Seven Layer Brownie Bars

Although I don't usually use boxed brownie mixes this one was on sale and I just couldn't resist. Who doesn't like Ghirardelli chocolate anyway? Just a note... if you are on a diet or watching your sugar intake quietly turn around and run like hell 'cause this one will ruin everything you have been trying hard to achieve. : ) For those who believe dessert is a necessity of life..... enjoy!

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Seven Layer Brownie Bars

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 box Ghirardelli Double Chcocolate Brownie Mix
1 cup shredded coconut (I toasted mine)
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup Ghirarardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 cup chopped pecans
1-1/4 cups (14 oz. can) sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350* F. Coat bottom of a 9x13x2-inch pan with melted butter. Sprinkle brownie mix over butter. Top with coconut, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips and pecans. Drizzle with sweetened condensed milk. Bake 30-35 minutes or until edges are bubbly. Cool thoroughly before cutting. Makes 24, 2-inch bars.

Easy Double Chocolate Chip Brownies

Another brownie recipe. I wonder how many zillions of them are out there? Anyway, this one was tasty. Not my favorite but a good one. Enjoy!

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Easy Double Chocolate Chip Brownies

2 cups (12 ounce package) Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips*
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, cut into pieces
3 large eggs
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350* F. Grease a 13x9 inch baking pan.

Melt 1 cup of the chocolate chips and butter in a large heavy duty sauce pan over low heat; stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar until combined. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour and baking soda. Stir in remaining chocolate chips and nuts. Spread into prepared pan.

Bake for 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Makes 2 dozen brownies


* Try using half semi sweet chips and half peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips or any other of your favorite flavors. If you can find them try the mint flavored chips. They are very good in brownies!

Peanut Butter Devil Cake

Yum yum yum and more yum! The frosting will make more than enough for decorating so go for it!

Moist and Tender Devils Food Cake

Makes two 9-inch cakes

Regular, or natural, cocoa like Hershey's can be used with good results, though the cakes will bake up a bit drier, redder, and with slightly less chocolate flavor.

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate , chopped

1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 1/4 cups water (boiling)

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cake flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 ounces unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened, plus extra for greasing pans

1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar

3 large eggs , room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Frosting (Below)

Mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, to decorate

1. Adjust oven rack to upper- and lower-middle positions; heat oven to 350 degrees F. Meanwhile, grease two 9-inch cake pans with butter and line bottom of each pan with parchment paper round. Combine chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl; pour boiling water over and whisk until smooth. Sift together flours, baking soda, and salt onto large sheet parchment or waxed paper; set aside.

2. Place butter in bowl of standing mixer and beat at medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add brown sugar and beat on high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop mixer and scrape down bowl with rubber spatula. Increase speed to medium-high and add eggs one at a time, beating 30 seconds after each addition. Reduce speed to medium; add sour cream and vanilla and beat until combined, about 10 seconds. Stop mixer and scrape down bowl. With mixer on low, add about one third of flour mixture, followed by about one half of chocolate mixture. Repeat, ending with flour mixture; beat until just combined, about 15 seconds. Do not overbeat. Remove bowl from mixer; scrape bottom and sides of bowl with rubber spatula and mix gently to thoroughly combine.

3. Divide batter evenly among cake pans, smooth batter to edges of pan with rubber spatula. If baking three 8-inch cakes, place two pans on lower-middle rack and one on upper-middle rack. Bake until skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 23 minutes for 8-inch cakes. Cool on wire rack 15 to 20 minutes. Run knife around pan perimeter to loosen. Invert cakes onto large plate; peel off parchment, and reinvert onto lightly greased rack. Cool completely before icing.

Peanut Butter Frosting:

1 cup butter

1 cup peanut butter

4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 C. milk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Cream all ingredients together in a mixing bowl until smooth.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

This recipe for red velvet cake is sooo good. It's light and moist. I made mine into cupcakes and got about 32 and baked about 18 minutes. I also substituted cake flour for the all purpose flour. If you use cake flour adjust accordingly...1 cup all purpose flour= 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. cake flour.

Enjoy!

