Chocolate Sheet Cake

This is a birthday must-have for our family!

INGREDIENTS:

3 sticks of butter or margarine

1 cup water

7 TBL cocoa

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup and 6 TBL buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

4 cups sifted powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. In a saucepan, melt 2 sticks of butter/margarine, and add water and 4 TBL cocoa. Bring the mixture to a boil. Meanwhile, mix sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt. Pour boiling mixture into the dry mixture. Beat until smooth and add eggs, 1/2 cup buttermilk, and vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured cookie sheet (with sides- a jelly roll pan) and bake for 25 minutes. In a saucepan, melt 1 stick margarine/butter, 4 TBL cocoa and 6 TBL buttermilk. Heat until boiling and add the sifted powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and pour immediately over cake (the icing should still be in liquid form). Let cool, and enjoy!

Reese's Cookie

Another cookie recipe from my mother-in-law! My husband LOVES these cookies!!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup Crisco

1 stick margarine

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

Dash of salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp. vanilla
Large bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

DIRECTIONS:

Cream sugars, Crisco, margarine, and eggs. Add peanut butter and remaining ingredients. Roll in ball. Bake in small muffin tin (should have about 24 mini muffin spaces). Bake at 350 for 11-12 minutes. (While baking, remove wrappers from Reese's peanut butter cups). Immediately push in Reese's peanut butter cups in center of cookie. Let cool completely before removing from tin.

Ultimate Chocolate Dipped Cookies

My mother-in-law is an incredible baker! I fell in love with these cookies last year when she made them, and convinced her to give me her recipe to make for our Christmas cookies this year! If you love chocolate, you will LOVE these cookies. Trust me on this!

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 12 oz. package plus 2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 TBL granulated sugar

1 TBL butter

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325. Stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Combine the 12 ounce chocolate chips and 2 TBL of butter. Cook over low heat until melted, cool slightly. Note- be very careful to continue to stir and not burn the chocolate. A double boiler often works best.

Beat remaining butter, then add eggs one at a time. Beat in the melted chocolate, sugar and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture. Stir in one cup of chocolate chips. (You could use white chocolate chips for this step if you'd like)

Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cooking sheet. Bake in preheated over for 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm and surface is slightly cracked. Be careful not to over bake. Transfer to wire rack, cool. Dip each cookie into the Chocolate Ganache (recipe below). Place onto wax paper until set. Makes about six dozen.

Chocolate Ganache:

In saucepan, combine 1/2 cup whipping cream, 1 TBL butter, and 1 TBL granulated sugar. Bring just to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat. Place 1 cup semisweet chips in bowl. Pour hot cream mixture over chips, let stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth, cool until room temperature.