Oreo Brownies

1 box brownie mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup water
16 Oreos, quartered
5 Oreos, crushed
1 cup marshmallow fluff
1 cup chocolate covered mini marshmallows, frozen

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13" baking dish. In a mixing bowl mix together brownie mix, eggs, oil, and water. Divide the batter in half. Spread the first half evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Add all the quartered Oreos. Put globs of the marshmallow fluff all over the Oreos. In between the globs of fluff put the chocolate covered mini marshmallows. Put spoonfuls of the rest of the brownie batter on top spreading out as best you can. Sprinkle the top with the crushed Oreos. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting. Makes 16 brownies.

Banana Pops

6 frozen bananas
1 bag chocolate chips
4 tablespoons Cisco
Colored Sugar (see recipe)
Wooden sticks
Wire cooking rack

Peel bananas, cut in half, and insert a stick. Pour chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and melt in 30 second bursts on high setting stirring between each burst. Once melted stir in the Crisco until the chocolate is smooth and silky looking. Pour chocolate into a tall cup. Dip each banana in the chocolate and put the stick through the wire rack to hold it up. After you have dipped each banana once start back over with the first banana and dip them all again. This time before returning it to the rack sprinkle with colored sugar. After all the bananas have been dipped twice and sprinkled with sugar move the rack with the bananas to the freeze for at least an hour before serving. Serves 12.

Chocolate No Bakes

1/2 C Butter (see recipe)
2 C Sugar
1/2 C Buttermilk (see recipe)
4 Tbsp Cocoa
1/2 C Peanut Butter
4 C Quick cooking Oats
2 tsp. Vanilla

Add the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, and boil for 1 minute. Stir in the next 3 ingredients and drop onto wax paper or foil. Let cool until set. 

Homemade Thin Mints

1 cup unsalted butter softened (see recipe)
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour
3 bags semi sweet chocolate chips
3 teaspoons mint extract
2 tablespoons Cisco

Preheat oven to 350° and lightly grease baking sheet. In a mixing bowl beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix thoroughly, scraping down the side of the bowl once or twice as necessary. Mix in the vanilla, salt and cocoa powder until well combined - the dough will be thick and smooth, almost frosting-like in texture. Add the flour and mix just until the dough comes together - it may be a little crumbly, knead it once or twice just to make it uniform. Divide the dough in half and flatten each piece into a 3/4-inch thick disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll to a thickness of 1/8-inch. Use a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter to cut circles of dough. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart (they won't spread much). Re-roll the scraps and cut more cookies until all dough is used. Bake the cookies for 9 minutes on 350° Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for a few minutes before removing them to the rack to cool completely. 

While the cookies cool, prepare the chocolate coating. Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second bursts at 50% power, stirring in between each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in the peppermint extract and Crisco. You can use more or less than I suggested above - maybe start with a little less and add until it tastes as minty as you'd like.

To dip the cookies:
Drop a cookie in the melted chocolate and use a fork to flip and coat all sides. Lift the cookie out of the chocolate with the fork and allow the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Transfer the cookie to a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Repeat with remaining cookies. If the chocolate hardens before you finish dipping, just pop the bowl back in the microwave briefly to soften it up. Transfer the cookies to the refrigerator to set the chocolate. Store them in the refrigerator or freezer.Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Recession Cake

This was originally brought to my attention as a cake from the great depression that is super easy to make. Granted we aren't as bad off as our grand parents were but sometimes money is really right. This recipe let's you make a yummy, delicious, super moist cake with out eggs, butter, or milk. Heck you don't even need a mixing bowl or electric mixer!

Recession Cake:

3 Cups flour
6 Tbsp. cocoa (unsweetened)
2 Cup white sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. white vinegar
2 tsp.  pure vanilla extract
10 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Cups water
1/4 cup powdered sugar (optional)
Icing of choice-optional (see recipe)

Preheat oven to 350° Mix first 5 dry ingredients in a greased 9x13" baking pan.  Make 3 depressions in dry ingredients - two small, one larger (see photo below). Pour vinegar in one depression, vanilla in the other and the vegetable oil in third larger depression.  Pour water over all.  Mix well until smooth.Bake on middle rack of oven for 45 minutes. Check with toothpick to make sure it comes out clean. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if not using icing. If using icing let cool completely first then apply.