Rocky Road Brownies

This recipe may be one that many of you have made over and over again but I had never made them before and had never tasted them either. So, when my third oldest daughter and son-in-law moved into the house next door-yes, next door! :) to us-I thought everyone should have something nice and gooey to eat after their long day of working their back muscles. I made some chicken jambalaya with rice (a rather forgettable recipe I'm sorry to say) and these Rocky Road brownies (very memorable!). If I had known how easy and delicious these things were, I'd have been making them long ago.

Rocky Road Brownies

Start with your favorite brownie recipe, either from scratch or from a box in a 13-inch by 9-inch pan. Bake as directed.

As soon as the brownies come out of the oven, sprinkle the top with 2 cups of mini marshmallows.

Place 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks and 1/4 cup of milk in a small saucepan. Cook on low heat until the chocolate is completely melted, stirring frequently. (You can also do this in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted). Drizzle the chocolate sauce over the marshmallows. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup walnut pieces. Cool completely.

Enjoy!!

*To make cutting the brownies easier, spray your knife with cooking spray. I've also heard that using a plastic knife works great, too.

I'm linking up with The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap this week.

Christmas Day and Turtle Cheesecake

Christmas Day was so much fun for this grandma! All of my kids were here.

Jaclyn and Lorelei are new BFFs (Best Friends Forever)

Lydia enjoyed being held by anyone as long as she had her pacifier and someone to cuddle with :)

Our sweet girl

Noah slept through it all

We had lots of good food, too, of course, and this was our dessert Turtle Cheesecake. Turtles are probably my favorite candy so I knew I would love cheesecake made from the same ingredients.
I was right!

I adapted the recipe from the inside of a Philadelphia cream cheese package.

Turtle Cheesecake

2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1-14 oz bag of caramel candies*

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup pecan halves

3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 eggs

2 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate*

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Double-wrap with aluminum foil a 9- or 10-inch springform pan.

Mix the crumbs and the butter and press into the bottom and 2 inches up side of a 9-inch springform pan. Place the caramels and milk in a small microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 3 minutes or until caramels are completely melted, stirring after each minute. Pour 1/2 of the caramel mixture into the crust. Refrigerate 10 minutes. Set remaining caramel mixture aside for late use.

Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time until blended. Pour over the caramel mixture in the crust.

**Place your double-wrapped in foil springform pan in a larger pan (such as a roasting pan). Put enough water into the larger pan until the water is halfway up the side of the springform pan.

Place pans in the oven and bake for 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes or until center is almost set. Run a knife or spatula around the side of the springform pan to loosen the cake. Remove from the larger pan. Let cool completely and remove the foil and sides of springform pan. Chill in refrigerator at least 4 hours.

Place the pecan halves on the cake in any way desired. With the remaining caramel mixture, drizzle the cake in any decorative way you like. Melt 2 squares of the semi-sweet baking chocolate in a microwavable bowl on HIGH, stirring at least every minute until just until melted. Drizzle over the cake.

*If you don't want to do all the unwrapping of candies and the melting, you could certainly use caramel sauce that is used for ice cream. You could also use a chocolate sauce, too.

**This is how I bake all of my cheesecakes. They come out perfectly just about every time, without cracking.

I'm linking up with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table and Tasty Tuesday.

Choco-Nougat Cake

Last weekend the whole family gathered at my oldest daughter's house for a cook-out and I brought this cake for dessert. It is moist, almost like a cake-y brownie texture and taste. The frosting was really good, too.

Choco-Nougat Cake

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup soft shortening or butter
1 1/3 cups milk
3 eggs
3 squares chocolate (3 oz.) melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 9" layer cake pans or a 13 x 9-inch pan.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the shortening and almost half the milk. Beat for 2 minutes. Add in the remaining milk, eggs and chocolate. Beat another 2 minutes.
Bake layers 30 to 35 minutes and 13 x 9-inch pan for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. When cake is cool, frost with:

White Butter Icing

3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup soft butter
3 tablespoons cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix together until smooth.

I'm participating in Tempt My Tummy Tuesday with Blessed with Grace.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cake

I made this cake over the weekend for our company on Sunday. It's always a good feeling to make something for the first time and have everyone love it, but to receive a request for the recipe, now you know you will be making it again and again. Don't let the word oatmeal in the title of the recipe throw you off, it isn't a noticeable ingredient in this moist and chocolatey dessert. I love finding an extra-good recipe that uses ingredients I regularly stock in my pantry. The first time I had ever had this cake was when my aunt made it for me on my birthday a few years ago, but I never got the chance to get the recipe from her, so I was glad when I found it on Getting Freedom From Debt.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cake

1 cup oats (quick cooking or old-fashioned)

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 beaten eggs

1 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup milk

Topping

6 tablespoons melted butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup cream (I used whole milk)

1 cup coconut

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix the oats and water together in a small bowl and let stand. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar and blend in the eggs. In a medium size bowl combine the flour, cocoa, soda, and salt. Stir the oat mixture in the dry ingredients. In a small cup combine the milk and vanilla together.

Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk/vanilla mixture in with the butter/sugar/egg mixture. Once everything is combined, pour into a 9 x 13-inch pan or a bundt pan, well greased. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes for the 9 x 13-inch pan or about 50 minutes for the bundt cake pan.

For the topping combine the butter, brown sugar, cream (or milk), coconut, and vanilla. Spread on the warm cake and place under the broiler until the topping is slightly browned.

Go to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday for more yummy recipes!

Baked Fudge

Last night I was really wanting something chocolatey and sweet to eat after dinner and I had seen a baked fudge recipe on Snow White's blog and thought how easy and delicious it looked. She adapted her recipe from Pioneer Woman's blog, and, well, that's how we get recipes, isn't it, from other great cooks? So, I made some Baked Fudge, topped it with some vanilla ice cream, and it didn't disappoint at all. I will be making it again.

Baked Fudge

2 eggs

3/4-1 cup sugar ( I used somewhere in between but I will go with 3/4 cup next time since I think it will be sweet enough)

2 heaping tablespoons cocoa

2 tablespoons flour

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat eggs until scrambled and then beat in the sugar until combined. Add the cocoa, flour, butter, and vanilla and mix well. Pour the batter into 4 ramekins or 1 8-inch pan. Set dishes or pan into a larger pan, filling it halfway with water. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the upper crust is crispy and the rest of the batter is set. A toothpick will not come out clean but you don't want a runny batter. You also don't want a brownie. I underbaked mine a little but they were still beyond delicious. You could also serve these with whipped cream. So good.

For more great recipes from other great cooks:

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

$5 Dinners

Foodie Fridays

Grocery Cart Challenge