We scream ice cream sandwiches !

MaryAnn C.

I saw this idea several years back and thought it was very cute!

12 round ice cream sandwiches that have a chocolate cookie (or however many your party needs). I use the mint ones.
12 chocolate cones
Flat frosting tip
Store bought vanilla frosting or make your decorator frosting if you wish
Orange food coloring
12 single pieces of candy corn
Dipping chocolate (enough to melt and dip the rims only of the 12 chocolate cones)

*Melt the dipping chocolate and dip the chocolate ice cream cone in the melting chocolate –just enough to cover the rim and place the cones in the center of each sandwich. Freeze. (the chocolate will help the cone adhere to the cookie)

* Take frozen sandwiches out of freezer. Load a decorator bag with the frosting that you have colored with a drop or two of the orange food coloring to make a hat band around the rim of the cone.

* Add a candy corn on one side of the brim to give the witches hat a festive look.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Velvet Ice Cream (NO ice cream maker needed)

Jennifer S.

4 C heavy cream
1 14-oz can (1 1/3 C) sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 C chocolate syrup (the kind you make choc milk with)
2/3 C nuts or candies (optional)

In mixing bowl combine cream, sweetened condensed milk and chocolate syrup.
Beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
If using nuts or candies fold in now.
Pour into an 8x8x2 baking pan, cover with plastic or wax paper.
Freeze for 8-24 hours before serving.

Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Ice Cream

Jennifer S.

4-oz unsweetened chocolate
1 C milk
2 large eggs
1 C sugar
1 C heavy or whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 pinch of salt (approx 1/8 of a tsp) brings out the chocolaty flavor

In microwave safe bowl add chocolate and milk. Heat for 30 sec increments, until chocolate is melted and milk is hot. Stir between to make sure it stays nice and smooth. Let cool in the fridge.
After mixture is cooled...
In a large mixing bowl whisk together eggs and sugar, until sugar is dissolved. Add chocolate mixture, cream, vanilla and salt. Whisk to blend.
Cover and put in fridge for 3 hours.
Pour into ice cream maker and follow directions.

Black Forest Cobbler Dutch Oven Recipe

Jennifer S.

Dump pie filling into dutch oven.
Sprinkle about 3/4 of cake mix on top in even layer.
Pour half can of soda around on top of cake mix.
Stir soda into cake mix, leaving the pie filling alone as much as possible.
Break chocolate into small pieces and place on top.
Sprinkle walnuts on top.
Place pie tin in dutch oven, setting it on top of four small pebbles for air circulation.
Cover with dutch oven lid and set on a small ring of coals. Cover the lid with coals.
Cook at about 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until the cake looks done when cut or poked.

Another way to mix the mix:
Sprinkle about 1/3 of the cake mix over the pie filling. Then, pour soda right into the cake mix bag and knead the bag with your hands on the outside to mix. Once mixed, pour into the dutch oven.

Puppy Chow

Jolene P.

2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 1/2 c. peanut butter
13 oz. crispix or chex
2 c. powdered sugar

In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, butter and peanut butter and melt, stirring after each minute. Pour cereal into a large paper grocery sack. When chocolate mixture is melted, pour over cereal, close bag and shake well....all cereal should be well coated. Pour powdered sugar into bag and shake again. Pour pieces onto waxed paper and let cool. Enjoy!

**For fun, place the mixture in a clean dog dish and when company comes over, start munching on it and see what kind of reactions you get. :)

Patty’s Peanut Butter Popcorn

1/2 cup unpopped popcorn
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup peanut butter (I used chunky)
2 ounces chocolate, melted

Instructions
Pop the popcorn in an air popper and put it in a big bowl (Really, you could use a fat free microwave popcorn, probably two bags). Heat sugar and corn syrup in a medium sized saucepan until the sugar is dissolved, I let it boil on medium for 1-2 minutes. You just don’t want the sugar to start burning. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Pour immediately over popcorn and stir to coat evenly. Let cool just enough to eat.
After peanut butter mixture is cooled on the popcorn, drizzle with melted chocolate and let it harden. (I stuck it in the fridge for a few minutes.) Break up pieces that have clumped together. Enjoy!

Chocolate Cake Balls

Jennifer S.

