#6: chocolate

How appropriate on Valentine's day that my favorite would be chocolate!

Mmmmmmm chocolate. Is there anything more perfect? Nope. Not really!

Think about it. Is there any dessert that couldn't be made better with a garnish of deliciousness? To be completely honest, any dessert without chocolate isn't really dessert in my book! When I'm splurging, I want it to be good.

I'm not big into dark chocolate - give me milk all the way. But, I'd rather have good chocolate than cheap waxy stuff. I love Aldi's bars, not so much into regular hershey's. (symphony on the other hand . . . and let's not forget Cadbury too!)

In honor of the holiday and subject at hand, I thought I'd list some of my favorite chocolate recipes!*


Brownies
Adapted from Lion House Desserts

1 pound margarine
1 ½ cup cocoa
4 cups sugar
9 eggs (really!)
4 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a large jelly roll pan and set aside. In large saucepan, melt margarine and cocoa over low heat. Pour into large bowl with sugar and mix until creamy. Add eggs and mix well. Stir in flour. Pour into pan. Bake for 25-30 min.


Oatmeal Fudge Bars
Adapted from Lion House Desserts

1 cup margarine
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups oats

14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup margarine
12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 inch pan. In large brown cream margarine and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. In separate bowl mix flour, soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture.

In heavy sauce pan mix sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips and margarine and heat just until melted. Stir in vanilla.

Spread 3/4 of dough into pan. Spread with chocolate mixture. Drop remaining dough on top bay spoonfuls. Bake for 25 min. Cool, and cut into bars. Makes 36.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars

1 cup butter, melted
2 cups peanut butter
1 lb powdered sugar
chocolate chips
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

Mix above ingredients together. Pat into 9x13 pan. Cover with chocolate chips. Bake in 350 oven til chocolate melts. Cool at room temperature. Cut into squares. Do not refrigerate.

Cookie Dough Truffles

½ cup butter, softened
2 cup flour
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup chocolate chips
1 ½ lbs dipping chocolate

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour, milk and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts. Shape into 1 inch balls. Lace on waxed paper lined baking sheets. Loosely cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours until firm. Dip into melted dipping chocolate. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 min. Store in refrigerator.



*so I found out how to post not-my-own recipes in such a way to not worry about copy rights. So here's that doughnut ball recipe I talked about a couple of months ago as a bonus!

Doughnut Balls
Adapted from Lion House Desserts

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups oil for frying
1 cup powdered sugar.

Dump everything (except oil and powdered sugar) in a large bowl and stir it up (it's going to be really soft and sticky.) Heat your oil - make sure it's not too hot. Drop by the tablespoon full into the oil. It should take 3-5 min to cook. Turn them over at least once. Drain on paper towels. When all the balls are fried, pour powdered sugar into a big ziplock. Add 3 or 4 balls and shaka-shaka-shaka!