Sis. Chalmer's Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are literally the best cookies in Georgia.  When I make them elsewhere, like New Mexico, I have mixed results.  I assume it has to do with the humidity or some fine detail about the ingredients that I can't control when out of my home.

The original recipe makes like 2,000 cookies.  So I half it.  But honestly, we half even the half recipe for our family.  Because if you make them you will eat them.  Even if you hide them in the back of your freezer telling yourself that you wont eat a frozen cookie and therefore the 2 minutes that it takes to thaw will be surely enough time for you to rationally talk yourself out of eating yet another cookie you don't really need.  You can eat a frozen cookie, by the way.


1/2 Recipe for Sis Chalmer's Chocolate Chip Cookies

2/3 C Crisco
2/3 C butter or margarine (I use the latter)
1 C brown sugar
1 C white sugar
2 eggs
3 1/2 C flour (I use unbleached all purpose flour, for what it is worth)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 - 1 1/2 C chocolate chips (let's be honest, I usually do the maximum amount)

Blend shortening and margarine.

Blend in sugars, eggs and vanilla

Blend flour with salt and soda, then add to the butter mixture (to save on dirty dishes I usually add those three right to the butter mixture, no pre blending)

Add chocolate chips

Bake at 375* for 8-9 minutes.  (Do not over bake.  They may still look a little raw and only barely brown on the edges but this makes a really soft, wonderful cookie.)

Fudge Brownie Trifle

They served this at the Stake RS activity earlier this month. Really easy and make ahead, looks best in trifle bowl.

2 boxes brownie mix
walnuts or toasted pecans
1 large packet instant vanilla pudding mix
1 small container whipped topping
4 oz cream cheese
2 butterfinger candy bars

Bake brownies according to directions. Add nuts to batter. When cool, crumble 1/2 brownies in bottom of trifle bowl.
Prepare vanilla pudding according to directions and add whipped topping. Spoon 1/2 pudding/topping mix on top of brownies. Repeat layers. Refrigerate overnight. Crush butterfingers and place on top before serving.

Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce

To reheat this rich sauce in your microwave oven, allow 15 - 30 seconds on high power.

3/4 C semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 C butter or margarine
2/3 C sugar
1 5-ounce can (2/3 C) evaporated milk (I have used low fat evap milk with great results, but non-fat was not as good)

In a heavy small saucepan melt the chocolate and butter. Add the sugar, gradually stir in the evaporated milk. Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently over low heat for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove pan from heat. Cool slightly. Serve warm over ice cream.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I seriously cannot resist these when they are warm. They are so dangerous I refuse to make them anymore. (Yet as soon as a banana gets over ripe I am whipping up a batch. uhg)

1 3/4 C flour
1/4 C sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 C milk
1/3 C veg. oil
1/2 C mashed banana (I never measure anymore, I just use 1 banana)
1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
1 C chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine egg, milk, oil, banana and applesauce in a seperate bowl. Stir wet ingredients into dry until just moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min. Cool for 5 min before removing.

Butter Nut Squash Brownies

They are the healthiest brownies that you will ever eat. My kids love them! They sound weird but they are pretty good. I don’t like them warm, they taste better cold.


1 C nut butter (peanut, almond, roasted cashews, pecan)
½ C honey
½ tsp baking soda
1 egg
3 – 4 T cocoa
½ C cooked butternut squash mashed until smooth
½ C chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Mix ingredients well. Pour into greased baking pan, bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes

NieNie's Mud Cake Magnifique

um....yes please! If you read nie then you have probably already seen this, but man alive! I want to try this.

NieNie's Mud Cake Magnifique

with Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse & Ganache Bittercream

*

How does one go about making the PERFECT chocolate cake? I'd never done it before, and therefore went about it quite deliberately. I consulted cookbooks and cooking websites. Call friends. Window-shopped the pastry sections of my favorite bakeries. The perfect chocolate cake, I decided, (and one inspired by someone so delectably adorable) had to be simple. No frufru decor or garnish. It should be easy enough to whip up for grilled-pizza Friday's, but elegant enough to entertain at a garden party lit by candles hanging from trees tucked in baby food jars. It didn't come out right the first time, a bungled mess of brownie-like bits. It didn't work the second time. However, as it is with many worthy endeavors, a lot of tinkering and winkering was ultimately worth the price of patience. Nie's Mud Cake is everything Nie is: divinely beautiful inside and out.

