Red Velvet Brownies

I loooove red velvet. And I looooove brownies. Put them together and you have a delicious marriage of something simply delectable and wonderful.

I made these soon after I spotted them on my friend Lisa's blog and, while I am usually a boxed-brownie kind of girl, these are worth every extra step.


Red Velvet Brownies
from Lisa's Cooking Adventures; originally from Pink Parsley

• 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (1-oz) bottle red food coloring
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp white vinegar

Cream Cheese Swirl

• 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 Tbs sugar
• 2 Tbs sour cream
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 large egg yolk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x9 inch square baking dish with two pieces of aluminum foil, folding ends over the edges. Spray with cooking spray.

Combine the chocolate and butter in a large, microwave safe bowl. Cook 30 seconds at a time until melted, stirring well after each time. Whisk in the sugar. One at a time, add the eggs, whisking well between each addition. Stir in the flour, food coloring, baking powder, salt, buttermilk, vanilla, and vinegar. Combine well, then pour into the prepared baking dish.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and egg yolk. Drop spoonfuls over the brownie batter, then use a table knife to swirl into the batter.

Bake 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Brownie Cheesecake Trifle for a Virtual Baby Shower

When I hear trifle, I automatically think "...a layer of ladyfingers, then a layer of jam, then custard... then raspberries, more ladyfingers, then beef sauteed with peas and onions..."

Anyone freakishly able to make references to Friends from the most random words or ideas?

Or maybe it's just me.

Anyway.  Speaking of friends, I am delighted to present not only a delicious dessert but also an exciting event.  Annie's Eats is a popular and highly regarded food blog, and I was thrilled to be asked to take part in a special blogging celebration: a virtual baby shower for Annie's next most special little treat!  Her sweet baby girl is on her way to join big brother Andrew, and what better way for bloggers to honor her upcoming arrival than to throw her a little virtual party!

Courtney from Cook Like a Champion arranged everything - please be sure to visit Cook Like a Champion and Annie's Eats to see the delicious spread!  I must admit that I feel a little star-struck surrounded by such big names in the food blog world. :)

My contribution was a Brownie Cheesecake Trifle, and this decadent treat is sure to be a big hit at any soiree.  Who can resist rich chocolatey brownies smothered with a creamy cheesecake spread?  Throw in some sliced strawberries and cool whip and sprinkle with broken Oreos and you've got yourself quite the dessert table headliner!

This is a simple dessert to prepare and is one of those dishes that you can completely customize - use blueberries instead of strawberries, or omit the Oreos, or use chocolate chip cookies instead, or add some pumpkin to the cheesecake mixture...

(Note: This feeds an army, so either scale back the amounts or invite over all your friends!)

Brownie Cheesecake Trifle

from Lauren's Kitchen

• a batch of your favorite brownies (from a box or home-made), cooled
  
• 3 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened
  
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 2 tubs of Cool Whip (you probably won't use all of it), thawed
  
• 1 package of Oreos, broken but not crushed
  
• 16oz strawberries, sliced

To make the cheesecake mixture, combine cream cheese, vanilla, sugar, and about 1 1/2 cup of cool whip and beat until fluffy and well-incorporated.  Taste it and adjust as needed.

And now... just start stacking it all!  I started with a layer of brownies, followed by cheesecake, strawberries, Oreos, and Cool Whip.  Repeat until you run out of room or ingredients.

Ice Cream Sundae Brownies

I can resist neither brownies nor ice cream, so when you put them together, you are for sure going to make me happy! Usually this combination leads to ice cream with brownie bits swirled in, but Picky Palate decided to turn the tables; she created the Ice Cream Sundae Brownie.


I've made these brownies a few different times with various flavors of ice cream: mocha frappucino, phish food, etc. The upside is that the brownies have a new layer of yuminess - even though I used a box mix, there's just something about them that makes them so much richer and more decadent than a regular brownie.

