Crunchy No-Bake Cookies

27 August, 201426 August, 2014Marissa

I have perfected the no-bake cookie!

Okay, perhaps that is a bit of an exaggeration, but these are seriously good. My previous no-bake recipe (a rather standard one using cocoa powder) typically resulted in a sticky, fudge-like mess that tasted good but wasn’t much like a cookie. These are more substantial, and hold their cookie shape once they’ve set.

You could make it with creamy peanut butter, but I prefer having the crunchy peanut pieces. That’s also the reason I use full-size chocolate chips — they’re large enough not to melt completely, so there are chunks of chocolate in the finished cookie. If you’d rather have the chocolate all melted in, just stir it longer or use mini chocolate chips.

Crunchy No-Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup butter

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

3 cups rolled oats

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine sugar, milk, butter, and crunchy peanut butter in a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. As soon as the mixture boils, remove from heat.

Stir in vanilla and oats. Add chocolate chips and stir just long enough to mix them in, but not long enough to completely melt the chips. Drop from a spoon onto cookie sheets covered with wax paper. Chill and serve.

Fudgy Buttons

30 April, 201415 November, 2014Marissa

Do you ever have a craving for fudge, but don’t want to pay the exorbitant prices per pound and don’t have the time to make a batch yourself (or don’t think it’s a good idea to have a 9-inch by 13-inch sheet of fudge lying around the house)? Here’s the solution — fudgy buttons! I think they came from a Taste of Home magazine. This size batch will make an even dozen, but you could halve it if you like.

Fudgy Buttons

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon baking cocoa

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon milk

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Melt butter in a small saucepan and remove from heat. Add cocoa and mix well. Stir in sugar. Add milk and stir until smooth, add peanut butter and mix well. Divide into 12 parts, form into patties, and place on wax paper. Refrigerate until firm.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Walnut Bars

19 February, 2014Marissa

There are few foods I like better than warm oatmeal walnut bars fresh from the oven, oozing chocolate when you cut into them. The only problem is that they are so tasty — and just as addictive as my blond brownies — that is is hard to save enough to take to whatever event I decided to bake them for.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Walnut Bars

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1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Dash salt

1 (12-oz.) pkg. chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

Beat butter, brown sugar, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Combine oats, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until well-blended. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.

Spoon and spread dough in greased 15x10x1-inch pan. Bake at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to counter and let cool.

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Blond Brownies

27 November, 20138 July, 2014Marissa

There are few baked goods that I feel like I could sit down and eat the entire pan in one setting when it comes out of the oven. This is one of them. They taste good after they cool down, too. I usually bake them on a Friday for church services on Saturday, and there are never any left by Sunday. It’s a quick dessert, so if you need something last-minute for Thanksgiving tomorrow, these blondies would work.

Blond Brownies

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1 cup butter, softened

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1-½ cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Cream together the butter and brown sugar. Beat in egg. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Spread batter in a greased and floured 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes.

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Speedy Brownies

6 November, 201328 October, 2013Marissa

This is not my favorite brownie recipe, but it is by far the easiest to make. Dump all the ingredients in one bowl, mix, pour in a pan, sprinkle with nuts or chocolate chips, and bake. That’s it. You don’t even have to wait for butter to soften, since they take oil.

Speedy Brownies

Speedy Brownie recipe marissabaker.wordpress.com — all the ingredients in one bowl

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2 cups sugar

1 cup white, unbleached flour

¾ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup baking cocoa

½ teaspoons salt

5 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

walnuts and/or chocolate chips

Combine first seven in gradients in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and/or walnuts. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

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Chocolate Frozen Cheesecake

26 June, 20138 July, 2014Marissa

I’m celebrating my birthday early with my favorite birthday cake. Cheesecake is amazing in all shapes, sizes, and flavors, but this is one of my personal favorites. It’s smooth, creamy, and best of all considering what time of year it is — frozen! It’s very rich, so perfect for cutting into thin pieces and sharing with guests. It will keep in the freezer for a several days, though, so you can spread it out over a few days if you don’t want to share it with very many people.

Frozen Chocolate Cheesecake

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Crust

1¼ cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs

¼ cup butter, melted

Mix graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into 9-inch spring form pan.

Filling

1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk

2/3 cup chocolate syrup

1 cup whipping cream

Beat first three ingredients in glass bowl with an electric mixture. Whip the cream in a separate, smaller bowl. Fold whipped cream into other mixture.

fozen chocolate cheesecake — pouring the batter

Poor into prepared spring form pan and freeze overnight.

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