Chocolate Chip Caramel Cake

CHOCOLATE CHIP CARAMEL CAKE

This is really moist and yummy. I liked it way better the day after it was made so if you are making it for something I recommend making it a day in advance. Also the second time I made it it turned out a lot better and fluffier.

1 box devil's food cake mix

1 1/3 C sour cream

1/2 C vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 C semisweet chocolate chips

1 C caramel topping

Icing (powdered sugar, milk, vanilla) optional

*Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix cake mix, sour cream, oil and eggs with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds then on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Hand mix in the chocolate chips and pour into prepared pan. Bake 35-43 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes. Spray meat fork, or long tined fork, with cooking spray and poke warm cake all over. Pour caramel topping all over cake and cool completely. If desired mix up a little powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Drizzle over the top of the cake. I did it more fro presentation because the cake itself doesn't need anything more.

The first time I made it, I think I took it out of the oven a little too early and the center fell. Then I didn't want to wait for it to cool all the way before I ate it so the caramel hadn't even soaked in yet. I am not a patient person. It was really good, but even better the next day.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS

Vinnie loves cookie bars and asked that I make him some. I had to improvise a little with these but they turned out pretty good.

1 C butter
1/3 C shortening
1 C granulated sugar
1 C brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

*Preheat oven to 350. In large mixing bowl, combine butter, shortening and sugars. With an electric mixer cream until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla. mix on low until combined. Add dry ingredients and chips. Mix by hand with rubber spatula. Once combined press into ungreased 9x13 baking dish. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown all over.

Fresh out of the oven.

I got all the way to the end of baking this and realized I only had a large handful of chocolate chips. While I was looking in my cupboards trying to figure out what to do Malakai grabbed the chocolate chips and downed half of the remaining chocolate chips. I called Vinnie and asked if he wanted m&m's but he didn't. He suggested peanut butter chips instead. I have to admit I was a little skeptical about the peanut butter chips, but it turned out pretty good. I ended up using half chocolate chips and half peanut butter chips.

This recipe easily could have been cut in half, put in a smaller square baking dish and cooked in a shorter amount of time.