Chocolate cakes with liquid centers

Simple, delicious, rich. Quick yet impressive. Chocolate. One of my favorites.

Chocolate cakes with liquid centers
1/2 cup butter
4 (1 oz) squares bittersweet chocolate
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp white flour

Preheat oven to 450 F. Butter and flour 4 4oz ramekins or custard cups.
Melt butter and chocolate in double boiler until chocolate is almost completely melted.
Beat eggs, yolks and sugar until light colored and thick.
Beat together butter and chocolate mixtures by pouring chocolate mixture into egg mixture while beating. Qucikly mix in flour just until combined.
Divide batter between molds and bake at 450 for 6-7 minutes. The centers will still be soft. Invert onto serving plates, let sit 15 minutes, then unmold. Serve immediately with fresh whipped cream.

Thin Mint cookies

Newspaper clipping from 2003, says from book "Even More Top Secret Recipes".
I remember the dough being a pain, but they really were just like those thin mints in a green box that are no longer around right now.
Makes 108 cookies.


Thin Mints
1 (18.25 oz) package chocolate fudge cake mix (betty crocker suggested)
3 Tbsp shortening, melted
1/2 cup cake flour, measured, then sifted
1 egg
3 Tbsp water
nonstick cooking spray
3 (12 oz) bags semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 tsp peppermint extract
6 Tbsp shortening

Combine cake mix, shortening, flour and egg in large bowl, adding water a little at time until dough forms. Cover and chill 2 hours.

Heat oven to 350. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick coating. On a lightly foured surface, roll out a portion of dough to just under 1/16 of an inch thick. Cut using a lid from a spice container with a 1 1/2 inch diameter.
Arange cut dough on prepared cookie sheets, bake 10 minutes. Remove wafers from oven and cool completely.

In a large microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and peppermint extract and shortening. heat on 50 percent power for 2 minutes. Stir gently. Heat 1 more minute. Stir again. if not smooth, continue to  cook at 30 sectond intervals until smooth.

Use fork to dip each wafer into chocolate. Tap on bowl so excess chocolate runs off. Place on wax paper lined baking sheet, refrigerate until firm. Makes 108 cookies (3 boxes).

Super easy chicken enchiladas

Not the healthiest recipe. But quick and easy.

1 can rotel or jar of salsa
16 oz sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 lb velveeta cheese cut into cubes
2 large cans chicken breast meat, drained
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can of corn
1 can black beans
Tortillas

Mix rotel, soup, sour cream, velveeta in pan on medium heatu ntil cheese is melted. Add chicken breast mixture. Spoon into tortillas and roll up, placing in a 9x13 sprayed with cooking spray. Pour remaining mixture over tortillas. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.

Blueberry coconut pound cake muffins

I love muffins.

Blueberry coconut pound cake muffins
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp freshly grated lime zest
2 eggs
5 Tbsp heavy cream
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup + 3 Tbsp coconut
1/2 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 and butter/flour 7 muffin cups. Beat butter, sugar and zest until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. beat in cream, then flour and salt, on low speed, just until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut and fold in blueberries. Spoon batter into muffin cups, totally filling cups and smooth tops. Sprinkle with remaining 3 Tbsp coconut. Bake in middle of oven until tester comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Invert onto rack and let cool.

Cabbage Beef Soup

From RS president at church. Yay for a tasty way to eat cabbage! Kind of like a taco soup in taste.



Cabbage Beef Soup
2 tbsp oil
1 lb ground beef
1/2 large onion, chopped
5 cups chopped cabbage
16 oz can kidney beans, drained
2 cups beef broth

24 oz tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Brown beef and onion in skillet. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours. Stir occasionally. Or leave on stow on low for about 4 hours. Makes about 10 servings.

Serve with cornbread or biscuits.

Mint chocolate chocolate chip cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp peppermint extract
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup choclate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 375 F. Cream butter and sugars and peppermint extract on medium speed until light and fluffly. Add eggs, beat well. In separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, soda, powder and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture, don't over mix. Stir in chips and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 7 minutes until set. Cool 1 minute, remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. (Cookies will look barely done when removing from oven.)

Tortilla Soup

My favorite tortilla soup recipe.

Tortilla Soup

4 Tbsp oil
3 cloves garlic
1 onion
2 Tbs parsley
1 4 oz can diced chiles
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
16 oz beef broth
32 oz chicken broth
1 can corn, undrained
1 tsp cumin
1 can kidney beans
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp steak sauce
1 cup water
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
Cooked bratwurst
1 cup rice

Combine in slow cooker and cook for 4-6 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high.

Serve with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, cilantro and sour cream.

Best meatballs - make 2 quick and easy dinners

1 lb ground beef
1 lb sausage
6 oz bread crumbs
1 Tbsp italian seasoning
1 1/4 cup water
2 eggs

Heat oven to 400 F. Line 2 15x10 pans with foil and spray with cooking spray. Mix ingredients, shape into 32 (1 1/2 inch) balls, using approx 1/4 cup for each ball. (Or make lots more smaller balls for kids.)

Put on pans, bake 16-18 minutes until done (internal temp 160 F)

Use half of the meatballs in favorite spaghetti one night and half in a gravy or stroganoff the next night. Or triple recipe and freeze individually on clean baking sheets after cooked. Transfer to plastic bag and use as needed for quick and easy dinners.

Quick and easy improvement on spaghetti sauce: 1 jar spaghetti sauce, 2 oz cream cheese and 2 Tbsp fresh basil. Mix on medium low until heated through. Mix in meatballs and sprinkle with parmesan when serving over noodles.

Easy gravy "stroganoff" recipe: 1 jar (12 oz) beef gravy (or instant gravy packet mixed up), 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 Tbsp fresh parsley. Heat and mix over medium low, adding meatballs and serve over egg noodles or rice.

Hot Fudge Sauce

Really really good over ice cream.

Hot Fudge Sauce
1/2 lb Butter
8 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 lbs powdered sugar
2 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter and chocolate in top of a double boiler. Slowly add powedered sugar adn evaporated mil, stirring constantly until blended.

Heat over warm heat for 1-2 hours until very smooth. After turning off heat, add 1 tsp vanilla.

Store in jars, let cool and cover and store in refrigerator. (Or process in hot water bath to seal and can.)