The downside is that I couldn't really taste the flavor of the ice cream. I was especially disappointed when I used Starbucks' Mocha Frappucino flavor; I was really hoping for that delicious latte flavor.

Perhaps a stronger variety, such as a mint, would shine through, but I'm not sure. These brownies, however, were still absolutely delicious and I will make them again - though I will likely not go out of my way for a fun flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 box Brownie Mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 Cup canola or vegetable oil
• Heaping 1/2 Cup of your favorite Ice Cream
  
• 1 1/2 Cups chocolate chips
• 1/4 Cup hot fudge topping (chilled)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl mix the brownie mix, 2 eggs and oil until combined…and thick. I did NOT add the water. Scoop in ice cream, chocolate chips and hot fudge; mix until combined. Pour into a foil lined 9×13 inch baking dish that’s been GENEROUSLY sprayed with cooking spray. More is better here Bake for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick comes clean from center.

2. Let cool completely. Remove foil from baking dish, cut into squares and serve.

Cheesecake Brownies

I was looking for something easy and delicious to take to a picnic this past weekend and thought that these little Cheesecake Brownies (courtesy of What's Cooking in the Orange Kitchen) were perfect. I cheated and used boxed brownies because I was short on time, but they were still fantastic.


Ingredients

• 1 batch of brownie batter (boxed or homemade) with 1 cup of chocolate chips added
• 1 block (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease two muffin tins (for a total of 24 brownies).

Combine the cream cheese, vanilla, egg, and sugar in the bowl of a mixer and beat until well combined.

Fill each well half way with brownie batter. Then add 2-3 tbsp of cheesecake filling to each. Top that with a dollop of brownie batter.

Swirl the brownie batter and cheesecake filling with a toothpick. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Black Bean and Avocado Brownies

I assure you - this is not an April Fool's joke!

Cara's Cravings published this recipe on Valentine's Day, and it took me up until now to actually make it. It looked interesting... and I know it's healthy... but there was just something mental that wouldn't let me try them.

Even after making them, it took me a good day and a half to work up the nerve to take a bite. Although most of the ladies on my cooking message board love these, there was still something holding me back.

But... I did it. I ate one. And they are GOOD!

Don't get me wrong - you won't be confusing these with a Ghiradelli brownie or anything. But they are definitely chocolatey and brownie-like enough that I can see myself making them again. The nutritional info works in their favor as well - each brownie has more than 4g of protein and less than 2 grams of fat. Cha-ching!

They aren't bad at all on their own, and I imagine they would be even yummier with a scoop of ice cream on top.


Ingredients

• 1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup egg substitute
• 1/4 cup agave syrup
• 1/2 of a ripe avocado (60gm)
• 6 tbsp cocoa powder (30gm)
• pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons white sugar (75gm)
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8" pan with parchment paper.

Combine black beans, egg substitute, agave syrup, and avocado in food processor. Blend for a few minutes, until completely smooth. Add remaining ingredients and continue blending until fully combined, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Spread into parchment-lined baking dish. Bake for 30-33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the brownies comes out clean.

These are best if you let them sit overnight before slicing and enjoying!

Marshmallow Swirl Brownies

When I was at Jen's Pampered Chef party last weekend, Brooke brought these awesome Marshmallow Swirl Brownies that she found on, get this, the Pillsbury box. I don't think I've ever even thought to look right below where the directions end - clever! :)

They were so ridiculously delicious (not to mention EASY!) and I couldn't wait to make them myself for our baby-playdate with Colleen. I made them in my Pampered Chef "large bar pan," but any pan would do. Actually, I will probably make them in my 9x13 next time so that they're slightly thicker. Or, I can just use two boxes...



Ingredients

• Cooking Spray
• 1 pkg family-sized fudge brownie mix (plus whatever ingredients are listed on the box)
• 1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow creme
• 1/3 cup chocolate frosting

Heat oven to 350. Prepare brownies as indicated on package with oil, water and eggs. Cool completely.

