Gma Shirley's 5lb Fudge

Every year I think I'm going to post this and then I go to this sight and realize I didn't do it when I try to find it.  So here we go...
I made this with Mom every year during the holidays.  I basically know it by heart and I have it written down in my chicken scratch.  Mom got this recipe from her Grandma Bessie Striker, who raised her and Aunt Betty and they referred to Grandma Bessie as 'Mom'.  So this is also history thru fudge as well.  Maybe someday the littles will want to make up some candy for the holidays and in memory of Gma Shirley they'll refer to this.

First you will need to butter a nice 9x9 pan and set aside.

Get prepared by gathering timer, a large heavy kettle, wood spoon, large spatula, and extra large bowl.

In the extra large bowl pour in:
10oz package of miniature marshmallows
3 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Place the heavy large kettle on medium high heat, add to it:
1 cup of butter
4 and 1/2 cups of white sugar
1 can of evaporated milk

Stir constantly with the wooden spoon to keep from scorching, eventually this will come to a boil, then set the timer to 6 minutes.  Keep stirring constantly for SIX minutes (or the fudge will not set up).

Once the time is up, remove from heat
Add 1 TBSP of vanilla. (Be careful because this will boil and splatter up at you, that is normal)

Mix in vanilla.  (Or peppermint and espresso!)

Pour hot syrup over the chocolate chips and marshmallows.  FOLD the mixture together with a large spatula.

At this point you can add 2 cups of walnuts or pecans too.

Mom always said over mixing would make it grainy and it wouldn't stay smooth and creamy.  She also said NOT to ever scrape the sides of the kettle, because it was grainy.

I hope someone in the family continues making this!

M&M Cookie Cake ~ by Sarah

I found this on Pinterest and it is SO good!  Very easy and very, very good.  I recommend adding the butterscotch chips like I did.  They totally make it!

1 c. + 1 T. all-purpose flour
1/4 t. baking soda
3/4 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 c. M&M's (I did 1/2 cup and a 1/2 cup butterscotch chips--SO good!)

Preheat oven to 325.  Cream butter and sugar. Add in egg and vanilla and blend. Then combine flour and baking soda--mix until completely incorporated. Fold in the M&M's. Dump into a greased 9.5″ pie pan and bake for 25-30 mins.  Cool, cut into cookie pie slices, and enjoy!

(Not my picture.)

Craig Olson's Peanut Butter Balls~by Kelsey

We were introduced to these by Craig Olson at our volunteer fire fighter bbq.  They are to DIE for, and we were lucky enough that he made us another batch at Christmas time AND included the recipe.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cups peanut butter (crunchy is best)
1 lb powdered sugar
3 cups Rice Crispies
Mix well.  Using your hands, roll into balls about 1 inch across in size.
Dip them in the following after melting in a double boiler:
1/2 bar parafin
8 ox Hershey bar
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

I have actually never made these myself, so I have no idea how difficult it is or how long it takes.  And, we forgot to take a picture before we ate them all.

German Chocolate Fudge~by Kelsey

 I got this recipe here:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/german-chocolate-fudge/
It's REALLY good, although it did cost me $10 just for the German Chocolate.  But, it makes a lot and everyone will love it.  I omit the nuts when I make it.

Ingredients: 

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 

12 (1 ounce) squares German sweet chocolate 

1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme  

4 1/2 cups white sugar 

2 tablespoons butter  
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk  
1/8 teaspoon salt  
2 cups chopped pecans

1. Combine chocolate chips, German sweet chocolate and marshmallow creme in large bowl.
2. Combine sugar, butter, evaporated milk and salt in heavy skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Pour hot syrup over chocolate mixture. Stir with wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in pecans.
4. Spread into buttered 10x15 inch pan. Let stand until firm; cut into squares.

Peanut butter-filled brownie cupcakes~by Kelsey

I recently found this recipe in the Country magazine.  And I immediately tried it out.  It was very easy and delicious.  I ended up with about 15 cupcakes, plus had enough filling left over to make a whole cupcake out of just the peanut butter filling!

