Chocolate and Cherry Cake

My soon to be sister-in-law had a birthday recently and Little Sister was commissioned to make the cake. She has made a lot of cakes. Some have not looked so pretty. There was one cake that had to have a spatula shoved under one side to keep it from falling apart and just this November the one she made for me looked a little oozy. This time she got smart, she used dowels to keep it together. It is the best looking cake she has ever made (and it tasted great too).

How She Made It:

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 batch of your favorite chocolate frosting
1 can of cherry pie filling
2 dowels
1 Pampered Chef Food Chopper
Maraschino Cherries

Make cake and frosting according to instructions  Cut 2 dowels to fit inside cake (to help hold it together). Take half of the pie filling and chop fine with food chopper. Set remaining cherry filling to one side.

Frost top of bottom layer spread chopped up cherries on top. Frost bottom of top layer and place on top of cherries. Shove dowels down through both layers to keep it from sliding off. Frost the cake. Spread remaining cherry filling on top. Edge with Maraschino Cherries, keep in place with dollops of frosting.

Trail Mix Cookies

Cookies are a big thing around here, mostly because once a batch is made, it's gone in a matter of hours. The other day my Dad came home with store bought cookies and said to me (the baker of the cookies) "These cookies are great, can you make cookies like this?" To which I replied, "You don't like my cookies?" He said, "I like your cookies, but these ones are soft and chewy, can you make yours like this?" And so the quest began to find the perfect oatmeal cookie for Dad.

Mom kept telling me, "I have an oatmeal cookie recipe that I think will work." But, being stubborn I sought out one of my own, and failed. Twice. Today I actually listened and had success!

I made them big like the men like (I like to eat lots of cookies not just one giant cookie) and filled them with butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, cranberries, raisins, and finely chopped almonds. They are soft, sweet, and perfect.

Trail Mix Cookies (bake at 350deg)

3 Cup Brown Sugar (not packed)
1 Cup Shortening (Butter will make them flatter)
1.5 tsp Cinnamon
3 Eggs
1.5 tsp baking powder
6 Tbs hot water
1.5tsp baking soda
2 Cup white flour
2 Cup whole wheat flour
3 Cup Oatmeal
2 Cup Trail Mix

1.Cream shortening & sugar
2. Add eggs, then cinnamon and baking powder
3. Dissolve soda in water and add
4.Mix flours, oatmeal, and trail mix together in a separate bowl
5. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture (dough will be thick)
6. Form into balls (about the size of a large meatball) and then squish flat (I could fit about 6 on a cookie sheet).
7. Bake for 13-15 minute or until top is slightly browned and edges are brown. It should be slightly firm to the touch