Jenny's Magical Chocolate Chip Cookies

Seriously. Throw away all other choc chip cookie recipes. These hold their shape and won't spread all over your pan! Just double the recipe, you will want more!

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt (I did 1 tsp, I like it salty-er)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 lrg egg
3 cups flour
2 cups chocolate chips
Beat butter, brown sugar and corn syrup till fluffy. Add vanilla, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add egg. Then flour. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake @ 375 8-10 mins, centers will look a little raw still. Cool on pan 5 mins then transfer to wire rack.

Cherry Chocolate Cake

1 chocolate cake (I use Devil's Food)
1 cup water
1 egg
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling

Mix cake, water and egg for 2 minutes. Fold in pie filling. Bake in a bundt pan at 350 for 35 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream. It's delish room temp with whipped cream, too.  Yum and yum!

Chex Peanut Butter Bars

*Gluten Free
These are just like scotcheroos but without the butterscotch chips. Chewy and delicious with a homemade frosting.

7 cups Rice or Corn Chex
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
Mom's Chocolate Frosting recipe below
Grease a large bowl and pour the chex in. Set aside. Grease a 9x13 dish. In a pot on medium heat melt sugar and corn syrup, stir till boils. Remove from heat and add peanut butter, stir till smooth and pour over chex. Gently fold in till chex are evenly coated. Pour into 9x13. Set aside and make frosting.
Mom's Chocolate Frosting:
1 cube butter
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/3 cup canned milk
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Melt butter. Add cocoa and milk stirring constantly with a whisk just till it starts to thicken. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar and vanilla. Whisk till smooth and immediately pour over chex bars. Let cool completely. Cut into bars. **This frosting is the best! Pour it on sheet cake recipes or bundt cakes or brownies.**

Shellie's Mint Fudge

This is so creamy and good. You would never guess its easy and quick!

1 bag milk chocolate chips (Guittard brand is best)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
dash salt
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/4 cup crushed candy canes for topping
Melt over low heat chips, milk and salt, when smooth, remove from heat and add extract. Spread into a foil-lined 8 or 9" pan. Sprinkle with candy cane and chill in fridge at least 2 hours. Turn out onto cutting board, remove foil and cut into squares. Store covered at room temp. Makes 2 lbs.

Shellie's Salted Caramel Chocolate Bars

These are like heaven. Buttery, salted caramel gooey heaven. Thank u Shellie!

Cookie:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 bars of good chocolate, chopped
3/4 bag Guittard milk chocolate chips

Caramel:
10 oz caramel squares (Shellie uses the balls from target, no unwrapping!)
3 T evaporated milk

Sea salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 325. Make cookie dough. Melt caramels and milk in a pot, stirring constantly. In a 9x13 spread half the dough. Pour caramel over top. Sprinkle with sea salt. Drop remaining dough over caramel, as even as possible. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake 30mins (May need up to 45). Cool and cut into bars. Get ready to eat half the pan yourself!

Easy, Yet Delicious Chocolate Pudding

I got this from America's Test Kitchen.  Sometimes their stuff is too complicated or time consuming and not necessarily better, but this is definitely delish!  It's easy, too.  No tempering eggs. Enjoy!

Combine 2 teaspoons vanilla with 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder; set aside. (I don't have this on hand, but I do have Folgers crystals frozen in my freezer for the yummy brownies, so I just used that)

1/2 C sugar
3 T cocoa
2 T cornstarch
1/4 t salt
1/2 C heavy cream
3 egg yolks
2 1/2 C whole milk
Bring above ingredients to a strong simmer(this should be about 5 min). Cook 30 seconds.  Remove from heat.  Add 5T butter, 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped and vanilla mixture. (I just used semi-sweet chocolate chips cuz I didn't have bittersweet on hand).  Stir until blended.  Cover with parchment or waxed paper. (push it onto the top of pudding so a skin doesn't form) Refrigerate til completely chilled.  Whisk thoroughly and serve with a dollop of whipped cream. Or you can serve it warm over ice cream. (my personal fav)

O'Henry Bars

These are the easiest, yummiest bars in the world.  My Grandma used to make these when I was growing up.  I made them recently, and I had forgotten how I love them. Kids can whip these up in no time!