Ingredients:
1 pkg fudge brownie mix (you will also need the ingredients listed on the back, usually just eggs and oil)
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips (I used regular size)
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 Tbsp cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

Prepare brownie batter according to package directions, stir in chocolate chips.  For filling, in a small bowl, beat peanut butter, cream cheese, egg and sugar until smooth.  Fill paper-lined muffin cups one third full with batter.  Drop filling by teaspoonfuls into the center of each cupcake.  Cover with remaining batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack before removing.  Dust tops with confectioners sugar.  Store in refrigerator.

Fudge~by Kelsey

From allrecipes.com.  It works best to double the recipe and put it in a 9X13 pan.

Ingredients:
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


Place the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter in large microwave-safe bowl.  Zap in microwave on medium until chips are melted, about 3-5 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking.  Stir in nuts, if desired.  Pour into well-greased 8X8 glass baking dish.  Refrigerate until set.

No-Bake Chocolate Truffle Pie ~ by Sarah

Molly made me this pie years ago and I insisted that she write the recipe down for me. I remembered it the other day and made it. It was delicious!

Ingredients:
3/4 c. (about 17) caramels
1/4 c. evaporated milk
1 1/2 c. (one regular-sized bag) chocolate chips
1 c. whipping cream
3 T. butter
1 prepared chocolate crumb crust (Fred Meyer was out, so I had to improvise my own...it didn't work out so well.  I recommend that you try to buy one!)

Directions:
Melt caramels and milk together over low heat.  Pour in crust.  Melt other ingredients together.  Pour over caramel mixture.  Refrigerate until set (about 4 hours).  Serve with whipped topping.  (I bought extra whipping cream and whipped it up for the topping.  I didn't add sugar because this pie is rich, so the more bland whipping cream is a nice balance.

I forgot to take a picture and I remembered as I began eating the last slice the next day!

Mocha Fudge Cake ~Molly

I found this recipe in Self magazine adapted from a spa in Arizona. It's delicious! I added powdered sugar on top and ate it with ice cream (Mom added milk, but that's gross).

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 eggs
• 3 oz unsweetened, bittersweet, or semisweet chocolate, melted
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup hot coffee
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 
  
• PREPARATION
• Heat oven to 350˚. Beat sugar and butter in a bowl until combined. Beat in eggs, then chocolate, then sour cream. Sift flour and baking soda in a bowl; add to chocolate mixture. Beat in coffee, vanilla and salt until combined. Coat a 9" x 13" pan with cooking spray; pour in batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 minutes.
• 
  
• THE SKINNY
• 279 calories per slice, 11 g fat (6 g saturated), 42 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein

Grasshopper Brownie Bars ~Molly

I made these for Christmas Eve and they are soooo good! The creme de menthe doesn't cook out, like it would with a pie, so these probably aren't a great thing to take to a church potluck, school bake sale, or AA meeting. Mom has now eaten several and is claiming that she wants to "get a little drunk".  Merry Christmas everyone!

*I didn't take this, I stole it from epicurious.com. Maybe if Sarah were here helping me, I'd have my own picture.

For brownie layer

• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 10 1/2 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not extra-bitter or unsweetened and no more than 60% cacao if marked), finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

For mint ganache

• 1/2 cup heavy cream**
• 10 oz fine-quality white chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons green crème de menthe
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract

For chocolate ganache

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 10 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped

Make brownie layer*:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan and line with 2 crisscrossed sheets of foil, leaving a 2 inch overhang on all sides. Butter foil.

Melt butter and chocolate with brown sugar in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in eggs and vanilla until combined. Whisk in flour, cocoa, and salt until just combined.

Spread batter evenly in baking pan and bake until set and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs adhering, about 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 1 1/2 hours.

Make mint ganache:
Bring cream to a simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and remove from heat. Pour over white chocolate in a bowl. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Stir in crème de menthe and extract and chill, covered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 1 hour.

Make chocolate ganache:
Bring cream to a simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and remove from heat. Pour over bittersweet chocolate in a bowl. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Chill, covered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 30 minutes.

