Peanut Butter-Filled Brownie Cups with White Chocolate Icing

I don't recall where I got this recipe. I actually found this as a draft in my posts, and decided to publish it. Sounds good, though. 

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3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1  1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons hot water
1  1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Prepare the filling (see the recipe below).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a small saucepan over very low heat. Let cool. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and butter until light. Add the eggs, water and vanilla and beat until well blended. Add the cooled chocolate mixture, beating until well blended. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt  and stir into the chocolate mixture until just blended.

Line 20 mini muffin cups with paper liners and spoon enough batter into each muffin cup to fill one-fourth full. Evenly divide the filling between all the muffin cups. Fill with the remaining brownie batter. Bake 350 degrees for about 18 minutes, or until brownies are just set when pressed with your finger tip. Cool. Frost the tops of the brownie cups (see the recipe below).

Filling
6 tablespoons peanut butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour

Mix together until smooth.

White Chocolate Icing
4 oz white chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
1  1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
hot water, enough to reach desired spreading consistency

Melt together the white chocolate and butter in a saucepan over very low heat. Stir in the powdered sugar, vanilla and hot water, stirring until smooth. Spread icing over cooled brownie cups. Let set.

Coconut Joy Candy Bars

 I collect cooking magazines, and my favorite time of year to do so, is in the fall and around Christmas time. I came across this recipe in a Better Homes & Gardens magazine for Christmas cookies, and it can be found online, here. 

Recipe is courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

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Nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup salted butter, melted

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided (1 teaspoon for the base, and 1 teaspoon for the filling)

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups sweetened flaked coconut

1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted (instructions below)

Milk Chocolate Ganache (recipe below)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13" baking pan with heavy-duty foil, extending the foil over the edges so the cooled bars can be lifted out of the pan, Lightly spray the foil with cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract. Stir until combined. Now, stir in the beaten eggs and stir again, until incorporated.

2. In another bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until combined. Spread half of this mixture into your prepared pan. Bake 350 degrees until set, about 12 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

3. While the bars are cooling, for the filling, in a large bowl, add the coconut, sweetened condensed milk, remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla, and the almond extract. Stir until combined. 

4. Carefully spread the coconut filling mixture over the chocolate layer and sprinkle with the toasted, chopped almonds. Bake 350 degrees for 20-35 minutes, until set. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. 

5. Spread the Milk Chocolate Ganache evenly over the cooled bars. Chill until the ganache is firm, at least one hour. Use the foil to lift the uncut bars out of the pan; then cut unto bars. 

6. Store the bars in an airtight container for up to three days. 

To toast the almonds

Spread the chopped almonds evenly in a shallow pan and bake 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes, stirring them once or twice during baking. Be sure to set a timer and watch them closely, so as to not burn. 

Milk Chocolate Ganache  

Pour one (11.5-oz) package of milk chocolate chips in a medium bowl, set aside. In a small saucepan bring 3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream just to boiling. (Watch carefully) Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips in the bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes, without stirring. After the 5 minutes, stir until smooth. 

(John's) Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

My son John, loves soft chocolate chip cookies; but I personally prefer them more chewy-crisp. He found this recipe online on the cooking blog Cakes by Courtney, made them and fell in love with them. They are very good, so bookmark this page. If you prefer the ingredients to be listed by weight, she does so on her blog. 

Photo courtesy of Cakes by Courtney blogpost

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Ingredients

1 cup butter, cold
1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs (may also use extra large eggs) at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups semisweet or dark chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream the butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the granulated and brown sugars, and beat until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat another several seconds to mix together.

3. Add the eggs, one at a time beating until well incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat another 30 seconds. 

4. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, 1/3 tp 1/2 at a time. Mix together until combined. 

5. By hand, mix in the chocolate chips. 

6. Scoop cookie dough into two-inch balls, and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are slightly golden brown. The tops may look soft, but still remove from the oven as they will continue baking on the cookie sheet once they are removed from the oven and cool on the cookie sheet. 

