Grandma Losee's Famous Banana Bread

My Grandma Losee recently passed away, and it was mentioned multiple times at her funeral how she was known for her Banana Bread.  This came as somewhat of a surprise to me, because that isn't something that I remembered her for.  But, when her recipe got passed around the cousins, and I made it and then tasted it, the taste totally brought back feelings of being at Grandma's when I was younger!  And, it is a really moist, delicious banana bread.  So now, I will remember Grandma when I eat her yummy banana bread!  She was an amazing woman!  (My kids dove right into the loaf before I could even take a picture, so I put in a pre-cooked picture, but know that looked and tasted amazing).

Banana Bread

by: June Losee

3 or 4 ripe bananas (I used 4)

1 c. sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/8 c. melted margarine (I used butter)

optional 1 c. chocolate chips or nuts

Mash the bananas.  Add the other ingredients and mix it well.  Stir in the chocolate chips or nuts.  Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan.  Bake it at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes.

Scotcharoos

My neighbor, Virginia, makes the most delicious scotcharoos.  This week she brought over an entire 9X13 pan for me.  To eat all by myself.  Just kidding.  Those were not her instructions.  But I did consume enough in one sitting to put myself into a sugar induced coma for the next couple of days.  The above picture is of hers, but I want and need to have this recipe documented for my further use.  So we get to see her beauties.  

Scotcharoos
by: My neighbor Virginia

3/4 c. sugar
1 c. corn syrup
1 c. peanut butter
6 c. rice crispies
1 bag milk chocolate chips
1 bag butterscotch chips

In a large pot, over medium high heat, stir together the sugar and corn syrup, just until it begins to start boiling.  Don't let it cook too long!  I put an exclamation point there, because I did let it cook too long and my scotcharoos were as hard as a rock.  My neighbor says that it really needs to just barely start boiling.  Then add the peanut butter and stir it until it is just melty.  Those are her words.  Stir in the rice crispies until well combined and pour it into a greased 9X13 pan.  In a glass bowl, combine the bag of milk chocolate chips and the bag of butterscotch chips.  Cook them for 30 seconds and then stir.  Repeat as many times as needed until they are melted.  Pour them over the top of your rice crispy mixture and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.

Brigadeiro (Brazilian Chocolate Truffle)

So far, I have found that I love almost all Brazilian food that I have tried.  Dustin served his mission in Brazil, so of course, he is a big fan of their food, and it is a fun treat for him when I make some Brazilian dish.  Last week we tried a Brazilian dessert, that was not only delicious, but super easy to make.  I loved it!  It combined two of my favorite ingredients (and not too many more): sweetened condensed milk and chocolate.  Mmmm.  These would be even cuter if you put them in a mini cupcake paper, like they apparently do in Brazil, but I was making them for children, and I know they didn't really care, so why waste the papers?

Brigadeiro

by: cynthiapresser.com

2 Tbsp. butter

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

3 Tbsp. cocoa powder

chocolate sprinkles

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, sweetened condensed milk and cocoa powder.  Stir it constantly until it thickens and reduces down quite a bit (her website says that you will be able to see quite a bit of the bottom of the pan, and that is what happened after I had stirred it for about 10 minutes).  Take the pan off the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature.  Once it has cooled, butter your hands and begin to roll the candy into bite size balls.  Roll each ball in the chocolate sprinkles.  You can serve them at room temperature, or chilled.  I had mine after it had chilled and it was so delicious!

Easy S'mores Treats

Years ago, when my girls were little, I made this treat up for a change from rice crispy treats.  It is just as easy, and so delicious.  It is like having s'mores, without the mess or the open fire.  Although those are both great things about s'mores. :)

Easy S'mores Treats
by: Carolyn

1/4 c. butter
5 c. mini marshmallows
6 c. Golden Grahams cereal
1 c. milk chocolate chips

In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the marshmallows and melt them while stirring constantly.  Pour in the Golden Grahams and stir until they are all covered with the marshmallows.  Take it off of the heat and dump it in to a 9X13 pan.  Smooth it flat and sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.  They will get very gooey after a few minutes.  You can either cut into it and eat them in their gooey state (more s'more like) or let them cool and eat them then.  Either way, it is delicious!

