Tara's Magic Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 stick butter
• 1 ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs for crust
• 12 oz bag of chocolate chips - I usually do a mix of milk chocolate and semi-sweet.
• 1 bag of coconut
• 1 can condensed milk - it must be condensed, not evaporated or regular milk
• 1 small bag of chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Melt 1 stick of butter in a 9 x 13 pan
3. In a large bowl, mix chocolate chips, coconut and nuts
4. Take pan out of oven when butter is melted
5. Sprinkle 1 ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs on top of butter.
6. Press crumbs firmly and evenly over the butter using the measuring cup or your hand
7. Spread the chips/coconut/nuts evenly over the crumbs
8. Pour the can of condensed milk carefully in a thin stream over the top using everything in the can so it evenly covers the mixture
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbling/starting to turn golden brown. It's easy to burn the crust at the bottom, so depending on your oven 20 minutes might be enough.
10. Take out of oven and let cool.
11. Refrigerate - cut when cold; crumb crust stays together better. Store at room temperature.

Bread Pudding

• 2 thick slices bread cubed
• approx. 1/2 c raisins
• 4 eggs
• 7/8 - 1 c sugar
• pinch salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 c milk
• 1/2 tsp each of cimmamon & nutmeg

1. Preheat over to 350
2. Put bread and raisins in ovenproof bowl
3. Mix remaining ingredients in order above and pour over bread and raisins, making sure that all pieces of bread are wet
4. Bake 1 hour or until done

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 c flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon, ground cloves, allspice, nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 1 c sugar
• 1-2 c pumpkin puree (or 1 can pumpkin)
• 5/8 c oil
• 1 tbl molasses

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x5" loaf pan
2. Mix together all dry ingredients and set aside. Hand mix remaining ingredients in order listed. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well. Add 1/2 c water and mix
3. Pour mix into loaf pan and bake 1 - 1 1/4 hours until done (toothpick inserted comes out clean)

Recipe for Date Cake w/Choco-Nut Topping

Ingredients:

• 6 ½ oz pkg chopped dates
• 1 c hot water
• ¼ c margarine
• 1 c sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 2/3 c sifted flour (measured after sifting)
• 1 tsp soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ c chopped nuts
• Topping (mix together and set aside):
• ½ c semi-sweet choc chips
• 2 tbsp sugar
• ½ c chopped nuts

1. Heat oven to 350. Grease well & flour 9" square pan.
2. Pour hot water over dates & cool while mixing batter.
3. Sift together flour, soda, salt and set aside.
4. Combine margarine, sugar, egg, & vanilla & beat 5 mins on high speed until fluffy.
5. On low speed alternate adding flour & date mixtures to egg mix (begin & end w/flour mix). Blend until just smooth. Mix in nuts. Pour into pan.
6. Sprinkle choco-nut topping on batter & bake 45-60 mins or until done (toothpick inserted comes out clean). Cool before removing from pan

Baker's One Bowl Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Ingredients:

• 6 squares (Bakers) semi-sweet baking chocolate
• 4 squares (Bakers) unsweetened or bittersweet baking chocolate
• 6 Tbsp. butter (3/4 stick) or margarine
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 cups toasted chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees
2. Microwave: chocolates and butter in a large microwavable bowl on HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring halfway through heating time. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
3. Stir: sugar into chocolate mixture until blended. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in nuts. (dough will be soft) Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls, 1 1/2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake: 12 minutes or until set. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool 5 minutes, remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely on wire racks. Store in airtight container.
5. Makes about 3 dozen.