1 c brown sugar
1 c light corn syrup
1 1/3 c peanut butter
1 10 oz pkg Special K cereal (6 cups)
1 c butterscotch chips
1 c chocolate chips

Place sugar and corn syrup in sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Take off heat, add peanut butter and stir til smooth.  Pour over cereal which has been placed in a large mixing bowl.  (this sets up quickly, so stir fast) Pat into a 10x15 cookie sheet.  Melt butterscotch and chocolate chips over low heat and spread over top. (I microwaved mine)

Caramel Pretzel Brownie Cups

I got this recipe from the blog In My Kitchen Today.  (adapted from zupas.com) These babies are delicious!  And pretty easy.  I made them in mini cupcake molds.  If you don't have these, just make them smaller in regular ones.  I think big ones would be too much.  These are really rich!  It made about 34 small ones.

1 German Chocolate Cake Mix
1 egg
1/2 C butter, softened

Pretzel Crumble
1/4 C butter, melted
2 T brown sugar
1 C crushed pretzels
Mix together.

In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, egg and butter until smooth.  (Use a mixer)  Scoop batter 2/3 full into a muffin tin sprayed with non stick spray.  Scoop 1 T pretzel crumble on top of brownie batter.  (little less for minis) Pat down.  Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes or until edges are set. (I did 7 minutes with the minis)

8 oz caramels, melted in microwave over medium heat-stirring frequently
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Immediately after taking the brownie cups out of the oven, pour caramel over the cups, and then sprinkle with choc. chips.  Place cups in the oven for 30 minutes more to allow the choc. chips to soften slightly. (I did 15 minutes with the minis) Place in the microwave for 15 seconds (7 sec for minis) before serving.

I needed more caramel than this.  I don't know if I got too much or if the mini just made more.  (can you have too much?) I used the whole bag.  ( Minus the few Chan and I snitched!)  Mine were a little hard when they cooled, but if you microwave them, then are soft and delish.  (be careful, the caramel will be molten) Please make sure and follow the directions.  I had a 3 year old helping me, so I put the pretzel stuff on in the wrong order because I was keeping him out of things instead of reading carefully!   But they were still so yummy!

Easy Chocolate Lover's Cheesepie

I made this for Valentine's Day.  It is fast, easy, and really delicious!  It's rich, but not over the top.  I have had this recipe for years.  It's from Hershey's. 

3 packages cream cheese (8 oz ea), softened (I use the 1/3 less fat)

3/4 c sugar

3 eggs

1 t vanilla extract

2 c (12 oz pkg) Hershey's Mini Semi-Sweet Chips, divided

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

(I made my crust, I like homemade better.  I used a deep dish 9" pie plate)

2 T whipping cream

1. Heat oven to 450.

2. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until well blended.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.  Stir in 1 2/3 c small chocolate chips; pour into crust.

3. Bake 10 minutes.  Without opening oven door, reduce tempurature to 250; continue baking 30 minutes or just until set.  Remove from oven to wire rack.  Cool completely.  Cover; refigerate until thoroughly chilled.

4. Place remaining 1/3 c chips and whipping cream in a small bowl.  Microwave at high 20-30 seconds or just until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred.  Cool slightly; spread over top of cheesepie.  Refrigerate 15 minutes or until topping is set.  Cover; refrigerate leftover pie.  Serves 10.

Brownie Trifle

1 pkg. brownie mix
2 1/2 cups cold milk
2 boxes chocolate instant pudding (3.4oz)
12 oz cool whip
3 Heath candy bars, chopped
Bake brownies, cool completely. Cut into bite-sizes cubes. Beat milk and pudding 2 mins. Fold in cool whip. Place 1/2 the brownie cubes in bottom of trifle pan , cover with 1/2 pudding layer. Repeat layers. Top with Heath crumbs.