Toffee Brownies

These brownies look absolutely decadent. And what do you need more, in the depressing months of winter than a serious pick-me-up. Look no further.


1 (17.6 oz) Brownie Mix Package with Walnuts
Vegetable Oil Cooking Spray
3 (6 oz) Candy Bars with Almond and Toffee (Blue Symphony Bars)

Prepare the brownie mix according to package directions.

Line a 13 by 9-inch cake pan with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable oil cooking spray. Spoon in half of the brownie batter and smooth with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Place the candy bars side by side on top of the batter. Cover with the remaining batter.

Bake according to package directions. Let cool completely, then lift from the pan using the edges of the foil. This makes it easy to cut the brownies into squares.

BYU Mint Brownies. Rah Rah Rah!

MAKES ONE 9-BY-13 PAN OF BROWNIES.
PREP AND COOK: 90 min. COOL: 1 hr.

1 c. margarine
1/2 c. cocoa
2 Tbsp. honey
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped walnuts (icky-i skip this!)
12 oz. chocolate icing (Use your own icing recipe or purchase some chocolate frosting. You can also search the Internet for chocolate icing recipes.)

MINT ICING

5 Tbsp. margarine
dash of salt
3 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. mint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring

1. Melt margarine and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.

2. Prepare mint icing: Soften margarine. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

3. Spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing. Remove from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate icing.

CHOCOLATE ICING (Liz's Version)

1 2/3 c. powdered sugar
4 T margarine, softenend
1 T light corn syrup
6 T cocoa
6 T milk

I made this chocolate icing recipe up and I actually can't remember the measurements for the cocoa & milk. I just keep adding till i got the consistency right (a think ganache). So just mix everything then slowly add cocoa and milk till you find your right proportions. I wanted it to be a little fudgy and a little bitter (cocoa) because the mint icing and the brownie itself are very sweet.

peach pie #2

peaches are my favorite, and i love peach season more than anything. i wait all year for my mom's peach pie. it is honestly the best pie ever. my mom and i made four on saturday, and i was planning to take a picture so i could post it but davis and i already ate ours. the crust is delicious, it tastes like a shortbread cookie. mmmmmm.

Crust:
1 stick butter-soft
1 cup flour
3 T sugar
Combine using pastry cutter or fork. Press into greased pie pan and bake on 375 for 15 minutes.

6-7 peeled peaches-lemon alberta is the best variety for pies.

In a saucepan on medium to medium high (don't get it too hot or it will burn), take 2 or 3 of the peaches and smash with fork or cut them into chunks. Add 2 Tablespoons cornstarch and cook until it thickens up substantially. (about 10 minutes.)

Slice the remaining peaches straight into the cooked pie shell. Pour the peach/sauce over the fresh sliced peaches. Make sure to cover the peaches completely, it seals in the peaches and keeps them fresh.

Chill in the fridge until cool.

easy summer peach pie

so easy & SO good:

cooked pie shell filled with
3 large peaches/peeled/pitted/sliced (usually use more peaches, enough to fill & slightly mound)

in saucepan combine:
2 large mashed peaches
1 c. sugar
3 T corn starch
1/2 c. water

bring to boil, remove from heat and add:
1/2 t. almond extract
1 t. vanilla
2 T butter (not margarine)

allow to cool slightly, then poor over peaches in pie shell. chill & serve.

Individual Orange and Chocolate Cheesecakes

i am making this for lindsay's baby shower. i know it's early but i'm pumped. thank you giada de laurentis. i love you and your abnormally short arms.

1/3 cup finely crushed chocolate wafers
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
2 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
1 orange, zested
1 egg
Butter, for greasing

Special equipment: mini muffin tin

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the crushed chocolate wafers and the melted butter. Place a tightly packed teaspoon of the wafer mixture into each mini-muffin cup and press down firmly.

