Black Gold Cookies

adapted slightly from That Skinny Chick Can Bake

It was weird. The first three months of my pregnancy I lost all desire for sweet things. This has never happened to me in my life. But around month five things settled back to normal and I woke one day to have that all too familiar chocolate craving - but it had been so long that I had even wanted any that there wasn't a drop in the house. What to do!

Anyway I got online and found this recipe; a perfect solution for a chocolate lover who wants a cookie so chocolaty that it will keep the cravings at bay with one bite.

Makes around 24 cookies

6 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
12 oz chocolate (about 340 g) *higher quality is always better!
6 Tbsp butter (about 85 g)
2 eggs
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven 325 F (162 C)

Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside.

Melt butter and half (6 oz or 170 g) of the chocolate together (either a stove or microwave - just don't burn it!) mix until blended and set aside.

Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla together for 6 minutes, then add in chocolate/butter mixture. Mix in dry ingredients, then take the rest of the chocolate and chop it roughly into chunks and add it to the mixture.

Scoop tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet, giving each cookie a little space for spread. (note: I like to make sure one nice big chocolate chunk makes it into every cookie!) Bake for 10 minutes, and let them cool for 30 more before eating. These cookies are really great soft, so even if they don't look completely done, take them out. If you want them to harden up a bit, put them in the fridge but don't over bake.

Sacher Torte

recipe adapted slightly from Epicurious

One of my favorite Austrian foods is the Sacher Torte. Invented in Vienna in the 1800's, it's one of the most famous specialities of the country and is a delicious chocolate cake with tangy apricot preserves.

I have tried making Sacher Torte four times with four different recipes and this was the first one that got it close to the real thing. Mine still wasn't as pristine as the ones you buy at the bakeries (how do they get the glaze so smooth? I MUST KNOW!) but it was just as tasty, and even better the next day.

Totally worth the effort. So have at it. Go make and enjoy a little piece of Austria for yourself.

Chocolate Cake
4 1/2 oz couverture chocolate (140 g) *Any high quality bitter chocolate would do!
1/2 cup butter (125 g)
1 cup powdered sugar
6 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour

Apricot Glaze
1 1/2 cup apricot jam
2 Tbsp water (or golden rum, if you want to be authentic!)

Chocolate Glaze
1  cup sugar
1/2 cup water
4 oz chocolate (113 g)

Preheat oven to 400 (200 C)

Prepare a 9" springform cake pan

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or microwave (careful not to burn it!).

Beat butter until smooth and creamy. Then add powdered sugar and beat again until smooth (about two minutes). Next, add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition and making sure to scrape down the sides. Mix in warm (not hot!) melted chocolate and vanilla.

In another bowl, whip together egg whites and 1/2 cup regular white sugar. Whip vigorously until soft peaks form, then add about half to the chocolate mix, folding in gently. Then alternate folding in the flour, then the rest of the egg whites, and finally the rest of the flour. Be gentle! Pour in pan and bake about 40 minutes, or whenever the cake is done in the center.

Let cool completely.
While cooling, prepare the apricot glaze:
Bring the apricot preserves to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Cook until the last drops that cling to the spoon are very sticky and reluctant to leave the spoon (2-3 minutes).

With a serrated knife, trim the top of the cake to make it flat. Then cut the cake in half lengthwise  to make two equal layers. Place one cake layer on an 8 inch round. Brush the top with the apricot glaze. Then place the second half on top and brush the entire thing, sides and all with apricot glaze. Be generous with the apricot, allowing it so sink into the cake. Place on wax paper and let cool until the glaze is set (30 minutes).

Start to make the chocolate glaze. In a medium saucepan over high heat, mix the sugar, water and chocolate to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium and cook uncovered, stirring, until the mixture reaches 234 F (112 C) about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir to cool and thicken slightly, about a minute. Use immediately and when pouring, do not scrape the pan.

Take the chocolate glaze (so it is fresh and warm) and pour all over the cake. Using a metal spatula, smooth the chocolate over the cake so there are no bare spots and it looks smooth and even. Put in the fridge until the glaze is set (about 1 hour).

Serve with whipped cream. This cake is even better the next day, but store it in an airtight container at room temperature.

Brownies.

From my Mom

I have a serious weakness for brownies. Especially warm gooey ones like these. My mom has made these all growing up and even though the recipe is so simple, it is still my favorite. I made a rule long ago that I could only make these when we had friends over or else I end up taking a little sliver here and a piece there until the whole pan is gone. It's a very grave problem. But that is what happens when brownies are this good.

