Oatmeal Brownie Bars

My coworker Alison is not big into cake, so I had to come up with something else to make for her birthday. I settled on this recipe because she like oatmeal, and oatmeal + brownie = delicious. I served these with scoops of vanilla bean ice cream, and the only thing that could have made these bars better would have been if they we were eating them right out of the oven. The crunchy oatmeal paired perfectly with the brownie layer for a fantastic (and easy!) birthday treat.

Oatmeal Brownie Bars
Source: Land O'Lakes

Oatmeal Layer:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cold Butter, cut into chunks

Brownie Layer:
1/3 cup Butter
3 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 Eggs
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all oatmeal layer ingredients in large bowl except butter. Cut in 2/3 cup butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 1/4 cups crumb mixture for topping. Press remaining crumbs into greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine 1/3 cup butter and chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100% power), stirring twice, until chocolate is melted (30 to 60 seconds). Cool slightly.
3. Combine sugar, eggs, water and vanilla in large bowl; beat at medium speed until well mixed. Add melted chocolate mixture; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add 1 cup flour and baking powder. Beat until well mixed.

4. Drop chocolate mixture by tablespoonfuls over warm, partially baked crust. Carefully spread brownie layer evenly over crust; top with reserved crumb mixture.

5. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are set. (DO NOT OVERBAKE.) Cool completely; cut into bars.

Frozen Peanut Butter Cups

I'm a sucker for anything that even remotely involves peanut butter, so when I saw this I knew I had to purchase it:

However, I didn't want to just make the bars and be done with it. Since it is summer (and thus hot out), I decided to turn it into a frozen dessert.

What you need:
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1 1/3 cup milk


1. Place topping pouch in large bowl of boiling water; set aside.

2. Stir crust mix and butter in a bowl until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press into bottoms of 12 paper-lined muffin cups.

3. Pour milk into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add Filling Mix and Peanut Butter. beat with mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. (Do not underbeat.) Spread over crust.

4. Remove topping pouch from water; shake pouch 1 minute or until topping is fluid and smooth. Drizzle over prepared cups.

5. Freeze 2 hours or until firm. (Or wrap tightly and store in freezer up to 2 weeks.)

Reese's Peanut Butter Egg Cookies

I adore Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and Reese's Eggs are even better because, well, there's even more peanut-buttery goodness packed inside every egg! These cookies were absolutely to die for. My eggs were at room temperature, so they broke up quite a bit when they got mixed in to the cookie dough, so I would recommend popping them in the fridge if you want them to retain their shape in the cookies. Personally, I don't think you can go wrong either way, but to each his own.

I snapped some pictures of the prep (I'll post them later) but totally forgot to take pictures of the final product! Check out Picky Palate for more mouthwatering photos, like the one below, of these awesome cookies! (Looking at her photos makes me realize I need some fun plates and bowls to add some much needed variety to the pictures of my plated my desserts.)

Photo courtesy of Jenny @ Picky Palate

Reese's Peanut Butter Egg Cookies

(Source: Picky Palate)

2 sticks softened butter
1 Cup packed brown sugar
1 Cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons corn syrup
2 large eggs plus 1 egg white
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Cups chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs, 12 total eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a stand or electric mixer beat the butter, sugars and corn syrup until well combined….light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with the chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs. Mix only until just combined. Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes until just turning golden around edges. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Eat with tall glass of milk!!

Make approximately 4 dozen (delicious!) cookies.

Puppy Chow

I saw this recently on one of the many blogs I follow, and I knew I had to make some immediately. I probably haven't had Puppy Chow since high school, quite possibly since the time I upset my homeroom teacher Freshman year when I got powdered sugar all over the floor of his classroom. Sorry Mr. Erickson!

This recipe needs no tweaking. It is perfect just the way it is. It combines chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. What more could you ask for? And, as an added bonus, it's so easy to throw together and nobody can keep their hand out of the bowl!

I would, however, make one suggestion. Instead of putting all of the cereal in a large ziploc bag to coat with powdered sugar, I would recommend coating the cereal in smaller batches (1/3 of the cereal with 1/3 of the powdered sugar). I went the large ziploc bag route, and I found it difficult to coat the cereal evenly.

