Double Chocolate Scones

Oh, this recipe is yummy! These chocolate scones are simple to make, but do take a little time to prepare, so preparing them in advance is a good idea. They also freeze very well. The original recipe comes from the "Better Homes and Gardens" website. This is a site I really like and from where I have gotten several good  recipes. The site address is www.bhg.com.  Blessings...

Recipe:

2 cups unbleached flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsps. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine cut into 16 pieces
1 egg yolk
1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
2 tsp. sugar crystals, if desired, for decoration

1. In a large bowl stir together the dry ingredients.
2. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter or margarine till mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Combine the egg yolk and yogurt with a fork; add to the dry ingredients and stir mixture till moistened.
4. On a lightly floured surface, gently knead dough 10 to 12 strokes or till dough is nearly smooth. Roll or pat dough into a 9" circle and sprinkle with sugar crystals if you are using them; cut into 10 wedges. Place wedges 1" apart on an ungreased or parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 18 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.
( I slice one open to check the interior)
6. Remove from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack, or serve warm.

I sprinkled the tops of the unbaked scones with sugar crystals, but the original recipe called for powdered sugar glaze. We spread raspberry jam on our scones, yummy. If you would like to use the glaze, be sure to cool the scones for about 5 minutes before drizzling the glaze on.

Glaze: In a small mixing bowl stir together 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1 tbsp. melted butter or margarine, 1 tsp. milk, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Add more milk, 1/4 tsp. at a time, till glaze is of a drizzling consistency.

Yield: 10 scones
274 calories each using the sugar sprinkles
2 gms. fiber

Chocolate Mousse

Years ago, when we lived in Santa Cruz, I received this recipe from a lady in the church we attended. Chris was one of the best cooks I had ever met, next to my mom. Thankfully, she was generous in sharing her recipes and her cooking skills with me. This delicious mousse was served the first time we were invited into her home for dinner. Chris and her husband had the gift of hospitality, and made our years in Santa Cruz feel much more like home than they otherwise would have felt. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 cup well-chilled heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 eggs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz.)
1/2 tsp. instant coffee
pinch salt
2 tbsp. Grand Marnier (or 1 tsp. orange extract and 1 tbsp. brandy)

1. Whip heavy cream stiffly and set aside.
2. Put eggs, chocolate chips, coffee and salt in a food processor or blender.
3. In a small saucepan, heat sugar and water until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil.
4. While processing, pour syrup in through feed tube and process until smooth. Stop processor and add Grand Marnier; process a little longer. Scrape down sides of bowl.
5. Add whipped cream and process until thoroughly combined.
6. Pour into dishes and chill until set.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
4 servings = 618 calories each
6 servings = 412 calories each

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

My family loves pumpkin in just about any form; breads, muffins, soup, cookies and cake are all favorites. These muffins, made with mini-chocolate chips, are a favorite way to use up leftover pumpkin. This is my variation of a recipe that comes from "Betty Crocker's Christmas Cookbook", a favorite cookbook that I have used for years. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 egg white (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup pure pumpkin, not pie mix
1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg white, milk, pumpkin, chocolate chips, and butter together.
2. In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients all at once. Stir just until combined.
3. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease bottoms only of 12 medium muffin cups. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Yield: 12 muffins
172 calories each
1.7 grams fiber each

Tip: Leftover pumpkin can be frozen for a future use. If, when you want to use the remaining thawed pumpkin, you find that you are lacking all that you need for your recipe, boiled, mashed carrots can be substituted. I have found that I can substitute up to 1/4 cup mashed carrots very successfully.

Raspberry Chocolate Tart

A few weeks ago I pinned this recipe from www.rightathome.com onto my "recipes to make" board at Pinterest. My husband sure was glad that I did! I made it for our dessert last evening, and for the next four days, and he loved it. My husband's favorite fruit in all the world is raspberries, coupled with chocolate, and he was in heaven. This tart is nothing more than a thick layer of chocolate ganache over a layer of fresh raspberries and a chocolate cookie crust. So rich and delicious! Blessings...