Makes enough for me! or 8-10 normal people.

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

10 Tbsp cocoa (unsweetened)

4 eggs

1 1/2 cup flour

2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 F (176 C). Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time and then mix in flour and chocolate chips. Pour batter in a prepared 9x12 inch (23x30 cm) baking pan and bake for 15-18 minutes.

Chocolate Cherry Tart

from Hot Polka Dot

All of the cherry trees in my neighborhood are ripening right now. Deep red, lovely cherries everywhere you look. I have had to resist the urge many times to help myself to my neighbor's trees and last week I finally had to buy a box at the store. With so many to eat, I made this dessert one night on a whim. It was so divine that we had to fight over the leftovers the next day... so good that it's dangerous!

makes one 12 inch tart

1 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup ground hazelnuts
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
1 egg

12 ounces (350 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

2-3 Tbsp chopped hazelnuts (I had to use walnuts, but it was still very good!)
1 cup sweet cherries, pitted

Mix together flour, cocoa, ground hazelnuts, powdered sugar and salt. Cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg a little bit at a time, mixing a little bit after each addition. The dough will appear granular at first and after a few mixes it should begin to clump together.

Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead it together gently until it begins to hold together. Try not to handle it as little as possible. Then wrap it in plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge for a few hours.

Once ready, butter a 12 inch round tart pan and set it aside. Sandwich the dough between 1 large sheets of wax paper and roll it out into a 15 inch circle. (Rolling it out with wax paper reduces cracks and mess and makes it easier to turn it over into the pan). Place the dough in the tart pan, firmly pressing into the corners of the pan. Pierce the dough a few times with a fork and put it in the freezer for half an hour.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 375 degrees (190 C) and butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil. When ready, fit the buttered side down tightly against the inside of the tart shell. Place the tart in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake it for an additional 10 minutes. Take it out and let it cool completely before filling.

To make the filling, put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set it aside. In a small saucepan combine the cream and butter and heat it on medium until it just begins to boil. Then pour the mixture over the chocolate, cover it and let it sit for 3-5 minutes. Whisk in the chocolate unti lit all melts and you're left with a smooth pudding like consistency. Pour into the cooled tart shell and smooth it out with a spatula. Top with cherries and chopped nuts and put it in the fridge until ready to serve. I left mine in there for an hour or so and it really helped the filling firm up.

German Chocolate Cake

from Allrecipes

The ironic thing about German Chocolate Cake is that it is most certainly NOT German. Pecans aren't even grown over here and are actually quite difficult to find. That being said, this is a delicious, fancy looking cake.

Cake:

1/2 cup water

4 oz (113 grams) chocolate

1 cup buter, softened

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs (separate yolks and whites)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

2 1/2 cups cake flour (all purpose is next best)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Filling:

1 cup white sugar

1 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup (70 grams) butter

3 egg yolks, beaten

1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

Chocolate Sauce:

2 ounces chocolate

1 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease and flour three 9" round pans (I used two 10" pans). Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Set asidde. In a small saucepan, heat water and 4 ounces of chocolate until melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 4 egg yolks one at a time. Blend in melted chocolate and vanilla, then add the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated (do not overmix!)

In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in the remaining whites until no streaks remain. Pour into your prepared bake pans and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing.

To make the filling, combine 1 cup of sugar, evaporated milk, 1/2 cup butter and 3 egg yolks. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in coconut, pecans and vanilla. Cool until thick enough to spread. Spread filling between layers and on top of the cake. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate together, stir until smooth and then drizzle down the sides of the cake.

Some people prefer to toast the pecans and coconut before adding them to the filling, but that is up to you.

Nutella No-Bake Cookies

I love no-bake cookies. They are SO easy to make and use such basic ingredients that I never have to buy anything special to have them made. Plus when you have a sugar craving, they really hit the spot. The problem is, to make them one needs peanut butter and the only place I have found American peanut butter here is clear across town. So in desperation yesterday I used Nutella instead (which is found virtually everywhere here) and it was wonderful! Ben even loved them and he usually hates no-bake cookies.

makes about 2 dozen cookies

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 pinch salt

1/2 cup Nutella

3 1/2 cups oats

Combine sugar, cocoa, butter and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes. During this time measure out your oats and Nutella, then when the time is up, quickly mix them in to the hot mixture. Drop spoonfuls onto wax paper and let cool completely so they can harden before eating.