Snickers Bars

I found this recipe in one of those old church cookbooks, but I haven't made them in years. There is a note written on it stating that while they are a lot of work, it is well worth it because they are that good. 

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First Layer

1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/4 cup peanut butter

Melt together and spread in a buttered 9x13" pan. You might want to line the pan with parchment paper to make removal easier. Let cool and set.

Second Layer

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup milk

1 cup marshmallow creme

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup (or more) chopped salted peanuts

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, boil the sugar, butter, and milk for 5 minutes. Add the marshmallow creme, peanut butter, and vanilla. Pour over the first layer. Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts. Let cool.

Third Layer

30-40 caramels

1-3 tablespoons hot water

Melt the caramels in a heavy-bottomed skillet, and add the hot water. Stir until well blended. Pour over the peanuts.

Fourth Layer

Repeat first layer, spreading over the caramel layer.

Allow to set and cut into small bars. 

Symphony Brownies

I've been looking through old recipes to add to this blog. I suddenly remembered these brownies that I used to make when my kids were little that we all enjoyed. After a little research, I found the recipe. This will be added to my long list of things to make, if for no other reason than for nostalgia of it. 

Photo courtesy of RecipeGirl found here

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1 (21.5-oz) package brownie mix

plus additional ingredients listed on the package - eggs, water, vegetable oil

3 (6-oz) king-sized Symphony chocolate bars with toffee and almonds, unwrapped

Directions

Mix together the brownie mix according to package directions. Line a 9x13" pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Spread half the batter in the pan - it will be spread thin. Layer the candy bars on top of the batter, then spread the remaining batter over the candy bars. Bake at 350 degrees, for about 30 minutes, or however long the directions say to bake a pan this size. Cool and cut into bars.

I've also seen this recipe made in a 9x9" square pan, so it all just depends on how thick you want the bars. If made in a 9x9" square pan, obviously you will need to bake the brownies longer, but just follow the package directions. You may only need two of the candy bars, instead of the three listed above.

Note

You can use plain milk chocolate bars if you don't want the toffee and almonds, or use any flavor of chocolate bar you prefer.

Chocolate Chip Bars

This is another recipe I made often when I was in my teens.

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1 1/2 cups brown sugar (or may use 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar)

2/3 cup vegetable or canola oil

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk chocolate chips

In a large bowl, by hand, beat together the sugar(s) and oil, until well mixed. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat until well combined. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into a greased jelly roll pan, or 9x13" pan. Bake 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Let cool.

Feathery Fudge Cake with White Fudge Frosting

We have a family recipe called Chocolate Steamed Pudding that is decades old, that I believe was my grandmother's recipe. It's been a favorite of my dad and brother for years. It is served with a white frosting called "Hard Sauce". Both recipes can be found on this blog. I have a note on this particular recipe that says it reminiscent of Chocolate Steamed Pudding, so it is definitely worth a try. 

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Feathery Fudge Cake

2/3 cup butter, softened to room temperature

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs, at room temperature

2 1/2 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled (can be done in the microwave)

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups ice cold water

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, then gradually add the sugar and beat until thoroughly incorporated, for about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla, and the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the chocolate until well combined. 

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. Beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture alternating the flour mixture and ice cold water, until well combined. Batter will be thick. Spread in a greased and floured 9x13" pan and spread evenly. Bake 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool thoroughly. Frost with White Fudge Frosting. 

White Fudge Frosting

1/2 cup butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 1/4 - 2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. add the granulated sugar and milk, stirring until blended. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly (be careful not to burn). Cool, then gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until it reaches the desired spreading consistency. Stir in the vanilla. Add a little additional milk, if frosting is too thick. 

Enough to frost (2) 8 or 9" cake layers or (1) 9x13" cake. 

Mint Brownies

This is an old recipe from my teens and 20s that was made often for bridal showers, baby showers, and "just because". It makes a cake-like brownie with a nice mint-flavored filling and a dark chocolate ganache topping.I believe the recipe originates from one of those old church cookbooks that were popular in the '80s and 90's.

