Cereal Candy

I got this recipe from my neighbor Tammy.  It's seriously addicting....I could eat a whole pan by myself!

17.5 oz crispix cereal (I usually use rice or corn chex...on sale this time of year)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups corn syrup
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
2 cups chocolate chips (alternative: 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips with 1/2 cup of cinnamon chips)
1 cup butterscotch chips

1.  Place cereal in a big bowl.
2.  Heat sugar and corn syrup over medium heat until it starts to boil.
3.  Remove from heat and add peanut butter.  Stir until smooth.
4.  Pour over cereal and stir until well coated.
5.  Spread on two cookie sheets.
6.  Melt chocolate chips (or chocolate chips and cinnamon chips together) and drizzle over cereal.
7.  Melt butterscotch chips and drizzle over cereal.
8.  Let set and cool.  Then break apart and store in air tight container.

Chocolate Syrup

This is a recipe that we got from our next door neighbor Janet Hogsett. It is delicious!! perfect sauce for ice cream.

Mix together in a saucepan over medium heat:

2-1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cocoa

Add 1 large can (12 oz) of evaporated milk to above mixture. stir constantly. bring just to boiling then remove from heat. Add 1 tsp vanilla.

Serve hot over ice cream

Black and White Chocolate Cupcakes

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup and 2 tablespoons dark chocolate cocoa

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup sour cream

3 eggs

¾ cup ready-to-eat chocolate pudding

½ cup butter, melted

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Line 24 cupcake pan cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds until well combined.

Add wet ingredients and mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl and resume mixing on medium speed for an additional minute. Stop mixer and fold in chocolate chips.

Fill the prepared cupcake liners with batter 3/4 full. Bake about 15–18 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

White Chocolate Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

¼ cup butter, softened

1 cup white chocolate chips or 6 ounces white chocolate, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/3 cups powdered sugar

To make the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Add melted chocolate and vanilla; mix for an additional minute. Add powdered sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy after each addition.

Spread the frosting on the chocolate cupcakes. Garnish with fresh raspberries, mini chocolate chips, or chocolate sprinkles.

**Courtesy of BYU Magazine Summer 2012

Nanaimo Bars

I got this recipe from my roommate from Victoria, BC my freshman year of college!

Crust Bottom Layer:
1/2 cup butter .......Melt complete in a medium saucepan
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 cup sugar ........add to melted butter and stir til smooth
1 large egg ................{whisk at room temp. by itself first} add slowly to saucepan over
. ................................................low heat while whisking constantly until smooth/thick consistency
1 tsp. vanilla ............add to chocolate sauce
2 c. crushed graham crackers
1 c. coconut.................add chocolate to these last ingredients and mix
**Put in 9 inch square pan and chill for 1 hour!!


Butter Cream Center Layer:
4 TBSP butter ...............................................beat (kitchenaid, hand mixer, etc) at room temp til creamy
2 TBSP vanilla pudding powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 c. powdered sugar.................................add to butter and mix until consistent
2-4 TBSP Milk .................................................start with 2, add more if needed and mix until thick
............................................................................................but creamy {needs to be spreadable}
**Spread over refrigerated crust and refrigerate for 1 hour


Chocolate Top Layer:
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips .......NOT milk chocolate
1 TBSP butter.......................................................... melt chips and butter in double boiler and spread
................................................................................................... over refrigerated butter cream
**Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes (if it's too long, when you slice them the chocolate will crack/break, if that's the case, let it sit out for 5 minutes until they can be sliced easily. Put on plate and refrigerate until you need to serve them. ***They're quite rich so slices should be small!! Here's a video if you want to see the steps.

Peanut Butter Squares

This is an old family favorite and I figured out why they've been so sticky as of late!!

Ingredients:
1c. butter (softened NOT melted)
1c. peanut butter
2c. powdered sugar
1 pack + 3more graham crackers {Here's the fix!!}

12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips {melted}

Instructions:
Put graham crackers in a ziploc and smash them until VERY fine with a rolling pin.
Mix the first four until uniform and spread in a large cookie sheet.
Cover with melted chocolate.
I refrigerate to make it set faster and leave it in when it's not being eaten to keep it fresh.

YUMMY

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter chips

1 (6oz) pkg. chocolate covered peanut butter cups, cut into eights (Reese's peanut butter cups cut up chunky)

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda. Stir into the peanut mixture. Mix in the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. (Or, you could roll them into balls if you prefer a more uniform look.)

