3 Featured Recipes from 101 Things to do with Chocolate and the Winners of Mrs 101 autographed Cookbooks!

Congratulations:

Suburban Prep- 101 Things to do with Chocolate

 Glenda- 200 Salads

Karen Cushing- 101 Things to do with a Potato

To claim your prize please email us your address at saltboxhousecreations@gmail.com

Please note that if we do not hear from you or cannot contact you by March 31st, 2014, you will forfeit your prize.

Chocolate Lush from 101 Things To Do With Chocolate
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional
1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 container (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
2 small boxes chocolate instant pudding mix
3 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter, flour, and nuts, if desired, with pastry blender until crumbly. Press mixture into a glass 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake 10 minutes; cool completely.

In a bowl, mix together cream cheese and powdered sugar. Fold in 1 cup whipped topping. Spread cream cheese mixture over cooled crust. Mix together pudding mixes and milk until pudding starts to thicken. Pour pudding over cream cheese layer. Spread remaining whipped topping over top. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, or until ready to serve. Makes 20-24 servings.

Chocolate-Coated Cookie Balls from 101 Things To Do With Chocolate

(The perfect candy that is sure to please everyone from kiddos to grandparents)

1 bag (1 pound) chocolate sandwich cookies, chopped
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
20 ounces chocolate almond bark, melted


In a large bowl, combine chopped cookies and cream cheese to form dough. Roll into small balls about 1 to 1 1/2- inches in diameter. Using a fork, dip balls in melted chocolate. Set balls on wax paper and chill 1 hour, or until set. Makes 35-40 candies.


VARIATIONS: Use chocolate mint sandwich cookies, chocolate peanut butter filled sandwich cookies, or any other variation of sandwich cookies.

Rocky Road Brownies  from 101 Things To Do With Chocolate

(I take Rocky Road Brownies to every teacher luncheon or dinner thrown at my kid's elementary and middle schools. I once made something different, and people asked where it was. The trick is to let it cool before you cut it. Otherwise, you get a YUMMY, ooewy gooey mess.)

1 (9 x 13-inch family size) brownie mix
ingredients listed on back of box
1 cup salted peanuts
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make batter according to package directions. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake 23-25 minutes. Remove brownies from oven. Sprinkle peanuts, marshmallows, and chocolate chips evenly over top. Bake an additional 3-5 minutes, or until marshmallows puff up. Makes 24 brownies

Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Cookies

 

If you like peanut butter and chocolate, especially together, this is the cookie for you. This is another re-post that was posted in 2008 and again in 2010. It seems that as I keep making them, they get to be more and more or a wanted item which makes me want to update the photos and approach to this super easy recipe.
 

This recipe comes from my wonderful aunt Sally and I honestly don't know how she continues to cook and bake the way she does. It is like magic. She can just take something out of nothing and make it delicious. So, with this recipe which is actually called Magic Middles, I give her a big shout out to say thank you for your creation!  

 
Magic Middles
from the kitchen of Sally P.

 



Pre-heat oven @ 375 degrees

Dough Ingredients and Directions:

Chocolate

Beat Together-

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup peanut butter

Add 1 teaspoon of Vanilla and 1 egg (Beaten Well).

Stir in 1 1/2 cups of All purpose flour 1/2 cup of baking cocoa, and 2/3 tsp of baking soda. (I use 1/2 tsp.)

Peanut butter center:

In separate bowl mix-

3/4 cup of peanut butter

3/4 cup of powdered sugar

Forming the Cookies:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roll in sugar and press down with hand or bottom of glass

 

  or Press down with bottom of glass dipped in sugar.

Bake in pre-heated oven @ 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes. Remove to cool.

 

They will still feel soft.

 

 

Chunky Pecan Pie Bars



My sister made these the other day and sent me some updated photos from the ones that were taken back in 2009. She wanted me to post them and tell you how to make my traditional winter treat. They're not really mine anyway. I got them from an old magazine. They are actually one of Nestle Toll House's recipes. But, I guess I do make them a little different so, you could say they are my version of these Chunky Pecan Pie Bars.

 

 

The Crust:

1/2 cup Flour

1/2 cup softened butter

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

(I found that you need to spray the pan if you are using glass or a metal)

Mix ingredients, press into pan and bake in a pre-heated oven set at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

 

Filling:

3 large eggs (slightly beaten)

3/4 cup of corn syrup

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons of melted butter

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

1 package of Chocolate Chunks

1 1/2 cup of Pecans (chopped)

Mix all ingredients together and pour onto of crust.

