Hershey's Scrumptious Chocolate Layer Bars

 Whenever you want a rich and delicious chocolate dessert, you will absolutely never go wrong with a Hershey recipe. I have several Hershey's cookbooks, and I'm not even kidding when I tell you that every single recipe I've ever made from them has been fabulous. They're well tested, straight forward, and they never disappoint. So, since I wanted to try a new chocolate something, of course I turned to my Hershey's Chocolate Treasures cookbook, and here we are!
 At first, I wasn't thinking of doing any kind of bars or squares because I already have so many brownie recipes (not that there's anything wrong with having new brownie recipes, but I was looking for something different.) Then I saw this recipe, and knew this was the one! I love that the top and bottom layers are not chocolate, so it looks like pretty stripes when you cut into it. I also love that it has almond extract in it, since I recently discovered that my niece, Terri, is a big fan of almond flavoring. The technique was also easy, tried and true. You make one dough, which serves as both the top and bottom layers, and then add a fabulous filling. In this case, the filling is cream cheese and melted chocolate chips. Are you kidding? Seriously? They had me at cream cheese! 
 So if you're looking to try a new chocolate something, try this one! It hits every single note and it will absolutely satisfy every single chocolate craving!
 

12 ounces pkg. Hershey's semisweet chocolate chips or mini chips
1 package (8 ounce size) cream cheese
1 can (5.3 ounce size) evaporated milk
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup sesame seeds (optional)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

 Combine chocolate chips, cream cheese and evaporated milk in medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in walnuts, sesame seeds (if using), and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Blend well; set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in large mixer bowl. Blend well with mixer until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press half of mixture in greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Spread with chocolate mixture. Sprinkle with rest of crumbs over filling; bake at 375 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes. 

Tips:

I didn't not include walnuts or sesame seeds in my filling. Tbh, if I were to add nuts to it, I think I would prefer almonds (to continue the almond theme) or pecans (since walnuts are not really my favorite).

The dough was a little more gooey than I had anticipated, so I just chilled it for a bit which made it easier to cut in half, and also to crumble over the top.

Dirt Cupcakes

 When my niece, Kristin, was planning her daughter Shyla's first birthday party, she sent me a text and asked if I would make Dirt or cupcakes for the party. (If you're not familiar with Dirt, it's basically a tray of chocolate pudding with crushed oreos and gummy worms on top, made to look like, well, Dirt!) Anyway, she explained that the theme for the party would be 10 Little Ladybugs (since that's Shyla's favorite book), and there would be butterflies and grass and trees and stuff like that. She said the pudding would look more like the theme, but she likes cupcakes better. So I figured, why not do both in one?? And here we are!
 First, I baked the chocolate cupcakes. Then when they were completely cooled, I cut out the centers, filled each one and also swirled the top with chocolate pudding whipped cream, then dipped it in crushed Oreo crumbs. All it needed was a little gummy worm on top, and boom, it's a Dirt Cupcake!! Aren't they adorable? They were just perfect for our beautiful little lady bug on her first birthday, and they were a big hit at the party!
 For the cupcakes, I used Hershey's Double Chocolate Cupcake recipe, and for the pudding, I used the same recipe as I do when I'm making a trifle, only with chocolate instant pudding instead of vanilla. They were such a big hit, I have a feeling I'll be getting many more requests for them in the future!
Happy Birthday, Shyla!
 

Hershey's Double Chocolate Cupcakes

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 sections (1/2 oz. each) HERSHEY'S Unsweetened Chocolate Baking Bar , melted

  Heat oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups.
Stir together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla; beat with whisk or spoon until batter is smooth. Blend in melted chocolate. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean. Remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely.

Chocolate Pudding Whipped Cream

1 3.5 box instant pudding
1 cup cold milk
1 cup cold heavy cream.

Using a mixer (preferably with a whisk attachment), mix the dry pudding with the milk until the powder is dissolved and the mixture becomes very thick. Add the cream and whip until completely combined and fluffy. That's all there is to it!