Recipe:

Crust
1-1/2 cups Oreo Cookie Crumbs or chocolate wafer crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
4 tbsp. melted butter
10" tart pan with removable bottom or 9" pie plate

Filling
16 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp. light corn syrup
1 cup heavy cream
2 pints fresh raspberries
whipped cream for garnish, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix together the cookie crumbs, melted butter, and sugar and press evenly into tart pan or pie plate.
3. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack before filling.
4. Heat the cream in a medium saucepan over low heat until very hot, but not boiling.
5. Add the chocolate chips and corn syrup; cover pan a let sit for 4 minutes until chocolate is melted.
6. Whisk mixture until cream and chocolate are combined, and mixture is shiny and smooth.
7. Spread one pint of the berries over the cookie crust.
8. Gently pour the chocolate over the raspberries, and smooth out the top, if necessary.
9. Refrigerate for 2 hours until ganache is set.
10. Decorate the top with the other pint of raspberries.
11. If desired, top each slice with a dollop of whipped cream.

Yield: 10 servings
460 calories per slice
6 gms. fiber
Note: The crust is easier to cut, because the butter softens, if the tart sits at room temperature for at least 1/2 hour before serving.

Perfect Chocolate Cake

This beautiful cake has been my husband's favorite cake for as long as I can remember. It is deliciously rich. He would quickly tell you that there is no such thing as too rich, but a little of this cake goes a long way for me. It is chocolate upon chocolate. One layer is split and filled with a rich chocolate ganache and the other two layers are filled with raspberry cream, then it is iced with butter- cream that reminds me of See's chocolate buttercream candy. The original recipe comes from The New McCall's Cook Book. I changed the filling from vanilla to raspberry, my husband's favorite fruit, and add the chocolate ganache, a recipe that I clipped out of a Woman's Day magazine many years ago. This special cake has been a birthday tradition in our family for as long as I can remember. Blessings...

Recipe:

Cake:
1 cup unsifted unsweetened cocoa
2 cups boiling water
2-3/4 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl, combine cocoa with boiling water, mixing with wire whisk until smooth. Cool completely; this takes a few hours.
2. Sift flour with soda, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. Grease well and lightly flour three 9 x 1-1/2-inch layer-cake pans or line pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
4. In large bowl of electric mixer, at high speed, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla, scraping bowl occasionally, until light - about 5 minutes.
5. At low speed, beat in flour mixture (in fourths), alternately with cocoa mixture (in thirds), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Do not overbeat. Divide batter in pans making one layer a little thicker than the other two. This layer will be split for the ganache filling.
6. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the two thinner layers together for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time, until toothpick comes out almost clean. Bake thicker layer for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time, until toothpick comes out almost clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Carefully loosen sides with spatula; remove from pans; cool completely on racks.

Raspberry Filling:
1 12-oz. pkg. frozen, thawed raspberries
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup whipping cream

1. Puree thawed raspberries in a blender and put through a mesh sieve to remove seeds. Push the puree with a wooden spoon or rubber scrapper to speed up the process.
2. Add a small amount of the puree to the tablespoon of cornstarch and stir until smooth. Stir the purees together in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir one minute or  until thickened. Cool completely in the refrigerator.
3. Whip the whipping cream until stiff; blend in the raspberry puree until completely incorporated. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Chocolate Ganache:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) whipping cream

1. Place the whipping cream in a small saucepan and slowly heat to scalding (there will be small bubbles forming around the edge of the pan when this happens), being careful not to scorch the cream.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate chips; cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate. Stir until smooth. Cool completely in the fridge, stirring every 15 minutes until mixture is thick enough to spread. This will take about 1 hour. If the mixture gets too thick, just heat it for a few seconds to loosen it.

Frosting:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup light cream or milk
1 cup butter
2-1/2 cups unsifted confectioners' sugar

1. In a medium saucepan, combine chocolate chips, cream, butter; stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in the confectioners' sugar.
3. Place the saucepan in a bowl of ice and some water and beat with an electric hand mixer until the frosting holds shape. It will only take about 5 minutes to set the frosting.

1. To assemble the cake, place one of the thin layers on a serving plate. Top with half of the raspberry cream.
2. Split the thicker layer and place one layer on the raspberry cream layer. Top with the chocolate ganache and top with the remaining split layer.
3. Top this with the remaining raspberry cream and then the remaining cake layer. Frost the cake and enjoy. This cake must be stored in the refrigerator. Remove the cake from the refrigerator at least two hours before serving to bring it to room temperature.