1 box cake mix
1 container frosting
1- 24 oz package of almond bark or confectioner's coating
wax paper
colored candy melts, butterscotch or peanut butter chips (optional for drizzle)

Instructions
Bake cake according to package directions in any size cake pan.
Remove cake from oven and immediately dump into a large bowl.
Use a fork to break up the cake into crumbs.
Add the entire container of frosting to the bowl and combine it with the cake. Stir until completely combined.
Line a cookie sheet with wax paper.
Roll cake mixture into balls and place on cookie sheet.
Place cookie sheet into refrigerator for 2 hours to allow balls to chill.
After balls have chilled, remove cookie sheet from the refrigerator and place on counter.
In a medium bowl or 4 cup glass measuring cup, melt half of the package of almond bark chocolate. Follow melting directions on the back of the package. (Only use half the package to begin with as the mixture will begin to thicken as it cools.)
Stir the chocolate until smooth. Using a spoon add a cake ball to the melted chocolate and turn to coat.
Remove with spoon and replace on chilled wax paper on cookie sheet.
Repeat for all cake balls, adding and melting more chocolate when level gets low.
As an option you can drizzle melted chocolate chips or candy melts across the tops.

Variations: Try different cake mixes, frostings and coatings. Strawberry cake, vanilla frosting and a white chocolate coating would make a lovely spring dessert. Try confetti white cake, white frosting and white chocolate coating drizzled with pink, yellow, light blue and light green tinted drizzle for a baby shower. Cherry cake with pink frosting and chocolate coating would make a delicious birthday treat!

Million Dollar Fudge

Passed down from Great Grandma Hooite (by passed down, I mean it was the recipe printed on the label of the evaporated milk can)

4 C sugar
1 cube butter
1 tall can evaporated milk (We’re not sure why it specifies “tall can” but I can just see her gesturing and saying “It should be about yeah big.”)

* Cook slowly! Candy should not be cooked on high. It has to boil, but can boil on a lower heat. Boil these 3 ingredients 10 minutes.

1 12-oz package chocolate chips
1 Large Hershey bar
1 Heaping cup marshmallows
2 t. vanilla
Nuts as desired

* Pour all these, except marshmallows into hot mixture and stir well until chocolate is melted. Then add marshmallows very last and pour on buttered sheet as marshmallows are just starting to melt.
* Cut into squares after the fudge has cooled and set.
* 1 recipe makes 4 ½ lbs.

Chocolate Candy Making 101

http://www.fabulousfoods.com/easter-recipes/article/478/28909

If you have never tried it, the words “candy making” can strike fear into your heart. It might very well bring to mind worries over scorching chocolate, finding the perfect temperature for the sugar to make hard candy, and maybe the time you got molten caramel on your finger and it left a blister for days. After all that, you’re probably ready to give up and head to the store.

However, you do not have to go through all that trouble just to make your own candy. In fact, all you really need are the right ingredients, a refrigerator, and a microwave. Making your own candy is so simple, you could do it at the office if you had the time and, if you like your coworkers enough, share your candy with them.

Of course, to pull this off, you will need some chocolate that has already been tempered, it's called melting chocolate. It comes in both white and dark chocolate packages. This means that your selection of candies will be limited to what you can make with chocolate, but that shouldn’t be too much of a problem. It is chocolate, after all.

Ready to try it? The following guide will lay out the steps for making the candy and shows how to make a s'mores-style candy with dark chocolate and marshmallows. This candy making guide is just a start; feel free to tinker with it as much, or as little, as you desire.

How to make candy
Step 1: Preparing to Make Your Own Candy
The first step will be to prepare the container that is going to hold the candy. You want a fairly deep (minimum 1-inch), non-reactive vessel; a glass lasagna pan would work perfectly. You also will want to grease it with butter or cooking spray. This example will assume a 9-inch lasagna pan.

Step 2: Making the Candy Crust
This is an optional step. You may or may not choose to put a non-chocolate layer at the bottom of the pan. For our s’mores dessert, you will want to smash up about 20 graham crackers and spread them on the bottom of the vessel. You also could use cereal mix, pretzels, potato chips, etc. Just spread it out so that it evenly coats the entire bottom of the pan.

Step 3: Make Your Own Candy’s First Chocolate Layer
Now it’s time to use the microwave. To make the chocolate layer, mix 8-ounces of melting chocolate with two tablespoons of butter and microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and then microwave again for 15 seconds. You also can stir in about 2 teaspoons of extract or flavoring, if desired.