To make the Dirt Cupcakes:

First, have all of your components ready: the cooled cupcakes, the pudding whipped cream, the Oreo crumbs, and the gummy worms. For the crumbs, I just threw a bunch of Oreos into the food processor and blitzed it until they were completely crushed down to fine crumbs. Then I placed them in a large bowl. The gummy worms were a bit too long for a cupcake, so I cut each one of them in half.
 Using an apple corer, cut a vertical hole in each cupcake, straight through the center all the way down to the bottom of the cupcake, making sure not to cut through the paper at the bottom.
 Fill a ziploc plastic bag with pudding and snip off one of the corners with scissors, then squeeze enough pudding into each cupcake to fill the hole. Finish with a swirl of pudding on top. To cover each one with crumbs, gently but quickly dip the top of each cupcake in the crumbs, being careful not to lose any of the pudding into the bowl of crumbs. It's best if you do it in one quick motion. Place a half of a gummy worm on the top of each.

 Bonus dessert idea! Make individual chocolate trifles!
 Place a little bit of your leftover pudding in the bottom of a few pretty wine glasses. Crumble some of the cut out cupcake centers on top of each. Repeat with a second layer of cream and then more crumbs, then top each glass with a swirl of whipped cream and a bit of shaved chocolate.

Tips:
-Yes, it's correct that there are no eggs in this recipe. Just sayin'!
-This recipe makes 12 cupcakes, but it was no problem to double it.
-Even if you're not planning to do the pudding, Oreos, and gummy worms, this is still a great go-to cupcake recipe. Simply frost them with your favorite frosting and you're good to go!
-Instead of adding a cup of water as the recipe says, I added a cup of strong coffee. It doesn't make it taste like coffee, it just gives it a richer, deeper chocolate flavor.
-If you have another chocolate cupcake recipe that you'd prefer, go for it! The dirt idea will work with pretty much any cupcake recipe.
-Oh and one other thing, if you decide to use a regular cake recipe instead of a cupcake recipe, be sure to adjust your baking time for cupcakes instead of setting your timer as for a cake. Otherwise you'll end up with 4 dozen charcoal briquettes and you'll have to throw them out and start all over. Not that I would know this from experience or anything...

Peanut Butter Cup Crunch Brownies

 I recently saw this recipe on a blog called Brown Eyed Baker.  I had seen it on a few other sites, with variations to the recipe as well as the name, and thought I'll have to try them some time. So when I was looking for some kind of 'picky uppy' dessert to bring to my Jeanie's, I decided that this was the perfect time. It just falls into the "how can this not be good?" category. They also fall into the "OMG Are you kidding me?" category. They're seriously over the top!!!
 So here they are! I tweaked the amounts of the ingredients ever so slightly (because you know I can never just leave a recipe alone) and now they're even more amazing! They're rich and decadent, chewy and crunchy,  and simple to make too!
 Kristin once told me "The peanut butterier the better." Well, seriously, I don't think you're gonna find anything that is more peanut butterier than this! You should definitely add these to your brownie repertoire!

1 batch of your favorite brownie recipe for a 9x13-inch pan
1 cup salted peanuts, roughly chopped
14 Reese's peanut butter cups, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups Hershey's milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups Rice Krispies cereal

1. Prepare the brownies according to the directions and bake for about 5 minutes less than the recipe states. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the top with the peanuts and chopped peanut butter cups. Return to the oven and bake for 5 additional minutes.
2. While they are finishing baking, melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. (you can also melt them in the microwave, stopping every 20 seconds or so to give them a stir, or use a double boiler). Stir in the cereal to evenly coat. Remove the brownies from the oven and evenly pour the chocolate and peanut butter mixture over top. Spread to cover evenly. Refrigerate for 2 hours before cutting and serving. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Tips:
You don't have to use chips. You can use regular milk chocolate bars, and then just chop them up.
 I used a regular bag of Hershey's milk chocolate chips. There was about 1/2 cup of chips leftover in the bag, so I just sprinkled them over the brownies after I finished spreading the rice krispie mixture. I think it adds a nice little decorative touch! And for a little extra pop of color, you can also sprinkle M&Ms or Reese's Pieces over the top! How fun is that?
 I used 14 Reese's cups because that's how many were in the bag. The original recipe called for 8 (which was clearly not enough, as far as I'm concerned). Feel free to use however many you like!
 To make perfectly perfect brownies, use a 9x13 pan with square edges (some pans have rounded corners). You'll get perfectly shaped brownies with no odd ones that have rounded edges.
 I like to let it chill until firm, then remove the whole batch from the pan in one piece. Otherwise, your knife will ruin the pan, and you wont get perfect cuts. It's much simpler to put the whole batch on a cutting board and use a big sharp knife to cut them into perfect squares.
 I like to spray the pan with baking spray (not the regular Pam, but the one that has flour in it). You can also grease the pan with butter or shortening, line it with parchment paper (make sure you leave some hanging over the edge) and then grease the paper, then bake as usual. The parchment works like a sling to lift the brownies out of the pan.
 This recipe is WIDE open for variations. Use any kind of chips, or chopped candy. You could even do a blondie version. Perhaps next time I'll use snickers bars....yum!

