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.

Our Christmas Baking Day

The preparations for Christmas were a whirlwind of activity for us, as I know it was for all of you, too. The baking, the shopping, the decorating, it's all pretty normal for everyone at this time of year. And, yes, I know that Christmas is past for the year 2010 but I do want to share things that made it special for us this year. I hope your Christmas celebrations were wonderful as well. I've already shared the best Christmas present this year for us-our new grandson.

Something that has become a tradition for us since our first daughter was married five years ago, we have set aside an afternoon before Christmas to do some baking together. It was a little different this year since our oldest daughter wasn't able to be with us. She just had our first grandson and he was in a Chicago hospital with some complications due to his birth, so she was with him. But, everyone else was able to be with us. Lydia joined me in the kitchen for some snuggling.

Lorelei enjoyed sampling all the goodies.

Jaclyn is showing off her artwork.

It was a very good time. We always make Sugar Cookies with icing and sprinkles, which are pretty traditional for lots of people. It's a must with us. My mom always made them, too. Over the years we've added some other recipes that we have learned to expect but we also try new ones, too.

Easy Oreo Truffles-These are incredibly good and just like the title of the recipe very easy. My daughter made them with the mint oreos this year, which takes these candies to whole new level!

Chocolate-Marshmallow Pillows-This was a new recipe for us and they are really delicious with the surprise marshmallow inside.

Pretzel Turtles-These were easy and lots of fun to make, something the kids would have fun helping with.

Paula's Loaded Oatmeal Cookies-These are my youngest daughter's specialty. She got the recipe a couple of years ago from the Food Network website and everybody that tastes these cookies loves them, even people that aren't crazy about oatmeal cookies. They are that good.

White Chocolate Fudge-This fudge is so yummy-I love how the orange flavor comes through, and we found that dried cherries are just as good as the dried cranberries in this recipe. We've been making this for the last 3 or 4 years now.

And last but not least, we always make Chex Party Mix, the only savory treat that we make on our Baking Day. I love the microwave method which doesn't take as long and leaves room in the oven for our other goodies.

I will be sharing more about how we celebrated Christmas 2010 in future posts.

Taffy Apple Salad

Although this is more of a dessert than a salad, it is light and refreshing. With apples in season right now and the holiday season coming up I thought this one would be good for sharing at a potluck or family dinner. We really love it!


Taffy Apple Salad

1 (20-oz) can chunk pineapple (save the juice)

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup whipped topping

3 medium to large apples, cored and cubed

1 cup chopped peanuts

4 cups mini-marshmallows

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon white vinegar



Open pineapple and drain juice into a medium saucepan. In a large mixing bowl combine pineapple chunks with marshmallows and set aside. In saucepan, add flour, sugar, beaten egg and white vinegar to juice and stir constantly over medium heat until it boils and thickens like a pudding consistency. Chill. Add chopped apples, marshamallows, and pineapple. Fold in the chilled mixture and whipped topping. Top with peanuts.* Refrigerate.



*The original recipe said to fold some of the chopped peanuts into the salad but they will get a little soggy if the salad isn't eaten the same day so we put them all on top. This recipe makes enough for a large family gathering and we had leftovers that still tasted good 3 days later when we finally polished it off. I had even sent some home with my married daughters.

Oatmeal Drop Cookies

I've made these cookies many times and they are so good-not your typical oatmeal cookie-they're better! I originally posted this recipe on my other blog but I would like to get all my recipes and food tip type of posts over here with all the other food. I got this recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, my 1950 Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook, which was republished in 1998. I've tweaked this recipe a little and they are just so good.

