BEST chocolate chocolate chocolate BROWNIES!!!

This is a recipe I got from my friend and Nauvoo Sister, Jessica Woahn (currently serving a full-time mission in Washington state), at my bridal shower last April. Tonight was the first time I'd tried it, and may I just say: Wow. I tell you what, wow. They're called "The Best Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Brownies," (I reproduced her way of writing it in the title of this post) and they really are the best and most chocolatey brownies I have had in quite a while. Plus they are ridiculously easy.

Here's the recipe:

1 pkg. chocolate cake mix
1 large pkg. chocolate pudding mix
1 pkg. (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 cups milk

Mix ingredients. Spray pan. Cook at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

What I did was mix all the dry ingredients, split them in half and save half the bag for later, mix the remaining half with 1 1/2 cups of milk, and bake it in a 9x9 pan. Good thing I halved the recipe, because they were so good I had to have quite a few of them. They have the softest consistency and the richest flavor. Yum, yummy, yummy, yum, Yum!

Other Halloween Treats

As per request from my lovely Aunt Kate, here are the recipes for the Scary Eyeballs and the Pan de Muertos from my last Wikipedia Brown post. (Let me warn you, though, that although these are fun to make and they look great, the Pumpkin Pear Bread Pudding of the last post is the most delicious of the three.)

Scary Eyeballs (These came from the wonderful weekly newsletter of my Relief Society):

Ingredients:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons salted butter (I just added some salt to my regular butter)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 Butterfinger candy bar, chopped into pieces
2 cups of white chocolate chips
3 tablespoons shortening
1 pkg. Butterfinger BB's candies (I used M&Ms)
1 small tube red decorator icing (I left this out, but it would have been cool)

Directions:
1. Line cookie sheet with wax paper; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together peanut butter and butter until creamy. Beat in powdered sugar until mixture is moistened and holds together. Stir in chopped Butterfinger bar. Shape into 1-inch balls and place on prepared cookie sheet. Freeze for 1 hour.
3. Melt white chocolate chips and shortening in the microwave on a medium setting until creamy. Remove cookie sheet from freezer. Using a toothpick, dip eyeballs into white chocolate. Let excess drip off, then return to cookie sheet. Press 1 Butterfinger BB (or M&M) onto top of each eyeball to form pupil. (You'll probably need to do this right after dipping each eyeball. Otherwise, the white chocolate hardens on the frozen peanut butter ball too quickly and the BB/M&M won't stick.)
4. Refrigerate eyeballs until chocolate is set. With tube of red decorator icing, pipe lines from the pupil to create bloodshot markings. Store covered in refrigerator. Serve cold. Makes 30.

Pan de Muertos:

(I'm not sure where this recipe came from--a Spanish class in Junior High, maybe?--but it's become a tradition for me nearly every November 1st or so. It's really delicious, especially now that, after my summer-long training in the Family Living Center in Nauvoo, I really know how to knead and raise dough. Intense dough kneading can really give your arms a workout!)

Ingredients:
1 c. milk
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. finely grated orange peel
1/2 tsp. ground anise seeds (I used fennel)
1 envelope (T.) active dry yeast
a pinch of sugar
1/4 cup warm water
2 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
1 tsp. water
5 1/4-5 1/2 c. flour
2 T. sugar

Directions:
Scald milk by heating to just under boiling point, about 180 degrees. Pour over butter, sugar, salt, peel, and ground anise in a large bowl. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Let cool. Stir yeast and pinch of sugar into 1/4 cup warm water. Let stand until yeast is softened. Beat whole eggs and egg yolks in a small bowl. Spoon 2 T. beaten eggs into another small bowl. Stir in 1 T. water. Refrigerate and use for glaze.
Stir softened yeast and remaining beaten eggs into milk mixture. Stir enough flour into milk mixture to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, at least 10 minutes, adding more flour if needed. Clean and grease bowl. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease all sides. Cover with a dry cloth towel. Let stand in a warm place free from drafts until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch down dough and turn out onto surface. Let rest while greasing 2 small baking sheets (or one large one). Brush with some of the reserved egg mixture. Divide one of the small pieces of dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll 2 pieces into 8- to 9-inch ropes. Form skull and cross bones. Moisten bottom of skull with egg mixture and press firmly onto crossed bones on loaf. Repeat with 2nd loaf. Cover loosely with towels. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush loaves evenly with egg mixture. Sprinkle each loaf with 1 T. sugar. Bake 30-35 minutes or until browned. Remove from baking sheet; cool on racks.