Puppy Chow
(Source: Chex)

9 cups Corn, Rice, Wheat, or Chocolate Chex cereal (or combination)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used Milk chocolate chips)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1. In a large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.

2. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.

3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

On the Tenth Day of Cookies...

Peanut Butter Balls are a perfect example of how something that tastes great can also be easy to make. They taste just like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and my mouth waters just thinking about them.

Peanut Butter Balls
(Source: Joy of Baking)

Peanut Butter Balls:
2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 - 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

Chocolate Coating:
9 ounces semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used milk chocolate)
2 tablespoons shortening

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place the peanut butter, unsalted butter, and salt in a microwaveable bowl, and heat in the microwave for about one minute or until just soft (check and stir the ingredients every 20 seconds). Stir in the vanilla extract and confectioners sugar and mix until it has the consistency of a dough (add more sugar if necessary).

3. Roll the dough into 1 inch round balls. Place on the cookie sheet and refrigerate for about one hour, or until firm.

4. Melt the chocolate and shortening in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Dip the balls, one at a time, in the melted chocolate, making sure the entire ball is coated with chocolate. Then, with two spoons or a dipping fork, remove the peanut butter ball from the melted chocolate, allowing any excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl.

5. Place the chocolate covered balls back on the baking sheet. When all the balls have been dipped in the chocolate, place in the refrigerator until the chocolate has set. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. To serve: place in small fluted candy cups.

On the Sixth Day of Cookies...

The recipe is adapted from Jenny's Festive Candy Cane Kiss Centered Brownie Bites. I wanted to make the original recipe, but Target was out of Peppermint Hershey's Kisses and I really didn't want to drive all over the city looking for them. I had grand ambitions of dipping the tops in chocolate and sprinkling them with cut up Mint Truffle Hershey's Kisses but, well, I decided they were good enough as is.

Mint Truffle Brownie Bites
(Adapted from Picky Palate)

1 brownie mix 9×13 inch size
24 Mint Truffle Hershey's Kisses

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and scoop into a mini cheesecake pan or mini muffin tin pan that has been generously sprayed with cooking spray, about 3/4 way full.

3. Press kisses into center of brownie batter, do not push all the way to bottom, some of the tip should stick out the top.

4. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until brownies are cooked through. Let cool completely.

On the Fourth Day of Cookies...

By now, most of you know that peanut butter and chocolate are near and dear to my heart, so it should be no surprise that this is one of my favorite cookies. No holiday is complete without this great, easy cookie recipe.

Peanut Butter Blossoms
(Source: Hersheys.com)

1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Granulated Sugar
Hershey's Kisses

1. Preheat oven to 375°degrees. Unwrap Hershey's kisses.

2. Beat shortening and peanut butter until well-blended. Add sugars and beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

3. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a peanut butter cup into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen.

On the First Day of Cookies...

Okay, not technically a cookie, but a yummy holiday treat, no? This recipe was easy and I'm sure quite tasty, but I wouldn't know. "Why?" you ask. I hate cream cheese (weird, right?). The stuff makes me gag if I try to eat it (same reaction I have with mashed potatoes, but that's a whole other story) and, while I was beating the cream cheese for these truffles, the smell alone made me queasy. BUT, if you are normal, I am sure you will love these!

Truffles
(Source: Kraft Foods)

2 1/2 pkg BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate (20 squares), divided
1 pkg (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1. Melt 8 chocolate squares. Beat cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Blend in melted chocolate. Refrigerate until firm.

2. Shape into 36 balls. Place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet.

3. Melt remaining chocolate. Use fork to dip truffles in chocolate; return to baking sheet. Decorate, then refrigerate 1 hour.

Raspberry Truffle Tart

We had a few friends over last night to drink a few bottles of wine shipped to us from California. When we were out in California with some friends this summer, we joined a wine club at our favorite winery, August Briggs (Hubby and I visited the winery while on our honeymoon in July 2007 and insisted we make it one of our stops this summer). The dinner menu consisted of steaks, scalloped potatoes, Caesar salad, and, of course, dessert!

