Thin Mint Blondies

First friends, I would like to apologize for leaving a picture of chips up on my blog for so long. Yummy chips, but chips still. I have actually made a million treats lately between pinewood derby, baby showers, blue and gold banquet (not to mention treats for the meetings to plan all that stuff, don't you think treats make meetings better?) Spring is here and it doesn't usually last too long, so we've spent more time at the park (Little Man broke his foot there jumping seven feet off a piece of playground equipment, working on projects in the garage, and at the doctor's office- see before mention park incident and spring air sharing germs and allergies left and right.

So my apologies again for the slow posts around here. But I have a good one today- courtesy of my original food blog crush, Peabody. If you haven't 'met' her before I'd encourage you to stop by. Her photography is stunning, her recipes are incredible and she's totally hilarious. When I read her blog I don't feel so bad about my baking habits and I also identify with her a lot because she has more than one KitchenAid (for the record, I don't, but I think that would be awesome! Maybe in my fantasy double oven kitchen someday?) These blondies are all kind of deliciousness mixed together- chocolate chip cookie dough, girl scout cookie thin mints, ghirardelli chocolate, mint chips!

If you haven't made blondies before, they are super straightforward- you start with a chocolate chip cookie dough batter, omit the baking soda, and stir in your favorite mix ins. Press into a pan, bake, top with more deliciousness, and enjoy. Thin mints are of course a welcome addition to any dessert and although I had to fight off many kitchen snitchers trying to eat all of mine, it was worth it. Peabody used Andes Chips but I didn't have any of those at my mom's so I chopped up some bittersweet chocolate and some Guittard mint chips. If you haven't tried those before, they are incredible. I used to find them at Maceys in Utah and they have them around the holidays at Safeway here. You can even buy them on Amazon for an arm and a leg, but if you are lucky to have the world's best friend she may randomly drop off two bags for you yesterday (it's like she heard my mixer whirling in the last of my stash into these blondies!)

To see the recipe, please stop by Peabody's. She is incredible and you won't regret it!

Do you have a favorite St. Patrick's Day mint recipe? Are you going to have corned beef next week? Do you have a great source for mint chips? Spill!

Valentine's Cupcakes, Brownies, and Sugar Cookies

My blog and I have missed the schedule (albeit, a loose one) that TWD provided. It's busy around here (Baby Strawberry is potty training!) and while I haven't posted much my kitchen has been bustling! I had a baby shower for my girlfriend who is having her first girl (after three boys!) any day now. Pink was a priority and a valentine's theme made it easy (considering all of my serving dishes are red!) These treats are all pretty simple and have a big wow factor with the amazing flavors and little details. I've posted the red velvet cupcakes and mint brownies before- though I've never made the mint brownies pink, that was a new one!  

Mint Brownies

Red Velvet Cupcakes (they're from a mix, but I promise no one will know)

The cookies (L's in honor of the baby) are Natalie's signature recipe. I'm no decorator but I've improved with her tips. Natalie uses a Wilton Squeeze bottle to pipe the outsides of the cookies (like drawing, nothing to stressful) and then uses another with thinned icing to 'flood' or fill the middle. In-a-hurry-not-so-steady-hands-Anne doesn't do them justice but they were yummy and cute (especially with the edible glitter, I love that stuff!) The best part about the cookies is you can bake off extras and freeze them to decorate and serve another time, all the end product without the stress. Natalie's recipe is pretty full proof- if I can do it- and you don't have fuss much with the dough. She doesn't chill hers, though I do normally, and they come out great every time. Sugar cookies take a lot more practice than cupcakes but the practice is enjoyable and delicious, worth the effort I think!

Note- I used Martha Stewart Alphabet Cookies Cutters I found at Macy's (similar to these here) that have been surprisingly practical- even adult are vain about their names! Smaller, thinner shapes will take less cooking time- watch them carefully!)


Natalie’s Sugar Cookies
from Anne Strawberry

1 cup butter or Crisco (Natalie uses the butter flavored kind, I usually use about 2/3 butter and 1/3 regular shortening)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sour cream
5-6 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
 

Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream and beat. Add dry ingredients, being careful not to over mix. Reserve some flour for the counter and dump the almost mixed dough out and shape it as you would pie dough. Divide into two disks, chill for 15 minutes, then roll to ½ inch thickness and cut as desired. Bake at 400 for 8-12 minutes (depending on size of cookies).

