Fall, Cows, Dessert: What Could Be Better?

I can't believe it, but Fall is here! While I've been keeping busy promoting the dairy industry as well as working on my family's dairy, I was thinking about what I could write about in this article along with a recipe. Living in this area, we all drive by cows almost everywhere we go, but do you know what breed of cows you are looking at in those fields? I would like to share more about each of these lactating ladies in my next few articles.

Did you know that Holsteins are the most popular breed of dairy cow in the United States? The Holstein breed originated in the Netherlands, and to this day, they are still popular all over the world. Holsteins are the pretty black and white dairy cows that you might see out in the pasture on a nice temperate day. Another fun fact is that Holsteins are the highest milk producing breed of dairy cattle. The average Holstein will produce around 25,000 pounds, or 2,900 gallons of milk in each lactation or milking cycle.

Drinking milk is a great way to incorporate dairy into your diet, but another way is to enjoy one of my favorite treats called Mississippi Mud Cake! I would like to give a special shoutout to Jesse Sollenberger for introducing my family to this delicious dessert!

Mississippi Mud Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 stick unsalted butter

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup cocoa

½ cup water

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 bag miniature marshmallows

Icing Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter

3 tablespoons cocoa

6 tablespoons milk

1 (1 pound) box confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13'' x 9'' baking pan.

2. Combine the sugar, salt, and flour in a large mixing bowl. Bring the butter, oil, cocoa, and ¼ cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Add to the flour mixture.

3. Beat together the eggs, baking soda, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add to the chocolate mixture, mix well, and pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes.

4. While the cake is baking, make the icing by melting the butter in the cocoa and milk over low heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from the heat. Stir in the confectioners' sugar. Slowly mix in the vanilla. Take the cake from the oven, and when it cools a bit, cover it with miniature marshmallows. Pour the warm icing over the cake and the marshmallows.

5. Cool the cake and enjoy!