Toffee Cookies by Jill

1 cup shortning or butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup choc. chips

Cream all ingredients except for the chocolate chips. Spread on to jelly roll pan. You may need to spray your spatula (or hands) with non-stick cooking spray. Bake 15 min. at 350 degrees. When removed from the oven, sprinkle chocolate chips on top of cookie. Let stand until they are mostly melted. Then spread the chocolate chips until smooth. Sprinkle with nuts if desired. Cut these cookies while warm. So easy and yummy!

Bavarian Torte Cake (aka: Ward's favorite b-day cake) by Nicole

1 Devil's food cake mix

1 1/3 c. water

1/3 c. olive oil

4 eggs

1 c. sour cream

Mix cake with water, olive oil, eggs & sour cream. Mix 30 seconds on low than 2-3 minutes on medium. Pour into 2 greased - 9 inch round cake pans. Bake at 325 for 30-45 minutes - until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cakes cool in pans for 30 minutes. Then cool a little longer out of the pans on a cooling rack.

Prepare frosting:

1 stick (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

2/3 c. brown sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Beat until fluffy.

Whip 2 c. heavy cream until stiff.

Fold into cream cheese mixture.

Slice cakes into 1/2's, so you have 4 layers. Lay one layer on a tray or plate. Spread 1/4 of the frosting on and top with grated chocolate (I use semi-sweet). Repeat, finishing with the top layer. Refrigerate 6-8 hours.

Happy Birthday or un-birthday - whichever comes first!

Mexican Hot Chocolate with a kick by Alicia

Basically, for this drink, I follow the directions on the box, as pictured above, to make the hot chocolate and then I add a pinch to 1/2 tsp. depending on how much of a kick you want of Cayenne Pepper. You can buy this at most grocery stores, I usually get mine at Smith's. I also use an immersion blender to mix the drink, because it tends to be gritty if I don't. Anyway, give it a try, so yummy and would be super yummy with a spray of whip cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Peppermint Patties by Alicia

1 1-pound box confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon shortening
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
10 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
6 Starlight mints, unwrapped and crushed in a Ziploc with a rolling pin (optional)

Sift the confectioners' sugar into the bowl of a standing electric mixer and beat in the shortening on medium speed. In a small bowl stir together the water, corn syrup, lemon juice, and extract, then beat it into the sugar mixture until combined.

Knead the mixture into a ball (it will be very stiff), then use the bottom of a glass pie plate and firm, even pressure to flatten the ball between sheets of wax paper into a 9-inch disk that's about 1/4 inch thick (if you try doing this with a rolling pin, you will be much more frustrated, I assure you). Place the disk (with the wax paper) on a cookie sheet and freeze until firm, around 15 minutes.

Place the frozen disk on a cutting surface, remove and reserve the wax paper, and cover the cookie sheet with parchment. Use a 1-inch round cutter to cut out patties, moving them to the parchment as they're cut. Gather the scraps into a ball, use the pie plate and wax paper to flatten it again, and cut more rounds until all of the filling is used. Freeze the rounds for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water. Coat the patties one at a time, balancing each on a fork and dipping (use another fork as needed to flip the patty in the chocolate), then shaking excess chocolate and scraping the bottom of the fork against the edge of the bowl before returning the coated patty to the parchment. Make a ridged pattern one each patty by pressing a fork into the chocolate and lifting it straight up. Reheat the chocolate as necessary until all the patties are coated, then allow them to sit until set, about 1 hour.

Pot de Creme by Keri

1 egg
6 oz. chocolate (chips)
2 Tbs. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup scalded milk

Blend the first 5 ingredients in a blender then pour hot milk slowly into the blender. Let set in fridge.

Hot Fudge by Angie and Chelsie

1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup evaporated milk

Melt butter and chocolate chips together. Add remaining ingredients and boil on medium heat for about 10 minutes stirring often. Store in the refrigerator.

Choc-alot Brownies by McKenzi

1 chocolate cake mix
1 small chocolate pudding
2 cups milk
sprinkle with chocolate chips

Bake according to cake mix directions, but check on it a little early.

Layered Fruit Cake

what you need

1 pkg. (10 oz.) angel food cake, cubed

3 Tbsp. orange juice

1/4 tsp. almond extract

2 pkg. (1 oz. each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Fat Free Sugar Free Instant Pudding

2-1/2 cups cold fat-free milk

1-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Sugar Free Whipped Topping, divided

2 pkg. (12 oz. each) frozen mixed berries, thawed, well drained

make it

PLACE cake cubes in large bowl. Add combined juice and extract; mix lightly.

BEAT pudding mixes and milk in another large bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in 1 cup COOL WHIP.

RESERVE a few berries for garnish. Place half the cake cubes in 2-qt. glass serving bowl or round casserole; top with layers of half each of the remaining berries and pudding mixture. Repeat layers. Refrigerate 2 hours. Top with remaining COOL WHIP and reserved berries just before serving.

Peanut Butter Fruit Dip by Jill Kelsey

2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup light or fat free sour cream
1 pkg. (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding (you could try sugar free)
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup sugar

Wisk the milk, sour cream, and pudding together. Then add peanut butter and sugar. Enjoy! This dip is really good with bananas and apples!