Brownies

Recipe from Food and Wine

Ingredients

• 2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup pecans (4 ounces), coarsely chopped

How to Make It

Step 1    

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and lightly flour a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. In the top of a double boiler, melt the butter with the chocolate; let cool.

Step 2    

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the eggs with the granulated sugar and brown sugar until thickened; beat in the vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the chocolate mixture until combined. Sift the flour over the batter and fold it in. Fold in the pecans.

Step 3    

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Let the brownies cool in the pan for 1 hour before

I didn't have butter so I used margarine.  I won't do that again.  At my sons suggestion I sprinkled 1tsp coffee grinds in the brownie mix.  It tasted good. 
b

Brownies

 I lined the 9x13 cake pan with wax paper.  Then I placed whole graham crackers on top of the wax paper, covering the whole pan.  I prepared the brownie mix (following their instructions) then I pour the brownie mix on top of the graham crackers and baked according their instructions. 

The recipe below is brownies and chocolate chip cookies.   I followed the recipe on the box.

First I lined the 9x13 cake pan with foil because I was out of wax paper.  Then I poured the prepared brownie mix on top of the foil.  Then I  separated half the package of Nestle Toll House Cookies.  I put the other half in the refrigerator to use at another time.  I placed 12 mini cookies on top of the brownies.  I planned on cutting 12 big brownies and I made sure each brownie had a cookie in it. So it was 4 cookies to a row and 3 to a column.  They were both really good but I was surprised the graham cracker was my favorite.  Next time I make the graham cracker recipe I plan on putting mini marshmallows on the top the last 5 minutes of baking.   Making SMores.  I didn't do it this time because it is messing and I didn't want to deal with it.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Brownie Cookies/Ice Cream Sandwiches

recipe by Duncan Hines

Ingredients

1 box of chewy brownie mix

1 egg

1/4 Cup of oil

2 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 350 deg. Mix all ingredients together. Make ping pong size balls out of dough. Bake for 10 -15 minutes on cookie sheet. I used the Pampered Chef Scoops to make the balls.  I started off with the small scoop and ended up choosing the medium scoop to make the perfect size cookie for Ice Cream Sandwiches.  I made the balls and put a measuring cup on top the balls and pressed down on them to flatten them out.  
*** Tip - Frozen brownie cookies aren't good, so you have to assemble the cookies when you plan on serving them.  To make it easy I scoop the ice cream the day before and put the flatten ice cream scoops in a rubber made container.  That actually did help.

Ritz cookie

I will never forget the year 1996~ Monica made these cookies for me!  I just call them peanut butter Ritz Crackers dipped in Chocolate.  I am sure there is a  name for them but I haven't done any research.  Monica was from the south so I just tell all my friends the recipe came from the south. 

 Not a good picture of the chocolate ~ It is Wilton's Chocolate.  I buy it at Michael's or Joanne's.  I am sure they have it at Hobby Lobby. 

Chocolate Fondue Sauce

Katie's Best Ever Chocolate Fondue

The Best-Ever Chocolate Fondue Sauce

I went to my friend Katie's house for dinner and we had the best fondue.   All the food was great but you know I love dessert and I especially love dipping things in chocolate.

I am so lucky that Katie shares all her recipes with me and now I get to share them with you.  So thanks Katie, you are an amazing cook and friend!  If you have never had a Toblerone bar, rush to the store now and get one. 

Click here for original recipe.  

You will need:

6 tablespoons of whipping cream
400 gram Toblerone chocolate bar (14.1 oz)
1 tablespoon milk (optional)
Instructions:

• Melt the chocolate and the cream together either slowly on your stovetop or in your microwave. Add up to 1 tablespoon of milk if your mixture seems too thick. Pour into your ceramic fondue pot and place it over a tealight. (A tealight is a small candle.)     

Brownies

Chocolate Strawberry Croissant

 I love croissants so I loved this quick snack.  I had a bunch of strawberries so I decided to sliced them and put them in between a croissant I bought from Safeway.  I sprinkled the strawberries with powder sugar, just to make sure they were juicy and sweet.  I covered the berries with whipped heavy cream and drizzled Hersey Chocolate syrup on top of the croissant.  I loved it but my husband seemed displeased.  I guess I shouldn't have called it strawberry shortcake.  I don't know why I said, "do you want some strawberry shortcake?"  Well when I handed him this plate he said, this is a croissant, I don't really like croissants.   Opps, I am just finding this out now after 20 years of marriage.  Now that I think about it, it is my boys that love croissants.  I asked my husband if I should give his plate to my son but he said he would just eat it.  I have a feeling it tasted better than he thought it would. 