Bake for 13 minutes and then remove from oven and allow cookies to rest on cookie sheet for an additional five minutes before removing them. Enjoy!

***I also didn't put in the Reese's peanut butter cups this time because I was trying to cut back slightly on the intensity of the flavor. They still tasted awesome!

BYU Mint Brownies

photo courtesy of BYU Magazine

These are the best brownies I have ever tasted! They taste exactly like BYU's brownies! So good. The recipe says to bake at 350 for 25 minutes. I had to let them bake for 40 minutes in my oven. So gooey and yummy!

1 cup margarine
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tbsp honey
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Melt margarine and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool.
2. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Mix well and add nuts.
4. Pour batter into greased 9 x 13 pan.
5. Bake for 25-40 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
6. LET COOL COMPLETELY.

Prepare Mint Icing:

5 tbsp room temp margarine
dash of salt
1 tbsp light corn syrup
2 1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp mint extract
2-3 drops green food coloring
3 tbsp milk

Mix margarine, salt, corn syrup and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring and mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

Prepare Chocolate Frosting:

1/2 cup margarine
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup milk
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Spread mint icing over the brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing. Remove from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate frosting (I used store frosting).

Tim's Chocolate Cake

This recipe was given to me by Tim Morganson. He is a GENIUS! He and his brother owned a restaurant for a lot of years. This recipe is the closest thing I've tasted to Magleby's chocolate cake. So delicious!

Tim makes this cake in a full sheet, but I only have 9x13 pans, so this is a recipe for 9x13. The frosting is for the full sheet, hence his note by that recipe.

CAKE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Blend the following ingredients together:

2 cups sugar

1-3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1-1/2 Teaspoons baking soda

1-1/2 Teaspoons baking powder

3/4 Teaspoon salt

Stir in:

1/2 cup melted salted butter

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

3 Teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat on medium speed until well incorporated then turn mixer to slowest speed and add:

1 cup boiling water

Pour into buttered and floured 9 x 13 baking pan.

Bake until done? (Tim's note: I have never done one this small. I would guess about 30 min. If you gently insert a wooden tooth pick and it comes out clean it is done. Don't be alarmed if the cake appears to fall just a bit, that is normal and can be filled with frosting. You know my motto when it comes to cake. "A cake is only as good as its frosting is thick!") Cool cake completely before frosting.

FROSTING

(Tim's note: I use this recipe to frost the one of the cakes I usually make. If you make it all up you can save what you don't use in a plastic bag refrigerated for along time. Good for brownies, sugar cookies, graham crackers, and some of us consider it finger food.)

Gently blend together

2 pounds powdered sugar

3/4 cup cocoa

In small pieces add:

1/2 pound (2 squares) softened butter

Add:

3 Teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 to 2 cups of heavy whipping cream (This will depend on the thickness of the cream.)

Turn to high speed and whip for approx. 3 minutes.

Butterfinger Brownies

This is awesome. Very easy... We had them on Father's Day.

Ingredients:
Your favorite brownie mix
6 mini butterfinger bars or 2 full size bars
1/2 cup of chocolate chips

Directions: Prepare the brownie mix as directed. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spray pan and pour batter in 9x13 pan. In a ziplock bag, put your butterfinger bars in. Take out your frustrations, and beat it with a rolling pin to crush them. :) Then sprinkle on the top of the brownie batter. Bake as directed on the box.. And wha-la, you have yummy butterfinger brownies!

Chocolate Chip Chocolate Bundt Cake

This recipe is from a lady in my ward, Julee Bateman. It is TO DIE for. Anyhoo...

1 chocolate pudding cake mix (any choc cake mix will do)

1-4oz. chocolate pudding mix

10 oz sour cream

4 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup warm water

12 oz pk chocolate chips

Mix all together and pour into a greased and floured bundt pan and cook for 50-60 minutes on 350 degrees.  It is pretty moist so it needs to be cooked all the way through. You can put powdered sugar on top, or drizzle chocolate sauce, or for Christmas chopped candy cane.

Enjoy!

Brownies With Strawberries & Cream

Brownies: Make brownie mix with cake like directions and bake them in a mini muffin tin for 14 minutes at 325* When you take them out of the oven press the centers right away with a spoon or whatever you have that will make a small indentation in the middle.

