Dark Chocolate Cake I

Ingredients

 2 cups boiling water

 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
 2 teaspoons baking soda
 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1 cup butter, softened
 2 1/4 cups white sugar
 4 eggs
 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 3 - 9 inch round cake pans. In
medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool.
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at
time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Spread
batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
Coconut Cream Cake I

Ingredients

 1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix

 3 eggs
 1/3 cup vegetable oil
 1 cup water
 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
 1 (14 ounce) can coconut cream
 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
 1 cup heavy whipping cream
 1 tablespoon white sugar
 1 cup flaked coconut

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, eggs, oil, water and coconut flavoring. Beat for 2 minutes
and pour into 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake
comes out clean.
3. In a medium bowl, combine coconut cream with sweetened condensed milk and stir until
smooth. When cake comes out of the oven, poke holes into it in even rows using a large fork or
chopsticks. Pour milk mixture over, allowing it to soak into the cake. Refrigerate for several
hours or overnight.
4. In a large bowl, whisk cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar and continue whipping until stiff.
Spread over cooled cake. Sprinkle top with flaked coconut.

Lemon Plum Cake

Ingredients

 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  1/2 teaspoon baking soda
 1/4 teaspoon salt
 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  
 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
 1/2 cup white sugar
 3 eggs
 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
 2 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
 1/2 cup plain yogurt
 3 plums, pitted and cut into eighths
 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
 1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch cake pan, and line the bottom
with a round piece of parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In a separate
bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, and white sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy; beat
in eggs one at a time, then beat in vanilla extract and lemon zest. Mix the butter mixture into
the flour mixture, alternating with yogurt until the mixture forms a smooth, even batter. Spread
the batter into the prepared cake pan. Place the plum slices into a bowl, and toss with 2
tablespoons of flour. Arrange the plum slices onto the cake in a decorative pattern.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until browned, about 30 minutes. Loosely cover the cake with foil,
and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake
pulls away from the sides of the pan, 30 to 40 more minutes.
4. Let cake cool completely in pan. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen, and remove
from pan. Dust with powdered sugar before slicing.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Ingredients

 1 cup butter, softened

 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
 3/4 cup white sugar
 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
 2 eggs
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
 1/3 cup cocoa powder
 1 teaspoon baking soda
 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
 1 cup peanut butter chips
 10 chocolate covered peanut butter cups, cut into eighths

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until
smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, and
baking soda; stir into the peanut butter mixture. Mix in the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips,
and peanut butter cups. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Let cool for 1 or 2 minutes on sheet before
removing, or they will fall apart.

Chocolate Mint Cookies I

Ingredients

 3/4 cup butter

 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
 2 tablespoons water
 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
 2 eggs
 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 36 chocolate mint wafer candies
Directions

1. In a large pan over low heat, cook butter, sugar and water until butter is melted. Add chocolate
chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is
completely melted. Pour into a large bowl and let stand 10 minutes to cool off slightly.
2. At high speed, beat in eggs, one at a time into chocolate mixture. Reduce speed to low and add
dry ingredients, beating until blended. Chill dough about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Roll dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10
minutes. While cookies are baking unwrap mints and divide each in half. When cookies are
brought out of the oven, put 1/2 mint on top of each cookie. Let the mint sit for up to 5 minutes
until melted, then spread the mint on top of the cookie. Eat and enjoy!