German Chocolate Bars

If you love German Chocolate cake and you love brownies...you are sure to love these! I made 2 pans of these when I made them. One for home of course and one to take to Young Women's. Two of our leaders had birthdays so we celebrated! This is part of my September 2010 Aussie/NZ recipe swap. My teammate is Dreamgoddess from Alabama, USA.

German Chocolate Bars
1 (17 5/8 oz) box brownie mix
1 large egg
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp coconut extract
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

Frosting:
3/4 cup sugar
5 TBSP butter, cut up
5 oz evaporated milk
2 egg yolks
1 cup sweetened coconut
3/4 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Brownies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 pan with veggie spray. Combine the brownie mix, egg, water, oil and coconut extract in large bowl. Mix just until blended. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut and 1/2 cup nuts. Pour into prepared pan and spread around. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.

Frosting:
Combine 3/4 cup sugar, butter, milk and egg yolks in a saucepan. Cook on medium high heat, stirring, until thickened - approximately 13-15 minutes. Add in remaining coconut, nuts and vanilla. Cook 2 more minutes. When brownies are done, pour on frosting and spread to edges of brownies. Cool and enjoy!

I dare you to eat just one! :)

Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cake

There are no pictures. By the time I remembered I needed to take one....The men folk around here had devoured the entire pan! This is from morgainegeiser my August 2010 Aussie/NZ recipe swap partner. She hails from Ypsi, Michigan. This tastes a lot like a coffee cake!

Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cake
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sour cream - (I used homemade yogurt in place - made for a very runny batter - tasted great though!)
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients from the flour to the eggs in a mixing bowl. Pour half the batter into a greased 9x13 baking pan.
Combine the cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar. Pour half over batter in the pan. Add half the chocolate chips. Pour remaining batter on top. Add remaining half of cinnamon sugar and remaining half of chocolate chips.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick check comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!

Aussie Style Chocolate Chip Biscuits

This recipe comes from my July Aussie/NZ recipe swap team member mummamills from Maryborough, Queensland, Australia. These cookies are not anything like the American chocolate chip cookies. There is a distinct flavor with these. Not to mention - these are eggless! The kids really like these with a tall glass of cold milk. I also learned "biscuits" are cookies in Australia!

Aussie Style Chocolate Chip Biscuits

2 cups butter or margarine, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

5 cups flour

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips - I prefer mini ones

1 1/2 cups chopped nuts - optional

Cream butter and sugar. Add condensed milk and keep beating for 2 minutes. Fold in flour and chocolate chips and nuts. The mixture will be tacky. Drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheets and flatten slightly with a floured fork. Bake at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe comes from Russell's cousin Laura Jacobson. She sent it to me years ago. We (I mean I) make these a lot during the year. I will triple the ingredients so a quart of homecanned pumpkin can be incorporated. I am always looking for ways to include my food storage in our everyday cooking.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 1/2 cups shortening
4 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 TBSP cinnamon
1 TBSP baking powder
1 TBSP baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP nutmeg
1 TBSP vanilla
7 1/2 cups flour
1 quart homecanned pumpkin, drained and mashed
2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Mix all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until light brown and firm to the touch.

Coconut Chocolate Bars

This recipe is one I chose as part of the May 2010 Aussie/NZ recipe swap. Russell and the boys inhaled these. My teammate for this recipe is Seasoned Cook from Eastern North Carolina. I've made some of her recipes before and we've enjoyed them so far.

Coconut Chocolate Bars
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup baking cocoa
2 TBSP butter, melted

Topping:
2 cups milk chocolate chips
2 TBSP butter, melted

In a medium bowl beat eggs and add sugar. Blend in melted butter and vanilla. Add in flour, baking powder and salt.
Pour 1/2 the batter into another bowl. In one batter bowl add cocoa and 2 TBSP melted butter. In the other batter bowl add coconut.
Pour the chocolate batter into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Spread the coconut batter on top. (I noticed the coconut batter was really runny - don't know if it's supposed to be that way or not.)
Bake at 325 degrees. I had mine in the oven for around 45-50 minutes. Cool.

For the topping:
Melt chocolate chips. Add melted butter and mix. Spread onto cooled bars. Let cool completely and cut into bars. These are very rich so they don't need to be big. I thought they tasted similar to either a Mounds or Almond Joy candy bar.