This bread is delicious with honey butter. I just found a recipe online that called for about 1/2 cup butter, 1 T. honey, 1 t. vanilla, and 1/2 t. cinnamon, mixed together.

Pumpkin Pear Bread Pudding

Looking for a delicious and exceptionally tasty Fall treat? This one was pretty amazing. I've had the recipe for years, but I only just tried it. It's from the Pendulum Court cafe at BYU. I was silly enough to make this when we weren't planning on having anyone over for dessert, so Jeff and I snacked on it for a week or so.

Ingredients:
1 loaf Rhodes™ Bread Dough, baked and cubed (I just used about 18 pieces of normal wheat bread)
15 oz can pumpkin
2 eggs
1 cup canned pears, drained and chopped
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon nutmeg
1/2 tablespoon ginger
1/2 tablespoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Streusel:
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

Instructions:
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs. Add pumpkin, pears, milk, sugar and spices and mix well. Gently stir in bread cubes until completely coated. Pour into a 9-inch sprayed square baking dish or spring form pan. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours (may be refrigerated overnight).

Just before baking, combine streusel ingredients and mix well. Sprinkle mixture over Bread Pudding. Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve while still warm, with a dollop of whipped cream.

Triple Chocolate Cookies

From the Better Homes and Gardens' Anyone Can Cook book, these tasty treats totally satisfied my chocolate craving last Wednesday evening. Jeff and I snacked on them while watching "Murder by Death," a 1976 Neil Simon classic that I highly recommend. Peter Sellers (the detective in the Pink Panther, the crazy german scientist in a wheelchair in Dr. Strangelove, etc.) is hilarious as a proverb-spouting Chinese detective with an adopted Japanese son.

But to get back to the food.

Ingredients:
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I just used semisweet choc chips)
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
Chocolate Drizzle (see below)

1. In a 2-quart saucepan combine chocolates and butter. Heat and stir over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Stir together flour, baking powder, and 1/4 tsp of salt in a small bowl and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine sugars and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until color lightens slightly. Beat in melted chocolate. Add flour mixture and beat until combined. Stir in pecans. Cover surface of cookie dough with plastic wrap and let stand for 20 minutes to thicken.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil (and spray with Pam). Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto sheets. Bake for 9 minutes or until tops are just set. Let stand 1 minute on cookie sheet. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Spoon Chocolate Drizzle over cookies. Makes 60 (92 calories and 6g fat each).

Chocolate Drizzle:

Combine 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces with 4 teaspoons shortening in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the chocolate melts and is smooth. Remove from the heat and drizzle away.
Chocolate Drizzle

Garlic Chicken Pizza

I hereby add my testimony to that of Katie Hale: Juli's pizza crust is scrumptious. When I heard Katie's description of it, I decided I needed to try it. After all, Juli gave it to me in the wonderful book of family recipes and advise that I got from all of you last Christmas. On top of that excellent base, I added the toppings for Garlic Chicken Pizza, a recipe from my Cooking Light book. This is great for a big group. It's really good, looks impressive, and is, again, very easy.

It works well (though I didn't do it this way, but would have if I had thought of it beforehand) if you prepare the topping ingredients (cooking and shredding chicken, chopping vegetables, etc.) while the pizza dough is rising.