When contemplating dessert, we decided that nothing goes better with wine than chocolate. This tart is pure indulgence and paired perfectly with the wine. What could be more enticing than a giant raspberry-flavored truffle set in a biscotti crust? Nothing, I tell you. Nothing. Photo coming soon!

Rasberry Truffle Tart
(Source: Joy of Baking)

Biscotti Crust:

80z biscotti, broken into small pieces
5 -6 Tbsp butter, melted

Filling:
1/3 cup raspberry sauce (recipe follows)
10 oz semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Raspberry Sauce:
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
2 Tbsp sugar, to taste

Garnish:
Fresh Raspberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Have ready a 8 - 9 inch (20 - 23 cm) fluted tart pan.

2. In your food processor, place the biscotti and process until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and add the melted butter. Stir to combine. Press this mixture over the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before adding the filling.

4. Place 1 cup of fresh or frozen raspberries, that have been thawed, in your food processor and process until the raspberries are broken up. Pour into a strainer, set over a bowl, and press on the raspberries to extract the juice. Add sugar to taste. Set aside.

5. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Stir in 1/3 cup of the raspberry sauce.

6. Pour the chocolate filling into the baked and cooled crust, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

To Serve: Cut into small slices and serve with fresh raspberries and with any of the remaining raspberry sauce.

Makes one - 8 - 9 inch (20 - 23 cm) tart.

The Mother Load Layered Cookie Bars

I must admit I was slightly disappointed in the bars at first. I had some girlfriends over last night, so I whipped these bars up in the afternoon. When I cut into them before they arrived, the bars were a mushy mess! They tasted wonderful, but the layers all sort of mushed together into a cookie mess. (Thankfully we also had Chocolate chip cookies and chocolate chocolate chip cookies due to the recipe making extra dough.)

HOWEVER, when I took a look at the remaining bars today (I only plated a handful of bars for my friends since they were so messy), they were perfect. PERFECT! I guess I cut them too soon and they just needed more time to set. These cookie bars really were incredible and very rich. I would recommend cutting them into smaller bars than Jenny originally suggests.

The Mother Load Layered Cookie Bars
(Source: Picky Palate)

Layer 1: Sugar Cookie

1 Roll of Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough

1. Press sugar cookie dough into bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish that’s been lined foil and sprayed with cooking spray.

Layer 2: Double Chocolate Chip Cookie

(the recipe below makes double what you’ll need for the bars, use extra for cookies)

1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cup cocoa powder (I only used 1 cup)
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients then stir in chips. Layer 1/2 the recipe over sugar cookie layer, pressing gently.

Layer 3: Peanut Butter Cookie

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg

1. Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix until combined. Press over chocolate cookie dough.

Layer 4: Chocolate Chip Cookie

(the recipe below makes double what you’ll need for the bars, use extra for cookies)

2 sticks softened butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp pure vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 bag chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a stand or electric mixer cream the butter and sugars until well combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.

3. Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl; mix to combine. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips.

4. Spoon 1/2 of the dough evenly over peanut butter cookie dough but don’t press, just leave uneven. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until center of dough is cooked mostly through. Edges will be brown. I covered pan with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.

2. Let cookies cool completely. Lift out of pan with edges of foil. I cut off 1/2 inch edges and just used softer centers, but do as you wish. Edges are crispier. Drizzle top with 1/2 Cup melted chocolate chips if desired.

*Note: You can layer dough and refrigerate until ready to bake.

8 large bars (if you cut off edges), 12 bars (if you keep edges)

Fudge Brownies

I'm not sure if I have ever made brownies from scratch before. If I have, it wasn't a recipe worth remembering. After making these brownies, I guarantee I will never make brownies from a box ever again. I am quite certain this recipe in particular will become my signature brownie recipe. These brownies are pure heaven.

A few things to note:

1) I didn't have Dutch-process cocoa. After doing some research online, I discovered that you can easily substitute the dutch-process cocoa with regular cocoa plus a little bit of baking soda. For every 3 Tbsp of cocoa you need to add a pinch (1/8 tsp) of baking soda. Since this recipe called for 1 1/4 cups of cocoa (20 Tbsp), I added 3/4 tsp baking soda. The recipe turned out fantastic.