 

 

 

Bake again @ 350 degrees for 20-35 minutes or until golden brown. Wait until they cool to cut (otherwise, they will be too gooey).

Election Cookies

Election CookiesSince it's that time again (Election Time People!) I thought this would be a fun couple of recipes to share. Family Circle did a bake off and here are the lady's two cookie recipes. I have not had a chance to make these yet but if it matters at all I did watch Hoda and Kathy Lee taste them on the Today show and they couldn't decide which was better. They both look great to me (except for the heart attack that Michelle's cookies will give me with 2 sticks of butter and a stick of Crisco but who's counting! Right!) Happy baking!




ANN ROMNEY

M&M'S COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups crunchy peanut butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup (such as Karo)
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
6 ounces chocolate chips
2/3 cup M&M's candies



METHOD

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream sugars, butter, peanut butter and corn syrup on high speed until well combined. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in vanilla extract.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together oats and baking soda. Stir into peanut butter mixture until combined. Mix in chocolate chips and M&M's.

3. Using a standard-size ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets (about 9 per sheet). Bake at 325 degrees F for 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.



MICHELLE OBAMA

MAMA KAYE'S WHITE AND DARK CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
INGREDIENTS

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 stick Crisco butter-flavored solid vegetable shortening
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup each white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips and mint chocolate chips (or Andes mint pieces)
2 cups chopped walnuts



METHOD

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter, vegetable shortening, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract.

2. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, beat in flour mixture. By hand, stir in white and milk chocolate chips, mint chips and walnuts.

3. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Bean Flour (gluten free)

So I decided I wanted to expirement with different flours.  Our favorite berad mix (hodgson mill) uses fava and garbonzo beans in their mix.  In researching on the internet there is not a lot out there on bean flour. So here is my 3rd trial with bean flour.

These are Garbanzo beans also known as chick peas.  Below are Fava beans.

 The first step is I took 1-2 handfuls at a time and threw them in my dry container for my vitamix and turned it on 10 for about 15-20 seconds. Be warned it is LOUD.  It scared me the first time and my poor 18 month old ran screaming and shaking...   After the 15-20 seconds I turned it off and dumped the contents into my strainer (nothing fancy, a cheap one from ikea a few years back)  and shook it some.  What fell out went into a bowl and what didn't went back into the vitamix with another 2 handfuls of beans.  I did this process 44 times with the chick peas and 2 maybe 3 with the fava (sorry I lost count)  This is what it looked like after that.

 This is my nutramil grain mill and what I have it set on.

 I had to baby it a little bit as it doesn't flow as well as rice.  sometimes I had to pull stuff up so the chute was not clogged and other times I had to knock some in.it ended up making just over 6 cups.

This last picture is of the completed flour.  I mixed up some of the GF all purpose flour found here http://saltboxhouse.blogspot.com/2011/09/gluten-free-all-purpose-flour.html  So I did 6 cups sorghum flour, 6 cups rice flour (which was milled with equal parts rice, sweet and brown) 6 cups of the bean flour, 9 cups tapioca starch,4 1/2 cups potato starch or corn starch (I have switched to using corn because it is MUCH cheaper) 2T salt and 6T xanthan gum.

I have made cinnamon rolls ( a regular every day recipe just switched out this flour for wheat flour, no extra xanthan or anything) Cookies (Regular recipe again) and the classic white bread found here http://saltboxhouse.blogspot.com/2011/07/gluten-free-bread.html  For this one I used 4 1/2 cups of the all purpose flour replacing the flour,and the starches. and I did not add in xanthan gum since it is already in the flour.
They all have turned out well and have some added protein in them!

Oh and I made a really good coffee cake (I will post a recipe for that too) and pizza crust!

I feel this is till a little bit in the experimentation process though so if you find something that works well or something that does NOT work, please tell me!

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is simple recipe of my aunt's that I have changed to make it more hearty and nutritious. The original recipe still produces a delicious cookie, I just love how my changes not only made them really good, but healthier too. I have made these 6 different times to make sure I got it right where I wanted them. They are super soft and store well in a cookie jar or closed container. They also do really well in the freezer and I can now say they are a great cookie to mail to others. This is such a simple recipe that you can change and omit ingredients as you please and still make a great cookie.

 

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Cookies

(Originated from "Grandma's Chocolate Chip Cookies" recipe from Doris R.)