Oatmeal Drop Cookies

Mix together thoroughly:

1/2 cup soft shortening (I used 1/4 cup shortening, 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce)
1 1/4 cups sugar (I used only 1 cup)
2 eggs
6 tablespoons molasses ( used 4 tablespoons)


Sift together and stir in:
1 3/4 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon


Stir in:
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup cut-up nuts
1 cup cut-up raisins

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned.
Temperature: 400 degrees
Time: Bake 8 to 10 minutes

I'm linking up with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday

Hawaiian Cheesecake

For my daughter's 22nd birthday this past weekend, she requested that I make Hawaiian Cheesecake. Her oldest sister had made it for us as a dessert a few months ago and it was a recipe we cheesecake lovers knew we wanted again. If you've never made a cheesecake before this is an easy one. There's no pre-baking the crust and everything goes together easily.

We adapted this one from the Better Homes and Gardens website but I have seen similar recipes for this cheesecake on other sites too.

Hawaiian Cheesecake

1 1/3 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup finely chopped toasted macadamia nuts (I couldn't find these so I used pecans, but you use what you like or eliminate the nuts altogether)
1/3 cup butter
2 (8-oz) packagages cream cheese, softened (don't skip this step-it must be soft or it won't cream together properly)
1 8-oz tub cream cheese with pineapple
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For the crust, crush the vanilla wafers and 1/2 cup nuts, if using. Combine the cookie crumbs, nuts, and coconut together. Melt the butter and combine with the mixture. Press onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of an ungreased 9-inch sprinform pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheeses until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the eggs and egg yolk until just combined. Stir in the vanilla and lemon juice. Pour into the crust-lined pan. Place in a shallow baking pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the center appears almost set when gently shaken.

Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Take a thin-bladed knife and loosen the crust around the sides of the pan and cool for 30 mintues more. Remove the springform pan sides and cool for another hour. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve, sprinkle with toasted coconut. Makes 12 servings. We like to serve our cheesecakes with whipped cream, too.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

With a short reprieve from the 90-degree heat this past weekend (we were a cool 82 degrees on Sunday!), I decided to heat up my oven and make some cookies. We will be going back to extremely humid and high temperatures at least for the next few days, so I will not be turning the oven back on for awhile.

There's just nothing like a homemade cookie, and if you like peanut butter and chocolate, well, this one's for you.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup soft butter

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup light or dark brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

1 cup oats, quick or old-fashioned

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl beat together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sift together the flour, oats, salt, and soda in a separate smaller bowl and add to the butter mixture. Add the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 7 minutes or until browned on the edges and bottom of cookies. Cool on a rack.

For crispy cookies-After dropping dough onto baking sheet, flatten with a fork and bake for 10 minutes.

I linking up with Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Bedlam and Beauty and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace.

Pineapple Wedding Cake

I haven't a clue as to why this is called a "wedding" cake but it sure is good. This past weekend when my three younger daughters and three sons-in-law, one boyfriend, and our grand daughter came over for dinner I needed a dessert. I looked through my Desserts binder and came across this one. It's originally from my Aunt Mary Lee but my Grandma had it and she told me how good it was. I remember sitting with Grandma at her kitchen table and going through her recipes.

The strange thing about this cake is that the actual cake part has absolutely no butter or oil in it. The fat is in the frosting. My son-in-law loved this cake and told me he would eat it without the frosting. He is also a big carrot cake fan and this cake has the same dense texture. I think I will try this recipe without the frosting and maybe I will also use half whole wheat flour for the flour to just have around the house when I need a little sweet something but nothing too fattening, which I've been trying to do anyway. It's amazing what I don't eat when it's not in the house ;)

On a side note, I felt there were a tad too many nuts in the cake so I will put in maybe 2/3 to 3/4 of a cup next time instead of the full cup, but it's totally up to you.

Pineapple Wedding Cake

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup nuts (chopped)

1 pound can crushed pineapple not drained

Mix flour, sugar, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Add the nuts and pineapple. Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes in a 9 x 13-inch pan.

Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

Mix together and frost cooled cake.

I'm participating in Tempt My Tummy Tuesday,

Tasty Tuesdays, and Tuesdays at the Table.

Fruit-filled Oatmeal Bars

These are a perfect substitute for those cereal bars that you get in the store, more healthful, and just plain better. I know exactly what is in them and I feel really, really good about giving these to my husband and he loves them. They do taste alot like the store-bought cereal bars but there is more fruit in the middle of these, which is a very good thing to me. There are several fillings you could use for the cereal bars but this time I made an apple-blueberry one.