If your cookies turn out gooey and sticky, they didn't boil long enough. If they are crumbly, they boiled for too long. 2 minutes turned out perfectly for my stove, but experiment with your own stove to get the timing right.

Chocolate Cheesecake Kisses

From the genius Bakerella

I have been meaning to post this recipe for months now and am just now getting around to it. I made these for Valentines Day and they were a hit. I got the idea from one of my favorite food websites: Bakerella. If you have never been to her site, you should really go over and take a look, but I'm warning you it is not good for your diet! She is incredibly creative and always has fun dessert ideas to try out. Just don't say I didn't warn you about the diet thing.

Anyway, I was looking for a special Valentines Day recipe and decided tried this one out and loved it. It is very rich, with a cookie/cheesecake flavor and were really fun to make and eat!

1 package of oreos (18 ounces or 500 grams) of cream filled chocolate cookies

8 ounces (226 grams) cream cheese

1 1/2 cups chocolate bark (I used regular baking chocolate, you could use chips or whatever)

Directions:

First, finely crush all but about 7 cookies in a ziplock bag, cream filled center and all. Try to get rid of all the big chunks. Stir in the cream cheese, using the back of a spoon to mash the two together. Roll the mixture into 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) balls and place the on a wax paper covered cookie sheet. Then, form the balls into the shape of a kiss (cone shaped) coming to a point at the top. Put the balls in the freezer for 20 minutes or so to harden them a little bit so they dont fall apart when you cover them with chocolate.

*mine turned out a little different from Bakerella because they don't have oreos often in Austria, so I used a vanilla/chocolate cookie. Hence the multicolored inside instead of the dark oreo brown.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (or very carefully in the microwave, stirring frequently) until you get about 1 1/2 cups of melted chocolate in a bowl. One at a time, dip the kisses one at a time into the chocolate, tap off the extra chocolate and slide them off onto the wax papered cookie sheet to dry. Once dry, refrigerate and enjoy!

To Decorate:

Write or type messages onto thin strips of paper. Cut out foil into 5 inch squares (about 13 centimeters), place a dry kiss in the center. Insert the message near the top and secure it as you wrap the kiss in the foil, covering it completely.

There you have it, homemade kisses for the one you love.

Chocolate Popcorn

from A Cozy Kitchen

My dad always gets tons of flavored popcorn from his clients for Christmas, so for that reason fancy popcorn has a Christmas-y feeling to it. The chocolate covered popcorn is always my favorite, and it is so easy to make. I combined this with a batch of caramel popcorn to take to a party and it was a hit. This stuff is seriously addictive.

1 Tbsp oil (to make the popped corn)

1 cup popcorn kernels (unpopped)

2 Tbsp butter

12 oz (350 g) chocolate

splash milk

salt to taste

Make popcorn using a pot, or whirly pop or air pop machine.

Using a double boiler (or a glass bowl over boiling water) mix together the butter, chocolate, and milk. Stir until melted and smooth.

Pour the chocolate over the popcorn and stir with a wooden spoon until popcorn is fairly evenly covered, then spread out on a baking sheet or some waxed paper and sprinkle with salt.

Let cool for 3-4 hours for the chocolate to harden (can also put in the fridge or freezer to speed cooling process)

The Chewy

From the Food Network

I had heard people on the blogosphere talk about Alton Brown's "The Chewy" but figured I would get around to it eventually. People often brag about having the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe, but I have been disappointed so many times that I usually don't pay much attention when I see a new version.

But after trying the Chewy, I have to say that these were the best chocolate chip cookies. Ever.

They were beautiful. Soft and buttery, with big chunks of chocolate. They made me feel like a professional. And it's all about the technique. So try it out and see what you think.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

1 cup butter (225 grams)

2 1/4 cup bread flour (I used regular all purpose)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup white sugar

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 Tbsp milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 cups chopped chocolate

Preheat the oven to 375

Melt the butter on medium heat, stirring frequently, until it begins to brown. Remove heat and let cool. In a medium sized bowl, sift together dry ingredients.

Once butter is cool, pour the melted butter in a mixer's bowl and cream together with the sugars. Then add the egg, yolk, milk, and vanilla and mix until well combined.

Slowly incorporate dry mixture until thoroughly mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.