Recipe written out with original recipe and the changes I have made:

Ingredients:

• ¾ c. brown sugar  organic brown sugar
• ¾ c. sugar organic evaporated cane juice (organic sugar)
• 1 c. shortening   butter (softened)
• 2 eggs  (room temperature)  
• 1 tsp. vanilla  
• 1/2 cup of Adams or equivalent peanut butter (which contains one ingredient, peanuts) 
• 2 ¾ c. flour whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. salt kosher salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ c. nuts (optional)  1/4 cup ground Flax seeds (optional)
• 3 T. hot water  IMPORTANT INGREDIENT!
• 1 pkg. chocolate chips  1-2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Cream together sugars, shortening butter, peanut butter, vanilla, and eggs. Add rest of ingredients. Mix together flour, salt, baking soda and ground flax seed (optional) and add into wet mixture. Add hot water and Mix. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Roll into small balls or use cookie scoop and bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees. Place onto a cooling rack immediately.

The end result will usually make a mound like cookie. You can flatten the dough a little bit, but too much with not let them be as soft as they are as a mound. I let the cookies take their own shape.

Even though they might look like they not done, you will be surprised that they are after 8 minutes or so. Always, let them cool on a cooling rack or another surface that is not still hot and they will continue to form and seal in a wonderful cookie texture.

Homemade Oreo Cookies

 Ok, I have another cake mix recipe for you only, I didn't get it from my friend's cookbook 101 things to do with a Yellow Cake mix. I was actually given many versions of this type of recipe. These are so simple to make, but can be a little time consuming with the sandwiching part of it all. (Sometimes, I find myself just dunking the cookies in the frosting ;) However, the end result is wonderfully delicious and when you are done, you wish you'd doubled the recipe so you have enough for everyone else. This recipe can make quite a few cookies depending on how big you make them. So, it is all up to you. I have made all of the versions listed below including a gluten-free version I created using a gluten free cake mix; it turned out fantastic! I just made a few adjustments. See each version of this recipe below:

* You can make these with one box of cake mix or many people preffer to double them so they can make large cookies.  

Oreo Cookies (Version A)- from Traci P. 

Ingredients:

2 Devil's Food Cake Mixes

4 Eggs

1 cube of butter or Margarine (melted)

 

 

Oreo Cookies (Version B)-from Abby L.

2 boxes devils food cake mix

1 1/4 cup shortning

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

 

 

Oreo Cookies (Version C)-from Georgia C.

1 box of Fudge Brownie Mix

1 egg

2 Tablespoons of water

1/3 cup of vegetable oil

 

 

Oreo Cookies (Gluten-Free version)

1 box of Gluten-Free Devil's Food Cake Mix

1/2 cup of shortening (butter flavored is good)

1 egg

Directions:

Pre-Heat Oven to 350 degrees

Mix all ingredients until it becomes a cookie dough.

Measure out dough in cookie spoon or roll into balls. Press each one down a little with your fingers or a bottom of a drinking glass.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Check them after 8 minutes. They will firm as they cool.

Transfer to a cookie sheet or plate and allow cookies to cool before frosting them.

Frosting Recipes
Ingredients:

Version 1- *This recipe can be enough for recipes using 2 boxes of cake mix
8 oz. Cream Cheese
1 cube of softened butter or Margarine
up to 1 lb of Powdered Sugar
a little milk as needed

Version 2- * Double this for doubled cookie recipe
1/2 c. Plain shortening (butter flavored is good too)
1/2 tsp Vanilla
up to 1 lb of Powdered Sugar
a little Milk as needed

Version 3- Double this for doubled cookie recipe
1/2 cup of softened Butter
1/2 tsp of Almond Extract or Vanilla
up to 1 lb of Powdered Sugar
a little milk as needed

Directions:
Mix all ingredients except powdered sugar with mixer and then add powdered sugar until it is the right consistancy for you.

Spread frosting on bottom of one cookie......

and top with another end!

These are also good with vanilla icecream between them or any icecream for that matter. My friend Loni P. likes to color the frostings at Christmas time and layer these cookies into a clear festive bag for goodies to giveaway.

Intro to me

I cook meals like the next mom but I would say it is out of necessity. I love to eat good food and sit down for a meal but the planning, shopping, fixing, toiling, mess ups, and clean ups all while my children are pulling on me leave me exhausted and regretfully sometimes sorry that I even bothered. I do it all because I prefer home cooking for my taste buds and wallet. What I really like it photographing. So this just gives me one more thing to take photos of!
Madelin and I are planning on teaming up. She will provide the recipe and creation and I will photograph it. It should be awesome because she is a beautiful and scrumptiously awesome culinary artist.
These cookies are the Hillary Clinton Cookies that Loni posted. What a great recipe! I could eat them all day. But honestly, I am inclined to think that Mrs Clinton (God bless her) has never made them. I just can't see her in the kitchen giving them to Chelsea with a glass of milk.
So there you go. That is my intro. You should seriously make these cookies.
Sally

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches

It seems like summer has just been whizzing by this year. At our house, we like to cook on the grill and enjoy lazy evenings listening to the crickets. One of our family's favorite Saturday afternoon treats is ice cream sandwiches. We whip up a batch of sugar cookies (not the Christmas kind), pull out our favorite ice cream and enjoy the sunny weather.