Spread a thin layer of marshmallow creme over brownies. Place frosting in microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 10-20 seconds. Stir until smooth. Drizzle frosting over marshmallow creme. Swirl with knife.

Refrigerate 15 minutes. To cut cleanly, spray a knife with non-stick cooking spray as needed. Store loosely covered in the refrigerator.

Candy Cane Kiss Brownie Bites

Usually for Christmas at my cousin Cheryl's house, the spread consists of various finger foods and hors d'oeurves. I asked her what I could contribute, and she suggested a dessert; I knew I wanted to keep with the bite-sized trend.

I thought that these little brownies from Picky Palate would be absolutely perfect. Chocolate + candy canes = perfection, right? I think so.


These yummy little treats were so good. Unlike Jenny, I don't have a mini cheesecake pan, but my mini muffin tin was perfect (I got 3 dozen brownies). My chocolate topping didn't look quite as creamy and smooth as hers, but they sure tasted delightful. What a perfect Christmas treat!

Ingredients

• 1 brownie mix 9×13 inch size
• 18 Candy Cane Hershey Kisses
• 1/2 Cup chocolate chips
• 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
• 3 original candy canes, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and scoop into a mini cheesecake pan or mini muffin tin pan that has been generously sprayed with cooking spray, about 3/4 way full. Press kisses into center of brownie batter, do not push all the way to bottom, some of the tip should stick out the top. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until brownies are cooked through. Let cool completely.

2. Melt chocolate chips in microwave, 30 second intervals until smooth and melted. Stir in cream until silky smooth. You can place back in microwave for 10 seconds to smooth more if needed. Dip tops of brownies into melted chocolate, then sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Serve with a tall glass of milk. Enjoy!!

Pumpkin Cake Brownies

One of my goals for 2010 is to be a little more vigilant about knocking off the last 5 baby pounds and eat a little healthier. (I refuse to use the phrase "New Year's Resolutions" because those are always thrown out the window by Jan 10.) My big downfall, though, is that I just freaken love food - sweets in particular.


So when I stumbled upon this recipe from Hungry Girl, I knew I have found a snack that could satisfy my taste buds while also toning my waist. One of these brownies has way under 200 calories!

They are DELICIOUS - I really felt like I was eating a gooey brownie, so no fake diet food for me. Her recipe has you use a muffin tin for these, but I poured the batter into my 9x9 Pyrex to create brownies instead.

And if you despise pumpkin, fear not - you can't even taste it.


Ingredients

• 1 box devil’s food cake mix
• 1 can solid pack pumpkin (15 oz.)

Mix the two ingredients together. Don't add anything else that may be mentioned on the box, such as eggs, oil, or water. The mixture will be very thick and you will be tempted to add in other things to make the batter smoother. DO NOT DO THIS AS IT WILL RUIN EVERYTHING! Place batter into muffin tins (or mini muffin tins) lined with paper, or sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 12 regular or 36 mini muffins (or 16 brownies!).

Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake

For my husband's birthday a couple of weeks ago, he opted to stay home for a low-key home cooked meal.  He requested chicken enchilladas but said he had no preference for a dessert.

This recipe for a Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake from Smitten Kitchen has been popping up all over my Google Reader, so I took that as a sign.  We both enjoy cheesecake, and since I've never made it myself, I was excited for the challenge.  Thanks to a friend who lent me her spring-form pan, I rolled up my sleeves (and put Cars on for Ryan) and hopped into the kitchen.

This was actually very good!  It did crack, but not too badly.  I also had issues with the time; I probably kept it in the oven for an extra half hour.  But every hot minute in the kitchen was worth it, because I really loved this cheesecake, and so did the birthday boy.

I modified it a bit, and by "modified," I mean that I cheated; I used a box mix for the brownies and nixed the chocolate topping.  I just copied and pasted Deb's instructions below.  And for the record - I doubled the crust too!

