Chocolate Banana Bread

INGREDIENTS
4-5 overripe bananas
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture.
4. Whip the remaining bananas and sugar together for 3 minutes.
5. Stir in the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla.
6. Mix in the dry ingredients.
7. Fold in the mashed bananas, nuts, and chocolate chips with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the loaf pan.
8. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
9. Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

INGREDIENTS
2 cups peanut butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
36 peanut butter cup candies

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl combine the peanut butter, sugar and eggs. Form a spoonful into a ball. Bake for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and press peanut butter cup candy into the center. Let cool.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Fondue

INGREDIENTS
24 ounces milk chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup hot water

DIRECTIONS
1. In a fondue pot or saucepan, melt the chocolate with the heavy cream. Mix in the peanut butter, vanilla, sugar, and water. Continue to heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is smooth. Serve warm with your favorite goodies.

Heavenly Coconut Bars

INGREDIENTS
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1-14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups flaked coconut
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray. Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar. Mix and press into the bottom of the baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes.
3. Top graham cracker crust with coconut flakes then pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top of the coconut. Bake for 15 minutes.
4. Sprinkle the top with the chocolate chips and bake 2 minutes just to allow the chocolate to melt. Spread the chocolate evenly over the top. Allow to fully cool before cutting into squares and serving.

Chocolate Popcorn

INGREDIENTS
1 bag popcorn, popped
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Spread popcorn in a large baking dish.
3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat melt butter, sugar, corn syrup and cocoa. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Allow to boil 2 minutes without stirring. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over popcorn stirring to coat.
4. Bake for 30 minutes stirring every 10 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Big Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degree. Grease cookie sheets.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.
4. Using a wooden spoon stir in the chocolate chips. Roll cookie dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on the greased cookie sheet. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
5. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 box devil's food cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the cake mix, butter, eggs, oil and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.
3. Roll into 1 inch balls and place onto an ungreased baking sheet.
4. Bake for 8 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing.

NOTE: This recipe is very flexible. Change out the kind of cake and the mix ins, just keep everything else the same. Another one I have tried is German Chocolate Cake Mix with coconut and pecans. Soo good!

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies

Alternate title "The Best Cookies In The ENTIRE World"

INGREDIENTS

1 pouch Betty Crocker peanut butter cookie mix
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon water
1 egg
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 375°F.

2. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, oil, water and egg until soft dough forms.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart. Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
4. In a small saucepan, melt chocolate chips, butter and peanut butter on low heat, stir until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
5. Place each cookie in the chocolate mixture. Using rubber spatula, toss cookies gently to coat. Remove cookies from chocolate to cooling rack to set. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Repeat with remaining cookies. Let cookies set until the chocolate is hardened.

S'more Brownies

One of my favorite foods, in theory, are s'mores. How much better could something get than graham crackers, a melty marshmallow and melted chocolate? However, if you are anything like me, who always tries to make s'mores when camping, and you end up with cold (possibly dirt covered) graham cracker, a burnt marshmallow and a huge chunk of unmelted chocolate, then you know why I say they are one of my favorite foods...in theory! I came across this recipe on Food Network (give credit were credit is due, right?) but I have altered it a little bit for my liking. While this recipe does take a little patience, it is well worth the wait and you will satisfy that craving for a good old s'more, only in the comfort of your own kitchen.

(I used toasted coconut marshmallows, which I would highly recommend if you can find them!)

Best served right out of the oven, or microwaved for a few seconds if you are serving the next day.

Ingredients

Crust:
5 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1 tablespoon salted butter, melted and set aside
1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar

Brownie:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large cold eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour


Topping:
1 large bag marshmallows - plain or (if you can find them...and if you like coconut) toasted coconut marshmallows


Directions

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.


• Line an 8 by-8-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch. Lightly butter the foil with the 1 tablespoon of melted butter.


• For the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 5 tablespoons melted butter, the crushed graham cracker crumbs, and sugar. Combine until mixture is thoroughly mixed and the butter is evenly distributed. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven when complete and let cool slightly.


• While the crust is baking, make the brownie. Fill a medium sauce pan with approximately 1 inch of water and bring to a slow simmer. Place a heat proof bowl over the sauce pan, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Put the butter and chocolate into the bowl and stir until completely melted and combined. Turn off the heat on the burner. Stir in the light brown and white sugars and vanilla into the melted chocolate. In a small bowl, beat the eggs until thoroughly combined. Slowly add the eggs to the chocolate mixture and beat vigorously to make a thick and glossy batter. Add the flour and stir until just incorporated.


• Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is crispy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, about 45-55 minutes.


• Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top of the brownies and toast under the broiler until golden brown,about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes. KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THEM, THEY WILL GO FROM TOASTED TO BURNT VERY QUICKLY.


• Cool on a rack, gently removing the brownies from the pan using the aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow from the foil and fold away. Cut into 12 (2-inch) squares and serve warm.

Cocoa Coconut Brownies

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 8-inch square baking pan.
2. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in 3/4 cup coconut. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup coconut over top.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan.