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Cake:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Pinch salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder
2 tablespoons red food coloring
12 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Frosting:
16 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
16 ounces cream cheese , cut into 8 pieces, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch salt

For the cake:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and eggs in large measuring cup. Mix cocoa with food coloring in small bowl until a smooth paste forms.

With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as necessary. Add one-third of flour mixture and beat on medium-low speed until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add half of buttermilk mixture and beat on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl as necessary and repeat with half of remaining flour mixture, remaining buttermilk mixture, and finally remaining flour mixture. Scrape down bowl, add cocoa mixture, and beat on medium speed until completely incorporated, about 30 seconds. Using rubber spatula, give batter final stir.
Scrape into prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes then turn out onto rack to cool completely, at least 30 minutes.

For the frosting:

With electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, one piece at a time, and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Beat in vanilla and salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.
When cakes are cooled, spread about 2 cups frosting on one cake layer. Top with second cake layer and spread top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 3 days.

It's a cupcake thing...

Aaah cupcakes...... Who doesn't like them? I'm sure there are plenty of people out there that don't. Unfortunately, I'm not one of them. Matter of fact I like anything that isn't good for you and has lots of chocolate in it. So I searched and searched for a really good chocolate cupcake recipe all claiming to be "the best". This one had great reviews and well it was so darn easy to make! (With all the whisking it works on that turkey flap on the back of your arms as well) This is the first I tried of the many recipes I have and I must say I can't imagine any of the others being any better. It's moist, chocolatey has a nice crumb and kind of tastes like a brownie. The frosting is tasty too (and Toto too?) and very easy to make. It's great for piping.

Oh, by the way...If your on a diet???...You might want to skip this one for a cheat day.

So without further adieu I present to you......

Chocolatey Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes 24
(recipe can easily be halved)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped
1 cup Dutch-processed cocoa (I used regular unsweetened and it worked fine)
1-1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
No Cook Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (below)

1. Combine butter, bittersweet chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Microwave, whisking often until melted and smooth, 1 to 3 minutes. Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.
2. Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Line your muffin pans with cupcake liners.
4. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
5. Whisk eggs and vanilla together in another large bowl. Slowly whisk in sugar until combined. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined.
6. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate batter and whisk until combined; whisk in all of sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until completely incorporated. Hang in there! The batter will be thick.
5. Fill muffin pan cups about 2/3 full. (I use a 2 oz. scoop) . Do not fill more than that as these rise on up and you will have mushrooms! I actually filled mine a little less. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes.
6. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from the pans and let cool completely on racks before frosting. Frost with buttercream then sprinkle with your favorite candies. Enjoy!

No Cook Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla (or add your favorite flavoring)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2-1/2 cups powdered sugar

Stir cream, vanilla and salt together in a small bowl. Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium high until smooth. About 1 minute. Lower speed to medium low and slowly add powdered sugar and beat until smooth, 2 to 5 minutes. Beat in cream mixture then increase speed again to medium high and beat until mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes or so.
Makes 3 cups

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

I found this in "Tast Of Home" magazine. It's very good and the frosting is very peanut buttery!

Peanut Chocolate Cake
Time: Prep: 20 min. Bake: 35 min. + cooling

Servings: 12

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2-1/4 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs
3 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetend chocolate, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 cup water

FROSTING:
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup peanut butter*
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped peanuts

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and brown sugar; beat in eggs, chocolate and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with the sour cream. Gradually beat in water. Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round cake pans. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

For frosting, cream the butter, peanut butter, confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla in a mixing bowl until smooth; set aside. Split each cake into two layers. Place a bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with about 1/2 cup frosting. Repeat layers twice. Top with the remaining cake. Frost top and sides of cake. Gently press peanuts into sides of cake.
Yield: 12 servings.

German Chocolate Cake

I found this recipe on a pastry chefs blog. It is the best German Chocolate Cake you will ever taste. Yeah it takes some time but let me tell you it is worth every minute you put into it! Enjoy!

