2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup pecan pieces
1 (12 ounce) jar caramel topping

Combine crumbs and butter or margarine in an ungreased 13 x 9-inch pan; stir and press firmly into bottom of pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and pecans. Remove lid from caramel topping; microwave for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until hot, stirring after 30 seconds. Drizzle over pecans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until morsels melt; let cool in pan on a wire rack. Chill at least 30 minutes; cut into bars.

Posted by CookinMom at recipegoldmine.com May 29, 2001

Source: Chef-owner Bruce Auden, Restaurant Biga, San Antonio, Texas

Yield: 8 portions

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
6 large eggs, separated
Ganache balls (recipe follows) as needed

Using 2 tablespoons butter, grease 8 (6 ounce) custard cups or ramekins. Use 1/4 cup sugar to dust cups; reserve.

In double boiler, melt chocolate and remaining butter; stir until smooth. (Alternately, microwave the mixture, checking and stirring at 30-second intervals.) Let cool.

Whip egg yolks until thick and lightly colored and tripled in volume; reserve. Whip egg whites until they are on the verge of forming very stiff peaks. Add remaining sugar; whip until very stiff peaks form; reserve.

Stir some cooled chocolate into egg yolks. Add remaining chocolate. Gently fold egg whites into chocolate mixture.

Pour small amount of batter into each custard cup. Place 1 ganache ball in cup. Add batter until cup is 4/5 full. Bake in oven preheated to 325 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes, checking periodically, until cake is crusty on top but still gooey in center. Let rest 5 to 6 minutes. Use small knife to loosen cake. Invert onto dessert plate. Serve warm with cr?me Anglaise, if desired.

Ganache balls
Scald 1/2 cup cream in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove to bowl. Add 4 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate and 1/8 cup strong espresso. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Form into 8 (1-inch) balls; reserve cold until use. Store up to 1 week refrigerated.

Brownie Base
2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Gooey Butter Topping
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Dash of salt
Confectioners’ sugar

To make brownie base, in large microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter. Microwave (HIGH) for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Stir until chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla until well blended. Stir in flour. Spread into 8-inch square pan that has been lined with foil and coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare Gooey Butter Topping. In large mixer bowl, beat sugar and butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Gradually beat in milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract. At low speed, beat in flour and salt until well combined. Pour over partially baked brownie base. Bake at 350 degrees F for 17 to 20 minutes, or until light golden brown and center of topping is set.

Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Sprinkle confectioners’ sugar over top. Lift out of pan onto cutting board. Cut into squares or bars.

Makes 24 brownies.

3/4 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk, divided
1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, melted and cooled
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1 (18.35 ounce) box devils food cake mix
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1 (7 ounce) jar Marshmallow Cr?me (about 1 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup peanut butter morsels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine 1/4 cup of the condensed milk, butter, fat-free milk, devils food cake mix and egg white in a bowl. Batter will be very stiff. Coat bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Press two-thirds of batter into prepared pan using floured hands; pat evenly. Layer will be thin. Bake for 10 minutes.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup condensed milk and Marshmallow Cr?me in a bowl; stir in morsels. Spread marshmallow mixture evenly over brownie layer. Carefully drop remaining batter by spoonsful over marshmallow mixture. Bake at for 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Yields 2 dozen.

Serving size: 1 brownie

Calories 176 (25% from fat); Fat 5g sat 2.1g; mono 1.6g; poly 1.1g; Protein 2.6g; Carb 29.9g; Fiber 0.8g; Chol 6mg; Iron 0.8mg; Sodium 212mg; calc 30mg

Coconut Custard Filling
1 1/4 cups milk
1 1/4 cups coconut milk, shaken well
5 egg yolks
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups shredded coconut

In a heavy medium-size saucepan, warm milk and coconut milk. Place a strainer over a large bowl set in a larger bowl of ice. In a bowl with a pouring spout, beat the yolks, cornstarch and sugar together until smooth and ribbon-like, about 1 minute. Whisk half the hot milk into the yolks, then pour back into the remaining milk and slowly bring to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Custard will thicken quickly. Immediately strain. Stir in vanilla extract, and keep stirring to cool.

Spread shredded coconut on a cookie sheet. Toast at 350 degrees F about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Reserve 1/3 cup for top of cake. Add remaining coconut to custard. Press plastic wrap directly over the surface of the custard to prevent skin from forming, and chill for about 2 hours.

