mississippi mud pie
Posted: March 18, 2015 Filed under: desserts | Tags: butter, cocoa powder, coconut, eggs, flour, marshmallow, milk, nuts, pecans, powdered sugar, sugar, vanilla Leave a commentFrom MS to TX. With Love.
This recipe is dedicated to Lou Bodin and Louis Kiker.
I wish y’all had met in person.
~ ❤ ~
In this crazy world there are few things that shake the heart in a great way.
This recipe is one of them.
My sister-in-law’s sister-in law “Dollie” may sound like a far distant relative but I can assure you she is loved family through the heart. And through this recipe.
Dollie gifted me one of the most amazing presents ever – a handmade cookbook of her Mother-in-Law’s recipes. Each page of the cookbook was made with the beauty only time and artistic grace can create – picture recipes and family photos adorned with layers of shiny jewels, custom cutouts, ribbons and more surprises with every turn of the page. The cookbook sits on my highly coveted shelf of Betty’s Cook Nook recipes.
What I find amazing is that Dollie really had no reason to make me a cookbook but as she crafted some books for her family she included me, which means a lot. Her prized recipes helped bolster the family recipes I have from my Mom “Betty” so a new culinary door has been opened!
This pie? I think of it like a super tasty brownie with a magical middle. We ate every last bit of it! If you like chocolate and marshmallow, scroll down now and get started!
Lou Bodin’s Cookbook Lovingly Made By Dollie Bodin
foodie tips ~
❤ In Texas, “nuts” is an abbreviation for pecans. If you think I’m joking, just ask the squirrels. They are crazy for ’em as our doggies Boomer and Harley.
❤ Butter vs. margarine differences aside, my Grandmother Nanny insisted on Falfurrias brand butter so it’s a staple in my kitchen. I have 3 boxes in my fridge right now – just so I don’t accidentally run out. :)
i. ingredients
for the cake
4 | cage free eggs
2 cups | sugar
2 sticks | butter, melted
1 ½ cups | flour
⅓ cup | cocoa
1 teaspoon | vanilla
2 cups | nuts, finely chopped
1 cup | coconut (optional and suggested)
1 jar | cream of marshmallow
for the icing
1 stick | butter
6 tablespoons | milk
⅓ cup | cocoa
1 teaspoon | vanilla
1 box (1 pound) | powdered sugar
2 cups | nuts, finely chopped
ii. what to do
1. Heat It Up: Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Make Dough: Beat eggs until “lemoney.” Add sugar, a little bit at a time, and beat two minutes with an electric mixer. Add to this the two sticks of melted butter.
3. Mix It Up: Sift the flour and cocoa together. Add gradually to the egg-sugar mixture. Add the vanilla, nuts, and lastly the coconut (if used). PS ~ I used coconut!
4. To Bake: Pour the dough into a greased and floured 9″ x 13″ pan (or close to that size). Bake your preheated oven for 30 minutes. While still warm, spread the marshmallow cream over the top of the cake. Oooey gooey awesomeness!
5. To Frost: Mix together the butter and milk and warm it all together. Add the cocoa. Gradually add the powdered sugar and the vanilla. Top with the nuts.
Serves: 18 or more servings, depending on the size of your cut
Thank you, Lou, for this recipe! And thank you, Dollie, for your generous gift!
~ Patrick
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
Here’s a scan of Lou’s recipe that Dollie included in her cookbook gift – click the image to zoom-in on detail of the recipe instructions … and the crafting skills of Dollie. :)
If you’re still reading why not check out another recipe of Lou’s? Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls!
texas praline cake
Posted: February 28, 2015 Filed under: desserts, foodie fails | Tags: baking powder, brown sugar, butter, cocoa powder, eggs, flour, heavy cream, instant coffee, pecans, salt, sugar, vanilla Leave a comment
Texas Praline Cake (before it’s frosted)
Texas : It’s A State Of Mind
Growing up in Texas I had no clue the true passion folks have for our country state. Nowadays it seems like most everything comes in the shape of Texas these days.
Blocks of cheese. Stepping stones. Sunglasses. Pencils. Coasters. Coffee Tables. Swimming pools. In the kitchen some of my most prized possessions include a Texas-shaped cutting board, ice cube trays, pasta, cookie cutters, a hamburger press and my very, very special Texas waffle maker. I’m not kidding!
My Very Own Chocolate Chip Pecan Waffle. Mine! Mine! Mine!
PS ~ I just ate the Texas Panhandle!
For this recipe, when I saw “Texas” in the name I instinctively knew what I had to do – cut the cake into my favorite shape.
But sadly, when I realized this cake is actually made from a bundt pan (not a sheet cake), I decided to spare you all my creative talents attempting to “Tex-afy” this dish.
foodie tips ~
❤ If this were “fight club” turned “cooking club” the 1st rule of cooking club would be to clearly list all ingredients in your ingredients list! This is not the first time I skimmed a recipe (below), rushed to the store to fill-in my ingredient holes then when making the dish I discover that there were more ingredients buried deep, deep down in the recipe’s body copy. [ insert angry face here ]. This is my own fault of course and I hopefully will remember to read recipes from A-to-Z next time. Just note that I included all ingredients below – including those for the Whipped Cream Imperial – to make it easy for you to have the ingredient essentials at the ready. [ insert happy face here ].
❤ Instant coffee granules? Me, either. But surprisingly they worked magic in this dish. What else am I missing here? Coffee granule brownies? Instant coffee toffee (if only)? Chili con carne con coffee? That’s just wrong.
i. ingredients
for the cake
2 sticks (1 cup) | butter, softened (my Grandmother Nanny insisted on Falfurrias brand butter)
1 cup | Imperial brand brown sugar
½ cup | Imperial brand granulated sugar
4 | cage free eggs
1 ½ teaspoons | vanilla
1 ½ cups | water
1 tablespoon | instant coffee granules (this is not a typo)
4 cups | all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon | cocoa powder
5 teaspoons | baking powder
1 teaspoon | salt
1 cup | pecans, coarsely chopped
for the cream topping
1 cup | heavy cream
⅛ teaspoon | salt
½ teaspoon | vanilla
½ cup | Imperial brand brown sugar, sieved (sifted or strained)
ii. what to do
0. Heat It Up: Preheat oven to 350°F.
1. Make Dough: In a large mixing bowl using low speed, cream butter with the brown and white sugars until well combined. On high speed, add the eggs and cream them about five minutes. Add the vanilla, water and coffee granules and mix on low speed just to combine. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Add the dry mix to the wet mix on low speed just until all ingredients are well combined. Stir in the pecans by hand.
3. To Bake: Pour the dough into a 10″ tube pan that’s been greased on the bottom only. Bake in preheated oven about 55 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool your cake in the pan on a metal/wood cooling rack.
4. To Frost: To make the “Whipped Cream Imperial” topping combine by hand the four topping ingredients above (heavy cream, salt, vanilla and brown sugar). Chill the frosting mixture for 1 hour in the fridge. Beat with a chilled beater until stiff.
Serves: 12 or more slices of Texas Praline Cake
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
~ Patrick
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
PS ~ If you’re still reading this recipe you may be wondering why I didn’t include a picture of the cake frosted. Well, me and my gas oven are at odds these days and I think the thermostat is shot and my cake was over-cooked. It still had a good flavor but it was dry so I didn’t frost the cake. This is my second fail proving to me that creating kitchen masterpieces is not as easy as it sounds – especially when your oven hates you. My first fail? These red candy apples. Just looking at a picture of them makes my stomach sad.
A Scan Of Mom’s Original Recipe
Betty's Cook Nook 