FOOD

Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. —--Harriet Van Horne

Well, this weekend has been busy with swing and Halloween and all. I'm currently writing this dressed as the 11th Doctor, played by Matt Smith, from Doctor Who. Yaay British TV!

But yes, I'm taking the time to say hello to ya'll! And as a gift to all of you, I have not candy, but my own recipes that I've concocted. Feel free to try them out and for the ones labeled IN BETA MODE, please let me know what you did different if you did and offer suggestions or other comments.

Heaven help us all.

Garbage Brownies

1 box brownie mix (any will do, I use Ghiardeli’s double chocolate chip)
1 bag caramels
¼- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 bag pretzels
1 bag nuts (any will do, optional)

Prepare brownie mix according to box directions. Pour half the batter into a greased 9x13 pan, bake for half recommended time for full batch. While they are cooking, combine caramels with sweetened condensed milk and melt. Remove brownies; pour half the caramel over brownies. Crush pretzels/nuts over caramel until there is an even coating. Pour rest of brownie mixture, cook for other half of time. When done, pour remaining caramel over the top and garnish with crushed pretzels/nuts. Let cool.

Epic Cookie Time

1 bag mini chocolate chips (I use Toll House since they have a good cookie recipe on the bag)
1 bag mini marshmallows
2 packs almond bark (one white chocolate, the other milk/dark)

Prepare cookie dough according to recipe on bag or your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. When cookie dough is ready, make balls with mini marshmallows at center. This part WILL be messy. Place on cookie sheets and bake for 10 minutes. DO NOT LET THESE COOKIES GET CRISPY. Let cool, although I highly recommend putting them into the freezer. While they are cooling, melt the almond bark in separate bowls. Start with only a few squares, you can melt more if you need to. Once cookies are cool, dip them in the chocolate as you see fit. I have found that dipping half the cookies in the chocolate of your choosing works well if you don’t want to overload. If you don’t mind chocolate, try completely immersing the cookie in your favorite chocolate, then drizzling with the other chocolate.

THIS RECEPIE IS IN BETA MODE AND NEEDS TESTING
*** Erin's Reccomendation: Try almond bark instead of chocolate chips? Also, experiment with different doughs.

Ernie

½ gallon favorite ice cream (simple flavors such as vanilla or chocolate work best)
1 pack favorite cookies (I prefer oreos but any can be used)
Assorted toppings
1 stick butter, melted

Place between 28-30 cookies in a plastic bag and crush. If you don’t have enough to cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan, add more. Once cookies are crushed, pour in melted butter and shake until cookies have been coated. Spread this mixture at the bottom of a 9x13 pan, let freeze for 30 min. Remove from freezer and spread ice cream over crust. From here it’s a matter of preference as to what you want to add. I’ve used chocolate sauce, m&m’s, oreo crumbs…but it really depends on what you’re going for. Let freeze for an hour, then serve.


HEYOOOO, MINI TRIFLE!

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter (softened)
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 pack pudding mix (any flavor)
1 pack chocolate chips/chocolate sauce
Berries/fruits of your choice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Bet the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in large bowl until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Fill greased muffin tins with mixture, trying to get the dough into a cup shape. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool. If need be, scoop out a better cup, saving cookie scraps for later. Prepare pudding mix according to package directions and let cool. Once cups are cool, fill with berries, chocolate chips, and pudding as desired. Top with chocolate sauce (optional)

THIS RECEPIE IS IN BETA MODE AND NEEDS TESTING
*** Erin's Recommendation: Maybe try using cake batter instead of cookie batter?


Song of the Day: In One Ear by Cage the Elephant

<3 Erin