Fruit-filled Oatmeal Bars

Adapted from Finding Joy in My Kitchen

1 cup flour

1 cup oats

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup butter

2 large apples, peeled and cut into small pieces OR 1 1/2 cups applesauce to bypass the cooking of the apples

1 pint blueberries

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, place the apple pieces and a couple tablespoons of water. Cook until the apples are completely cooked and soft. Add the blueberries and cook for a couple of minutes. Mash or puree if you prefer (I mashed mine a little but left it chunky) and add the cinnamon.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar and baking soda. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Press half of the mixture into a 11 x 7-inch pan. Spread the fruit mixture over the crust and sprinkle the other half of the oats mixture over the fruit.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Cool and cut into bars.

Other kinds of Fruit Fillings include, but not limited to (I think that whatever you use as a fruit pie filling can be used here):

Apple Filling

3 large apples, peeled, and cut into small pieces

3 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Cook the apples as above with the water. Add cinnamon and mix well.

Berry Filling

2 cups berries, any kind

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1-2 tablespoons flour, as a thickener

Combine and cook over medium heat until desired consistency is reached.

Cherry Filling

2 cups pitted cherries

1-2 tablespooons orange juice

1-2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Heat in a saucepan over medium heat until mix comes to a full boil; stir constantly.

I'm linking up with Foodie Friday.

June Freezer Cooking

I love using my freezer to store my food. When we aren't going to use up some leftovers or other food that is in the fridge, I label it and toss it in the freezer. I also like to make food ahead of time and put it in the freezer to make my life easier later. For those of you that read my other blog, you know that I am actively looking for work outside the home, so I will need meals that come together easily when time and energy are low. (Update: job found-Hallellujah!) Jessica at Life as Mom is doing another freezer cooking month and I'll be joining with her to fill up my freezer with meals or parts of meals that will save me time and money. My husband will be taking his annual fishing trip to Wisconsin with his best buddy, his twin brother, his brother-in-law, and our two sons-in-law this weekend, so I figured that will be the perfect time to get some cooking done and stocking up our freezer.





Here's the plan:



I have about 10 pounds of chicken legs and thighs that I plan on putting in the crockpot. It will not only cook the meat until it's incredibly tender for lots of dishes like my chicken potpie but it will also make a wonderful chicken broth for soups, sandwiches, and other dishes.

I already have some cinnamon rolls in my freezer that I plan on using for easy breakfasts and desserts.

I'm going to be trying Rhonda's method for freezing pizza dough, along with a couple of other breads and roll recipes so that we can have homemade bread even if I haven't been home to make it that day.

I have some white beans in the freezer now but I want to add some black beans, lentils, and pinto beans to that. I can make my Tuscan White Bean Soup, Black Bean Chili with Red Onion Salsa , lentil cakes, refried beans, and salads. I have yummy recipes for a chickpea salad and a black bean salad that I will be sharing soon since we are in the warmer months, which is when we enjoy salads the most.

I also have a whole chicken that I plan on cutting up and marinating in the freezer for the grill. Mary Ann-I will do a tutorial on how to cut up the chicken :)

Since it's often just my husband and myself at home to eat, I will set aside some of the leftovers for our daughters or for the next day's lunch, and put the rest in the freezer. I will be putting some of the leftover soups in separate small containers in the freezer for taking to work for our lunches, too. Even after I find the right job,(found it!) we want to try and eat as little fast food and premade foods as possible. We've been eating this way for so long that I think it will affect the way we feel and we are going to need extra energy!

Cinnamon Rolls

There's nothing like homemade cinnamon rolls. For years and years I made the kind you get out of a can. In fact, it is our tradition to have them on Christmas morning before we open presents and while the ones from a can are really, really good, homemade ones just can't be beat. But, who wants to get up at 5 a.m. to make cinnamon rolls? Not me. So, first I'll give my recipe and then I'll tell you my secrets for having them ready when I want them, not the other way around. The first picture above is what they look like before I put them into the oven. They have risen nicely.