Part One: One Bowl Brownies
Adapted from Baker’s One Bowl Brownies
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (Baker’s chocolate, optional of course)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 3/4cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 13×9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Grease foil.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on high for 2 minutes, or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix well. Spread into prepared pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minute or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool in pan on wire rack. Remove brownies from pan, using foil handles.

Cool brownies, then cut* them into 3/4- to 1-inch squares for use in the cheesecake. You will have more than the two cups of cubes, loosely measured, than you will need, and I’m sorry, you’re just going to have to decide for yourself what to do with the extra. Add cubes to cake batter as directed below.

* I find that brownies are fantastically easy to cut once they’ve been refrigerated–you end up with nice clean lines, and in this case, a sharp pizza wheel was especially helpful. Also, brownies taste better cold. I’m just saying.

Part Two: Crumb Crust
Adapted from Gourmet, 1999
I like a doubled crumb crust. I can’t get enough cookie. Below are proportions for one crust with the amounts to double the recipe in parentheses. You know you wanna.

1 1/2 cups or 5 ounces (3 cups or 10 ounces to double) finely ground cookies such as chocolate wafers. Or Chocolate Teddy Grahams.
5 tablespoons (10 tablespoons to double) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup (2/3 cup to double) sugar
1/8 (1/4 teaspoon to double) teaspoon salt
Stir together crust ingredients and press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of a buttered 24-centimeter springform pan. Fill right away or chill up to 2 hours.
Part Three: Cheesecake
Adapted from the Three Cities of Spain Coffeehouse
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 cups brownie cubs (from recipe above)
Make crumb crust as directed above for 24-centimeter cheesecake. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Make filling and bake cake: Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy and add eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla and sugar, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scraping down bowl between additions.

Fold brownie cubes in very gently and pour mixture into prepared pan. Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan. Pour filling into crust and bake in baking pan (to catch drips) in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until cake is set 3 inches from edge but center is still slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken.
When completely cool, top with following glaze.
Part Four: Ganache Glaze
Adapted from Purdy’s original recipe

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken up, or 1/2 cup chocolate morsels
2 ounces butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
Grind the chocolate into powder in the food processor, scald the butter and cream in a saucepan (or in a Pyrex cup in the microwave). With the machine running, pour the hot cream/butter mixture slowly through the feed tube onto the chocolate. Blend until completely smooth, stopping machine to scrape down sides once or twice. Add the extract and sugar and process until smooth. Spread over cheesecake while ganache is still warm. Chill until ready to serve.

Ice Cream Brownie Cupcakes

This past weekend, Sarah, Colleen, and I went to poor bed-ridden Brooke's house for lunch. Whenever we get together, we all bring a dish so that it's never extra work for the hostess (unless you're me and you suddenly find that you have a clean your house because you haven't cleaned it in about 3 months because your 2-year-old just destroys everything you clean).

I volunteered to bring the dessert, and I could not decide what to bring. Nothing seemed exciting or special enough. Finally, the day before our lunch, I sat down to make my grocery list and forced myself to just make a decision.

To procrastinate, I decided to check out my Google Reader, and lo and behold, fate intervened. The very top post was a recipe for Ice Cream Brownie Cupcakes from Annie. It was different, interesting, and very delicious sounding. Perfect.


I ended up with a few changes; I decided to keep the chocolate them going and used Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream instead of strawberry. I also ran out of time to make the ganauche (we were out getting Ryan his big boy bed!) so I had my husband run to the store and grab me a bottle of Magic Shell. Perfect.

Overall, I very much enjoyed the concept of this recipe. The only thing I didn't like was the actual brownie. I was skeptical about it from the beginning, because the batter was very dry and didn't really "spread" in the oven. I also thought it had kind of a weird taste to it... I'm sure it's the fault of the baker and not the recipe! I would for sure try these again.

