Amazing Brownies

Last year Fig tutored a student through the Kids Hope program.  Once a week for one hour Fig would leave his office and go into a local school and spend time with his student.  He'd help with homework, play games and occasionally do things with the whole class.  Often Fig would bring a snack to share.  I made them brownies one of the last weeks they met.  This recipe is amazing and I actually put all the dry ingredients into Ball jars and had them in my cupboard with directions attached to give away or use in a pinch!  Thanks to the How to Cook Like Your Grandmother blog!

Gotta love farm fresh eggs!

Fig's bag and his snack ready to go!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa powder (high quality)
3 eggs
3/4 c. salted butter (melted)
3/4 c. chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325.
Combine all ingredients but the chocolate chips in a bowl by hand until the dry ingredients are just incorporated into the wet.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Line 9x13 pan with parchment paper.
Pour batter into pan and push it into place with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Once out of the oven lift the brownies out by the parchment paper to cool and then slice and enjoy!

Reeses Krispies

One of the nights we had the mission trip team over.  They watched the Jesus film they would show to the villages in Guatemala to help prepare their hearts and minds for the trip.  I made these cookies but they had trouble setting because of how hot it was!  In fact in order to cut up the Reeses I had to throw them in the freezer for a few minutes before the wrappers would come off without most of the chocolate sticking to them.  This is a different kind of no-bake cookie!  The recipe is from the Sweet Basil blog.

Reeses Krispies
Ingredients:
1 C. Sugar
1 C. Corn Syrup
1 1/3 C. Creamy Peanut Butter
4 1/4 C. Rice Krispes
1 Pinch of Salt
4 large Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped
1/2 C. Chocolate Chips

Directions:
In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt the sugar, corn syrup, and peanut butter until smooth and evenly combined.
Remove from heat.
Quickly add the salt and cereal and stir to combine thoroughly. Add the chocolate chips and stir again. Wait about 1 min and add the candy, quickly folding the mixture together so as to not smash up the candy.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop rounded tablespoons onto the sheet. Let cool and devour!

Berry Cobbler

This is another great recipe that I tried thanks to Pinterest!  I made it a night when the mission trip team was over.  I served the leftovers to guests for dessert the next night but think it at least looked more appetizing the first night.  This was a nice change since I normally do a lot of chocolate desserts!  This was also posted on a blog of someone who has made a completely new lifestyle change in regards to healthy eating. . .so it's better for you!  Check out her blog: Living a Changed Life.

Ingredients
Two 12-oz bags frozen mixed berries
1 box white cake mix (no pudding)
1 can of 7-Up or Sierra Mist (clear soda)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Place frozen fruit in a 9x13 dish.
Sprinkle dry cake mix over the top. Pour soda slowly over cake mix. DO NOT stir the cake mix and the soda- this will give you a 'crust'. If you stir the two, you will have a cake like topping.

Bake 350 for 45-50 min.

You may be able to use frozen peaches instead of mixed berries.

Walnut Chocolate Blondies

I found this recipe on Pinterest and hats off to blogger Mel from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  She calls these Applebees Knock Offs and they are fantastic. This has been my "go-to" recipe when unexpected groups come over.  All the ingredients are in the house and it is a quick and easy recipe.  They are similar to a chocolate chip cookie bar but better!

Ingredients:
2 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
10 Tbs butter
2 c. packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 c. semisweet or milk chocolate chips
3/4 c. chopped walnuts (or pecans)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13-inch pan with foil and lightly grease with cooking spray.
Melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and mix well.
Add the eggs and vanilla and mix. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda and blend until combined.
Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the chocolate chips and nuts over the batter.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Andes Mint Cookies

Okay, confession time.  My major sweet tooth kicked in last week and I made this batch just so I could eat them.  It made about two dozen which was good because anymore and I would have eaten those too.  These were so good and I kept trying to sneak them but got caught fairly frequently by the kiddos!  Best with a glass of milk because they are incredibly rich!  Recipe found on the SixSisters blog!

There isn't an after picture with the chocolate all smeared. . .once we started tasting them we forgot to take pictures!

Ingredients
Devil's Food Cake Mix
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 package of Andes Mints


Directions
Mix cake mix, oil, and eggs together. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes.
Take sheet out of oven and while the cookies are still very hot, place an Andes Mint on top of each cookie. In about 5 minutes, the mint will be melted. Take a spoon and smooth out each mint like frosting.

Note: I used Andes Mint baking bits, they fell off but when they melted a little I just took the back of the spoon, lifted the melted mint and then smeared them all over the top

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Last weekend was the final fundraiser for the Guatemala trip!  It was a combination yard sale with bake sale.  I thought this recipe was so cute!  They were perfect for the bake sale and the ones I brought the workers were demolished too!  

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies!

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Recipe taken from BakedPerfection.com
Makes 40 brownies as adapted

Ingredients
1 box of your favorite brownie mix
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease 40 mini-muffin cups.

Prepare boxed brownie mix as directed. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups (about 1 heaping teaspoon). Bake for 13-15 minutes or until top is set and a toothpick inserted into center comes out slightly wet. After brownies are out of the oven, wait for centers to fall. This will happen upon cooling. If not then tap the centers with the back of a teaspoon (or your thumb) to make a hole for the peanut butter.

Place peanut butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 45 seconds then stir. While brownies are still warm spoon about half a teaspoon of peanut butter into the center of each brownie. Top with semi-sweet chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Cool completely in pan.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ahh Meijer, my fav.  I love Meijer.  Not having grown up in Michigan it was quite the attraction for me.  My first visit to Meijer was actually during the time I flew to Grand Rapids with my sister to check out Reformed Bible College!  A friend of ours came to pick us up and took us there before we met up with more people we knew.  I'm not normally a huge fan of store brand products but for the most part I like Meijer brand.  I made the Oatmeal Cookies on the back of the canister of Oatmeal and they were the most delicious cookies not at all dry like some Oatmeal Cookies are. 

I made these for one of the desserts that was before The Faithful Journey Quartet Benefit Concert.  The Quartet, their families and the Guatemala Team ate together before the fundraising concert.

Faithful Journey Quartet

Amazing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients:
1 c.Vegetable Shortening
1 c. Sugar
1 c. Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/2 c. Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
3 c. Oatmeal
1 c. Chopped Walnuts (optional)
1 c. Raisins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease cookie sheets.
Beat shortening and sugars til creamy. 
Add eggs and vanilla mixing well.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt, add to shortening mixture and mix well.
Stir in oats, nuts and raisins. 
Using rounded tablespoons, roll into balls.  Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
Flatten with fork.  Bake 10-12 minutes or til lightly browned.
Let stand a minute before removing to wire rack 

Note:  I didn't flatten them and they were amazing. I may do it another time.
If you add the nuts I can imagine they will be more dry.