Cinnamon Rolls



6 oz. (3/4 cup) milk (90-100 degrees)

1 egg

3 cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoon butter

2 teaspoon active dry yeast



Filling:



1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon



In your bread machine pan, place the dough ingredients in the order given or according to your bread machine instructions. Place machine on Dough setting and start. When the dough is done (about 1 hour 20 minutes) place dough on a floured surface. Roll dough into an oblong shape of 9 inches by 18 inches. Spread with the butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar. Roll up tightly, beginning at wide side. Seal well by pinching edges of roll together. Cut roll into 1 inch slices. Place a little apart in a greased 13" x 9" pan or 12 muffin cups.



Cover and let rise until double in bulk (about 1/2 hour). Bake until golden brown and completely baked through at 375 degrees, about 20 to 25 minutes. Makes one dozen rolls.



If you want to wait until the next morning to bake your rolls, immediately after rolling and cutting them and placing in the pan, cover with a towel and put in the refrigerator over night. The next morning take them out of the fridge and allow them to rise for about 30 minutes, then bake as above.



If you want to freeze them, immediate after shaping and cutting, place the rolls on a pan and put them in the freezer. When they are completely frozen, place them in a freezer bag and freeze until you are ready to use them. The night before you want to bake them, take them out of the freezer and place on your pan. Cover with a towel and let set overnight. The next morning they will be risen and ready for the oven.





The glaze we usually spread on the warm rolls is a simple one.



Glaze:

4 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-6 tablespoons hot water

Combine the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla together, adding enough of the hot water to make a smooth thin glaze. Spread on the warm rolls and enjoy!

I'm participating in Foodie Fridays and Grocery Cart Challenge's Recipe Swap

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!

Whole Grain Cooking

Cooking with whole grains has recently become more popular, like using brown rice instead of white rice and replacing whole wheat pasta in place of the semolina kind; and in my quest to cook more healthfully, I'm always looking for new ones to cook with, About a month ago I went to my health food store and found some whole grains I either can't find in my regular grocery store or are packaged in boxes that are way out of my price range. Paying $3 for a tiny box of couscous just doesn't fit into my budget.

One of the whole grains I found was wheatberries. I had never cooked with them before, and so I did a little research. Since I wasn't sure how my family would receive this new grain, I thought it would be a good thing to mix them with some brown rice, half and half.

I soaked about 1/2 cup of the wheatberries overnight in 1 1/2 cups of water. I did the same thing with the brown rice in a separate bowl. Soaking not only is more nutritous, it also makes it easier to digest and cuts the cooking time in half. The picture above shows what the wheatberries looked like after soaking. They really puffed up.

I melted some butter in a skillet, added some chopped onion, garlic, and mushrooms about 5 minutes. I added the wheatberries and some chicken broth, brought the liquid to a boil, and simmered for 20 minutes. I then added the brown rice and cooked until all the grains were softened, about 30 minutes. I added salt and pepper to taste. It was very good and I'll be making it again.

These cookies are another winner and the recipe calls for old-fashioned rolled or quick oats as well as whole wheat flour. I love that these cookies only call for 1 stick of butter instead of the traditional two. They are chewy, and oh, so good. The original recipe, which I got from Kitchen Parade, did not call for chocolate chips, but I thought, what can it hurt?

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon (yes, tablespoon!) vanilla

1/2 cup unbleached flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups oatmeal (old-fashioned or quick, not instant)

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugars together. Add the egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift the flours, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Mix into the butter and egg mixture. Add the oatmeal, then the raisins and chocolate chips.

Drop the dough by tablespoons onto lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. (I baked them for only 8 minutes because I like them chewy). Remove from the oven and place on wax paper or cooling racks.

I'm participating in Life As Mom's Ultimate Recipe Swap.

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