Monster Cookies

Monster Cookies should please almost everyone. They have a nutty flavor, mixed with the delicious chocolate. The texture of a Monster Cookie is incredibly soft and tender. I don't normally like oatmeal in cookies, but they add a great element to these cookies. Most kids will love you for making Monster Cookies.
Makes about 36 cookies.
Ingredients:
3 Large eggs
1 1/4 Cups packed light brown sugar
1 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 12-ounce (about 1 1/2 cups in dry measuring cups) jar creamy peanut butter.
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 Cup multi-colored chocolate candies, such as M&Ms
1/2 Cup semisweet, milk, or dark chocolate chips
1/2 Cup raisins, optional
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 Cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)

1. Move an oven rack in the middle position. Line baking sheets with nonstick parchment paper, or nonstick baking mats. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a very large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugars on medium speed,  until combined. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter, beat until well combined. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins (if using), baking soda, and oatmeal. Stir well.
3. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Do not over bake. Let stand on for about 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. 

Recipe from Donna Haney adapted by Paula Deen

Chocolate Sheet Cake

My Chocolate Sheet Cake is easy to make and delicious. Everyone in my family loves eating this cake. This cake is chocolaty, fairly sweet, but is perfectly balanced out with the buttermilk's slight tang. The texture is extremely tender and quite moist. I hope you'll give this recipe a try! Serves about 20-24 people.
Ingredients:
2 Cups all-purpose flour
2 Cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/3 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Cup water
2 Large eggs
1/2 Cup buttermilk, low fat is fine.
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For Icing:
1 stick of unsalted butter
6 Tablespoons of milk or buttermilk
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
2 1/4 Cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Grease a baking sheet with sides. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. 
2. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, cocoa, and water. Cook on medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and slowly beat into the flour mixture. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes until combined. Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla and beat for 1 minute.
3. Pour into the greased baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
4. In a medium sauce pan (you can reuse the first saucepan if you want), combine the butter, milk, and cocoa. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the confectioner's sugar and vanilla. If it hardens give it a good whisk.
5. Once cake is done, pour the icing onto the cake and smooth it out. Let cake cool 2 hours until serving. 

Blueberry Sauce

I found this blueberry sauce off of the blog Savory Sweet Life by Alice Currah. I love her blog so check it out. I did however tweak her original recipe to make it more to my liking. I think blueberries are one of the best fruits. This sauce is simple, but yummy. You can really taste the wonderful flavor that blueberries have in this sauce. Adding 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the sauce makes it even better.  Makes about 1 1/4 cups sauce.
Alice's original recipe: http://savorysweetlife.com/2010/02/blueberry-sauce-recipe/

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen blueberries or fresh

3/4-1 cup granulated sugar. Depends on how sweet you like your sauce.

1/2 cup water

Optional: 2 teaspoons grated orange or lemon zest. Alice recommends
orange, but I like lemon
1 teaspoon cornstarch (if you want a slightly thick sauce, otherwise omit.)
pinch of table salt

1. In a sauce pan or skillet put all the ingredients in and cook on medium-high heat. Cook and stir for 15-20 minutes until thickened. You can mash the blueberries with the spoon, leave them whole, or blend them for a smooth sauce. Serve warm.

Blondies

Blondies are a brownie's sister. I had never eaten a blondie before, until I made them for this blog. Looking at a blondie, you think you're eating a chocolate chip cookie bar with nuts. But they are not the same. Blondies have a lovely vanilla flavor with a rather strong pecan flavor. My favorite part is the white and semisweet chocolate complementing the blondies with their flavors. These are also soft and perfectly moist. Makes about 24 blondies.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups (7 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 Cups packed (10 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar
2 Large eggs
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 Cup (3 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 Cup (3 ounces) white chocolate chips, or semisweet chocolate chips
1 Cup (4 ounces) pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13 by 9-inch baking pan with nonstick parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk the butter and sugar together. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until combined. Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Stir in the chips and nuts.
3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the blondies until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 22-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
4. Let the blondies cool completely in the pan, set on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Remove the blondies from the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into squares.

 

From The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book