Natalie’s Signature Almond Frosting

*note- Natalie uses almond extract and her frosting is so good but I usually sub in vanilla since my tall man is not so adventurous!)
⅓ cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
½ teaspoon almond extract
1-2 tablespoons milk

Blend butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla and milk- beat until smooth. Flavor and color as desired. Use plastic condiment bottles to pipe icing onto cookies (thin with milk or warm in microwave to flood centers).

TWD- Apple Pie and Classic Brownies

 Oh I can't believe Tuesdays with Dorie is coming to an end! I've loved this event so much, meeting new people, trying new recipes, learning new skills and gaining the confidence to tackle any random recipe. This week's assignment was a rewind- trying out an old favorite or something you didn't get to previously. Like so many of you we are busy busy this time of year, with lots of opportunities to bake and limited time to photo and blog! This week my tall man needed a treat to take to work so I made Dorie's classic brownies. I frosted them with a simple chocolate frosting and sprinkled on silver sanding sugar. I cut them into individual portions and put them in cupcake liners- they looked festive and were easy to serve out (a win win!) Of course I don't have a picture so here is a previous version as well as a link to the recipe.

Sunday I made Dorie's All American All Delicious Apple Pie for a family birthday party. I didn't want to serve anything particularly Christmas-y since it seems like December birthdays get ripped off pretty often! I used some new pie crust cutters a friend gave me for my birthday to quick and easily decorate the pie top with flowers. They were simple to use and super cute (and the ones I found on Amazon have a strawberry, I might need those eventually!) The recipe itself is perfection. I've made this pie a million times and while I think there are a few Dorie inspired recipes that are more so my favorite, this pie must be one of the true favs from the sheer number of times it's been baked. Don't miss Dorie's buttery, delicious pie crust (my husband's favorite!) I always double the recipe and freeze a couple of disks of pie crust so I can pull them out and have a delicious, homemade dessert without the time or mess.

See more of this week's Dorie recipe's here and have a very Merry Christmas. We'll be eating ham, rolls, potatoes, green beans, and all of our favorite fixing on Christmas day. I haven't decided on a dessert yet but if you have a family favorite or traditional Christmas dessert please do share- I'd love some ideas!

Good for Almost Everything Pie Dough
adapted from Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks very cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
3/8 cup very cold (frozen is even better) Crisco (plain, not butter flavored), cut into 4 pieces
About 1/2 cup ice water

Put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse just to combine the ingredients. Drop in the butter and shortening and pulse only until the butter and shortening are cut into the flour. Don't overdo the mixing—what you're aiming for is to have pieces the size of fat green peas and others the size of barley.

Pulsing the machine on and off, add 3 tablespoons of the water—add a little water and pulse once; add some more water and pulse again; and keep going that way. Then use a few long pulses to get the water into the flour. If after a dozen or so pulses, the dough doesn't look evenly moistened or form soft curds, pulse in as much of the remaining water, or even a few drops more, to get a dough that will stick together when pinched. If you've got big pieces of butter, that's fine. The dough is ready and should be scraped out of the work bowl and on to a smooth work surface. (be careful not too add too much water- if the dough looks dry after adding most of the water, pinch it with your hands to check if it's coming together, and finish combining it by hand)

Shape the dough into a disk and wrap it. Refrigerate the dough at least 1 hour before rolling. The dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

TWD- Bittersweet Brownies

Brownies are my favorite treat to bake. The batter (delicious!), the ease, the endless variations-  they're a bakers dream. Plus, who doesn't love a brownie (besides my non-chocolate eating husband, but he still loves the smell!) A few weeks ago I made Dorie's Bittersweet Brownies- using semi-sweet chocolate of course. This recipe, chosen by one of my favorite bloggers, Leslie, is the last brownie recipe in the book for Tuesdays with Dorie. I can't believe it! See the recipe on her blog here. Brownies make the perfect neighbor gift and there are a million types to choose from. Here are a few of my other favorites from Dorie and you can see a bunch more in my brownie category.

Come back tomorrow for another great neighbor gift idea (Chex Mix three ways) and a special giveaway from MyBlogSpark!

Classic Brownies (four ways)

Brownie Buttons

York Peppermint Brownies

Katharine Hepburn Brownies

French Chocolate Brownies

 Quintuple Chocolate Brownies

TWD- Classic Brownies

{printable recipe here}

Tuesdays with Dorie is one of my favorite parts of the blogosphere. I anticipate the monthly recipe selection and love pulling out my butter splattered copy of Baking, knowing that whatever I end up making will be delicious, as well as seeing everyone's creative take on these great recipes. I was thrilled to get a chance to host another week and happy to discover that there was still a brownie recipe available to choose. Brownies are one of my favorite treats to bake and eat (you can see lots more here) so I figured the 'Classic Brownies' were a perfect choice.