Favorite Double Chocolate Ice Cream

I'm sure I must have said it before, but I'll say it again. When it comes to chocolate, it just doesn't get any better than Hershey's. You have your dark chocolate, and your classic milk chocolate. And of course we can't forget about white chocolate. Of course, the other brands are great too, but it seems to me that Hershey's chocolate is the standard against which all others are compared. Don't you agree?
My personal favorite is the Symphony milk chocolate bar. It's so smooth and creamy! Come to think of it, I've never met a bar of Hershey's chocolate that I didn't like, and every one of them is guaranteed to hit the spot when you're in the mood for a bite of chocolate.
This recipe will surely satisfy your chocolate cravings. The next time you're in the mood for a little chocolate indulgence, just whip up a quick batch, and use whatever kind of chocolate is YOUR favorite!

1/2 cup Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp instant coffee granules
8 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 (4.25 oz) Hershey's Symphony milk chocolate Bar

Place the cocoa powder along with 1 cup of the half-and-half into a medium saucepan over medium heat and whisk to combine. Add the remaining half-and-half, the heavy cream, and the coffee granules. Bring the mixture just to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and remove from the heat.
In a medium mixing bowl whisk the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the sugar and whisk to combine. Temper the cream mixture into the eggs and sugar by gradually adding small amounts, until about 1/3 of the cream mixture has been added. Pour in the remainder and return the entire mixture to the saucepan and place over low heat. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Pour the mixture into a container and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract. Place the mixture into the refrigerator until completely chilled.
Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's directions. This should take approximately 25 to 35 minutes. Stir in chopped bar of milk chocolate. Serve as is for soft serve or freeze for another 3 to 4 hours to allow the ice cream to harden.

Hershey's Lickity Split Cocoa Cake

I like this cake because it completely lives up to its name. You can go from "I think I'll bake a cake" to "time to take it out of the oven" in little more than a half hour. You don't even need a mixer. You just stir it up and pour it into a pan. How easy is that? It's great if you need a home made dessert in a hurry. It's just a one layer cake, so it's perfect for a small family or a quiet dinner for a small gathering.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in large mixing bowl. Add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla; stir with spoon or wire whisk just until batter is smooth and ingredients are well blended.
Pour into a greased and floured 9-inch layer pan or 8-inch square pan. Bake at 350º for 35 to 40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pan; frost as desired.

Tip from Joey:
Whenever I make it, I use a 9" layer pan and I usually let it cool for a few minutes in the pan, then turn it out onto a wire rack to let it cool completely. For this cake, I like to use Hershey's Chocolate Glaze, but feel free to ice it however you like.

Hershey's Chocolate Glaze

This is one of my favorite Hershey's recipes. It's absolutely decadent and turns any cake into a show piece. Its great on a Bundt cake because it oozes down the sides in between the ridges of the cake. I also use it on Lickity Split Cocoa Cake. Sinfully delicious!

1/4 cup HERSHEY'S unsweetened cocoa
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 tbs corn syrup
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine cocoa, water, butter or margarine and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and thickened.

Tip from Joey:
If you'd like to make your glaze even richer, substitute 3 tbs coffee for the 3 tbs water. Also, I like to use a wire whisk when I mix it up to insure that there are no lumps of powdered sugar.

