Rainy Days are here again...

Today, my eight year old was plundering thru the pantry for snacks and decided he wanted to make cookies. He started piling pans and bowls and ingredients on the counter for us to make his favorite...M and M cookies. Instead of the M and Ms we used white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts....YUMMY !!! He put spring colored sprinkles on one pan and left the other a they were.

TOILET CAKE

This was so fun to do!! A neighbor just turned 44 yesterday and his wife wanted to surprise him with a special cake....well this is it..

16 LAYER CHOCOLATE CAKE

1 box chocolate cake mix
2 sticks butter, softened
7 eggs
1 1/2 c. water
1 c. plain flour

ICING:

1 box confectioners' sugar
1 stick butter
2 tbsp. cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix cake ingredients and bake in 350 degree oven. Grease and flour pans, bake in thin layers for a few minutes.
Let butter soften. Mix icing ingredients until smooth. Spread on warm cake.

BAPTIST POUND CAKE ICING

1/4 box light brown sugar
1/4 c. milk
1 stick butter

Cream together and pour over cake while warm. Cover with pecans if desired.

OLD FASHION THIN LAYER CHOCOLATE CAKE

1 box yellow cake mix

CHOCOLATE FROSTING:

2 c. sugar
5 tbsp. cocoa
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 tsp. butter

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour batter into 4 greased and floured pans. Dip 2 serving spoons of batter in each pan. Bake 2 layers at a time at 350 degrees until brown. Repeat process with remaining layers. Bake only a few minutes as the layers will be thin.
Prepare frosting by mixing all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Let come to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for about 3 minutes. Turn heat down and let simmer. Cool. Stack cake layers like pancakes, spreading frosting between each layer. Spread remaining frosting on sides and top of cake.

SPECIAL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Servings: 36

"Ideal buttercream for frosting and borders."

Ingredients:
2 cups shortening
8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons clear imitation vanilla extract
6 fluid ounces heavy cream

Directions:
1.Cream shortening until fluffy. Add confectioner's sugar and continue creaming until well blended.
2.Add salt, vanilla, and whipping cream blend on low speed until moistened. Add additional whipping cream if necessary (up to 2 ounces). Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy.

BROWN BUTTER ICING

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
3 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 to 4 tablespoon water

Directions
In a small saucepan heat 1/2 cup butter over medium heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in 3 cups sifted powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in enough water (3 to 4 tablespoons) to make an icing of drizzling consistency. Drizzle on warm cookies.

Yield: Enough to ice 5 dozen cookies

ST. PATRICKS DAY PISTACHIO CAKE

1 white cake mix
1 c. oil
1 c. water
3 eggs
1 pkg. instant pistachio pudding mix

Mix well. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes in 9 x 13-inchpan.

FROSTING:

8 oz. Cool Whip
1 pkg. pistachio pudding mix
1 c. milk

Mix well. Spread over cooled cake.

MAMA'S POUND CAKE

This has become my favorite pound cake recipe. I borrowed it from Paula Deen.

1/2 lb (2 sticks) butter,plus more for the pan
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1/2 teaspoon fne salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350* F

With a mixer, cream butter and shortening together. Add sugar, a little at the time. Add eggs, 1 at the time, beating after each addition. Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl and add to mixer alternately with milk, starting with flour and ending woth flour. Mix in vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

I have made a butter and powdered sugar icing and topped it with that and it was so good.