Back in the 1970's there was a wonderful bakery chain that started up called Just Desserts. They made something called a Black Bottom Cupcake that was so good, I'd buy it several times a week. They were what a Hostess cream-filled cupcake would want to be when it grows up! Finally I ran across an old wartime cake recipe that used no eggs, no butter, no chocolate - it used cocoa and salad oil instead. For some reason I read it and was absolutely positive it would make these cupcakes. All I had to do was experiment to do the cream cheese filling, and I had it down perfectly. They are easy to make, double easily, freeze well, and you can make a dozen for what 2 cupcakes used to cost me. I never thought of it as one of my signature dishes until my nephew, who doesn't even LIKE sweets, said it was one of his childhood memories! This, BTW, is the first public posting of this recipe since I duplicated the bakery's efforts 30 yrs ago. I've since seen several similar recipes show up, but surprisingly enough it still doesn't seem to have reached the mainstream. It really does deserve a wider audience, so here it is: Jean's Black Bottom Cupcake recipe 1-1/2 cup flour 1/3 cup cocoa* 1 tsp baking soda 1 cup sugar (see note re: cocoa) 5 Tbls cooking oil (not olive) 1 Tbls white vinegar 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup cold water one 3-oz pkg cream cheese, mixed with: 1/2 cup mini or regular semi-sweet chocolate chips *Note: the cocoa you use will affect the "chocolateness". Hershey or Guittard is fine, but the best is to use a gourmet cocoa such as Williams-Sonoma's Pernigotti cocoa or the Scharffenberger brand. Adjust the sugar accordingly: Hershey's will take a scant 1 cup sugar, the gourmet brands require a bit more than 1 cup, about 2 Tbls additional. Gourmet cocoas tend to lump, so I put it in the mixing bowl first and take 30 seconds with the back of a big spoon to break up the lumps. Or you can sift it, but that takes longer. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cupcake liners and spray them lightly with Pam or similar product (otherwise they stick to the batter). Mix flour, cocoa, soda and sugar well in a bowl. Pour in the liquids and beat well for 30 seconds, either by hand or with a mixer. Put about 1/4 cup batter for each muffin. Place a rounded spoonful of cream cheese/chocolate chip mixture in each. Bake for 20 minutes. The batter should just resist a fingertip when done. Do not overbake this recipe, it is better underdone than overdone. Lift them out immediately (I use a fork) and place on cooling rack. They should be very soft but will firm up once cooled. Recipe will double, in which case use an 8-oz pkg of cream cheese and 3/4 cup morsels. Bake in two muffin tins for the same amount of time, or bake in successive batches. Freezes beautifully and will thaw within 1 hour.

Here's my famous rolls....they are not very different than any other recipes, but for the fact that I make them often. This recipe is from the lady who lived across the street when I was about 5 who brought us rolls and gave my mother the recipe, who gave it to me when I was about to be married. The dough will keep several days covered in the refrigerator, and only get better as they age. The recipe was originally named as "refrigerator rolls". If you do make the dough ahead, be sure to allow a longer rise time for the rolls. you shape them cold and let rise. Depending on the size of the rolls, anywhere from 1 1'/2 to 3 hours. Mrs Avery's Rolls 2C Scalded Milk, cooled to warm temperature 3T Shortening or Butter, Melted ½ C Sugar 1 t salt 2 eggs, beaten 2 pkgs yeast (or 1T bulk yeast) 1/3 warm water 4-5 cups flour Dissove the yeast in the warm water (about 105 degrees) with a teaspoon of the sugar, wait until it foams. While waiting for the yeast to foam, mix the milk, butter, remaining sugar and salt. After the yeast foams, add the yeast mixture to it, and the two beaten eggs to the mixture. Either by hand or in a stand mixer, blend in flour a cup at a time until the dough is soft and fairly sticky. Turn onto a floured board and knead just until the dough is no longer sticky, but is smooth and satiny. Let rise until doubled, punch down, knead a little, then shape into rolls. Bake at 350 until golden. May brush with egg wash or butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Also good rolled in butter and cinnamon sugar. Dough is a good base dough for a variety of sweet breads like cinnamon rolls or brioche.

Doris, here are three of my favorite appetizer recipes. All 3 can be made ahead. The egg rolls are frozen untill time to cook or can be cooked then reheated,(300 oven for 30 min or so) as can be the Shrimp Puffs. The Shrimp spread could be made to the point of adding the shrimp, do that after you get there and go the the fish market. All are T+T recipes we made at the deli for several years. I have made so many you would think I'd never want to see a shrimp puff or SW egg roll again, but they are soooo good! I am even trying to make and can my own raspberry sauce this year. South West Egg Rolls 2 C cooked chopped chicken breast meat 2 Tabsp oil ¼ C finely chopped red pepper ¼ C chopped green onion ½ C black beans, rinsed and drained ¾ C frozen corn ¼ C jalapeno peppers, chopped fine ¼ C frozen chopped spinach, thaw and squeeze out extra moisture 1 Tabsp parsley or cilantro, chopped 1 Tsp chili powder 1 Tsp ground cumin 1 Tsp salt ¼ Tsp cayenne pepper 2 C shredded Mexican blend cheese 10 flour tortillas, 6 inch, may need more. oil for deep frying Heat 2 Tabsp of oil in a 10" skillet over med heat. Add red pepper and green onion. Cook about 5 minutes, till tender. Add chicken, black beans, corn, jalapenos, parsley (or cilantro), spinach, chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne. Stir while cooking about 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and remove from heat. Warm tortillas in microwave for about 1 min, to make more pliable. Spoon approx. two big tablespoons of filling in a tortilla, fold in the sides and roll up. Secure with toothpicks. I just keep filling totillas untill filling is used up. Place in a 9X13 pan, cover and freeze about 6 hrs. Heat oil in a deep pan to 375°, fry frozen egg rolls about 10 min, untill golden brown. Drain on paper towels. I have cooked without freezing but the freezing really does help to hold the rolls together and keeps the filling in place. Don't forget to remove the tooth picks before serving. Serve with sour cream or a raspberry dipping sauce. SHRIMP PUFFS 3 C cooked rice 1 lb uncooked cleaned shrimp, chopped 2 eggs ¾ C milk 1 Tabsp veg. oil 1½ tsp baking powder 1½ tsp onion powder 1 tsp salt ½ tsp pepper ¼ C minced parsley ½ tsp hot pepper sauce Oil for deep frying Separate eggs and place whites in a small bowl, beat to soft peaks. In a large bowl beat egg yolks, milk and oil. Combine flour with baking powder, onion powder and salt and pepper. Add to egg yolk mixture. Stir in rice, shrimp, parsley and hot pepper sauce. Fold egg whites into shrimp mixture. Heat oil to 350° in a deep pan. Drop shrimp batter by spoonfuls into oil and fry until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. I like to serve with a honey mustard sauce. Just a couple of tabsp of honey mustard mixed into 1 C of mayo. These are also good made into a larger size for dinner instead of traditional fried shrimp. Chutney Shrimp Spread 12 oz. cream cheese 1/3 C sour cream 1/4 tsp. garlic powder 1/4 C chutney 1 C cooked shrimp, peeled and chopped Place cream cheese, sour cream,garlic powder and chutney in bowl of food processor. Process to combine but don't over process as you want small pieces of the chutney to show. Place in small bowl and stir in shrimp. Chill and serve with crackers. Makes about 2 cups. Nancy

Hi Kim Saw your post and wanted to tell you that in order for this dish to be really delicious, the plantains have to be really ripe, the peel has to be almost black in color. I make it here ocassionally, its called in spanish, pantalon. Its just delicious. Alberta