Bake!!

So I know a lot of the ladies on the HA board like to bake (as do I), so I thought I would post a few of my favorite recipes. I can't really take credit for them... The cookies are Alexis Stewart (Martha's daughter), the cake is Nestle (by way of my MIL), and the brownies are from an aquaintance (but seriously the best brownies you'll EVER have).

Enjoy!

Recipe #1: Brown sugar chocolate chip cookies (be sure to cut the recipe in half, it makes a *ton* of cookies):
http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.fc77a0dbc44dd1611e3bf410b5900aa0/?vgnextoid=80601a55b890f010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&autonomy_kw=alexis%20stewart%20brown%20sugar%20chocolate%20chip&rsc=ns2006_m1

Recipe #2: TOLL HOUSE Chocolate Chip Cake (Mini-Morsels Cake) -- (looks complicated, really isn't... my DH insists I make this for him every anniversary and birthday, but not all the time b/c it has soooooo much butter):

CAKE
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
One 12-oz package (2 cups) NESTLE TOLL HOUSE LITTLE BITS (Mini Morsels) semi-sweet chocolate, divided. (You may need more – I usually double the frosting recipe)

FROSTING
1 cup NESTLE TOLL HOUSE LITTLE BITS (Mini Morsels) semi-sweet chocolate, reserved from 12-oz package.
¾ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cup sifted confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
[Note: Recipe can be doubled with no adjustments in proportions]

Cake
1 Preheat oven to 350◦ F.
2 Grease 15 ½ X 10 X 1 inch baking pan (deep cookie sheet).
3 Line pan with waxed paper; set aside.
4 In large bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and sugar. Beat until creamy and changes to a lighter, fluffier color and consistency.
5 Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6 Add vanilla extract and salt; mix well.
7 Gradually add flour (a couple of tablespoons at a time).
8 Stir in 1 cup NESTLE TOLL HOUSE LITTLE BITS (Mini Morsels).
9 Spread batter into prepared pan.
10 Bake 20 – 30 minutes.
11 Cool
12 Loosen sides of cake. Invert onto lightly floured cloth.
13 Peel off waxed paper; trim.
14 Cut cake crosswise into four 3-3/4 X 10 inch sections.
15 Spread 3 lightly rounded tablespoons frosting on one cake layer. Top with second cake layer. Frost, repeat with other layers.
16 Frost entire cake with remaining Frosting.

Frosting
1 Melt over hot (not boiling) water (or melt in microwave), 1 cup NESTLE TOLL HOUSE LITTLE BITS (Mini Morsels); stir until smooth. Set aside
2 In small bowl, combine butter and confectioners sugar; beat until creamy.
3 Add melted chocolate and vanilla extract; blend until smooth.Makes one cake (You should make double frosting to have plenty, leftover frosting is also great with graham crackers!)

Recipe #3: Brownies
Line a 10 x 15 Pyrex with aluminum foil.Preheat oven to 350.
Melt:20 T (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter14 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
In mixing bowl, combine: 2 cups white sugar, 2/3 cup brown sugar, 6 extra large eggs
Add melted butter/chocolate mixture and beat til combined.
Add:2 T vanilla, 1 1/4 cups flour, 3 T cocoa powder, 1/2 t salt.
Beat just til combined.
Pour into foil-lined pan, bake 35-40 minutes or until done; don't let the edges get dried out.
THE SECRET: Put pan into refrigerator for at least 3 hours. THEN remove foil (with baked brownies atop it), place on large cutting board and cut. These are best kept refrigerated or even frozen.