fig bars

Children will love these fig bars that look and taste so much like the commercial product, only much better. Ingredients Fig Filling (recipe follows) 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1 cup brown sugar, packed 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp EACH salt and baking soda Direction Prepare Fig Filling. Set aside. Fig Filling: Finely chop 1 pkg. (12 oz.) moist dried figs. Mix in saucepan with 1/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup water and 2 Tbs. lemon juice. Place over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until thick and jam-like. Remove from heat. Cool. Cover and chill. With mixer, beat together butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Mix flour, salt and baking soda. Stir into first mixture (dough will be stiff). Wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 3 to 4 hours or overnight. When ready to bake, turn dough out on lightly floured surface. Roll into a 14-by-12-inch rectangle. Cut into 4 strips 3 1/2-by-12-inches long. Spoon filling evenly down center of strips. With spatula, turn in sides of strips. Press edges together to seal. Cut each strip into 10 pieces. Arrange seam side down on baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until firm and lightly browned. Remove to racks to cool. Store airtight. 40 Fig Bars By chilling dough overnight, you will need much less flour to roll it out since it is less likely to stick to the surface. Servings 40 Time to prepare 30 Minutes Difficulty Average

cream cheese mints

These creamy, buttery mints owe their smoothness to cream cheese, which is one of their main ingredients. Ingredients 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese 1/4 cup soft butter or margarine 2 lbs. powdered sugar Few drops food coloring: red, yellow, green 1/2 tsp. peppermint, wintergreen or lemon extract Directions Combine cream cheese and butter in heavy bottomed saucepan. Stir over low heat until cheese is soft, butter is melted, and the mixture is thoroughly blended. Add the powdered sugar and stir until well combined. Add your choice of food coloring and flavoring. If desired, you may divide the whole batch to make 2 or 3 color choices, adding extract to taste. Roll into 1-inch balls. Place on a sheet of waxed paper, Press with a fork, or stamp with decorative cookie stamp to form design on top. Let stand, uncovered, about 4 hours or overnight until mints are firm and outside is dry, but inside is still moist and creamy. Servings 8 Time to prepare 25 Minutes Difficulty Easy

These creamy, buttery mints owe their smoothness to cream cheese, which is one of their main ingredients.

Ingredients

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese
1/4 cup soft butter or margarine
2 lbs. powdered sugar
Few drops food coloring: red, yellow, green
1/2 tsp. peppermint, wintergreen or lemon extract

Directions

Combine cream cheese and butter in heavy bottomed saucepan. Stir over low heat until cheese is soft, butter is melted, and the mixture is thoroughly blended.

Add the powdered sugar and stir until well combined.

Add your choice of food coloring and flavoring. If desired, you may divide the whole batch to make 2 or 3 color choices, adding extract to taste.

Roll into 1-inch balls. Place on a sheet of waxed paper, Press with a fork, or stamp with decorative cookie stamp to form design on top.

Let stand, uncovered, about 4 hours or overnight until mints are firm and outside is dry, but inside is still moist and creamy.

Comments

These mints make excellent gifts packaged in pretty tins or glass jars.

Servings

8

Time to prepare

25 Minutes

Difficulty

Easy

chocolate mint cookies

Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies

2 dozen A great cookie that combines chocolate and mint is made with a simple dough that has both wheat germ and flour in the batter, making it delicious as well as nutritious. Ingredients 6 Tbsp. butter or margarine 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 1 egg 1/2 tsp each vanilla and mint extracts 3/4 cup unbleached flour 3/4 cup toasted wheat germ 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips Directions Cream butter and sugar. Beat in the egg, vanilla and mint extracts. In separate bowl, combine flour, wheat germ and baking powder. Stir into the butter mixture. Add the chocolate chips. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of batter onto a lightly buttered cookie sheet. Bake at 350?F for 10 to 12 minutes. Comment Shiny cookie sheets allow cookies to bake evenly. Dark cookie sheets absorb heat faster and brown the crust too quickly. Servings 24 Time to prepare 15 Minutes Difficulty Easy

