Double Delicious Cookie Bars

I found this recipe six years ago. I think I’ve made it two or three dozen times. They are incredibly delicious for something so easy to make. Even though they use peanut butter chips, it’s really a subtle flavor of peanut butter. They taste like chocolate chip cookies- just in a bar form. Except they are creamier and more addicting. Why is everything made in bars addicting?

Modifications: Trust me, look at the recipe. 4 cups of chips in one 13x9 dessert? Thats alot. It was really sweet. The 3 cups of chocolate chips overpower the 1 cup of peanut butter chips. Not balanced! So take my advice and distribute the chips in even portions: 1 cup of peanut butter chips and 1 cup of chocolate chips (half of it is going to be for the drizzle on top). These adaptations will please everyone- even a sweet tooth. Use only 1/2 teaspoon shortening.     

I like how they tell you to melt your butter in the 13x9 pan in the oven as its preheating. No need to even dirty a bowl! These are so easy. Just don’t burn your butter. Oh, and they say to bake 25-30 minutes. What? Mine bake up in 18-20 minutes. And they taste amazing the next day!

Hershey’s also provides a variation to this recipe: just add coconut to make Chippy Chewy Bars. Those are great too.

Reese's Marble Cheesecake

This was my first peanut butter cheesecake. Of course it came out great because it uses peanut butter chips. And the flavor was not overkill. It doesn’t taste like a peanut butter jelly sandwich or anything. How do you make peanut butter better? Compliment it with chocolate! Take the time to delicately swirl the batter- it makes a great presentation.

Coconut Cake - Two Ways

After you watch Ina Garten make her coconut cake on the food network about five times, you finally decide its time to print out that recipe. But, you’ve also just discovered the show Everyday Baking and they’ve made a tasty looking coconut cake too. What to do? Try them both!

Ina’s cake came out moist and dense with a very slight coconut flavor if any at all. It was still tasty, but was more like vanilla cake. The coconut flavor only comes through the garnish on top. Next time I'll follow the reviewer's suggestions and replace the milk for coconut milk. The frosting is a cream cheese buttercream which is to die for. 

Everyday baking’s coconut cake is a vanilla cake as well (no coconut in the batter at all) and comes out less rich than Ina’s but a little sweeter and definitely lighter. It was more crumbly (airy), but I’d still call it a dense cake. This recipe uses a lemon curd filling which I absolutely love. Both frostings were delicious, so it really just depends on your mood. Seven-minute frosting doesn’t have ANY  flavor (try adding vanilla extract) but a wonderful, smooth texture. It’s much lighter and less sweeter than Ina’s cream cheese buttercream. 

Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Layered Cheesecake

You’ll first make this recipe in middle school when your brother needs to bring in a homemade dessert to class, so of course he’ll ask you to bake it. You will receive many compliments and some will swear you did not bake that- it had to come from a gourmet bakery. Make things much easier on yourself- use three separate glass measuring cups. Otherwise, you will never want to see melted chocolate again... at least for a while. It’ll be stuck to everything in your kitchen but it will be well worth it. Please use dark chocolate chips- not semi sweet and definitely not milk chocolate. If you’re a dark chocolate lover- you will make this a lot. It is not sickeningly sweet, despite all that chocolate. The bottom layer is intense and fudgy with the top layers being rich and creamy. Your friends will affirm it tastes like something from starbucks- but better.

Black Forest Mini Cheesecakes

I think because I have a fond memory of learning how to make black forest cake in the third grade is why I love this traditional flavor combination. Third grade- that was a good year. This spin off is made with cheesecake- even better! The bright cherry pie filling on top of the chocolaty brown cheesecake and white sour cream topping makes for a great presentation- especially when you bake 75 of them for an event.  These were easy to make too- you just top 3 cherries on each cupcake and it instantly looks perfect.

I tried both paper and foil liners. If you use paper, make sure you bake the cheesecake completely. It came out 100 times better in the foil liners (baked evenly and quicker) so I suggest using those. I also reserved a small amount of batter to try without cocoa, so it was flavored with just almond extract. It didn’t taste that good- they were bitter. Stick to the recipe!