German Chocolate Cake
One big, tall 9-inch cake; about 16 servings

For the cake:
2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons water
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ¼ cup + ¼ cup sugar
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks
3 ounces butter, cut into small pieces
½ teaspoon salt1 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
1 1/3 cups unsweetened coconut, toasted

For the syrup:
1 cup water
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum

For the chocolate icing:
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 ½ ounces unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream

1. Butter two 9-inch cake pans, then line the bottoms with rounds of parchment or wax paper. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. Melt both chocolates together with the 6 tablespoons of water. Use either a double-boiler or a microwave. Stir until smooth, then set aside until room temperature.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, or by hand, beat the butter and 1 ¼ cup of the sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the melted chocolate, then the egg yolks, one at a time.

4. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

5. Mix in half of the dry ingredients into the creamed butter mixture, then the buttermilk and the vanilla extract, then the rest of the dry ingredients.

6. In a separate metal or glass bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft, droopy peaks. Beat in the ¼ cup of sugar until stiff.

7. Fold about one-third of the egg whites into the cake batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites just until there's no trace of egg white visible.

8. Divide the batter into the 2 prepared cake pans, smooth the tops, and bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool cake layers completely.

While the cakes are baking and cooling, make the filling, syrup, and icing.

To make the filling:
1. Mix the cream, sugar, and egg yolks in a medium saucepan. Put the 3 ounces butter, salt, toasted coconut, and pecan pieces in a large bowl.

2. Heat the cream mixture and cook, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom as you stir) until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the spoon (an instant-read thermometer will read 170°.)

3. Pour the hot custard immediately into the pecan-coconut mixture and stir until the butter is melted. Cool completely.

To make the syrup:
1. In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and water until the sugar has melted. Remove from heat and stir in the dark rum.

To make the icing:
1. Place the 8 ounces of chopped chocolate in a bowl with the corn syrup and 1 ½ ounces of butter.

2. Heat the cream until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let stand one minute, then stir until smooth. Let sit until room temperature.

To assemble the cake:
Remove the cake layers from the pans and cut both cake layers in half horizontally, using a serrated bread knife.Set the first cake layer on a cake plate. Brush well with syrup. Spread ¾ cup of the coconut filling over the cake layer, making sure to reach to the edges. Set another cake layer on top.

Repeat, using the syrup to brush each cake layer, then spreading ¾ cup of the coconut filling over each layer, including the top.
Ice the sides with the chocolate icing, then pipe a decorative border of chocolate icing around the top, encircling the coconut topping.
(It may seem like a lot of chocolate icing, but use it all. Trust me. You won't be sorry.)

Peanut Butter Bon Bons

Easy to make and always a hit!

Peanut Butter Bon Bons

2 cups peanut butter
1/2 cup butter or margarine
4-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
3 cups crisp rice cereal, crushed
1 (12 oz.) pkg. semi sweet chocolate chips

To crush cereal place in a zip lock bag and go over it with a rolling pin.
Mix powdered sugar and rice cereal in a large bowl.
Melt peanut butter and butter in a medium sauce pan over low heat. Pour over cereal mixture. Blend together with hands. Dough will take some kneading so be patient! Form into 1 inch balls. Chill until firm.
Melt chocolate chips in top of a double boiler over hot water. Don't let water boil or chocolate will burn. Dip balls in chocolate coating; swirl tops remove with tongs. Place on waxed paper lined baking sheet.
Chill till firm. Makes about 100 balls.

* Can easily half recipe.

Chocolate Fudge

Really Good Chocolate Fudge

18 ounces of semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (1 1/2 bags)
3 cups chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup of regular butter (2 sticks) Do not use margarine!
1 can (13 ounces) evaporated milk
4 cups of mini marshmallows or 20 large marshmallows, cut up
4 cups granulated sugar

2 teas. vanilla extract

Butter and line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper. (Foil works too. No need to butter)

Put your marshmallows, chips, butter and vanilla in a large bowl.

In a heavy pot, add the sugar and milk and bring to a boil over a medium flame.

Bring this to a rolling boil and cook for exactly eight (8) minutes. (240 degrees F.)
Pour the milk and sugar over the marshmallows, chips, butter and vanilla and let it all sit for a minute.
Start stirring with a wooden spoon until the marshmallows have melted and add the nuts and stir until the fudge is smooth.
Pour into a 9x13 pan or a 15x13 sheet pan. (I use a 9x13 disposable aluminium pan.)
Cover your pan with aluminum foil. Let fudge rest and cure overnight or for at least several hours until firm to the touch.

