Costco Hot Chocolate

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 cups whole milk
• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60%), roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of kosher salt

Combine the cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar in a small bowl and whisk to combine.

In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer over medium-low heat. Whisk in the chocolate and the cocoa powder mixture; whisk vigorously to combine. Bring to a boil and gently boil for 30 seconds while continuing to whisk. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Pour this through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any small lumps.

Serve warm with a side of cold whipped cream, unsweetened or lightly sweetened. Pour into small bowls or mugs to serve. Makes 4 servings.

Note: This will keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 1 week. Reheat slowly on the stove over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, before serving.

Chewy Noels

2 tbsp butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped nuts
1/3 cup flour
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Powdered sugar

In a 9x9x2 inch pan, melt butter.

Slightly beat the eggs, then add the vanilla.

Stir together the brown sugar, nuts, flour, baking soda and salt and
add all of that to the eggs.

Carefully pour mixture over butter in pan; do not stir.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Sift powdered sugar over
top. Let cool. Dust again with powdered sugar. Cut into bars.

Best Fruit Salad

Cut into bite-size pieces:

Kiwis
Bananas

Add:

Frozen raspberries
Whole grapes (we like red or purple)

Mix it all together and let it sit for a few minutes. The frozen raspberries will thaw while cooling the other fruits to a pleasant temperature. The salad will be delicious.

Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:

2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. pumpkin
2 c. chocolate chips

Beat butter, sugar and eggs till fluffy. Beat in pumpkin. Then beat in dry ingredients just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonfuls, two inches apart, onto greased cookie sheets.
Bake at 350 F, 12-15 minutes, or until golden. Makes about 3-1/2 dozen.

German Apple Pancake

Ingredients:

½ cup milk
½ cup flour
3 eggs
1 tsp sugar
Dash salt

Slice a large (peeled) apple and saute in a cast-iron skillet. Swirl the butter around the sides and bottom of the pan. Pour the batter over the apples and bake in a pre-heated oven at 500°. When pancake raises and is nearly done, powder with cinnamon sugar and dot with butter. Return to oven until brown. Remove and sprinkle with juice of lemon and confectioner’s sugar. Serves 4-6 for main course; 6-8 for dessert.

Whole Wheat Angel Food Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup sifted whole wheat flour
½ cup raw sugar
1 ¼ cups (10-12) egg whites
¼ tsp salt
1 ¼ tsp cream of tartar
1 cup raw sugar (sifted)
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp almond extract

Sift flour and ½ cup sugar 4 times. Beat egg whites and salt with wire whisk (not mixer) until foamy. Sprinkle in cream of tartar and beat until egg whites are stiff enough to hold up in soft peaks, but are still moist and glossy.
Add remaining cup of sugar in 4 additions, sprinkle over egg whites, beating 25 strokes or turns of beater each time. After last addition use 10-20 additional fold-over strokes.

Turn batter into ungreased angel food pan. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350°-375°. Invert pan and cool thoroughly before removing.

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

½ cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground nutmeg if desired
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

Soften butter, cream with sugar, baking powder, and nutmeg. Add egg, milk, and vanilla followed by flour. Divide dough in half and roll out to ¼-inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters or knife, re-rolling dough as necessary. Place dough in refrigerator to chill if it begins to soften. Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet; bake 8-10 minutes at 375°.

Congo Squares

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups brown sugar
¾ cups butter (melted)
3 eggs
2 ½ tsp baking powder (Catherine puts in 2 tsp instead)
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
3 cups flour
12 oz. package chocolate chips

Mix everything together, flatten on a cookie sheet, bake at 350° 25-30 minutes. Cut and remove from pan while hot.

Upside-down Chocolate Pudding Cake

This cake inspired the younger half of the family so much that they even composed an anthem in its honor, titled “Upside-down chocolate pudding cake for breakfast”:
Upside-down chocolate pudding cake for breakfast,
Upside-down chocolate pudding cake for lunch,
Upside-down chocolate pudding cake for dinner,
Upside-down chocolate pudding cake for brunch!
Upside-down chocolate pudding cake
It tastes so good, it really does!
Upside-down chocolate pudding cake
For breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brunch,
It tastes so good, oh yes, it really does!

Consider increasing the cocoa in this recipe.

Ingredients:

½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ cup boiling water

Turn on oven to 350°. Put flour, the ¼ cup sugar, the 1 Tbsp cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl; stir until well mixed.