Assemble layers:
Spread mint ganache over top of cooled brownie in a thin even layer using offset spatula, then chill until firm but still slightly sticky, about 30 minutes.

Spread chocolate ganache over mint and chill until firm, about 2 hours.

Lift dessert out of pan using foil overhang. Run a heavy knife under hot water and wipe dry, then trim edges of dessert (1/4 inch off each side). Cut dessert into squares and peel from foil.

*If you don't want to make your own brownies, I'm sure the kind out of the box would work just fine. This recipe makes enough batter for a 13x9 pan, though, so for box brownies you will have more ganache than you need.

**I didn't think the mint ganache was minty enough so I used probably closer to a 1/4 cup of creme de menthe. I didn't reduce my heavy cream at all, though so it didn't set up as much as it should have. When I make this again, I'll probably use about 1/3 cup of heavy cream instead.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Grasshopper-Squares-233300

Snow Popcorn ~ by Sarah

I got this recipe from another Sarah--a gal I taught with in Goldendale.  She brought it to the staff room one December and I couldn't get enough!

Ingredients:
microwave popcorn
white chocolate chips or white almond bark
peanuts
plain M&M's
peanut M&M's

(There aren't specific measurements for this.  For this batch, I used three regular-sized bags of butter-flavored microwave popcorn, two bags of white chocolate chips, one jar of peanuts, and one large bag of each kind of M&M's.)

Directions:
Pop popcorn.  Meanwhile, melt chocolate or almond bark in a saucepan over a larger pan of boiling water.  Dump popcorn into LARGE container (I've used garbage bags when I'm making a really big batch--you need room for it to be able to really move when you shake it).  Combine all the ingredients in the container with the popcorn and shake the heck out of it.  You might have to stir, too.  Lay out on baking sheets, foil, or wax paper to dry.  Enjoy!

Elegant Dessert ~ by Sarah

This comes from the Pioneer Cookbook--the one from the North Powder residents.  Make this and you will be the most popular person at the event you take it to.  Trust me.  It's a requirement at any Anderson Thanksgiving.  Jordan, Matt, and Andy threaten to steal it as soon as I arrive.  It's heaven on a plate!

Ingredients:
1 cube butter
1 c. flour
1 3/4 c. chopped nuts*
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. powdered sugar
9 oz. Cool Whip
1 small package chocolate pudding
1 small package vanilla pudding
3 c. milk
1 t. vanilla

*I hate nuts so I never use them in this recipe.  (Which makes Mom crazy.)  If you don't put the nuts in the crust, you will need to 1 1/2 the crust--1 1/2 cubes of butter and 1 1/2 c. of flour.

Directions:
Mix butter, flour, and 1 cup nuts (if you want them).  Spread in 13x9-inch pan.  Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.  Cool completely.  Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, and 1 cup Cool Whip together.  Spread over crust.  Mix 2 pudding mixes, milk, and vanilla.  Beat until it starts to thicken.  Pour over cream cheese layer and chill.  Spread remaining Cool Whip on pudding layer and sprinkle with nuts.  (Since I don't sprinkle it with nuts, I grate chocolate and sprinkle it on the top.)

*I am crying right now over the fact that there were no leftovers of this!  Only one piece was enjoyed by me!

Milky Way Cake ~ by Sarah

My co-worker, MaryRuth, has brought this cake to school a few times and I am always eager to enjoy it!  It takes 11, yes 11, Milky Way bars to make it!  It is delicious!

Ingredients:
Cake:
8 Milky Way bars (full size)
2 sticks butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/3 cups flour
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Frosting:
3 Milky Way bars
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
Cake:
Melt over medium heat 1 cube butter and 8 Milky Way bars.  With mixer cream 1 cube of butter and sugar.  Add eggs.  Combine soda and flour, then add to sugar mixture.  Mix in buttermilk.  Add melted candy bars.  Bake in greased and floured bundt cake pan for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Frosting:
Melt Milky Way bars and butter over medium heat.  Add milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar.  Pour over warm cake.

