Bakers One-Bowl Brownies

This is my go-to brownies recipe.  I typically prefer box mixes to homemade brownies b/c they seem more chocolatey, but this recipe is the exception.  I think these taste better than the box mixes :)

4 squares Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate (sometimes I do semi-sweet instead, and really you could probably just do 4 oz of any chocolate, the Bakers squares are just convenient)
3/4 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
Nuts, Chocolate Chips (optional)

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on high for 2 mins or until butter is melted.  Usually I microwave it for 1 min 30 seconds then stir everything together, then depending on whether or not it's still chunky I will either stick it back in the microwave or not.  Stir in sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Add flour.  Now add nuts and/or chocolate chips if you're adding them.  Pour into greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out with fudgy crumbs.

PUMPKIN COOKIES #2

1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin
3 cups + 2 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream shortening and sugar. Stir in pumpkin. Mix together dry ingredients and add to pumpkin mixture. Add vanilla. Drop onto a 'greased' cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. (These don't spread out much).

Optional icing - Mix together 1/4 cup orange juice, 1 Tbsp. melted butter and 2 cups powdered sugar.

CHOCOLATE KRINGLE COOKIES

1/2 cup oil
9 Tbsp. cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 Tbsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder

Mix together the oil, cocoa powder and sugar. Beat in one egg at a time until mixed. Add vanilla. Gently stir in dry ingredients. Chill one hour. Shape into balls and roll in powdered sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.

SUGAR COOKIES

2/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. orange peel
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
4 tsp. milk
2 cups flour

Cream together the shortening, sugar, orange peel and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the egg (slightly beaten), and the milk. Stir in the flour. Chill. Roll out into desired shapes and bake at 425 degrees for 6-8 minutes.

OATMEAL COOKIES

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins

Beat butter, sugars, milk, egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine flour, spices, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture. Stir in oats and raisins. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup shortening
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups chocolate chips (12 oz)

In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, beat shortening, sugars, eggs and vanilla for a minimum of 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Gently stir in rolled oats and chocolate chips. Bake on cookie sheet at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

JOLYNN'S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 cup Crisco or margarine
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. water
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2-3 cups chocolate chips

In a large bowl, beat shortening, sugars, vanilla, water and eggs for a minimum of 5 minutes on high. In a separate bowl, combine salt, baking soda and flour. Gently stir into sugar mixture. Add chocolate chips. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes or until light brown. Remove from oven and 'drop' the cookie sheet so the cookies fall. Cool on wire rack.

MAGIC COOKIE BARS

1/2 cup margarine
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 (14 oz) can sweetened, condensed milk
1 package (6 oz) chocolate chips -1 cup
1 package (3 1/2 oz) coconut
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 for glass pan). In a 9x13 pan, melt butter. Sprinkle crumbs over butter. Pour milk evenly over crumbs. Top with remaining ingredients; press down gently. Bake 25-30 minutes or until light brown. Cool before cutting.

CHOCOLATE 'ROLLO' COOKIES

Stir together 1 chocolate cake mix (NOT dark), 2 eggs and 1/2 cup vegetable oil. Scoop one rounded tablespoon of mixture, push in a 'Rollo' candy and mold cookie around candy (you'll need approximately 4 packages of Rollo's for all the cookies).

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

CHOCOLATE MINT BROWNIES

BROWNIE BASE:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
4 eggs - beaten
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 (16 oz) can Hershey's Syrup
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Bake at 350 degree for 30 minutes in a grease and floured 9x13 pan.

MINT FILLING:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
Green food coloring
Beat together until smooth and spread on COOLED brownies. Let set - you can speed up the process by placing brownies in refrigerator.

GLAZE:
1 cup chocolate chips
6 Tbsp. butter
Melt and spread quickly over mint filling, working fast so the two don't mix.

Cut after just set - wait too long and the glaze with crack.

BUTTERSCOTCH BROWNIES

1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter, sugar and egg together in a medium-sized bowl. Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter mixture. Stir in the vanilla and pecans; spoon into a well-greased 8x8 inch baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Do not over bake.

For a variation, you can add 1/2 cup chocolate chips to mixture before baking.

SKIPPY PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

2 cups quick oats
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup margarine
1 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat margarine and peanut butter together until smooth. Beat in eggs, sugars and vanilla. Add to dry mix. Roll cookies into a small ball and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. With a fork, press down all four sides before baking. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

MARCIA'S LEMON BARS

SHORTBREAD BASE
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut butter into 1/2 inch pieces. In a food processor, process all ingredients until mixture begins to form lumps. Sprinkle mixture into a 9x13 baking pan, and with a metal spatula press evenly onto bottom. Bake shortbread in middle of oven until golden, about 20 minutes. While shortbread is baking, prepare topping.

TOPPING
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Powdered sugar

In a bowl whisk together eggs and granulated sugar until well combined. Stir in lemon juice and flour. Pour lemon mixture over hot shortbread. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees, and bake in middle of oven until set, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan and cut into 24 bars. Bar cookies keep, covered and chilled, 3 days. Sift powdered sugar over bars just before serving.

PEANUT BLOSSOMS

1 egg
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 package Hershey kisses

Beat together the egg, shortening, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Fold the two mixtures together.

With hands, roll dough into small balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and place one Hershey kiss on top of each cookie. Return to oven for 2-5 minutes, watching carefully so the tops of the kisses don't burn.

CARAMEL BROWNIES

1/2 cup melted butter
1 pkg. German chocolate cake mix
1/3 cup evaporated milk
6 oz. chocolate chips or coconut
1 small package caramels
1/3 cup evaporated milk

Mix together the butter, cake mix and 1/3 cup evaporated milk; press 1/2 mixture in the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Bake six minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Meanwhile, in a microwave safe bowl, melt the caramels and 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Pour over the cooked brownies. Cover with chocolate chips or coconut.

Top with remaining unbaked German chocolate cake mix (I use my fingers to spread it out a little - it will NOT cover the entire top.

Bake an additional 15-20 minutes. Cool.

AUNT BECKY'S SNICKERDOODLES

Cream together 1/2 cup butter or margarine AND 1 cup sugar. Beat in 1/4 tsp. baking soda and 1/4 tsp. cream of tarter. Continue to beat in 1 egg and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Stir in 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour. Cover and refrigerate or freeze for one hour.

Make into small balls and roll in a mixture of 2 Tbsp. sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes or until very lightly browned.

Hershey Kiss cookies

1 egg
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 TBSP milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 package Hershey Kisses

Beat egg, shortening, peanut butter, sugars, milk and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, soda and salt.

Roll 1 TBSP dought into a ball and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree over for 8 minutes. Remove and place 1 kiss in the middle of each cookie. Return to oven for 2-5 minutes. Cool.

PUMPKIN COOKIES

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup raisins (opt.)

In mixing bowl, beat together sugar, pumpkin, oil and vanilla. Stir together dry ingredients in another bowl. Add dry to pumpkin mixture and stir until smooth. Blend in raisins. Drop by spoonfuls on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Makes 3-4 dozen.