Add milk, butter, and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Pour batter into ungreased 1-qt casserole dish.

Put ½ cup sugar and 2 Tbsp cocoa powder in a small mixing bowl; gradually stir in boiling water. Pour evenly over batter in casserole dish.

Put casserole dish in oven. Bake ~30 minutes (until toothpick comes clean). Cool 20-30 minutes before serving.

Hot Fudge Sauce

from the Better than Store-Bought cookbook

¾ stick (6 Tbsp) unsalted butter
6 oz. (6 squares) unsweetened baking chocolate
1 cup boiling water
2 cups sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

Combine the butter and chocolate in a heavy saucepan and stir over low heat until melted. Stir in the water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt.

Turn the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring. Boil the sauce gently, without stirring, for about 8 to 9 minutes, or until it is thickened and smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract and serve hot. (Or you may store it in the refrigerator for months) (as if it would last that long).

TO REHEAT: Set the jar in a saucepan of cold water. Bring water slowly to a simmer, stirring the sauce until it is hot enough.

Wagon Wheels

Beat:
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Blend in:
½ cup butter
6 Tbsp cocoa

Sift in:
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 cups flour

Add ½ cup chopped nuts if desired

Refrigerate for 2 hours. Shape into balls. Roll in powdered sugar and bake at 350° for 10 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet

Cinnamon Rolls and Glaze

Cinnamon Rolls

Bread dough
Cinnamon
Brown sugar (white sugar also works)
Butter
Raisins (optional)
Nuts (optional)

Roll out bread dough, spread butter over. Sprinkle on cinnamon and sugar along with raisins and nuts if desired. Roll dough and slice into 1-2 inch pieces; place on greased cookie sheet.

Cinnamon Roll Glaze

Butter
Milk
Vanilla
Powdered sugar

Start with a little butter (1-2Tbsp.), mix with powdered sugar and a little vanilla. Add milk and keep alternating milk and powdered sugar until desired amount has been made

Lemon Custard

Ingredients:

3 eggs, separated
1/3 cup flour
1 ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 lemon
¾ cup sugar
1 Tbsp. melted butter

Beat egg yolks till light and fluffy, add lemon juice, grated lemon tind, sugar, flour, milk, and butter, beating after each ingredient. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks, stir in. Pour into 1 ½ quart casserole, set in pan of water and bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

Fudge Brownies

Ingredients:

½ cup butter or margarine
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
¾ cup sifted all-purpose flour
½ cup chopped walnuts

In medium saucepan melt butter and chocolate. Remove from heat; stir in sugar. Blend in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Stir in flour and nuts; mix well. Spread in greased 8*8*2-inch pan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Be careful not to overbake. Cool. Cut into 16 squares.

Hot Water Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

½ cup butter
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
½ cup milk
½ tsp. salt
2 cups flour
½ cup cocoa
2 tsp. soda
1 cup boiling water
1 tsp. vanilla

After batter is beaten add boiling water and vanilla. Grease pans well. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
2 cups butter (1 lb.)
2 Tbsp. vanilla
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. soda
3 cups chocolate chips
2 cups chopped nuts
6 cups flour

Add ingredients one at a time and beat well after each addition. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

Enna's Choc. Chip Oatmeal cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup butter
• 3/4 cups brown sugar
• 3/4 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 11.5 oz package chocolate chips

STEPS:

1. Cream butter and sugar together
2. Add eggs and vanilla, beat until smooth
3. Mix in baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg
4. Add flour
5. Add oats
6. Stir in chocolate chips
7. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes

Makes about four dozen cookies. The dough towards the end is VERY thick, you’ll need a good wooden spoon to mix it.

Oatmeal Cake

Ingredients:

1 cube butter
1 ¼ cups quick oatmeal
1 ¼ cups boiling water
Pour water over oatmeal and butter. Let sit for 20 minutes before adding:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 ½ cups flour
2 eggs well beaten
2 tsp vanilla
Bake at 375° for 35 minutes in a 9*13-inch pan

Angel Gingerbread

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
½ cup butter
1 tsp salt
½ cup molasses
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cloves
1 cup boiling water

Combine all ingredients, adding boiling water last. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes

Raw Apple Cake

Ingredients:

½ cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
5 cups chopped apples

Mix together, bake for one hour at 325° in a 9*12 inch pan.