Triple Chocolate Cookies, Creamy Peanut Butter Pie

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Triple Chocolate Cookies

1⁄4 cup flour

1⁄4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder

1⁄8 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter, room temperature

7 tablespoons sugar

2 eggs

8 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, melted and cooled

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. With mixer, beat together butter, sugar, and eggs at MEDIUM speed until smooth. Add melted choco- late and continue mixing on MEDIUM speed until blended. Reduce speed to LOW and add dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips and walnuts; mix well. Drop by tablespoons onto cookie sheets, one inch apart. Bake at 350ºF until cookies look dry and cracked, but feel soft when lightly pressed, about 11 minutes. Let cookies stand on sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool completely. Makes about 2 dozen.

Creamy Peanut Butter Pie

1 cup butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup peanut butter

12-ounce container frozen whipped topping, thawed

9-inch graham crust

2 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon milk

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup butter and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat until butter is melted and mixture is smooth, stirring frequently. Refrigerate 10 minutes. In large bowl, beat peanut butter and brown sugar mixture at LOW speed until blended. Increase speed and beat one minute at HIGH speed. Reduce speed to LOW and add whipped topping; beat one additional minute. Pour into graham crust and refrigerate. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate, 2 tablespoons butter, and milk. Stir con- stantly until smooth. Cool slightly then spread over top of pie. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving. Makes one 9-inch pie.

Orange Pineapple Cake

181⁄4-ounce box yellow cake mix 4 eggs

11-ounce can mandarin oranges, undrained

1⁄2 cup vegetable oil

151⁄4-ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained

1-ounce box vanilla sugar-free instant pudding

12-ounce container frozen light whipped topping, thawed

In a large bowl, blend cake mix, eggs, oranges, and oil at MEDIUM speed for 3 to 5 minutes. Divide batter into two greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake approximately 45 minutes at 325ºF. Let cake cool on wire racks. To make icing, in a medium bowl, beat pineapple, pudding, and whipped topping mix at LOW speed for 3 minutes. Ice the cooled cake and store in the refrigerator. Makes 8-12 servings.

(Tip: Cake flavor is enhanced if left overnight in refrigerator.)