(Annie later informed me of a typo in the original recipe. It should be 3/4 cups of flour, not 3 cups! No wonder... I fixed it below. Thank you, Annie, for salvaging this yummy dessert for me!)


Ingredients
For the brownies:

• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/8 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the ice cream:

• 1 batch of chosen ice cream, slightly softened

For the ganache:

• 3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

To garnish:

• Fresh strawberry slices (I omitted)

To make the brownie bottoms, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcake pans with foil liners. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl; stir together and set aside. In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water combine the butter and chocolate. Heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk to blend. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture, and then the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

Scoop 1 tablespoon of batter into cupcake liner. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 6-8 minutes. Leaving the brownies in the cupcake pans, cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Freeze for at least 30 minutes. Top with strawberry ice cream until the cupcake liner is full. (If the ice cream is freshly made, it is just the right consistency for filling the cupcake liners.) Return the cupcake pans to the freezer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

To make the ganache, place the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour the cream evenly over the chocolate, let stand for 1 minute. Stir until smooth with a rubber spatula. If the ganache is too thin, allow it to stand at room temperature to cool and become more easily spreadable. Once the ganache is at the correct temperature, scoop it by the teaspoonful on top of the ice cream cupcakes and spread over the tops. Garnish with fresh strawberry slices, if desired.

Remove cupcakes from the freezer 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream

From the moment I laid eyes on Annie's recipe for Milk Chocolate Ice Cream with Brownie Bits, I was in love. I starred the recipe and added to the ingredients to my Peapod order. (Do you do Peapod? If not, you should. Grocery delivery is freaken fantastic.)

When it came time to make it however, I still had some brownies leftover from a box (Hey - don't judge. The box cost $1. You'd buy it too!) and couldn't really justify making even more. I thought about just throwing the box brownies into the recipe from Annie, but decided against it. I had visions of writing, "The ice cream was good, but the brownies were just ehh." I decided to save her complete version for next time.


I then remembered that Erin posted a Chocolate Ice Cream recipe on her blog, Dinner and Dessert (which she got from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop). I didn't star it initially because, well, in case you hadn't noticed, I like chunks of stuff in my ice cream, and plain ice cream has no chunks. But, in a rare lightbulb moment, I decided that I could throw my brownie chunks into Erin's recipe and I'd be very happy.

And "happy" does not begin to describe yours truly when eating this ice cream. Wowzers.


Here is Erin's recipe. I just also crumbled up the brownies and froze them for about a half hour; I added them to the machine for the last 2 minutes of churning.

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (I used dark)
  
• 5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup whole milk
• ¾ cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 5 large egg yolks
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Warm 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer at a very low boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Then stir in the remaining 1 cup cream. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, scraping the saucepan as thoroughly as possible, and set a mesh strainer on top of the bowl.

Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in the same saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk unto the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the chocolate mixture until smooth, then stir in the vanilla. Stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions (If the cold mixture is too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin out).

Makes about 1 quart

M&M Brownies

You will never guess where I got this "recipe."

Give up?

Cosmo.

I know, I was shocked too! I signed up for a free 5 issues (and sidenote? Daay-yum, that magazine makes me feel OLD!) and was flipping through it the other night when I came across this little goodie on a page dedicated to easy Superbowl eats.

The Cosmo version called for Reese's PB cups, but since Ryan is allergic and I think it's mean to eat brownies in front of my 2-year-old without sharing, I opted for M&Ms. But really, ANY candy would make this delightful!


Ingredients

• box or package of your favorite brownie mix (a from-scratch recipe would obviously be even yummier!)
• your choice of candy - enough to form a single layer in a 9x9 pan

Prepare brownie batter according to package directions. Pour half of the batter into a 9x9 pan; spread candy in a single layer over the the top, and cover with the rest of the batter. Bake according to package directions.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

When I first saw these on Brooke's blog, I couldn't wait to make them for myself. Chocolate? Cheesecake? Sign me UP!

