Corinne's Fudge Pie Recipe

I know it has been awhile since I posted anything but summer is a busy time for us here at the Treehouse. My oatmeal kick has passed and now I am on to CHOCOLATE. Last night I was having a serious craving and thought I would surprise the Czar by making his favorite chocolate pie. It is so incredibly easy. This recipe came by way of a dear friend (The Frugal Maven). I trust any recipe that she gives me. She is a true southern cook. This is the easiest pie ever! Mix everything together (in no particular order) and pour into a pie shell. I doubled the batch and made two pies. I also used a different cocoa (Scharffenberger instead of Hersey's) and I think the Hersey's is much more chocolate-y. I only used the other brand because it has been touted as a being superior. In my opinion Hersey's Cocoa is the best. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 unbaked Pie Shell (I used Pillsbury ready crust)
1/2 stick of butter
3 tbsp cocoa
1 tsp of vanilla
1 1/2 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup of evaporated milk

Mix everything together and pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Turn temperature down to 350 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes.

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I am on another search again, this time to find the perfect oatmeal cookie. This recipe is straight off the Quaker Oatmeal box. I was sure they were going to be cookie-tastic! The crumb was soft, chewy and delicious but very flat in appearance. I guess you could say they reminded me of the kind that my grandmother would make, if she made cookies, and she didn’t. I was looking for an oatmeal cookie on steroids and this wasn’t it. Were they tasty? Yes, absolutely! Would I recommend that you try them? Yes, of coarse. They did vanish! I am not saying that I won’t make them again, because I just might, but I am still searching. So, if you have a favorite recipe that is off the charts by all means share with the Treehouse.


Ingredients:
2 sticks butter
1 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1- 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups Quaker Oats
1 cup of raisins

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees, beat butter and sugar until creamy, add eggs and vanilla, add, flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, mix well. Mix in oats and raisins. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack. Makes about 4 dozen.

Bar Cookies: Bake 30-35 minutes in ungreased 13x9 inch metal baking pan.

Saucepan Fudge Drops aka Brownie Cookies

I couldn’t resist making this recipe when I saw it on the Food Librarian’s Blog. Check out her website.  She has many wonderful and delicious recipes!

The recipe combines the richness of a brownie in a cookie form plus it is easy to make. I followed the exact recipe below and made 9 really big cookies. I had no idea that the scooper I was using would produce such big cookies--that turned out to be a good thing because they tasted more like dessert rather than a snack. I baked them for 15 minutes and they were still pretty soft when I took them out of the oven and placed them on a cooling rack. They turned out to be the perfect consistency, crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. I sprinkled powdered sugar over them before serving. The last thing you want is to over-bake them so keep your eye on the oven.

Saucepan Fudge Drops

Makes 2 dozen cookies


1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I used natural cocoa powder, not Dutch)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
1/3 cup yogurt (I used whole milk Greek yogurt, but I think all plain yogurts will work)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.


Whisk flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl, and set aside. Place the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and melt. Once the butter is melted, remove from heat and whisk in cocoa until smooth. Switch to a wooden spoon, and add both sugars and stir until blended - the mixture will be stiff and sandy at this point. Stir in yogurt and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Don't go crazy and overmix.
Immediately scoop dough onto baking sheets. I used a cookie scoop/disher and got a total of 22 cookies. I must have made 'em big...Bittersweet's recipe says you should get about 32 cookies. Bake the cookies until they look dry on top and are cracked all over, but are still slightly soft when pressed, about 10-12 minutes. Mine were done in 11 minutes. Rotate baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back about half way through to ensure even baking. Slide the parchment, cookies and all onto racks to cool.

Southwest White Chili Recipe

Today at the Treehouse we are making Don Pablo’s White Chili. Don Pablo’s is a Mexican restaurant chain here in our area

and I must say most everything on the menu is pretty darn tasty! My husband loves their white chili and asked me if

I would try to duplicate the recipe. I found this version online and to be honest I think it is much better. I have made three pots of this chili in the last two weeks if this gives you any idea of how much we like it. Enjoy!

Servings: 6-8
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion peel/chop fine
2 medium garlic cloves peeled/chopped
1 medium red bell pepper chopped fine
2 cans white beans, 15 oz. each drained and rinsed (I used Bush’s cannellini beans)
4 ounces green chilies canned/diced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder, dark red
1 can low sodium chicken broth 14 1/2 ounces
1/2 pound roasted chicken breast meat cut in 1/2 inch cubes (I shredded the chicken)
2 tablespoons lime juice, fresh (I used 1 Tbs of concentrated lemon juice)
2 tablespoons cilantro minced, fresh
6 tablespoons salsa (optional) (I added screamin Mimi’s Salsa right into the pot)

I also added:
1 tbs of red pepper flakes
1 tbs of Jalapeno flakes
1 tbs of sugar

Topped with:
Sour Cream
Shredded cheddar cheese

In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and red pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes.
Stir in the white beans, chilies, cumin, chili powder and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Stir in the chicken and simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. A tablespoon of salsa can be used to garnish each serving if chili, if desired.

Light and Crispy Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

In my opinion simple is best. I enjoy recipes that I can remember and make on a whim. This one fits that category. It has three easy ingredients. Crack one egg in a mixer; blend in one cup of sugar followed by one cup of crunchy peanut butter. Roll into 1-inch balls and place one inch apart on parchment paper. Using the tongs of a fork lightly press crisscross design in each cookie.
 

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes and not any longer. Sprinkle a bit of powdered sugar over the tops before serving. Viola! You now have one fabulous cookie.

If you want to get fancy then drizzle a little bit of nutella over each cookie or stack them up and make a triple decker cookie---Yum!

