brownies

Name: Oreo Crunch Brownies with a Peanut Butter Chocolate Frosting
Yield: 12 people
Ingredients: 1 Family Sized Box of brownie mix, with necessary eggs, oil, and water as directed on packaging; 12 Oreo Cookies; 2 Cups chocolate chips, divided; 1/2 Cup peanut butter

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!

On Friday night, I finally got my new phone!!!! I broke my phone back in September and just taped up the screen. It finally died a few months later so I got a cheapy $40 go phone. I impatiently waited for the Samsung Galaxy S7 to be released. Then I just kept letting busy weekends get away from me and it was another 2 months before I got it. And I am in LOVE with it. I have been loving the updated features so I have been glued to it and doing silly stuff like Snapping (@iamahoneybee) like crazy!

Saturday was focused on the glorious tomatoes that Autumn and I picked that morning. I then made 2 big batches of Roasted Tomato Soup. (Recipe coming on Thursday!) And we set up Autumn’s ‘Big Girl Bed’ (which sounds like Bagel Spread when Autumn says it!), and she did fabulous with the change!

And Sunday was Mother’s Day so that was just wonderful. I got some extra sleep, Price made breakfast, then we went blueberry picking. OMG so many blueberries. And they are all so juicy and sweet. After our adventures in blueberry picking we went to the pool in the community where my dad lives.

And that leads me to these amazing brownies.

It would be reasonable to call them effing amazing brownies. No joke.

When I saw them on Amy’s blog, Amy’s Cooking Adventures, I knew that I needed to make them for this month’s Secret Recipe Club post. Typically I would post on the 4th Monday of every month, but the group of us changed things up and now I am posting on the 2nd. It gives me a new batch of awesome bloggers to exchange recipes with. So fun.

This month, with Amy’s blog I had so much fun discovering her and her great recipes from her 5+ years of blogging. She covers it all with her Italian BMT Sandwiches, Lemon Blueberry Pancakes, Poblano Pesto Pizza, and Cookies and Cream Cake. She shares all of that with her 2 sons and her husband, who is her #1 test tester. Fantastic.

I picked out these brownies since I love brownies so much. Plus, they had Oreos in them and I love Oreos as well. And then it had a chocolate peanut butter frosting on them. Sorta a frosting. Sorta a ganache. A fronache. (I’m an idiot…)

The best thing is that it starts with boxed brownie mix. And Oreos. Super simple. The Oreos and chocolate chips mixed into the batter add great flavor and texture. Can’t beat cookies inside brownies. Nope.

I am totally all for making brownies from scratch but there are times when you just need to go blueberry picking and go to the pool in a day and still need to squeeze in making brownies. Or between trips to the mall and getting a mani/pedi. Oh, I wish!

The one thing to consider is that that frosting/ganache/fronache needs time to set up so you need to either need to budget 2 hours for it to set up in fridge or give it over night.

But the wait is totally worth it. Make these damn brownies. Trust me.

Oreo Crunch Brownies with a Peanut Butter Chocolate Frosting

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword brownie, chocolate, Oreo, peanut butter

Servings 12 people

Ingredients

1 Family Sized Box of brownie mix, with necessary eggs, oil, and water as directed on packaging
12 Oreo Cookies
2 Cups chocolate chips, divided
1/2 Cup peanut butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray.
Coarsely crush the Oreos by using a food processor or in a resealable bag and crush with a rolling pin. Set aside.
Combine brownie mix, eggs, oil, and water and mix until smooth. Stir in ½ cup of the crushed cookies, and ½ cup chocolate chips.
Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Immediately after removing from the oven, sprinkle ½ cup chocolate chips and the remaining crushed cookies over the brownies. Return to the oven for 2-3 minutes.
While the brownies are back in the oven, make the frosting. Combine the remaining 1 cup chocolate chips and ½ cup of peanut butter into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time, until the chocolate chips are fully melted and the peanut butter is mixed in.
Spread the peanut butter mixture over the brownies. Let the brownies set overnight or after chilling in the refrigerator for 2 hours before cutting.

