Leftover Halloween Candy Brownies

You wouldn’t want to encourage unhealthy eating habits in your kids. Therefore, you need to take a portion of their candy for their own good. Then you can make these scrumptious brownies to share with you coworkers. ;-)

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

• 1/3 cup butter, softened

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 cup candy-coated milk chocolate pieces (such as M&M's)

• 1/2 cup chopped peanut butter cups (such as Reese's)

• 1/2 cup chopped chocolate-covered crispy peanut butter candy (such as Butterfinger)

• 1/2 cup chopped milk chocolate candy bars (such as Hershey's)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.

2. Whisk 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Beat brown sugar, butter, and vanilla extract together in a separate large bowl using an electric mixer until creamy; beat in egg.

3. Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture until batter is just combined; fold in candy-coated milk chocolate pieces, peanut butter cups, chocolate-covered crispy peanut butter candy, and milk chocolate bars. Press batter into prepared baking pan.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Zucchini-Chocolate Chip Muffins

These zucchini muffins are packed with shredded zucchini, chocolate chips, and walnuts and make a perfect on-the-go snack.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• ¾ cup white sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• ½ cup vegetable oil

• ¼ cup milk

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup shredded zucchini

• ½ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

• ½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Mix egg, oil, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in zucchini, chocolate chips, and walnuts.

3. Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake

Your mom will love this Mother’s Day treat! So creamy and good - the strawberry flavor really comes through in the cheesecake and the chocolate crust and ganache work great with the strawberries.

Ingredients

Crust:

• cooking spray

• 1 (9 ounce) box chocolate wafer cookies

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Cheesecake:

• 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries

• 5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 5 large eggs

• 2 large egg yolks

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 2 drops pink gel food coloring

Chocolate Ganache:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

• 1 (4 ounce) bar semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

• 1 (4 ounce) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

• 10 whole and halved strawberries, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Wrap outside of a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 9-inch springform pan with a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil.

2. Stir together cookies, melted butter, and granulated sugar in a bowl. Press onto bottom and 1-inch up sides of prepared pan.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until crust is set, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; cool completely, 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven again to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

5. Process chopped strawberries in a food processor until completely smooth, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Set strawberry puree aside.

6. Beat cream cheese with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar and flour, beating until smooth, about 1 minute. Add whole eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed just until blended after each addition (do not overbeat). Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until just blended after each addition.

7. Beat in reserved strawberry puree, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice on low speed just until combined. Gently stir in food coloring gel until desired shade is reached.

8. Pour batter into the prepared pan (pan will be full). Place cheesecake in a large roasting pan. Place roasting pan with cheesecake in preheated oven and pour very hot water into roasting pan half-way up sides of cheesecake.

9. Bake in the preheated oven until center is almost set but still wobbly, 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes. Turn oven off, and let cheesecake stand in oven, with door closed, 15 minutes.

10. Remove cheesecake from oven, and gently run a knife around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. (Do not remove sides of pan.) Cool completely in pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Cover with aluminum foil; chill 8 to 24 hours.

11. Prepare Chocolate Ganache Topping: Bring cream to a light simmer in a small saucepan over medium. Place chopped chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Pour hot cream over chocolate in bowl and let stand 1 minute. Whisk chocolate mixture until completely smooth. Let mixture cool until very slightly warm, whisking occasionally, about 20 minutes.

12. Assemble Cheesecake: Dip a few whole strawberries in ganache and chill until ready to top cheesecake. Remove sides of pan from cheesecake and place on a serving platter. Slowly pour ganache over top of cheesecake, spreading to edges with a small offset spatula. Chill for 1 hour.

13. Top cheesecake with whole and halved strawberries and chocolate-dipped strawberries.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’m not much of a baker. Cooking is easy, but with baking you need to be more exact with measurements. If you’re like me, this recipe is the perfect route to go.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 cup packed brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 teaspoons hot water

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.

3. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

Fudge Truffle Cheesecake

Truffle-like chocolate cheesecake in a chocolate cookie crust. It is the perfect dessert to accompany your Valentine’s Day celebration.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups vanilla wafer crumbs

• ½ cup confectioners' sugar

• ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• ⅓ cup butter, softened

• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature

• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

• 4 large eggs eggs

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

• Step 2

  In a large mixing bowl, mix together crushed vanilla wafers, confectioners' sugar, cocoa, and butter by hand. Press ingredients into a 9-inch springform pan.

• Step 3

  In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips, making sure that they are very smooth.

• Step 4

  In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy with an electric mixer. Gradually beat in condensed milk until smooth. Mix in melted chocolate, eggs, and vanilla. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. Pour the filling into the prepared crust.

• Step 5

  Bake at 300 degrees F for 55 minutes. The cake will seem underbaked in the center, but will continue to cook after you remove it from the oven.

• Step 6

  Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Christmas Orange Hot Chocolate

This is the perfect Christmas morning drink next to the fireplace with classic Christmas music playing.

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk

• 1 (1 ounce) envelope instant hot cocoa mix (such as Swiss Miss®)

• ¼ cup orange juice

• ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Heat milk in a saucepan over high heat; whisk hot cocoa mix into milk until completely dissolved. Continue whisking for 1 minute, reduce heat to medium, and gradually stir in orange juice. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top and stir. Pour hot chocolate into a mug.