Once the chocolate is melted, pour it into the pan and spread it evenly so that it coats the entire pan. If you are going to add more layers (see step 4), then put the pan into the refrigerator to let the chocolate cool. If not, go to step 5.

For our s’mores we’re going to use 8-ounces of dark chocolate, 2 tablespoons of butter, and 2 teaspoons of orange extract. The orange is not traditional, but it will taste good. We will not add another layer, so we’ll go to step 5.

Step 4: Candy Making is Better with More Chocolate
This step is optional. If you like, you may layer the chocolate by repeating step 3. Just melt the chocolate, then pour it into the pan and let it cool.

This is what you would do if you were making peppermint bark and wanted to mix light and dark chocolate. Just must sure the chocolate is cool before adding the next layer. For our s'mores, we’re going to skip this step.

Step 5: Topping Your Homemade Candy
This is the final step: You can add another layer of toppings to the candy like chocolate chips, crushed up candy canes, pretzels, or bacon. For our s’mores, we are going to add a layer of mini-marshmallows. All you have to do is scatter them over the top of the candy and then put it in the refrigerator until the chocolate is completely cool.

Note: it is very important that you add the toppings while the chocolate is still warm so that they will adhere to the candy when it cools.

There you have it, you can now make candy in basically the amount of time it takes chocolate to melt. Have fun experimenting with this recipe and keep it handy around Christmas. Peppermint bark, for instance, is nothing more than a dark chocolate layer, a white chocolate layer flavored with peppermint extract, and crushed up candy canes.

Now start experimenting; you have two ideas, have fun creating your own.

Peanut Butter Balls (Buckeyes)

Jennifer S.

* 1 cup peanut butter
* 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
* 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (chocolate chips are just fine)

Instructions

1. Melt the butter and peanut butter over low heat in a saucepan.
2. Stir in vanilla.
3. Once butter and peanut butter are melted, stir in confectioner's sugar until a dough forms.
4. By rounded teaspoons, roll warm dough into balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheet to set.
5. Melt chocolate in microwave
6. Dip balls in the chocolate and return to baking sheet to set.
7. Serve at room temperature.

Easy Oreo Truffles

Jennifer S.

These easy Oreo truffles are a fantastic anytime treat. Give these delicious Oreo truffles to friends and family or serve as a sweet treat for a casual get-together. The best part about these Oreo truffles is that they can be made ahead and frozen so they're ready for last-minute guests.

Ingredients

* 1 package Oreo cookies
* 1, 8-ounce package cream cheese
* 2 packages semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Process the Oreo cookies in a food processor until they are fine crumbs; add the cream cheese and process until it is combined with the Oreo crumbs; place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
2. Roll into 1 to 1/2-inch balls and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet; place in freezer (may be made one week ahead of time).
3. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave on low, or use a double boiler; remove from heat.
4. Dip frozen balls into chocolate; put back onto parchment paper and decorate with chopped nuts, candy sprinkles, coconut, Heath bar bits, etc., before the chocolate dries.
5. Freeze until ready to serve.

Super Fast, Super Easy Frosting Fudge

Jennifer S.

1 18-oz jar peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
1 16-oz tub of chocolate frosting

Remove foil lids from both containers.
Microwave each container for one minute each. Or until they are pouring consistency.
Pour into mixing bowl and stir well to combine.
Then pour into a greased 13x9 pan and refrigerate until set up.
Cut with plastic knife and ENJOY!!

Chocolate and Almond Brownies

Crazy Cakes Bakery

1/2 Cup Butter
4 Oz. Unsweetened Chocolate
3 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1/2 Tbsp Vanilla
3/4 Cup Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 Cup Sliced Almonds
1 Greased 8"x8" pan

Preheat Oven to: 375 Degrees

1. Break the unsweetened chocolate into pieces (or start with unsweetened chips). Melt the chocolate by placing it in a microwave and cook at 100% for 20-30 seconds at a time, stirring after each. Once the chocolate is mostly melted, place the butter in as well for the final spin in the microwave. (It's also possible to melt these together over the stove, but that takes longer.) Set aside.
2. Beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl at high speed for about 10 minutes until it has a fluffy feel. An electric mixer really helps here.
3. Blend in the chocolate mixture from step 1, the flour, and the salt.
4. Lastly, stir in the almonds and pour the mixture into the greased 8"x8" pan.
5. Bake in the over at 375°F for 30-35 minutes. Be careful not to over-bake.