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Amy's Cooking Adventures

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Check out all the other great Secret Recipe Club posts HERE this month!

And be sure to check out my 4+ years of Secret Recipe Club posts!!!!

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Peppermint Pattie Brownies & a $500 giveaway

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!!

And don’t miss your chance at a $500 Paypal cash giveaway!!! Just to scroll down to the bottom of this post to find out how to enter! I, mean, who wouldn’t want $500 at the holidays!?! I know I would love an extra $500! Be sure to enter!!

And be sure to make these brownies too!!!!

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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Check out all the other great Holiday Treats that Secret Recipe Club members are sharing for this month’s extra theme post reveal day!

And be sure to check out my 4 years of Secret Recipe Club posts!!!!

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ENTER HERE!!!!!!

Be sure to stop by the following blogs and thank them for sponsoring this amazing $500 Giveaway:

A Dash of Sanity // A Kitchen Addiction // Celebrating Sweets // Clarks Condensed // Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt // Cupcake Diaries // Fake Ginger // Food Folks and Fun // I am Honey Bee // Life Made Sweeter // Like Mother Like Daughter // Live Well Bake Often // Lolly Jane // One Sweet Appetite // Somewhat Simple // Spoonful of Flavor // Sugar and Soul // The Recipe Critic // With Salt and Wit // Yellow Bliss Road

Giveaway runs from November 30th to December 7th

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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

York Peppermint Patty Brownies

December 15, 2014

These brownies are awesome.

They make crummy days better and good days magnificent.

I needed one of these bad boys this past Friday. I needed a little pick me up! oomph!

Our babe had to go back to the orthopedic doctor on Friday to determine if her hips were in proper alignment yet (a complication from her legs being up from being Frank Breech), which would mean she could stop wearing her hip brace at night. Unfortunately, her x-ray revealed that she still needs to wear it as her right hip is not yet growing properly. It’s such a bummer as it means 6 more months in the brace for her. She has grown accustomed to wearing it but I still feel bad that she has to. Wahhh!!

At least we are dealing with it now as it can result in arthritis and she could need surgery later on. AHHH!!! where is my tray of brownies?!?!?!

For real, I definitely needed one of these York Peppermint Patty Brownies on Friday. Too bad I made these guys a few weeks ago. wahhh again.

Ah mint, how I love thee. Thee, I love thee. I love that word.

But really, mint is great. And the chocolate and mint combo is thee best.

I had a bag of York Peppermint Pattys taunting me. Those little patty’s were begging to be eaten. I was yelling at them back ‘NOOO!!’ I couldn’t open that bag since once I snagged one of those wrapped patties I would grab another and another. And another.

So I figured that using a bunch of them in brownies would help me not shovel them in my mouth as fast as possible. At least I could potentially resist shoveling brownies in my mouth a bit more than just the candies. Plus, sharing is caring so I was able to share with my coworkers. Brownies for everyone!

Grab a bowl, some peppermint patties, and you’ll soon be on your way to some mouth watering brownies. Okay, sure, you’ll need some more ingredients than just peppermint patties, but it will be worth a trip to the grocery store to make these brownies. I pinky swear ya!

York Peppermint Patty Brownies

Makes 24 brownies

Ingredients

12 ounces dark chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoon peppermint extract
6 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
20 snack sized York Peppermint Patty candies, chopped

Process

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×13 baking pan by buttering/spraying with non-stick cooking spray the bottom and sides and lining the bottom with parchment paper or tin foil.
In a large microwavable safe bowl, melt the chocolate and the butter together, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted and combined.
Add the cocoa powder and sugar, mixing completely.
Add in the beaten eggs and vanilla extract.
Stir in the flour and salt to gently incorporate.
Pour into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the chopped up candy pieces on top of the brownies.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center is clean upon removal. Do not over bake. Let cool prior to cutting into 24 pieces.