Photo is courtesy of Taste of Home website here.

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Brownie Layer

1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 (16 oz) can Hershey's chocolate syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

Filling Layer

1 cup butter, softened to room temperature (2 sticks butter)
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cream or milk
2 ounces (4 tbsp) creme de menthe (See note below)
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
dash green food coloring, optional

Topping

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions 

To make the brownies, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar, until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until incorporated. Add the chocolate syrup and vanilla and beat until it is mixed in. Add the flour and mix just until it has incorporated. Pour into a greased and floured jelly roll pan (10x15x1") and bake 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool. 

To make the filling, using an electric mixer to beat together the softened butter and powdered sugar until smooth, light and fluffy. add the cream, creme de menthe, peppermint extract, and food coloring, if using. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add additional milk of frosting is too thick. Spread over the cooled brownies. 

To make the topping, in a glass bowl, combine the semi sweet chocolate chips and vegetable oil and melt in the microwave to melt thoroughly. This should only take a couple of minutes. Cool slightly and carefully spread over the filling layer and use a spoon to spread evenly. Chill in the refrigerator until set/

Store brownies in the refrigerator.

Note: I use the creme de menthe syrup, which is an ice cream topping, which can be found in the grocery store with the other ice cream toppings. This is the brand I use.

Brown-Eyed Susans

I posted these back in 2008. My mom, sisters, and I have been making these for as long as I can remember. These are a favorite, and one we always make at Christmas-time. Along the way, we changed the frosting recipe to one that is thicker, from Martha Stewart. They can be topped with a slivered, or sliced almond ... we've never used whole almonds; but my own family prefers them without the addition of the almonds. The recipe doesn't make a lot, so you will want to at least double it. 

(I have included the original recipe for the frosting below)

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Cookies
1 cup butter
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp almond extract
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the almond extract and beat well. Stir in the flour and salt. Roll into 1" balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Make a thumbprint in the center of each dough ball. Bake 400 degrees for about 12 minutes, or until beginning to lightly brown around the edges. Let cool. Drop a little bit of frosting into the "well" of each cookie, made from your thumbprint. Once cooled, use a spoon to carefully fill the indentation of each cookie. See Frosting recipe below. 

Martha Stewart Frosting 

6 tbsp butter

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 tbsp corn syrup

Melt the butter, chocolate chips, and corn syrup until smooth. Cool slightly and let stand until set. Use just a little bit of the frosting filling the indentations of each cookie. Top with a sliced or slivered almond and let cookies set. Store in a single layer in a covered container. 

Original Frosting 
1 cup pwd sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa pwd
2 tbsp hot water
1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine the ingredients and stir until smooth.

Surprise Cookies

This is a recipe from Martha Stewart that I made many years ago at Christmas time. They turned out very well and were delicious. The recipe can be found here.

These make about 2 dozen.

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Cookies

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

12 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa power, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, milk and vanilla, and beat until well combined. 

4. Beat in the flour mixture on low speed until combined.

5. Using a tablespoon or a 1 3/4" ice-cream scoop, drop dough into ungreased cookie sheets about 2" apart. Bake 375 degrees until cookies begin to spread and become firm, about 10-12 minutes.

6. Remove baking sheets from oven and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begin to melt, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting,

Chocolate Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar

4 tbsp (half of a stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add the butter, milk, and vanilla and whisk until well combined and smooth. 

Final Touches

Frost the cooled cookies and let sit to dry completely. Store in a covered container. 

Fantasy Fudge

This was my mom's recipe, and when I was very young, we would make this at christmas time. It was found on the back of the jar of marshmallow creme. It was a family favorite.Recipe can be found online here.

Photo courtesy of MyFoodandFamily.com

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3 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup butter

2/3 cup evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed milk)

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1 (7-oz) jar marshmallow creme

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Grease a 9x13" pan, OR line it with parchment paper with some overhang so the fudge and be lifted out of the pan for easier cutting and removal

2. In a medium-sized, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, butter and evaporated milk. Heat to melt all, and bring to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. 