Cowboy Cookies

Crazy Cakes Bakery

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Cups Old-Fashioned Oats
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Unsalted Butter (at room temperature)
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar (packed)
2 Large Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Walnuts (chopped and toasted)

Don't preheat oven until step 7

1. Whisk flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl until well blended.
2. Beat butter and sugars together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Use an electric mixer if possible.
3. Beat eggs and vanilla in to the butter mixture.
4. Beat in the flour mixture until just combined.
5. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts by hand.
6. Cover this dough and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
7. Place both oven racks near the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
8. Butter two baking sheets.
9. Form the dough into 1/4 Cup balls. And place these balls onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches space between them.
10. Hand-flatten the balls to 3-inch rounds.
11. Bake for 22-25 minutes at 350°F until cookies are firm in the center and their edges are golden brown. Rotate the sheets halfway through the baking.
12. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool.

Fiesta Fudge Cookies

Jennifer S.

1/3 cup butter or margarine
6 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz)sugar cookie mix
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
60 Hershey Hugs, unwrapped

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large microwavable bowl, microwave butter and chocolate on High 1 minute. Stir; microwave on High 1 minute longer or until butter is melted and chocolate can be stirred smooth.
2. Stir condensed milk into chocolate mixture. Stir in cookie mix and cinnamon until well blended.
3. Using 1 level tablespoonful of dough for each cookie, shape into 60 balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Bake 6 to 7 minutes or until edges lose their shiny look (do not overbake). Immediately press 1 candy into center of each cookie. Cool cookies on cookie sheet 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheets. To get candy to spread slightly on top of cookie, tap edge of each cookie lightly. Cool completely. Store covered at room temperature.

Chocolate Snowballs

Jennifer S.

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 egg
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds (optional)OR finely ground crispy rice cereal
1 teaspoon almond extract
60 Hershey's Kisses, unwrapped
3/4 cup powdered sugar

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, egg, flour, cocoa, almonds and extract until soft dough forms.
2. Shape dough into sixty 3/4-inch balls; wrap each around 1 milk chocolate candy. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
4. Roll cookies in powered sugar. Cool completely, about 15 minutes. Re-roll cookies in powdered sugar. Store tightly covered.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jennifer S.

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz)sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon mint extract
6 to 8 drops green food color
1 egg
1 cup creme de menthe (mint) baking chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, extract, food color and egg until soft dough forms. Stir in creme de menthe baking chips and chocolate chunks.
2. Using small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Serve warm or cool completely. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Cranberry Layer Bars

Taryn L.

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury sugar cookie
1 can (14 oz) condensed milk (not evaporated)
2 tsp grated orange peel
1 egg
1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped pretzels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 glass pan. Break up cookie dough into pan and with floured fingers press dough to the bottom of the pan. Bake 18-20 minutes(until fluffy)

Beat milk, orange peel, and egg with whisk. Spread milk mixture over baked cookie. Sprinkle with cranberries, white chips, semi sweet chips and pretzels.

Bake 25-30 minutes until center is set. Cool 1 and 1/2 hours. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until chocolate is set.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars AKA Peanut Butter Fingers

Aunt Ellen P.

Also know as Peanut Butter Fingers

1 cup butter, melted (I think you could use 1/2 cup and be just fine)
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
4 TBS peanut butter

In a medium bowl, mix together butter, cracker crumbs, sugar and 1 cup of peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 13x9 pan.

Microwave the chocolate chips with 4 TBS peanut butter on high for 1 minute. Stir. Continue to microwave and stir every 30 seconds until smooth. Spread over the crust. Refrigerate for one hour before cutting into squares. Store leftovers in the fridge.

Makes 32 bars.

Chewy Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jennifer S.

Ingredients:
4 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 & 1/2 cups Butter, softened
1 & 1/4 cups sugar
1 & 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 Eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 (12-ounce) package (1 & 1/2 cups) real semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chocolate chips

Instructions:
Heat oven to 375 F. Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda in medium bowl; set aside. Combine butter, sugar and brown sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Reduce speed to low. Beat, gradually adding flour mixture, until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chunks. Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes or until light golden brown. (Do not over bake.) Let stand 5 minutes on cookie sheet; remove to cooling rack.