Easy Dipping Chocolate

Recipe and Photo Lauren's Latest

 
Ingredients:

8 oz semi sweet chocolate
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons corn syrup or maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk or more, as needed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Treats we like to dip:  
Strawberries, rice krispie treats, cinnamon bears, pretzels, bananas, brownies or cookies


Microwave Directions: place chocolate and sweetened condensed milk into the bottom of a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring after each interval. Once the chocolate is mostly melted, keep stirring until its completely melted.

Whisk in corn syrup, salt and milk until you get the desired consistency you want. If using cold milk, you may want to microwave again for another 30 seconds to warm it up again. Finish by stirring in vanilla.

Serve in fondue pot on low to keep chocolate soft. 

-Adrian

 

Donna's Brownies

1 c. butter (2 sticks)
1/3 c. cocoa
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. flour
2 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

- Adrian Parkinson

Beatty's Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Butter, for greasing the pans

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups good cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee or Pero

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, recipe follows

 

Chocolate Frosting:

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
3. Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Frosting:

1. Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake. 

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

- Adrian

Fudgy Oat Brownies

Prep: 30 min.
Bake: 35 min. + cooling
Yield: 9x13 pan

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 package fudge brownie mix (13-inch x 9-inch pan size)

Frosting:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1-1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 2-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 to 4 tablespoons hot water
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Stir in butter until combined. Press into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 10-11 minutes or until puffed and edges are lightly browned.

2. Meanwhile, prepare brownie mix according to package directions for cake-like brownies. Spread batter over crust. Bake 25-30 minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

3. For frosting, in a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter and chocolate; stir until smooth. Immediately stir in the confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons water and vanilla until smooth. Add remaining water; stir until smooth. Immediately spread over brownies. Cool on a wire rack until firm. Cut into bars. Yield: 3 dozen. 

Recipe Resource: Taste of Home 

-Adrian

Hot Fudge Sauce

1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. cocoa powder
1 3/4 c. sugar
dash of salt

Heat above until butter melts.  Stir in 12 oz can evaporated milk.  Bring to boil for 2 min.  Take off heat and stir in 1 tsp. vanilla.                     - Tricia

Basic Crepes

2 eggs
2 Tbs canola oil
3 Tbs sugar (omit if making savory crepes)
1 C flour
1 1/3 C milk
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on low speed until combined, or whisk by hand until there are no lumps.
Heat a non-stick skillet to medium-high heat.  Hold pan with one hand while you pour the batter with the other hand.  Twirl the pan in a circular motion pouring just enough batter to coat the bottom of the pan.   Place on cooking surface and cook until edges are set and you can easily run a rubber spatula around the edge of the pan, 30 seconds.   Flip crepe and cook an additional 15-20 seconds.  Remove crepe from pan and either keep warm in the oven or cool to room temperature.  (recipe from Our Best Bites)        -Tricia

White Chocolate Snickerdoodle Blondies

Ingredients:

BLONDIES

·         2 and 1/3 cups flour

·         1 and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         3/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature

·         3/4 cup granulated sugar

·         3/4 cup brown sugar

·         2 large eggs

·         2 teaspoons vanilla

·         1 cup white chocolate chips

CINNAMON-SUGAR FILLING

·         1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

·         1/4 + cup granulated sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line 9x13 inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving enough overhang on the sides to easily pull the blondies out of the pan and cut. In small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Using mixer beat the butter on high speed in a large bowl. Beat for at least 1 minute until creamy. Add sugars and beat for 2 full minutes on high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. On low speed, beat in dry ingredients until just combined. With a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula, fold in the white chocolate chips.

Spoon half the batter into pan and spread it across the pan evenly (easier to do if you use your hands). Combine the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle on top of them bottom layer, reserving 1 Tablespoon for the top. Spread the remaining batter over top. Some of the cinnamon-sugar will mix into the top layer as you spread it, which is fine. Sprinkle the top with remaining cinnamon-sugar.

Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

 - Tricia

Knockoff Swig Sugar Cookies

Photo & recipe from here.

Cookies:

1 C Butter (room temperature)
3/4 C Vegetable Oil
1 1/4 C Sugar
3/4 C Powdered Sugar
2 T Water
2 Eggs
1/2 t Baking Soda
1/2 t Cream of Tarter
1 t Salt
5 1/2 C Flour

Cream together Butter, Vegetable Oil, Sugars, Water, and Eggs. Combine dry ingredients and slowly add to butter mixture. Mix until everything is combined.  Your dough should be a little crumbly and not sticky at all. Roll a golf ball sized ball of dough and place it on your cookie sheet. Now its time to give these babies their signature rough edge.  Put 1/4 c of sugar and a pinch of salt in a dish (this is in addition to the sugar and salt listed above.)  Stick the bottom of a glass in it.  This is going to be your cookie press. Firmly press it into the center of your dough ball.  You want your dough to spill out over the sides of the glass.  If there is a lip its even better. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes.  They should just barely be browning on the bottom.    Move cookies to a cooling rack.  Once they are cool put them in the fridge.

Sour Cream Frosting:

1/2 cup room temperature butter
3/4 C Sour Cream
Approx 1 2lb Package of Powdered Sugar (I never use the whole thing but love having extra on hand just incase I add to much milk!)
1 t salt
1/4 C Milk

Start by creaming together butter and sour cream and salt.  Slowly add powdered sugar.  When it gets so thick its not frosting like add a splash of milk.  Alternate this process until your frosting is the desired consistency.  Add 1 drop of red food coloring and whip on high for 1 minute.

Keep cookies in a sealed container until they are ready to serve.  The magic of a Swig Sugar Cookie is that the cookies are cold and the frosting is room temperature.  Frost right before serving (if you make them in advance and need to refrigerate the frosting make sure you give it time to warm up before serving)

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 - 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla (clear is best for light frosting)
6 cups powdered sugar
6+ tablespoon milk

Whip whipping cream in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Set aside. In separate bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, salt, vanilla, powdered sugar and only 3 tablespoons of milk. Add more milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it is thick enough to frost. Stir in whipped cream and frost immediately. Keep refrigerated when finished.

Recipe Via A Little Sussy

Sugar Cookies

Photo & recipe via Lauren's Latest

 Ingredients:

1 c sugar
1 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
1 large egg
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups + 2 tablespoons unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixer, stir butter and sugar together until blended. Stir in egg and vanilla. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again. Slowly stir in flour and baking powder until just incorporated. Dough will be crumbly so you'll have to work it together with your hands. Shouldn't take too much effort. Roll dough out to be 1/4-3/8 inch thick on well floured work surface. Cut into heart shapes and transfer to baking sheet. Stamp phrases onto cookies and freeze 10 minutes. Immediately transfer to oven and bake 8-10 minutes. The thicker the cookie, the longer the baking time. Cool 3 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack. Serve at room temperature. Store any extra cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Great with cream cheese frosting.

O' Henry Bars

1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup salted peanuts
2 cups rice krispies
6 oz (1/2 a bag) butterscotch chips
6 oz (1/2 a bag) semisweet chocolate chips

Bring sugar and corn syrup to a boil. Take off heat. Add peanut butter and stir until melted. Add peanuts and rice krispies. Mix together and spread in 9x13 pan.

In a double broiler melt both the butterscotch and chocolate chips. Spread over mixture in pan. Put in freezer 10-15 minutes to set up. Cut and eat.

- These are Aaron's favorite Christmas treats!

