The Chocolate Lady Dishes

Things have been just hopping here at my house! We’ve had almost steady company for a few weeks now – mostly kids.

That means I’ve served up a lot of food.

A lot.

Being the good aunt that I am – that means every meal needs a sweet treat!

And – since it was so hot – I didn’t want to run my oven. So we’ve been enjoying lots of no-bake and little bake bars.

Dagmar and her cousin Molly found this recipe in one of my Taste of Home cookbooks and whipped them up one afternoon.

Several giggles and BLT’S (bites, licks and tastes) later – they presented us with these yummy bars.

Crunchy Marshmallow Bars

1/2 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 – 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups miniature marshmallows
2/3 cup corn syrup
1/4 butter or margarine
1 package (10 ounces) peanut butter chips
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup salted peanuts
1 cup plain M & M’s

Cream together the butter and brown sugar. beat in the egg yolks and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add to the creamed mixture until it resembles course crumbs (do not overmix).

Press into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.

Immediately sprinkle with marshmallows and bake another 2-3 minutes or until the marshmallows are puffed. Cool on a wire rack.

Combine the corn syrup, butter, and peanut butter chips in a saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.

Stir in the vanilla, cereal, nuts and M & M’s. Spread over the crust.

Cool before cutting and serving.

Enjoy!

My husband loves macaroons – and I can’t blame him! The rich combination of coconut and sweetened condensed milk is heavenly!

So I was very excited to find this recipe for a chocolate macaroon.  Oh my! Let’s just add some gooey melted chocolate and walnuts to the coconut!

It went together fast and disappeared fast!

I loved them best hot from the oven while the chocolate was still melting and the coconut was toasted and crunchy.

Chocolate Macaroon Bars

1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1/3 cup butter softened
2 eggs, divided
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (12 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
1-1/3 cup flaked, sweetened coconut, divided
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, butter, and 1 egg until mixture is crumbly. Press firmly into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. In medium bowl, combine condensed milk, 1 egg, and vanilla extract; stir in the chocolate chips, 1 cup coconut, and walnuts.

Spread over mixture in baking pan. Top with remaining coconut. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool completely in pan before cutting into bars.

Are you hungry yet?

We’ve had a change of plans tonight.

We were going to some friends to enjoy homemade pizza – but since the snow plow hasn’t been by yet, and the snow keeps falling, we’ll  stay at home.

It’s going to be another one of those snowy – stay – in – and watch a movie – kind of family nights.

Perfect for cuddling, and quilts, and of course – chocolate!

But then – every night is perfect for chocolate!

These yummy treats were fast and easy to make – and won’t last long!

Chocolate Toffee Bars

Crust:

1 cup flour
1/2 packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine (softened)

Topping;

1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (we used walnuts)

For the crust: Mix together the flour and brown sugar. Cut in the butter until crumbs are formed. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9 x 13 inch pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Let the crust cool slightly while mixing up the topping.

Mix the brown sugar, flour, eggs, and baking powder until well-blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and the nuts.

Pour the topping evenly over the crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 18 – 20 minutes longer or until it is a deep golden brown and the center is set.

Cool completely before cutting and indulging!

Enjoy!

I’ve linked this post up with my friend Lisa over at Stop and Smell the Chocolates for her Chocolate Friday fun!

These brownies have some memories attached to them!

Many, many Christmas’s ago (almost 20 I think!) my sister brought home a tall, blond fella that she had taken a shine to.

Seems he liked her just fine too – and a few years later he married her and they’ve been together every since.

But back to that first Christmas – this tall blond fella brought along some gooey wonderful brownies to share. I don’t know if  he was trying to win “brownie points” (sorry – I couldn’t resist!) or even if my sister tipped him off to how much the entire family loves chocolate – but at any rate – these were a BIG hit.

And have been ever since.

Our family calls them “Peacemakers” – although the last piece has been known to cause conflict!

Peacemakers (Caramel-Pecan Brownies)

1 box German chocolate cake mix
1 bag of chocolate chips (12 ounces)
1 bag (14 oz.) Kraft caramels
1 small can evaporate milk (6ounces)
1 package of pecans (you can substitute walnuts)
3/4 cup margarine (softened)

Combine the cake mix, margarine, 1/3 cup of the milk. Stir in the nuts. Spread 1/2 of this mixture in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the caramels and the rest of the milk (1/3 cup) in the microwave.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the brownie base and pour the caramel over the top. Put the rest of the cake mix on the top in spots and pat down.

Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Cool thoroughly before cutting.

Enjoy!

I’ve linked this post up with my friend Lisa over at Stop and Smell the Chocolates for her Chocolate Friday Fun!

As I’ve confessed before, peanut butter balls are almost a staple at our house during the Christmas season.

They are one of the first things I make after Thanksgiving and we enjoy them through-out the holidays.

Imagine my shock when I discovered <gasp> that we had run out before Christmas.

Time was slipping by and I didn’t see how I could possibly make another batch. But a quick flip through my recipe file yielded this yummy substitute. The peanut butter base is very similar to the innards of a peanut butter ball and it was super quick to whip together!

Peanut Butter Bars
(recipe from my sweet and wonderful niece Sarah!)

1 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup crushed graham crackers
4 cups powdered sugar
2 cups chocolate chips

Melt the butter. Add the peanut butter, graham crackers and powdered sugar.

Spread out on an ungreased jelly roll pan. (Your hands work best for this part!)

Melt the 2 cups of chocolate chips and spread over the peanut butter base.

Cool in refrigerator for about an hour or until the chocolate is set. Cut into small squares.

Enjoy!