S'more Cups

Texas Cottage: S'more Cups

Chcolate Cherry Bars

This is so easy.  Always moist.

Chocolate Cherry Bars

• 1 Devils Food Cake Mix
• 1-21 oz. cherry pie filling
• 1 t. almond extract (or vanilla extract if you don't have almond on hand.)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 container chocolate fudge frosting or make the following frosting
• Frosting:
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 Tbsp. margarine or butter
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Combine almond extract, eggs and water. Stir into cake mix. Gently stir in pie filling. Pour mixture into a greased and floured, 9×13 inch pan.
Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes.
Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:
To prepare frosting, combine sugar, margarine, and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips. Beat until smooth and creamy.

Raspberry Brownies

Raspberry Brownies
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups fresh raspberries

Chocolate Drizzle:
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
Powdered sugar, for serving

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9- x 13- x 2-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Lightly butter the foil that lines the bottom and sides of pan. Set aside.

Beat butter at medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 1 1/4 cups sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix.

Sift flour, cocoa and salt together. Add to butter mixture and blend at a low speed. Spoon batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Arrange raspberries over the top, slightly pushing them into the batter using a gentle touch.

Bake in preheated 325-degree oven for about 40 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted into center comes out almost clean. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Grab ends of aluminum foil and carefully pull brownies out of pan. On work surface, cut the brownies into desired shapes.

In a small heavy saucepan, heat whipping cream and 1 tablespoon butter until it just begins to bubble around the edges. Remove from heat and add chocolate morsels. Stir until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Allow to cool slightly. Spoon Chocolate Drizzle into a plastic sandwich bag. Use scissors to snip a tiny piece from one bottom corner of the bag, forming a small hole to squeeze the chocolate mixture through. Sprinkle cut brownies with powdered sugar. Squeeze and drizzle chocolate over the cut brownies. Makes 1 to 2 dozen square brownies, depending on the size.

--If you happen to have framboise or other raspberry-flavored liqueur in your cabinet, add 1 tablespoon to the batter before baking and reduce the vanilla to 1 teaspoon.

MS-Easy Peanut Butter Cups

Easy Peanut Butter Cups
Ingredients

Makes 24.

* 4 ounces white chocolate, chopped
* 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
* 12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
* 2 tablespoons unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped

Directions

1. Line two 12-cup mini muffin pans with paper liners; set aside. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine white chocolate and peanut butter. Microwave, until almost melted, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, place semisweet chocolate in another microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, stirring once or twice, until almost melted, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Dividing evenly, use a spoon to layer semisweet chocolate and peanut-butter mixture into liners, beginning and ending with chocolate; sprinkle with peanuts. Place muffin pans in freezer until peanut butter cups are firm, about 15 minutes. Bring to room temperature before serving.

MS~Ty Amsterdam's Mud Pie

Ty Amsterdam's Mud Pie

Ingredients

Makes one 11-inch pie.

• 3 1/2 tablespoons ground almonds
• 10 tablespoons sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into large pieces, cold
• 14 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 10 1/2 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brewed coffee, room temperature
• Chocolate Leaves, for garnish (optional)
• Chocolate shovel, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, add almonds, 7 tablespoons sugar, flour, salt, and orange zest. Pulse until well combined. Add butter and pulse until dough comes together and there are no lumps.
3. Press dough into an 11-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom to create a crust about 1/4-inch thick. Transfer pie crust to oven and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
4. Place 10 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate and 3 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate in a large bowl; set aside. In a small saucepan, bring 1 1/4 cups heavy cream to a boil over medium heat. Strain hot cream through a fine mesh sieve over chocolate. Stir ganache until melted and smooth. Add vanilla and stir until well combined.
5. Strain chocolate mixture through a fine mesh sieve into the center of the cooled pie shell. Evenly spread chocolate with a spatula. Transfer to a refrigerator until chocolate has set.
6. In a heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water, melt remaining 3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate and 7 ounces semisweet chocolate. In a small saucepan set over low heat, beat egg yolk mixture and 1 1/2 teaspoons of water together until thickened. Transfer melted chocolate to a large bowl, fold in egg yolks and coffee until well combined; set aside.
7. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture.
8. In the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add remaining tablespoon sugar and beat until stiff. Gently fold into chocolate mixture.
9. Spoon mixture on top of chilled ganache and spread evenly with a spatula. Transfer to refrigerator and chill overnight. Remove from tart pan and transfer to serving platter. Garnish platter with leaves and shovel, if desired. Serve pie at room temperature.