Mississippi Mud Cakes!

So with the last couple blogs being posted this semester here, I figured I'd go out with a bang and post some crazy delicious ideas. Well this one is definitely a winner. Mississippi Mud Cake. All I could think of when I found this recipe was when we were all 5 years old making mud pies out in the backyard when I thought it was cool to be dirty ahah. I hope you have as fun making these as I did!

What you'll need:

1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup butter4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped2 cups sugar1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa4 large eggs1 teaspoon vanilla extract3/4 teaspoon salt1 (10.5-oz.) bag miniature marshmallows

What to do:

1. 1. Place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet.

1. 2. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted.

1. 3. Microwave 1 cup butter and semisweet chocolate in a large microwave-safe glass bowl at HIGH 1 minute or until melted and smooth, stirring every 30 seconds.

1. 4. Whisk sugar and next 5 ingredients into chocolate mixture. Pour batter into a greased jelly-roll pan.

1. 5. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle evenly with miniature marshmallows; bake 8 to 10 more minutes or until golden brown. Drizzle warm cake with Chocolate Frosting, and sprinkle evenly with toasted pecans.

Or:

1. Mississippi Mud Cupcakes: Prepare pecans and Mississippi Mud Cake batter as directed. Spoon batter evenly into 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until puffed. Sprinkle evenly with 2 cups miniature marshmallows, and bake 5 more minutes or until golden. Remove from oven, and cool cupcakes in muffin pans 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans, and place on wire rack. Drizzle warm cakes evenly with 1 1/4 cups Chocolate Frosting, and sprinkle with toasted pecans. Reserve remaining 3/4 cup frosting for another use. Note: To serve remaining Chocolate Frosting over pound cake or ice cream, microwave reserved 3/4 cup Chocolate Frosting in a medium-size microwave-safe glass bowl at HIGH 15 seconds or until warm.

Enjoy! And have as much fun as you did when you were a little kid playing in the mud puddles in the back yard!