In a food processor combine the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the sugar, half of the orange zest, and the egg. Blend until smooth. Lightly grease the sides of the mini muffin tin with butter. Fill the cups with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cheesecake mixture. Place the mini muffin tin in a baking dish and pour enough hot water in the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the mini muffin tin. Bake for 25 minutes. Transfer the mini muffin tin to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Use a small knife to gently pop the cheesecakes out of the cups.

Just before serving, combine the remaining orange zest with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Top each individual cheesecake with about 1/4 teaspoon of the orange zest mixture and serve.

Pioneer Woman's Apple Dumplings

The texture of the crescent rolls becomes something entirely different during the baking process: the top gets delightfully crisp and flavorful, while the underneath side remains soft and mushy and more “apple dumpling-y”. And the Mountain Dew, coupled with the obscene amound of butter, creates a yummy, sweet sauce at the end. Serve these beauties with ice cream (or, if you’re on a diet, a huge dollup of sweetened whipped heavy cream) and you’ll be left wondering how such ordinary ingredients can be so sublime.

The Cast of Characters: Granny Smith apples, Butter, Sugar, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, and a can of Mountain Dew.


Apple Dumplings

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew (i use abt. 6 oz.)

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

In the mood for Brownies....

Simple, delicious brownies*
4 eggs
3 round T. cocoa
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. melted butter
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 c. flour

Blend all together. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, and enjoy the best brownies!!!

martha

Ingredients

Makes 36

* 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/3 cup granulated sugar, for rolling dough
* 36 mini peanut butter cups, chilled and unwrapped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer, cream peanut butter and butter in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add brown sugar; beat until combined, scraping down bowl as needed. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until incorporated.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture in two batches.
3. Scoop off dough by the tablespoon; roll into balls. Place granulated sugar on a plate; roll balls in sugar, coating completely. Place 2 inches apart on a nonstick insulated baking sheet.
4. Bake until cookies begin to puff up slightly, about 7 minutes. Remove from oven. Press one peanut butter cup in center of each cookie. Return to oven; continue baking until cookies are golden brown and chocolate has begun to melt, about 6 minutes more. Let cool at least 10 minutes on baking sheet before transferring cookies to rack to cool completely.

molasses cookies (for lindy...these are my moms)

sift together

4 cups flour

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ginger

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cloves

cream together

1 1/3 cup soft butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

2 eggs

combine the two mixtures. if it is sticky add 1/3 cup more flour. roll into balls, then roll in sugar. bake on a greased cookie sheet for 9 minutes at 400 degrees. (i actually cook them a minuter or 2 longer but my mom likes them a little more gooey and i like them fully cooked.)

Southern Pecan Pie

350 degrees

1 9 in. unbaked pie shell
1 cup pecans
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 c melted butter (no substitute)
3/4 c light corn syrup (dark may be used)
7/8 c granulated sugar or 1 c brown sugar (I like
   brown)
1 t vanilla

Spread pecans over the bottom of the unbaked pie
crust. Beat eggs slightly. Add melted butter, corn
syrup, and sugar. Blend well. Stir in vanilla. Pour
mixture over pecans in pie shell. Bake for 45 to 60
minutes until center of pie is set. Cool before
serving. 

Nestle Toll House Pie

Estimated Times:

Preparation - 15 min Cooking - 55 min Cooling Time - 15 min cooling Yields - 8

Ingredients: 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell * 2 large eggs 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened 1 cup (6 oz.) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips 1 cup chopped nuts Sweetened whipped cream or ice cream (optional)

Directions: PREHEAT oven to 325° F. BEAT eggs in large mixer bowl on high speed until foamy. Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter. Stir in morsels and nuts. Spoon into pie shell. BAKE for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm with whipped cream.

NOTES: * If using frozen pie shell, use deep-dish style, thawed completely. Bake on baking sheet; increase baking time slightly.

easy chocolate icing

1 container of chocolate fudge icing
1 small container of cream..
whip together until desired consistency,
done and done.

fudge cake

lindsay can attest to this being so yummy!

ingredients:
* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup milk
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 cup hot water
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup butter
directions:
1. Cream butter or margarine and sugar together in a large bowl. Add vanilla, and then eggs to the mixture.