Another Great Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

This chocolate chip cookie recipe was given to me years ago by my good friend, Amber.  We already have a couple of chocolate chip cookie recipes on here, but this one is a little different than the others.  This one is a smaller batch size--really the perfect batch size.  My other two recipes are huge.  This recipe is easy to whip up, and delicious, and also calls for an entire bag of chocolate chips!  With that much chocolaty goodness in there, you really can't go wrong!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
by: Amber Severts

2/3 c. butter (room temperature)
2/3 c. shortening
1 c. brown sugar (I always use a little less sugar than it calls for)
1 c. white sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 package chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, brown sugar and white sugar.  Add the vanilla and eggs and mix it well.  Add the flour, baking soda and salt and stir it to combine.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Drop them by teaspoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake them for 8-10 minutes, or until they just start to brown.

The Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Ever

One of those yummy recipes came across my Facebook feed yesterday, and I couldn't resist.  This is seriously easy.

1 yellow or white cake mix (I used yellow)
2 eggs, beaten
5 Tbsp butter, melted
2 cups mini chocolate chip cookies (although I'll try it with regular chocolate chips next time)

Mix everything together and spread into a greased 11 X 13 baking dish
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Cool, cut and devour.  So good!  I'll edit and add a picture when I make these again.

Chocolate Tacos

In celebration of Cinco De Mayo (which we have never actually celebrated before, but then again, we've never found a recipe for chocolate tacos before, either!) we made chocolate tacos.  These were awesome!  They were kind of like chewy, thin brownies.  It's like having an amazing banana split, or hot fudge sundae, in the palm of your hands.  So yes, it is a little messy.  But totally worth it.  I've been thinking about using this recipe to make homemade waffle cones or bowls.  We opted to drizzle a little melted chocolate and sprinkles on our tacos.  Then we put them in the fridge until the chocolate hardened.  Chocolate on your chocolate?!  Si!

Chocolate Tacos

from: www.lovefromtheoven.com & www.myrecipes.com

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/4 c. flour

3 Tbsp. cocoa

1 tsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. egg whites (I used about 1 1/2 egg's worth)

1 tsp. milk

1/4 tsp. vanilla

cooking spray

1/2 c. chocolate chips

1 tsp. canola oil

sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, flour, cocoa, cornstarch and salt and stir it well.  Then mix in the egg whites, milk and vanilla.  Coat a baking sheet with the cooking spray and draw six five inch circles with your finger onto the pan.  These will be a general outline for your batter.  Drop 1 tablespoon of batter onto each circle, and using the back of the spoon, spread the batter into your circle shape (I couldn't fit all six onto one pan, so I did it in two shifts).  Bake it for 6 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown.  While they are baking, find some wooden spoons and suspend them over deep bowls, as shown below (just imagine them without tacos draped over the top):  

Working quickly when the tacos are cooked, carefully loosen the edges of the tacos with a spatula, drape each taco over a suspended wooden spoon and gently shape them into the shape of a taco.  They are pretty delicate, but even with some helpers, ours all remained intact.  Let them cool completely in this shape.  When they are completely cooled, you are ready to add more chocolate!  In a small glass bowl, microwave the chocolate chips and canola oil for 30 seconds, then stir it until it is smooth.  Dip the edges of the tacos in the chocolate and then sprinkles (and drizzle the leftovers on, for good measure).  Put them in the fridge until it is hardened.  

When you are ready to eat, take them out, add some ice cream scoops and any toppings that you want and enjoy your chocolate taco!

Honey Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins & Pumpkin Pie Spice Substitution

I got this recipe from Monica a long time ago and have made it a dozen times.  Like the zucchini muffins, these are great to freeze for school lunches.  I just take one out in the morning, stick it in a baggie, throw it in the kid's lunch box and it is thawed and ready for them to eat by lunch.  They use 100% whole wheat flour and applesauce instead of oil and so you can feel good about this healthy snack choice!