Yield: 16 servings (or more)

Chocolate Chip Vanilla Cake

This one-bowl cake recipe starts with a cake mix for simplicity making it very kid-friendly if you like to have your kids or grandkids work with you in the kitchen. The simple flavors of vanilla and chocolate are kid-friendly, as well. Working in the kitchen with the kids is great for relationship building and memory making. There is also such a wonderful sense of accomplishment for the children when the family sits down together to enjoy the food that they helped to prepare. The cake does not need to be iced, if you would prefer not to, because the chocolate chips give plenty of chocolate flavor on their own. Blessings...

1 Golden Vanilla boxed cake mix with pudding in the mix
1/2 cup Greek vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Beat all ingredients, except chocolate chips, in a large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just to moisten. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes.
2. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into greased and floured 12-cup Bundt pan or tube pan.
3. Bake in 350 degree oven for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from Bundt pan and cool completely on wire rack. If using a tube pan, only remove the exterior of the pan leaving the cake to cool completely before removing it from the tube.

Yield: 12 servings
338 calories without icing
Note: I topped my cake with a chocolate fudge glaze which was just enough icing for us.

Date Cake

Two of my husbands absolute favorite foods are chocolate and dates. This cake is delicious. The dates add wonderful moistness and flavor to the cake, but the flavor of the dates is not overwhelming or distracting. I did add an extra half-cup of chopped dates to the recipe, much to my husbands liking. The topping of melted, gooey chocolate chips, crunchy sugar and pecans is perfect in place of a rich frosting.
Blessings...

Recipe:

1-1/2 cups finely chopped dates
1 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1-3/4 cups unbleached flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional (I use pecans)
2 cups chocolate chips

1. Toss the dates with the baking soda in a medium sized bowl. Pour the boiling water over them and stir. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and set aside.
3. Sift together the nutmeg, flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder, set aside.
4. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla; blend well.
5. Pour in the date mixture and blend.
6. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add in the dry ingredients and beat until batter is smooth. Pour the batter into the greased baking pan and smooth top.
7. Sprinkle the sugar over the top, followed by the chocolate chips and nuts.
8. Bake cake in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. This is a bit tricky with the melted chocolate so look to find a spot free of chocolate for accurate testing.

Yield: 12 servings
515 calories with pecans
482 calories without pecans
5 gms. fiber
Tip: We love to microwave each piece for about 20 seconds on high to soften the chocolate. Yum!
Note: I use Private Selection chocolate chips, a Kroger product, which has 1 gram fiber per tablespoon. Most of the other brands do not have this amount of fiber, so if this count matters to you, do check the package labels.

Fudgy Brownies with Fudge Frosting

These brownies are to die for! I've been making this wonderful recipe from the Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook for 34 years and it is still my husbands absolute favorite brownie of all the recipes that I make. The thick, rich fudge icing recipe comes from Betty Crocker's Cookbook and tops these brownies perfectly. Blessings...

Brownies

1 cup butter
4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13" x 9" baking pan. Set aside
2. In a 3 qt. saucepan over very low heat, melt butter and chocolate, stirring constantly.
3. Remove the pan from the heat, and with a spoon stir the sugar into the chocolate. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well blended after the addition of each egg.
5. Add the flour, vanilla and salt to the mixture and stir to thoroughly combine.
6. Stir in the chopped nuts.
7. Pour the batter into the greased pan and spread evenly with a spatula.
8. Bake 30-35 minutes. Brownies are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Fudge Frosting

1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
2/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Mix all the ingredients except the vanilla in a 2-1/2 qt. saucepan.
2. Heat to a rolling boil stirring occasionally. Boil 1 minute without stirring.
3. Place the pan of icing in a bowl of ice and water and beat using an electric mixer until smooth and of spreading consistency. Remove the pan of icing from the ice water.
4. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Spread the icing on brownies that are completely cool. Sprinkle some chopped nuts on top, if desired.
Yield: 36 bars
143 calories without icing
224 calories with icing

Tip: I place the pan of iced brownies in the refrigerator for about an hour to set the icing. This makes it much easier to cut the brownies.

