Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Oatmeal Brownie Gems

2 3/4 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats, uncooked
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup coarsely chopped walnut
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 3/4 "M&M's" Semi-Sweet Chocolate mini Baking bits
1 package fudge brownie mix, prepared according to package directions for fudge-like brownies

Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl combine oats, flour, sugar, nuts and baking soda; add butter until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Stir in "M&M's" until evenly distributed. Reserve 3 cups mixture. Pat remaining mixture onto bottom of 15x10x1-inch pan to form crust. Pour prepared brownie mix over crust, carefully spreading into brownie mixture; pat down lightly. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs. Cool completely. Cut into bars. Store in tightly covered container.
Makes 48 bars

Neiman Marcus Cake

1 package yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup butter
8 ounces cream cheese
4 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 13x9 inch baking pan.
2. Combine the yellow cake mix, 2 of the eggs, and the butter or margarine mix well. The batter should be stiff. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
3. Combine the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and the remaining 2 eggs. Mix well and pour over the top of the cake batter.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes

These are really good.

Quick Guacamole

2 ripe avocados
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1-2 TB lemon juice
1-2 TB Salsa, optional

Peel and mash avocados. Add seasonings, adjust seasonings to taste.
If you leave the pit in it won't go brown

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

2 cups peanut butter, divided
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, divided
2 cups powdered sugar, divided
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups (12-ounce package) Semi-sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels, divided

Greased 13x9-inch baking pan.
Beat 1 1/4 cups peanut butter and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. With hands or wooden spoon, work in remaining powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs and 1/2 cup morsels. Press evenly into prepared pan. Smooth top with spatula.

Melt remaining peanut butter and remaining morsels in medium, heavy-duty saucepan over lowest possible heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Spread over graham cracker crust in pan Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until chocolate is firm; cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Makes about 5 dozen bars

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

1 package Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Swiss Chocolate Cake Mix
1 container Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Classic Vanilla Frosting
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
15 miniature peanut butter cup candies, wrappers removed, cut in half vertically

1. preheat oven to 350. Place 30 paper liners in muffin cups
2.Prepare, bake and cool cupcakes following package direction for basic recipe
3. Combine vanilla frosting and peanut butter in medium bowl. Stir until smooth. Frost one cupcake. Decorate with peanut butter cup candy, cut-side down. Repeat with remaining cupcakes, frosting and candies