Scandinavian Brownies

(One-layer Chocolate Cake)
Yield: 24 servings

Ingredients

1 1/3 cup (170 g) all-purpose flour
1 ¾cup (340 g) sugar
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (170 g) butter
3 fl oz (0.9 dl) boiling water
3 eggs
4 oz (120 g) chocolate chips (40-50% cocoa)
5 oz (150 g) chopped walnuts or pecan nuts

Frosting

1/3 cup (85 g) butter
8 oz (220 g) sweet or semisweet dark chocolate
2 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 tablespoon hot espresso or very strong coffee

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F (Gas mark 4 or 180 deg C).
2. Line a 13 x 9 in (33 x 23 cm) cake tin with grease proof or other non-stick paper and grease the tin.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan.
4. In a bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and vanilla extract.
5. Add eggs, melted butter and hot water and mix until smooth.
6. Add chocolate chips and nuts.
7. Bake at 350 degrees F until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, approximately 20-30 minutes.
8. Cool the cake. Glace with the chocolate frosting.
9. For the frosting, mix butter, chopped chocolate, syrup and coffee and heat in a double boiler until melted. Stir until smooth and spread over the cake.

Variations

1. For these brownies you may instead use frosting with cocoa powder.
2. You may add 1 tablespoon of espresso mix to brownie batter and use only semi-sweet ghiradelli chocolate chips and baking chocolate for the best result.

flourless chocolate cake(french)

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients:

7 oz (200 g) semisweet chocolate (45-50 % cocoa)
3/4 cup (180 g) butter
1 cup (200 g) sugar
4 eggs, separated

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350deg F (Gas mark 4 or 180 deg C).
2. Line a 9 in (23 cm) cake tin with greaseproof or other non-stick paper and grease the tin.
3. Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt it with butter over hot water.
4. Beat the egg yolks with half of the sugar.
5. Fold in the melted butter and chocolate mixture.
6. Beat egg whites until frothy by using an electric mixer; gradually add the remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.
7. Fold in the beaten egg whites.
8. Bake at 350 degrees until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, approximately 40 minutes. Please note that cakes of this type will collapse and look like a pie because no flour is used.
9. Use a knife to separate the cake from the non-stick paper. Please observe that the cake is quite sticky!

The Flourless Chocolate Cake may be served warm or cold with whipped cream. The cream may be dusted with cocoa powder before serving, and the cake may be dusted with powdered sugar.

Truffles with Milk Chocolate and Coffee

Ingredients

7 oz (200 g) milk chocolate
2 oz (60 ml) strong hot coffee, preferably espresso
4 oz (110 g) dark semisweet chocolate (45-60% cocoa)

Method

1. Break the milk chocolate into small pieces and melt with coffee over hot water.
2. Whisk gently until the mixture is smooth. Let cool in the refrigerator overnight covered by plastic wrap.
3. Scoop a small tablespoon of chocolate mixture and roll the truffle balls in your hands; be careful to avoid melting the balls. The size (diameter) should be about 1 inch (2.5 cm). Alternatively, shape the truffles by using a melon baller.
4. Cool them in the refrigerator before coating with melted dark chocolate.
5. Melt the dark chocolate over hot water and cool the melted chocolate to 95 degrees F (35 degrees C) or less but do not let the mixture harden.
6. Coat the cold truffle balls by rolling them rapidly in the melted chocolate using a fork and a teaspoon.
7. Place the truffles on a cookie sheet and put in the fridge until the chocolate coating is hard.
8. The truffles should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Take them out of the fridge approximately two hours before serving.

chocolate cookie (dark)

Dark Chocolate Chip Cookie

Yield: 6 to 10 servings

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
½ cup all-purpose flour (- perhaps a little more)
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 oz (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 deg F (190 deg C).
2. Using an electric mixer, cream butter with sugar, add the egg and mix for one minute.
3. Add vanilla, baking soda, flour and cocoa and mix well.
4. Add chocolate chips.
5. Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
6. Drop by rounded large tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake the chocolate chip cookies for 8 to 12 minutes. Always try first with 1-2 cookies to check whether the dough is OK. You might need to add a little more flour.
8. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for a few minutes, then move the cookies to a wire rack.