Hershey's Brownie Pie a'la Mode

So, how could I do a pie week without including a decadent chocolate something from Hershey? Clearly, this recipe fits the bill. If you ever need a chocolate fix, I think this should be your 'go to' dessert! Don't forget the chocolate sauce. That's what puts it over the top!!

1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons water
1-1/3 cups HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
2 eggs
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped nuts(optional)
FUDGE SAUCE(recipe follows, optional)
Ice cream(any flavor)


1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch pie plate.
2. Combine sugar, butter and water in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until mixture boils. Remove from heat. Immediately add chocolate chips; stir until melted. Add eggs; beat with spoon until well blended.
3. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add to chocolate mixture, stirring until well blended. Stir in vanilla and nuts, if desired; pour into prepared pie plate.
4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until almost set. (Pie will not test done in center.) Cool. Prepare FUDGE SAUCE, if desired. Top pie with scoops of ice cream and prepared sauce. 8 to 10 servings.


FUDGE SAUCE
1 cup HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Combine all ingredients in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1 to 1-1/2 minutes or until hot. Using whisk, beat until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. About 1-1/2 cups sauce.

CONVENTIONAL METHOD: Combine all ingredients in small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth.

Hershey's Cocoa Chocolate Shake

As I was browsing through some recipes, trying to decide which recipe to post, I realized that it's been quite some time since I posted a Hershey's recipe. Clearly, I've been neglecting the chocoholics of the world. I'll try not to let that happen again! Hopefully this will make up for it. This is the perfect thing for a warm summer night. It really hits the spot!


1/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 cups chocolate or vanilla ice cream

1. Place water, cocoa and sugar in blender container. Cover; blend briefly on low speed. Add milk.

2. Cover; blend on high speed until thoroughly blended. Add ice cream. Cover; blend until smooth. Serve immediately. About three 6-ounce servings.

Thought from Joey:
Is anyone else thinking Kahlua? Who's with me????

Hershey's Filled Rich Chocolate Cupcakes

In my opinion, there's just no better chocolate than Hershey's. I've tried several of their recipes and every single one of them is a showstopper. Usually, I would try a new recipe and then put my own personal twist on it. But when it comes to Hershey's recipes, you just can't. Basically, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
This is one of my all time favorites and as soon as you try it, you'll understand why.

cupcake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


Directions:
1. Prepare FILLING (recipe follows). set aside. Heat oven to 350°F. Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups.

2. Stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 3 minutes. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Spoon 1 level tablespoon FILLING into center of each cupcake.

3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake portion comes out clean. Remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. About 2-1/2 dozen cupcakes.


FILLING:
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S
Mini Chips Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and salt in small bowl until smooth and creamy. Stir in chocolate chips.


VARIATIONS from Hershey:
GOBLIN'S DELIGHT FILLING: Add 2 teaspoons grated orange peel, 4 drops yellow food color and 3 drops red food color to FILLING before stirring in chips.

VALENTINE FILLING: Stir 4 to 5 drops red food color into FILLING.

PEANUT BUTTER CHIP FILLING: Omit chocolate; stir in 1 cup REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips.


Tip from Joey:
I prefer to have the filling in the center of the cupcake as opposed to sitting on top. So, before baking them, I always push the filling down into the cupcake so that it's submerged under the cupcake batter. This allows for the cupcake batter to bake over the filling.

Hershey's Black Magic Cake

This is, without a doubt, my favorite chocolate cake recipe. I've tried several. This one wins. I think the key to it is the coffee. It adds a depth of flavor that sets it apart from all others. Whenever I make it, I always make the coffee a little stronger than the recipe requires. I also like to double the amount of vanilla extract. And no, I didn't bake the cake in the picture and I have no idea how to make the chocolate butterflies that are on top. hee hee

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup strong black coffee OR 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract



1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (batter will be thin). Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as desired. Yields 10 to 12 servings.


Tip:
To make buttermilk, use 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice plus milk to equal 1 cup. Microwave for 15 seconds. The milk will curdle which is exactly what you want. If you don't have a microwave, you can just let it stand until the milk curdles. you'll get the same result. The microwave just speeds the process.