By Margaret Brennan ’13 | Staff Writer

Blonde Brownies: Margaret Fikany

• 10 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup AP flour
• 1 package of Oreo (regular stuffed or double stuffed)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temp)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups AP flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. For the Brownie layer:
2. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the sugar and cocoa powder once the butter is melted. Whisk to combine and remove from heat. Add the salt, vanilla and eggs and continuously whisk until the eggs are combined. Add the flour and continue to mix. Set batter aside.
3. For the Cookie Dough layer:
4. Cream together the butter and sugars in a mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla, making sure to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl. Add the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder and mix on low until everything is incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips. Set dough aside.
5. Assembly:
6. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
7. Line the bottom of a 9×9 baking pan with tin foil and then spray the tin foil with a layer of baking spray.
8. Layer the cookie dough on the bottom of a 9×9 baking pan, pressing down to form the bottom of the slutty brownies.
9. Layer as many oreos that will fit on top of the cookie dough. No need to overlap. One single layer will do.
10. Pour the brownie batter on top of the oreo layer and make sure it’s evenly layers on top.
11. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Test with a knife to see if the center is done. If the knife comes out clean, let the brownies rest before serving. If the knife comes out with batter still on it, allow the brownies to bake about 5 minutes more.

Samantha Campus Cake Pops:

Ingredients

• Chocolate Cake, prepared (I used ½ of a 9×13 devils food box cake)
• Chocolate Frosting (amount depends on moistness of cake. I used two big spoonfuls. See video)
• 2 boxes Premium white chocolate ( I used Baker’s brand)
• cake pop sticks
• sprinkles

Instructions

1. Add cake to a large bowl.
2. Crumble until it resembles fine crumbs
3. Add in frosting a little bit at a time until cake is moist and can hold a ball shape, yet still slightly crumbly.
4. Use your hands to incorporate the frosting into the cake crumbs.
5. Use a mini ice cream scoop and scoop out two balls of cake mixture.
6. Roll the mixture into a tight ball and place on a plate.
7. Repeat until all the cake mixture has been rolled into balls.
8. Melt 2-4 ounces of white chocolate in the microwave.
9. Dip the tip of the cake pop sticks into the white chocolate and insert into the cake balls about half-way.
10. Freeze for about 20 minutes.
11. Meanwhile prepare all of your decorating supplies.
12. Melt the remaining chocolate in a large cup. Make sure you have enough chocolate to completely submerge the cake ball.
13. Remove cake balls from freezer.
14. Dip cake balls carefully into the chocolate until covered.
15. Let the excess chocolate drip off. Swirl and tap gently if needed.
16. Add the sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet. It will harden quickly.
17. Stick the decorated cake pop into a styrofoam block to finish setting.
18. Place into the freezer to speed up setting time.
19. Cover with a clear treat bag & ribbon for gift giving, if desired.
20. Store in a single layer, in an airtight container.
21. Enjoy!

Nutter Butter Reindeer: Ingrid Shiar

Ingredients:

A package of Nutter Butter cookies
Chocolate almond bark
Red, white, and black gel frosting
Mini Pretzels
Red hots (as an alternative to the gel frosting for the nose)

Directions:

Melt the almond bark.
Dip Nutter Butter cookies in the bark; coat fully.
Place cookies on waxed paper.
While still wet, place red hots (if you are using those) on your reindeer, and then the pretzels… I dripped extra bark around the part of the pretzel that is being attached to the cookie so that they are more likely to stay on well. Once it dries, it works like a charm.

Allow to dry for about 30-60 minutes. When dry, add the gel eyes. (white first, with black on top)

Peppermint Fudge: Lilly Sterr

Ingredients

• Nonstick spray, for baking pan
• 2 1/4 cups (16 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup round peppermint candies, plus 18 for garnish
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt

Directions

1.  Lightly coat a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. Line pan with two pieces parchment paper in both directions, leaving 2 inches of overhang on all sides; spray parchment. Place chocolate in a bowl. In a food processor, pulse candies until finely chopped. In a medium saucepan, combine candies, cream, marshmallows, butter, sugar, and salt over medium-high. Whisk until smooth, 5 minutes.
2. Pour mixture through a strainer into bowl with chocolate; let stand 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Pour into baking pan and refrigerate until set, 3 hours. Cut fudge into 1 1/2-inch squares. With a sharp knife, cut 18 candies in half; press a candy half into each square before serving or packing.

Greek “s” Cookies: Sia Kefallinso

3 1/2 cups King Arthur™ Unbleached, All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup solid vegetable shortening, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar until light and lemon-colored. Whisk in the shortening, lemon juice, and vanilla. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, mixing well to blend the ingredients. Let the batter sit, covered, for 5 minutes.

Fill a tipless pastry bag two thirds full of the batter to form 3-inch-long Ss or 8s on cookie sheets. Or drop heaping teaspoonfuls of dough onto ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart, and shape each one into a 3-inch-long S, using the back of the spoon.

Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until pale golden in color. Watch carefully and rotate the sheets to prevent burning. Let the cookies cool slightly on the cookie sheets before removing them to cooling racks.