Frosting:
Mix together 8 oz softened cream cheese and 1/4 Cup powdered sugar.
Add in: Melt 1/3 bag of white chocolate chips in microwave until soft.
Fold in: 1 Cup thawed cool whip (or more if you like).

Assembly:Put the frosting in a zip top bag, snip a small corner off and squeeze the frosting into the brownies. Top with fresh strawberries or a small amount of strawberry jam (or another fruit that goes well with chocolate and cream.)

These are great little desserts that taste like you spent hours in the kitchen!!

EASY Turtle Bars

I got this recipe out of my new cake mix cook book. I made these for New Years Eve and everyone raved about them!

1 pkg chocolate cake mix
1/2 C butter, melted
1/4 C milk
1 C semisweet chocolate chips
1 C chopped pecans or walnuts
1 jar (12 oz) caramel ice cream topping

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine cake mix, butter and milk; mix until well blended. Press half of batter into prepared pan. Bake 7 -8 mins or until crust begins to form.
3. Sprinkle chocolate chips and half of the nuts over partially baked crust. Drizzle with caramel topping. Drop spoonfuls of remaining batter over caramel mixture; sprinkle with remaining nuts.
4. Bake 18-20 mins or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen bars.

Better Than "Anything" Cake

A popular chocolate cake with loads of chocolate, caramel topping, candy bars and whipped topping. This is perfect when you don't have a lot of time.
INGREDIENTS:
• 1 German chocolate or other chocolate cake, baked, 13x9x2-inch
• 3/4 cup fudge topping
• 3/4 cup caramel or butterscotch topping
• 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 6 chocolate covered toffee bars
• 1 tub of whipped topping or 1 envelope Dream Whip, prepared with milk
PREPARATION:
Do not remove cake from pan. After the cake has cooled, make holes in the entire top of the cake using a large fork or the handle of a wooden spoon. Pour (one at a time) fudge, butterscotch, and condensed milk over the top of the cake and let each flavor soak in before adding the next.

Crush 3 of the candy bars and sprinkle on the top. Frost the cake with the whipped topping and crush the 3 remaining toffee bars to decorate the top. Try to keep your hands off of this great cake before serving!
Serves 12

Tip: I like to make things pretty... so i pour fudge sauce in a zip lock back or a piping bag and drizzle it out zig zag style all the way across the cake. and then do the same for the caramel but zig zag the other direction. (it looks like a grid)

Oreo Truffles

This recipe is SO easy and is a BIG hit! I made it for a party on Saturday and won the "best tasting" contest! They are Yummy.

Makes about 50 truffles 

• 1 lb Oreo cookies (3 sleeves) (I like using Mint Oreos)
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (using different extracts allows for subtle flavour changes...I've used mint extract, upped to 1 tsp) (optional)
• 1 lb milk chocolate
• 1/2 lb white chocolate

1. Using a food processor, grind cookies to a fine powder.
2. With a mixer, blend cookie powder, cream cheese and vanilla extract until thoroughly mixed (there should be no white traces of cream cheese).
3. Roll into small balls and place on wax-lined cookie sheet.
4. Refrigerate for 45 minutes.
5. Line two cookie sheets with wax paper.
6. In double-boiler, melt milk chocolate.
7. Dip balls and coat thoroughly.
8. With slotted spoon, lift balls out of chocolate and let excess chocolate drip off.
9. Place on wax-paper-lined cookie sheet.
10. In separate double boiler, melt white chocolate.
11. Using a fork, drizzle white chocolate over balls.
12. Let cool.
13. Store in airtight container, in refrigerator.

Texas Sheet Cake

Cake:

1 c, (2 sticks) butter/marg

1 c. water

4 Tbs cocoa

2 c. flour

2 c. sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 tsp soda

1/2 c soured milk (add 1 1/2 tsp vinegar to milk & let stand 5 min)

Bring to boil margarine, water, and cocoa. Remove from heat. Add to medium mixing bowl with flour, sugar, salt. Beat in 2 eggs, soda and milk.  Bake in greased cookie sheet for 20-22 min (23-25 in high altitude) at 375 F. 

Frosting:

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter/marg

4 tsp. cocoa

6 Tbs milk

3 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Bring to boil margarine, cocoa, and milk.  Remove from heat.  Add to mixing bowl with vanilla and powdered sugar.

spread on cake immediately after it comes out of the oven.  Enjoy!