You may be thinking of using cool whip instead of the sour cream topping. No! I liked the topping because the flavor stood up to the pie filling and cheesecake (I don’t think cool whip will add any new taste) and it made the dessert more rich and moist. Hey, it’s sour cream so it still has that coolness and lightness you’re looking for. 

Martha Stewart Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

These are some of the best brownies you can ever make. They should win the gold medal in any brownie bake off. I love how Martha has the video for these on her website because that’s what urged me to make them. You MUST use bittersweet chocolate. Even if you don’t like dark chocolate. The depth of flavor is unmatched! I have to say though, that Mascarpone Brownies are in close second to these. If you like richer, incredibly moist and fudgy brownies- go with the Mascarpone Brownies. If you like intense chocolate, complex flavor, and brownies that are chewy- Martha’s your girl. I use ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips. I also tried this recipe with brown sugar and it tastes much better with regular sugar. Her sauce is insanely divine that adds richness and makes these fudgy so you get the best of both worlds.

You have to watch her video to get her secret fudge sauce recipe. Oh wait, no you don’t, I will gladly post it for you. Look how nice I am.


Martha Stewart Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan or heatproof glass dish. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on 2 sides. Set aside. Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water; stir frequently until chocolate and butter are melted, about 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat; let cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir sugar into cooled chocolate mixture until combined. Whisk in eggs one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in vanilla. Gently fold in flour and salt.

Pour batter into prepared pan, and smooth top with an offset spatula. Bake until cake tester inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Run a knife or offset spatula around the edges of the pan. Using parchment, lift brownies out of pan and onto the rack. Transfer to a cutting board; cut into 2-inch squares.

Martha Stewart's Hot Fudge Sauce
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup light corn syrup
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips (or high quality chocolate, chopped)

Directions
Combine the heavy cream and corn syrup in a sauce pan over low heat until bubbly. Add the chocolate and stir until combined. Remove from heat. Refrigerate leftovers. 

The Ultimate Cheesecake

I love Tyler Florence because he makes the most mouth-watering food on food network and he doesn’t give me that fake TV personality. I did call this cheesecake the ultimate for a few years. But now it just depends on my mood. This one is different from a Hershey’s or Junior’s cheesecake. Hershey’s seems to be my favorite right now because it has a great texture- creamy but with a medium denseness and more emphasis on the cream cheese flavor. Junior’s is a classic new york style cheesecake that's alittle more dry. Still rich in flavor, but more crumbly.  This Ultimate Cheesecake is like a combination between the two. It has a rich flavor but is still light and creamy. It’s the sour cream and lemon zest that make this cake refreshing, but if you’d like, you could serve it with a fruit pie filling on top for extra sweetness.  

Apple-Ca-Dapple Crisp

This recipe is really your sister’s and she’ll be the one to make it for the first couple of years but then when she decides to start leaving those healthy apple skins on is when you’ll have to steal the recipe and make it the right way yourself. Apple crisp is 100 times more superior than apple pie. The only way to out-do apple crisp is with an apple dutch pie. Which is still just apple crisp on top of a crust.

Apple-Ca-Dapple Crisp
Adapted from: Betty Crocker

Ingredients
5 large cooking apples (such as Rome Beauty, Granny Smith or Greening or a combination of these)
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, soft enough to spread (zap in microwave for 10 seconds if needed)
Vanilla Ice Cream or whipped cream, if you like

Directions
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. 

Peel the apples and cut into 1/3 inch slices. Discard apple core and seeds. Put apple slices in a 8 x 8 inch pan.

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon with a fork, in a small bowl. Sprinkle sugar mixture over apples. Pour the water over apples.

Combine the flour, granulated sugar and butter in a medium bowl. Start with a fork and then mix with your hands until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle crumbly flour mixture over apples.

Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until apples are soft and topping is golden brown. Cool for at least 10 minutes on a wire cooling rack.

Serve with ice cream or the whipped cream, if you like.

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

I didn’t make the frosting but the cake recipe was excellent- moist and dense but not too heavy. Great chocolate flavor. Does not taste like it came from a box! The sour cream makes the cake soft. This is a great standard chocolate cake recipe that would also make yummy cupcakes with your favorite frosting!

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake
Adapted from: Hershey's

Ingredients
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 container (16 oz.) dairy sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-3/4 cups sugar

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

Stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add butter, sour cream, eggs and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 3 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. Frost. 12 to 15 servings.

