Mud Beautiful Mud

Today " if you’re so inclined" you get to celebrate MUD!  
I found two mud recipes on the Web: one for your skin 
and one for your tummy. I saved a third (not frugal, oops!)
for last. The last two came from my personal recipe collection! ;-)

YOGURT MUD PACK
Mud to make your skin feel beautiful:
3 T. fuller's earth (a.k.a. attapulgite clay of which some kitty litter is made)
3 T. plain yogurt
   Mix to make a paste and pat onto the face with gentle, upward strokes. 
Let dry on the skin for 15 to 20 minutes, then rinse off with warm water.

CALICO CORKY'S MARVELOUS MUD PIES
Mud you make your tummy feel beautiful --YUM! I have not personally tried 
these, but don’t they sound wonderful?
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup red maraschino cherry pieces
Chocolate ice cream, softened
   Turn on the oven to 375°. Lightly grease two cookie sheets with 
shortening. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking 
powder, baking soda and salt with a wooden spoon; set aside.
   In a small mixer bowl with the mixer at medium speed, beat butter or 
margarine until creamy. Add sugar and beat for 2 minutes or until fluffy, 
stopping mixer to scrape sides of bowl a few times.
   Add sour cream, egg and vanilla. Beat at medium speed for 1 minute 
(mixture will not look smooth), stopping mixer to scrape sides of bowl once 
or twice. Add flour mixture. Beat at low speed for 1 minute or until smooth. 
Drop 1 rounded tablespoonful of dough at a time onto cookie sheets, about 2 
inches apart.
   Lightly press 3 or 4 cherry pieces into the top of each cookie. Bake for 
15 to 18 minutes or until the bottoms are brown. You can lift the edges with 
a pancake turner to see if the bottoms are brown. With the pancake turner, 
carefully lift the cookies off the cookie sheets and onto wire racks to cool 
completely.
   Spoon about 1/3 cup ice cream onto the bottom side of one cooled cookie. 
Carefully press another cookie on top, cherry-side up. Wrap the finished pie 
in foil and place in the freezer for at least 3 hours before serving. 
Continue making as many mud pies as you wish. These can be eaten straight 
from the freezer. Store any remaining cookies in a tightly covered 
container.


MUDSLIDE BROWNIES
Absolutely no sampling the ingredients until after these brownies are baked! 
;-)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2  tsp. baking powder
1/2  tsp. salt
2/3  cup unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3 eggs
1 1/2  cups sugar
4    tbsp. coffee liqueur
2    tbsp. Irish creme liqueur
1    tbsp. vodka
3/4  cup  coarsely chopped walnuts (opt.)
Kahlua Glaze:
1 1/4  cups powdered sugar
3  Tbsp. coffee liqueur
    In small saucepan, combine butter and chocolate. Set over low heat, just 
until chocolate is melted. Set aside.
Sift flour with baking powder and salt into bowl, beat in chocolate mixture, 
coffee liqueur, Irish creme liqueur and vodka. Fold in nuts. Pour into 
13x9-inch pan and bake at 350F about 25 minutes. Cool in pan. Spread with 
Kahlua Glaze. Decorate with whole coffee beans, if desired. Cut into squares 
and serve.

Enjoy!
Tina in Ontario, on her way outside to play in the mud.