English Toffee

1 cup real butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 bag milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Combine butter, sugar, and water in a heavy saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook uncovered until mixture darkens and reaches 290 on candy thermometer, stirring constantly over high heat. Pour out onto buttered cookie sheet and top immediately with milk chocolate chips, spreading to melt chips. Top with chopped walnuts. Let cool and harden. Break into pieces

Carrot Cake

2 cups flour
1tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
3 cups grated carrot

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients. Cream oil, eggs, sugar together, combine with dry mixture. Stir in grated carrots. Pour into greased and floured 9X13 or round pans and bake 25-35 minutes (round pan) or 35-50 minutes (rectangle pan).

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8oz brick cream cheese, soft
1 16oz box powdered sugar
4 tablespoons butter, soft (1/2 cube)
1 tsp vanilla

Oatmeal Chocolate/Butterscotch Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups quick-cooking or regular rolled oats
• 1 cup butterscotch chips 
• 1 cup chocolate chips 

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375
2. Beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Combine flour baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in oats and chocolate/butterscotch chips; mix well 
3. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Devonshire Cream

8 oz. marscapone
2 c. heavy whipping cream
2 t. vanilla
4 T. sugar
2 limes, zested

Whip all together until thickened and serve with fruit or as a dessert topping.    - Tricia

Raspberry Truffle Brownies

1/2 c. butter, cubed
1 1/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 T water
3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla

Filling:
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. seedless red raspberry jam

Glaze:
1/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. shortening

In heavy saucepan, melt butter and chocolate chips over low heat.  Cool slightly.  In a large bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar, water, and vanilla.  Mix well. combine flour and baking powder; stir into chocolate mixture.  Spread in a greased 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool.

For filling, melt chocolate chips; cool slightly.  In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and pow. sugar until smooth.  Beat in jam.  Stir in melted chocolate; spread over cooled brownies.

For glaze, melt chocolate chips and shortening.  Drizzle over filling.  Chill before cutting.  Store in refrigerator.                                                                - Tricia

Pralines 'n' Cream

4 Tbls. real butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. pecans, toasted and chopped (toast in oven on greased foil for about 5 min. at 350)
vanilla ice cream

In saucepan, melt butter on med.  Stir in sugar, cream and salt.  Heat to boiling on med - high, stirring constantly. Boil, still stirring for 2 min. Remove from head; stir in vanilla and pecans.  Let cool slightly (will thicken as it cools). Serve over ice cream. Sauce can be stored in fridge for 1 + weeks. Yield 2 cups.
                                                                         - Tricia

Pecan Pie Bars

Ingredients:

For crust:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
For topping:
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 cups chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 9x13-inch pan with foil, leaving enough for a 2-inch overhang on all sides.
First make the crust by creaming together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add in the flour and salt and mix until crumbly.
Press the crust into the foil-lined pan and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
While the crust bakes, prepare the filling by combining the butter, brown sugar, honey and heavy cream in a saucepan and stirring it over medium heat. Simmer the mixture for 1 minute, then stir in the chopped pecans.
Remove the crust from the oven and immediately pour the pecan filling over the hot crust spreading it to cover the entire surface.
Return the pan to the oven and bake an additional 20 minutes.
Remove the pan and allow the bars to fully cool in the pan. (I let it sit overnight)
Use the foil overhang to lift out the bars and transfer them to a cutting board. Peel off the foil, slice into bars and serve.           - Tricia

Apple Crisp with Oatmeal

4 c. sliced apples
1 Tbl. lemon juice
1/3 c. flour
1 c. oatmeal
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 c. melted butter

Placed apples in greased 8 inch square pan.  Sprinkle with lemon juice.  Combine rest of ingredients until crumbly and sprinkle on top of apples.  Bake @ 375 for 30 min.     - Norma Peterson Haynie

Top Me Twice Cake

2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. crushed pineapple (drained)
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together in bowl and pour into 9 x 13 greased pan.

1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. chopped nuts
1/2 c. coconut

Mix together and sprinkle over the cake batter layer.  Bake 40 - 45 min. @ 350

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. canned milk or light cream
1/2 c. brown sugar (packed)
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cook until thickened and pour over baked cake while still warm.            - Tricia