Fudge Frosting
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/3 cups powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Add cocoa; cook, stirring constantly, just until mixture begins to boil. Pour mixture into medium bowl; cool completely. Add powdered sugar alternately with milk to cocoa mixture, beating to spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla. About 1 cup frosting.

Hershey's Chocolate Cheesecake – Three ways

My three staple chocolate cheesecake recipes. They vary in chocolate intensity but all are amazingly good.

Chocolate Festival Cheesecake is not overly sweet but has great chocolate flavor. It uses cocoa powder, granulated sugar, and sour cream. A good combination for those who want chocolate but still want to taste the essence of cream from the cream cheese and sour cream in this cheesecake.

You need more richness? Got it- Tuxedo Chocolate Cheesecake. It uses cocoa powder and sweetened condensed milk. Hershey’s doesn’t actually call it a Tuxedo but I do because it has all those qualities- creamy, fudgy and of course, chocolatey. Please top it with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla mousse. It really compliments this recipe.
    

Okay, that was dreamy, but this final recipe will take you to chocolate heaven. If you need something divinely and insanely fudgy. Fudge Truffle Cheesecake. I think the name says it all. It uses semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of cocoa powder and sweetened condensed milk instead of sugar. Maximum richness and fudge flavor. From the fat in the chocolate chips, of course. And creaminess from the sweetened condensed milk. It doesn’t get any better. If you love dark chocolate, go with dark chocolate chips, but I like to use semi-sweet because it usually pleases everyone. As you probably would have guessed- this one is my favorite of the three.

All three use a chocolate crumb crust- which is mandatory.   

Chocolate Festival Cheesecake 

Crust
1-1/4 cups vanilla wafer or graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa 

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter or margarine

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine first three ingredients in a medium bowl; stir in melted butter or margarine. Press mixture onto bottom and 1/2 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool.

Cheesecake

3 eggs

Sweetened whipped cream or whipped topping (optional)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Assorted fresh fruit, sliced (optional)

3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1-1/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup dairy sour cream

Directions

Set oven temperature to 450°F. 

Combine cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, cocoa and vanilla in large bowl; beat on medium speed of mixer until smooth. Add flour and eggs; beat well. Pour into prepared crust. Bake 10 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 250°F; continue baking 30 minutes. (Cheesecake may not be fully set in center.) Turn off oven; leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes without opening oven door. Remove from oven to wire rack. With knife, loosen cake from side of pan. Cool to room temperature; remove side of pan. Refrigerate several hours before serving. Garnish with chocolate curls or sliced fruit and whipped cream, if desired. Cover; refrigerate leftover cheesecake. 10 to 12 servings.

HERSHEY'S Tuxedo Chocolate Cheesecake 

Crust
1-1/2 cups vanilla wafer or graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons powdered sugar

6 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa 

6 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

Directions

Combine first three ingredients in a medium bowl; stir in melted butter or margarine. Press mixture onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Cheesecake

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine

1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)

4 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions

Heat oven to 300°F

Place butter in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 30 to 45 seconds or until melted. Stir in cocoa until smooth; set aside.

Beat cream cheese in large bowl. Add cocoa mixture; beat well. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 1 hour and 5 minutes or until set. (Center will be soft.) Remove pan from oven to wire rack; loosen cake from side of pan. Cool completely; remove side of pan. To serve, garnish as desired. Cover; refrigerate leftover cheesecake. Garnish as desired. 12 servings.

Fudge Truffle Cheesecake 

Crust
1-1/2 cups vanilla wafer or graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa 

1/3 cup melted butter or margarine

Directions

Combine first three ingredients in a medium bowl; stir in melted butter or margarine. Press mixture onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Cheesecake

2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Heat oven to 300°F.

Place chocolate chips in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1-1/2 minutes; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted when stirred.

Beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add melted chips, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Pour into prepared crust.

Bake 1 hour and 5 minutes or until center is set. Remove from oven to wire rack. With knife, loosen cake from side of pan. Cool completely; remove side of pan. Refrigerate several hours before serving. Garnish as desired. Cover; refrigerate leftover cheesecake. 10 to 12 servings.