2) According to the King Arthur blog, when you add the chocolate chips to the batter directly effects the texture of the brownies. If you want the chips to retain their shape and add chunkiness, let the batter cool before adding the chips. If you want the chips to melt right into the rich smoothness of the brownie, add them to the hot batter immediately, stirring to combine.

I prefer my chocolate chips to remain evident, so I let the batter cool for about 20 minutes. Because I used mini chocolate chips (it was all I had at home and I didn't feel like running to the store), the chunkiness is not as noticeable as I would have liked it to be. I definitely want to try this recipe again using regular chocolate chips.

3) Line your pan with parchment paper, and then grease the parchment. Seriously. It makes it so much easier to remove the brownies from the pan intact, without sticking and crumbling.

4) Glass of milk not required, but highly recommended.

Fudge Brownies
(Source: King Arthur Flour)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa (I used regular cocoa + 3/4 tsp baking soda)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp espresso powder, optional (I omitted this)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 cups chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan

2) In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly, just until it's hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it.

3) While the sugar heats a second time, crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla till smooth.

4) Add the hot butter/sugar mixture, stirring until smooth.

5) Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth. (Note: If you want the chips to remain intact in the baked brownies, rather than melting in, let the batter cool in the bowl for about 20 minutes before stirring in the chips.)

6) Spoon the batter into a lightly greased (and parchment lined) 9" x 13" pan.

7) Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving.

Makes 24 brownies.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cake

My inspiration for this cake was the Buckeye Peanut Butter-Fudge Cake at King Arthur Flour:

Doesn't that look absolutely heavenly? Unfortunately, my finished product looked nothing like this. Nope, not even close.

Where do I even begin?

All right, I'm just going to say it.

This was a disaster from the very beginning.

Don't get me wrong. The cake was delicious. The peanut butter filling was divine. Even the chocolate frosting was downright tasty.

But the presentation? Seriously needs some work. Let's just say I'm not overly skilled at layer cakes. Granted, I haven't had too much experience - I usually just opt for a simple 13x9 cake topped with frosting (and apparently for a very good reason).

I doubled the cake recipe, but opted to make one cake at a time so I didn't have to worry about making sure the same amount of batter got in each pan. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, I'm 99% positive I forgot to put half a cup of sugar into the first cake. Not really a big deal. It cooked a little faster than the other layer, but otherwise it was fine. It also probably tasted slightly less sweet, but who can really tell with peanut butter filling AND chocolate frosting?

What was supposed to be a four layer cake soon became a three layer cake because the layer with less sugar was not as tall as the other layer and, therefore, could not be cut in half very easily. I completely ruined the thick layer when I attempted to halve it. It was uneven and way too thin in places. I attempted to use the botched layer anyway, but when it started slipping and crumbling off the gooey peanut butter filling onto my kitchen counter (picture lava flowing out of a volcano), I knew I was in trouble. After hiding the evidence of the major disaster (thank God for garbage disposals!), I added more peanut butter filling to the soggy bottom layer, topped it with the sugarless top layer, coated it in frosting, and I was done. All before the clock struck 7 (in the morning, just to clarify).

This experience just confirms my dire need to take a proper cake decorating class.

Chocolate Cake
(Source: Everyday with Rachel Ray)

1 cup flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
7 tablespoons unsweetened (non-Dutch process) natural cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan; line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Make a well in the center, add the eggs and milk and whisk gently to make a thick batter; whisk vigorously 30 to 40 times. Whisk in the melted butter and vanilla just until smooth. Scrape into the prepared pan.

3. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes; invert onto the rack, remove the pan and parchment paper and invert again. Let cool completely.

Peanut Butter Filling
(Source: King Arthur Flour)

4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk

Mix the sugar, peanut butter and vanilla till crumbly. Add the milk and mix till smooth, adding more milk if necessary to make a spreadable filling.