*

8 oz. unsweetened chocolate (8 squares)
¾ c. olive oil
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 c. powdered sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ c. cocoa powder
1 c. flour
1 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. baking powder*
½ tsp. baking soda
In a microwave, melt squares of chocolate with olive oil. Once melted, beat until smooth then add sugars and egg. Beat again until well creamed. Add remaining ingredients. Beat just until all ingredients are incorporated. (If you are baking BELOW 5000 feet altitude, double baking powder). Pour batter into two 9-inch cake pans that have been generously greased & dusted with cocoa powder. Bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 26-28 minutes, or just until center of cake springs back to the touch. Remove from oven. Allow to cool before inverting on a cooling rack and removing from pan. Before layering cake, use a knife to gently cut away any uneven parts at the top or sides of the cake. You'll want a nice, even surface to begin with in order to have your finished product look amazing.
*
Mascarpone Mousse
1 c. whipping cream
¼ c. sugar
1 c. 60% Bittersweet cacao chips
8 oz. mascarpone

In a large bowl, whip whipping cream until fluffly. Add sugar & mascarpone and whip until smooth. In a small bowl, melt chocolate chips in microwave, stirring every thirty seconds until smooth. Chocolate should not be warm to the touch, if it is, allow it to cool just slightly before spooning the melted chocolate into the whipping cream mixture & beating until light and fluffy. Spoon carefully atop one layer of cake. Spread evenly, then top with the second layer of cake. Refrigerate until ready to frost.

Bittercream Frosting
1 pint heavy cream
11.5 oz. 60% Bittersweet cacao chips
½ c. butter
4-5 c. powdered sugar

In a medium saucepan, melt chocolate chips and heavy cream until a thick, smooth ganache forms, to keep the mixture from burning, stir constantly. Put in fridge until chilled. Remove from fridgidaire and beat in butter & powdered sugar until frosting is a spreadable consistency. Frost. Chill cake. To serve, remove from fridge 10-15 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Cacao Nib Cookies

If you need some cacao nibs to try this recipe, I have some you can use. I really love the texture they add!

Chocolate and Cacao Nib Cookies
2 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fleur de sel
4 tbsp cacao nibs

Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Melt together 1 1/2 oz of the chocolate and the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool for ten minutes. Meanwhile , combine the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in another mixing bowl and set aside. Finely chop the remaining chocolate, and set aside.
Whisk the eggs into the cooled melted chocolate. Add in the brown sugar and mix again. Sift in the flour mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. The batter will be thick. Fold in the chopped chocolate, cacao nibs and fleur de sel.
Scoop out rounded tablespoons of batter, shape them into balls with the tips of your fingers, and line them up on the cookie sheet, leaving a one-inch space between them. Sprinkle a few grains additional salt over the top of the cookies. Put the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for ten minutes (if the sheet and batter are cold, the cookies are less likely to spread). Put the cookie sheet into the oven to bake for eight to ten minutes, until the tops feel just dry to the touch.

Makes about 15 two-bite-size cookies.

This recipe is from: We Heart Food

Cinnamon Rolls III

per Cecily's request:

PREP TIME 2 Hrs
COOK TIME 20 Min
READY IN 2 Hrs 20 Min
Original recipe yield 16 rolls

INGREDIENTS

* 1/4 cup warm water
* 1/4 cup butter, melted
* 1/2 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
* 1 cup warm milk
* 1 egg, room temperature (I actually never wait until the egg is room temp)
* 1 tablespoon white sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 4 cups bread flour
* 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

* 1/4 cup butter, softened
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 3/4 cup chocolate chips

* 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
* 1/4 cup butter, softened
* 1 cup confectioners' sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 teaspoons milk

DIRECTIONS

1. In the pan of your bread machine, combine water, melted butter, vanilla pudding, warm milk, egg, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, bread flour and yeast. Set machine to Dough cycle; press Start.
2. When Dough cycle has finished, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 17x10 inch rectangle. Spread with softened butter. In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over dough. Then sprinkle chocolate chips over sugar mixture.
3. Roll up dough, beginning with long side. Slice into 16 one inch slices and place in 9x13 buttered pan. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. While rolls bake, stir together cream cheese, softened butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and milk. Remove rolls from oven and top with frosting.

