Congo Bars

Congo Bars

by Kaysea Wadley

Congo Bars Recipe:

(Recipe adapted from Bakerella)

2 3/4 c. all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. butter, softened
2 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 package milk chocolate chips
1 c. chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. Combine butter and sugar using a mixer until blended. Add eggs, one at a time to sugar mixture, mixing on low in between each addition. Add vanilla and mix. Add flour and mix until combined. Stir in chips and then pecans.

Coat a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray and spread batter evenly into dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Make sure you don’t over bake.

Perfect Pie Crust

 If you weren't at the Pie Making class last Tuesday night you sure missed out!!!

Here is the recipe we used for the pie crust:

Perfect Pie Crust

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup vegetable shortening

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vinegar

3-4 tablespoons cold water

Directions: 1. Combine flour, sugar and salt in Classic Batter Bowl. Cut shortening into flour mixture using Pastry Blender until shortening resembles size of large peas. Combine egg and vinegar in small bowl; stir into flour mixture, mixing slightly. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing just until dough is moist enough to form a ball. Shape dough into 2 balls. Flatten 1 ball to 1/2-inch thickness, rounding and smoothing edges.

2. Divide dough into 2 portions; shape each portion into a ball. Flatten 1 ball to a 1/2-inch-thick circle, rounding and smoothing edges. On lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 11-inch circle. Slide Large Spreader under dough to loosen. Lightly fold pastry in half; place in pie plate. Gently unfold dough, easing into pie plate; press onto bottom and sides of pie plate. Trim dough to 1/2-inch beyond edge of pie plate. 3. Roll out remaining dough for top crust, if double-crust pie is being prepared, or roll out as directed above for another single-crust pie shell. Fill pie shell as recipe directs. Place top crust over bottom crust; seal and trim edges evenly. Crimp or flute edges as desired. Cut several slits in top crust to allow steam to escape. Bake as directed.

Yield: 9-inch Double-Crust Pie Shell

Variations: Filled One-Crust Pie: Fill and bake as directed in recipe. For 2 Baked Pie Shells (Unfilled): Prick bottom and sides of pastry generously with fork. Bake at 450°F for 9-12 minutes or until light golden brown; cool. Continue as directed in recipe.

(C) Pampered Chef

Mississippi Mud Cake

Mississippi Mud Cake

Stephanie Heppler

1 ½ c flour

2 sticks melted butter

2 c sugar

½ c cocoa

4 eggs

Mix all ingredients together and bake in 9X13 pan at 350 degrees for 30 mins.

Spread one jar of marshmallow cream over hot cake.

Mix:

1/3 c cocoa

1 stick butter

1/3 c milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 box powdered sugar

Spread frosting over marshmallow cream.

Cool and Enjoy!!!

Butter Toffee

Butter Toffee
By Melissa Summers

30 Hershey kisses

2 cups butter – room temperature

2 cups sugar

Cook the butter and sugar in a large pot on medium high heat for about 12-15 minutes until it reaches HARD-CRACK on the candy thermometer.

Pour on jelly roll cookie sheet and spread evenly with spatula.

Let harden a few minutes until you can touch it and it will not indent but is still hot.

Place 30 Hershey kisses on the toffee. Let them melt and then spread evenly over toffee.

Let cool 4-5 hours or overnight. Break up with a knife.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Stephanie Heppler

8 ounces cream cheese 6 eggs

1 ½ C. butter, soft 1 ½ tsp. vanilla

3 C. sugar 3 C. flour

1. Beat butter and cream cheese for about two minutes.

2. Gradually add sugar beating another five minutes.

3. Add eggs, one at a time.

4. Beat just until yellow disappears.

5. Add vanilla.

6. Gradually add flour, mixing on LOW speed until blended.

7. Grease and flour two bread loaf pans.

8. Bake at 325 for 90 minutes or until center comes out clean.

Let cool 10 minutes and then turn from pan.

Meltaway Cookies

Meltaway Cookies

by Rachael Randall

2 sticks of butter, cold

¾ cup Cornstarch

1/3 cup Powdered Sugar

1 cup flour

Microwave butter for 20 seconds. Beat all ingredients until creamy. Roll into balls and bake on a

cookie sheet at 350* for 12-15 minutes. These are very fragile cookies so be delicate with them.

Frosting:

3 oz cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

food coloring

Mix with beaters until smooth.

Marshmallow Marble-Top Fudge

Marshmallow Marble-Top Fudge

by Kaysea Wadley

2 C miniature marshmallows

2 T butter

2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Dash salt

Line an 8x8 pan with foil. Place marshmallows and butter in medium bowl and set aside.

Place chocolate chips, milk, vanilla and salt in microwave safe bowl. Microwave for one minute, stir then microwave for another 15 seconds. Spread evenly in pan.

Microwave marshmallows and butter for 30 seconds. Microwave for an additional 30 seconds and stir till smooth. Spread on top of chocolate mixture and make swirls with a butter knife. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Peppermint Bark Magic Brownies

Peppermint Bark Magic Brownies

Whitney Warr

non stick spray

parchment paper

1 stick unsalted butter

20 oz package brownie mix

1 C. sweetened flaked coconut

2 Cups finely chopped peppermint bark

1 heaping cup of chopped pecans

14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist the bottom of a 13X9 inch pan with non stick spray. Line the bottom and the long sides of the pan with parchment paper, extending the ends 3 to 4 inches beyond the edges of the pan.

Place butter on the parchment paper and set the pan in the center of the oven until the butter melts, 4-5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven to a wire rack. Sprinkle brownie mix evenly over the melted butter. Scatter coconut evenly over the brownie mix. Layer the peppermint bark evenly over the coconut. Scatter pecans evenly on top. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk evenly over the pecans.

Bake until the brownies bubble and the edges are lightly browned, 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the brownies then carefully lift the parchment paper and brownies onto a cutting board. Slice into squares and serve warm, or let cool for another 30 minutes to room temperature, slice, and store. Makes about 3 dozen brownies.