Honey Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins
adapted from: allrecipes.com

3 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. brown sugar (I use a little less)
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (see below for the substitution)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1 c. applesauce (the original recipe calls for oil-you could do half and half, too)
1 c. honey (I use a little less)
1 c. chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In another bowl, beat the eggs.  Mix in the pumpkin puree, applesauce and honey.  Make a well in the flour mixture, pour in the liquid ingredients and stir to combine.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full.  Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched.  

Pumpkin Pie Spice Substitution
from my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

In place of 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice (so double this for this pumpkin muffin recipe), add the following:
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

This is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.  It comes from my BFF roommate from college, Jacque.  She's given me other great recipes.  Like the Easy Pudding Dessert, or the Easy Chicken Tacos.  And I'm pretty sure Jacque was the one who opened my eyes to Easy Pumpkin Cookies.  These delicious, moist, light and fluffy chocolate chip cookies?  Not so easy.  Not that they are actually very hard, but it is a really big recipe.  So big, in fact, that the title is "Big Family Chocolate Chip Cookies" by Betty Bell.  That is a big title, that even has the word "big" in it!  I half it every time I make it (which takes some mad math skills and amazing egg splitting abilities).  However, they are also big in flavor, and totally worth the extra math effort (or not, if you are in need of a huge batch of cookies).  So bake up a ginormous batch today!!

Big Family Chocolate Chip Cookies
by: Jacque (via her mother, Betty)

7 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. shortening
1 3/4 c. white sugar
1 3/4 c. brown sugar 
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 Tbsp. water
5 eggs
1 bag chocolate chips 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, cream the shortening.  Add the sugars (I always reduce my sugar and it still tastes great and bakes up normally), water, vanilla and eggs and cream it until it is light and fluffy.  Add the baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix it well.  Then add the flour and stir it to combine.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. 

4-Layer Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Frosting

I had a birthday.  And I wanted to make my own cake.  I've never done that before, but it may be a new tradition that I've started.  I picked a cake that I thought sounded delicious, but that I knew none of my other family members would let me make for their birthdays.  And doesn't a 4-layer red velvet cake with cream cheese whipped cream frosting sound lovely?  It was lovely.  And, as a side note, not one of my children even tasted this cake on my birthday.

4-Layer Red Velvet Cake
adapted slightly from: Joyofbaking.com

2 1/2 c. sifted cake flour (I used a little more than 2 c. flour and a little less than 1/2 c. cornstarch as a substitute)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. cocoa
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. buttermilk
2 Tbsp. red food coloring (I did not use this much)
1 tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two round pans with wax paper or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.  I actually used my 9X13 pan and when the cake was done I cut it into fourths.  In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt and cocoa.  In another bowl, beat the butter for 1 to 2 minutes.  Then add the sugar and mix it for another 3 or 4 minutes.  Add each egg, mixing it well after each one.  Add the vanilla and beat it all until it is light and fluffy.  In a measuring cup, mix the buttermilk and the red food coloring.  Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture in three additions (you better not make it four, or else! :).  In a small cup, stir together the vinegar and baking soda and let it fizz.  Then fold that into the batter.  Quickly pour the batter into your prepared pan(s) and bake it for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  When the cake is done, cook it completely, then gently tip it upside down and dump it out of the pan.  Carefully peel the wax paper off, wrap the cake in plastic wrap and put it in the freezer for an hour.  This will make it easier to frost.  While that is in the freezer, make your cream cheese whipped cream frosting.

Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Frosting
adapted slightly from: Joyofbaking.com

16 oz. softened cream cheese (pop it in the microwave for about 1 minute and it will soften)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 c. cold heavy whipping cream

With a mixer, beat the cream cheese until it is smooth.  Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat that until it is smooth and creamy.  Gradually add the heavy cream and beat it on high speed until it thickens and is spreadable.  If needed, add more sugar or cream to get the right consistency.  I actually thought the frosting could have been slightly sweeter, so taste it and add a little more sugar if you think it needs it.

When the cake is sufficiently frozen, remove it from the plastic wrap and slice it in half, horizontally.  For the 9X13 pan I cut it in half lenthwise, then cut each half in half horizontally.  Place one layer upside down on your serving platter and frost the top with the frosting.  Continue to layer and frost each layer and then frost the tops and sides of the cake.  If it is a little lopsided (like mine was), don't worry too much.  It will have four pretty layers when you cut a piece. Just don't show anyone the whole cake. (You'll notice I have no whole cake pictures on here :).  Happy Birthday!