I know this is a bread machine recipe, but I am sure you could convert it to hand mixing easily. If not, the first review on the site explains.

Kneader's Double Chocolate Peppermint Brownie

I wish I could take credit for this, but thanks have to go to Kneaders in Utah. I found it at ABC 4.

Brownie
1 cup butter
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Melt the chocolate and butter in a 2 quart bowl in the microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring every 20 – 30 seconds until the chocolate is melted. Cool slightly.
Add sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix well with a spatula.
Add the flour and stir to combine.
Stir in chocolate chips. Spread into a buttered 13-inch x 9-inch x 2-inch baking pan.
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Do not overcook. Cool.

Filling
½ cup softened butter, margarine, or shortening
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 drops mint flavoring or to taste
1 drop pink food coloring

In a small bowl, beat the confectioners’ sugar, butter and mint flavoring until smooth.
Add food coloring to make a light pink.
Spread evenly over cooled brownies and then chill.

Chocolate Ganache
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
¼ cup heavy cream
crushed peppermint (red and white)

Put the chocolate chips and cream into a small bowl.
Microwave on high for 1 minute stirring every 20 – 30 seconds until chocolate is melted. Do not over heat.
Immediately pour over the brownies.
Decorate with crushed peppermint.
Do not refrigerate. Mixture will set up on brownies in about 15 – 20 minutes.

Croxall's Mint Brownies

3 squares semisweet chocolate
2 C brown sugar
1 1/4 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 C veg. oil
3 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Melt oil and chocolate together.
Add sugar.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each.
Stir in dry ingredients and vanilla.
Bake in a greased jelly roll pan at 350 for 20-25 min.
Cool completely.

1 C butter
2 Tbs milk
4 C powdered sugar
1 tsp. peppermint flavoring
green and/or red food coloring

Cream together.
May need additional milk to make spreading consistency.
Spread over cooled brownies.

4 Tbs. veg. oil (can use less, you just want to make it spread easily)
2 C chocolate chips

Heat together.
Spread over the frosting (carefully) while hot.
Cut into small bars.

Rolo Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
sugar crystals for rolling the cookies
1 bag rolos

Preheat oven to 375. Mix dry ingredients and set aside. Cream butter, sugar, brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Chill for about one hour. Make into 1 inch balls, place rolo inside each cookie and roll in sugar crystals. Bake for 10 minutes.

Just for Cecily: Grandma's (Lunch Lady) Peanut Butter Squares Recipe

I'm not sure if this is the recipe I tried a million years ago, but the one I made turned out really good and this looks very similar. The only thing I am confused on is the 16 ounces of confectioner's sugar for the frosting--in fl oz that would be two cups. Is this what the recipe means??



Ingredients :

Squares:
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup margarine
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup uncooked quick oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 heaping tablespoon chunky peanut butter
2 heaping tablespoons creamy peanut butter


Frosting:
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
16 ounces confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup milk


Instructions :
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. In a large bowl, mix the shortening, margarine, flour, brown sugar, oats, baking soda, salt, and peanut butters until well blended and crumbly. Press into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, and leave the pan in the oven for 5 minutes longer. To prepare the frosting, combine the butter, vanilla, cocoa, and salt in a medium-size bowl. When smooth, alternately add the sugar and milk. If the frosting is too thin, add a bit more sugar. For thinner frosting, add more milk (just 1 tablespoon at a time). Stir until creamy. Frost the peanut butter squares while warm.

Fudgy Brownies

These are the best recipe I've ever had...

1 cup butter
4 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups coarsely chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13" baking pan. In large saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chocolate, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Cool slightly
Add eggs, on at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Add flour, vanilla and salt; stir in nuts. Pour into pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack; cut into pieces. Makes about 2 dozen brownies.

Black Bottom Chocolate Pie

Seems more complicated than it is. If I could get away with not sharing it, I would.



Chocolate Crumb Crust

* Nonstick vegetable oil spray
* 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
* 1 ounce bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I use chocolate chips)
* 30 chocolate wafer cookies

Spray 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish with nonstick spray. Stir butter and chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted. Finely grind cookies in processor. Add chocolate mixture. Process until crumbs are moistened. Press crumb mixture into prepared pie dish. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.