I made these for Christmas as well, and they were another hit. Absolutely delicious, and so ridiculously easy to make that I don't understand why I waited until now.

It probably took these guys almost 50 minutes, maybe even more, so make sure you keep an eye on them and really wait for them to be firm. Delish!


Ingredients

• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® Create 'n Bake® refrigerated chocolate chip cookies

Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and egg until smooth. Stir in coconut.

In ungreased, 9- or 8-inch square pan, break up half of cookie dough. With floured fingers, press dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust. Spread cream cheese mixture over dough. Crumble and sprinkle remaining half of dough over cream cheese mixture.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until chilled. For bars, cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. Store in refrigerator.

Peppermint Brownie Cups

Between Christmas Eve and Christmas, we travel to 4 different houses, not counting our own. So when I volunteered/was asked to bring desserts, I knew I needed something to withstand a pretty decent car trip.

I decided to make a little platter that had several finger-food type desserts in them. These brownie cups from Baking Blonde were the first on my list!


I ended up altering the recipe a bit, but the original can still be found below. My changes were minor, really - I couldn't find Andes baking bits, so I bought regular Ande's Candies in Peppermint and just chopped them a bit. Also, I was out of peppermint extract so I had to omit it - but really, they were plenty minty, so I didn't miss it at all.

These were a huge hit, and I will definitely make them again.

Ingredients

• 6 TBS butter
• 6 oz semisweet chocolate (chopped
• 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate (chopped)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Milk Chocolate Chips
• 2 cups Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Lightly spray liners with cooking spray.

In a heat-proof bowl, melt together butter and chcolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals stirring after each interval until smooth. Allow to cool for 5 mintues.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Whisk or beat the sugar into the chocolate mixture. Add eggs and peppermint extract mixing until combined and smooth. Add flour mixture and mix until combined. Gently fold in the 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips.

Carefully pour batter to prepared each muffin liner filling about 2/3 full. Sprinkle a few Andes Peppermint chips over the top of each individual brownie. . Bake for 18-23 mintues or until a cake tester comes out with a few crumbs.

*Baking time will depend on your oven, watch carefully so you don’t overbake! Mine were done in 20 minutes.

Allow to cool before removing from muffin pan.

Keep brownies in cupcake liners until ready to serve to help prevent them from drying out.

S'more Brownies

My brother Chris (hi, Chris!!) is a very no-sweets kind of person. Never has dessert, always eats the "healthy" cereals, etc. Weirdo! ;)

But you can imagine my surprise when he emailed me the link to this recipe with a note that said, "Randomly came across this and thought it would be something you’d like to try."


My first thought was, naturally, "How did YOU end up with THIS?"

It was a fleeting thought, however, because I was then way too preoccupied with actually making them, and it didn't take more than a couple of days before I actually did.


These were really good! The brownie part was almost cakish, but not in a bad way. My only complaint was that the marshmallows were a bit... chewy. But that may have been because I stuck the brownies back in the oven for a few more minutes so that the marshmallows would sort of melt into each other. Next time I'll just make a denser layer.

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Pinch fine salt

Brownie:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 4 large cold eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  

Topping:

• 4 cups large marshmallows

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8 by-8-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch.

For the crust: Lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir the rest of the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the brownie. Put the butter and chocolate in a medium microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave on 75 percent power for 2 minutes. Stir, and microwave again until completely melted, about 2 minutes more. Alternatively, put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl on the pan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted. Stir the light brown and white sugars, vanilla and salt into the melted chocolate. Add the eggs and beat vigorously to make a thick and glossy batter. Add the flour and stir until just incorporated.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is crispy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler until golden, (keep an eye on it, it can go quick), about 2 minutes. Cool on a rack, gently removing the brownies from the pan using the aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow from the foil and fold away. Cut into 12 (2-inch) squares.

