These recipes all involve chocolate. How could we go wrong? The first one is just for a brownie mix that you can keep handy at home and make brownies for very little money. Never buy boxed brownie mix again! Follow the recipe below and make brownies for approximately 30 cents a mix!
Brownie mix
1 C sugar
1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/3 C cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
At baking time add:
2 eggs
1/2 C vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
Put mix in plastic zip-lock bags until ready to use. When ready for some fresh brownies, add vanilla, oil and eggs to mix and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes in an 8×8 or 9×9 pan.
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Peanut butter earthquake cake
1 box dark chocolate fudge cake mix (oil, eggs, water)
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 C softened butter
1/2 creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 C powdered sugar
1/2 C chocolate chips
1 C miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups unwrapped and cut in halves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix together the ingredients for chocolate fudge cake. Pour fudge cake mix into greased baking dish and set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix together cream cheese, butter, peanut butter, and vanilla until well mixed. Mix in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until all 4 cups have been added. Add peanut butter mixture in spoonfuls to chocolate cake mix and lightly spread around.
Now sprinkle Reese’s peanut butter cup halves and chocolate chips on top. Bake for about 45-50 minutes (checking the center after 45 with a tooth pick test).
Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream
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Chocolate peanut butter no-bake dessert
20 Oreo cookies, divided
2 TBS butter, softened
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 C peanut butter
1-1/2 C confectioners’ sugar, divided
1 carton (16 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
15-20 miniature peanut butter cups, chopped
1 C cold milk
1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding
Crush 16 cookies; toss with butter. Press into an ungreased 9-in. sq. dish; set aside. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Fold in half of whipped topping. Spread over crust. Sprinkle with chopped peanut butter cups.
In another large bowl, beat milk, pudding mix and remaining confectioners’ sugar on low speed for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Fold in remaining whipped topping. Spread over peanut butter cups. Crush remaining cookies; sprinkle over top. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours.
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Thought – I don’t like it when there are problems with operation of the iPad and the resident tech expert is asleep because he’s five years old and it’s past his bedtime.
If you would like to share a recipe with me, just send it to the J-T or email it to me.
(Melanie Behrens – melb@marysvillejt.com)