These were a staple for Matthew’s family as they grew up. I tweaked the recipe a bit to make it better.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup cold butter or margarine

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 Tbsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Stir flour and brown sugar together. Cut in cold margarine/butter until crumbly. Stir in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Press mixture on bottom of ungreased 13x9x12 baking pan.
3. Bake for 15 minutes.
4. Combine egg, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in remaining chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups).
5. Spread evenly over baked crust and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Cool completely in pan on wire rack, then cut into bars.

Try not to consume entire batch in one sitting.

Filed under: Brownie/Bar
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INGREDIENTS: 2 ripe avacados

1/2 lime Generous pinches of ground cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt.

1/4 small red onion (Optional if onions give you gas. They give Honey SERIOUS GAS.)

2 roasted red peppers

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil or coriander ( I like coriander)

1/2 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS: Mash avacados (sans peels and pits), but leave it chunky. Add everything else, and mix.

Try not to slather it all over your body.

Filed under: Appies
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I made this for Nathan’s first birthday (And second. And third.), and for Matthew’s birthday today (And last year). It’s pretty much the best chocolate cake EVER.

Here it is nekked.

Here it is with icing.

The very first time I made it, I thought the hole was missing something. I contemplated sticking a plant in it (ala My Big Fat Greek Wedding), but went for something much tastier. Smarties!

If you do not have access to Smarties, then you must not be Canadian. Sorry about that. But be creative! The options are endless…

INGREDIENTS:

1 (18.25 ounce) package dark chocolate cake mix (Betty Crocker Devil’s Food Cake rocks!)
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil (or butter/margarine)
1/2 cup coffee flavored liqueur (I substitute this with chocolate milk)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, oil and coffee liqueur. Beat until ingredients are well blended. Fold in chocolate chips. Batter will be thick. Spoon into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until cake springs back when lightly tapped. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then turn out and cool completely on wire rack.

Chocolate icing makes it unbelievable.  Again, I used Betty Crocker.  I could make my own, but Betty has it going on.

Filed under: Cakes
4 Comments »

We tried this recipe from Real Simple magazine a few weeks ago and liked it. But it needed tweaking.

First of all, onions give Honey gas. NOT GOOD.

Here is our take on the steak sandwich. It is a little (Or a lot) different.

INGREDIENTS

Focaccia Bread.  I made it all from scratch-like.

Steak. Duh. But we marinated them for 24 hours first. The marinade? IT IS AMAZING.

Roma (plum) tomatoes, sliced about 1/4 inch thick

1 medium red onion, sliced about 1/4 inch thick (Optional. If they don’t give you gas.)

1 zucchini, sliced about 1/4 inch thick.

Mushrooms, also sliced.

Olive oil.  As much or as little as you want.

2 tablespoons (or more) of balsamic vinegar

Focaccia bread (see above), cut in half

Blue cheese, or mozzarella. Whatever floats your boat. Honey disses the blue cheese, so he uses mozza.

DIRECTIONS

Make the foccacia. Or buy it.

Throw the steak on the barbecue, and toss the veggies, olive oil, and vinegar into a frying pan. Sautee until tender, 8-10 minutes.

Slice the steak thinly, and place on foccacia. Scoop sauteed veggies on top, then add cheese.

Try not to die from the goodness.

Filed under: Beef, Bread
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This is a favourite around here.

Take a look inside…

INGREDIENTS:

Batter:

1/2 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Topping:

1 1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Cream margarine & sugar well. Add eggs & sour cream. Mix well. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla. Mix well.

Grease 1 10-inch bundt pan. Mix topping together and set aside.

Pour 1/2 of batter into pan. Cover batter with 1/2 of topping mixture. And rest of batter. Sprinkle with remaining topping.

Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.

HINT: I don’t actually mix the topping. I put 1/2 of the batter in. Then cover with enough brown sugar so you can’t see the batter. Then cover with enough chocolate chips so you don’t see the brown sugar. Then put the rest of the batter in. Then repeat the smothering with brown sugar & chocolate chips.

