Chocolate Spiders version #1
4 cups semisweet chocolate baking chips
Melt chocolate chips in top of double boiler. Let stand over the water until water is cool, about 10 minutes. Place wax paper on cookie sheet. Pour chocolate into a pastry bag that is fitted with a 1/8-inch or 1/4-inch tip. Squeeze chocolate onto wax paper in the shape of spiders. If chocolate is runny it needs to be cooled longer. Chill the spiders for about 10 minutes. When hard peel off wax paper. Store in refrigerator laid flat.
Brownies with Chocolate Pieces
These are especially fun for children to bake with you.
1 tbs. Butter for the pan
1 tbs. Flour for the pan
1 ½ cups flour
2/3 cup of good quality cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon of baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2 sticks of unsalted butter, melted and cooled to look warm
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 cup of brown sugar (either light or dark)
4 large eggs beaten
2 tsp. Vanilla extract
12 ounces of any type of chocolate pieces you like. This could be white or dark, bittersweet , milk or white — cut or broken into smallish pieces
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter and dust with flour a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
Butter the pan and dust it with flour.
Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, and sugars together at a medium speed until it is light in color.
Add the eggs one at a time to the sugar mixture and beat for one minute.
Scrape down the sides when necessary.
Add vanilla and mix.
Slowly add the flour mixture.
Very carefully fold in the chocolate pieces.
Spread the batter in the prepared pan and put it the oven.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the edges are set and the middle springs bake when touched.
Cool and store in a cookie tin between layers of wax paper for up to one week.
Fruit Dessert Pizza
Easy and fun to do with children.
1 roll Pillsbury® slice and bake sugar cookies
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese–softened
1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Assorted fruit such as bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and kiwi
1/2 c. orange juice
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1. Slice sugar cookies 1/4-inch thick.
2. Place in 10 or 12-inch pizza pan.
3. Press to form crust.
4. Bake until brown (according to cookie instructions).
5. Blend and cream cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.
6. Spread on cooled crust.
7. Top with assorted fruit.
8. In a saucepan, combine orange juice, sugar and cornstarch.
9. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
10. Cool mixture slightly and spread over fruit pizza.
11. Refrigerate.
Serves 5
Coffee Can Ice Cream
Great for backyard camp outs with the kids!
1 large (2 lb. 7 oz.) coffee can with lid
1 1-pound coffee can with lid
1 pint half-and-half or light cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Crushed ice (6 to 7 cups)
Rock salt (about 1/4 cup)
• In the smaller coffee can, combine half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla; stir well.
• Put the lid on tightly.
• Place a thin layer of crushed ice on the bottom of the larger coffee can.
• Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon rock salt.
• Place the small can inside the large can.
• Pack the area between the cans with crushed ice and rock salt using about 2 tablespoons rock salt for every cup of crushed ice.
• Put lid tightly on the large can.
• Roll can back and forth for about 10 to 15 minutes (protect countertop or floor with a towel, or roll on a cement floor).
• Lift out smaller can and carefully remove lid.
• Scrape down sides and stir all the ice cream together.
• If the ice cream is too soft, repack large can with fresh ice and rock salt; replace lid.
• Roll back and forth a few minutes more or until firm.
Yield: five 1/2-cup servings.
Chocolate Spiders version #1
4 cups semisweet chocolate baking chips
Melt chocolate chips in top of double boiler. Let stand over the water until water is cool, about 10 minutes. Place wax paper on cookie sheet. Pour chocolate into a pastry bag that is fitted with a 1/8-inch or 1/4-inch tip. Squeeze chocolate onto wax paper in the shape of spiders. If chocolate is runny it needs to be cooled longer. Chill the spiders for about 10 minutes. When hard peel off wax paper. Store in refrigerator laid flat.
Cat’s Eyes
1/2 c Peanut butter
8 Ritz crackers
1 Banana; cut into 8 slices
8 Raisins
Spread peanut butter on crackers and top each with a slice of banana. Place a raisin in center of each banana to form a cat’s eye and repeat for all banana topped crackers.
Butterfly Bites
2 Stalks of celery
12 lg Three-ring pretzels
6 tb Peanut butter or cream cheese
About 18 raisins or currents
12 Slivered almonds or enoki mushrooms
Wash the celery. Using plastic knives, cut the celery into thirds. Fill each celery stalk with one tablespoon of either peanut butter or cream cheese. For the wings, gently push 1 pretzel into the filling, running parallel to the length of the celery stick. Do the same on the celery’s other lengthwise side. Arrange the raisins or currents as the eyes, nose and mouth. For antennae, push the slivered almonds or mushroom cap into filling. If using mushrooms, arrange the spaghetti-like mushroom tips upward, like an antenna.
Bunny Salad
1 Chilled pear half
2 Raisins
1 Red cinnamon candy
2 Blanched almonds
-cottage cheese ball
Place crisp lettuce leaf on plate. On top of it, place pear upside down. Make bunny, using narrow end for face. Two raisins for the eyes, 1 red cinnamon candy for the nose and 2 blanched almonds for the ears. The cottage cheese ball makes the tail.
Apple Smiles
1 Red medium apple; cored & sliced about 1/3″ wide, not skinned!
Peanut butter (creamy works best)
Tiny marshmallows.
Spread one side of each apple slice with peanut butter. Place three or four tiny marshmallows on top of the peanut butter on one apple slice. Top with another apple slice, peanut butter side down.
Squeeze gently. Eat right away..makes 8-10
All-Star Fudgy Baseballs and Bats
1 c Carob powder
1 c Water
1/4 c Honey
1/4 c Peanut butter (smooth or cru
3/4 c Wheat germ
3/4 c Rolled oats
2 tb Dry milk powder
1/2 c Unsweetened shredded coconut
1 ts Cinnamon (optional)
1/2 ts Grated orange rind (optional)
In a small saucepan, combine the carob and water. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Add the honey and peanut butter and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, or until syrup is smooth and slightly thickened.
In a large bowl, mix together the wheat germ, oats, milk powder, coconut, cinnamon, and orange rind (if desired).
Pour about one cup of the carob syrup over the dry mixture, or as much as is needed to make a pliable, dough-like consistency. Store the remainder in the refrigerator and use as an icing or to make great milk shakes.
Pinch off pieces of the dough and roll each piece between your palms into 2-inch-long tubes about the circumference of a fountain pen, tapered at one end in the shape of a baseball bat. Roll the rest
into marble-sized balls.