Bryan Ehrenholm's Gooey Chewy Chocolate Cookies

When we lived in Modesto, Bryan Ehrenholm was the owner of a deli and, I believe, bakery combination where he served lunch and some of the best pies sold anywhere around the area. I do not know if he is still in business. During this time "cake mix" cookies were all the rage, so when I came across his recipe for these
Gooey Chewy Chocolate Cookies in our local newspaper I clipped it out and put it away, for a very long time. This week I decided to give the recipe a try and I'm very glad that I did. These cookies are wonderful, and so easy being made with only four ingredients. The cookies are large and chocolaty, definitely a kid-friendly recipe, as well as mom and dad! Blessings...

Recipe:

1 box devil's food cake mix (I used Triple Chocolate Fudge cake mix)
1 stick of butter, softened
3 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips (or white or peanut butter chips)

1. Combine the cake mix, butter and eggs in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer.
2. Stir in the chips.
3. Drop cookie dough on ungreased or parchment paper lined baking sheets using a soup spoon.
4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies will puff up when in the oven, then fall as they cool. Cool on baking sheet for 1 to 2 minutes to set before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield: 24 cookies
182 calories each using white chocolate chips

"Whatever Floats Your Boat" Brownies

A few months ago one of my husband's co-workers brought a plate of these brownies to a potluck they were having at work. When he told me about them I was anxious to go online to find the recipe so we could have them at home. This recipe is so rich and fudgy and can be made even more delicious by adding in whatever-floats-your-boat; your favorite add-ins. There is a list of suggestions here but, my goodness, the sky is the limit with this one. I found this recipe at http://www.food.com. Blessings...

Recipe:

1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsps. vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt

Whatever Floats Your Boat Additions:
 1-2 cups chocolate chips or your favorite flavor
 1-2 cups raisins
 1-2 cups chopped maraschino cherries
 1-2 cups chopped nuts
 1-2 cups M&M's
 1-2 cups Reese's pieces
 1-2 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease an 8-inch square pan or line with foil.
3. In a medium bowl combine melted butter and cocoa and stir until cocoa is dissolved.
4. Add sugar and mix well.
5. Add eggs one at a time and stir until well combined.
6. Stir in vanilla, flour and salt until you no longer see any flour (do not overmix).
7. Fold in "Whatever Floats Your Boat"
8 Spread in pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes.
9. Do not over-bake - your brownies will come out dry. Adjust time/temp accordingly for your oven. If you do the knife/toothpick test, it should come out with moist crumbs, not clean.
10. Cool completely before cutting into spuares.
11. For vegetarian omit the marshmallows.
12. For double recipe, bake in 9 x 12 pan and add 5 minutes to baking time.

Note: I doubled the recipe and baked them in a 9 x 13 pan. I cut the brownies into 36 bars.
115 calories per brownie with no add-ins.
I used 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips and 1 cup milk chocolate covered Heath Bits for my add-ins.
182 calories per brownie
If you go to the website you can get the orginal nutrition facts for the recipe.

Butterscotch Toffee Brownies and Sundaes

Last week I came across an out-of-date package of brownie mix in the pantry and wondered if the leavening in it might still have enough "umph"  to create brownies. The "best if used by date" was in November, so I knew I was running a risk of creating some very flat brownies. Thankfully, that wasn't the case and they baked just fine. After tasting the brownies with the add-ins, the idea came to mind that these brownies could make the foundation for a tasty sundae. The brownies are yummy on their own, but with the addition of a scoop of vanilla ice cream, some butterscotch topping, whipped cream and toffee bits, these brownies become a very rich sundae. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 box brownie mix, I used Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownies
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup toffee bits
3/4 cup butterscotch chips

1. Prepare brownies according to package directions using two eggs.
2. Combine the pecans, toffee bits and butterscotch chips in a bowl. Measure out 1 cup and stir into the brownie mix. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Smooth surface and sprinkle on the remaining 1 cup of pecan mixture.
3. Bake the brownies according to the package directions. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Yield: 36 brownies
149 calories each

Sundaes: Place two brownies on a plate or cut the brownies into larger serving pieces. Top with vanilla ice cream, butterscotch ice cream topping, some whipped cream and a sprinkle of toffee bits.

