THE SLAB

 Cake Ingredients:

1 cup cocoa

2 cups boiling water

2 3/4 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup butter, softened

2 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla 

Filling:

1 1/2 cups whipping cream, chilled well

1/4 cup confectioner sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Frosting:

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate pieces

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup butter

2 1/2 cups confectioner sugar

Preparation:

1. In a medium bowl, combine cocoa with boiling water, mixing with a whisk until smooth.  Cool completely.  In another medium size bowl, mix flour with soda, salt, and baking powder.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.

2. In a large (3rd) bowl and at high speed, beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla, scraping bowl, for about five minutes.  At low speed, beat in flour mixture (in fourths) alternately with cocoa mixture (in thirds) beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Do not overbeat.  Divide this evenly between three pans.  Bake 25-3- minutes or until cake springs back.  Cool in pan for 10 min.  Carefully loosen sides with a spatula.  Remove from pans and cool on racks.

3.  Make the Filling:  Whip cream with confectioner sugar and vanilla.  When it is whipped good and stiff, refrigerate until the cake layers are completely cooled off, and then spread this between the layers.

4.   Make the Frosting:  Melt the chocolate pieces and butter in microwave or in a double boiler.  Add the whipping cream and confectioner sugar.  Beat with electric mixer until spreading consistency is reached.  (The melted stuff cools off as you beat it with the mixer).  Spread frosting evenly over the whole cake.  Keep cake refrigerated.

Deep Dish Oatmeal Fudge Bars

This yummy recipe I found at this recipe blog

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 cups oatmeal

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt together

• 1 can eagle’s brand sweetened condensed milk
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

• Mix the butter, eggs and brown sugar. Add vanilla and milk. Slowly incorporate the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix well. I prefer using a stand mixer since it’s quite thick.
• Spread 3/4 of the cookie mixture on the bottom of a greased 13×9 pan, pour chocolate mixture, then spread rest of cookie mixture on tops in spoonfuls (won’t cover completely-but will leave cool designs). The top can tend to get done before it’s completely cooked, so you can put aluminum foil over it for the last five or so if it looks like it’s browning too much. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool, otherwise it won’t set up and will just run when you cut into it.

Peach Crisp

Ingredients:
1 Pouch Betty Crocker Oatmeal Cookie Mix
1/2 cup cold butter
5 cups frozen sliced peaches (freeze the peaches whole, then run under warm water while peeling, and then you can dice it), thawed and drained.

Extra:  Vanilla Ice Cream!

Preparation:
I recommend peeling and dicing the peaches on a day prior to making the peach crips.  It's just much easier to have this step already taken care of, and then you can take your bag of diced peaches out of the freezer a while before you're going to make the peach crisp so that it will be all nice and thawed.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Put the cookie mix into a bowl, and then cut in the butter.
Place the peaches in an 8 inch square baking dish (or the equivalent) and then sprinkle the cookie mixture over the peaches.
Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until top is golden brown and peaches are bubbly.
Serve with a dollop of vanilla ice cream!

Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins

Ingredients:
1 chocolate muffin mix (Krusteaz or Better Crocker are great)
Additional ingredients called for on muffin box (oil, egg, etc.)
8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
1 egg slightly beaten,
1/3 cup sugar
1 pinch of salt
6 oz. chocolate chips
muffin cups


Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together muffin mix and additional ingredients called for on the box, and then set aside.  In a medium bowl blend together the cream cheese, egg, sugar, and salt.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Place muffin cups into a muffin pan, and then fill them to 2/3 full with the chocolate muffin mixture.  Dollop some of the cream cheese mixture on top.  Cook for 20 - 25 minutes.

Blond Brownies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 c. flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 c. butter, softened
• 3/4 c. white sugar
• 3/4 c. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 c. peanut butter chips

 Preparation:
Mix all ingredients together.  Bake at 350 degrees in an un-greased 9x13 inch baking dish for 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then cut into bars and serve.

Southern Apple Crumble (Betty Crocker Recipe)

Filling

3 large apples, peeled, coarsely chopped (about 3 cups)  

1/2 cup granulated sugar 

1/4 cup packed brown sugar 

1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

1/4 cup cold butter or margarine, cut into small pieces 

 

Topping

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® oatmeal cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup chopped pecans

 Preparation

1. Heat oven to 300°F. Spray bottom and sides of 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, toss filling ingredients. Spread mixture in baking dish.
2. In same large bowl, stir cookie mix and melted butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over filling.
3. Bake 40 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with pecans. Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until topping is golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Shortbread Cookies

Derek makes these, and they are oh so good!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
Preparation:

• Heat oven to 325°F. In large bowl, beat butter and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, baking soda, vanilla and oats. Stir in chocolate chips.
• On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart.
• Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

Mint Chocolate Brownies

I love the Betty Crocker Mint Brownie Recipe that uses a little cream cheese in the filling...

