). In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, sour cream, water, and oil. After mixed thoroughly, add pudding and cake mix. Stir in chocolate chips and pour into bunt pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and let cool for no more than 5 minutes before flipping the bunt pan over to remove cake. Top with a light sprinkling of powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Chip Bars

This is one of David's favorite treats. A super easy, yet crowd pleasing recipe. I swear these chip bars disappear like nobody's business around here.

Chip Bars

Ingredients:
1 sleeve (plus a couple) Graham Crackers
1/2 cup melted butter
Chocolate Chips
Butterscotch Chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:
Crush graham crackers into small crumbs and spread evenly over bottom of a baking sheet. Drizzle melted butter overtop crumbs. Place chocolate and butterscotch chips over graham cracker crust covering completely. Pour sweetened condensed milk overtop as evenly as possible. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until chips and milk starts to brown. Let cool before cutting.

Cake-Mix Cookie Bars

These may be the easiest cookies i've ever made. I saw them on Pinterest earlier in the day and thought to myself "Self, you need to make those for David tomorrow." Then after dinner during a rousing game of Chicken Food, David said something to the effect of: "You know what sounds really good right now? Some butterscotch cookies!" And so, because our little one was already in bed - we quietly and excitedly decided to give these a try. I had to search Pinterest a little bit, because apparently I hadn't actually pinned it... but we found it and were so glad that we did! These were SO so easy to make and super yummy as well.

Source: I'm a Lazy Mom (slightly adapted)

Ingredients: 

1 box yellow or white cake mix
2 eggs, beaten
5 Tablespoons melted butter
1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions
Mix together in medium sized bowl. (We didn't use a mixer, and just used a fork - which was awesome because there were hardly any dirty dishes!) Pat down in a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Susan's Banana Bread

I have this amazing cookbook. It's called "Susan's Favorite Recipes" and it was compiled by Susan Barclay - one of the most amazing women that I know. Susan is the mother of my two best friends, Tausha Barclay Bentz and Kayla Barclay Hall.  She basically adopted me as her daughter during my junior year of high school and I look up to her so much. A couple of Christmases ago, Susan sent me a cookbook that she had compiled of all of her favorite recipes (she is an amazing cook.) I use it all of the time, and hope that someday I can be as amazing as she is in the kitchen.

This is her recipe for banana bread. I absolutely love it, and always think about Susan as I am in the kitchen making it.

Banana Bread
Source: Susan Barclay

Ingredients:
5 bananas
4 eggs, well beaten
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:
Blend bananas and eggs in mixer. Mix in shortening and sugar. Add dry ingredients. Grease two loaf pans and line with wax paper. Pour in batter. Bake at 300 for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

*Note: David and I love to add cinnamon sugar to the loaf pan right after you grease it, and right before you pour the batter in. It gives it this delicious crust that is to die for. Try it out - you won't be sorry.)

(Mmm... this is baking in my oven right now and mouth is watering just thinking about it.)