Brownie Oreo Trifle

I tried to make this a little healthier by using SF/FF pudding and lite Cool Whip. Who am I kidding? I don't think it makes that big of a difference with the other ingredients!

Brownie Oreo Trifle

Ingredients:

1 9x13 pan of brownies

1 box chocolate pudding (small size if using regular, lg size if using SF/FF)

1/2 cup water

1 can sweetened condensed milk

8 oz cool whip

12 oz cool whip

18 oreos, chopped

6 oreos for garnish

Bake brownies as directed. Cool completely and chop into bite size squares.

Combine pudding mix, water, and sweetened condensed milk. Mix until smooth. Fold in 8 oz of cool whip until there are no streaks.

Chop 18 Oreos and set aside.

In a trifle bowl, layer half of the brownies, half of the pudding mixture, half of the Oreos, and half of the cool whip. Repeat each layer.

Garnish the top with 3 whole Oreos and 6 crushed Oreos with filling taken out.

4 Layer Cookie Bars

I saw this recipe on Picky Palate and wanted to try it. She calls them "The Motherlode Layered Cookie Bars." There are 4 layers of different cookie dough. I found that the peanut butter layer was the strongest taste that came through after baking. Time consuming, but good and very rich!

4 Layer Cookie Bars

From Picky Palate

Layer 1: Sugar Cookie

1 Roll of Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Press sugar cookie dough into bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish that’s been lined foil and sprayed with cooking spray.

Layer 2: Double Chocolate Chip Cookie

(the recipe below makes double what you’ll need for the bars, use extra for cookies)

1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder)
2 tsps. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients then stir in chips. Layer 1/2 the recipe over sugar cookie layer, pressing gently.

Layer 3: Peanut Butter Cookie

1 Cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 Cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1. Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix until combined. Press over chocolate cookie dough.

Layer 4: Chocolate Chip Cookie

(the recipe below makes double what you’ll need for the bars, use extra for cookies)

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 Cup granulated sugar

3/4 Cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla

2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 bag chocolate chips

1. Make sure oven is preheated to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer cream the butter and sugars until well combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large bolw; mix to combine. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips. Spoon 1/2 of the dough evenly over peanut butter cookie dough but don’t press, just leave uneven. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until center of dough is cooked mostly through. Edges will be brown. I covered pan with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.

2. Let cookies cool completely. Lift out of pan with edges of foil. I cut off 1/2 inch edges and just used softer centers, but do as you wish. Edges are crispier. Drizzle top with 1/2 Cup melted chocolate chips if desired.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
From Chocolate and Whine

Ingredients
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 7-ounce jar marshmallow cream
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Put the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips in separate, heat-safe bowls.
2. Mix together the marshmallow, milk, butter and sugar over medium heat.
3. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
4. Boil and stir for five minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
6. Pour half the mixture into each bowl of chips; stir until melted.
7. Pour melted chocolate into foil-lined 8 by 8 inch pan. Quickly pour the melted peanut butter chips over it.
8. Let cool on the counter.

Work quickly, but safely. And try to divide the marshmallow mixture as evenly as possible.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Gooey Butter Cake

I've made Paula Deen's pumpkin gooey butter cake before, but this time I thought I would try one of the variations. They are so good! Very, very moist.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Gooey Butter Cake

(Recipe from Paula Deen)

Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup peanut butter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread peanut butter mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Triple Chocolate Cake

We have parent conferences at school today and tonight, so I knew we would need some serious chocolate to get through. This cake did not disappoint! It is super moist and loaded with chocolate.


Triple Chocolate Cake
(Recipe from this blog)

1 18.25-oz package chocolate cake mix (I tend to find cake mixes with the words "triple" and "fudge" and "supermoist" on the box work best)
1 3.9-oz package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup hot water
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like the Ghirardelli ones)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a bundt pan.

2. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, eggs, hot water, sour cream and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into bundt pan.

3. Bake for 50 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then invert cake onto wire rack and let cool completely.

And then, for the glaze, I do this:

DARK CHOCOLATE GLAZE
4 oz semi-sweet dark chocolate (again, I like Ghirardelli's)
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp light corn syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla

In small, heavy saucepan or microwave oven on medium, melt broken chocolate with butter. Stir frequently until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in milk, syrup and vanilla. When glaze is cool, pour onto cake. Let glaze run down sides. Chill about 10 minutes to set glaze.

Puppy Chow

Puppy Chow aka Muddy Buddies aka Monkey Munch

I associate this snack mix with Christmas time, but I'm a little early this year. A friend's husband said he loves this, so I made some to share with them.



Puppy Chow

1 box Rice Chex (you can also use Corn Chex or Crispix)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
1 stick of butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (or more if not fully coated)

Pour Chex into a large bowl. In a separate microwavable bowl, combine peanut butter, chocolate chips, vanilla, and butter. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir to combine. Continue heating in microwave in 30 second intervals until completely melted and combined.

Pour mixture over cereal and mix to coat. Pour coated cereal into a brown paper grocery bag. Pour in powdered sugar. Fold down grocery bag and shake until completely coated.

Spread on wax paper to cool. Store in airtight container in the fridge.

Chewy Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made three different kinds of cookies this morning! I am in a baking exchange with some local girls from a message board. This exchange was our choice when it came to what we made, so I went with cookies.

The first cookies I made were these Chewy Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies. I found the recipe at http://pickypalate.blogspot.com/2008/01/could-it-really-be-my-paridise-bakerys.html. She says that they are very similar to Paradise Bakery's Black and White Chippers. I have never had those before though, so I couldn't relate. Either way- these are sooooooo good! I'm not a huge fan of chocolate, but I loved these. They are really chewy and yummy.

Chewy Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 3/4 cups flour

1 1/4 cups cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder)

1 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsps. baking soda

1 cup butter

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

2 cups white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheet. (I alway use a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper)

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well with each addiction. Add the salt and vanilla.

3. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda and gradually add to the creamed mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.

4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until fluffy but still soft. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

I packaged mine up in these cute little tin tie bags.