Filling

* 2/3 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup cornstarch
* 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* Pinch of salt
* 6 large egg yolks
* 2 cups low-fat (1%) milk
* 1/2 cup chilled whipping cream
* 6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I use chocolate chips)
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* Chocolate Crumb Crust


For Filling:
Whisk first 4 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Whisk in egg yolks to form thick paste. Gradually whisk in milk, then cream. Whisk over medium-high heat until mixture thickens and boils 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk in rum and vanilla. Cool 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Transfer filling to frozen crust. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Top with whipped cream and enjoy.

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a recipe I've made up. I'm always looking for chocolate chip cookie perfection and this is my attempt at it. I adjust it from time to time, and this is the latest...

1 cube butter (not margarine, not crisco...just butter)
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2-2 cups rolled (not quick) oats
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or to taste)
1/2 cup butterscotch chips (or to taste)
1/3-1/2 cup flour

Cream butter and peanut butter. Add sugar and mix well on high speed for 1 minute. Add egg and beat on high until fluffy. Add baking powder and vanilla. Add oats, chocolate and butterscotch chips, mixing well after adding each ingredient. Add flour.
I use a 1 Tablespoon cookie scoop to shape them. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes, or longer if you like them less doughy. Let them cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. enjoy.

The Perfect Chocolate Cake

This is a recipe posted by my best friend. She is a gormet when it comes to desserts, so I had to pass it on. The frosting is really fudgey, if you like that.

Cake:
1 pkg. devil’s food cake mix w/pudding
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract.

Filling: (Sweetened Cream)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract, or any other flavor you think would taste good

Frosting:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 cup butter cut into tablespoons
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Instructions: (Cake)
1) Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
2) Place the cake mix, sour cream, water, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl and then beat for 2 minutes more, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Divide the batter evenly into the three cake pans and place in the oven.
3) Bake the cakes for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the cakes from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edges and turn the cakes out onto the racks. Cool for another 30 minutes.
4) Prepare the sweetened cream. Place one cake layer right side up an put 1/2 of the prepared cream in the middle. Smooth out the cream evenly, leaving 1/2 inch around the edge. Place another layer of cake on top of that, right side up. Smooth the rest of the cream evenly over that layer, leaving 1/2 inch around the edge. Place the 3rd layer on top. Cover the cake lightly with wax paper and place in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the frosting.
5) Prepare the frosting.
6) Spread the top and sides of the cake with the frosting.

Instructions: (Sweetened Cream)
1) Chill a large, clean mixing bowl and electric mixer beaters in the freezer for a few minutes while you assemble the ingredients.
2) Pour the cream into the chilled bowl, and beat with the electric mixer on high speed until it thickens, 1 1/2 minutes. Stop the machine and add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract. 3) Beat the cream on high speed until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes more.

Instructions: (Frosting)
1)Place a large mixing bowl full of ice in the kitchen sink.
2) Place the chocolate chips, half and half, and butter in a medium sized microwave safe bowl. Microwave on medium power for 5-6 minutes or until the mixture thickens, stopping every 1 minute to stir.
3) Whisk the confectioners’ sugar into the mixture until it becomes smooth. Then, place the bowl with the chocolate mixture into the bowl of ice, taking special care not to let any ice water spill into the saucepan. Beat the mixture with an electric mixer set on low speed until the frosting thickens and is satiny and fudge-like in appearance, about 5 minutes.
4) Spread on cake. Frosting will stiffen up as it sets.

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

Note that this dough is really messy.

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 ¼ c. flour
½ c. cocoa powder
2 t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
8 T unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 c. light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. milk
1 c. powdered sugar (plus more for rolling)

Preheat oven to 350.
Melt chocolate. Set aside to cool.
Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
In separate bowl, cream butter and sugar until light. Add eggs and vanilla. Add melted chocolate. Add dry ingredients alternating with milk. Stir until just combined. Divide into quarters. Wrap with plastic and chill 2 hours. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll ball of dough into a log about sixteen inches in length. Cut off pieces in one inch increment. Shape piece into a ball. Roll in powdered sugar. Bake 12-15 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

from Martha Stewart