Fudgy Brownies

This was my first attempt at making brownies from scratch and they were fabulous! Okay, I lie...the first time I made them was when I was responsible for dessert on pizza night at Nick's parent's house. Since I am so into cooking now, I can't do anything simple anymore. If I am asked to bring brownies, I can't make them from the box, I have to go all out and make them from scratch. So, the first time I made them I didn't have enough time to let them finish baking in my oven and had to take them out half-way through and finished baking them in my mother-in-law's oven. They came out as pure brown goo. Don't get me wrong, they tasted amazing but they had to be eaten with a fork. The second time I made them however, they were perfect. Perfectly fudgy and moist. Nick even said that they were the best brownies he has ever had. He's such a tease. :) I was so amazed at how easy they were to make! I'll never make brownies from the box again. (No offense Betty Crocker)

Fudgy Brownies from Martha Stewart

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter and more for pan
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on two sides. Set aside.
Melt butter and chocolate together using double boiler method. Remove from heat, and let cool for about 10-15 minutes.
Stir sugar into chocolate mixture until combined. Whisk in eggs one at a time, whisking until smooth after each. Whisk in vanilla. Gently fold in flour and salt.
Pour batter into pan, and smooth top. Bake until a tester comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 40-45 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool completely.
Run a knife or offset spatula around the edges of the pan. Using parchment, remove brownies from pan and onto the rack. Cut into squares. Brownies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Lilcrablegs from my cooking board shared this wonderful recipe with me. Thank you Bethany! http://bethanyjg.blogspot.com/search/label/Dessert

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is what happens when you let a man in the kitchen...he will roll a cookie dough ball into the size of his fist. I was surprised that it turned out so well! He said that it was the best cookie he had ever had!

These are truly the best homemade cookies I have ever had! While eating them I was in shock and kept saying, "I can't believe that I made these!" Thank you Chelley for sharing this wonderful recipe!

2 cups plus 2 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1- 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray. ( I used my Pampered Chef Pizza Stone and it worked great!)

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl, set aside.

3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined.

4. Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. Hold the dough with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough's uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart.
(Or roll the dough into small balls and spread a part on cookie sheet. This is what I did because I'm lazy.)

5. Bake until the cookies are light golden brown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 15-18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a side metal spatula.
- taken from the Brown-eyed Baker and Baking Illustrated, pg. 434
http://www.browneyedbaker.com/

Heath Bar Cake

There are no words to describe just how good this cake is. It is so rich. The longer it sits in the refridgerator, the more time the cake has to absorb the caramel mixture and the better it is! It is great made ahead.

1 box German Chocolate cake mix
1 jar caramel topping
1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed milk
7 Heath Bars
1 tub Cool Whip

Bake cake according to directions on box. While baking, mix Eagle's Brand and caramel topping. While still hot, poke holes in cake and pour caramel mixture over. Cool. Spread Cool Whip evenly over cake. Crush Heath Bars and sprinkle over Cool Whip. Best when served cold.
-compliments of my mom

Easy Butterfinger Pie

7 Butterfinger candy bars (regular size)
1 large tub Cool Whip
2 graham cracker pie crusts

Crunch Butterfingers into Cool Whip tub. Stir together. Pour mixture into pie crusts and freeze until hardened. Drizzle with chocolate syrup if desired.
-compliments of my mom

Mini Cheesecakes

1 1/2 cups graham cracker or chocolate wafer crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter; press equal portions onto bottoms of 24 lightly greased or paper-lined muffin cups.

In Large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in Eagle Brand until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Spoon equal amounts of mixture (about 3 Tbsp) into prepared cups. Bake dor 20 min. or until cakes spring back when lightly touched. Cool. Chill. Garnish as desired. Refridgerate leftovers.

Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes- Melt 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips; mix into batter. Proceed as above.
- adapted from Eagle Brand Holiday Cookbook