Category Archives: Desserts

Hershey’s Best Brownies

18 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by in Bar Cookies, Brownies, Chocolate, Comfort Food, Desserts

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I made these today with gluten free flour. They were thick and good! I think I’ll like them even better when made with regular flour. The original recipe is found on the Hershey’s website.

Ingredients-

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Method-

1- Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 9X13 inch pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.

2- Place butter in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave butter for 1-1/2 minutes or until melted. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Add cocoa; beat until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat well. Stir in nuts, if desired. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3- Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownies barely begin to pull away from sides of pan. Be careful not to over bake. It is so easy to over bake brownies. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. I usually put them in the freezer for a few minutes before using the foil to lift them out of the pan and on to the cooling rack. Peel away the foil and cut into bars. Makes about 24 brownies.

 

Kim’s Brownies

18 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by in Bar Cookies, Brownies, Chocolate, Comfort Food, Desserts

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Ingrdients-
3/4 pound butter, melted
2 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided use
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
5 eggs
2 cups brown sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts (pecans or walnuts), chopped
Method-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch pan.Melt butter in a saucepan. Add 1-3/4 cups chocolate chips and stir until melted. Add melted mixture to cocoa in a bowl and combine. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whip eggs with brown sugar.

Mix flour with baking powder and salt. Add this dry mixture to egg/ brown sugar mixture. Mix in the butter-chocolate mixture. Stir in the remaining 3/4 cup chocolate chips and nuts. (Some nuts and chocolate chips may be saved to sprinkle on top of the brownies before baking.) Spread batter into a prepared pan.

Bake for 25 minutes in a 350 degree F oven. Cool before slicing.

One Bowl Brownies

18 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by in Brownies, Chocolate, Comfort Food, Desserts, Institute Treats

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I was browsing at Smitten Kitchen for a brownie recipe. I have had many failed attempts recently. On one of her recipes she was talking about her very favorite one bowl brownies which had been dissed by her commenters for being off the box of Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate. Many other commenters said how much they liked the “off the box” recipe. I am not one who likes recipes that include boxed ingredients, but this one doesn’t. It’s a from scratch recipe. I decided to try it today to make brownie sundaes for tonight’s activity at institute.

Ingredients-

1- 4 oz package Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour

Method-

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Line a 9X13″ pan with foil, leaving some hanging over the sides. Spray with cooking spray.

Microwave chocolate and butter on high in a large microwavable bowl for two minutes. Stir until chocolate is melted and combined with the butter.

Add sugar and stir to combine. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Finally stir in flour until just mixed.

Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely and then using the sides of foil carefully lift brownies out of the pan. Refrigerating them for awhile makes them easier to cut.

S’mores Bars

12 Thursday Feb 2015

Posted by in Bar Cookies, Cookies, Desserts, Institute Treats

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I found this recipe on I Heart Naptime. I made it a few weeks ago for a group and it was a hit. I made a few adjustments to the recipe and added some suggestions that made the process easier for me. Sorry there are no photos. Go to the I Heart Naptime page to see her photo.

Ingredients-

  • CRUST:
  • 1/2 cup butter melted
  • 1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (this is a little more than one packet)
  • DOUGH:
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup butter (softened)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup mini marshmallows
  • Top the dough with the following before baking:
  • 1 Hershey’s Bar (cut into pieces)
  • 2 Graham Crackers (broken into pieces)
  • 3/4 cup marshmallows

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Combine melted butter and graham cracker crumbs into a small bowl with a fork. Then line a 13×9 with foil and press down crust. Set aside.
  3. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add in eggs and vanilla and stir until combined. Mix the baking powder and salt with 1 cup of flour. Pour into the butter mixture and stir in the rest of the flour. Fold in chocolate chips and marshmallows.
  4. I put spoonfuls of the dough evenly all over the top of the graham cracker crust. Then carefully press dough into pan with flour on your hands. This is a bit tricky because the graham cracker crust keeps pulling up. Then add the Hershey’s bar, broken graham cracker and marshmallows on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Be carefully not to overcook or the bars will be dry. Oven temps will vary. The dough should be slightly soft in the center.
  5. Allow bars to cool before cutting.

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

02 Thursday May 2013

Posted by in Desserts

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Ingredients-
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
4 large eggs
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 large box (5.1 ounces) vanilla instant pudding
3 cups milk
1 8 oz. container cool whip (you won’t use the whole container) or one batch of homemade whipped cream
chocolate syrup or homemade chocolate sauce

Method-
Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a 9″X 13″ glass baking pan.  *If the sides of your pan are too greased you won’t be able to get the mixture to stay up the sides so make sure to just lightly grease.

