Double Dutch Chocolate Bundt Cake (from Mom's Recipe Card File)

This has to be my favorite chocolate cake recipe of all time.  It's rich and moist, but not cloying.  It's fantastic with vanilla ice cream.  It's really EASY!!!  

This is an "old" recipe from the late 1960s or early 1970s.  My version uses ready-to-spread frosting, which when we first made this recipe wasn't a thing!  We had to buy a boxed frosting MIX (how convenient!) and make it before starting the cake.

It's called Double Dutch because either the cake mix or the frosting mix was called Double Dutch.  You can't find it anymore, so I get as close as possible with fudge and dark chocolate.  Make sure you use a good quality non-stick Bundt pan (Nordic Ware and Wilton both make good ones, but I prefer Nordic Ware).

Double Dutch Chocolate Bundt Cake

1 package dark chocolate or fudge cake mix

1 can dark chocolate or fudge ready-to-spread frosting (divided)

3 eggs

1 1/3 c water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together cake mix, 1 cup of the frosting, eggs, and water.  Bake in a sprayed Bundt pan for 50 to 60 minutes.  Cool 15 minutes, then remove from the pan.  Add a little water to the remaining frosting and mix to make a glaze.  Drizzle glaze over the cake.

Tamale Bake (From Mom's Recipe Card File)

This is another childhood favorite I resurrected last year.  Some people call it Tamale Pie.  To-may-to to-mah-to; po-tay-to po-tah-to.  Whatever you call it, casseroles from the 1960s are making a comeback at our house.



Tamale Bake

1 lb ground beef
1 c chopped onion
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 15-oz can chili ready tomatoes
1 15-oz can whole kernel sweet corn
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 package Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 egg
1/3 c milk
1 T canola oil

Brown ground beef and onion.  Add the taco seasoning, tomatoes, corn, and beans and heat to a boil.  Pour the mixture into a 3-quart casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray.

Mix the rest of the ingredients together, then spoon over the meat mixture.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes.


I will often substitute leftover chili for the meat mixture.  When I make chili, it's a HUGE pot, so there's always plenty left over, and this is one way to use it up.

Quick "Lasagna" (From Mom's Recipe Card File)

I've been browsing my recipe cards, and came across something Mom used to make when I was a kid.  I always loved it, but I'd forgotten about it after learning how to make "real" lasagna.  It's most definitely not even close to real lasagna, but it doesn't have to be real to taste good, right?

Quick "Lasagna"

1 lb  ground beef
14 oz tomato-based pasta sauce
8 oz egg noodles (CHEAPO ones, not the nice thick homemade style ones!)
8 oz cream cheese
1 c cottage cheese
1/2 c sour cream
3 green onions, sliced
2 T bell pepper, chopped (any color you prefer)

Brown ground beef.  Add pasta sauce and heat thoroughly.  While the meat sauce is heating up, cook the noodles as directed on the package, and drain.  In a bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients, then add the noodles and mix well.

Spray a 3-quart casserole dish with non-stick spray.  Put the noodle mixture in the dish, then top with the meat mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.


I serve this with a salad and dinner rolls.

Deviled Eggs (From Mom's Recipe Card File)

Summer is cookout, pitch-in, and picnic season, and there are certain foods you just kind of expect to see on the table - fried chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, brownies, baked beans, potato salad, watermelon, corn on the cob, and deviled eggs.  Whenever we'd have a family get-together, That Man's sister would make deviled eggs for an army, and The Girl and I would be in hog heaven.

Here's my mom's recipe for deviled eggs (my favorite).  Be sure to measure the wet ingredients.  You don't want the yolk filling mixture too soft - it should be able to hold its shape.  If you're making a large quantity, you can use a stand mixer for mixing the yolk filling.  Even That Man said they were "pretty good" last time I made deviled eggs.  Coming from him, that's high praise, indeed!



Deviled Eggs (1/2 dozen whole eggs)

Notice the mid-1970's
Tupperware - oooooh, vintage!

6 hard cooked eggs
2 T Duke's or Hellman's mayonnaise, or Miracle Whip
1 t vinegar
1 t yellow mustard (you can be fancy schmancy and use Dijon, I guess)
1T sugar
1/4 t salt
1/4 t paprika

Halve the eggs lengthwise, and put the yolks in a bowl.  With a fork, break up the yolks until they are fine and mealy.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Spoon yolk into each egg white cavity, mash down slightly with a fork and sprinkle with additional paprika.


Instead of a spoon, you can fill a cake icing bag with the egg yolk mixture and pipe it into the egg white.  Refrigerate!

Peanut Butter Cookies (From Mom's Recipe Card File)

Peanut butter cookies are very popular in our house, the kind that are basically chocolate chip cookie dough with peanut butter flavored chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips.  There is no peanut butter in the dough!  What???  How can those be considered peanut butter cookies?   (I actually have a recipe for those, but this isn't it!)

Here's the recipe for REAL peanut butter cookies - the ones my mom used to make - 1960s-style.


Traditional Peanut Butter Cookies (about 2 1/2 dozen)

1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c peanut butter
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
3/4  t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

Cream together butter and peanut butter.  Add sugars gradually and cream.  Add egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.  Add gradually to the creamed mixture.  Cover the bowl and chill dough 15-30 minutes.  It will be fairly soft.

Roll into about 1-tablespoon dough balls with your hands (I use a cookie scoop to measure).  Roll in additional granulated sugar (you'll need about 1/3 cup) and place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Flatten slightly with a fork in a criss-cross pattern (to about 1/2 inch thick).

Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes.  Let sit on the baking sheet about 5 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack.  Cookies will be tender-crisp, not soft.

This recipe can be doubled.