Tried and Liked: Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

These muffins actually come from a cake recipe, but I like muffins better!

Here's the original recipe:

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
(Adapted from Something Edible)
The usual suspects:

1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 cups grated zucchini, loosely packed
3/4 cup pecans roughly chopped
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons light brown sugar

The prep:
Preheat oven to 350º.
Cream butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy (stand mixer, hand mixer, elbow grease…) Add eggs and vanilla and continue beating/whisking until creamy. Add salt, baking soda, and cocoa; continue whisking until incorporated. Slowly add in flour in thirds, stirring after each addition until fully incorporated. Fold in the grated zucchini. Pour into a greased 9×13″ dish and top with brown sugar, pecans and chocolate chips. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake. Keeps nicely covered at room temp for a few days.
Eat up!

I did a few things differently, I obviously put them into a muffin pan instead, and because of that I had to make more topping. I didn't really measure the topping but I would probably do about half of the recipe of topping extra. (Wow I don't know how to say that right, I'm a little tired!) I also added walnuts to my topping and it was so good!

Taken from: Whisk Flip Stir

Breakfast Cake

Most people call this a coffee cake with a struesel topping, but that name confused my children since we don’t drink coffee. So I started calling it Breakfast Cake.

Ingredients:

3 Cups flour

1 ½ Cups sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 beaten eggs

1 ¾ Cups milk

½ Cup cooking oil

Topping:

2 Cups chopped nuts

½ Cup packed brown sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

3 Tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

Stir together 3 Cups of flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Combine eggs, milk and oil in separate bowl, then add to flour mixture and mix well.

Pour into a greased 9” x 13” pan.

Combine nuts, brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons of flour, butter and cinnamon. Sprinkle over cake batter.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes clean when poked in the center.

Taken from: Better Homes and Garden New Cookbook

Hot Chocolate Cookies

These are great winter cookies!

Ingredients:

1 C Butter, room temperature
1 C granulated sugar
⅔ C packed brown sugar
2 whole large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3-¼ C flour
4 packages (1 oz. Packets, NOT Sugar-free) Hot Chocolate Mix
1 tsp salt
1-¼ tsp baking soda
1 C white chocolate chips
1 C milk chocolate chips
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and sugars together until well blended. Add in eggs and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, hot chocolate mix, salt and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 to 4 parts, making sure all is incorporated.
Fold in chips.

Scoop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. (I pressed the dough a little to help flatten it out.) Bake for 9-11 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Taken from: Your Homebased Mom

Hershey's Best Brownies

These are my specialty! I get a lot of requests to make these brownies; I almost have the recipe memorized. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Ingredients:

1 C butter

2 C sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 eggs

¾ Cups cocoa

1 C flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 Cup chopped nuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 13” x 9” pan. Microwave butter for 2 minutes, or until its melted. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add cocoa, beat until well blended. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; beat well. Stir in nuts. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until sides just pull away from pan.

Taken from: Hershey Homemade Cookbook

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies

Kids love helping with this recipe! They can roll the dough into balls, press their thumbprints into the ball, and fill the print with peanut butter. It sure made my job easier.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups flour
1/3 Cups cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Cups chocolate chips, divided
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup peanut butter, divided
1/3 Cup softened margarine or butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs

Directions:
Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Melt 1 Cup of the chocolate chips.

Beat sugar, 1/3 Cup peanut butter, butter and vanilla in a large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in melted chocolate. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Stir in remaining chocolate chips. Cover and chill until firm (about an hour).

Shape dough into 1 1/2" balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Press 1/2" deep thumbprint in each cookie and fill with about 1/2 teaspoon peanut butter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, until sides are set but centers are slightly soft. Let stand for 2 minutes, then remove to cooling racks.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Taken from: Nestle Best Loved Cookies

Chinese Almond Cookies

Ingredients:
2 3/4 Cups flour
1 Cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Cup shortening
1 slightly beaten egg
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
48 Whole almonds

Directions:
Stir flour sugar, baking soda and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles cornmeal. Mix in egg, milk and almond extract. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Place an almond in the center of each cookie and flatten slightly.
Bake at 325 degrees for 16 to 18 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes about 48 cookies

Taken from: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (1981)

S'mores Cookies

Ingredients:

1½ cups all purpose flour

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, softened

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cups miniature chocolate chips

1½ cups mini marshmallows

2 Hershey bars, chopped

Directions:

In a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugars until fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla until combined. Add the flour, graham crackers, salt, and baking soda, mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Refrigerate dough for about an hour. Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto cookie sheets. Bake for 8 minutes, and remove from the oven. Push 3 to 4 marshmallows and a few pieces of a Hershey’s bar into each cookie. Return to the oven and bake an additional 2-3 minutes until fully cooked. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Taken from: Jennifer's Road Trip

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 Tbsp. milk

Directions:
In one bowl, combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder; set aside. In another bowl, beat sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract; add the dry ingredients, mix well.

