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Marble Brownies

1 Cup shortening

2 Cups sugar

4 eggs

2 Cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Cups chopped nuts

1  1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 Squares baking chocolate, melted (for marble layer)

Grease and flour 9X13 baking pan and preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Cream shortening in a large mixing bowl, gradually adding sugar.  Beat in eggs one at a time beating after each addition.  Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt, then add to batter, mixing constantly.  Stir in nuts and vanilla.

Divide dough into two equal parts.  Pour one portion into baking pan.  To remaining portion, blend in the melted chocolate; then pour over light layer in pan and for marbled effect swirl several times with a spatula.  Bake for 45-55 minutes.

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Kneaders Filled Chocolate Strawberries

PASTRY CREAM

This can be used for filling cakes, pies, or pastries.  To make a lighter version fold in plain whipped cream or whipped topping

2 Cups milk or heavy cream

2 egg yolks

1/2 Cup white sugar

1/2 Cup water or milk

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon butter

Whisk together in a medium bowl egg yolks, water, and vanilla set aside.  In a tall heavy saucepan, stir together the 2 cups milk, sugar, butter, and salt.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Do not stir.  Immediately add egg mixture and stir constantly until mixture thickens.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Melt and pour over cakes as a glaze, or chill and whip until light for a filling.  Ganache is a very versatile icing.  It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or about 3 days at room temperature.

2 Cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 Cups heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

Place chocolate chips in a large bowl.  Pour cream into a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  As soon as the cream boils up to the top of the pan, quickly remove from heat and pour it over the chips.  Lets stand for a minute.  Stir with a whisk to mix until smooth.  Stir in vanilla and blend.  Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface, and allow to cool to 85 degrees to dip strawberries.

CREAM FILLED STRAWBERRIES

Rinse large strawberries and pat dry.  Using a long toothpick, poke a hole in the tip of each strawberry through the green stem.  With a circular motion create a larger hole inside of each strawberry.

Fill a metal tipped pastry bag with pastry cream.  Using the metal tip pipe cream into the hole created by the toothpick.  Be careful not to allow cream out the top of the strawberry.  Set aside until all the strawberries have been filled.

Allowing the Ganache to reach 85 degrees dip strawberries into chocolate mixture.  (It is important to keep stirring the chocolate Ganache so it will not bloom.)

Place on waxed paper until dry.

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

3/4 cup canned pumpkin (Store extra pumpkin in freezer in bags measured out for recipe because it only lasts about 1 week in the fridge)

1/4 cup water

1  1/2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (or 375 for dark or large muffin pans).  Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.
  2. Mix sugar, oil, and eggs.  Add pumpkin and water.
  3. In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt.  Add wet mixture and stir in chocolate chips.
  4. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.  Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes (25 for large)
  5. Makes 12 regular or 6 large muffins.
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Frozen Chocolate Mousse Squares

12 Oreo cookies, crushed

1/4 cup (1/4 stick) butter or margarine, melted

2 containers (8 ounces) cream cheese

1 can (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk

4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted

1 cup thawed Cool Whip whipped topping

  1. Mix crushed cookies and the butter in foil-lined 9-inch square pan.  Press firmly onto bottom of pan to form crust.
  2. Beat cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until creamy.  Gradually add milk, mixing well after each addition.  Blend in chocolate.  Gently stir in whipped topping.  Spoon over crust; cover.
  3. Freeze at least 6 hours or overnight.  Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving to soften slightly.  Cut into 16 squares to serve.  Store leftover dessert in freezer.
  4. Mom suggests don’t use foil to line pan.
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Chocolate and Coconut Cream Pie Bars

Note: To toast coconut, place it in a single layer in a nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until it browns evenly.  Watch it closely so it doesn’t burn.

You can make these a day in advance, but don’t top with whipped cream until you are ready to serve.  Whipped cream not stabilized by gelatin has a tendency to weep and give off liquid if refrigerated over an hour or so.

CRUST

2 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup butter, cut into 10-12 pieces

GANACHE

1/4 cup heavy cream

6 oz (about 1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

COCONUT CREAM FILLING

2 cups half-and-half

3 cups coconut milk

4 eggs

1  1/2 cups sugar

2/3 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1  1/2 cup sweetened, flaked cocnut

WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING

2 cups heavy whipping cream

3-4 Tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 cup coconut, toasted

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 9X13 baking dish with foil or parchment paper, leaving a 2-3 inch overhang on both the long sides to help remove the bars after baking.
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour and powdered sugar.  Cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender, two knives, or a food processor.  Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Bake for 16-18 minutes until the crust in light brown.  Cool on a wire rack.
  3. While the shortbread is baking, place the chocolate for the ganache in a medium bowl.  Bring the cream to a summer in a small saucepan (or microwave for 30 seconds or so).  Once the cream reaches a simmer, pour the cream over the chocolate and let the mixture stand for 1-2 minutes.  Stir completely until a shiny, smooth ganache forms.  Once the crust has cooled for about 10 minutes, pour the ganache over the crust and smooth to the edges.  Place the chocolate covered crust in the fridge to chill until the ganache is set into a firm layer and the crust is cooled completely.
  4. While the crust is cooling, make the coconut cream filling by combining the half-and-half, coconut, milk, eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large saucepan.  Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly until it is very thick like warm pudding.  Stir in the coconut and vanilla extracts and untoasted coconut.  Pour the filling over the chilled ganache and refrigerate the bars until they are firm and set up, about 4 hours.
  5. For the whipped topping, combine the heavy cream and powdered sugar in a large bowl and blend on medium-high speed with a mixer until soft peaks form and the cream is thick and stabilized.  Spread over the chilled bars and sprinkle on the toasted coconut.  Chill until ready to serve.  Use the foil or parchment to lift the bars from the pan and cut into pieces and serve.

 

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Chocolate Trifle

You need to prepare ahead:

  1. A chocolate cake in a 9X13 pan.  A cake mix is fine.  Andrew used brownies.
  2. 3 boxes of instant chocolate pudding.  The small 4 serving size.
  3. 2 large containers of Cool Whip, thawed.  You won’t need all of this, but you need 3 or 4 small ones or 2 large ones.  You don’t want to run out of this part.
  4. Hershey’s Heath, English Toffee Bits.  Usually in the baking section.  But if you can’t find them you could buy Heath Bars and break them apart.

When you have everything ready you cut the cake into small pieces.  Usually I cut in about 1 inch squares, but it doesn’t have to be exact.

Put the cake in one layer in the bottom of Trifle bowl.  Squeeze it in so the whole bottom is covered.  If you make three layers you have plenty of cake.

Then add the pudding in a generous layer, but not quite as thick at the cake.  As the trifle sits overnight in the fridge the pudding and cake merge.

Then cover with cool whip and sprinkle with Heath bits.

Repeat until bowl is full.  You may have some ingredients left.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least overnight.  It looks so impressive and is so easy to make and so delicious.

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Chocolate Covered Oreo Cookie Cake

CAKE

1 pkg devil’s food chocolate cake mix

GLAZE

4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate

1/4 cup butter, cut up

FILLING

1 pkg (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups whipped topping

12 Oreo Cookies, coarsely chopped

CAKE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare and bake cake according to directions on package in 2 9-inch round cake pans.  Cool in pan 5 minutes.  Invert onto wire rack; remove pans.  Cool completely

GLAZE

Melt chocolate in small microwave bowl on HIGH 1 to 2 minutes or until chocolate is melted, stirring after 30 seconds.  Blend in butter.  Set aside to slightly thicken about 5 minutes.

FILLING

Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.  Gently stir in whipped topping and crushed cookies.  Place 1 of the cake layers on serving plate top-side down.  Spread top of cake layer evenly with cream cheese mixture.  Place remaining cake layer on top, top-side up.  Spoon glaze to cover top of cake only.

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Rollo Cookies or Surprise Cookies

1 Devils Food Cake Mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil

Rollos

Mix cake mix, eggs, and oil with a wooden spoon.  (I don’t know why a wooden spoon) Place about 1 teaspoon of mixture on hand and flatten.  Place 1 Rollo in the center and roll into a ball.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 7-10 minutes at 350 degrees.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

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Grandma Dennis’ Chocolate Cake

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

2 sticks margarine

3 Tablespoons Cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix flour and sugar in a big bowl.

In a saucepan place margarine, water, cocoa.  Bring to a boil

Pour over flour and sugar.  Mix

In another bowl add baking soda, vanilla, eggs, salt, milk

Add to above mix.

Pour into greased cookie sheet pan.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes

Make frosting last 5 minutes of cook time.  Frost while cake is hot.

FROSTING

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 stick margarine

3 Tablespoons cocoa powder

5 Tablespoons milk

1 – 1 pound package of powdered sugar (I always use more than 1 pound)

1/2 cup nuts

In a saucepan add margarine, cocoa, milk.  Melt, but don’t boil.  Then add powdered sugar.  Thin enough to spread, but not runny.  Then add vanilla and nuts.

Pour in sections across the cake and carefully spread or you will take off the top of the cake.

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Chocolate Mousse – cooked

4 egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup heavy whipping cream

6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

1  1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Beat egg yolks in a small bowl with electric mixer on high about 3 minutes or until thick and lemon colored.  Gradually beat in sugar.

Heat 1 cup whipping cream in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat until hot. Gradually stir at least half of the hot whipping cream into egg yolk mixture; stir back into hot cream in saucepan.  Cook over low heat about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens (do not boil). Stir in chocolate chips until melted.  Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, just until chilled.

Beat 1  1/2 cups whipping cream in chilled medium bowl with electric mixer on high until stiff.  Fold chocolate mixture into whipped cream.  Pipe or spoon into serving bowls.  Immediately refrigerate any remaining dessert after serving.