French Mint Brownies (Killer Brownies)

Louise got this recipe from her friend in church, Nancy Lund.  Her children dubbed them "Killer Brownies" because they are so good.  I think it's one of our favorite desserts that Mom makes.

Prep Time: About 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours including cooling time

BROWNIES
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients and bake in greased jelly roll pan at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes; cool.

MINT FROSTING
3 Tbsp butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp mint extract
4 Tbsp milk
A few drops of green food coloring

Mix ingredients until fluffy and spread over cooled brownies.  Refrigerate 20 minutes until crusty.

CHOCOLATE TOPPING
1 1/2 cups Hershey's(R) semi-sweet chocolate chips*
4 1/2 Tbsp butter

Melt chips and butter and spread over mint frosting; cool.

*Use Hershey's - don't substitute - Hershey's turns out best

Notes:
-I didn't have room in my fridge, so we let the brownies sit out after frosting until they got crusty
-Louise doubles the chocolate topping so that the chocolate is thicker and the frosting doesn't show through
-Sometimes we drizzle the chocolate over the frosting in a diagonal pattern.  Just put the chocolate in a sandwich bag and snip off one of the corners.


Substitutions - omit mint extract and green food coloring and add one of the following choices:
-Orange extract and orange food coloring
-Strawberry or chocolate confectioner's sugar instead of regular confectioner's sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-Raspberry extract and red food coloring (or blue!)

One Step Pound Cake

This is Louise's original pound cake recipe with a few variations listed at the bottom.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: 60-70 minutes

2 1/4 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp grated lemon peel

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup butter, softened

1 (8 oz) container sour cream

3 eggs

Grease and flour a 12-cup (10-inch) Bundt or Tube pan.  Preheat oven to 325F.  Blend all ingredients at low speed of electric mixer.  Beat 3 minutes at medium speed.  Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until top of cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool cake upright in pan for 15 minutes; remove from pan.  Cool completely.  Dust top with powdered sugar, icing, or leave plain.

Variations:
Substitute orange peel for lemon peel
Add a small package instant lemon with the rest of the ingredients
Glaze top with a lemon glaze
Omit lemon peel and add a small package instant vanilla pudding to recipe

Quadruple Chocolate Pound Cake

Another one of my mother-in-law's wonderful recipes.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 60-70 minutes

Cake:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup butter, softened
8 oz. sour cream
3 eggs
3 Tbsp chocolate syrup
Small box instant chocolate pudding
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Grease and dust with cocoa powder a 12-cup (10-inch) Bundt or Tube pan.  Preheat oven to 325F.  Blend all ingredients at low speed of electric mixer.  Beat 3 minutes at medium speed.  Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until top of cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool cake upright in pan for 15 minutes; remove from pan.  Cool completely.  Glaze or drizzle chocolate glaze over cake.

Chocolate Glaze:
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp corn syrup
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 tsp vanilla

Melt butter, corn syrup, and chocolate chips in microwave for 30 seconds; stir.  Microwave at 15 second intervals stirring after each time until melted.  Stir in vanilla.  Scoop into a plastic bag and cut off the tip of one corner.  Squeeze chocolate to drizzle over cake.


Other options:
Dust top with powdered sugar and serve with cherry pie filling on top of slices
Dust top with a mixture of powdered sugar and cocoa powder
Instead of dusting pan with cocoa powder, dust pan with raw sugar

Homemade Moose Tracks Ice Cream

Fudge Ripple:
1 cup chocolate chips
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup evaporated milk or heavy cream

Ice Cream:
2 1/4 cups whole milk
1 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup mini peanut butter cups

For Fudge Ripple:
Add chocolate chips and butter to a small microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir and microwave 30 seconds more.  Add evaporated milk and stir gently with a wire whisk until smooth.  Microwave 1 minute more.  Refrigerate until cool.

For Ice Cream:
Mix milk and sugar in a medium bowl with a whisk until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes.  Add heavy cream and vanilla; stir.  Turn on ice cream maker and add ice cream mixture.  Process about 20 to 25 minutes.

Add mini peanut butter cups and turn ice cream maker off.  Layer ice cream and fudge ripple in a 2-quart container with a lid.  Make 3 or 4 layers of each.  Freeze for 2 to 4 hours or until firm.

Classic Onion Soup

Total Prep Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 6 to 8

I got this recipe off of a bag of onions from Groupe Vegco, Inc.  The recipe is courtesy of the National Onion Association.  I adjusted it slightly.  All of us loved it!

4 large yellow onions, sliced

6 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp sugar

8 cups chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 baguette French bread, sliced and toasted

Grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in a large saucepan that holds at least 4 quarts.  Add onions; cook over medium heat 12 minutes, or until tender and golden, stirring often.  Add sugar and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Add stock; cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer 12 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  To serve, ladle soup into bowl; float toast on soup.  Sprinkle with cheese.

Meatballs

This is also a recipe from my wonderful mother-in-law, Louise.  They are so delicious!

1 pound ground beef*
1 pound ground pork*
1 pound ground veal*
2 1/4 cups bread crumbs**
1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup fresh chopped parsley or 1/2 cup dry parsley
3 eggs
4 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
4 1/2 tsp granulated onion
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp pepper

Mix all ingredients together and shape into uniform balls.  Place on cookie sheet with sides (like a jelly roll pan or 9"x13" pan) and bake at 350F for 30 to 45 minutes, until cooked through (length of bake time will depend on size of meatballs).

*Optional:  Use 3 pounds meatloaf mixture or 3 pounds ground beef (the meatballs are more flavorful using all of the different meats or a meatloaf mixture).

**I make my own Italian-flavored bread crumbs, but you can use store-bought.

Italian Bread Crumbs

This is a recipe that my mother-in-law came up with.  It goes great in homemade meatballs!

2 cups plain bread slices and/or crumbs
2 Tbsp parsley flakes
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp granulated onion
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup grated Parmesan

Dry bread in 200°F oven for about 20 minutes or till dry.  Allow to cool.  Place dried bread in food processor; pulse to fine crumbs.  Add remaining ingredients; pulse to blend.  Store in air-tight container in refrigerator.

Homemade Hot Chocolate

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 8

1/2 to 1 cup sugar
1/2 to 1 cup cocoa powder
8 cups milk (1 1/2 cup non-instant dry milk and 8 cups water)
1/2 cup heavy cream, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in 3-quart (or larger) saucepan.  Whisk in milk (or water if using dry milk) and heat over medium heat, stirring often.  Remove from heat when steamy and add heavy cream and vanilla.

Adjust sugar and cocoa powder amounts to your liking, keeping sugar and cocoa powder measurements equal.

Variations:
*Italian: put a few small chunks of sharp provolone cheese in each mug with the hot chocolate (Michael's mom made it this way)
*Extra chocolatey: add a small handful of chocolate chips to your mug of hot chocolate and stir until melted
*Mint: substitute mint extract for vanilla
*Raspberry: add a couple tablespoons raspberry syrup to each mug