Chocolate Idiot Cake

From the David Lebovitz website:

One 9-inch (23 cm) cake
Adapted from Ready for Dessert (Ten Speed Press)
This cake is extremely rich, and tastes like the most delicious, silkiest, most supremely-chocolate ganache you’ve ever had. As mentioned, it’s equally good a few days later, and only an idiot could possibly mess it up. You don’t need to use ScharffenBerger chocolate for this cake, but use a good one—you’ll appreciate it when you taste your first melt-in-your-mouth bite.
10 ounces (290 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
7 ounces (200 g) butter, salted or unsalted, cut into pieces
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (200 g) sugar
Preheat the oven to 350F (175C).
1. Butter a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan* and dust it with cocoa powder, tapping out any excess. If you suspect your springform pan isn’t 100% water-tight, wrap the outside with aluminum foil, making sure it goes all the way up to the outer rim.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler (or microwave), stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar, then whisk in the melted chocolate mixture until smooth.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and cover the top of the pan snugly with a sheet of foil. Put the springform pan into a larger baking pan, such as a roasting pan, and add enough hot water to the baking pan to come about halfway up to the outside of the cake pan.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
You’ll know the cake is done when it feels just set, like quivering chocolate pudding. If you gently touch the center, your finger should come away clean.
5. Lift the cake pan from the water bath and remove the foil. Let cake cool completely on a cooling rack.
Serve thin wedges of this very rich cake at room temperature, with creme anglaise, ice cream, or whipped cream.
Storage: This Chocolate Idiot Cake can be wrapped and chilled in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Peanutty Energy Bars

• 1/2 cup (60 g) salted dry-roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup (80 g) raisins or other dried fruit
• 2 cups (160 g) uncooked oatmeal, old-fashioned or instant
• 2 cups (50 g) toasted rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies
• 1/2 cup (130 g) peanut butter, crunchy or creamy
• 1/2 cup (100 g) packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Optional: 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ

Mix together the first six ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside. Combine peanut butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in a large bowl. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Add vanilla and stir until blended. Add dry ingredients from medium bowl. Stir until coated. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square pan coated with non-stick spray. Press down firmly (It helps to spray fingers with nonstick spray). Let stand about 1 hour. Cut into bars.

Great Grandma Carpenter’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 ½ C four

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 C shortening

1 C white sugar

1 C brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3 C quick oats

1 C raisins

Sift flour, soda and salt together. Beat shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine with flour mixture and oats. Add raisins. Bake at 375F for 12-14 minutes.

Peanut Butter Oat Cookies

2 C peanut butter

1¾ C white sugar

2 eggs

1½ C flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 C quick oats

Water to taste

Mix all ingredients. Add water until slightly moister than normal cookie dough. Bake 350F as either drop cookies or bars (baking time will vary depending on the amount of water added).