Chocolate Peanut Clusters

When we go home to visit, my husband and I will often stay with our very dear friend, Kathie. One year when we went for Christmas she made these delicious peanut clusters for our holiday celebration. The three of us gobbled them up! This recipe is easy, with only three ingredients, and perfect for a snack or dessert, and it's kid-friendly. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 can (16 oz.) cocktail peanuts
1 pkg. (10 oz.) Reese's Peanut Butter baking chips
1 pkg. (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

1. Melt Reese's chips and chocolate chips together in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth.
2. Stir in peanuts.
3. Using a soup spoon, drop mixture onto wax paper lined cookie sheets. Let set until firm. Store in a tightly covered container.

Yield: 35 pieces
185 calories each
1 gm. fiber

Note: We also enjoy the clusters made with 1 cup of dark chocolate chips (60% cocoa) and 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips. The candy is not quite as sweet and the chocolate flavor is stronger. Using the dark chocolate increases the fiber to 2 gms. each.

Caramel Brownies

Sometime last year I clipped this recipe out of our local newspaper and my goodness, we are sure glad that I did. These brownies are rich and gooey with a layer of caramel and milk chocolate chips between two layers of cookie base made from a German chocolate cake mix. They were delicious with a glass of milk last evening for dessert. This is a kid-friendly recipe, whether the kid is young or old. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 German chocolate cake mix
1 pkg. (11 ounces) caramels
1 cup milk chocolate chips
2/3 cup evaporated milk, divided
3/4 cup butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
2. Melt butter and mix with cake mix and 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Spread half of this mixture in pan and bake for 7 to 9 minutes. (Remaining batter will thicken up as it sits). Remove baked layer to rack while preparing caramel mixture.
3. In a saucepan, combine unwrapped caramels and remaining 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth. Pour over baked layer and smooth out evenly with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the caramel.
4. Pinch off pieces of the remaining cake batter and make a layer over the top of the caramel layer. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes.

Yield: 36 bars
102 calories each

3D Chocolate Cheesecake

A few years ago when we went home for a visit my husband was looking through my mom's Taste of Home Magazines and he found this recipe for me to give a try. This man has found nothing chocolate that he doesn't like. I finally got around to making it for dessert this week and he is one happy camper. This is a very dense dark chocolate cheesecake topped with a thick dark chocolate ganache. I added the whipped cream to help cut some of the chocolate richness for me; I don't do "rich" as well as he does!

The cheesecake batter is extremely thick so you must use a stand mixer or else you will never get the ingredients combined. If you have a "chocoholic" in your home, they will think they died and went to heaven after the first bite. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs (about 5 whole crackers) or 1 cup regular graham cracker crumbs and 1 tbsp. baking cocoa
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
Filling:
4 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1-1/3 cups sugar
1 pkg. (10 oz.) 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate baking chips, melted and cooled
1/4 cup baking cocoa
4 eggs, lightly beaten
Ganache:
2/3 cup (4 oz.) 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate baking chips
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp. sugar

1. Place a greased 9-inch springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 inches square). Securely wrap foil around pan.
2. In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom of prepared pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in cooled chocolate and cocoa. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour over crust. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 inch of boiling water to larger pan.
4. Bake at 325 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath; remove foil. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack for 10 minutes; loosen edges from pan with a knife. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.
5. For ganache, in a small saucepan, bring cream and sugar just to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate; cover with a lid and allow to sit for 5 minutes to soften chocolate. Whisk mixture until smooth and allow to cool to spreading consistency. This will only take about 15-20 minutes.
6. Remove rim from pan. Spread ganache over cheesecake to within 1-inch of edge. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until set.

Yield: 16 servings
480 calories per serving
2 gms. fiber

Pumpkin Applesauce Bread

After the pumpkin pie is baked, there is almost always leftover pumpkin for another use and this moist, fruity bread is a wonderful choice for that use. This bread is delicious for breakfast, tea or snacks. In our opinion, chocolate is a great addition to the bread so this is the way I will make it from now on. But, if you are not a fan of chocolate, the original recipe was written without this addition, so feel free to omit the chocolate chips. Blessings...