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

INGREDIENTS
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4-5 overripe bananas
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cups mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan or 4 mini loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl whip bananas and sugar together. Add melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Beat well.
3. Mix in the flour, baking soda and salt.
4. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan.
5. Bake for 1 hour for large loaf or 35 minutes for mini loaves. Test with toothpick. When inserted it should come out clean. Remove bread from pan to rack and let cool.

Mississippi Mud Cake

INGREDIENTS
Cake:
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 cup water
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ bag miniature marshmallows

Icing:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
4 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
9 tablespoons milk
1 ½ pounds confectioners' sugar
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 by 9-inch baking pan.
2. Combine the sugar, salt, and flour in a large mixing bowl. Bring the butter, oil, cocoa, and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Add to the flour mixture.
3. Beat together the eggs, baking soda, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add to the chocolate mixture, mix well, and pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes.
4. While the cake is baking, make the icing by melting the butter in the cocoa and milk over low heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from the heat. Stir in the confectioners' sugar. Slowly mix in the nuts and the vanilla.
5. Take the cake from the oven, and when it cools a bit cover it with miniature marshmallows. Pour the warm icing over the cake and the marshmallows. Cool the cake before serving.

Ultimate Brownies

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup butter
5 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of 9-inch square pan. In 1-quart saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly. Cool slightly.
2. In medium bowl, beat sugar, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on high speed 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture on low speed. Beat in flour just until blended. Stir in walnuts. Spread in pan.
3. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or just until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack.

Sorry no pictures, they are already gone cuz they were soooo good!!

Mmmmm. Chocolate Chip Cookies.

You can't get much easier than these mmmmalicious chocolate chip cookies.


This recipe makes about 6 dozen cookies (depending on how big they are, in my case I get about 4 dozen because I like my cookies big).

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups butter
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 24 oz semisweet chocolate chips (about 4 cups) REMEMBER THE CHOCOLATE RULE: THE BETTER QUALITY CHOCOLATE YOU USE, THE BETTER YOUR RESULTS!

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.


2. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs on medium until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. The dough will be stiff at this point.


3. Stir in chocolate chips and mix thoroughly.


4. On an ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by spoonfuls ~2 inches apart.


5. Bake 11-13 minutes, or until light brown but still soft in the middle. Cool for a minute or two and remove from cookie sheet onto cooling rack.
   

For nut lovers, you can add ~2 cups of coarsely chopped nuts in the cookie batter and follow directions above.

Because I can't eat 6 dozen cookies (or even 4 dozen large cookies) I freeze half of the dough in the shape of a log, wrapped in plastic wrap. This makes it easy to cut off a slice or two and bake them up whenever you are in the mood for fresh out of the oven cookies.

Chocolate peanut butter rice krispie treats...aka...my super lame attempt at desert

3 Tbsp butter
1 Bag marshmallows
1.5 cup peanut butter (chunky is way good in this)
1 Bar Hersheys chocolate broken to pieces
6 cups cocoa Krispies

Melt marshmallows and butter in a large pan add peanut butter and chocolate. When mixture is soft add in cereal. Mix until all cereal is covered. Pour over greased cookie sheet and smoosh down till level using a spatula or wax paper to smoosh. When cool cut into two inch squares.

Rich Chocolate Cake

I'm on a chocolate kick tonight...this is one of my Nana's recipe's and is great for those chocolate addicts (it even has a bit of a caffeine kick!).

Ingredients

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup very strong black coffee
• 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk (I have used regular whole milk and it tasted just fine)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13"x9"x2" glass baking pan.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for about 2 minutes or until fully combined.
4. Pour into the pan and bake in a preheated oven until a knife inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes.

Trust me, you don't need icing with this one! But you might need a glass of milk.

Chocolate Souffles

Sorry, no pictures right now folks. I will post one as soon as I make these again (maybe this weekend...)

Ingredients

• 7 ounces finely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
• 1tsp cinnamon
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, plus additional for preparing the molds, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp high quality vanilla extract
• 3 large egg yolks
• 3 tbsp warm water
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tbsp for preparing molds
• 8 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• Confectioners' (powdered) sugar for garnish

Directions

1. Brush 6 (6-ounce) ramekins with soft butter, then coat with sugar. Put the prepared ramekins in the freezer. (You can do this the day before.)
2. Set an over rack on one of the lowest racks in your oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.
3. Put the chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and cinnamon. Set aside.
4. Combine the egg yolks and warm water in the bowl of a standing mixer or large bowl and beat until frothy. Gradually add 2 tbsp sugar, and continue beating until ribbons form, about 5 minutes.
5. Very lightly fold the yolks into the chocolate mixture.
6. Remove prepared ramekins from freezer.
7. Put the egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer, or large non-reactive bowl, add the lemon juice. Beat on medium until frothy; then gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and increase speed to high. Beat until the whites hold a stiff but not dry peak.
8. In a deep baking pan (like what you would cook a turkey in), fill it with 1/2"-1" warm water. Set aside.
9. Quickly, fold about a third of the egg whites into the chocolate to lighten; then fold in remaining whites until blended. Gently spoon the souffle mixture into the ramekins, leveling off the surface with a straight edge and scraping any excess mixture off the sides.
10. Place ramekins into the water bath and immediately bake until the souffle rises about 1 1/2 inches from the ramekins, and the tops are touched with brown, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven, dust with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.

These are best if served straight out of the oven!