Coconut Pecan Frosting

Recipe from Cooks.com

Ingredients

1 Cup evaporated milk

1 Cup sugar

3 egg yolks

1/2 Cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/3 Cup coconut

1 Cup chopped pecans

Directions

Combine milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter and vanilla in saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens.  Add coconut and pecans.  Beat until cool and spread on top layers of German Chocolate Cake.

Rice Pudding

This post has 3 Rice Pudding recipes..  The recipe from All Recipe will be the recipe I use for now on.  It is easier and taste great.  I am so glad I made Dave's and Ina's because they are very delicious.

I

          

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

All Recipe

Ingredients

                       

3/4 cup uncooked white rice                                                 

                       

2 cups milk, divided   

            

1/3 cup white sugar
       

1/4 teaspoon salt                                                    

                      

1 egg, beaten

                                                  

2/3 cup golden raisins                                                

1 tablespoon butter  

                                                  

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions

1. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan; stir rice into boiling water. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. In a clean saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk, beaten egg, and raisins; cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.  Recipe makes 4 servings  

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                Recipe adapted from  Dave's Lieberman 

You will love the texture of this pudding and how easy it is to make.

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup Arborio rice
• 2 cups whole milk
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Few dashes ground cinnamon
• Whipped cream, for serving

Directions

Bring water, salt, and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the rice, return to a boil, and then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Shake the pan occasionally and cook until rice has absorbed the water but it still al dente, about 15 minutes.

Bring milk, sugar, vanilla, and a few dashes of cinnamon to a simmer in a separate saucepan. Add the cooked rice and cook at a simmer over medium-low heat until rice absorbs most of the milk and mixture starts to get thick and silky, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer pudding to a large bowl and cool to room temp.
 ***note~ In Dave's recipe he calls for a large bowl~
I don't think so! Notice that only half of the bowl has rice pudding in it.                                  

        Dave's recipe                                        Contessa's recipe
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I have made the Contessa's recipe a lot and love it. 
Watch Video

Contessa's Rum Raisin Rice Pudding

3/4 cup raisins

2 tablespoons dark rum

3/4 cup white basmati rice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

5 cups half-and-half, divided

1/2 cup sugar

1 extra-large egg, beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In a small bowl, combine the raisins and rum. Set aside.

Combine the rice and salt with 1 1/2 cups water in a medium heavy-bottomed stainless steel saucepan. Bring it to a boil, stir once, and simmer, covered, on the lowest heat for 8 to 9 minutes, until most of the water is absorbed. (If your stove is very hot, pull the pan halfway off the burner.)

Stir in 4 cups of half-and-half and sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, until the rice is very soft. Stir often, particularly toward the end. Slowly stir in the beaten egg and continue to cook for 1 minute. Off the heat, add the remaining cup of half-and-half, the vanilla, and the raisins with any remaining rum. Stir well. Pour into a bowl, and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Serve warm or chilled.

      

Candy sushi

Kids and some adults go crazy for Rice Crispy Sushi.

 Click here for the directions There are a lot of different ways to make sushi.  I have tried them all and they are all great.
Click here to see a great you tube video with instructions.

Directions

1.  I made Rice Crispy treats and rolled them out to 3/4 in. thick
2.  Then I used a glass or a round cookie cutter and cut them into circles.
3.  I use butter or powdered sugar to work with the rice crispy.  It keeps them from sticking to your cookie cutter or round glass.
4.  I wrapped a fruit roll up (foot long) around them, topped them with a Swedish fish  and tied
another thin strip of the foot long roll up around the sushi.
 I found that tying the knot is hard and now
I just tuck the fruit roll up string under the sushi.  It is much easier.  You can see in the picture I stopped tying knots.  I think I only tied 6.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

K Train's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies

Linda brought these cookies to the Cookie Exchange and they are my husbands favorites. 

 Linda shared Kristen's recipe and I am so grateful.  I also got the recipe for her Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and Snickerdoodle.