Recipe: 

2/3 cup shortening
2-1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup sugar-free applesauce
1 cup canned mashed pumpkin
3-1/3 cups unbleached flour
2 tsps. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. mace
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2/3 cup apple juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.
2. Cream the shortening and the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Stir in the applesauce and the pumpkin.
4. Stir the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture alternately with the apple juice, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in the nuts and chocolate chips.
Pour into the prepared pans.
6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Begin checking at 1 hour to see how it is doing.

Yield: 2 loaves, 13 slices per loaf
2.6 gms. fiber per slice
Note: This bread freezes beautifully.

German's Sweet Chocolate Freezer Pie

Traditionally for Thanksgiving my son wants pumpkin pie and my husband wants a mince pie, I'll eat either, but my daughter-in-law isn't really crazy about either one of the choices. This year I wanted to try a very simple recipe for a freezer pie a few days in advance of their arrival to see if it might be any good. My hubby and I enjoyed it for dessert one evening, so I offered a piece to her for her Thanksgiving dessert and she was very happy with it. Our four year-old granddaughter also enjoyed this pie.

This recipe takes about 20 minutes to prepare, so it is great for the busy holiday season, and it's rich chocolate flavor and soft texture reminded me of a mousse. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 pkg. (4 oz.) German's Sweet Chocolate
1/2 cup milk, divided
4 oz. cream cheese (1/2 8-oz. pkg.), softened.  (I used low-fat)
2 tbsps. sugar
1 8-oz. tub whipped topping, thawed
1 6-oz. ready-to-use graham cracker crumb crust

1. Break chocolate into pieces and place in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add 2 tbsps. of the milk and microwave on high for 30 seconds; stir. Microwave 30 seconds more and stir until smooth. You may need to microwave a bit more depending on the size of the broken pieces of chocolate.
2. Stir in the cream cheese, sugar and remaining 6 tbsps. milk; whisk until blended. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until slightly cooled.
3. Gently fold in the whipped topping until completely blended. Pour into crust.
4. Freeze pie for 4 hours or until firm. Let stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes before cutting.
5. Garnish with additional whipped topping or whipped cream, and drizzle with chocolate sauce or hot fudge sauce. Yummy!

Yield: 8 servings

This recipe comes from the Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate package.

Deep Chocolate Brownies

This delicious recipe was a reader-contributed recipe that won in the best brownie category in a Better Homes and Gardens contest back in 2005. The topping is like the topping on German chocolate cake, only butterscotch-flavored ice cream topping is used instead of corn syrup. These brownies are a chocolate-lovers delight. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 egg
1 cup butterscotch-flavor ice cream topping
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
2 cups flaked coconut
3/4 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 12-oz. pkg. semisweet chocolate pieces

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan; set aside.
2. In a small mixing bowl beat the 1 egg with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy and light colored. Stir in ice cream topping. Fold in pecans and coconut; set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in cooled chocolate, the 2 eggs, and vanilla.
4. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; beat or stir into chocolate mixture. Stir in chocolate pieces. Spread in prepared pan; spread nut mixture over batter.
5. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden and set. Toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs on it. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Yield: 24 - 36 bars

Blondie-Brownie Pie

This is another one of those recipes that I have had stuck away for a number of years and can not remember where it came from, so I can't give credit to a source, but I can tell you that it is an easy and tasty dessert. I would have called this pie a Candy Bar Pie. A portion of the batter is spread out in the pie plate to make the crust so there is no crust to roll out, which is a great time-saving help. We enjoyed the pie with a scoop of French Vanilla ice cream along side. Blessings...

Recipe:

1/2 cup butter, cut up

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup unbleached flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

1 tbsp. baking cocoa powder

13 fun-size Snickers or other snack-size candy bars

1. Grease a 9-inch glass pie plate; set aside

2. Melt butter and brown sugar in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat until mixture starts to bubble. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes.

3. Stir in 1 egg and the vanilla until blended, then stir in flour and baking powder until smooth. Scrape 3/4 cup into prepared pie plate (don't spread); freeze 10 minutes or until firm.

4. Melt 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips as package directs. Stir melted chips, remaining egg and the cocoa powder into remaining batter.

5. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Press chilled batter evenly over bottom and halfway up sides of pie plate. Top with the Snickers, then chocolate batter. Spread the chocolate batter to cover the candy bars.

6. Bake for 24 to 27 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips over the pie, let stand 5 minutes until soft, then spread to blondie crust. Cool pie before cutting in wedges.

