Brownies with Cocoa

I like my brownie recipe that uses dry cocoa instead of the chocolate that you have to melt. There's a recipe in one of the church cookbooks that works well, but I didn't have it this week for dessert for today's baptism dinner. So I websurfed and found something that worked very well and came out decently fudgy.

8x8"
350 for around 20 minutes
(until edges are dry and middle is set,
being careful not to overbake)

Melt 1 stick butter.
Stir in 1/2 cup cocoa.

Add 1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla.
Mix till shiny and smooth.

Add 2/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix well.
Bake in greased pan.

Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust:
9 ounce package of chocolate wafer cookies, crushed
6 tablespoons of butter, melted

Mix ground cookies and butter- press onto the bottom and one inch up the side of a 9" springform pan.

Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Filling:
16 ounces softened cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
4 eggs
1 pint heavy whipping cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate

In the microwave or on a double boiler, melt the chocolate in the cream.

Beat together cream cheese and sugar until soft. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between additions. Stir in the chocolate mixture until fully incorporated.

Pour into the crust, and bake for 55-60 minutes at 350 degrees.

Allow to cool until room temperature, then refrigerate for at least eight hours prior to serving.

Serve with whipped cream, caramel sauce, or raspberry sauce.

Raspberry Sauce

12 ounce package or frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 teaspoons cold water

Mash berries through a sieve, throwing away the seeds.

Add sugar, heat until almost boiling.

Mix cornstarch with water, add a little at a time to the berries, stirring constantly until mixture starts to thicken. Cool in refrigerator.

Serve with anything dessert-like and delicious.

Pumpkin Cookies

This may seem a little odd, but trust me these are very good, soft, squishable cookies that taste great.

Oven to 350, yield approximately 20 cookies.

2c flour
1c oats
1tsp baking soda
1tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

3/4c butter or shortening
1c white sugar
1c brown sugar

1 egg
1tsp vanilla
1c packed solid pumpkin
(optional)
1c chocolate chips
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (or similar nuts)

Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Cream butter, adding in sugars. Beat until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
Alternate additions of dry ingredients and pumpkin mixing well each time. Stir in chips or nuts (or both or none). Dough should be very sticky.

Each cookie should be about 1/4 cup of batter placed (non flattened) on lightly greased cookie sheet.
Bake 15-25 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.
Cool on racks.

Biscotti

This recipe was given to me by Maria- it's the one used by her Italian grandmother.

2 1/2 cups white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 350.
Grease and flour a cookie sheet.

Beat together the butter and sugar- add eggs and almond extract, beat thoroughly.

Add dry ingredients- beat until blended.

Spread on the cookie sheet in 2 ovals approximately 5"x11"

Bake for 20 minutes- until they are slightly golden brown.

Cut into 1" thick slices, and bake again- about 15 minutes.

Variations:
The almond extract can be replaced with anise.
The biscotti can be dipped in melted bittersweet or milk chocolate before being allowed to cool.