No Bake Cookies, or Haystacks

These cookies are filled with memories for me.  I know them now as "no bake cookies" but I grew up calling them "haystacks".  I remember eating them with school lunch.  I never made them at my own house because my mom is completely anti-peanut butter (and even though these don't even taste like peanut butter, if she knows it is in a recipe, we never made that recipe!).  I do remember making them at my best friend Julie's house, however.  And when I pulled out my recipe card, it is written in Julie's handwriting!  How fun for me.    

Haystacks (No Bake Cookies)
adapted from: Julie and foodnetwork.com

2 c. sugar
1/4 c. cocoa
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. peanut butter
3 c. oatmeal

In a large saucepan, melt the butter, sugar, cocoa and milk, stirring constantly.  Bring it to a boil and boil it for 3 minutes.  Add the vanilla and peanut butter and stir it until it is smooth.  Add the oatmeal and mix it well.  Drop it by tablespoon full onto wax paper and let it cool and harden.

Sour Cream Waffles With White Chocolate and Cranberries

I have been working on this recipe in my mind for a while now.  I love the flavor combination of cranberries and white chocolate and thought it would be great in a waffle.  And I was right!  The sour cream waffle was soft on the inside, crispy on the outside.  The craisens (much easier than cranberries) and white chocolate added a delicious sweetness.

Sour Cream Waffles with White Chocolate and Cranberries
adapted from allrecipes.com

1 1/4 c. water
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. plain yogurt (I used Greek)
1/4 tsp. lemon juice
1 c. white flour
1 c. wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
white chocolate chips
Craisens (dried cranberries)

In a bowl, combine the water, sour cream, yogurt and lemon juice.  Add the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar and mix well.  Add the eggs and vanilla and stir to combine.  Heat your waffle iron.  Spray it with cooking spray and pour some batter on (the normal amount).  Take a little handful of white chocolate chips and Craisens and sprinkle them onto your waffle batter before closing the lid (as you can see, I had children who requested no Craisens on their half :).

Cook it.  Serve it with buttermilk syrup or powdered sugar. 

See the little white chocolate chips, peeking out?  Mmmm.

Homemade Chocolate Cream Filled Cookies (the best recipe!!)

I have had a number of homemade Oreo cookies in my life.  This version is, by far, the best I have had.  I made them and shared them last week, and my friend texted me something like this: "Those were the most delicious cookies!  I seriously could have taken the whole plate into my room and eaten every one of them. And I almost did!"  I feel the same way.  I got the recipe from my friend, Jen.  the same friend who gave me this lemony deliciousness.  The cream cheese frosting in the cookies helps them to be not too sweet.  I used a melon ball scooper thing to put them onto to pan and the kids had a lot of fun helping me with that.  In lieu of Mother's Day tomorrow, maybe you should make a batch, and then be sure to hide a few extra for yourself!

Chocolate Cream Filled Cookies  


2 devil's food cake mixes
1/2 c. flour
2 Tbsp. water
4 eggs
1 c. oil (I know, I  know.  Next time I may try reducing this, or substituting apple sauce for some of it.)

Cream Cheese Filling


1/2 c. butter, softened
1 lb. powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla

In a medium bowl, combine the vanilla, softenend butter and softenend cream cheese and stir it until it is well combined.  Add the powdered sugar and continue to stir it until it is mixed well (no clumps).  Let it sit in your fridge for about 30 minutes, or until it gets a little firmer.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the cake mixes, flour, water, eggs and oil.  Using a wooden spoon, stir it all together.  Drop by tablespoonful onto a cookie sheet.  I used a melon baller.  It worked great.  Bake them for 10 minutes, remove them from the pan and cool completely.

When the cookies are cooled, spread a generous amount of the cream cheese frosting on the back side of one cookie and stick another cookie on the other side, back side in (you get this, right?).  After I had made my little cookie sandwiches, I put them in the fridge for a little longer, so that the frosting didn't all come right out as I bit into one.  That seemed to do the trick (Maybe it was unnecessary.  I didn't test it.  Hmmm.).

Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Cookie Bars

I saw this recipe on twopeasandtheirpod.com and became obsessed with trying it.  I couldn't stop thinking about the sweet of the caramel mixed with the salt of the...salt.  And they were delicious.  They were thick. They were gooey.  They were sweet, and yes, they were a little salty.  And now that I am finally posting this, I may be feeling another obsession coming on.  Mmmmm.


Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Cookie Bars
adapted from: www.twopeasandtheirpod.com


2 1/8 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 c. brown sugar 
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chocolate chips
8-9 ounces caramel candy squares, unwrapped
3 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
Sea Salt, for sprinkling over caramel bars


Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  Spray a 2-quart baking pan (11X7-mine was Pyrex) with cooking spray and set it aside.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda and set it aside, too.  In another bowl, mix the melted butter and sugars together.  Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla and mix it until it is smooth.  Slowly add the dry ingredients and stir until it is just combined.  Then stir in the chocolate chips.  Divide the cookie dough in half.  Press half of the cookie dough evenly into the baking dish.  In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the caramels and the heavy cream and melt them, stirring every twenty seconds.  Pour the hot caramel over the cookie dough in the pan and then sprinkle it with the Sea Salt.  This is where I may have gone slightly wrong.  I really had no idea how much salt to put in and I salted it a wee bit too much.  Here is my tip for you: put a little salt in your hand (I'm talking maybe a 1/4 teaspoon or less) and sprinkle that over your caramel.  Then drop spoonfuls of cookie dough over the caramel and spread it until the caramel is covered.  The original recipe says to sprinkle the top with salt, and again, I would say not much, maybe 1/8-1/4 teaspoon at this point.  Bake the cookie bars for 30 minutes or until the top is light golden brown and the edges start to pull away from the pan.  Cool the bars on a wire rack to room temperature before cutting them.  And make sure you serve them with a glass of milk.:)

Easy Whipped Cream Truffles

I am calling these candies truffles, for lack of a better word.  They are kind of truffle-y, kind of cookie-ish, maybe somewhere in between.  I have a very distinct memory of my mom making these for a Tupperware party she was hosting, when I was a small child.  Watching her use a candy bar and a carton of cool whip (it was probably a splurge for our tight budget) and knowing that it wasn't for us, was torturous.  Ever since, they have been magical.  So, I splurged on a large Symphony candy bar, vanilla wafers and a carton of cool whip, and this time, I ate as many as I wanted and even shared a few with the kids.  There are only three ingredients, so you know this is going to be easy.


Easy Whipped Cream Truffles  
from: Lynne'


1 large chocolate candy bar (I got the biggest I could find)
1 carton of cool whip
2 c. vanilla wafers, crushed (you may need a few more, but that'll probably be enough)


In a microwave safe bowl, melt your chocolate.  I did this by cooking it 30 seconds at a time and stirring in between.  Let the chocolate cool for a few minutes.  I waited about 10 minutes and it was still slightly warm, but very stir-able.  If it is too warm it will melt your cool whip.  Add the entire carton of cool whip to the chocolate and stir it well.  When you do this, the coldness of the cool whip will start to harden up the chocolate.  Just keep stirring until it is mixed in well, knowing that you will end up with some chocolate flecks.

Put your crushed vanilla wafers in a bowl and drop the chocolate/whipped cream mixture by teaspoon full into the wafers, stirring gently to coat the entire ball.  You can make these into pretty balls if you want, I just dropped mine in the crushed cookies.  Place them onto a cookie sheet, lined with wax paper and freeze 1-2 hours, or until you are ready to serve them.  Feel free to get creative with these.  I added coconut to a portion of them, and that was good.  You could also try crushed Oreos or nuts instead of vanilla wafers. 

Cocoa Layer Cake

Matt made me a birthday cake from heaven this year. It is probably the best chocolate cake I've ever eaten. Have a I said that before? It is rich, and delectable, and moist, and gooey, and if you like chocolate cake, you must try this. He got it from one of our Bon Appetite cookbooks (Feb. 2011).

Thanks babe.