Ingredients:

1 box of brownie mix
 Water, vegetable oil and egg called for on brownie mix box

Filling:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 T. butter or margarine, softened
3 T. whipping cream
2 oz cream cheese, softened
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon mint extract
2 drops green food color

Chocolate Topping:
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 1/3 cups (8 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup butter


Preparation:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 9x9 or 9x13 inch pan (make sure you get a brownie mix that can fill a 9x13 if you go that route, because as I have just discovered, not all brownie boxes are created equal) with shortening or cooking spray. Make and bake brownie mix as directed on box. Cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.
• In large bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread over cooled brownies. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until set.
• Meanwhile, in 2-quart nonstick saucepan, heat topping ingredients over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. Cool about 10 minutes or until lukewarm.
• Pour topping over filling; spread to cover. Refrigerate uncovered about 2 hours or until set. Before cutting into bars, let stand 10 minutes at room temperature. Store covered in refrigerator

 

 

 

Saltine Toffee

Note:  You will need parchment paper and a candy thermometer

Ingredients:
1 sleeve of saltine crackers
2 sticks of unsalted butter
2 cups of all purpose sugar
1 T. light corn syrup
1 cup (or more) semi sweet chocolate chips
chopped nuts (pecans or almonds)

Preparation:
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.  Then arrange saltine crackers salt side down in a single layer.  Set aside.  In a medium sized sauce pot, mix butter, sugar, and corn syrup on low heat.  Keep on low heat stirring occasionally until the temperature of the mixture reaches 290 degrees F, or begins to darken in color.  Remove from heat and spread evenly over saltine crackers.  Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the butter mixture and let sit until melted.  When chocolate chips have melted, spread them evenly over the toffee.  Sprinkle chopped nuts over chocolate.  Place in the freezer until chocolate is set.  Break toffee into pieces, and it's all done!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Cake

Before my husband and I got married, this cake was the primary recipe that my husband's family informed me I would need to learn, for it is near and dear to my husband's heart.  In fact, it was the groom's cake at our wedding and even got a full page spread in our wedding book. 

Note:  This cake takes some time to make.  Don't wait until the last minute!

Ingredients:
1 box of devil's food cake (without pudding)
2 1/2 c. whipping cream, divided
1 (10 oz.) package of peanut butter chips **adjustment without pb chips below
2 tsp. vanilla
1 T. butter
2/3 c. Nestle's semisweet chocolate chips
roasted peanuts (optional)
Reeses cups to garnish (optional)

Preparation:
Prepare cake according to directions and pour into 2 8-inch round pans.  Bake and then cool for 10 min. in the pans.  Then remove them from the pans completely.  * In Cusco, add extra flour and only bake for 20 minutes.

Combine 2/3 c. of whipping cream and peanut butter chips in a sauce pan, cook over low heat, and stir until mixture is smooth.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Cool for 25 min.  Then beat 1 1/3 c. of whipping cream at high speed until soft peaks form.  Stir 1/3 of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture.  Fold into the remaining whipped cream.  Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (not longer, or it will be difficult to spread on the cake).  This will firm it up a bit so that it will stay where you put it between the cake layers.  Spread this mixture between the cake layers (it's a rather large layer).  Cover and chill.

  Bring the remaining 1/2 cup whipping cream and 1 T. of butter to boil in a small sauce pan.  Add the chocolate chips.  Remove from heat and let stand for 5 min.  Then stir the mixture until it is smooth.  Pour the glaze over the cake.  You can serve it warm or you can put in in the refrigerator and serve it when it gets cold.


**When Peanut Butter chips are not available, mix 1 cup of peanut butter with 2/3 cups of whipping cream in a bowl.  Add vanilla.  After beating 1 1/3 c. of whipping cream, fold into the peanut butter mixture, then chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until the mixture stiffens.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

The first time I made these, after my friend, Regina gave me her recipe, I told my husband what they were, and he promptly made a face and said, "Chocolate and pumpkin??"  Several batches later he informed me that they may be his favorite thing that I make.  They are THAT GOOD.  I will warn you though,  one is never enough. 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. flour
*extra flour for high altitude baking!  
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
2 eggs
1 c. pumpkin (note:  I usually buy a large can and freeze the left overs until next time)
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 c. chocolate chips

Preparation:
Mix the dry ingredients and set aside.  In a large bowl, beat eggs, and then stir in the pumpkin and melted butter.  Mix well.  Add chocolate chips and then slowly add dry ingredients as you stir.  Bake in a muffin pan at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes.