Brownies

The Fudgiest Brownies!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, melted
3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Lightly grease a 9x13 cake pan.
Combine the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, until thoroughly blended.
Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan
Bake in preheated oven until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely before cutting or frosting.

These are the fudgiest brownies you'll ever find so they don't really need to be frosted..... but why not.... now they are the most outrageous fudgiest frosted brownies you'll ever find!

Frosting

¼ C butter, melted
6 T cocoa powder unsweetened - I use Dutch cocoa powder for this frosting
½ tsp. vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup milk

Stir butter and cocoa together until smooth, add vanilla.
Stir in milk, add powdered sugar a little at a time, using a hand mixer at medium high speed beat until rich and creamy, about 3 minutes or so.
If you like your frosting thicker add more powdered sugar if you like it thin add more milk.

Runza or Bierocks

Great snacks, like a homemade Hot Pocket!
Norwegian, Danish or German? Maybe just plain midwestern-ish You decide, either way they are tasty stuffed dinner rolls that freeze very well and hit the spot when needed. There are shops all over Nebraska selling these things like they are going out of style. Wish I would have thought of that!

Runza

Dough:

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour divided

1/2 cup sugar

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup shortening

2 eggs

FILLING:

1 pound lean ground beef

2 small onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups chopped cabbage

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large mixing bowl, place 1-3/4 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Heat milk, water and shortening to 120 degrees F-130 degrees F. Pour over flour mixture; add the eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low until blended. Beat an additional 3 minutes on high. Stir in the remaining flour, adjust as needed (a little more or less); knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes Place dough in a greased bowl; cover with oiled Saran Wrap topped with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

*If your microwave is above your stove this is a great place for dough to rise. It's warm in there!

2. Meanwhile, brown beef and onions in a skillet. Add garlic and cook for a minute, Add Worcestershire sauce and caraway seed. Add the cabbage, salt and pepper; cook until cabbage is wilted. Adjust seasoning as needed.

3. Punch dough down; roll into 15/5-in. squares. Top each square with 1/4 - 1/3 cup meat mixture. Fold opposite corners together. Pinch edges tightly to seal and place seam side down on greased baking sheets. Cover with kitchen towel and let rest for about 15 - 2o min. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot.

These freeze really well. Cool baked Runza's completely then wrap individually in aluminum foil and place in plastic freezer bags. I get about 6 to a bag.

If they have been frozen heat oven to 400F, put frozen, (and still foil wrapped Runza package) into the oven and heat for 20-25 minutes. The last 5 minutes, remove the foil.

**Tip: Traditionally these are made with ground beef, onion, cabbage, lots of salt and pepper. You can add mushrooms, cheese, even drained sauerkraut instead of cabbage and season your way.

Any way these are wrapped they are tasty. You can shape them into rectangles or triangles, I like to make mine round like a dinner roll. Oh and by all means instead of making your own dough you can use thawed frozen bread or dinner roll dough too!

I'm Better Now Celebration Cake!

My youngest had his tonsils and adnoids removed on Oct. 2nd.  He wanted to bake a cake to celebrate his recovery.  What a great idea and what a fantastic baker he is.  He's hard at work here.  Check out his cool cake!

Pork Chops and Sauerkraut

One of those great Autumn dishes that just makes ya feel good.



6 ( 3/4 inch) pork chops
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 14.5 oz cans sauerkraut, drained
1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seed
1/4 cup apple juice
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Brown pork chops on both sides and remove from pan.

2. Add onion and cook for a minute or two, add garlic and cook for another minute.

3. Stir in apple juice, sauerkraut and caraway seed, salt and pepper to taste.

4. Lay browned pork chops over the sauerkraut mixture, cover, and simmer on low for 30 min.