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting
(Source: Hersheys)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount of additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

O'Henry Bars

These bars are my coworker Jeff's favorite bars in the world (he starts drooling just thinking about them) and I decided to make these for our department picnic, which ended up being in our building's warehouse because of severe weather (some of the highlights of the picnic included "seeking shelter" in the secret hallway and breaking a fluorescent light bulb playing kickball). The recipe I used warned against over baking the bars, but I would also add that you need to be equally as careful not to under bake them or they will be very gooey. I also took people's suggestions and added 3 tsp vanilla to the oat mixture. The bars are easy, delicious, and very addicting!

O'Henry Bars
(Adapted from Allrecipes)

4 cups rolled oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter
3 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup white corn syrup
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanut butter

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180 degrees C).

2. Mix the oats, brown sugar, butter or margarine, and white corn syrup. Pat into a 10 x 15 inch pan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter. Spread over baked crust while hot. Cut into bars right away.

Makes 36 bars.

Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

While most cakes use the 'creaming' method (butter and sugar are creamed together first and then the eggs, followed by the flour and milk, are added), this recipe uses what we call the 'one bowl' or 'quick method'. This means all the dry ingredients are first put into a mixing bowl (sugar included) and then room temperature butter, along with a little milk, are added. These ingredients are beaten together and then the eggs, vanilla extract, and remaining milk are beaten into the batter.

This method produces a cake that literally seems to melt-in-your-mouth and it has a very moist, dense, and velvety texture. The only downside to this method is that you will notice that the cake layers do not have quite the volume of cakes that are made with the creaming method. I think, however, that it is worth sacrificing a little bit of volume to get the outstanding taste and texture this cake had.

Yellow Sheet Cake
(Source: Baking Bites)

2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 inch sheet pan with parchment paper, or lightly grease it with shortening or oil (butter will produce a harder “crust”).

2. Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add sugar and, using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed to blend. Cut butter into 4 or 5 chunks and drop into the bowl with the flour. Blend on low speed until mixture looks sandy and no large chunks of butter remain, 1-2 minutes.

3. In a large measuring cup, combine eggs, milk and vanilla. Beat lightly with a fork until combined. With the mixer on low, pour 1 cup of the egg mixture into the bowl. Turn speed up to medium and beat for 1 1/2 minutes. Reduce speed back to low and pour in the rest of the egg mixture. Continue to beat at low speed for an additional 30 seconds, until liquid is fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for a few more seconds, if necessary.

4. Pour into prepared 9×13 pan and spread batter evenly with a spatula. Tap gently a few times to eliminate any bubbles. Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean.

5. Let cool for 30 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a rack to cool completely. You can leave it in the pan if you’re serving it casually.

Serves 16 - 24

S'mores Cookies

The key to making these cookies is to omit the marshmallows and Hershey's bars until the cookies are almost done baking. This ensures 1) the marshmallows don't get too chewy and 2) the milk chocolate does not get dried out, resulting in a cookie that tastes just as good as the real thing.

S'mores Cookies
(Source: Cookie Madness)

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate (I used milk chocolate and only 1/2 cup)
1 cup miniature marshmallows (approximately)
2 Hershey Bars, broken into pieces (or other favorite milk chocolate)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Cream butter and both sugars with an electric mixer; beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in salt and baking soda making sure they are well distributed and free of lumps; stir in the flour, followed by graham cracker crumbs. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart. Bake for 9 minutes. Remove and quickly press marshmallows and chocolate into cookies. Return to oven and cook until done (about 3 or 4 more minutes)

Makes about 2 dozen

Mrs. Fields Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

You can never go wrong combining peanut butter and chocolate. These bars are much like the peanut butter balls you see at Christmastime, only they have a crunchy cookie layer which, in my opinion, almost makes these bars better. These bars are incredibly rich and oh-so-delicious and you won't want to stop at just one.

Mrs. Fields Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
(Source: Mrs. Fields Best Cookie Book Ever!)

Cookie Base:
8 med Butter Cookies (I used 12 Market Pantry Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies)
1/4 cup salted butter (I used unsalted butter with a pinch of salt)

Chocolate Layers:
2 1/2 cups Milk Chocolate Chips

Peanut Butter Filling:
1 1/2 cups creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
3 cups Confectioners' sugar
2 tsp vanilla

1. Crush cookies until finely ground. Add butter and mix. Press crumb mixture into bottom of 8x8 pan and bake 10 minutes and 325°F. Cool to room temperature.

