Easter Lamb Cake & Whipped Cream Frosting

This is a family tradition cake for Easter in a lamb tin.  You can also make this a sheet cake.  This recipe has been used for years.  It's our family's favorite!

1 Cup Boiling Water, stove-top or microwave
2 Squares Unsweetened Chocolate
1/2 Cup Margarine, 1 Stick
1 3/4 Cups Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 3/4 Cups Flour, Unsifted, plus 2 tablespoons
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Sour

 Whipped Cream Frosting:
4 Tablespoons Flour
1 Cup Milk, cold
1/2 Cup Margarine, 1 stick
1/2 Cup Crisco Shortening, solid butter or white
1 Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla, "pure" preferred

Cake:
Pour water over chocolate and let stand until cool, stirring once in a while to soften chocolate. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl. Cream softened margarine (let stand for 2 hrs, but don't melt). Add brown sugar and blend well. Add the eggs, mix well and add sour cream. Add the pre-mixed flour mixture alternately with the chocolate water to the sour cream batter. Pour into a well-greased and floured lamb mold or 11x14 pan. Be careful not to overfill. Bake 325 degrees for 1 hour. Use toothpick in a hole to test cake. If toothpick comes out clean, it is done. Do not over-bake. Use remaining batter for cupcakes.

Whipped Topping:
Set your margarine and shortening in a medium size to large bowl for 2 hours to soften. Do not melt or soften in a microwave. Mix 4 T. flour with 1 cup cold milk in saucepan, then cook over a "low" flame (3-4 setting), stirring constantly the sides and bottom being careful to not burn, until a "thick" consistency. Immediately scrape into a small bowl and set on counter to Cool.

Cream the softened 1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine and 1/2 cup Crisco shortening (not liquid) for 4 minutes with an electric mixer. Add 1 cup sugar and beat for another 4 minutes. Be sure to stop and scrape sides. Then, add cooled four paste and beat an additional 4 minutes (4-5 mixer setting). Add 2 teaspoons pure vanilla and blend for 30 seconds, scrapping the sides of bowl. Refrigerate. Be sure cake is cool before frosting. Refrigerate. Delicious Cold.

Glazed Ham

Foil
4-6 lbs fully-cooked boneless ham
Cloves
1/4 Cup brown sugar
1/3 Cup maple flavored syrup
1 Tbsp mustard

Preheat oven to 325' Line baking pan with foil, set aside. If desired, score ham by lightly cutting diamond shapes into ham, insert cloves. Place ham in foil-lined pan. Insert meat thermometer into thickest part of the ham. Bake uncovered 1 to 1.5 hours or until thermometer reads 140'. While ham is baking, combine brown sugar, syrup, and mustard; spoon over ham during last 1/2 hour of baking time. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Cake-Mix Cookies

1 box (18.25) yellow cake mix
1 large egg
1/4 C canola oil
1/4 C buttermilk
Colored sprinkles
1 can (16 oz) vanilla frosting yellow, red, blue food coloring

Preheat oven to 350'. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

Combine the cake mix, egg, oil, and buttermilk in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Shape 1-inch mounds of batter into balls and flatten slightly. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Top with sprinkles.

Bake until cookies are golden and firm, 8-10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Divide the frosting among three bowls. Use a few drops of food coloring to tint frosting the desired shades of pink, blue, and yellow. Sandwich the cookies together with frosting. Makes 30.

Springtime Sugar Cookies

2 1/3 C flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 c sugar
1 C (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
Colorful cookie glaze

Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Beat sugar and butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight until firm.

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/8 - inch thickness. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Place on greased baking sheets.

Bake in preheated 375' oven 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Decorate cooled cookies with colorful cookie glaze. Place on wire rack to dry.

Makes 6 dozen

Green Bean Casserole

1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 C Milk
2 tsp. Soy sauce
1/4 tsp. Black pepper
8 C cut green beans
1 Can Fried Onions

Stir soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 1 1/3 C onions in 3-qt. casserole dish. Bake at 350' for 25 minutes or until hot. Stir. Top with remaining onions. Bake for 5 minutes more.

For a Gluten/Dairy Free - substitute Mushroom soup with Organic Mushroom soup and utilize Silk Milk instead of regular milk.

Creamy Deviled Eggs

8 hard-cooked eggs
1/2 cup Miracle Whip dressing
2 Tbsp Claussen Sweet pickle relish
2 tsp yellow mustard
1/4 Tsp salt
Dash of pepper
Dash of paprika

Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks; mash in small bowl. Add dressing, relish, mustard and seasonings; mix well. Spoon or pipe yolk mixture evenly into centers of egg whites. Serve immediately. Or, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.