triple chocolate fudge brownies

the goods:

10 ounces dark chocolate chopped

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3 eggs, room temperature

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until melted. Remove from heat, add the dark chocolate and stir until completely melted and smooth. Whisk in the sugar and brown sugar. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks one at a time, then add the vanilla and salt. With a wooden spoon, stir in flour and cocoa powder until evenly combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Spread into an even layer in the pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until brownies no longer wobble when pan is giggled, top has a shiny papery crust, and sides are just beginning to come away from pan. Remove from oven and cool for an hour before slicing, removing from pan, and dusting with confectioners' sugar.

mini heart pie pockets

the goods:

basic pie dough:

1 and 1/4 cup flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes

5 tablespoons very cold water

1/4 cup strawberry jam

1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water

raw sugar 

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry cutter, or 2 butter knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until butter is the size of peas. Add water a few tablespoons at a time, stirring dough with a fork until it comes together. Form into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll dough out to an even thickness, (fairly thin). Using a heart shaped cutter (smallest you have), cut out as many hearts as you can (preferably an even number). On half the hearts, drop a 1/2 teaspoon of jam in the center. Dab outer edges of hearts with egg wash and place a topper on each jam-filled heart. Use a fork to seal the edges together. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cut tiny slits or x's in the hearts, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake at 370 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until golden.

twix cookies

the goods:

1 and 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, room temperature

1 cup confectioners' sugar

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

15 ounces caramel candies, unwrapped

2 cups milk chocolate chips

2 teaspoons Crisco

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla, flour, and salt. Mix well.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to 1/2-inch thick. Us a 2-inch biscuit or circle cutter to cut out cookies. Place cookies on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 14 minutes. Let cookies cool.
Melt caramel and spread over the cooled cookies. Let caramel cool completely.
Add Crisco to the chocolate chips and melt in the microwave in 30-second increments. Spread melted chocolate over cooled caramel. Let chocolate set before serving.

chocolate butterscotch shortbread

the goods:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup dark-brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

8 ounces dark chocolate, melted

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla, reduce speed to low, and slowly add flour and salt until just combined. Mix in butterscotch chips and stir until evenly distributed, scraping down paddle if needed.

Grease a 9-by-9-inch baking pan. Using a rubber spatula, press dough evenly into pan and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Score dough into eighths in one direction and quarters in the other, to make 32 rectangular cookies. Pierce dough all over with a fork.

Bake until firm and slightly golden brown around the edges, 50 to 60 minutes. Immediately cut through all the scoring to separate the cookies. Let cool completely in the pan.

Remove cookies and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Dip half of each cookie in chocolate, gently scraping off any excess, and place back on baking sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

candy cane kiss cookies

the goods:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon milk

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

20 hershey candy cane kisses

In a large bowl using a stand mixer, beat the butter, sugar and brown sugar together on medium speed until creamy. Beat in the egg until combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed.  Beat in the vanilla until combined. In a medium bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the dry ingredients, then add the milk. Mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed.
Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. put confectioners' sugar in a small bowl. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls, then roll each ball in confectioners' sugar to coat. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly on baking sheet, then press a hershey candy cane kiss into the center of each cookie.

baked caramel popcorn

the goods:

10 cups plain popcorn, popped

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Spread the popcorn out onto a large, foil-lined and lightly greased rimmed baking sheet.
In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter, cream of tartar, and salt. Bring to a simmer stirring constantly. Allow to simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and quickly stir in the baking soda. Pour the caramel over the popcorn and stir gently until it is evenly distributed and coating the kernels. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheet, then break apart any large clusters.

brownie peppermint cookies

the goods:

1 box fudge brownie mix

1 and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 tablespoons whole milk

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

vanilla cream frosting:

4 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

6 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup crushed peppermints, or candy canes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a cookie sheet and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together brownie mix, flour, brown sugar, and salt. Add in eggs and milk and stir with a wooden spoon. Add in melted butter, vanilla, and peppermint extract, stir until well blended. Spoon heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

While brownie cookies are baking and cooling, make frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip together butter, sugar and cream until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla and salt.

When brownie cookies are cooled, frost and sprinkle with peppermints.