Texas Sheet Cake

Ingredients:
Cake:
2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
2 sticks Butter
1 cup Boiling Water
½ cups Buttermilk*
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla
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Frosting:
½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
1 & ¾ stick Butter
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
3 ½ cups Powdered Sugar

Directions:
Use an 18×13 sheet cake pan/jelly roll pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.
In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake. The warmth of the cake should do most of the work for you, causing the frosting to spread on its own.

*to make Buttermilk substitute: pour just under 1/2 cup regular milk into the measuring cup, then add enough regular vinegar to the milk to bring the quantity up to 1/2 cup. Within seconds, it turns into buttermilk and works perfectly.

Salted Caramel and Chocolate Cupcake

Ingredients:
1 box chocolate cake mix

3/4 cup sugar, divided
4 tbsp water
4 tbsp + 4 tsp heavy whipping cream
2 egg white
spinch of salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

pecans, chopped
milk chocolate chips for melting and drizzling
course sea salt

Directions:
For the cupcakes:
Bake the cupcakes according to package directions and let them cool completely before frosting.

For Salted Caramel Buttercream:
Place 1/2 cup of sugar and water in saucepan over medium-high heat. Do not stir of you will get sugar crystals, only swirl the saucepan gently. It will bubble itself into a deep amber. Remove immediately from heat and add cream (careful – it will bubble up furiously).

Stir until smooth. Divide caramel into two separate and equal portions and set aside.Place the egg whites, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture reaches 140 degrees. Transfer to bowl of standing mixer. Beat on high until stiff peaks form.

Add butter a bit at a time, and continue beating on high. Reduce speed to low, add vanilla extract, and then one of your portions of caramel (you may need to gently rewarm the caramel in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time until it is workable but not burning hot). Beat on high for 4-5 minutes or until buttercream texture is reached.

Pipe buttercream frosting onto each cupcake then roll sides in chopped pecans. Drizzle top of cupcake with melted chocolate and then with second batch of caramel. Sprinkle ever so slightly with course sea salt.

Chocolate Coconut Blondies

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 ounces unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup chocolate chips or chunks
More Coconut-for sprinkling on the top of the bars.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine the flour and salt; whisk and set to the side.
3. Stir together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth and creamy; beat in egg and vanilla extract until well blended.
4. Slowly beat in the flour and salt mixture until just blended. Next, stir in the coconut and chocolate chips. Scrape the batter into the pan. Make sure the batter is spread evenly, smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle extra coconut on top of the bars.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until set in the center but still soft. Do not overbake the bars.

S'mores Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/2- 2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups miniature chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
2 Hershey bars, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, salt. Whisk together. In a separate larger bowl beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.Bake for 8 minutes, and remove from the oven. Push 3 to 4 marshmallows and a few pieces of hershey bar into each cookies. Return to the oven and bake an additional 3-4 minutes until fully cooked. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Chocolate Caramel Cookies With Sea Salt

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter
7 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa -ok to use dark
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup plain yogurt1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Soft caramel*, rolled into little balls
Sea salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF; line 2 baking sheets with baking paper, lightly coated with cooking spray. I used Silpats! Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Sift together flour, soda, and salt; set aside.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in cocoa powder and sugars (mixture will resemble coarse sand). Add yogurt and vanilla, stirring to combine. Add flour mixture, stirring until moist. Wrap the chocolate dough around the caramel balls. Place balls on cookie sheets and sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until almost set. Cool on pans 2 to 3 minutes or until firm. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks.

*you can use Werthers or Kraft caramels of if you're fancy, Peters Chocolate's caramel

Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients:
Made 18 cookies
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 large egg white
1½ teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
3½ cups coconut-sweetened

For the chocolate dipping:About 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (you can use semi-sweet or milk chocolate if you wish)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, egg white, vanilla extract, and salt. Stir until combined. Add in the coconut and mix well.
3. With a spoon, scoop up about 2 Tablespoons of the dough and place the dough balls on the baking sheets-about 2 inches apart. Form the cookies into mounds that have a peak at the top. Use your hands-squeeze the dough together and create a point at the top. Your hands will get sticky-you may need to wash them in between forming cookies.
4. Bake cookies one sheet at a time for 15 to 2o minutes. The cookies will turn golden brown.
5. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes or until they are firm and set. Remove with a spatula onto a cooling rack.
6. Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Make sure you keep stirring the chocolate every 20 seconds or so until chocolate is melted and smooth. You can melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water if you wish. Josh did it in the microwave though.
7. Lay out a large piece of parchment paper. Dip the cookies into the chocolate-just so the bottoms are covered in chocolates. Set dipped cookies on the paper to dry. Dip all of the cookies. If you have extra chocolate drizzle the tops with chocolate for fun:)
8. Let the cookies sit until the chocolate has dried.

