7. Chocolate 3-Layer Cake

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups all purpose flour
4 cups white sugar
4 cups butter
8 tbsp cocoa powder
2 cups water
4 eggs, beaten
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking soda

FROSTING:

1 cup butter
2 tbsp cocoa
1/2 box powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Sift flour and sugar and set aside.
2. In medium saucepan, bring to boil butter, cocoa, and water.  Add flour and sugar.
3. Stir in milk, vanilla, baking soda, and eggs.  Pour into three round 9-inch greased cake pans.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until pick comes out of the center clean.
5. Run knife around edges of cake pans and invert to release cake.
6. Combine ingredients for frosting and serve.

6. Seafood Gumbo

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp dried parsley
1 pound fresh okra, sliced The smaller you slice it the better.  This stuff takes a while to cook down and is usually not too popular, especially if undercooked.
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
dash of thyme
2 bay leaves
2 large tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
2 quarts warm water (about a pitcher-full)
6 large crabs, cleaned and halved
2 pounds cleaned and de-veined shrimp
1 pint oysters
steamed rice on the side (about 1/2 cup per 1-person serving)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Saute okra in oil on medium heat until it stops roping (when the okra isn't slimy anymore). Set aside. 
2. Make a roux (term referring to any browned mixture of oil and flour and usually onion) by heating the remaining oil, adding the flour, and cooking until the flour browns, about 45 minutes.  
3. Add onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and tomatoes, cooking until soft.  
4. Slowly add water, blending until smooth.
5. Add sauteed okra and crabs and cook for 10 minutes.  
6. Add shrimp and cook another 10 minutes. 
7. Add oysters and cook for 5 minutes.  
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve in deep bowls with a scoop of steamed rice in the center.  Add hot sauce to taste. 

5. Chicken Jambalaya

A family favorite! With prepared chicken, this recipe is fast and will feed MANY! Serve with Louisiana hot sauce. 

INGREDIENTS:

3 or 4 pounds chicken, chopped or sliced
6 tbsp flour
4 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup green onions and tops, minced
4 cups water
2 cups raw rice
1 clove garlic, minced
7 bouillon cubes

DIRECTIONS:

1. Season cut chicken with salt and pepper.  Using a large, heavy pot, brown chicken in oil with burner on medium heat.  Set browned chicken aside.  
2. Fry onions, celery, bell pepper, green onions, and bouillon cubes in the same heavy pot until wilted, not brown.  Then add the flour and brown.  
3. Add water, rice, chicken, and garlic and mix.  Cover and cook on low heat until rice is done, about 30 minutes.  

4. Chocolate Brownies

*For a 9x13 inch pan, double this recipe. 

INGREDIENTS:

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup Hershey's cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Beat eggs in a small mixing bowl.  Gradually add sugar and vanilla and beat well.  Blend in melted butter.  Combine dry ingredients and gradually add to egg mixture until well blended.  Stir in nuts/chips.  Spread in greased 8 inch square pan.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until brownie begins to pull away from the edges of the pan.  Another good indicator is that as soon as you smell the brownies, check them.  They will be close to done at that point.  Cool completely before removing from pan and serving.  A trick is to use a plastic knife to cut brownies because the oily batter does not stick to the knife as you are cutting.

3. Little-Chill Sugar Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup plus 2 tbsp butter, slighgtly softened (or Crisco) If you use unsalted butter, be sure to add a pinch of very finely ground salt..it makes the sweetness more intense.
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg at room temperature
2 tbsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Sift flour, soda, and baking powder into a small bowl and set aside. 
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.  The fluffier it is, the better! I usually beat on high for 5 minutes. 
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla and continue beating until creamy and light.  
4. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.  
5. Roll 1-inch to 1 1/2-inch balls of dough and place on cookie sheets. Chill for 15 minutes.  If the dough is too sticky to form into balls, chill for about 10 minutes and then try again.
6. Bake 8-12 minutes or until golden brown on edges.  

2. Southern Pecan Pie

INGREDIENTS:

3 eggs

3 tbsp melted butter or margarine

1 cup white sugar

1 cup corn syrup

1 1/2 cup chopped pecans (I add more here so it is less gel-y and more nutty)

1 tsp vanilla

1 Pillsbury pie crust

whole pecans for topping

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Combine eggs, butter, sugar, syrup, and vanilla.  Mix in pecans.  Pour into pie crust (unfolded in an ungreased pie pan).  If desired, gently lay whole pecan halves on top of gel (start from the outside and work your way in, see picture).  Bake for 50-55 minutes until the shell is golden brown and center of pie is solid to the touch.  If the crust is browning too fast, cover the crust with strips of aluminum foil for the rest of the cook time.  Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving.  

1. Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened (or 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup Crisco shortening)
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels (or Mini Morsels)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 
2. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl.  Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla in large bowl until creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  (Unlike sugar cookies, be careful not to OVER mix because it will cause the batter to be too fluffy and to flatten when baking).  Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in morsels and nuts.  Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.  
3. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown on edges.