Chocolate Mint Brownies

Brownies 1/2 C. butter 4-oz. unsweetened chocolate 1-1/2 C.sugar 3 eggs 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla 1 C. flour 1/2 tsp. salt Mint Frosting 1/4 C. butter, softened 2-1/2 C. powdered sugar Green food coloring 1 -1/2 to 3 T. milk 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract Chocolate Frosting 3/4 C. semisweet chocolate chips 3 T. butter

Photos by Catrina McCulley

Brownies: Heat oven to 350°. Spray a 9-inch baking pan. Place the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute; stir and microwave 1 minute more. Stir until smooth. Cream together sugar and eggs. Stir in chocolate mixture and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in dry ingredients. Pour into the pan and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven; cool at least 1 hour.

Mint Frosting: Mix frosting ingredients until spreading consistency. Frost the cooled brownies. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Chocolate Frosting: Pour chips and butter into microwave safe bowl; and microwave on high for 1-1/2 minutes. Stir until chips are melted. Spread over brownies. Refrigerate for 45 minutes or until chocolate hardens.

Pour-In-A-Pan Pizza

1C.flour 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 2/3 C. milk 1 Ib. pork sausage 2 T. onion, chopped 1 C. pizza sauce 2 C. shredded Mozzarella cheese 1 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 2 eggs, beaten 1 pkg. pepperoni 2 T. green pepper, chopped

In a bowl, combine flour, salt, garlic and pepper. Stir in milk and eggs. Pour into a greased 9xl3-inch pan. In a skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Sprinkle over the crust. Top with pepperoni, onion and green pepper. Bake, uncovered in a 425° oven for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Spread with pizza sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting. Makes 6-8 servings.

Nacho Potato Soup

1 (5-1/4-oz.) box AuGratin potatoes 1(11 -oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained 1 (10-oz.) Rotel diced tomatoes with chilies, undrained 2 C. water 2 C. milk 2 C. Velveeta cheese, cubed

Mix together potatoes, corn, tomatoes and water. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender. Over low heat, add milk and cheese and heat until cheese is melted. (You can add a dash of hot pepper sauce is you want a hotter soup.) Makes 2 quarts.

In the January issue we failed to print information about our first featured cook book. The information is as follows: The town of Ferris, IL submit their cookbook, Ferris Centennial Cookbook, filled with 286 pages of delicious recipes. The book is soft-backed and spiral-bound. To order, contact Jana Snod-grass at PO Box 64, Ferris, IL 62336, or call her at (217) 746-2631. We are sorry for this inconvenience.

22 ¦ ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING ¦ www.icl.coop

Coconut Thumbprints
Helen Mehlberg

1/2 C. butter flavored Crisco 1/2 C.sugar 1 egg, separated 1 tsp. vanilla 3/4 C. unsifted all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. baking powder 2/3 C. flake coconut 1/4 C. thick preserves, jam or jelly

Heat oven to 375°. Grease baking sheets. Cream Crisco with sugar, egg yolk and vanilla in a large bowl at medium speed. Combine flour with salt and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture. Blend well. Form into balls about 1-inch in diameter. Beat egg white until slightly frothy. Dip dough balls into egg white, then roll in coconut. Place on greased baking sheets. Make a shallow depression in the center of each cookie using your thumb or the back of a very small spoon. Place 1/2 tsp. of preserves in each center. Bake for 8-9 minutes or until coconut begins to brown. Cool on baking sheets about 1-2 minutes. Remove to cooling racks. Makes about 2 dozen.

Ultimate Chippers
Shannon Diveley

2-1/2 C. flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1 C. butter or margarine, softened 1 C. packed light brown sugar 1/2 C. granulated sugar 2 eggs 1 T. vanilla 1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 C. milk chocolate chips 1 C. vanilla milk chips

Heat oven to 375°. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a medium howl. Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; beat until well blended. Stir in chips. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2-inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cookies stand on cookie sheets 2 minutes. Remove cookies to wire racks; cool completely. Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

Tara's Mushroom Rice
Shannon Diveley

1-1/4 C. raw white rice 1 stick butter or margarine 1 can mushrooms, undrained 1 can beef broth 1 can French onion soup

Put rice, butter, mushrooms, broth and soup into a casserole dish. Bake uncovered at 350° for 1 hour.

February 2004 | www.aeic.coop | 23