Each month we will be featuring recipes from our student's kitchens into yours! This month we invite you to join Carrie Baker as she shares her favorite desserts that are easy and fun to make at home. Bonus: they taste delicious!
Carrie is a senior at CSUN receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Art with an emphasis in Photography this upcoming graduation season! She is pursuing a career in social media. For the past year, Carrie has led the photography zClub at Hillel 818. Leading the photography zClub at Hillel has been a fun way to connect with a community and to have an outlet for creativity and expression, while also having the opportunity to learn and build one’s skills. She has been a part of the Hillel Council this past year with her council project focusing on honoring a Student of the Month.
Aunt Ruth’s Mandel Bread
No matter the event, Mandel bread is always at the table. Everyone in the family wants a piece of this mouthwatering dessert! Mand el bread tastes similar to a biscotti cookie with crunchiness, a cinnamon flavor, and heavenly chocolate chips. When she was little, Carrie would go over to her grandma’s house and bake things together, a tradition she still carries
on to today.
Carrie makes this recipe regularly, and to celebrate any occasion! She made it last week for Mother’s Day. The best part about the recipe is adding the chocolate chips and forming them into the shape of the log and putting it in the oven, taking it out, cutting it, and putting it back in the oven. The Mandel bread recipe is important to Carrie because it is a family recipe to be able to pass down to her own kids, it is easy to make, and she never gets tired of it
Ingredients:
3 eggs, well beaten
1 cup sugar
1 cup walnuts
1 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups flour
Pinch of salt
Dash of cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)
Sprinkle of cinnamon (optional)
Sprinkle of sugar (optional)
Directions:
Blend together. Add 1 cup walnuts and/or 1 cup of chocolate chips. Make 4 long strips. Wet hands with water when molding strips. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes. Let cool. Cut into slices and turn over on the side. Optional: Put cinnamon and sugar on top. Put back in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cake
The banana bread recipe is SUPER SIMPLE. Carrie loves banana and chocolate, therefore the combination creates a FANTASTIC dessert. Carrie’s grandmother puts chocolate frosting on top that makes it really tasty and moist!
Dry ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips
Wet ingredients:
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 cups white cane sugar
2 cups mashed banana (about 4 bananas)
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate frosting (optional)
Directions:
Mix all dry ingredients together. In a mixer, combine eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla, and banana. Beat until well mixed. Stir in dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Add chocolate chips to the mixer. At this point, all the ingredients should be mixed together. Place the mixture into a greased 13x9x2 Pyrex baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
7 Layer Bars
The 7 layer bar is incredible because it is composed of seven different layers and when assembled, the ingredients lead to a flavorful and appetizing dessert bar!
Ingredients:
1 stick margarine
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (22 crackers)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 (16 oz) chocolate chips
1 can (3 ½ oz) coconut flakes
1 cup nuts, chopped
Directions:
Melt margarine. Sprinkle crumbs over the margarine. Pour milk over crumbs. Top with chocolate chips, coconut flakes, and chopped nuts. Press down gently. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes in a 13 x 19 inch pan.