3. Boil for exactly 5 minutes, stirring constantly. 

4. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips, stirring until melted.

5. Add the marshmallow creme and the vanilla, beating until melted and well blended. 

6. Quickly pour into and spread in the prepared pan. Cool and cut into squares.

7. If using the parchment paper, after fudge has cooled, cut into even squares and store in a covered container. 

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream

 This is a wonderful cake, with the most delicious, satiny frosting. I've also used this frosting on brownies. The recipe came from Land O Lakes and can be found here. 

Photo is courtesy of Land O Lakes.

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Cake
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sour milk or buttermilk*
1 (1-oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup boiling water

Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
dash salt
1/4 cup whipping cream (may use more, if needed)
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 tbsp corn syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To make the cake, combine the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, on medium speed, beat until creamy. Add the milk, melted chocolate, eggs, and vanilla. Continue beating until smooth. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Alternately add the flour mixture and boiling water to the creamed mixture, starting and ending with the flour until smooth.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x13" pan. Bake 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake completely.

To make the frosting, in a mixing bowl and using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until creamy. In a separate bowl mix together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Add this to the creamed butter, alternately with the whipping cream and melted chocolate, beating well after each addition. Stir in the corn syrup last, and mix until well combined. Frost cooled cake.

*To make sour milk, pour milk into a glass measuring cup and add 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to the milk and stir well. 

Chocolate Chip Bars

 Another recipe that was my mom's that I often made in my teens, that is very good. This recipe is a little different from most of this type in that it uses vegetable oil instead of butter.

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2/3 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Beat together the oil, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla, beat well. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt, mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips and spread in a greased 11x15" jelly roll pan. Bake 350 degrees for 18 minutes, or until done. 

Rich Hot Fudge Sauce

I found yet another recipe for fudge sauce that was in draft form on this blog, just not yet published. The recipe is from Taste of Home and can be found here. 

Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home.

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1 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup butter, cubed
1  1/3 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch  salt
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp light corn syrup
2 squares (1-oz each) unsweetened chocolate
3 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tsp rum extract

In a heavy saucepan, combine cream and butter. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until butter is melted. Add the sugars and salt, and cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly; about 4 minutes. Stir in the cocoa and corn syrup; cook and stir for 3 minutes.

Add the chocolate and cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until chocolate is melted. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 12-16 minutes or until desired thickness is reached, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in the extracts. Cool slightly. Serve warm over ice cream. Refrigerate leftovers.

Hot Chocolate Sauce

Another recipe for fudge sauce to pour over ice cream. This recipe is very similar to the Fronies Chocolate Syrup posted here, so you can know that it is very good. This is another very old recipe that was inside the box of the Nestle pre-melted envelopes of unsweetened chocolate. Remember these? They were discontinued long ago, but I wish they still sold them. They were so convenient to use. 

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1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup (4 tbsp) butter

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup light Karo corn syrup

dash salt

2 (1-oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted in the microwave

2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, heavy cream, corn syrup, and salt; mix well. Over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat and stir in the melted unsweetened chocolate and vanilla extract. Serve warm over ice cream or cake. 

Fudge Sauce

I'm not a big eater of ice cream ... it's just not something I crave, but I do like the fudge sauce that is drizzled over ice cream. It's all chocolate, so how can you go wrong? I'll be posting four different versions of chocolate sauce. This first one is a reprint of an old post on this blog. 

This recipe came from an old friend of my mom's. It is decades old, but has been a family favorite for just as long. It is worth doubling the recipe. 

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1 ounce square unsweetened chocolate

2 tbsp butter

1 cup granulated sugar   **See Note below**

1 (5-oz) can evaporated milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

In a saucepan, melt together the chocolate and butter over low heat until all has melted. Stir in the sugar until well-combined. Add the evaporated milk and increase the heat Cook rapidly and bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Let boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let cool completely, and then store in the refrigerator. The sauce will thicken as it cools. When cold, it will be a very thick sauce perfect for eating off of a spoon, or served over ice cream. 