Chill the dough for about an hour, then scoop (walnut sized) onto a prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, checking after 5 minutes. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

No Bake Cookies

From Allrecipes

These are so addicting, sweet and chocolatey and they can be thrown together in 15 minutes. Like the name says, these cookies aren't baked, but boiled! You have to be careful because if you let them boil for too long, they will harden in the pot and if you don't boil them enough, the wont set up properly. You can see that mine weren't boiled long enough so they were a little flat and gooey, but still delicious!

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 pinch salt

1/2 cup peanut butter (chunky or creamy)

3 1/2 cups oatmeal

First, measure out oats, peanut butter, salt and vanilla in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, cocoa, milk and butter. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, salt, peanut butter and oats. While still warm, quickly drop by rounded spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Allow the cookies to cool completely (about an hour) to become hard enough.

Cowboy Cookies

From Lovin' from the Oven

These are the Texas Governor's mansion cookies. The first time I made them, I accidentally omitted the oatmeal... and they were good, but flattened in the oven and turned out pretty crunchy. The second time I did everything right and viola! Beautiful, and with such great flavors. They were good warm, but even better the next day.

makes about 3 dozen large cookies

3 cups flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 Tbsp baking soda

1 Tbsp cinnamon

tsp salt

1 1/2 cups butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla

3 cups rolled oats

3 cups chopped chocolate

2 cups sweetened flake coconut

2 cups chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 (176 C). In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until smooth and creamy. Then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then beat in vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Fold in chocolate, oats, pecans and coconut

Drop abou 1/4 cup of dough onto an ungreased baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned (mine were done at 12 minutes!) Rotate the sheet halfway through for even baking.

Remove cookies to a rack to cool. Enjoy!

Ben's Favorite Dark Chocolate Cake

adapted from Allrecipes

I am usually not a big cake person. If asked, I usually would much prefer brownies or a nice fruit pie. But this cake is an exception. It is my new go-to recipe for chocolate cake, so dark that it just might be sinful. It came out so moist and wonderful, and paired with the frosting it is absolutely divine.

Cake:

2 cups boiling water

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter (about 225 grams)

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter

2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar

3/4 cup baking cocoa

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup milk

Preheat the oven 350 degrees (175 C). Grease and flour 3 nine-inch round pans (I used 2 nine-inch pans and used the rest of the batter to make cupcakes).

In a medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a third, large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time and stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Spread batter evenly between the pans, filling them about 3/4 full.

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl, mix butter until smooth and creamy. Then add sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Add milk in slowly, mixing constantly until frosting is of desired consistency. Allow cake to cool thoroughly before frosting.

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

from Eat This House

I made these for Ben to eat while I was on vacation and we ate them all before I even had a chance to leave. I have had a real thing for gingerbread lately and these blended flavors hit that and my chocolate craving all at once.

1/2 cup butter (about 113 grams)

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp boiling water

1 heaping cup of semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup white sugar (for rolling the cookies in)

Cream butter and sugars until soft. Sift together flour, cocoa powder and spices. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and boiling water. Then, taking turns, beat half of the flour mixture into the butter/sugar bowl, then add the baking soda/water mixture, then add the rest of the flour. Mix in the chocolate chips and turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat into a 1 inch log and refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours)

Preheat the oven to 325 F (163 C) Once chilled, slice the cookies into 1/2 inch rounds roll in granulated sugar and place on a cookie sheet. Bake until surfaces crack slightly, about 10-12 minutes. Let them cool slightly on the pan for a few minutes, then scoop them onto a wire rack to cool.

White Chocolate Gingerbread Blondies

adapted from Every Last Cookie

I wanted to make a Christmas cookie and this was perfect. They were good warm and even better the next day.

Makes about 4 dozen 2-inch squares

2 3/4 cups plus 1 Tbsp flour

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 1/2 sticks (20 Tbsp or 260 grams) butter

1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar

3 eggs

1 1/4 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup molasses

10 oz white chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350 (176 C). Line a rimmed cookie sheet with baking paper.

Cream together butter and sugars until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then beat in the vanilla and molasses. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves and add slowly to the wet mixture until just combined. Fold in white chocolate.

Pour batter into baking sheet and spread around until even. Bake until edges are golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting.

Puppy Chow

from the Chex website

Called puppy chow because of the brown kibble look, this stuff tastes much better than it looks. And it is probably very bad for you. But it is so very good. Perfect for road trips or slumber parties or any time you are getting lots of people together. It is so easy to make and so hard to resist!

