Brownies are the easiest cookie to make, but they are also the easiest to wreck. It is very hard to judge doneness so many cooks including myself *ahem* will overcook them. Most of the recipes will be done when they start to pull away from the sides of the pan. This recipe has a gooey caramel center so it is harder to judge doneness. Just watch carefully and be ready to pull these out. When I read the recipe and saw that you cooked one layer for 25 minutes, added caramel and more brownie mix and cooked for an additional 30 minutes I said no way! The recipe fooled me. It is a fantastic moist and chocolatey brownie. One of the best I have ever had. Try these and you will never make brownies from a box again and you may even throw your old recipe away. They won the taste test with about 42 of my best tasters!
One of my best childhood memories is my hometown bakery. My sister and I would stop by on our way home from school almost everyday. I had quite a few favorites such as huge butter cookies, cream horns dusted with powdered sugar, and date nut bars. All of the above were enjoyed with a Tab or a big cup of coffee depending on the season and the weather. I have been searching for the recipe to make the perfect date nut bars and this one is pretty close. The bottom layer is similar to a shortbread cookie and the top layer is a mixture of dates, coconut, and nuts. Delicious! Sorry, but I’ve got to run. I brought home school work which is calling my name. I have about 400 papers that are graded, but have not been put into the gradebook. So I am off to do my real job!
I have subscriptions to five food magazines. I love to read them, but I get so distracted with all the great recipes that it sometimes drives me to a complete halt. I mean I can’t make a decision about what to cook for the coming weeks. I must have some kind of ADHD. I do the same thing if I am shopping for clothes in a very large department store. I can’t make a decision. So I have resisted subscribing to more food magazines to decrease the confusion in my life. A few months ago I received a copy of Martha Stewart’s Living magazine. Knowing that I had not ordered it I checked the label and this is what I read, “Wanda The Food Blogger Lupo.” It made me laugh. My good friend Neil gave me a subscription to this beautiful magazine for me to enjoy. Now everytime I receive it in the mail I smile!
One of my favorite combinations is peanut butter and chocolate. When I was pregnant (many years ago) and trying not to be a huge balloon. I vividly remember going to CHMS’s musical and before finding a seat stopping by the snack bar and buying a Reese’s cup! I relished every bite taking an hour or more to eat the three peanut butter cups. Truthfully, that is the last time that I have purchased a triple cup of Reese’s. But, I have eaten many of the miniature ones since that night. 
The Teacher Cooks 