Please excuse the crummy cell phone picture.  Trust me--it's pretty and delicious!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins~by Kelsey

This one comes from allrecipes.com.  I am a huge fan of pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Grease the muffin pan, or use paper liners.  Mix sugar, oil, eggs.  Add pumpkin and water.  In separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and powder, spices, and salt.  Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir in the chocolate chips.  Fill the cups 2/3 full and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Chex Muddy Buddies~by Kelsey

I absolutely LOVE these!  You can't beat chocolate and peanut butter!  I didn't get a picture of them, so I guess I will have to make another batch soon so I can get a picture!  They are fast, easy, and only dirty one bowl.

Ingredients:
9 cups Chex cereal (I buy generic rice and corn Chex-like cereals)
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a large microwave-safe bowl, add chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter.  Cook 30 seconds, stir, cook 30 seconds, stir.  Repeat this process until the mixture is smooth.  Add vanilla.  Add the cereal to the bowl, and stir very carefully until all the cereal is coated.  Now, you can either add the powdered sugar to the bowl and stir, OR you can put the cereal in a ziplock bag, add the powdered sugar, and shake.  Store in an air tight container in the fridge.  They are awesome.  Trust me.

Killer Brownies ~ by Sarah

I found these brownies in my Pioneer Cookbook.  I decided to give them a try and I only have one thing to say: Where have you been all my life?!?

Seriously, you must make them.  I have two theories on how these got their name.  They are so incredibly delicious when people eat them they say, "Wow!  These are some killer brownies!"

-or-

People eat them, realize they contain 4 1/2 cubes of butter (yes, you read that right), and they say, "Wow!  These are some killer brownies!  I think I might be having a heart attack!  Please call 911!"

Regardless of their name's origin, they are insanely delicious.  I took them to school yesterday and had people hunting me down all day asking for the recipe.


Ingredients:
4 1/2 cubes butter, melted (I read that applesauce can be a successful alternative to butter when baking.  If you can't get past the butter, try half applesauce and half butter.)
1/2 t. salt
3 c. oatmeal
3 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
3 c. packed brown sugar
1 (about 21-oz.) bottle butterscotch/caramel sauce (I have never found them together, so I always buy one jar of each and mix them.)
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl.  Spread half of the mixture evenly on the bottom of a 15x10 3/4-inch pan.  (Make sure it's at least 1/2-inch deep.)  Pat down.  Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Drizzle caramel sauce over the baked mixture.  Use rubber spatula to spread to within 1/2 inch of the edges.  Sprinkle chocolate chips on caramel sauce, then sprinkle remaining dry mix on top.  Bake for an additional 15 minutes at 350 degrees.  Cut into squares when completely cool.

Tip: Because of the copious amounts of butter in these, I highly recommend that you keep these in the refrigerator.  If the room is at all warm they really start to get gooey and are hard to hold.  Still delicious, but messy!

Chocolate Sheet Cake ~ by Sarah

This recipe came from my Pioneer Woman cookbook. If I had known it was going to be this good, I would have made it months ago.  Definitely the best homemade chocolate cake I've ever made.  And it's so easy!

Ingredients:
For the Cake:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
¼ teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons (heaping) cocoa
2 sticks butter
1 cup boiling water
½ cup buttermilk (If you don't have any buttermilk, pour almost 1/2 cup low-fat milk into a measuring cup. Then add about 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar.)
2 whole beaten eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Frosting:
½ cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
1-¾ sticks butter
4 tablespoons (heaping) cocoa
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound (minus 1/2 cup) powdered sugar

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Set aside.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Set aside.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together. Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into ungreased sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake immediately after it comes out of the oven.

Serve to chocolate lovers everywhere!

Chocolate Chip Pancakes~by Kelsey

This is what Lydia wants for breakfast every morning.  Riker likes them, too, but he tops his with peanut butter instead of syrup.

Ingredients:
Pancake mix of your choice, made by directions on the package
Chocolate chips

Mix up the batter.  Pour the pancake in the pan.  Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.  Flip.  Enjoy!

