mmm mmm better brownies

Ky and Kristin's recipe for brownies (allrecipes.com). They say they are better and cheaper than boxed.

½ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

½ cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ Teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; gradually stir into the egg mixture until well blended. Stir in walnuts, if desired. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
2. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the brownie begins to pull away from edges of pan. Let cool on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

Kristin says it tastes best with butter. Ky 3x’s this recipe and bakes in a cookie sheet pan.

Sharon's Buttermilk Brownies

2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups flour
4 Tablespoons cocoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick butter or margarine
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Sift sugar, flour, and cocoa. Bring the water, butter and oil to a boil. Let cool slightly and then pour over dry ingredients. Whisk until creamy. Mix buttermilk and baking soda together and then mix it in with the batter. Add the eggs and mix. Add the nuts if desired. Pour into a greased and floured 11x17" baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 18 to 25 minutes. While still warm, frost with the following:

Buttermilk Brownie Frosting

Boil:  1 stick butter
         1/4 cup cocoa
         1/3 cup buttermilk
Add:  1 teaspoon vanilla
         1 pound powdered sugar
         dash of salt.

Chocolate Mousse Ice Cream

2/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 2/3 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
1.In large bowl, stir together sugar and cocoa. Add egg yolks and blend with electric mixer. Add cream a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Chill mixture in refrigerator.
2.While cream mixture is chilling, grate chocolate chips in blender or food processor or using a rotary grater, until fine. Stir into cream mixture. Freeze in canister of ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cream together
2 cups shortening
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoons water
4 eggs

add

5 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt

stir in

12 oz milk chocolate chips

preheat oven to 375. Drop cookies by tablespoon onto cookie sheet. Bake for 8 min.

(these are different than the toll house recipe)

White Hot Hot Chocolate

3 1/4 cups 2% milk
6 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place the white chocolate in a double boiler (water in double boiler just barely simmering) Allow the chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally until smooth. Stir in cayenne pepper and cinnamon. Whisk in the egg until smooth.
Gradually whisk in one cup of the milk until completely incorporated, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in remaining milk, and heat until hot, but not simmering. You do not want a skin to form on top of the milk. Heat to desired temprature.

Chocolate Tofu Pie

1 prepared graham cracker pie shell
1 package soft tofu, drained and rinsed
1-12 oz. package semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp. vanilla

Drain and rinse tofu. Place tofu in blender and blend until smooth. Melt chocolate chips (being careful not to burn) and add to tofu along with vanilla. Mix well and pur into pie shell. Peppermint extract can be substitute for vanilla if you like chocolate mint pie.

Quick Chocolate Shake

This will make any sick child feel better!

6 Tbls. Quick
1 c. milk
1 c. vanilla ice cream

blend in blender till smooth

Hot Lava Cake

5-oz. semi-sweet chocolate (chocolate chips are fine)
10 Tablespoons butter
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups powder sugar
1/2 cup flour

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter 6- 3/4 cup custard cups.
Melt chocolate and butter in microwave safe dish stir after 1 minute, if it needs it or not.
Heat 1 minute more, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir until smooth let cool slightly. Wisk eggs and egg yolks in bowl until blended well. Wisk sugar, chocolate mixture and flour into egg mixture. Divide batter evenly into the 6 buttered custard dishes place on cookie sheet and bake for 11- 12 min. (every oven bakes different so keep a close eye on these bad boys) Let cool for 1 min. run knife around edge of custard dish and place serving dish on top of custard dish and invert onto plate. Serve with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce.

Raspberry Sauce

10 0z. bag frozen raspberries
3/4 cup sugar
Lemon Juice (opt.)

Thaw frozen raspberries, puree in blender then pass through a sieve to remove all seeds. Add sugar and lemon juice if desired. place in squeeze bottle and serve with molten lava cakes.

Squirrel Bars

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
6 oz. chocolate chips
Mix together first four ingredients. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour and baking powder. Spread mixture in a greased 9"x13" pan. Sprinkle chips on top Bake 3 minutes at 350. Take out and marbelize. return to oven for another 18-20 minutes. Cool and cut into bars to serve. Serves 8-10

Easy hot fudge sauce

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate (or use same amount of semi sweet chocolate chips)
2 tablespoons butter (don't substitute)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a heavy saucepan, combine the milk, chocolate and butter. Cook and stir over medium-low hat until chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla.