BROWNIE CUPCAKES
From Martha Stewart via Lindsey Johnson
MAKES 12
- 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 (11 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips–Trader Joe’s is best
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1/8 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4-1/2 tsp. salt (optional, but I think it needs it)
- 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (walnuts, or pecans)
- Chocolate frosting (totally optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 count muffin tin with cupcake liners. Spray well with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and 8 ounces of chocolate. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat, and set aside. (You can use the microwave, but be VERY careful not to burn the chocolate. Check it after every 30 seconds to a minute and on 50% power.)

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs and sugar together until well combined. Add the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the melted butter/chocolate mixture. Stir in remaining 3 ounces of chocolate and nuts.

4. Using a 2 oz. ice cream scoop, fill cupcake liners 3/4 full with batter. Bake until a firm crust forms on the cupcakes, about 20 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool, about 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and continue to cool on a wire rack.

5. Frost the cupcakes with a generous amount of chocolate frosting. (They are really rich and don’t really need the frosting, but hey–do what YOU like.)

CAROLYN’S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
From Martha Stewart via Lindsey Johnson
MAKES 30
- 2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. firmly packed dark brown sugar (no substitutions, please!)
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 large whole egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup toasted walnuts, broken into large pieces (optional)

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. Melt butter in microwave on 50% power in a large, microwave safe mixing bowl. Whisk in sugars. Let cool to room temperature. Add whole egg and egg yolk, and vanilla; whisk well and make sure no lumps of dark brown sugar remain. (The original recipe directions say to melt the butter on the stove, so do you can also do it that way if you would rather.)

3. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter/sugar mixture until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm—about 30 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using two large spoons, or (my favorite way) a small ice cream scoop, place golf-ball size mounds of dough on a baking sheet—about 3″ apart. (A jelly-roll will fit about 9 balls.) Bake until cookies no longer look wet on top, about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Place cookies on a wire rack to finish cooling.

image of ‘carolyn’s chocolate chip cookies’ courtesy of lindsey johnson

Sausage, Pepper & Onion Sandwiches
From Jane Maynard, This Week for Dinner

I don’t know if we can even consider this a recipe, but here’s what I do. I usually buy chicken sausages at Trader Joe’s…I like to use either Italian or pepper/onion flavored because it’s the right kind of flavor. I saute sliced onions and sliced bell peppers (not green ones, usually red) in olive oil. I then slice the sausages down the center and in half so they cook faster and are easier to eat on the bread, throw them in with the onions & pepper and cook until hot. Serve on a good bulkie roll/kaiser roll/sub roll with some mustard. That’s it. Easy peasy. Seriously good, though…last time we had these Nate and I both really enjoyed it.

FRUIT DIP
8 oz cream cheese, softened at room temp
1 jar marshmallow fluff
Juice from 1 orange

Blend it all together – it is the BEST fruit dip out there. Also, I’ve used lime juice as well – which gives it a nice tangy taste!

SWEET CHEX MIX
- 1 small box Rice Chex
- 2 C coconut
- 1 C sliced almonds
- 1 C karo
- 1 C sugar
- 1 1/2 C butter
- Dash salt
- 1/2 t. baking soda
- 1 t. vanilla

Cook sugar, karo, salt and butter in microwave 5 minutes. Stir and cook 2 more minutes (watch out – it’s HOT). Add vanilla and soda then pour mixture over remaining dry ingredients.

DEEP DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE
From Mary “Grammy” McCarthy
- 1 pkg devils food cake mix (no pudding added)
- 4 eggs
- 1 C sour cream
- 3/4 C water
- 1/4 C vegetable oil
- 1 pkg instant chocolate pudding
- 1 pkg (6 oz) chocolate chips (mini are good)

Dump all ingredients except the chips into a big bowl and mix thoroughly. Stir in chips and pour into a well-greased bundt pan (the kind with ripply edges). Bake 350 45-60 minutes. Cool 20 minutes and turn out of pan. When really cool, wrap in foil to keep it moist. Serves about 124 people.

MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES
From Nicki Burnett
- 1 Cup butter
- 1/2 Cup confectioners sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 Cups Flour
- 1/4 tsp salt

Cream the butter and confectioners sugar. Add the vanilla and mix. Add 2 Cups flour with 1/4 tsp salt (salt optional if using salted butter). Mix together and chill 15 minutes. Make small balls and place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes and the roll in powdered sugar while hot (not warm – this can be hard on the fingers but it is worth it!)

CHOCOLATE SWIRLS
From WHO KNOWS?!?! Some chocolate cream cheese genius, I suppose.
- 1/2 C sugar
- 1/2 C packed brown sugar
- 1/2 C butter, softened
- 3 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 t. vanilla
- 2 C all purpose flour
- 1/2 t baking powder
- 1/4 t. salt
- 1 C semisweet chocolate ships, melted and slightly cooled

Heat oven to 350F. In large mixing bowl combine sugars, butter, cream cheese, egg and vanilla. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Beat at low speed until soft dough forms. Fold melted chips into dough until lightly marbled. (do not overmix)

Drop dough by heaping teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 mins, or until edges are light golden brown. Cool completly before storing.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE
My friend Barbara found this recipe online somewhere…

Crust:
- 9-oz package of chocolate wafer cookies
- 3 T butter, melted

Filling:
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 C heavy cream
- 3/4 C raspberry jam
- 2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 C sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 t vanilla

1. To make crust: Place cookies in a food processor and grind into powder. Mix with butter and press into the bottom and up sides of 9-ince sprinform pan. Refrigerate crust while making the filling.

2. To make the filling: Combine the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 4 mins or until smooth, stirring every minute. Mix in the raspberry jam and stir until dissolved. Let mixture cool for 10 mins.

3. Combine cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing wella fter each egg. Add vanilla and chocolate-raspberyr mixture. blend well.

4. Pour mixture into springorm pan and bake at 325 for 1 1/2 hours or until cake is set.

5 Allow to cool in an open oven for an hour. Remove from oven and place on wire rack until completely cool. Refregerate for at least 6 hours before serving.

PUMPKIN COFFEE CAKE
All Recipes via Karen Stadelmeier

TOPPING INGREDIENTS:
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons cold butter or margarine
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans

CAKE INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup canned or cooked pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, combine sugars and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in pecans; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the sour cream, pumpkin and vanilla; mix well. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream mixture. Beat on low just until blended. Spread the batter into two greased and floured 8-in. round cake pans. Sprinkle with topping. Bake at 325 degrees F for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

KAREN’S NOTES:
I used a mixture of cloves, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg for the pumpkin spice and skipped the nuts for you . I also used one pan instead of two and I think the thickness was perfect.