Light, Crispy, Chewy Goodness..... All gone!

The Best Fudge Brownies Ever---King Arthur Flour Recipe

In my recent search for the perfect brownie recipe I decided to try this one printed on the back of the King Arthur Flour package. A fellow blogger also recommended the recipe, which made me even more curious to give it a try. I followed the recipe exactly with only a minor exception--I left out 1/8 of the flour because the mixture seamed dry.  This could have been because I did not sift the flour before measuring. In spite of the dry mixture the brownies turned out perfect!!!! Yes, I did say perfect! They were absolutely delicious! I was so surprised and delighted. They tasted nothing like the KH batch that I made a few days earlier. They were extremely chocolaty and dense without being overly fudgy. I sprinkled them with powdered sugar and took them to my Sunday school class. The youth thought they had died and went to Heaven. To say that they loved them is an understatement. I have been instructed to bring more next week and  now that I have found the perfect recipe I will be making a batch to send my stepdaughters in college. This recipe is a keeper! Trust me on this.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan on low heat, melt the butter then add the sugar and stir to combine. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl. Sir in cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla. Add the eggs, flour, and chips. Beat until well combined. Spoon the batter into prepared 9x13 pan. Bake for 28-30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting and serving.

Katharine Hepburn Brownie Recipe-- Perfect For A Snow Day!

I am searching for a Brownie Recipe with a rich chocolaty flavor and moist crumb that is not too fudgy. I have yet to find the perfect recipe although this one is really good. It was Katharine Hepburn’s family recipe and is posted all over the web. They turned out very fudgy. This could have been due to the fact that I baked them a few minutes less that the original recipe stated. After 35 minutes they looked done so I inserted a toothpick and it came out clean. I assumed that the Pyrex dish had something to do with the shorter baking time although I am not sure. They were not as chocolaty as I wanted however my husband loved them. I think they tasted better the next day--a bit chewier. I am going to try the brownie recipe on the King Arthur Flour package next. I would love knowing about any tried and true recipes that you have for making brownies--please post it in the comments or send a link.


Formula for substituting cocoa powder in place of baker’s chocolate.
3 Tbs Cocoa + 1 Tbs of Vegetable Oil = 1 ounce of chocolate.


Katherine Hepburn's Brownies
1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
2 ounces good quality unsweetened chocolate ( I used Ghirardelli)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts ( I used Pecans)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon table salt

In a 2-quart saucepan over low-heat, melt butter with unsweetened chocolate, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in sugar. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract to make into a smooth batter. Add walnuts,  flour and salt; stir until incorporated. Prepare an 8" x 8' baking dish by greasing it with butter. Then line the pan with parchment paper and grease it as well. Pour the batter into the lined dish and spread evenly.
Bake in a 325 degree oven for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Since you have lined your pan with parchment you can immediately remove the brownies from the dish, leaving them to cool. When cooled, cut into nine squares and serve.

Personalized Kitchen Towels-- A few of my favorite things!

My husband surprised me at Christmas with these beautifully embroidered kitchen towels. He found the website online and purchased a variety of over 15 towels for the Treehouse. I love them all! Here are a few of my favorites. I will post more photos as soon as I can find my camera to download them. I have also included the website just in case you are interested in ordering any. www.initial-impressions.net

Beer Bread Rocks!

Let me just first say that I do not like beer, but I love this bread! The Frugal Maven over at Hip and Stingy invited me over to dinner one evening and made this bread and it was soooooo delicious. I was shocked when she said it was beer bread. I have made this several times since then and no one has ever hinted that they tasted beer. I even used this bread last weekend to make french toast and sandwiches. It is always a big hit and for that reason I am sharing it with you today. I have only made it with two different types of beer. The Frugal Maven makes it with Bourbon Barrel Stout Beer which gives it a hearty taste-- perfect with stews. I wanted to try it with a lighter beer so, I went to the Liquor store and asked the clerk to help me locate the lightest tasting beer. He suggested BW 55. That is what I used and the bread was delicious. I do hope you will give it a try. I think you will be surprised. I would love to hear any of your feedback on this bread and also if you have made other baked goods with beer.

Ingredients:
3 cups of self-rising flour sifted
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 stick of butter
1 bottle of beer

Directions:
Sift flour in a large stand mixer. Pour in sugar and mix for a second then add bottle of beer. Make sure that all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Pour into a seasoned loaf pan, pour melted butter over top and bake at 375 for 50-60 minutes. Viola!

Classic Southern Meatloaf

This meatloaf recipe is my all-time favorite. It is one that my mother shared with me years ago. I have tried other recipes but this is the one that I keep going back to. The loaf you see today does not have the sauce poured over the top because it is going into the freezer ,in little Ziploc bags, for tasty meatloaf sandwiches. I hope you enjoy this recipe. I would love hearing about any of your favorite meatloaf recipes.

BTW- I like a nice brown crust on the meatloaf so, I turn the temperature up for a few minutes in the oven right before adding the sauce to get the outside a bit crisp. That way not everyone is fighting over the end piece.

Ingredients:

Meatloaf
1½ lbs ground chuck
1 sleeve of crushed saltine crackers (Zesta)
1 envelope of Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 small onion chopped
1 egg

Sauce
2 cups of Ketchup and 1 cup of Honey combined.

Directions:
Mix above ingredients together and place in a casserole dish. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 60 minutes. Oven temperatures may vary so keep an eye on it. Remove meatloaf from oven after 45 minutes; pour sauce over top and place back in oven for another 15 minutes. When done remove meatloaf from dish, place on cutting board, and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Then place on a serving platter.