Preheat oven to 350. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place the balls 2-inches apart (the cookies do spread a little) on an ungreased cookie sheet. Push in the center of each ball with your thumb to make an indentation, dip your thumb in flour as needed to get a nice deep impression.

Heat chips and milk in saucepan until the chocolate is melted. Stir this mixture until smooth. Spoon the chocolate into each indentation. You’ll have enough chocolate sauce to “overfill” each indention. Bake 10-12 minutes, until cookies look "dry". Cool on racks. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

I make these every few weeks at our house, it's a cheaper breakfast than cereal. For you Bisquick users, get a Kitchen Aid, it is just as fast to make the batter this way! Not to mention better tasting!

The 4th of July Flags in the picture are a free printable. Click here to view.

Ingredients:
1 3/4 Cups Flour
2 Tbs. Sugar
1 Tbs. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 Egg
1 1/2 Cups Milk
3 Tbs. Vegetable Oil (or whatever you have on hand)
3/4 Cup Chocolate Chips

Directions:
Mix the dry ingredients, then add the egg, milk and oil. Mix well, then add the chocolate chips. Another option to help with the chocolate chips sticking to the bowl is to coat them with flour first. I put them in a container with flour and shake it.

Set the skillet at 350 degrees if electric, or medium if it's on the stove. Pour the pancake batter onto your hot skillet and flip when bubbling. Let cook on the other side for a couple of minutes, each side should be a golden brown.

They taste great with our Maple Syrup.

Taken From: Miller, Jan, ed. Better Homes and Gardens: New Cook Book. Des Moines, Iowa: Meredith Corporation, 2006. Simplified by Monica.

Blender Banana Bread

I wanted to use a couple of bananas before they went bad, but the usual Banana Bread recipe I use called for more bananas then I had so I tried the recipe that came with my Blend Tec Blender. It turned out really well, but I'm sure it would still turn out being mixed without the blender.

Time: About an Hour

Ingredients:
2 Eggs Whites (I just used the whole egg)
1/2 Cup Light Olive Oil (I used Vegetable Oil)
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
2 Bananas -Peeled and Broken in half
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg (I left this out)
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup Nuts (Optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place ingredients, minus the nuts, in the blender jar in the order as listed and secure the lid. Press Speed Up button until Speed 6. Let run for 30 seconds, or until well mixed. Mix nuts in and pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 60 minutes or until golden.

Taken From: Blendtec Lifestyles Recipe Book

Peanut Butter Cookies

Time: About an Hour

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar or 1/4 Cup Honey
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 Egg
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
1 3/4 Cups Flour

Directions:
Mix butter, peanut butter and sugars. Add baking soda and powder. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well, then add flour slowly. Mix until everything is well combined, the dough should be like play dough.

Set oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough into 1 inch balls, roll them in granulated sugar. You can also sprinkle the sugar on top after you flatten the cookies, but the extra on the pan may burn. Flatten the cookies with the traditional criss-cross marks so that everyone knows its a peanut butter cookie. Bake for 7-9 minutes until the bottoms are light brown.

Taken From: Miller, Jan, ed. Better Homes and Gardens: New Cook Book. Des Moines, Iowa: Meredith Corporation, 2006. Simplified by Monica.

Raejean’s No Bake Cookies

AKA: Deer Cookies, Tewksbury Treats

Ingredients:
2 Cup Sugar
2 Tbs. Cocoa
1/2 Cup Peanut butter
1/2 Cup Milk
3 Cup Oatmeal
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 Cup Butter

Directions:
Mix sugar, milk, butter and cocoa in a large pan and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add oatmeal, peanut butter, and vanilla. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper.

Taken From: Our Family Recipe Box