2. Melt chocolate. Pour half into pan and smooth evenly over cookie crust. Place pan in refrigerator. Keep remaining chocolate warm.

3. With electric mixer, blend peanut butter and butter together until smooth. Slowly beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Spread mixture over chilled chocolate layer.

4. Pour remaining warm chocolate over top and spread smoothly. Chill in refrigerator 1 hour.

Makes 24-36 bars.

Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate Frosting

I baked this cake for birthday #2 at work this week and oh, man was it delicious.

I was very hesitant to try this recipe because it got such mixed reviews. Some people thought it was the best cake ever, while others complained that it was dry and bland. I am so glad I tried the recipe because it was truly amazing! It might have been a tad on the dry side, but it was dense and full of the rich flavor of peanut butter.

I frosted the cake with my own (store-bought) chocolate frosting and sprinkled it very generously with Reece's Pieces, which added a surprising (and delicious) crunch. I would also seriously consider using a peanut butter frosting with this cake (you can never have too much peanut butter in my book). This cake is a must for anyone who loves the peanut butter-chocolate combination.

Peanut Butter Cake
(Source: Paula Dean over at Food Network)

1 cup All-purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Sugar
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup Peanut Butter
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 375°F if baking with a metal dish; 325 degrees F if using a glass dish.

2. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together. Add graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, shortening, milk, and vanilla. Beat mixture with electric mixer on low until moistened, and then beat on medium for 2 minutes. Add eggs and beat for 1 minute.

3. Bake in greased 9-inch by 13-inch pan for 30 to 35 minutes. Do not remove from pan to cool.

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

I baked this cake for birthday #1 at work this week.

In all honesty, I'm not a big fan of chocolate (except if it's paired with Peanut Butter), but this cake was good. It was light, moist, and not overly rich. I admit I cheated and used store-bought frosting, but I don't think it compromised the deliciousness of the cake. :)

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake
(Source: Hershey's)

2 cups Sugar
1 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cups Cocoa
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
2 Eggs
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
2 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Boiling Water

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13x9 baking pan.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bale 35-4o minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

Irish Chocolate Mint Dessert

Yet another recipe in honors of St. Patrick's Day.

Irish Chocolate Mint Dessert
(Source: Hershey's)

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) plus 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2-2/3 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon mint extract
4 drops green food color
1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2. Place 1 cup (2 sticks) butter in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 2 minutes or until melted. Stir in granulated sugar and vanilla. Add eggs; beat well. Add cocoa, flour and baking powder; beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack.

4. Prepare Mint Cream Center by combining powdered sugar, 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, water, mint extract and food color. Beat until smooth. Divide and spread evenly on brownies. Cover; refrigerate until cold.

5. Prepare Chocolate Glaze by placing remaining 6 tablespoons butter and chocolate chips in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1 minute or until mixture is smooth when stirred. Cool slightly; pour over chilled dessert. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Cover; refrigerate leftover dessert.

24 servings.

Minty Irish Chocolate Cream Pie

My friend Maggie is having a "Poker, Pi and (St.) Patrick's Day" Party tomorrow night and I found this recipe at Hershey's. I liked it because it was easy (I'm not overly experienced at making pies) and it screamed "St. Patrick's Day."

Minty Irish Chocolate Cream Pie
(Source: Hershey's)

1 extra serving-size packaged graham cracker crumb crust (9 oz.)

1-1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup Cocoa
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-3/4 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
18 small (1-1/2 inch) York Peppermint Patties, divided
6 drops green food color(optional)

1. Combine sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt in medium saucepan; gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to full rolling boil; boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Pour into prepared crust; carefully press plastic wrap directly onto pie filling. Cool; refrigerate 6 hours or until firm.

2. Shortly before serving, remove wrappers from peppermint patties. Remove plastic wrap from pie. Cut 9 peppermint candies in half; place, cut side down, at outer edge of pie filling, forming a scalloped edge. Finely chop remaining 9 patties; fold into whipped topping with green food color, if desired. Spread peppermint topping on pie. Serve immediately. Cover; refrigerate leftover pie.

10 servings.