Creme Brulee Cheesecake Bars

Betty Crocker’s tip: To crush the toffee bits, place in a small resealable ziplock bag; pound with a rolling-pin or the flat side of a meat mallet.

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) sugar cookie mix
1 box (4-serving size) French vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
2 T packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 whole eggs
2, 8oz packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
2/3 cup toffee bits, finely crushed

1. Heat oven to 350. Lightly spray bottom and sides of a 13×9 pan with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, stir cookie mix, pudding mix, brown sugar, butter, 1 tsp of the vanilla and 1 whole egg until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom and 1/2″ up sides of pan.

3. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add remaining whole egg, 3 egg yolks and remaining 1 1/2 tsp vanilla; beat until smooth. Spread over crust in pan.

4. Bake 30-35 minutes or until set in center. Immediately sprinkle top with crushed toffee bits. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate about 3 hours or until chilled. Cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Cinnamon Truffles

I’m adding this recipe to my Christmas cookie list.

12 oz bag semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

1 T butter or margarine

1/4 cup whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

powdered sugar

unsweetened baking cocoa

1. In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in whipping cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Refrigerate 30-60 minutes, stirring frequently, just until firm enough to roll into balls.

2. Line cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper. Drop chocolate mixture by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Shape into balls. (If mixture is too sticky, refrigerate until firm enough to shape.) Refrigerate about 1 hour until firm.

3. Sprinkle half of the truffles with powdered sugar and half with cocoa. Store in an airtight container or refrigerator. Remove truffles from refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving; serve at room temperature.

Chocolate Gingerbread Bars

4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pan

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp pumpkin-pie spice

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar

1/4 cup unsulfured molasses

1 large egg

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

powdered sugar, for dusting

1. Heat oven to 350. Butter an 8″ square baking pan. Line bottom with a strip of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides; butter paper. Dust paper and sides of pan with cocoa; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, ginger, pumpkin-pie spice, and baking soda; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, molasses, egg, and sour cream until just smooth. Add flour mixture; stir until just moistened (do not over-mix). Stir in chocolate chips. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.

3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Using paper overhang, lift gingerbread from pan.  Transfer to a cutting board, and cut into 16 squares. Before serving, dust bars with powdered sugar, if desired. (To store, keep in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 3 days.)

Martha Stewart recipe

Creamy Chocolate Marble Fudge

I think I’ll add this recipe to this year’s Christmas cookie list.  (Along with these.)

12 oz bag white vanilla baking chips (2 cups)

6 cups sugar

12 oz can evaporated milk

1 cup butter or margarine

8 oz cream cheese, softened

2, 7 oz jars marshmallow creme or 10.5 oz bag mini-marshmallows

1 T vanilla

1 cup milk chocolate chips (6 oz)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)

2 T unsweetened baking cocoa

1/2 cup chopped nuts, if desired

1. Butter bottom & sides of a 13×9 pan or line with foil, leaving 1″ of foil overhanging at 2 opposite sides of pan. In a large bowl, place white baking chips; set aside.

2. In a 6-quart Dutch oven, heat sugar, milk, butter and cream cheese to boiling over med-high heat; cook 6-8 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium.  Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to 225 F on a candy thermometer; remove from heat.

3. Quickly stir in marshmallow creme and vanilla. Pour 4 cups hot marshmallow mixture over baking chips in bowl; stir to mix. Into remaining marshmallow mixture, stir both kinds of chocolate chips, cocoa, and nuts.

4. Pour 1/3 of the white mixture into pan, spreading evenly. Quickly pour 1/3 of the chocolate mixture over top, spreading evenly. Repeat twice. Swirl knife greased with butter through mixtures for marbled design. Cool until set.

5. Refrigerate uncovered about 3 hours or until set. Cut into 12 rows by 8 rows with knife greased with butter. Store covered in refrigerator.

Chocolate Peanut Sweeties

I cut this out of a Taste of Home magazine years ago.  Gina Kintigh of Pennsylvania submitted the recipe.