Choco Waffles

Ingredients:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. sugar
½ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
3 large eggs, beaten
4 tbsp. butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
¾ cup mini chocolate chips
Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat the waffle maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Preheat the oven to 200˚ F.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Whisk to blend. In another bowl combine the eggs, butter, vanilla and buttermilk. Whisk to blend well. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Stir in the mini chocolate chips. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
Fill the waffle iron with batter and cook until the waffle is crisp and completely cooked. Transfer finished waffles to the preheated oven and repeat until all the batter has been used. Serve immediately with fresh berries and whipped cream.

Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chunk Cookies With Maple Frosting

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup self-rising flour
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Directions:
Whisk together flour and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter.
Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy.
Add vanilla.
Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined.
Add flour/spice mixture to sugar mixture in three additions. Alternate with pumpkin in two additions, ending with flour mixture.
Stir in chopped pecans and chocolate chunks.
Drop on cookie tray lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes about four dozen cookies.
Let cool.

Maple Brown Butter Frosting
3 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp maple flavoring

Sift sugar and set aside.
Melt butter over medium heat until golden brown. Watch closely so it does not burn.
Add butter to sugar, scraping all the butter into the bowl.
Add milk and maple flavoring. Stir until smooth.
Spread on top of cookies with an knife or offset spatula.

Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cake

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, separated
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
16 ounces sour cream
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
12 ounces chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.In a large bowl, cream butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar, then mix in the egg yolks and vanilla. Sift flour, baking soda and baking powder together into a separate bowl. Alternately add sour cream and then dry ingredients into butter mixture. Beat eggs whites until stiff, then fold into batter. Mix last 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon together in a separate, small dish.
In a greased 9″x13″ pan, pour in half of the cake batter. Sprinkle the top with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture and half of the chocolate chips. Pour remaining batter on top, sprinkling the top with the remaining cinnamon-sugar and chocolate chips. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.*I halved the recipe and got a nice 9-inch cake; perfect for 2-4.

NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 2/3 cups bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate chips (I threw in some milk chocolate chips too)
Sea salt

Directions:
Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.
*I didn’t make huge cookies – I used a small cookie scoop and got somewhere around 40. I baked them for about 9 minutes and they were perfectly crisp on the edges and gooey and chewy in the center.

Chocolate Dipped Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

Ingredients:
2 stick butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups oats
1 cup sweetened coconut
Dipping chocolate

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees
In a large bowl beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and extracts; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Add oats and coconut; mix well. Form dough into round balls and flatten a bit and place on baking sheet. Bake 8-9 minutes until edges are lightly golden and center is still soft. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, remove and cool completely. Once cookies are completely cooled melt dipping chocolate over double boiler or in microwave safe bowl. Dip the bottoms of the cookies in the chocolate and place on wax paper to cool.

Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

Ingredients:
4 whole Egg Whites
¼ teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Cream Of Tartar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1-½ cup Sugar
1-½ cup Mini Chocolate Chips

Directions:
Beat egg whites, salt, cream of tartar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form about 5 minutes. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
Prepare cookie sheet (either with grease, or parchament paper, or aluminum foil). Drop by heaping teaspoon-fulls onto cookie sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Undersides of cookies should be lightly tanned.

***In case you’ve never worked with egg whites and “soft” and “stiff peaks” before, don’t be intimidated! It’s a piece of cake (or…mmm…cookie). The way to test for those stages to just take some sort of spoon (or your mixing beater) and dip it into the batter and lift straight up. If the peaks curve down slightly when the spoon is lifted, you have “soft peaks”. If they stand straight up and don’t move, congrats — you have “stiff peaks”.

Chocolate-Peppermint Bark

Ingredints:
12 oz chocolate chips
1 pound white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup peppermint candy, crushed

Directions: .
Preheat oven to 250. Line a 9x13 pan with foil, letting it hang over the sides. Spray foil. Pour the chocolate chips in an even layer on the foil. Place in oven for 5 minutes or until almost melted. Remove from oven, smooth with an offset spatula or knife. Place in refrigerator until cold and firm, about 20 minutes.
Melt white chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a metal bowl over simmering water (don’t let bottom of bowl touch water), until chocolate is almost melted. You can use your microwave for this if you’re brave! Remove bowl from water and stir until completely melted, stirring in extract. Let cool a little bit so it doesn’t melt the chocolate layer when you pour it on top. Pour this over chocolate layer, and, working quickly, spread to cover. Sprinkle with crushed candy.
Chill until both layers are firm. Lift foil out of pan and shake off excess candy. Trim edges. Cut into 2” wide strips. Peel bark from foil and cut each strip as desired. Chill in covered container. Makes about 2 pounds.