2. In another bowl, mix together flour, soda, baking powder, and salt. Sour the milk by adding the lemon juice or vinegar. Add flour mixture alternately with soured milk to the creamed mixture.

3. Mix cocoa and hot water together, and beat into batter.

4.Grease and flour 2 9x9 round cake tins, pour batter evenly into both, 2/3 of the way full

5. Bake 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cool, and frost with desired frosting.

(for variations: add nuts, 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, or throw in milk chocolate and white chocolate chunks into batter after poured in tins and right before baking)

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies

1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 c. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1 egg
1 1/2 t. vanilla
48 undrained maraschino cherries (10 oz.)
1/2 (6 oz. ) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk

In bowl combine flour and cocoa. Set aside. Beat butter till soft. Add sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Beat well. Add eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture.

Shape into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press center down and place cherry in center of each.

In saucepan, combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Heat till melted. Stir in 4 t. of cherry juice. Frost each to cover cherry (thin with juice if needed). The frosting recipe makes much more than you actually need, so you can half it if desired.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or till done. Move to rack to cool.

Chocolate Balls

1 6 oz package chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
½ c chopped nuts
1 2/3 c graham cracker crumbs
½ c coconut
¼ t salt

Melt chips- combine with remaining ingredients. Spread in 8 in sq pan.
Bake at 375 for 20 min.

Cut into squares while warm. Roll each square into a ball and roll in powdered sugar.

German Bars

Melt: 1 bag Kraft caramels in 1/3 c evaporated milk and set aside.

Mix: 1 german chocolate cake mix with 1/3 c evaporated milk and ¾ c melted butter.
Mix well with electric mixer.

Spread: ½ of batter onto 9x13 lightly grease pan and bake for 6 minutes at 300

Remove: Sprinkle 1 c chocolate chips and 1 cup nuts(optional) on top. Drizzle melted caramel on top of that and drop dobs of remaining batter over that and bake 20 minutes more.

soft ginger cookies

Combine in a large bowl and beat with mixer until light and fluffy:

1 ½ c shortening
2 c sugar
2 eggs
½ c molasses

Mix together and add to above with a spoon:

4 ½ c flour
2 t soda
2 t cinnamon
2 t cloves
2 t ginger

Form dough into walnut size balls. Place on cookie sheet. Do not press. Bake at 350 for 8-9 minutes for soft cookies or 12 minutes for hard cookies. Remove from oven and let sit 1 minute. Remove to rack and drizzle with glaze while still warm.

Glaze:
Powdered sugar
Water

Mix to form a very thin paste.

Red, White & Blue Salad

Serves 10

2 small boxes raspberry jell-o
½ c. cold water
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. sugar
15 oz. can blueberries, do not drain
3 c. hot water
1 envelope Knox gelatin
1 c. half & half
1 t. vanilla
1/8 c. nuts (optional)

1st layer: dissolve 1 box raspberry jell-o in 2 c. hot water. Pour into 9x13” baking dish. Chill till firm.

2nd layer: dissolve gelatin in ½ c. cold water. Heat half & half and sugar without boiling and add gelatin. Add vanilla and softened cream cheese. Mix until smooth. Add nuts, if desired. Pour over chilled 1st layer and return to refrigerator to chill until set.

3rd layer: dissolve 1 box raspberry jell-o in 1 c. hot water. Add blueberries including the juice. Pour over chilled 1st and 2nd layers and return to refrigerator to chill until set. Serve chilled.

Super Simple Key Lime Pie

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. key lime juice (best if fresh, but bottled works too)
1 tsp. key lime zest (if using bottled key lime juice, you can use a regular lime for the zest)
1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip
9" pie shell, baked (graham cracker crust works too, but it's really really sweet)

Mix milk, juice and zest. Fold in Cool Whip till well blended. Color if desired (I like a barely yellow-green tint). Cool in fridge till stiffened (at least 1 hour). Garnish with Cool Whip and key lime slices or zest.