Joanne Fluke's Lake Eden Cookbook Part 58

the cup when you measure it)

Melt the b.u.t.ter in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave, or in a small saucepan on the stovetop.

Place the white sugar and the brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the melted b.u.t.ter and stir the mixture until it's smooth.

Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Mix it in thoroughly.

Feel the bowl. If the mixture is not so hot it'll cook the eggs, add them now. Mix well.

Add the rolled oats and the chopped apple. Mix thoroughly.

Measure out 1 and cups ONLY of flaked coconut. Reserve the cup that's left over to sprinkle on top of your pan when you're all through.

Add the flour, one cup at a time, mixing after each cup.

Grease a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan (or spray it with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray).

Spoon the dough into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Sprinkle the cup coconut you reserved evenly on the top.

Bake the bars at 375 degrees F. for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Take the pan out of the oven, and let the bars cool in the pan, on a wire rack, or on a cold stovetop burner.

To serve, cut the Apple Orchard Bars into squares like brownies.

Hannah's 1st Note: Bill likes these with hot chocolate he says it brings out the taste of the apples.

Hannah's 2nd Note: Tracey's still trying to convince Andrea that these are health food and she should be allowed to have them for breakfast.

BLACK FOREST BROWNIES.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

4 one-ounce squares semi-sweet chocolate (or the equivalent

cup semi-sweet chocolate chips will do just fine)

cup b.u.t.ter (1 and 1/2 sticks, 6 ounces)

1 and cups white (granulated) sugar

3 beaten eggs (just whip them up in a gla.s.s with a fork)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or cherry extract)

1 cup flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)

cup pecans

cup dried cherries (OR cup well drained

maraschino cherries)60

cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)

Prepare a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan by lining it with a piece of foil large enough to flap over the sides. Spray the foil-lined pan with Pam or other nonstick cooking spray.

Microwave the chocolate squares and b.u.t.ter in a microwave-safe mixing bowl for one minute. Stir. (Since chocolate frequently maintains its shape even when its melted, you have to stir to make sure.) If it's not melted, microwave for an additional 20 seconds and stir again. Repeat if necessary.

Stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture. Feel the bowl. If it's not so hot it'll cook the eggs, add them now, stirring thoroughly. Mix in the flavor extract (vanilla or cherry.) Mix in the flour and stir just until it's moistened.

Put the pecans and dried cherries in the bowl of a food processor and chop them together with the steel blade. If the dried cherries stick to the blades too much, add a Tablespoon of flour to your bowl and try it again. (If you don't have a food processor, you don't have to buy one for this recipe just chop everything up as well as you can with a sharp knife.) Mix in the chopped nuts and cherries, add the chocolate chips, give a final stir by hand, and spread the batter out in your prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE.

Cool the Black Forest Brownies in the pan on a wire rack or on a cold stovetop burner.

When the brownies are completely cool, grasp the edges of the foil and lift the brownies out of the pan. Put them facedown on a cutting board, peel the foil off the back, and cut them into brownie-sized pieces.

Place the squares on a plate and dust lightly with powdered sugar if you wish.

Jo Fluke's Note: A big thank you to the ladies at Delta Kappa Gamma. After I spoke to them in Camarillo, California, they gave me a huge box of dried fruit that included the dried Bing cherries that I used in these brownies.

Hannah's Note: If you really want to be decadent, frost these brownies with Neverfail Frosting!

BLONDE BROWNIES.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

4 one-ounce squares white chocolate (or the equivalent

cup white chocolate chips will do fine)

cup b.u.t.ter (1 and sticks, 6 ounces)

1 and cups white (granulated) sugar

3 beaten eggs (just whip them up in a gla.s.s with a fork)

1 teaspoon coconut extract (or vanilla extract)

1 cup flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)

cup pecans

cup coconut

cup white chocolate chips61 (I used Ghirardelli)

Prepare a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan by lining it with a piece of foil large enough to flap over the sides. Spray the foil-lined pan with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray.

Microwave the white chocolate and b.u.t.ter in a microwave-safe mixing bowl for one minute. Stir. (Since chocolate frequently maintains its shape even when melted, you have to stir to make sure.) If it's not melted, microwave for an additional 20 seconds and stir again. Repeat if necessary.

Stir the sugar into the white chocolate mixture. Feel the bowl. If it's not so hot it'll cook the eggs, add them now, stirring thoroughly. Mix in the coconut extract.

Mix in the flour and stir just until it's moistened.