Juli's Grilled Pizza Dough

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 T. olive oil
1 package active dry yeast
1 t. sugar
3 1/4 to 3 3/4 cups flour
1 t. salt
cornmeal
olive oil (optional)

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combine warm water, the 2 T. oil, the yeast, and sugar. Stir to dissolve yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes or until foamy.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine 3 cups of the flour and the salt. Stir yeast mixture into flour mixture until combined. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough that is smooth but slightly sticky (about 5 minutes total). (Juli's note: the dough is sticky, but don't be tempted to add extra flour - that's what makes it so crisp.)
4. Place dough in an oiled bowl, turning once to grease surface of dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 45 minutes).
5. Punch dough down (fun! I love the fist impression in the dough). Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into four equal portions. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll dough out.
6. Sprinkle a baking sheet or pizza peel with cornmeal. Place the dough on the baking sheet or peel (I spread mine out into a 9x13 rectangle. Otherwise this recipe, which makes enough for four 10-inch rounds, might have been too much for one pizza).
7. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 8 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Garlic Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

2 T. red wine vinegar
1 1/2 T. Dijon mustard
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1 cup chopped plum tomato
1 cup chopped mushrooms
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (for Juli's crust it says 450 - I averaged and went with 425).
2. Combine first 3 ingredients, stirring well with a whisk. Place crust on baking sheet; brush vinegar mixture over crust. Top with chicken, tomato, and mushrooms; sprinkle with cheeses and green onions.
3. Bake for 15 minutes or until mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses melt.

Stuffed Chicken

This recipe was amazing, and the presentation of it made me feel like a gourmet chef. But it was also very easy and very fast!

Ingredients:

Roasted red peppers (two cups worth--I used two small jars)
Feta cheese (1/4 lb)
Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup)
Skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, 4 (I used 3 breasts or 6 halves, and it just held all the filling), or about 1.5 lbs total weight
Prosciutto or cooked ham, 4 (6) large thin slices (I used turkey bacon--healthier, precooked, cheaper, easier to wrap)

1. Prepare the filling. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a shallow baking dish large enough to hold all the chicken breasts in a single layer. In a small bowl, mix together the roasted red peppers, feta cheese, and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Also add some lemon zest or just a little lemon juice for a little zing.

2. Stuff the chicken. Place each chicken breast on a work surface. Cut each in half lengthwise all the way through. Spread 1/4 (1/6) of the filling in the center of each breast. Fold the chicken breast closed and season with salt and pepper. Wrap 1 prosciutto (or bacon) slice tightly around each chicken breast and place in the prepared dish.

3. Bake until the prosciutto (bacon) is crisp and the chicken is opaque throughout, between 20 and 35 minutes depending on the thickness of the breasts. Enjoy! (You will.)

The original recipe called for 2 cups spinach and 1/4 lb. goat cheese, but I preferred to try the alternate version they provided. That one could be good as well...

Easy Icecream Parfait

I don't have a picture for this one, but we just tried it last night and it was to die for. Plus it's ridiculously easy. Simply layer icecream, crumbled ginger snaps (preferably the Ivy Bake recipe--which are the best I've ever had), banana slices, and chopped toasted pecans in a cup or dessert dish, put in the freezer for 10 minutes until chilled, and enjoy. I did two layers in some glass cups, and the result was both beautiful and delicious.

For variations, try baked apple slices (cook a peeled and cored apple in a bowl--with 1/2 an inch of water and covered with plastic wrap--in the microwave for 3 minutes until tender) or peaches instead of bananas.

Ivy Bake Gingersnap Cookies

These will change your life. They changed my husband's. He said he wasn't a fan of gingersnaps until he had these. And in this parfait dessert, they're like crumbled bits of heaven in your mouth. (Plus, when you're making them, the ridiculous amounts of spices look really pretty before you mix them in.)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg 1 tsp cloves
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 cups flour
sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Cream together shortening, sugar, and molasses. Add egg, baking soda, salt, and spices; mix until well blended. Add flour and mix until combined; chill (or not). Roll dough into 1-inch balls and then roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly with fingers. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until cookies appear slightly cracked. Makes 2-3 dozen.