**Note**

If you can get the C&H Baker's ultrafine sugar, all the better...otherwise you can whirl regular, granulated in a blender to make it ultrafine. If you don't want to bother, it is just fine as is, it is just a little grainy once it is cold, but still delicious nonetheless. 

Chocolate Wafer Icebox Cake

 

Photo courtesy of Butter Your Biscuit 

My mom used to make this simple, yet delicious dessert. We never added sliced almonds to the top of it, but often would crush some extra of the chocolate wafers and sprinkle over on top. Make this ahead of time, because it needs time for the wafers to soften before serving. You can easily adjust the amounts of the ingredients, to make as much or as little of this dessert as you'd like.

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1 pint (2 cups) whipping cream

3 tbsp powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-2 (9-oz) packages of Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers

Whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form, using an electric mixer. This will not take very long. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla.

In a pretty glass dish, spread some of the sweetened whipped cream onto the bottom of the dish (to prevent the wafers from sliding). Then spread about 1-2 tbsp of the whipped cream between the wafers, setting them up on their side. Spread additional whipped cream on the outside of the "side-stacked" wafers to pretty it up. If you have any leftover wafers, you may crush them and sprinkle over the top. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and chill for up to 8 hours, or overnight. 

Fudge Krispies

Photo is courtesy of the Kellogg's website. Recipe can be found here.

I've been posting old family favorites, many of which I have not made in years, but I wanted to preserve here. This simple recipe is a nice alternative to the traditional Rice Krispie Bar. This version was one of my son's favorites.

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1 (12-oz) package milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup powdered sugar

4 cups Rice Krispies cereal

In a large saucepan or skillet. over low heat, melt together the chocolate chips, butter, and corn syrup until everything has melted and is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, and powdered sugar until well mixed. Stir in the Rice Krispies cereal and mix thoroughly. Spread in a buttered 9x13" pan. Let cool and set before cutting into bars. 

Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies

Photo is courtesy of the NY Times website.

I'm sure everyone has hear about or read the story behind this recipe. A quick Google search will bring it up. I don't know if any of it is true, but I guess it really doesn't matter. I've made these cookies a few times when I was in my 20s or 30s. You definitely do not want to skip the step of grinding the oatmeal to a fine powder. I do remember that these were very good, but they seemed to dry out more quickly than regular chocolate chip cookies. Therefore, you might want to underbake them a bit, or you can cut the recipe in half so you can eat them before they do dry out. I have a note written at the bottom of the card suggesting to store these in the freezer in an airtight container between sheets of waxed paper. That should help, as well.

Though these seem like a lot of work, they are worth it.

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1 cup butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar (You may use either light or dark)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups oatmeal, processed in a blender or food processor to a fine powder*

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

4 ounces of a 7-ounce large Hershey's milk chocolate bar, grated (May use a box grater or a microplane)

Directions

*Place the oatmeal into a blender or food processor and process to a fine powder. Set aside. 

Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating in one at a time, then add the vanilla, beating until well mixed. In another bowl, combine the oatmeal, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and add to the creamed mixture in thirds, mixing well. Sir in the chocolate chips and grated chocolate. Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. 

Brownies Deluxe I

This recipe is very, very old. I got it from a lady who I used to babysit for, so I would have been in my early teens. It's been forever since I made them, but another that has gone on my Must Make Soon, list.

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Brownies

2 (one-ounce) squares of unsweetened chocolate
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1sp vanilla extract
2/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Frosting

1 (one-ounce) square unsweetened chocolate
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 tbsp milk

To Prepare the Brownies: 

In a large saucepan, over medium-low heat, melt together the unsweetened chocolate and shortening, stirring until everything has melted. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the sugar until well blended. Remove from the heat and stir in the eggs and vanilla extract, beating well. Lastly, stir in the flour, baking powder and salt, just until blended. Spread into a greased 8" square pan and bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until set. Let cool completely.

To Prepare the Frosting: 

Melt together the unsweetened chocolate and butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk, beating until smooth. Spread over the brownies. Cut into bars.