Basic Brownies

1 cup (two sticks) soft butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour

Melt butter in saucepan. Add sugar and cocoa and stir together. Remove from heat and let cool a few minutes. Add eggs, vanilla and mix well. Add flour. Mix with a hand mixer and pour into pan. Mixture will be very thick.
Pour into a 9x13 pan and bake @350 degrees for 30 minutes. (I would check this at 25 min.)

I usually end up doubling this recipe and using a cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. This is a basic brownie but still, very tasty. It is one of my favorites. It beats brownies in a box anyday and it is so simple to make.

Chocolate Cake Roll for Ice Cream Cake

3 eggs
1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup flour
Powdered sugar for sprinkling

In a Bosch mixer, beat 3 eggs on high, (speed 3) for 5 minutes.
They will look very thick and lemon colored.
With mixer on, beat in granulated sugar. Beat in sour cream and vanilla on low speed.
Mix in dry ingredients, beating until batter is smooth. (This does not take long.)
Pour into greased and floured jelly roll pan 10"x15", and tip to spread mixture around. It's okay if it doesn't fill in every corner exactly, but cover most of the pan.

Bake at 375 degrees, until toothpick comes out clean, about 12 minutes.

While hot, loosen cake from pan and plop onto a terry towel that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar. Roll cake from narrow end. Cool on a wire rack.

Unroll cake; remove towel. Spread with softened (but not melted) ice cream. Roll up; wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze until firm.

Drizzle with hot fudge topping for a dramatic dessert.

Our favorite is mint ice cream inside the chocolate cake.

Any ice cream will work: cookies and cream, fudge revel, or vanilla.  I did try chocolate ice cream and thought it was a bit too much.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Cream:
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 cups sugar

Add:
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup coconut (optional)

Mix well and add:

1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
2 1/2 cups flour
Mix until incorporated. Don't over mix your flour.

Pour into 2 well greased and floured loaf pans.
Bake loaves at 350 degrees 50-55 min.
Toothpick test tells you it is done.

I'm trying to save you calories by adding the yogurt. If you don't have yogurt, you can use applesauce, but I'm finding I really like the plain yogurt better.

This batter is so thick and fudgy you'll wonder if you should frost a cake with it, but go ahead and bake it. It is a very rich and moist bread.

To make a four loaf batch, double everything, but add 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon.
Just made this again and threw in a very ripe banana. It was the moistest bread I've ever had. If you have a spare banana lying around try it.

Symphony Bars

Layer one:
1 cup soft butter
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tablespoons cocoa
4 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and cocoa together. Mix remainder of ingredients and add to first mixture. Press evenly into a large jelly roll pan that has been sprayed with Pam.
Chill 15 minutes.

Layer two:
½ cup soft butter
¼ cup milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1 large box vanilla instant pudding
A few drops of yellow food coloring
Mix together and spread on first layer. (This looks like thick frosting.)

Layer three:
3 giant Hershey’s Symphony bars (4.25oz, blue package)
2 Tablespoons butter
Melt in microwave for one minute in glass dish. Continue to microwave another 30 seconds if needed. Stir chocolate until melted. (It usually does not take more than this.) Spread on second layer. Chill.

Score chocolate with sharp paring knife, and cut into squares. Serve chilled.

These really are my magnum opus, my "great work." I've been perfecting this recipe for over ten years, and I'm there. This was one of my first original recipes, the one for which I am most proud. It is my most requested recipe. The chocolate may not cover every single bit of your cookie sheet, but it should come close.
These must be served chilled. You have two raw eggs in your crust, so it needs to stay refrigerated for that reason. Plus, if these get warm, they are difficult to hold. The crust goes soft. Served chilled, they keep just the right firmness.
The blue symphony bars are the ones I use, the one's with nuts inside.
I really thought these would win me the million one day. Haven't made a cent, but you should be able to enjoy them without the fame or fortune.

Chocolate Cookie

1 cup soft butter
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 large box (5.1 oz) instant chocolate pudding
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/4 cups flour
white chocolate chips (1/2 a pkg)
heath pieces (a handful)

Cream butter and sugar well. Add eggs, and mix well. Add vanilla, pudding and baking soda and mix again. Add flour last, and mix as little as possible.
Fold in white chocolate and heath pieces.

Roll into balls and place on cookie sheet
Bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

Behold the power of vanilla.  I had posted earlier that I wasn't completely satisfied with the taste of these cookies.  Not so! I doubled the vanilla and found the taste and texture was right where I wanted it to be.  I declare them perfect.  Enjoy.