Not Your Mamas Brownies Food

NOT YOUR MAMA'S SEVEN-LAYER BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Pulse cookies in food processor until finely chopped. Combine crumbs and melted butter; press onto bottom of greased, foil-lined 13x9-in. baking pan. Spread coconut over crust; sprinkle with crisp rice cereal., Combine dulce de leche and water until smooth. Pour over cereal. Sprinkle pecans over dulce de leche; press down lightly., Bake until edges are set but center is still soft, about 30 minutes. (Do not overbake.) Remove from oven; immediately sprinkle with sea salt. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into 24 squares.

MAMA'S BROWNIES

Steps:

• Sift the flour and baking powder into a small bowl and set aside.
• Melt the margarine in a saucepan and add the cocoa.
• Heat for a minute on very low heat being careful not to burn.
• Remove from heat add sugar, flour and baking powder.
• Blend well then add eggs .
• Mix well add nuts.
• Pour into a greased 8x8 pan.
• Bake 350 for 20-30 minutes.

KNOCK-YOU-NAKED BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-by-9-inch baking pan.
• Begin by pouring 1/3 cup evaporated milk into a bowl with the cake mix. Add the melted butter and the chopped pecans. Mix the ingredients together; it'll be pretty thick!
• Divide the dough in half down the middle. Press half of it into the bottom of the prepared pan to make the first brownie layer. Bake until slightly set, 8 to 10 minutes. Then remove from the oven and set aside.
• While the brownie layer is baking, in a double boiler (or glass bowl set over a bowl of simmering water) combine the caramels and the remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk. Stir occasionally until the caramels are totally melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour the caramel mixture over the first baked layer, spreading so it's evenly distributed. Sprinkle the chocolate chips all over the top.
• Next, on a clean surface or a sheet of waxed paper, press the remaining dough into a square shape slightly smaller than the baking pan. Carefully set it on top of the chocolate chips. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the brownies cool to room temperature. Cover the pan and refrigerate the brownies for several hours to allow them to set.
• When you're ready to serve them (or give them to someone you love!) sprinkle generously with the powdered sugar and cut them into large rectangles before removing from the pan. These are absolutely killer, my friends. Make them for someone you really, really love... or someone you want to love you back.
• It'll work. Guarantee it.

NOT YOUR MAMA'S GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
• Combine the onions, flour, panko and salt in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Coat a sheet pan with nonstick spray and evenly spread the onions on the pan. Bake in the oven until golden brown, tossing every 10 minutes, for approximately 30 minutes. Once done, remove from the oven and set aside until ready to use.
• Turn the oven down to 400 degrees F.
• While the onions are cooking, prepare the beans. Bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in an 8-quart saucepan. Blanch for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Add the half-and-half and cook until the mixture thickens, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 of the onions and all of the green beans. Top with the remaining onions. Place into the oven and bake until bubbly, approximately 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

MOTHER LODE BROWNIES (MRS FIELD'S COOKBOOK)

Steps:

• preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• grease and flour a 9x9 baking pan.
• make the brownie layer: in a small bowl, combine the flour and baking soda.
• in a double boiler, melt the unsweetened chocolate and the semisweet chocolate with the butter, stir until smooth and set aside to cool slightly.
• in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar and eggs until lightened and pale in coclor.
• beat in the cooled chocolate mixuted and the vanilla.
• gradually beat in the flour mixture.
• pour the batter into the prepared pan, bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the center is set but still moist and a bit fudgy.
• cool in the pan on a wire rack.
• prepare the caramel leayer: in a small, heavy saucepan, dissolve hte sugar in the water over low heat, stirring cosntantly.
• bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then let boil without stirring until the syrup turn sa deep amber.
• while the syrup is boiling, brush down the sides of thep an from time to time with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming.
• remove the pan from the heat, then stir in the hot cream (be careful it will bubble rapidly).
• continue stirring over low heat if necessary, until all of the caramel is dissolved into the cream.
• stir in the butter until smooth.
• set the caramel aside until it has cooled slightly but is still spreadable.
• Assemble: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• spread the caramel over the cooled brownies.
• sprinkle the toppings over hte caramel layer and place the brownies in the oven for 5 minutes to set the toppings (to not let the chips melt completely).
• set on a wire rack to cool, then cut into squares.