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Brownies

I was so excited when Nana told me that Aunt Mill and Uncle Morris were here from Florida this week! We obviously don't get to see them more than once or twice a year, so we really treasure their visits.

I quickly volunteered to bring some dessert, and knew that this would be perfect. These Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Brownies from Cara's Cravings have been circling my blog circle and keep popping up on my reader. I had to give them a chance!


I suppose it's better late than never, but I only JUST NOW LEARNED that you are supposed to bake brownies for a good 10 minutes longer if you use a glass pan. Do you have ANY idea how many batches of brownies I've eaten with a spoon? Do you know how many times I've used muffin tins just to avoid the embarassment of brownie mush? Have you any clue how many times I've skipped out on the brownie idea altogether out of fear?

Well, live and learn. Unfortunately, that lesson came AFTER I made these guys. ;)

Gooeyness aside, these tasted very yummy! I brought some leftovers to Denise and George when we stopped by today to visit little baby Abby.

Ingredients:

Brownie Batter

• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Cheesecake Batter

• 6 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp each ground ginger and ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8x8" square metal baking pan.

Beat together melted butter, sugar, and vanilla, then beat in eggs one at a time. Combine dry ingredients and then gradually stir into butter mixture with a wooden spoon. In separate bowl, beat together cheesecake batter ingredients.

Spread about 2/3 of chocolate batter into prepared pan, and spoon cheesecake batter over. Dollop remaining brownie batter over cheesecake batter. Swirl the batters together by running a butter knife back and forth through the pan.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until center is set. Cool completely on wire rack and chill before cutting and serving.

Double Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

BakingBlonde is my hero. Seriously. Go to her website and look at all of her amazing things.

I normally avoid dishes that involve peanut butter since my son cannot have it; I just feel plain mean having things that I can't share with him.

But these are SO worth waiting for naptime.

I've been trying to cut back on what I bake because I ALWAYS gain weight over the summer when I'm home. I guess at work I'm always running around and rarely have TIME to snack, so it's easier to be good. Plus, at home, I eat crap because it's THERE. So I'm trying to just not have the stuff THERE.

But these babies make me not care.

I cannot say enough about these little brownies. I had been toying with making them for awhile, and tried to not tempt myself... but when my pregnant friend Denise was planning to come over, I figured I should be a good hostess and make them for her. I mean, it was totally selfless. I did it just for her. Really.

Uh huh.

Ingredients:
Brownie batter:
(The brownie batter was very un-batter-like; it was much closer to the texture and consistency of a chocolate mousse. I was worried about this, but they were perfect!)

• 1 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
• 1 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
• 3/4 cup butter, very soft (not melted but softer than room temp)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 TBS vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
  

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirl

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened1/2 cups creamy PB
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 5-6 Reese's peanut butter cups (regular size) cut into 6-8 pieces each

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8x8" square pan with foil and lightly coat with PAM cooking spray.

In a microwave safe bowl melt the two baking chocolate squares in 30 second intervals stirring after each interval until smooth and melted after stirring. Do not scortch! Remove from microwave and allow to come to room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until combined. Beat in eggs one at a time until blended. Add vanilla and melted chocolate. Mix to combine. Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl and wisk together. Gradually stir dry ingredients into butter mixture. Do not overmix.

In separate mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, peanut butter sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add egg and beat until just combined. Spread about 2/3 of chocolate brownie batter into prepared pan. Evenly drop 1/2 of cheesecake batter in dollups over brownie batter. Run a knife through both mixtures to slightly swirl.

Dollop remaining brownie batter and cheesecake batter over swirled mixture. Run knife through the browine and cheesecake dollups (not all the way through the already swirled layer) to create a swirled pattern.

Bake for 40-45 minutes**, or until center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center has a few crumbs stuck to it. Do not overbake or they will harden, if underbaked they will be too gooey. Every oven is different so watch and check these after about 35-40 minutes of baking to ensure propper doneness.