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 tsp vanilla

9 cups chex cereal (or other similar cereal)

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Melt peanut butter, butter and chocolate chips together in a saucepan over low heat. Mix in the vanilla, and then pour over cereal and mix in a large bowl. Once cereal is coated with chocolate/peanut butter mix place in a large ziplock or sturdy paper bag and dump in the powdered sugar. Shake up mixture until thoroughly coated with powdered sugar.

Lemon Pudding Cookies

This is a twist off of Symphony Cookies from the Sister's Cafe website. I had a box of lemon pudding and white chocolate and an urge for something sweet and these cookies were the result of my experiment.

1 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 3.5 oz box lemon pudding

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

7-8 oz white chocolate, chopped roughly

Preheat the oven to 350 (176 C). Cream butter and sugar, add in the lemon pudding mix. Add the eggs and vanilla, beat well. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt then add to the wet lemon mixture. Fold in the chocolate and spoon into small golf ball sized balls onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookie starts turning golden brown. Let cool for several minutes before serving.

Chocolate Reeses Cookies

From Ben

We had a bag of Reeses chips that my parents brought from the states, and we just had to put them in something. These cookies tasted a bit like brownies-- fudgy and dense. I think it would work well with crumbled peanut butter cups as well.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

1 1/2 cup butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups chips

Preheat oven to 350 (176 C)

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and combine with wet ingredients. Fold in Reeses peanut butter chips and roll batter into golf ball sized balls. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-9 min. Let cool before serving.

Mint Chocolate Brownies

from my Mom

This is the richest brownie you will ever eat. They are designed for serious chocolate lovers, and even those of you who love chocolate will only be able to have a little before overdosing. Growing up I preferred these to any other dessert and it was great to try out on my own. Be sure to have people over to share with!

Brownies:

1 cup butter (softened)

2 cups sugar

10 Tbsp cocoa (unsweetened)

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 package chocolate chips (about 1 cup)

Mint Frosting:

2 cups powdered sugar

2 Tbsp milk

1/2 tsp mint flavoring (about 1 cap full)

2 caps green food coloring (optional, I didn't have any...)

Chocolate Covering:

2 cups chocolate chips

2 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350 (176 C). Cream butter, sugar and cocoa. Beat in eggs and mix in flour until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips and bake for 15-18 minutes in a greased 9x12 inch dish. The brownies are done when you can pull out the dish and the brownies are not jiggly in the center. Let cool.

In a separate bowl, mix powdered sugar, mint, food coloring and once the brownies are at room temperature, spread the frosting on top and set aside.

In a saucepan, begin to melt the chocolate chips on low heat. Mix in the butter and milk and when the consistency is smooth, pour the mix on top of the mint frosting. Let the chocolate cool and harden, and serve.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

adapted from Visions of Sugar Plums

Peanut butter and bananas- is there anything they cant do?

This bread was a creative twist on your typical banana bread and I had to work quickly to take a photo before it all disappeared.

3 Tbsp butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2-3 large bananas, mashed

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 (176 C). Cream together butter and sugars; add peanut butter, bananas and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Beat in eggs until just combined. Sift together dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to wet mixture, alternating with milk. Fold in chocolate chips and spoon into a prepared 9x5 inch bread pan. Bake for 50 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

adapted from Dlynz and Delighful Desserts

Warning: These are not healthy. But they do combine two of the greatest desserts of all time. Proceed with caution, and be sure there are plenty of people around to share, or you will be in a lot of trouble.

I made these in a baking pan and had some leftover batter so I made cheesecake brownie bites in the muffin tin. I actually liked the bites a bit better, the sheet brownies had some trouble baking in the middle which wasn't a problem when I baked them in the muffin tin.

Brownie Batter:

1 cup (225 grams) butter

2 cups sugar (they recommend superfine sugar)

1/2 cup cocoa

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/3 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

Cheesecake Batter:

8 oz (225 g) cream cheese; softened

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp flour

1/4 c sugar

* 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 (176 C) and grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

Cream together butter, sugar and cocoa of the brownie mixture. Then add in eggs, vanilla and salt until well combined and shiny. Whisk in flour and baking powder until just combined and spread into the bottom of your baking pan.

Next, in a separate bowl, whisk together cheesecake ingredients until smooth. Then dollop over brownie batter. You can swirl the two mixtures a little bit if you want. Or not. Bake until the edges are slightly puffed and the center is set, about 45 minutes (25 minutes if baking in a muffin tin).

Let cool before serving. I would even put this in the fridge for several hours to help it set. If you can wait that long.