Chocolate Euphoria Bars

I made these for the first time today and apparently they live up to their name. They are an expensive cookie to make, so I'm glad we weren't disappointed! With Oreos, marshmallows, Coco Puffs and 3 kinds of chocolate, they are really rich. I can't eat chocolate, so I have no first-hand knowledge, but Casey tells me that they are not like anything else he's ever eaten - and also that they are now his second-favorite dessert ever (nothing will ever come before his favorite carrot cake!) This recipe is another one from The Devil's Food Cake Murder, by Joanna Fluke.According to her website, she plans to publish a cookbook compiling of all the recipes from her books sometime this fall. Maybe I'll find a copy in my Christmas stocking (hint, hint).

CHOCOLATE EUPHORIA BARS

1/2 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 cups of Oreo or chocolate wafer crumbs (I recommend using a food processor to get them fine enough to spread across the entire pan)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups mini marshmallows
14-oz. sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1 cup white chocolate chips
2 cups CocoPuffs or other crunchy chocolate cereal
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray; set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together chocolate cookie crumbs and melted butter. Spread evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle semi-sweet chocolate chips evenly over the crumb layer, then spread the marshmallows evenly over the chips. Pour sweetened condensed milk over marshmallows, as evenly as possible. Spread the white chips over the existing layers, then spread the CocoPuffs on top of that. Sprinkle milk chocolate chips over all. Push down firmly with at wide spatula; don't be concerned if the cereal gets a bit crunched. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. When the pan comes to room temperature, cut the cookies into brownie-sized pieces,while they are still in the pan. Refrigerate to set firmly, Makes 2 dozen bar cookies.

Forgotten Cookies

Forgotten cookies never seem to be forgotten around our house. Invariably, I end up making a second batch just before Christmas to replace the cookies that have mysteriously disappeared. The combination of the sweet meringue and the slightly bitter chocolate seems to tempt everyone. Since I don't have much use for the yolks that are left behind, I have been using powdered egg whites instead of the real thing and they have worked quite well.  I used to be able to find coffee-flavored meringues at a local grocery, but they no longer carry them. I found that adding 1 tsp. of instant coffee dissolved in 1 tsp. of vanilla to the recipe and leaving out the chocolate chips makes a good coffee meringue.

FORGOTTEN COOKIES

2 egg whites

3/4 cup granulated sugar

16 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Whip egg whites in a deep bowl at high speed. When soft peaks form, gradually add the sugar, then gently fold in the chips. You can add a few drops of red or green food coloring if you want. Drop by heaping spoonful on greased or parchment paper-covered cookie sheets. Place in a preheated 375 (F) oven and turn off heat. Let sit until oven is cold.
WARNING: Don't actually forget the cookies! You will be very disappointed when you preheat the oven for something else and open the oven door to find your meringues have been baked again. The results aren't pretty!