The fudge without the nuts is excellent as well!

Chocolate Truffle Cookies

recipe origin: from Williams-Sonoma's Essentials of Baking

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup confectioners sugar

In a small saucepan over very low heat, combine the butter and chocolate.

Cook, stirring occasionally, just until they are melted and the mixture is smooth.

Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl and allow to cool slightly. Stir in the granulated sugar until evenly moistened.

Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
Gradually add to the chocolate, sugar and egg mixture and stir to combine.

Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Preheat an oven to 375°F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator.

Shape the dough into ¾-inch balls.

then roll in the confectioners’ sugar to coat completely. Place the balls about 1 ½ inches apart on the prepared pans.

Bake the cookies until puffed and cracked on top, about 10 - 12 minutes. They may appear underdone in the center but will turn crisp as they cool. Allow to cool on the pans for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 42 cookies.

Bittersweet Chocolate Almond Torte

This recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine. Boy is this ever good!. It's similar to a moist brownie and oh so rich. It does take some time making but don't let the instructions scare you away. It's very easy to make. This is a flourless torte. (Complete easy to print recipe is at bottom of page.)

You will need:
10 ounces imported bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces (I used Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet chips)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
5 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup finely ground almonds (done in a food processor)
2 tablespoons cognac or dark rum (I had neither so used coffee liquor)
unsweetened baking cocoa, optional
Whipped cream, optional
Fresh raspberries, optional


Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. and butter well a 9-inch springform pan and line bottom with parchment paper.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot, not boiling water. When the chocolate is melted, turn off the heat and leave it over the hot water to cool slowly.

Meanwhile in a large bowl, beat the butter with 1/4 cup of the sugar until the mixture is fluffy and almost white.

Add egg yolks and beat for 1 minute.

Add the almonds and cognac and beat 2 minutes more.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until light and foamy

while gradually adding the remaining 1/4 cup sugar.

Continue beating the whites until they are stiff and shiny.

Add the melted chocolate to the egg yolk mixture and mix with a rubber spatula until well combined.

Fold in 1/4 of this chocolate mixture into the egg whites;

then gradually fold the egg whites back into the rest of the chocolate mixture, taking care not to deflate the batter.

Pour mixture into prepared springform pan

and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out covered with a thick, moist, not wet, and crumby coating. Allow cake to cool for 30 minutes in the pan.

Loosen the edges with a knife and carefully turn the cake out onto a plate. Remove the parchment paper. Sprinkle with unsweetened cocoa. Serve at room temperature or chilled with whipped cream and raspberries on the side.

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Bittersweet Chocolate Almond Torte

10 ounces imported bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces (I used Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet chips)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
5 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup finely ground almonds (done in a food processor)
2 tablespoons cognac or dark rum (I had neither so used coffee liquor)
unsweetened baking cocoa, optional
Whipped cream, optional
Fresh raspberries, optional

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. and butter well a 9-inch springform pan and line bottom with parchment paper.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot, not boiling water. When the chocolate is melted, turn off the heat and leave it over the hot water to cool slowly.
Meanwhile in a large bowl, beat the butter with 1/4 cup of the sugar until the mixture is fluffy and almost white. Add egg yolks and beat for 1 minute. Add the almonds and cognac and beat 2 minutes more.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until light and foamy while gradually adding the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Continue beating the whites until they are stiff and shiny.
Add the melted chocolate to the egg yolk mixture and mix with a rubber spatula until well combined. Fold in 1/4 of this chocolate mixture into the egg whites; then gradually fold the egg whites back into the rest of the chocolate mixture, taking care not to deflate the batter.
Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out covered with a thick, moist, not wet, and crumby coating. Allow cake to cool for 30 minutes in the pan.
Loosen the edges with a knife and carefully turn the cake out onto a plate. Remove the parchment paper. Sprinkle with unsweetened cocoa. Serve at room temperature or chilled with whipped cream and raspberries on the side.