Wilmington Island Marsh Mud Cake

Ever since the kids got out of school a week and a half ago (Could it be just a week and a half? It feels like last year!), we have all been running. My brother visited with his kids starting the afternoon the kids got out of school. And it's been crazy ever since. But fun. Lots of fun. While we had everyone here, Jim cooked as usual. I handled dessert. But what to make with 5 kids and 4 adults for dinner? It had to appeal to everyone. Well, Paula Deen came up with the answer for me, with a little spin. This is from her The Lady Just Desserts cookbook. This recipe was easy and everyone enjoyed it. It was gone within a day. Can't have a better endorsement than that!

Wilmington Island Marsh Mud Cake

Cake:
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted, plus extra butter for greasing pan
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Frosting:
1 (16-ounce) box light brown sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup milk, scalded
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (10.5 ounce) package miniature marshmallows
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan with butter.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cocoa and the melted butter. Add the eggs, flour, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat well with a hand-held electric mixer. Add nuts, stirring with a rubber spatula. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes.

While cake is baking, prepare the frosting. Beat the brown sugar and butter. Add the cocoa and beat. Stir in the scalded milk and vanilla together in a mixing bowl and beat with the hand-held mixer until smooth. Set aside.

Remove the cake from the oven, and pour the marshmallows over the cake while it is still hot. Pour the frosting over the marshmallows. Let cool slightly before cutting into pieces.

"A happy family is but an earlier heaven."
George Bernard Shaw

Lemonade Pie

Over the Memorial Day weekend, I went a little crazy making food for our family get together. Considering that we were only having two people over and there is five of us, I made enough to feed an Army! But it was fun. And, of course, I had to make dessert. Being that I was so tired from making all the salads, drinks, and other food for the party, the dessert had to be simple. Plus it was over 90 degrees here that day, so the dessert also had to be light and refreshing. This recipe was perfect. It was so simple and so good. It's great for a picnic or get together or just on a hot summer night.

Lemonade Pie

1 store bought graham cracker pie crust
1 14 oz size sweetened condensed milk, chilled
1 12 oz container Cool Whip, thawed
1 6 oz can frozen lemonade concentrate, still frozen

In a bowl, gently fold the condensed milk and the Cool Whip together until blended. Add the frozen lemonade concentrate and stir until mixed. Pour into the pie shell and freeze several hours or overnight.


"We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons.”
-Alfred E. Neuman