Cake
2 2/3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, in pieces
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup shredded coconut
4 egg whites

Grease 2 (9-inch) cake pans. Line with wax paper traced to fit the bottoms of the pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift dry ingredients together 3 times. In another bowl, cream butter with sugar until fluffy. Add yolks, one at a time, beating until each one is incorporated. Add vanilla extract. Alternately add coconut milk and dry ingredients to butter-egg mixture. Fold in the 1/2 cup shredded coconut. Beat egg whites to stiff, glossy peaks, then gently fold into batter. Pour batter into the prepared pans. Bake 25 minutes. Cool in pans set on racks for 10 minutes. Run a knife around pans and turn cakes out on racks to cool completely.

Coconut Drizzle
1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Mix together coconut milk and sugar and pour liquid over cake layers before frosting.

Swirl Frosting
1/2 cup water
1 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 egg whites

Bring water, corn syrup and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until mixture is clear and can spin a thread (230 degrees F to 234 degrees F). If sugar browns, it will become too caramelized and frosting will be stiff.

Meanwhile, beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Adding the hot sugar mixture in a slow stream, beat it into the whites, and keep beating about 5 minutes, until glossy, stiff peaks form and frosting is cool.

To assemble, trim any hardened surfaces from cakes, then halve them horizontally. Brush Coconut Drizzle on the layers with a pastry brush. Fill and frost cake with Swirl Frosting. Sprinkle reserved toasted coconut on top of cake.

10 cups popped popcorn
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 (10 ounce) package regular marshmallows
Red food coloring
Red colored sugar

Place popped popcorn in a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan and keep warm in a 300 degree F oven while making marshmallow mixture (remove unpopped kernels).

In a large saucepan melt butter or margarine over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

Stir in red food coloring. Stir in popped popcorn, half at a time. Cool until easy to handle (10 to 15 minutes).

Press mixture into greased individual heart-shaped pans. Cool. Remove from pans. Sprinkle with red colored sugar. Wrap each heart in plastic wrap.

Makes 9 hearts.

1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 medium tart apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped
Caramel Topping, heated

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

In a mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat together sugar, oil, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the flour, baking powder and salt, stirring just until blended. Stir in apples.

Pour apple cake batter into prepared pan. Bake until cake springs back when touched lightly in the center, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Pierce cake all over with a fork. Pour hot caramel topping over cake.

Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream or whipped topping.

Caramel Topping
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine brown sugar, butter, and cream in a heavy saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; continue cooking and stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Pour caramel topping over hot apple cake.

1 box German chocolate cake mix
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup Cool Whip?
3 Heath? candy bars, frozen
1 jar caramel topping

Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using a 13 x 9-inch cake pan. While warm, poke holes halfway into cake about 1 inch apart. Pour sweetened condensed milk into holes. Pour caramel topping over cake and refrigerate.

When cool, top with Cool Whip? and crushed Heath candy. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 can salted mixed nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In medium mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Using pastry blender, cut in 1/2 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press mixture evenly into ungreased 11 x 7-inch baking pan to form a base. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until edges are light brown.

In a 2-quart saucepan, combine remaining 1 tablespoon butter, the butterscotch chips and corn syrup. Cook over medium heat until chips are melted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in nuts. Spread mixture evenly over base. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes more until edges are bubbly.

Totally Awesome Pancake mixture
1/2 cup coarsely crushed graham cracker crumbs
Marshmallow Cr?me
Milk chocolate chips

Make the Totally Awesome Pancakes ? except before turning the pancakes over, sprinkle about 1 teaspoon coarsely crushed graham cracker crumbs over each. Turn and cook other sides. Remove from griddle.

Spread about 1 teaspoon Marshmallow Cr?me over the crumbs side of each of 7 pancakes; arrange about 7 milk chocolate chips over Marshmallow Cr?me on each. Top with another pancake, crumbs side down. Makes seven S’mores.

Totally Awesome Pancakes
2 cups Bisquick or other baking mix
1 1/3 cups milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, if desired

Heat griddle or skillet over medium-high heat or electric griddle to 375 degrees F; grease with cooking spray, vegetable oil or shortening. (To see if griddle is hot enough, sprinkle a few drops water on it: if bubbles jump around, it’s ready.)

Stir all the ingredients in a bowl until blended. To make each pancake, pour a little less than 1/4 cup batter onto the hot griddle.

Cook until you see the bubbles on top of the pancake break. Turn pancakes over and cook until golden. To keep the pancakes warm, place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Cover them with aluminum foil and place in a 200 degree F oven for up to 10 minutes. Makes 14 pancakes.