Eclair Crust: In a medium saucepan, melt butter in water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in flour. Mix in one egg at a time, mixing completely before adding another egg. Spread mixture into pan, covering the bottom and sides evenly.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown (Mine only took 25 minutes.) You may want to check it occasionally-you don’t want to overcook the crust, it will ruin the cake! Remove from oven and let cool (don’t touch or push bubbles down).

Filling: Whip cream cheese in a medium bowl. In separate bowl make vanilla pudding. Make sure pudding is thick before mixing in with cream cheese. Slowly add pudding to cream cheese, mixing until there are no lumps. Let cool in fridge.When the crust is completely cooled, pour filling in. Top with layer of cool whip however thick you want it and serve with chocolate syrup. *If you want to make this even better use homemade whipped cream.

Ally’s Pumpkin Apple Gingerbread

04 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by in Autumn, Cakes, Desserts

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Ingredients-

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 eggs
1 3/4 cup pumpkin (15 ounce can)
1 large baking apple peeled and shredded (I use a Granny Smith apple)
1/2 cup molasses
Powdered sugar

Method-

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a bowl.

Beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs two at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in apple, pumpkin and molasses. Gradually mix in the flour mixture.

Spoon batter into a well greased and floured 12 cup fluted tube pan.* Bake in a preheated  350 degree F oven for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes and remove from pan. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm. Makes 12 servings

*Note- recipe can also be made in a 13 X 9 inch baking pan for 40 – 45 minutes.

Whoopie Pie Filling

09 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by in Desserts

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6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 jar marshmallow creme (about 7 oz)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Food coloring (optional)

In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer until creamy.  Add sugar and the salt to the butter; mix well. Add marshmallow creme and vanilla; blend well. If desired add food coloring. Use immediately to fill whoopie pies or refrigerate covered up to 1 week. Bring back to room temperature and lightly beat before using.

Makes 2 1/2 cups filling, enough to fill 12 whoopie pies.

 

Bite Size Apple Pies

09 Sunday Oct 2011

Posted by in Autumn, Desserts

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I have been checking into Pinterest about once a day and Teigan had pinned these. They look so yummy for a fall desert. I’ll add a photo once I make them. You can see a photo of them here Cookin’ Up North

Bite Size Apple Pies

1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 pkg. (14.1 oz..} refrigerated pie crust
3 tbsp. melted butter, divided
2 medium tart apples peeled and each cut into 8 wedges

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon, set aside 1 Tbsp. On a lightly floured surface, unroll the pastry. Brush with  2 Tbsp. melted butter, sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture.

Cut each sheet into 8 one inch strips, about 8 in. long. Wrap one strip around each apple wedge, placing sugared side of pastry against apple.

Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar mixture. bake at 425 for 13-15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Serve warm. Makes 16.

Whoopie Pies

12 Monday Sep 2011

Posted by in Cookies, Cupcakes, Desserts

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Today I found this new cook book. It sounds like something fun to do with my grandchildren. And as much as I love making cupcakes and I always will this will be a new and fun way to explore our creativity. Inside the front cover flap it says, “Move over cupcakes-whoopie pies have come to town! Not quite a cake, not quite a cookie, these delightfully squidgy treats are the new baking craze sweeping the world…” Well, I am not sure I agree, but this book has many fun ideas.

July 4th Apple Pie

04 Monday Jul 2011

Posted by in Comfort Food, Desserts, Pies

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This is not a traditional apple pie. I got the idea from Dinner-A Love Story. It’s actually a galette.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Roll out a 9 inch pie crust. I used a Betty Crocker pie crust mix, but you could use a frozen one or make one from scratch. Peel 3 or 4 apples and slice them thinly, I used 2 of the giant Fuji apples we get here in Tokyo. Since today is the Fourth of July and I wanted a little patriotic color I added 1/4 cup of fresh blueberries and a small handful of dried cranberries. Place the pie crust on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Put the apples, blueberries and cranberries in the center of the crust and sprinkle with about 1/4 cup of sugar and a couples shakes of cinnamon. Mix this up a little using your hands. Then fold the sides of the pie crust up over the apples and dot with a few small pats of butter. Brush the crust with milk. Cook at 450 degrees for 20 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees for another 20 minutes.