February Recipe Exchange: Sweet Treats for your Sweethearts

Chocolate Caramel Squares

1 14 oz bag of caramels
2/3 cup evaporated milk (divided)
1 18 ½ oz box German Chocolate cake mix
¾ cup softened butter
1 cup (or more) chopped walnuts
1 6 oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine caramels and 1/3 cup evaporated milk in top of double boiler. Cook, stirring constantly until caramels are melted. Remove from heat. Combine cake mix, remaining 1/3 cup of milk and butter in a bowl. Mix with electric mixer until dough holds together. Dough will be very stiff. Press half of dough into pan sprayed with Pam. You can use a 13 x 9 or 15 ½ x 10 ½ pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 6 minutes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour on caramel mixture. Crumble remaining cake mixture on top. Return to oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Cool before cutting int small bars.

This recipe was my favorite dessert at pot lucks at our church inSulphur Well KY while I was growing up. It was given to me by Brenda DeSimone and remains one of my favorite desserts.

Jenny Orchard

Marbled-Chocolate Banana Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ tspn baking soda
½ tspn salt
1 cup sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups mashed, ripe bananas
1 egg or ½ cup egg substitute
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
½ cup chocolate chips
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife. Combine the flour with the baking soda and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Add banana, egg and yogurt; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed until moist. Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute or until almost melted. Stir until smooth. Add 1 cup of the batter to the melted chocolate chips, stirring until well combined. Spoon choclate batter alternately with plain batter into an 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Swirl batters together using a knife. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes before taking out of pan. Yield: 1 loaf, 16 servings

I found this recipe in a Cooking Light magazine. I love banana bread and chocolate so the combination had to be good. I tried it and it definitely is good (even though my husband, Ben won't eat it because he hates bananas...more for me, right?).

Jenny Orchard

Lemon Bars Deluxe

2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup flour
powdered sugar for dusting tops

Preheat oven to 350. Stir together the 2 cups of flour and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. Cut in the butter until mixture clings together (you can use a pastry blender or pulse it together in a food processor). Press into the bottom of a 13x9x2 inch pan and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk; whisk in granulated sugar and lemon juice until well mixed. Whisk in the 1/4 cup flour and pour over the crust. Bake for another 20 minutes or until edges are brown and the middle is set. Cool and dust with powdered sugar. Cut into small squares and serve.

*I also change things up and use lime juice and add a little green food coloring for lime bars.