Lydia's pancake is supposed to be shaped like an "L" in the above photo.

Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting and Ganache ~ by Molly

 This is a recipe I found on FoodNetwork.com several years ago and make constantly (mostly because Sarah demands it!). While the recipe is long and has several steps, it's still easy and can be made with things that are usually already on-hand. I copied the recipe from the website, but I usually make a few changes to it. I like to add a brick of cream cheese to the frosting and increase the amount of powdered sugar to make it the right consistency. I also use 2 bittersweet or semi-sweet Ghirardelli chocolate bars instead of chocolate chips. It's better quality chocolate and sometimes chocolate chips have additives that make them harder to melt. I also usually use either 8 or 9 inch pans (depending on what's in the kitchen) and increase the time to at least 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Cake:

• 3 cups packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup canola oil (olive oil is okay, too)
• 3 eggs
• 2 2/3 cups flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/8 cups cocoa powder

Frosting:

• 1 1/2 pounds unsalted butter, soft
• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Ganache:

• 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil 3 (10-inch) cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. Alternately, oil the pans and then flour them.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the brown sugar and oil. Turn on the mixer to a low speed and mix in the eggs. Let the sugar, oil, and eggs mix while sifting together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Set this mixture aside.

In another small bowl, mix the vanilla into the milk and set this aside as well. Bring the water to a boil and pour over the cocoa and whisk it until it is smooth. To the egg mixture, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture beginning and ending with flour. With the mixer off, scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. With the mixture at a low speed add the cocoa. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour this mixture into the prepared cake pans. Bake the cake for approximately 15 minutes or until tester comes out clean. When cake layers have cooled, remove from pans and refrigerate until cold.

To make the frosting: In an electric mixing bowl place the soft butter and beat it on a low speed while adding powdered sugar. When all the sugar is mixed in, turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the vanilla and salt and let the mixer beat for 5 to 7 minutes on a medium speed. Fill and frost the cake and refrigerate it for 10 to 20 minutes to set up the frosting.

To make the ganache: In a heatproof bowl, place the chocolate chips and the corn syrup. Bring the heavy cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and whisk it until smooth then set it aside.Pour ganache over the top of the cake and, with a cake spatula, smooth the top of the cake and allow ganache to spill over the sides. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or longer.

Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding ~ by Sarah

WARNING: This recipe (one Molly found and is famous for) will likely cause you to gain a pound just from reading it.  But it's a lovely, lovely pound and well worth it!  I've never actually made it (but I've eaten plenty of it!), so these pictures were taken by my friend, Angela, who got the recipe from me the other day.  So delicious!

Molly made it for Kelsey when she was home a few weeks ago, and, according to Grace, Kelsey ate the entire pan almost entirely by herself.  Kelsey does not deny this accusation.

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. vanilla extract
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/2 c. heavy cream
12 croissants
1/2 c. raisins (We always leave these out.)
3/4 c. bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped small

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a food processor, combine butter and sugar and process until well blended.  Add cinnamon and vanilla and pulse to combine.  While the processor is running, crack 5 eggs into the mixture.  Turn off the processor and scrape down the sides.  Add heavy cream and pulse to combine.  Lightly butter a 9x13-inch pan.  Break croissants into 1-inch pieces and layer in the pan.  (If the croissants you buy are large, they may not all fit.)

Scatter the raisins (if you are including them) and shaved bittersweet chocolate over the top, and gently mix to incorporate.  Pour the egg mixture over the croissants; soak for 8 to 10 minutes.  You will need to push croissant pieces down during this time to ensure even coverage by egg mixture.

Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for additional 10 minutes to brown the top.  The croissant bread pudding is done when the custard is set, but still soft.  Allow to cool.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies ~ by Kelsey

I don't remember where I got this recipe.  They are my favorite cookies, though!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup chocolate chips

Cream butter, brown sugar and white sugar.  Beat in eggs, then vanilla.  Combine flour, baking soda, and salt.  Stir into the creamed mixture.  Mix in the oats and chocolate chips.  Bake for 12 minutes at 325 degrees.