Brownies W/Caramels, Coconut, & Chocolate.

Good Wednesday Earth Day (note: not an environmentalist) everyone! Hope you are having a good week so far. I have been really enjoying sunny spring weather. I have waited a long time to be able to not wear a jacket!

There aren't words for these brownies. They are chewy, moist, stomach-pleasing, and eye-catching. I have been seeing other bakers making homemade Somaos all over the internet. I thought why not make a brownie Somaos? I am so glad I thought of making these. They are now my favorite brownies I have ever made and they make for amazing pictures. I also got thumbs up from my brother.

Brownie Somoas

Ingredients:

1 brownie mix

3 1/2 cups shredded coconut, toasted

(2) 14 oz. package of caramels, unwrapped

1/2 tsp. salt

4 tbsp. milk

3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare brownie mix according to box directions. Cool. Place the caramels, salt, and milk in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high for 3-5 minutes. Stop occasionaly to stir. Cook until all caramels are melted and smooth. Add coconut and mix together. Spread over cooled brownies. Refrigerate 4-5 hours or overnight. Cut into bars and drizzle with melted semi-sweet chocolate.

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I bet most of us have little sisters. Anna is 5 years younger than me. Anna loves to laugh at my jokes. I know if I make a joke she will usually laugh, while my siblings usually pass looks that say that was dumb. She says some pretty funny things. She is full of energy. Which is good, because in this family no one is quiet. While my brothers usually say nothing about my baking but keep eating it, Anna is the first to tell me what I made was good. And last year she let me cut her hair for the first time ever in her life. It was also my first time ever cutting hair. That took some courage. She usually does let me do things like to her. Amazing - right?

Enjoy your Wednesday, and I will have a non-dessert recipe next! Got a busy afternoon/evening ahead of me!

German Chocolate Cheesecake And The Purse Winner.

Good Monday everyone! This weekend we had more spring like weather....it even rained pretty good last Friday. All our snow has disappeared and you can finally see grass again, even if it is brown. I am having trouble believing it is already March. It felt like February had just started. But no complaints, because March means warm weather. Leaving those frigid temps and too cold days behind is not a problem for me. The word summer sounds so inviting these days.

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A big congrats to the winner of the purse giveaway, picked by random.org:

Misty, who said: Target.... it has everything!

Please contact me Misty at: priscilla91@iowatelecom.net so I can get your purse out to you!

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I am a big fan of German Chocolate anything. I love the cake, but I also love German Chocolate Cookies and this delicious German Chocolate Cheesecake. It is very simple to make, starting out with a boxed cake mix. It does take some time to cook and chill so I like to make it either early morning or night time. The pecan-coconut topping is one of my favorite parts, the more the better. And, get this cheesecake as cold as possible because it makes all the calories you are eating worthwile.

German Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients:
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) German Chocolate cake mix
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
FROSTING:
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter, cubed
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups flaked coconut
1-1/2 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:
Prepare cake batter according to package directions; set aside. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour half of the cake batter into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Gently pour cream cheese mixture over batter. Gently spoon remaining batter over top; spread to edge of pan. Bake at 325° for 70-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. For frosting, in a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, milk, butter and egg yolks Cook and stir over medium-low heat until thickened and a thermometer reads 160° or is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat. Stir in vanilla; fold in coconut and pecans. Cool until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Frost cooled cake. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 16 servings.

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You don't see many pictures of all 6 of us together on here. We don't take many pictures together. Because it is kinda hard to get all 6 of us together and looking at the camera or maybe because some boys I know raise their voices about "picture taking." But, because we are related (I'm still tring to figure if this is true) and our parents say to, we take pics together....even though 2 of your brothers faces aren't convincing anyone they are enjoying having their picture taken. I've come to love these kind of pictures more than when they are smiling because they make me laugh. Seriously, those 2 brothers of mine can brake out the funniest faces. People say we look alike, I can't see that. What do you guys think?

And I assure you, I really do have hair in that last picture. Really I do.

Have a super Monday and I'll see you with a yummy and amazingly healthy recipe next! I also want to say a big thank you to my readers who read my blog and for commenting on my giveaways or food blog posts....they mean a lot to me! You guys are the best!

We're Getting Closer To #1.

Wow. The week is already almost over. So, what do you think of my new look? I added another sidebar to my page and a few other small things. Many thanks to Shannon at 8 Eight Crazy Designs. I love this new look!

While out yesterday, I saw my first Christmas lights - way too early for me. Have you guys seen any in your area yet? On to #3 of the Top 10. You're probably thinking "Molasses Cookies"? Yes, but these aren't just another cookie. I am not a huge fan of Molasses Cookies, but these have quickly become my favorite.

"Molasses Cookies"

3/4 c. soft butter

1 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 c. molasses

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (don't substitute "anything" for this)

3 c. flour

DIRECTIONS:

Mix first 4 ingredients. Mix dry ingredients in another bowl and add to the wet ingredients. Chill for 20 minutes in a plastic container uncovered. Roll dough into balls the size of a tablespoon and roll in sugar. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 9 minutes at 350.
My brother's favorite fruit dip, we make it every year for New Years Eve....so yummy!

"Fresh Fruit Dip"

1/2 c. sour cream
1 c. milk
1 small pkg. instant french vanilla pudding
1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
1/3 c. coconut

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all together well. Refrigerate a couple hours or overnight. Cut up fresh fruit & serve.

#5 & And Nieman Bars!

I find it amazing that my family and I can eat so many desserts in such short periods of time. If the dessert is really good - it will be gone in a couple hours. But, there are "8" of us to eat it all. And, we of course eat healthy & delicious meals to balance it all off. I absolutely love a good meal along with a delicious dessert. Doesn't everyone?!

Can you believe Election Day is 2 days away??!!

"Jeweled Coconut Drops"

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons orange juice
1 teaspoon almond extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3-3/4 cups flaked coconut, divided
1 cup seedless raspberry preserves, warmed

DIRECTIONS:
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar. Beat in egg yolk, orange juice and almond extract. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in 3 cups of coconut. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle. Shape dough into 2-in. balls; roll in remaining coconut. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in the center of each ball. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Fill each cookie with preserves. Yield: about 3-1/2 dozen.

This is a dessert I got the recipe from a friend, man is it good! Nieman Marcus Bars"
"
Ingredients:
1 box of yellow cake mix
1 small box of instant vanilla pudding
1 egg
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 cup melted butter
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2 eggs
8 oz. package of cream cheese
1 lb. or powered sugar
DIRECTIONS:
Mix together top five ingredients and press into ungreased 10 X 15 pan.
Mix together last three ingredients and spread evenly over mixture in pan
Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Mounds Bars!!

Wow. This has to be one of the best recipes ever made. The chocolate topping, coconut mixture, and the graham cracker crust make it all soooo good. I doubled this recipe so I would get bigger bars, while they came out good for pictures - one big bar was making my heart burn. My brothers didn't seem to mind how big they were!

"Mounds Bars"

2 cups graham crackers, crushed

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

14 oz. condensed milk, sweetened

1 cup shredded coconut

1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 tbsp. peanut butter

DIRECTIONS:

Mix together first three ingredients. Pack in a greased 9x13 in. pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Combine milk and coconut and spread over graham cracker mixture. Bake for 15 minutes more or until golden brown. Melt chips and peanut butter and spread over cooled coconut and graham cracker mixture. Refrigerate. Serve.

***It is amazing how easy it is to melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in the microwave....I used to do it on the stove and had terrible results***

Ahh, this baseball life is so hard.