Ooey Gooey Things

I was feeling a little stressed and I decided it was time to break in my new mixer. So I went to the grocery store at 8:30PM on a weeknight and bought supplies for a cake. Cakes are not even my specialty! But I had found this recipe on Pinterest a while back and had to try it. It seemed the perfect and most decadent thing I could possibly make with my brand-spankin’-new mixer. I have to admit, this recipe is a bit complicated (especially when you’re making it at 9PM) but this cake is pretty good. It’s intense though, soooo much sugar!

Things You Need:

• 1 German Chocolate Cake Mix—I used Betty Crocker’s, it was on sale.
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 egg

 

• 8 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
• 3 Butterfinger candy bars, crushed

 

• 1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
• 1 c. peanut butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• ½ c. butter, melted
• 4 c. powdered sugar

 

• ½ c. chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil

Things You Need To Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, 325 if using a glass pan. Spray a 9×12 pan (I realized I only had a 9×13 pan. Clearly I am not typically a cake baker).

2. Combine cake mix, egg, and melted butter. Put cake mix layer on the bottom of the pan and pat it down. Make sure your layer evenly coats the bottom.

3. Spread your Reese’s cups evenly over the cake layer. You can use the miniatures or the regular sized cups but you want to make sure you have enough. I bought 16 fun-sized cups and used all of them. I could have used more—I blame my 9×13 pan. Then sprinkle your Butterfingers over the top. I used 6 fun-sized ones, but it probably could have used more. Oh well, now it can be a diet ooey gooey cake.

4. Combine cream cheese, vanilla, and peanut butter. Add in your eggs. Add melted butter. Add powdered sugar (I did this one cup at a time and stirred until smooth once it was all in). Spread mixture over candy layer.

5. Bake for 50 minutes. The directions said that the center will puff up when it’s done and be slightly jiggly.

6. Let it cool and then melt your chocolate chips (1 minute in the microwave). Add in oil and stir, spread over the top of the cake.

Eat up!

Until next time,

Jen

Chocolatey, Oatmealy Things

I’m going over to some friends’ for dinner this weekend and he recently requested Chocolate Chip Oatmeal cookies. I first started making these with my roommate and they are so good because they’re the best of both worlds—chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal cookies. Much like an oatmeal cookie recipe, this recipe makes quite a few cookies and so I typically make this recipe when I plan to give them away.

I rarely make chocolate chip cookies, despite loving the classic cookie so much, simply because I never keep chocolate chips on hand (this is largely a purposeful choice). And so, these Chocolate Chip Oatmeal cookies are a real treat and make me wish I kept chocolate chips in the house more often.

Things You Need:

• Cookie sheets
• 1 ½ c. packed brown sugar
• 1 c. butter, softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 c. oats
• 1 ½ c. flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 c. chocolate chips

Things You Need To Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray your cookie sheets.

2. Cream together your butter and brown sugar. Mix in your egg and vanilla (confession: I never measure my vanilla. I probably use much more vanilla than the recipe calls for).

3. Stir in your dry ingredients. I start with the baking soda, salt, and flour. Then I mix in my oats. And finally, an overflowing cup of chocolate chips.

4. Spoon out your dough into roughly 2 in. round calls. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen.

 

When I’m baking for a crowd, I’ll make sure my cookies are smaller so it looks like I’ve made more. But sometimes I’ll make the cookies a little bigger and just watch them to see when they’re done. I like mine a little under-cooked, so I bake them only 10 minutes, sometimes less.

Until next time,

Jen