Cocoa Layer Cake

Cake:

½ c. natural unsweetened cocoa powder

1 c. lukewarm water, divided

½ c. buttermilk

1 ½ c. cake flour

¾ tsp. baking soda

1 c. sugar

½ c. (packed) golden brown sugar

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature, beaten to blend

Frosting:

10 tbsp. (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter

1 1/3 c. (packed) golden brown sugar

1 c. natural unsweetened cocoa powder

1 c. heavy whipping cream

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Cake: Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 350° F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 ½ inch-high sides. Line with parchment paper rounds; butter parchment. Whisk cocoa and ½ c. warm water in small bowl. Whisk buttermilk and ½ c. water in another small bowl. Sift flour, baking soda, and ¼ tsp. salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat both sugars and butter in large bowl until pale yellow and fluffy (mixture will appear granular), about 5 minutes. With mixer running, gradually add beaten eggs, then beat until smooth and fluffy, about 15 seconds. Add cocoa mixture; beat to blend. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 2 additions, beating to blend after each addition. Divide batter among pans (about 1 ¾ c. each).

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, reversing pans halfway through baking, about 18 minutes. Cool completely in pans on racks.

Frosting: Melt butter in med. Saucepan over med. Heat. Stir in sugar, cocoa, and ½ tsp (scant) salt. Gradually stir in cream. Stir until mixture is very hot and just begins to simmer at edges. Reduce heat to low; stir 1 minute to let flavors blend. Transfer to med. Bowl; stir in vanilla (frosting will resemble chocolate sauce). Chill until just thickened, stirring occasionally, about 1 ½ hours. Let stand at room temperature.

Run knife around cake sides. Carefully invert 1 cake onto plate (cake is very tender); peel off parchment. Spread with ½ c. frosting. Invert second cake onto palm of hand. Position cake 2 inches above frosted cake layer. Carefully slide cake onto first cake layer. Peel off parchment. Spread cake with ½ c. frosting. Repeat with third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.

Chocolate Chip Chocolate Waffles with Peanut Butter Glaze

Nicole and I decided to start trying out a new waffle recipe every other week.  Someday we want to open a waffle shop together (I should give Monica some credit here, too.  She is going to be our restaraunt cleaner.)  When I told my mom we were going to do this project, she immediately said "Are you going to make dad's chocolate waffles?"  I don't think that my dad actually has any chocolate waffles that he could really call his own, but there is a legend in our family, that when Mom had a baby (maybe Nicole?) and Dad was in charge for a couple of days, he made us all chocolate waffles for dinner.  And I don't think we liked them.  It is joked about quite often.  So, I went ahead and started out our Waffle Project with some chocolate waffles.  I found a recipe for Chocolate pancakes, adapted them for waffles and doctored them up a bit with more chocolate.  The peanut butter glaze I found on allrecipes.com, and is incredibly easy and yummy.  The waffles (er, pancakes) recipe was from a website that I now can't find and so I can't give (whoever they were) credit.  And it actually called for bananas, which I added, but Dustin and I thought they would be better without.  If you want to add those in, go ahead!  It was two mashed bananas, folded in just before cooking.  Otherwise, enjoy these chocolate waffles, dedicated to our Dear Ol' Dad.  

Chocolate Chip Chocolate Waffles

adapted by: Carolyn

1 c. white flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 c. sugar

2/3 c. cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. milk

2 eggs

1/2 c. oil

1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

Peanut Butter Glaze

2/3 c. powdered sugar

4 tsp. water

1 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter

For the waffles, in a large bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients.  Add the eggs, milk and oil and mix it well.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Cook in your waffle iron, adding a couple more minutes than your waffles normally take.  I checked mine after the normal time and they usually needed a minute more.  Make sure and spray your waffle iron in between every couple of rounds of waffles.  The chocolate chips make it stick a little more than usual.  Also, be sure to stir the batter every time before pouring it on the iron to get the chocolate chips off of the bottom. 

For the glaze, in a small bowl, add all the ingredients and stir it until it is smooth and creamy.  And that's all.

S'more Cookies

I saw this idea on another blog and when I went back to find it and make it, I couldn't find it. Who's blog was it? I do not know. So, I made up my own version. I just used a recipe that I love for triple chocolate cookies and then added the other fixins' to make it what I wanted. And, they turned out great!

