brownies

“I’ve Gone Batty” Halloween Brownies

October 2, 2018

“I’ve Gone Batty” Halloween Brownies are the fun Halloween treat that will have you flapping your wings with joy! Fun for kids of all ages!

This post and recipe was created for #HalloweenTreatsWeek! I was sent samples by some of the sponsor companies but as always opinions are 100% mine.

Our daughter is OBSESSED with Vampirina at the moment.

It’s a cute Disney Jr show that features Vee, a young vampire who is adjusting to her move from Transylvania to Pennsylvania. Only a few friends know she is a vampire. She can’t get “Batty!” or she will turn into a bat and her secret will be known.

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Oreo Crunch Brownies with a Peanut Butter Chocolate Frosting

May 9, 2016

I had such an epic weekend so I figured I’d share some epic brownies.

But first, let’s discuss the weekend!

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Peppermint Pattie Brownies

November 30, 2015

Bring on the holiday spirit!!!

Our tree is decorated! The stocking are up! The house smells all sorts of festive! And our Elf on the Shelf has made his appearance.

Oh, the Elf on the Shelf! Either you love it or hate it. I’m loving it since it’s new to Autumn, and therefore, us. I am flooding my Pinterest with Elf on the Shelf ideas. It’s silly and fun.

Most of all, I am excited for the upcoming holiday season and all the holiday baking I have planned.

I’m kicking it all off with there awesome Peppermint Pattie Brownies!

These delightful brownies are from Sara’s blog Cook with Sara. I have the honor of sharing them with you for this month’s Secret Recipe Club bonus Theme week. The extra Monday of the month gives the chance to find a fun recipe from another member’s blog to match up with that month’s theme. I thought these brownies were a perfect pick for this month’s Holiday Treats theme.

I have shared so many brownie recipes on my blog over the years, and even ones that have peppermint in them, but let me tell you… these are knock your socks off brownies. I swear! I really do swear!

If you like Peppermint Pattie’s then you will surely love these brownies.

They are a great balance of chocolaty brownie, luscious peppermint filling, and beautiful chocolate top layer. And, best of all, it really does taste like a Peppermint Pattie!!! Plus, a brownie. The best!!

Be sure to make these Peppermint Pattie Brownies for Christmas. Santa will thank you!

Peppermint Pattie Brownies

Makes 16 brownies

Ingredients

For the brownie layer

1/2 Cup butter, melted
1 Cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 Cup flour
1/3 Cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 Cup chocolate chips

For the mint layer

2 Cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons butter, softened
3 Tablespoons evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

For the ganache layer

5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
3 Tablespoons half and half

Process

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8″ square pan, line with parchment paper so there are ‘wings’ on 2 sides.
In a large bowl, combine the melted butter with sugar and vanilla extract, whisking until combined and almost smooth.
Whisk in each egg one at a time, stirring until a smooth batter forms.
Add in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, stirring until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Spread batter in the prepared pan and bake at 350 for 22-28 minutes until set. Let cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Continue to let cool.
While the brownies are cooling, combine the powdered sugar, butter, evaporated milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract in a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer. Beat until smooth and creamy. Pour over the cooled brownies and spread in an even layer. Chill in the refrigerator until set, about 30 minutes.
Make the ganache layer by melting 3/4 of the chocolate over a double boiler (a glass or a metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water). While you are melting the chocolate continuously mix the chocolate. Add the half and half and mix well again. It will be glossy, but lumpy at this point so add the rest of the chocolate and mix until the chocolate is smooth glossy.
Evenly spread the ganache on top of the peppermint layer. Refrigerate again until set.

Adapted from Cook with Sara

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Fudgy Strawberry Brownies

June 4, 2015

I am so thankful that Autumn is addicted to fruits and vegetables. I know there will be a day when she turns her nose up to them and will only eat white foods, but I’m enjoying this now.

Autumn’s daycare teacher says that she needs to give her the protein and carbs first at lunch before pulling out the veggies and fruit because if she sees them she will only eat them. I think that is just adorable. I’ll have to remind her that when she is protesting them for plain buttered pasta in a few years.

Or maybe something magical will happen and she’ll skip that terrible phase?!?!? HAHAHA that’s doubtful, but I will take all the good vibes that I can get!

And when that happens I’ll have to start to sneak fruit and veggies in other food.

Just like what I did here.

