They sound like Pecan Pie Squares, except with chocolate added and walnuts instead of pecans. Sort of like a ham sandwich, except with apples added and with chicken instead of ham! :o) Anyway, I've made this recipe several times, even though I don't usually use cake mixes, and people really inhale them. I bet you could add a layer of chocolate and make them even better. (I got this from someone who got it from her sister-in-law, who said she got it from Paula Deen, but I'm not so sure about that.) Pecan Pie Squares 1 box yellow cake mix (she used Duncan Hines butter kind, so I did, too) 1 stick butter 4 eggs 1 1/2 c. light corn syrup 1/2 packed dark brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring 2 c. chopped pecans Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 9 x 13 pan. For the crust, in a bowl mix the cake mix, 1 egg, and melted butter. Measure out 2/3 c. of this mixture and save for topping. Pat the rest of mixture in pan and bake for 15 mins. Stir reserved crust mixture, 3 eggs, corn syrup,brown sugar, and vanilla. Last stir in the pecans. Pour this mixture over partially baked crust. Increase the oven temp. to 375 degrees and bake an additional 30 mins. or until cake is set. Cool and cut into bars. If you're not comfortable tweaking that one, you can find lots of recipes by just Googling "Chocolate Pecan Pie Squares." I copied out this one, but there are tons more. I'd love to hear what you end up trying. Chocolate pecan pie squares Yield: 54 servings 2 c Flour 1¼ c Granulated sugar 2 Sticks butter; cut-up, softened 3 tb Butter, melted 1 Egg 3 tsp Vanilla extract 6 oz Semisweet chocolate chips â c Light brown sugar, packed ½ c Heavy cream â c Light corn syrup 3 c Pecans, chopped Recipe by: 365 Great Chocolate Desserts - ISBN 0-06-016537-5 Preparation Time: 1:05 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. To make crust, in a food processor, combine flour and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Add 2 sticks softened butter and process until mixture is in fine crumbs. With machine on, add egg and 2 tsp vanilla through feed tube. Process just until dough leaves sides of bowl and masses together. 2. Press dough evenly over bottom of a foil-lined 10 x 15-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake 15 to 17 mins, or until just golden. 3. Remove from oven and sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips. Return to oven 1 to 2 mins to melt chips. Spread melted chocolate over crust. 4. In a large bowl, combine remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, cream, corn syrup, melted butter, and remaining 1 tsp vanilla. Mix well. Stir in pecans. Carefully spoon pecan topping over chocolate on crust. 5. Bake 25 to 30 mins, or until golden. Let cool in pan 1 hour before cutting into 54 squares.

Here is the one for CCC: Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies from the Episode: The Cookie Jar Avoid using a nonstick skillet to brown the butter; the dark color of the nonstick coating makes it difficult to gauge when the butter is browned. Use fresh, moist brown sugar instead of hardened brown sugar, which will make the cookies dry. This recipe works with light brown sugar, but the cookies will be less full-flavored. For our winning brand of chocolate chips, see related tasting. Makes 16 cookies 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces) 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks) 1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces) 3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces) (see note) 1 teaspoon table salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 large egg 1 large egg yolk 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (see note) 3/4 cup chopped pecan or walnuts, toasted (optional) See Illustrations Below: Don't Bake in Batches 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside. 2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted. 3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain. 4. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.) 5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Here is the Lemon Cranberry Icebox Cookie recipe: 1 cup butter, softened at room temp 1 cup white sugar 1 cup brown sugar, packed 2 large eggs 1 t grated lemon peel 2 TB fresh lemon juice 1 cup dried cranberries, chopped roughly 3 1/2 cups a-p flour 1 t baking soda 1/2 t salt 1.Using an electric mixer at medium speed (or by hand) beat the butter and both sugars until fluffy. 2.Add the eggs to the creamed mixture one at a time, beating well after each. 3.Add the grated lemon rind and lemon juice to the creamed mixture and beat well. 4.Add the dried cranberries to the dough and mix until well blended. 5.Combine the flour, soda and salt in a bowl. Slowly add a portion of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and blend just until well combined. Add the rest of the flour mixture and beat until well blended. Do not over beat. 6.Divide dough into 3 equal portions. 7.Take each portion of dough and shape it into a log about 12-inches long. Form the log into a round by rolling the dough back and forth on lightly floured parchment or was paper. 8.If you plan to bake the cookies right away: double wrap each log in plastic wrap; chill until firm, about 4 hours (or freeze about 2 hours). Preheat oven to 350F; line a baking sheet with parchment paper; unwrap dough log and using a sharp knife, cut each log into 1/4-inch slices. Rotate the dough log 1/4 turn after each cookie is cut - this will help keep the cookies round. 9.Place each slice 2-inches apart on the paper on the sheet. 10.Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. 11.Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. 12.Repeat the process for the next batch of cookies to freeze the dough 1.Wrap the plastic wrap dough logs in freezer paper, or put them in a freezer zip bag. Be sure to label and date the logs of dough. Remove as much air as possible from the zip bag. Store up to 4-6 weeks in the freezer. 2.Thaw log of dough in the refrigerator for 4 hours or more before slicing and baking. source: 30 Delicious Icebox Cookie Recipes, Lori Burke, Kindle Edition

I am a huge fan of Aldi. There are three within 5 miles of my house, and a Trader Joe's, all clean and convenient. There are high end grocers, pick-n-saves, super walmarts, butcher shops, green grocers, bakeries, dairies, all in easy reach of my house. Paradise for a cook like myself, but I buy most of my groceries at Aldi, though not all. They don't have specialty foods, unusual spices, but they do have many delicious, fresh items. They do have carts that don't wobble because they haven't been banged around in a parking lot. They don't supply bags, but the stores in my area all accept debit cards and will give me up to $200 cash back at no charge every time I shop. Twice we have had guests who raved about the delicious meal I prepared with Aldi food when the discussion turned to some guests' refusal to enter an Aldi because they thought Aldi food was substandard or out of date or seconds, etc.. My husband and I looked at each other and kept quiet both times. I certainly had never considered that people would be afraid of Aldi foods or refuse to eat them.