Laurel's English Toffee

3/4 cup pecans, finely chopped (or any other nut you enjoy)
1 cup butter (no substituting marg.)
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp water
1/8 tsp salt (do not omit!)
1 tsp pure vanilla
2 bars (8 oz) Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Baking bars *

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Toast chopped nuts on a baking in the oven for 6-8 minutes or until fragrant.
With heavy duty aluminum foil, form a 10" square shell with 1" high sides. Place foil shell on a baking sheet and set aside.
In a heavy saucepan, cook the butter, sugar, water and salt over medium heat until the temperature reaches 305 degrees (hard-crack stage) stirring occasionally (watch closely after it reaches 290 because the temp will increase rapidly.) When the mixture becomes a dark golden brown, immediately remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Pour the mixture into the foil shell. Cool at room temperature for 45 minutes, or until hard.
Melt chocolate. Spread melted chocolate over the cooled toffee and sprinkle with the nuts pressing lightly to set them into the chocolate.
Let set at room temp 1 hour or until the chocolate is set.
Break toffee into pieces.

Store covered at room temp for up to 1 month. Makes 1 1/4 pounds.

*of course, this recipe came from a Ghirardelli wrapper - you can use any delicious very dark baking chocolate you like - I recommend at least 60% high quality cocoa.

Laurel's Peanut Butter Shortbreads with Chocolate Ganache

4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups confectioners sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream


Cookies

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour with baking powder and salt.
Using a mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add confectioners' sugar and peanut butter and beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract.
Beat in the dry ingredients at a low speed.

Divide dough into 3 portions and wrap in saran. Form into logs about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Refrigerate until firm.

Slice logs 1/3 inch thick and arrange cookies 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Slightly flatten cookies with your fingertips. Bake one sheet in the upper and one sheet in the lower third of the oven for 20 minutes, or until just golden; shift the sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Using a pestle or the bottom of a shot glass, gently make a 1 1/2 inch round indentation in the center of each baked cookie. Let cool on the baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining cookies.


Chocolate Ganache

Put the chopped chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Pour it over the chocolate and let stand until melted, then whisk until smooth. Let the ganache cool to room temperature, then spoon it into the cookie indentations.

Makes about 3 doz. cookies

I have to be honest, I got this from the 2003 issue of Food and Wine. I have made it many times and every time it is a hit!

Suta's Soft Fragrant Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
4 c. flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom

Thoroughly cream the butter and sugar. Stir in the sour cream, vanilla and eggs. Mix in the dry ingredients and chocolate chips.

I fill a large pastry bag with the dough and press out drop size cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet. You can also drop by tablespoons.

Bake 10 -12 minutes at 400 degrees.

Clara's Black Forestt Cake "Schwartzwaldekirschetorte"

Dark Chocolate Cake

1 ¾ cups unsifted all-purpose flour
2 cups Sugar
¾ cup Hershey’s Cocoa
1 ½ tsp Baking soda
1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
2 ea Eggs
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Vegetable oil
2 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Boiling water

Combine ingredients in large mixing bowl.
Add remaining ingredients except boiling water;
Beat at medium speed 2 minutes.
Remove from mixer;
Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).
Pour into two greased and floured 9”or three 8”layer pans, or one 13 x 9”pan.
Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes for layers, 35 to 40 minutes for 13 x 9” pan, or until cake tester (inserted in center) comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes on rack.
Remove from pans;
Cool completely.


One Bowl Frosting

8 Tbsp Butter or margarine (softened)
1/3 cup Hershey’s Cocoa, for light flavor
1/2 cup Hershey's Cocoa, for medium flavor
3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa, for dark flavor
1/3 cup Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
2 2/3 cups Unsifted confectioners’ sugar

Cream butter or margarine in small mixer bowl.
Add cocoa and confectioners’ sugar alternatively with milk;
Beat to spreading consistency (aaditional tablespoon of milk may be needed).
Blend in vanilla.
About two cups frosting.


Putting it all together

Top with one large container of Lite Cool Whip.
The drop spoonsful of a can of cherry pie filling over this.
Cover with chocolate star candies.