JUST KIDDING!!!

I just had a massive package of strawberries that was staring at me every damn time I opened up the fridge and as much as we all love fruit I was doubting that we could finish it off before it went bad. That’s just the worst.

So I was daydreaming about what to do with them on my way home one day. I started to think about brownies and was thinking of tossing strawberries in the batter to make them extra sweet and delicious.

I mean you pile on fresh strawberries or strawberry sauce on sundaes so I was thinking that putting the strawberries in the brownie would just help you make your sundae that much faster. Plus, even better. Just add some ice cream and hot fudge sauce and boom!!

Because these bad boys are so fudgey, dense, and moist – yeah, I said it- they are ‘fork brownies’. At least that is what Price called them. Hope that makes sense! xoxo

Fudgy Strawberry Brownies

Makes an 8×8 tray of brownies

Ingredients

3/4 Cup flour
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 Cup sugar
3/4 Cup oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons water
1 Cup (6 oz) chocolate chips, melted
1 Cup (6 oz) chocolate chips
1 pound chopped strawberries

Process

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and line a 8×8 baking pan. (I used glass so I didn’t line my pan)
In a small bowl, sift the flour, salt, and baking soda until combined. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the sugar, oil, and eggs until combined for about 2 minutes.
Add the water and the vanilla extract, mix to incorporate.
Mix the dry mixture into the wet mixture. Add the melted chocolate chips and stir for about 3 minutes to combined.
Fold in the chocolate chips and strawberries.
Pour into your prepared pan.
Bake for 55-65 minutes, until just set in the center
When finished, remove from oven and allow to cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Adapted from Jessica in the Kitchen

Peanut Butter Swirled Brownies

May 12, 2015

Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray!

Price and I had a date night this past weekend!!!!!

Date nights are few and far between for us. Shoot- the last one was 2 months ago and before that was in the summer. We are busy and sorta lazy about it at the same time. Plus, there is the extra money involved when it comes to hiring a babysitter. But we bit the bullet and arranged for our lovely sitter to come over so we could get out.

We went out to dinner at Wagamama and had a great time together even though I wasn’t feeling great. Anyway, I love the food that they serve at Wagamama. It’s so, so fresh. And really flavorful. Plus, a few years ago the company I work for designed some of their US locations. So I got to see the designs develop, which is so much fun to see, and learn all about Wagamama. Like it’s super important to know that the red tile at the Faneuil Hall location is called Lipstick Red. ha!

Anyway, I always like to have special treats for our babysitter, who is our dog walker’s daughter. I sent out an email to her mom to ask what she wanted: Chocolate Chip Cookies or Peanut Butter Brownies. A bit later I got her sweet little response that it was a tough pick but she wanted the Peanut Butter Brownies. So I got to work looking for a knock your socks off recipe since she deserved it.

I think that this recipe fits the bill!

I adapted a Martha Stewart recipe to load it up with even more chocolate and peanut butter goodness. I just can’t leave well enough alone. But I think that more of awesome stuff is awesome.

The brownie is slightly cakey and so, so chocolatey. I don’t normally make brownies that are cakey, but I really enjoyed it. It had great flavor and structure. It certainly needed it as it was stuffed and topped with peanut butter. The swirl looks so nice too. Looks good, tastes good.

I added chocolate ships and peanut butter chips into the batter as well. I really wanted to over do it, but without over doing it. Get it. Good.

I hope you treat these peanut butter packed brownies. And have yourself a great date night soon as well! xoxo

Peanut Butter Swirled Brownies

Makes an 8×8 pan

Ingredients

For the brownies

8 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 Cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 Cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 Cup peanut butter chips

For the peanut butter filling and topping

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Process

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line with parchment, allowing a 2-inch overhang. Butter lining (not overhang).
Make batter: Put butter and chocolates in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Let cool slightly. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Whisk granulated sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until well incorporated.
Make filling: Stir together butter, confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, salt, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth.
Pour one-third of batter into prepared pan; spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Drop dollops of peanut butter filling (about 1 tablespoon each) on top of batter, spacing about 1 inch apart. Drizzle remaining batter on top, and gently spread to fill pan. Drop dollops of remaining filling on top. Gently swirl peanut butter filling into batter with a butter knife, running the knife lengthwise and crosswise through layers.
Bake until a cake tester inserted into brownies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares. Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Adapted from Martha Stewart