Sugar Cookies
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar, for rolling cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time then beat in vanilla extract.

Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the butter and egg mixture.

Form dough into about 1 inch balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place on a cookie sheet and bake until the edges are just slightly brown, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool, but not too much because the sandwich part is easier if they are still a little warm.

Now for the fun. . . . .
Turn one cookie upside down and put a scoop of your favorite ice cream on top. Enlist the help of a cute kid and smash another cookie on top.
There you have it. Yummy ice cream sandwiches. If you're not eating them right away, simply wrap and freeze. We only had chocolate ice cream today, but these are really really good with creamy sherbet (like orange). Think dreamsicles. Yum!

For Fat Tuesday*

Every Valentine's Day (and every Thanksgiving), I make a fabulous dessert that I wish I had invented. I got the recipe a few years back on Pillsbury.com, and it's become sort of a tradition. Incidentally, Pillsbury has a new  Rocky Road cookie pizza that also looks delicious. I'll have to try it sometime...

Here's what you need for Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookie Pizza:

1 roll (16.5 oz) premade chocolate chip cookie dough

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

3/4 cup hot fudge topping, divided

1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Heat oven to 350°F. In ungreased 12-inch pizza pan, break up cookie dough. With floured fingers, press dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust. It'll look something like this (you can  really use any shape pan you wish):

Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. 

While the cookie is cooling, 

in medium bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Fold in whipped topping (I forgot to get a picture of this step).

Spread 1/2 cup of the fudge topping over cooled crust (the recipe doesn't specify if it should be heated or not, but I always heat it to make it easier to spread. Just follow the directions on the jar). Spread peanut butter mixture over top. Drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup fudge topping. Sprinkle with peanuts. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until serving time. Cut into wedges or squares.

We're not crazy about peanuts as a topping, so we use any variety of chocolate chips; I used to use Nestle chocolate-caramel swirls, but haven't seen them in stores lately. The ones pictured are just white chocolate. Butterscotch morsels would probably be great, too.

We also never make it 30 minutes before eating! Usually, as soon as the chips are sprinkled on top, we're cutting it up to enjoy!

*It's possible to make a less fattening version of this dessert, but I wouldn't recommend it. My husband likes to use low-fat everything, so he can eat more. Good diet advice, right? :P I tried this recipe with low-fat cream cheese, fat free milk, and fat free whipped cream. It didn't turn out very good. I found that the low-fat cream cheese didn't blend as well as regular cream cheese. I do use fat free milk and whipped cream, and they seem to work fine. But it's best with full-on fatty cream cheese.

FRESHLY BAKED VALENTINES

This recipe is so easy and oh so good! I found it in the February edition of Southern Living.
LEMON BUTTER COOKIES
1 cup butter
1tsp. lemon zest
1 cup powdered sugar
2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
Preheat over to 325 degrees. Beat butter and zest together, gradually add sugar, beating well.

Combine flour and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Shape dough into a disc.

Roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut with heart shaped cutter. Little hands are great for this step.

Bake for 12-14 minutes. Cool.

Decorate as desired. I used a butter cream icing which is equal parts butter and powdered sugar and whatever color you desire. Also for writing I used a icing gel pen.

KITCHEN SINK COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup applesauce

2T butter

2T Canola oil

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup oats

1/4 cup dries cherries (chopped)

1/4 cup dried apricots (chopped)

1/2 chocolate chips

1/4 chopped almonds (or your favorite nut)

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t vanilla

Cream together butter, oil and applesauce. Add in egg, cinnamon and vanilla, blend until incorporated. Add flour and oats.

Chop nuts and fruit. Combine chocolate, fruit and nuts to cookie mixture.Scoop cookies onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Gingerbread Cookies

This is a super easy recipe that is sooo yummy and fun.


Ingredients:

2/3 cup shortening
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. molasses
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. each ground cinnamon, cloves, and ginger

In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and spices; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. REFRIGERATE OVERNIGHT.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4 in. thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool on wire rack.

Decorate. We like royal icing on ours (powdered sugar and milk with a smidge of butter and vanilla).