French Silk Pie

This recipe is 1 1/2 times the original recipe. I felt like the original recipe wasn't enough for a good pie, but doubling it was way too much.  This seems to be perfect!  My husband's sisters have experimented with adding peppermint extract or peanut butter to the recipe, but I'm a minimalist and love the original just the way it is!

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
4 1/2 Tbsp Cocoa
3/4 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 pre-baked pie crust

Cream butter, sugar, and cocoa together.  Stir in vanilla.  Add eggs - one at a time - beating each egg for 3-5 minutes (a must!)  Pour into pie crusts and chill for 1-2 hours, or until set up. Top with whipped cream and enjoy!

Recipe from Annette & Karen

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Pie Crust

1 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
2 1/2 Tbsp cold water

Stir ingredients together, and mold into a ball.  Place dough ball on one sheet of wax paper, press down to flatten it out, and then place another piece of wax paper on top. Roll dough out with a rolling pin.  To pre-bake before adding fillings, poke holes all around dough with a fork, then bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.  Makes ONE pie crust.

Fudgey Pumpkin Spice Brownies

1 box brownie mix
1 can of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of ground nutmeg

Optional mix-ins:  chocolate chips, pecans, or walnuts.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all ingredients in a bowl with a fork until well blended.  Pour into greased 9x13 baking dish.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Let cool.  Cut with a plastic knife and serve.

Original recipe found HERE.

Homemade Butterfingers

1 lb candy corn

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

*original recipe found HERE calls for an entire 16oz of PB, but I only had about 1 1/2 cups and it worked just fine*

1 1/2 to 2 cups chocolate chips (semi sweet or milk chocolate, or a combo of both)

Put candy corn in microwavable bowl (or on stovetop).

Melt candy corn in microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring ever 30-45 seconds.

Stir in peanut butter.


Spread into small, greased baking dish.  (I think mine is an 8x11 or something).


Let cool completely to harden.  Then cut into bars and place on parchment paper.

Melt chocolate chips in microwave for a couple of minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.  Then dollop evenly onto bars.

Spread peanut butter to cover bars.  (Mine aren't pretty.  But who cares!)  Then let chocolate cool and harden.

Enjoy!

Homemade Oreos

Cookies:
2 Devils Food Cake Mixes
1 1/2 cup shortening
4 eggs

Mix Well. Roll into small balls.
Bake on un-greased cookie sheet at 350 for 9 minutes

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
2 3/4 cups powder sugar
1 T. Vanilla

Mix well, scrapping bowl. Press 2 cookies together with filling.

Makes approximately 2 to 2 1/2 dozen sandwiched cookies.

Recipe from Carie

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Loaf

1 1/2 cups of sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice -OR- 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, & 1/2 teaspoon all spice
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup oil
12 ounces chocolate chips (2 cups)
1/2 cup almonds or walnuts (I prefer to use walnuts)

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in a second bowl. Then combine the ingredients.

Bake at 350 degrees. Ready when toothpick comes out clean.
Regular loaf: 1 hour 15 minutes
Mini loaf: 50 minutes
Muffins: 18-20 minutes
Mini muffins: ~13 minutes


Recipe from Chrystal

Evil Chocolate Cake

1 devil's food cake mix
1 large pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
5 eggs
16 oz. sour cream
1/2 c butter, melted
2 c. chocolate chips


Blend together, put in sprayed bundt
Bake 55 min. at 350
Cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar

Recipe from Jana & Jen

Nutella Cheesecake Brownies

Brownie Layer:
10 Tbsp butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/4 cup Nutella
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Combine butter, Nutella, eggs, and sugar. Sift in flour and cocoa and mix until well combined. Pour batter into 9x9 pan (greased or lined with parchment) and spread evenly. Set aside to make cheesecake layer.

Cheesecake Layer:
8oz cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup Nutella

Mix all ingredients until well combined. Pour over brownie batter.

Bake at 325 until cheesecake looks set, approx. 40-45 minutes. Allow brownies to cool completely in the pan before cutting.

Recipe from Micah

Chocolate Gnoche

1/2 cup heavy cream
1-2 Tbsp butter
2 cups (12oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat cream and butter to a simmer. Pour over chocolate chips and let sit until chocolate is melted. Whisk until velvety smooth.

Set aside until room temperature and then pour over cooled cake for a gnoche frosting.

Chill in refrigerator until almost firm and scoop out with a melon-baller to use as chocolate truffle filling.

Original recipe found online somewhere. Meredith tweaked it to come up with this.

Devil's Food Chocolate Cake

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, at room temp
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs, at room temp
1 1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temp

Grease and flour two round cake pans.

Sift together flur, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another large bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until smooth Graduall add the brown sugar and continue beating until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches alternately with the buttermilk in 2 batches, mixing on low speed after each addition.

Divide batter between the pans and spread it out evenly. Tap the pans gently on the counter to dispel air pockets. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Let layers cool completely before frosting.

Frost with Chocolate Gnoche frosting

Recipe from Williams & Sonoma Desserts cookbook

Hot Chocolate Mix

26oz Powdered milk
16oz Nestles Quick
6oz non-dairy creamer
16oz powdered sugar

Mix all dry ingredients. To make hot chocolate, add a desired amount to hot water. Put dry mixture into cute containers to give as gifts.

Recipe from Lois.

Peanut Butter Cups

2 cups graham crackers, crushed
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup margerine, melted
1 cup peanut butter
12 oz chocolate chips, 1/2 semi sweet and 1/2 milk chocolate

Mix graham crackers, sugar, and margerine. Add peanut butter. Spread in large baking dish or jelly roll pan. Cool in fridge while melting chocolate chips. Spread melted chocolate on top of peanut butter mixture. Chill for approximately 20 minutes, then score chocolate to cut into pieces later. Chill at least 1 hour more. Cut and serve.

Recipe from Karen

Turbo Brownies

1 stick margarine, melted
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp cocoa (9 Tbsp total)
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
dash of salt
3/4 to 1 cup flour
chocolate chips

Melt margarine. Add oil and cocoa and mix until smooth. Add sugar. Then mix in vanilla and eggs. Add salt and flour. Mix in chocolate chips. Put in greased baking dish. Bake at 350 for 25-28 minutes (depending on what size dish you use).

For a little variety, try using 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp mint extract in place of the 1 tsp vanilla. Also, you can substitute Andes mint chips for chocolate chips

For Cream Cheese Turbo Brownies: mix 1 8oz pkg cream cheese (softened), 1/3 cup white sugar, and 1 egg. Dollop cheese mixture on top of brownie batter. Drag knife through to swirl batter and cheese. You may need to bake this a little longer.

For Uber Turbo Brownies - throw in 1 small package of instant Devil's Food pudding mix and 1/2 to 2/3 cup of sour cream into batter.

Recipe by Meredith