Triple Chocolate Cookies, or S'more Cookies

adapted from www.allrecipes.com

1 c. butter, softened

1 c. sugar (the recipe calls for 1 1/2 c. but I always use less sugar in cookies-and then I add more chocolate chips to counteract any health I may have given myself :)

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. flour

2/3 c. cocoa powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 bag milk chocolate chips

1/3 bag white chocolate chips

1/3 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

4-5 graham crackers, broken into bite size pieces

1 c. mini marshmallows

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the butter, eggs and vanilla and beat it until it is light and fluffy. In another bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and then stir it into the other mixture until it is well blended. I must confess here, I rarely do this step. I just throw all the dry ingredients into the main bowl and then make sure that I mix it really well. I've never had a problem. Is there a reason it always says to do this? Do you know? Am I over mixing cookies? Would they be better if I did this the right way? Then add your chocolate chip varieties and stir it well. Gently stir in the graham crackers. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet and then smoosh (yes, I just used that word) in a few mini marshmallows on top of each cookie. Bake them for 8-10 minutes. When you bake these, the marshmallows roast in your oven and taste so yummy! The graham cracker gives it a fun little crunch.

If you want to eat them as triple chocolate cookies, just leave out the graham crackers and marshmallows. We did it both ways and it is a great recipe either way, but with those marshmallows on top, the kids couldn't resist them. And frankly, neither could Dustin. And double-frankly, neither could I.

Rich Chocolate Bundt Cake

I got a bundt cake pan for Christmas (in a round about way) and have just been aching to use it. We had a little talent show for Family Home Evening and I thought making a fancy cake would be a great dessert for my little superstars. In the end, the two big superstars were the ones who ate most of the cake, but hey, I'm not complaining. I looked at a lot of recipes on allrecipes.com, and they were all very similar. It sounds like you can use this model of a cake recipe and switch out the flavors of cake or pudding, or chocolate chips to accommodate what you are wanting. It was a very moist, thick cake, with an excellent flavor. I got the frosting recipe from Nicole and the rich, chocolate frosting, with the sweetness of the cake was so great together.

Too Much Chocolate Cake

from: www.allrecipes.com

1 package devil's food cake mix

1 small package instant chocolate pudding mix (I used sugar free and it was still excellent)

1 c. sour cream

1 c. vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/2 c. warm water

2 c. semi sweet chocolate chips (if you have mini chips, I think they would melt a little better)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl mix together the cake mix and pudding mix. Beat the eggs. Add the sour cream, vegetable oil, beaten eggs and water and stir well. Put a tablespoon of flour in a bowl with the chocolate chips and coat them with the flour (this helps so that they don't all sink right to the bottom). Then stir them into the cake mixture. Pour the batter into your well greased bundt cake pan. Bake it for 50-55 minutes, or until the top springs back to the touch. Cool the cake in the pan for at least an hour and a half, then flip it over onto your dish and frost it. I actually halved the recipe for the frosting and it was enough for this type of cake. I know when Nicole made it, she was doing a layered cake and she needed the whole recipe of frosting. I am putting the recipe in the way Nicole gave it to me (whole).

Decadent Chocolate Frosting

1 1/4 stick of butter

1 1/3 c. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. cocoa

1 c. heavy whipping cream

2 tsp. vanilla

Melt the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the cocoa, salt and whipping cream and stir it all constantly until it is well combined. Remove it from the heat and add the vanilla and stir well. It will be pretty runny. Let it cool for about an hour and then frost your cake with it.

Michelle's Magic Bars

This is my sister-in-law, Michelle's, recipe, and the whole family loves this tasty dessert.

1 cube butter
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers (1 pkg)
1 cup chocolate chip cookies
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 cup coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Melt butter to a liquid and stir in the crushed graham crackers.  Press this into the bottom of a greased 9" x 13" baking pan.  Sprinkle the chocolate chips (and nuts if you like them) over the top.  Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the whole pan, sprinkle the coconut over that, and then gently press the coconut into the milk.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes

Allow to cool before serving.   They're magical!