1 cup peanut butter (not generic or reduced fat)

1/2 cup butter (no substitutes), softened

3 cups powdered sugar

5 dozen mini pretzel twists (about 3 cups)

1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

1 T vegetable oil

In a mixing bowl, beat PB and butter until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar until combined. Shape into 1″ balls; press one on each pretzel. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until PB mixture is firm, about 1 hour. In a microwave-safe bowl or heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and oil. Dip the PB ball into chocolate. Return to baking sheet, pretzel side down. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Store in refrigerator.  Makes 5 dozen.

White Chocolate Pumpkin Dreams

This was given to me by my mother-in-law from All Recipes. Jean Kleckner submitted it.

1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

11 oz package white chocolate chips or white vanilla chips

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 Tbls butter (no substitutes)

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in egg, vanilla, and pumpkin. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in chips and pecans. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls to 2″ apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.

2. For frosting, combine brown sugar and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook over medium heat for 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Cool for 10 minutes. Add milk; beat until smooth. Beat in enough confectioners’ sugar to reach desired consistency. Frost cookies.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches

This page from a Rachael Ray magazine fell out of my messy cookbook today & little E said, “Mommy, can you make this sometime?”

1 3/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup chopped peanuts

2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 tsp baking soda

1. Whisk together 3/4 cup sugar and 3 eggs until thick. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer. Whisk a few tablespoons warm milk into the egg mixture, then pour the mixture into the pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats a spoon, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the creamy peanut butter. Strain into a bowl. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cream, the peanuts, vanilla, and salt and refrigerate for 2 hours.

2. Scrape the chilled peanut butter mixture into an ice cream maker and prepare according to the manufacturer’s directions.

3. Preheat the oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer, combine the crunchy peanut butter, the remaining 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup chocolate chips on medium speed. Whisk together the remaining egg and the baking soda, then mix into the crunchy peanut butter mixture until combined. Place tablespoon-size balls of dough 2″ apart on the baking sheets. Bake until golden, about 16 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets.

4. In a small saucepan, bring the remaining 1/2 cup cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and store in the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips until smooth. Cover to keep warm.

5. Assemble the ice cream sandwiches and drizzle with the chocolate sauce before serving.

Special K Bars

1 cup sugar

1 cup white corn syrup

2 Tbls butter

Put in saucepan & bring to a boil.  Remove from heat & stir in:

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

1/2 tsp salt

 Mix well. Add:

6 cups Special K

Pour into greased 13×9″ pan & cool.

Melt:

6 oz package chocolate chips

6 oz package butterscotch chips

Spread on Special K mixture.

Chocolate Peanut-Butter Sandwich Cookies

(Martha Stewart)

1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

4 oz, semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 Tbls heavy cream

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar

1. Heat oven to 350, with racks in upper & lower thirds. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, & salt; set aside.

2. Make filling: place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water; stir frequently until almost melted. Remove from heat; stir completely melted. Stir in cream; set aside to cool and thicken, about 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer on high, beat butter, peanut butter, and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture, and mix just until blended (do not overmix).

4. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons onto two baking sheets, about 1.5″ apart. With the bottom of a damp glass, lightly flatten each mound of dough into a 2″ round. Bake until golden around edges, 12-14 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies immediately to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. With a small offset spatula or table knife, spread bottom of half the cookies with 2 tsp filling each; sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing gently to spread filling to the edge. Let gently to spread filling to the edge. Let set for 15 minutes before serving. (To store, refrigerate cookies, up to 2 days.)

Rocky Road Squares

19.5 oz package fudge brownie mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil, per package directions

2 large eggs, per package directions

1/2 cup evap milk

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

2 cups mini marshmallows

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven according to package directions. Grease 13×9″ baking pan.

2. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions, using vegetable oil & eggs & substituting evap milk for water. Spread into prepared baking pan.

3. Bake according to package directions; do not over bake.  Remove from oven.  Immediately sprinkle with chocolate morsels.  Let stand 5 minutes or until morsels are shiny. Spread evenly. Top with marshmallows and walnuts.

4. Bake for 3-5 minutes or just until marshmallows begin to melt. Cool in pan on wire rack for 20-30 minutes. Cut into squares using a knife dipped in hot water.