**After about 35-40 minutes of baking (with about 5-7 minutes of baking time left, you just need to eyeball it) gently place cut up Reese's cups over top of almost fully baked brownies. Finish baking until a toothpick inserted in the center has a few crumbs stuck to it. The Reese's PB cups will melt but hold their shape slightly. Cool completely on wire rack before cutting and serving.

S'mores Bars

I starred this recipe for S'mores Bars by Stephanie a long time ago, and decided that last night's dinner with Jennifer, Brian, and Stella would be the perfect time to try it out!


I was kind of disappointed with it, though. I've seen it on several blogs and they always look so gooey and yummy... mine were too chewy and kind of weird. I used regular marshmallows instead of the Fluff, though, so maybe that negatively impacted it...?




Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 (1.55 oz. each) HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bars
• 1 cup marshmallow creme (I used actual marshmallows.)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 8-inch square baking pan.

2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Press half of dough into prepared pan.

3. Arrange chocolate bars over dough, breaking as needed to fit. Spread with marshmallow creme. Scatter bits of remaining dough over marshmallow; carefully press to form a layer.


4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. 16 bars.

Caramel Butterscotch Brownies

I finally did it. After months of having it starred in my reader, I have finally made the coveted Caramel Butterscotch Brownies from Proceed with Caution.

I was very afraid of the sweetness from the butterscotch as I am not really a fan, so I cut back a little on the amounts of butterscotch, caramel, and evaporated milk. To compensate in the filling, I added a small handful of chocolate chips. I am posting the recipe as it stands, however, so that I can continue to play around with it. (I think I see some sort of peanut butter concoction in my future...)

I'm glad I cut that stuff in half; it was very sweet and gooey as it is, and I'm afraid I wouldn't like them if there was more "filling" in them.

As usual, I was short about 5 spoonfuls of batter, thanks to a certain husband...

Ingredients:

• 5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (At the last minute I realized I had none!! So... I used a few Hersheys bars.)
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick) cut into quarters
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup evaporated milk (I used skim. Hey, every little bit helps, right??)
• 35 (10-oz. pkg.) caramels, unwrapped (or those mini caramel balls - they make life so much easier!) (Couldn't find those. Bummer!)
• 2 cups (11-oz. pkg.) butterscotch morsels

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.

2. In medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of almost-simmering water, melt chocolates and butter, stirring occasionally until mixture is smooth. Whisk in cocoa until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in medium bowl until combined, about 15 seconds. Whisk warm chocolate mixture into egg mixture; then stir in flour with wooden spoon until just combined. Spread half of batter baking pan, spread into corners, and level surface with rubber spatula; bake about 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, heat caramels and evaporated milk in small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until caramels are melted. Sprinkle morsels over brownie; drizzle with caramel mixture. Drop remaining batter by heaping teaspoon over caramel mixture. Spread as gingerly as possible to connect as much of the top layer of brownie as you can. It will cook up a little and heal itself if you get it most of the way there. (Don't worry about picking up a little of the caramel. It's aaaaaaaaall goooooood.) Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with a small amount of sticky crumbs (or caramel!) clinging to it. Cool in pan on wire rack to room temperature. Cut into 16-25 squares, depending on how big you want'em!

Deep-Dish Brownies

I have found my new favorite brownies.

I needed a brownie recipe to use with the Death-by-Chocolate Trifle, so I posted a request on the cooking board. Boy, did those ladies deliver. As usual.

I added a ton to my starred posts, but decided to go with Kayte's Deep Dish Brownies; they seemed like the perfect little brownie to go in this trifle. (I doubled this recipe.)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I really wanted to use dark cocoa powder like Kayte did, but the store didn't have any.)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8 inch square pan.

2. In a large bowl, blend melted butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time. Combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually blend dry mixture into the egg mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let brownies cool, then cut into squares. Enjoy!