It tastes awful.  You should not make it.

Filed under: Cakes
4 Comments »

This is a recipe given to me by a friend of mine. I cannot believe I had not posted it here yet.

It does not look like ordinary focaccia bread (because of the CHEESE), but it tastes absolutely phenomenal.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, sugar, yeast, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, basil and black pepper. Mix in the vegetable oil and water.
2. When the dough is mixed, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Lightly oil a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Punch dough down and place on greased baking sheet. Pat into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Brush top with olive oil. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

I used the above recipe to make steak sandwiches.

Mmmmmm…

Filed under: Beef, Bread
4 Comments »

*

I made this tonight. It got the recipe from my current Real Simple magazine.

Who’s the Domestic Goddess NOW?

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound frozen peeled and deveined large shrimp
Kosher salt and pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
4 cups frozen or day-old cooked rice
1/2 cup frozen peas
3 ounces Spanish chorizo (cured sausage), chopped (optional)
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and sliced

Heat oven to 450° F.

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the shrimp with 3/4 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Roast the shrimp until bright pink and cooked through, 15 minutes.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and ginger and cook for 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the peas and chorizo, if using, and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Make a space in the center of the rice and pour in the eggs, sesame oil, soy sauce, and scallions. Scramble the eggs until set, then stir them into the rice.

Serve with the shrimp.

Filed under: Pasta/Stir-Fry, Seafood
3 Comments »

I got this recipe from Ali, who got it from her Step mom.

Peanut butter and chocolate. Together. As they were destined to be.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. butter or margarine

28 ounces (3 1/2 cups) Peanut Butter

2 Boxes (Four cups) Confectioners Sugar (sifted)

Paraffin wax (3/4 of a cake, usually) – If you do not have paraffin wax, I just add butter and milk instead.

1-12 oz. Pkg. Chocolate chips and 1- 12oz. bag peanut butter chips

Almonds

DIRECTIONS:

Melt butter. Mix sugar, peanut butter and butter.

(When I first did this I had PEANUT BUTTER SOUP. I added some whole wheat flour. Much better.)

Roll into balls, meatball style. Freeze and take out a few balls at a time to dip.

Melt paraffin with chocolate and peanut butter chips in a double boiler; keep hot.

Dip balls into chocolate mixture, using toothpicks or a two-prong fork; place on waxed paper. Place almond over the hole from the tootpick or fork. Store in tightly sealed containers. Will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.

These are UNBELIEVABLE.

Filed under: Cookies
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This is a variation on the standard sugar cookie.

Our family tradition is to decorate Christmas cookies on Christmas Eve. We just make basic icing: confectioner’s sugar/milk/food colouring, then top with sprinkles and such.

Here is the recipe that I (Angella) use to make sugar cookies.

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:

Beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into butter mixture in three additions.

Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disc. Wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 24 hours.

Between waxed paper, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick (I like mine a little thicker).

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Let cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Decorate!

Filed under: Cookies
3 Comments »

This is a holiday STAPLE at our house.  I took my Mom’s recipe…and Matthew’s Mom’s recipe…and another recipe…to come up with this recipe.

Please do not sue me if you have a heart attack.

BOTTOM:

• 3/4 cup butter/margarine, melted
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips
• 2 1/2 cups Graham (hee!) cracker crumbs

Mix together and place in 8-inch square pan.  Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

Chill.

MIDDLE:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cups sifted icing sugar
• 2 Tbsp Birdseye (or any) custard powder
• 1/4 cup cream/milk (as needed to keep soft)

Mix together, put on top of the bottom layer, and chill.

TOP:

• 3 chocolate squares
• 1/4 cup butter margarine (melted)

Stir together and spread on top with a spatula.

Try not to eat the entire batch in one sitting.  Ha!

Angella

Filed under: Brownie/Bar
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