I don’t usually post about food recipes and even on my old blog, I didn’t much either. However, I’m a mom and a wife who likes good food & likes to share my joys of cooking with my family & friends. I do have shortcuts and tricks up my cooking & baking sleeve, but there are a zillion times that I love making & baking from scratch. Meaning, made from scratch, just like my mom does and my grandmother & Aunt Eva did as well ! {Oh, there are many other family members as well who like to cook from scratch!} Memories are formed from food. The chocolate cake above, it’s the kind of cake that seals the deal. I’m quite certain you could take it to a car dealership and they would give you a car if you gave them just a slice.

So most birthdays when I have time, this is the cake that I make. Zach wanted a “big birthday cake” with candles, balloons & presents to boot. Why of course, it’s a birthday after all! He was quite distressed when he found me eating a slice of his leftover cake yesterday; “Mommy don’t eat my cake”! You do become quite possessive with this cake. I was introduced to this recipe about 6 or 7 years ago. I don’t know what makes it so good, maybe it’s the simplicity of the ingredients? The icing is “the icing on the cake” {pun intended} so maybe it’s the two put together and this recipe just “takes the cake”! Promise, this is one recipe you want to tuck into your recipe box!

I have decided to forgo boxes of cereal in exchange for homemade granola. I came across this recipe a few years ago, I’m not for certain exactly where on the web but, it was a site where they sold baking supplies and this recipe was on there blog. Maybe it was “Bake it Pretty”? I made 4 times the recipe last Saturday. Some went into the freezer and a portion in a jar on the counter with a vintage scoop. My husband, Matt loves this stuff. I finally decided to just get with it and make it! You can add what you want, but the dried apricot makes it yummy. I purchased my rolled oats from a bulk food store and the dried fruit and nuts at Sam’s Club. The recipe after the cake recipe below—happy baking!

CHOCOLATE CAKE

3 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup of butter, softened

4 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2-2/3 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup baking cocoa

1 T. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1-1/3 cups sour cream

1-1/3 cups boiling water

FROSTING

1/2 cup butter

3 (1 -oz.)squares of unsweetened Ghirardelli chocolate

3 (1-oz.)squares of semi-sweet Ghirardelli chocolate

5 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 cup sour cream

2 tsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

In a mixing bowl cream brown sugar and butter. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Blend in vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add alternately with sour cream to creamed mixture. Mix on low just until light & fluffy. Stir in water until blended. Pour into 3 greased and floured 9-inch baking pans. (Tip: I put circles of parchment paper in the bottom of pans along with greasing them as well. Helps so much in the removal of the cake!) Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minute. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. FROSTING: In a medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Cool several minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Add chocolate mixture and beat smooth. Frost cooled cake.

APRICOT GRANOLA

*Preheat your oven to 250 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats.

4 cups rolled oats

1 cup sliced almonds

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup hulled sunflower seeds

1/4 tsp of salt

1/2 cup oil {veggie, almond, coconut, sunflower, olive, etc.}

1/2 cup of molasses

4 tablespoons of brown sugar

1/2 tsp nutmeg

{optional…..I put one cup of unsweetened medium shredded coconut//bulk food stores or health food store}

2 cups chopped dried apricots {these are added after baking}

*Mix oats, nuts, and seeds together in a large bowl. Separately whisk together oil, molasses, salt, brown sugar and nutmeg. Stir wet and dry ingredients together until well mixed.

*Spread the granola evenly between 2 pans. Bake for about 50 minutes, stirring granola and rotating the pans at least every 15 minutes. Take care not to over-bake. You can always turn the oven temperature down and bake for a little longer. The granola will burn if you aren’t careful and you will cry!

*Remove from oven when it’s evenly golden, and allow the granola to cool completely in the pan. The granola will not harden until it has cooled completely. If you want your granola to be more cluster-like, here is a neat trick: after you remove the hot pans from the oven, press a double-layer of paper towels or a clean dishtowel on top of the granola and smoosh it down with the palms of your hands. Be careful not to burn yourself! Leave the paper towel in place and DO NOT remove until the granola is completely cool. Mmmm….nice & chunky.

*In a large bowl, mix granola pieces with the chopped, dried apricots. Will keep covered for up to 2 weeks.

Note: If anyone knows where the granola recipe came from on the web, let me know and I will link to it and give credit!