1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts

Melt butter over low heat. Remove from heat, add brown sugar and stir until well blended; cool. Add egg and mix well. Stir in dry ingredients, then add vanilla and nuts. Spread in well buttered 8 inch square pan and bake in moderate (350) oven for about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on cake rack. Then cut into 2 inch squares. Makes 16.

The renowned (now closed) Ebinger’s Bakery of Brooklyn made this locally famous devil?s food cake for many years. This version is heaven for chocolate lovers; rich chocolate cake layered with chocolate pudding and covered with chocolate cake crumbs.

Chocolate pudding:
2 tablespoons butter
3 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2-1/4 cups whole milk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate Cake:
About 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whole milk
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter (1-1/2 sticks), softened
3 large eggs

Prepare chocolate pudding: in 1 quart saucepan, heat butter with both chocolates over low heat until melted and smooth, stirring frequently; set aside.

In 3 quart saucepan, with wire whisk, stir sugar, cornstarch, and cocoa until combined. Gradually mix in milk until blended (mixture will not be smooth). Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute, stirring.

In small bowl, with wire whisk, beat eggs slightly. Whisk small amount of hot milk mixture into eggs until smooth. Gradually pour egg mixture back into milk mixture in saucepan, stirring rapidly to prevent lumping. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until very thick.

Remove saucepan from heat; stir in chocolate mixture and vanilla. Pour pudding into bowl; cover surface with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cook and set, at least 3 hours. Makes 3 cups.

Meanwhile, prepare chocolate cake: preheat oven to 350. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with waxed paper; grease paper. Dust pans with cocoa.

On waxed paper, combine flour, 2/3 cup cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In 1 cup glass measuring cup, mix milk and vanilla.
In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beta sugar with butter until blended. Increase speed to high; beat 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium low and add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat until batter is smooth, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Pour batter into prepared pans and spread evenly. Bake 25-30 minutes until toothpick inserted in centers come out clean. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; run small metal spatula around side of pans to loosen cake; invert cakes onto wire racks to cool completely.

To assemble cake: with serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half to make 4 layers in all. With knife, trip about 1/4 inch off side of cakes to make crumbs for decorating. With hand, crumble cake trimmings into small bowl (you should have about 1-1/2 cups crumbs).

Place 1 cake layer on cake plate. With wire whisk, gently stir cooled pudding in bowl to loosen slightly for easier spreading. Spread 2/3 cup pudding over layer; repeat with remaining 3 layers, using 2/3 cup pudding on each layer and ending with pudding. Use remaining pudding to lightly frost side of cake. Sprinkle some reserved cake crumbs on top of cake; press remaining crumbs onto pudding on side of cake. If not serving cake after 1 hour, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Makes 16 servings. From November 2000 Good Housekeeping magazine.

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon each vanilla and salt
2-1/4 cups flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda, dissolved in 1 teaspoon of hot water
1 package (12 ounces.) semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, cream butter; gradually add sugars, creaming well. Beat in eggs, vanilla and salt. Stir in 1-1/4 cups flour, then baking soda mixture. Stir in the remaining cup flour until blended. Fold in chocolate and walnuts. Roll rounded tablespoons of dough into balls. Chill dough, if necessary. Or, if preferred, drop by rounded tablespoons. Place 2 inches apart on foil-lined cookie sheets. With the back of a wet spoon flatten balls to about 1/2 inch thick. Bake in upper third of preheated 375 oven 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; cool 30 seconds or until firm enough to remove to rack to cool completely. Store airtight. From Family Circle magazine.

Crust:
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sweet butter, melted

Filling:
3 8-oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature
1-1/4 cups sugar
6 eggs, separated
1 pint sour cream
1/3 cup flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon

To make crust: Generously grease a 9 x 3 inch springform pan with butter. Place pan in center of a 12-inch square of aluminum foil and press foil up around side of pan. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Press one cup of crumb mixture into bottom and up side of pan. Chill prepared pan while making filling. Reserve remaining crumb mixture for topping.

To make filling: With electric mixer on low speed, or with a wood spoon, beat cream cheese in a large bowl until soft. Gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, until well blended. Stir in sour cream, flour, vanilla, lemon rind, and juice until smooth. Beat egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Fold whites into the cheese mixture, souffl? fashion, until well blended. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake in moderate oven (350) for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until top is golden; turn off oven heat and allow cake to cool in oven for 1 hour. Remove cake from oven and allow to cool on wire rack at room temperature. Sprinkle remaining crumbs on top. Chill overnight before serving. Dust with 10X sugar just before serving.

From Family Circle magazine.

4 squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) margarine
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (optional)
1 bag chocolate chips (optional)

Microwave chocolate and margarine in large bowl at high for 2 minutes or until margarine is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir sugar into melted chocolate until well blended. Stir in eggs and vanilla until completely mixed. Mix in four until well blended. Stir in nuts and/or chocolate chips. Spread in greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool in pan; cut into squares. Makes 24 brownies.

Streusel Topping:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Shortbread Crust:
3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold butter (2 sticks), cut up

Apple Filling:
3 tablespoons butter
3 pounds Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 cup dark seedless raisins
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon plus 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a 15-1/2 x 10-1/2 inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare streusel topping: mix all ingredients with your hands in a medium bowl until mixture holds together. Shape into a ball and cover and refrigerate.

Prepare shortbread crust: In large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives used scissor-fashion until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs evenly into prepared pan. With hands, firmly pat crumbs into bottom of pan to form a crust. Bake 20-25 minute or until lightly browned (crust may crack).

Prepare apple filling: In 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add apples, raisins, sugar and cinnamon, and cook 15 minutes or until apples are tender, stirring occasionally. In cup, mix cornstarch and lemon juice. Stir into apple mixture until thickened (it will thicken almost immediately). Remove from heat. Spoon hot apple mixture over warm crust. Break Streusel Topping into 1/2-inch chunks and scatter over apple mixture. Bake 30 minutes or until streusel is golden. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. When cool, cut lengthwise into 3 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces. Use wide metal spatula to lift and serve squares.

Each square: 425 calories; 3 g fiber; 23 g fat (12 g saturated); 52 g carbohydrate; 49 mg cholesterol; 225 mg sodium.

3 pounds cooking apples, sliced
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Mix all ingredients together and spread over top of apples. Add 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup sherry. Bake in a 9 x 13 pan at 350 degrees until apples are done and top is crusty. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. From Jack's mother, Mary Albert.

4 tart apples, pared, cored, and cut into wedges
6 tablespoons flour
6 tablespoons rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
6 tablespoons margarine
1 cup non-dairy whipped topping

Place apples in shallow 1-quart baking dish. In medium bowl, combine dry ingredients; cut in margarine until mixture is crumbly; sprinkle over apples. Bake in preheated 375 oven for 30 minutes or until apples are tender and top is browned. Serve with topping, if desired. Makes six servings, each about 219 calories.

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup margarine or butter, softened
1/2 cup Karo syrup
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Topping (recipe follows)
Heat oven to 350. Grease jelly roll pan. Mix brown sugar, margarine, corn syrup, egg and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Spread dough in pan. Bake until light golden brown, 18-20 minutes. Prepare topping. Pour over baked layer; spread evenly. Bake until light brown and set, 15-20 minutes; cool. Cut into 2-1/2 inch squares, cut each square diagonally into halves. Makes about 48 triangles.

Topping:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup Karo syrup
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sliced almonds

Cook and stir brown sugar and corn syrup over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Stir in margarine and cream. Heat to boiling; remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and almonds.