Joanne Fluke's Lake Eden Cookbook Part 60

in the cup to measure it)

cup cocoa powder (unsweetened, for baking)

cup white (granulated) sugar

cup softened b.u.t.ter (1 and sticks, 6 ounces)

Mix the flour, cocoa powder, and white sugar together and then cut in the softened b.u.t.ter. (You can also do this with a food processor with a steel blade, using chilled b.u.t.ter that's been cut into chunks.) Spread the mixture out in the bottom of a greased 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan and press it down with a spatula.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes. Take the crust out of the oven, but DON'T SHUT OFF THE OVEN. You'll need to bake the filling.

FOR THE FILLING:.

2 eight-ounce packages softened cream cheese (the block

type, not the whipped type)

1 cup mayonnaise (I used h.e.l.lmann's)

1 cup white (granulated) sugar

4 eggs

2 cups chocolate chips (a 12-ounce bag)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

You can do these cookie bars by hand, but it's a lot easier with an electric mixer. Place the softened cream cheese in a bowl and beat it with the mayonnaise until it's smooth. Gradually add the white sugar.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl for 3 minutes. (Chocolate chips may retain their shape, so stir them to see if they're melted.) Let them cool for a minute or two, and then gradually add the melted chocolate to the cream cheese mixture.

Mix in the vanilla extract, and pour the chocolate mixture on top of the crust you just baked.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 35 additional minutes. Let the Chocolate Overload Cookie Bars cool to room temperature and then chill for at least 4 hours.

Cut into brownie-size bars. Garnish the bars with strawberries, sweetened whipped cream, or powdered sugar if desired.

LOVELY LEMON BAR COOKIES.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

1 cup cold b.u.t.ter (2 sticks, 8 ounces, pound)

2 cups flour (don't sift pack it down in the cup when you

measure it)

cup powdered sugar (not sifted)

4 beaten eggs (just whip them up in a gla.s.s with a fork)

2 cups white (granulated) sugar

8 Tablespoons lemon juice ( cup)

1 teaspoon or so of lemon zest (zest is finely grated

lemon peel)

teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

4 Tablespoons flour (that's cup don't sift)

FIRST STEP: Cut each stick of b.u.t.ter into eight pieces. Zoop it up with the flour and the powdered sugar in a food processor until it looks like coa.r.s.e cornmeal. Spread it out in a greased 9-inch by 13-inch pan, and pat it down with your hands.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden around the edges. Remove the pan from the oven, set it on a wire rack or a cold stovetop burner, but DON'T SHUT OFF THE OVEN.

SECOND STEP: Mix the eggs with the white sugar. Add the lemon juice and the zest. Add the salt and baking powder. Mix thoroughly. Add the flour and stir until everything is combined.

Hannah's Note: This filling will be runny - it's supposed to be.

Pour the filling over the crust you just baked and stick it back into the oven. Bake it at 350 degrees F. for another 30 to 35 minutes. Then remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle on powdered sugar if you wish.

Set the pan on a wire rack or on a cold stovetop burner. Let the bars cool thoroughly and then cut them into brownie-sized pieces.

MULTIPLE CHOICE COOKIE BARS.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

cup b.u.t.ter (one stick, 4 ounces, pound)

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

COLUMN A.

(1 and cups of)