Yield: 6 - 8 servings

Note: 4 fun-size candy bars is equal to 1 standard-size candy bar. I cut the bars into chunks.

Nutty Nougat Caramel Bites

This recipe is another that has become a fast favorite, and with good reason. They are made up of four rich and delicious layers that lovers of chocolate, caramel and butterscotch will greatly appreciate. I tell you that before I tell you that this is a time consuming recipe that requires patience, but is so worth every moment invested. And, the recipe makes a large pan of cookies, so there are plenty to enjoy. This recipe comes from Taste of Home's Fall 2002 cooking school magazine. Blessings...

Recipe:

COOKIE BASE:
2-1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) instant butterscotch pudding mix
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups butterscotch flavored morsels
NOUGAT FILLING:
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups (about 8 oz.) chopped salted peanuts
CARAMEL LAYER:
1 pkg. (14 oz.) caramels-Kraft no longer makes a 14 oz. bag, it is now 11 oz., so you will have to buy two bags.
1/4 cup whipping cream
ICING:
1 cup milk chocolate morsels
1 cup butterscotch flavored morsels
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1. For cookie base: In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Beat butter, brown sugar and sugar in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Add pudding mix, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in butterscotch morsels with a large spoon. Spread and pat dough evenly into parchment paper-lined 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 13 minutes or until light golden brown. Carefully hold pan 2-3 inches above a heat-resistant surface and allow pan to drop. (This creates a chewier cookie base. Interesting, huh?) Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
2. For nougat filling: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and evaporated milk; stir. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in marshmallow cream, peanut butter and vanilla. Add peanuts; stir well. Spread nougat mixture over cookie base. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until set.
3. For caramel layer: Combine caramels and cream in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth. Spread caramel mixture over nougat layer. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until set.
4. For icing: Melt milk chocolate morsels, butterscotch morsels and peanut butter in a medium saucepan over low heat stirring constantly until smooth. Spread icing over caramel layer. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
5. To serve, let stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Cut into bars. Store in an airtight container. These are best at room temperature; rich and gooey, and worth every calorie, however many there are!!

Note: The recipe creator wanted me to cut the pieces into 1 x 1-inch pieces, hence the usage of the word "bites" in the title. I cut them into bars.

White Chocolate Snowdrift Cake

A number of years ago, in 2006, actually, I went to the Better Homes and Gardens website and made a copy of this recipe and stuck it away for a future time. Well, the time was right this week when I came across it again and decided to give the recipe a try. I'm sure glad I did! The white chocolate-cream cheese frosting alone would be worth the effort in making this dessert. The cake is a dressed-up white cake mix, so it goes together very easily. Even if I never made the cake again, the frosting is one I will use on my carrot cakes in the future; it is delicious. Better Homes and Gardens website is http://bhg.com if you would like to check it out. Blessings...

Recipe:

3/4 cup whipping cream
8 oz. white baking chocolate, chopped, or 8 oz. white chocolate chips
1 pkg. 2-layer-size white cake mix
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar

1. For frosting, in a medium saucepan combine whipping cream and white chocolate. Cook, stirring, over low heat until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Transfer to a large mixing bowl; cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, grease and flour two 9 x 1-1/2-inch or 8 x 1-1/2-inch round cake pans; set aside. Prepare cake mix according to package directions using egg whites. Spoon about 1-1/2 cups of batter into each cake pan. Stir cocoa powder into batter remaining in bowl; stir until blended. Spoon on cake mix in pans; swirl gently to marble and to spread batter evenly in pans. Bake according to package directions except check cakes several minutes before minimum time indicated on package because the cocoa makes the cakes bake in a shorter time. Let cakes cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
3. Continue with frosting by adding cream cheese, in about 1 tablespoon-sized pieces to white chocolate mixture on low speed of electric mixer. When cream cheese is all blended in, gradually add powdered sugar, beating until sugar is completely combined. Mixture should hold soft peaks; do not overbeat. Use immediately.
4. Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Frost with about 1 cup frosting. Top with second cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake.
5. Serve immediately or cover and chill until serving time. I removed the cake from the frige about an hour before serving time because we aren't crazy about chilled cake. Cake will last in the frige for several days.

Yield: 12 servings
458 calories