Chocolate Coconut Bars

This is part of the collection of recipes I chose for the April 2010 Aussie/NZ recipe swap. My team mate is Chickee from Sydney, Australia. She calls these Chocolate Rough Slice and her grandma used to make these. Russell says this is something he could actually get fat off of. That says a lot! If you like coconut - you will like this. These remind me of those Brachs@ Coconut Triple Layer candies - the ones that are pink, white and brown. I love those!

Chocolate Coconut Bars
Base:
2/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup coconut
2 cups flour
1 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp salt

Mix all base ingredients and press into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool slightly.

Topping:
2 TBSP butter or margarine
2 TBSP baking cocoa
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups coconut
1 tsp vanilla
**Optional throw in ingredients: chopped walnuts OR pecan pieces OR sliced almonds

While base is cooking melt all topping ingredients together in a saucepan over low heat. Cool. Spread over base. Cut when cold.

If you eat one of these...
You will probably need a glass of milk to go with it....

Crockpot Chocolate Candies

As Nephi would say...it's "Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!" I chose this recipe from my teammate Chef1MOM~Connie from East Aurora, NY. If you like nuts (any combination) and chocolate - you will definitely like these.

Crockpot Chocolate Candies
12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
12 oz white chocolate chips
2 - 2 1/2 cups roasted nuts (your favorite combination)

Put all ingredients in a crockpot. Turn on high for 15 minutes. Stir. Turn to low. Stir after an additional 15 minutes. Stir one more time 15 minutes later for a total of 45 minutes. Drop by teaspoons onto waxed paper or alumimum foil sprayed with veggie spray. Let cool. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cake

This recipe comes from my teammate Chef floWer on recipezaar. She comes from Victoria, Australia. She calls her recipe Ultra Choc-Chip cake because she adds chocolate frosting and chocolate zig zags. I am just sticking with the cake part since it stood so well by itself.

Chocolate Chip Cake
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup dark, semi or milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x13 cake pan. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Bake for about 50 minutes or until cake tests done.

Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

This recipe originally was meant to "hide" such things as zucchini and carrots. Well....I already add such things to cookies/cakes/brownies, etc. so there was no point in "hiding" them. The chef who shared this recipe is Mommy Diva from recipezaar who is also from Oregon! She likes to make these into cupcakes and frost. I liked these brownie style.

Chocolate Zucchini Brownies
1 1/4 cups butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup grated carrot

In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and watch your kids inhale these with a tall glass of milk!
If they really, truly don't like zucchini or carrots - they won't even notice/taste the veggies in here. Then you really can feel "sneaky."

Chocolate Oatmeal Walnut Muffins

I made these yummy muffins over General Conference weekend. It was perfect snacking on these while we watched the speakers share their messages on the computer!
This recipe comes from Mom2Rose from recipezaar. She is from Michigan, USA and found the recipe on the Hershey's website.

Chocolate Oatmeal Walnut Muffins
1 cup quick cooking or regular oats
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients gently in a mixing bowl. Pour into muffin tins lined with paper baking cups.
Bake 16-18 minutes. I was able to get 12 muffins from this recipe.

German Chocolate Cheesecake

German Chocolate Cheesecake
This recipe was made for Russell for his birthday. He loves German Chocolate Cake and he loves a good cheesecake. So why not combine them? I found a really super yummy recipe by Swan Valley Tammi at recipezaar. I used her cake recipe and my sister Lynda's Coconut Pecan Frosting recipe. It is very similar to the 'zaar recipe.

1 box German chocolate cake mix
2 8 oz each cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten

Prepare cake batter according to package directions; set aside. In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar. Beat until smooth. Add eggs and beat just until combined.
Pour half the cake mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Gently pour cream cheese mixture over batter. Gently spoon remaining batter over top, spreading to edge of pan.
Bake at 325 degrees F for 70-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.

Coconut Pecan/Walnut Frosting
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cubes butter or margarine
1 1/4 cups coconut
1 1/4 cups chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients in large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring often. Boil for about 8 minutes or until thickened. Cool then frost cake.
Store cake in the refrigerator.

Chocolate "B" for Beet Cake

I found this recipe on recipezaar but have changed some things to make it work for me. It's a great disguise for people who don't like beets....which Michael and I have discovered we do...

Chocolate "B" for Beet Cake
2 cups beets, drained if canned - then pureed
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
5 cups flour
5 TBSP cocoa powder
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk

Thoroughly combine all ingredients. Spray 2 9x13 pans with vegetable spray. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.
The frosting is actually from the Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting post. I omitted the lemon juice from the frosting and added some vanilla and milk. It worked really well.