Since I can't leave well enough alone, I tripled the batch and after mixing it up, divided the batter into four smaller pans. Each recieved a different flavoring- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Swirl, Pecan, White Chocolate, and Oreo (I actually used Vanilla Bean Joe Joe's from Trader Joe's). The four dishes lined up perfectly on my cookie sheet.

After cooling, the brownies popped right out of the pan and my favorite knife made quick work of dividing them up. I plated them up on a huge platter and let people pick their favorites (oreo went fastest). Next time I'll give these the BYU Brownies treatment and put some mint frosting and chocolate ganache on top. I know the last thing these delicious little brownies need is more sugar, butter, and chocolate, but like Ina says, 'How bad can that be?'

 Sometimes it's hard being a food blogger's daughter! Poor baby strawberry was NOT happy to wait for these brownies but even after she downed one she was crying again, this time for more! Thanks for baking along with me (you can see the rest of the brownies here)- I hope you enjoyed this recipe and can't wait to see how everyone made these their own. And for friends close by- I have a nice little pile in the freezer. Stop by anytime (though I think my little man took the last peanut butter swirl!)

PS Did you know you can get $20 worth of groceries at Whole Foods for $10 today only from Living Social? Think of the baked goods you could make... yum!

Classic Brownies
from Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan, page 88
{printable recipe here}

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (note- I used Semisweet but I think even milk would be good, whatever you have on hand!)
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional, but really good)- note- I left this out and doubled the vanilla
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt (according to taste- I used the full amount to bring out the chocolate flavor)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (I used pecans- yum!)

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square pan with foil, butter the foil and place the pan on a baking sheet.

Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Put the butter in the bowl, top with the chopped chocolates and stir occasionally until the ingredients are just melted - you don't want them to get so hot that the butter separates. Remove the bowl from the pan of water.

With a whisk, stir in the sugar. Don't be concerned when your smooth mixture turns grainy. One by one, whisk in the eggs. Add the vanilla and give the ingredients a vigorous whisking before gently stirring the espresso, if you are using it, salt and flour; stir only until incorporated. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the chopped walnuts.

Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with the spatula.

Bake the brownies for 30 to 33 minutes, or until the top is dull and a thin knife inserted into the center come out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool the brownies to room temperature.
When the brownies are completely cool, turn out onto a rack, peel away the foil and invert onto a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares, each a scant 2 inches on a side.

Serving: Like all great brownies, these are good eaten out of hang without a bit of embellishment or topped off with whipped or ice cream (coffee ice cream is really good with these), offered either way at room temperature or a bit chilled.

Storing recommendations: These are best served within 2 days of baking. If you're going to keep them at room temperature, just cut what you need and keep the remainder wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. To freeze for up to 2 months, wrap the brownies airtight.

Diamond Engagement Ring Sugar Cookies & the Wednesday Want

It's usually the little things that let me know I'm really going to hit it off with someone. One of my best friends and I have hardly anything in common and that became glaringly obvious the first time we met. Later in the conversation she mentioned she had a red KitchenAid (I'd just gotten mine at the time, and my mixer and I were, and are, I guess, still in the honeymoon stage). I knew right then things would work out- and we are best friend still, even if we're separated by miles and miles, nothing will change that. It's kind of the same with my friend Natalie. She has the same sheet pans as I do, happily lined with silpats, stacked with lids, and ready for all the baking they are meant to do. Yes, they're just objects- but they're also indicitive of a shared interest.

Natalie makes me the most beautiful cookies (this spring she made 400 butterfly sugar cookies, marbled and swirled and bigger than your hand) and so we commisioned her to make engagement ring sugar cookies for my brother's wedding luncheon. It was so fun coming over and seeing her process (I think everyone makes them differently). Her recipe is not very fussy and has fabulous results- without chilling the dough, leaving tons of space on the pan, or anything like that that I regularly do with still only mediocre results. She also has the steadiest hand and frosted perfectly smooth wedding bands (while I could only trust myself with the diamond!) I'll post the recipe soon.

It's hard to tell from the pictures but the cookies were incredibley sparkley and shiny, thanks to silver and iridescent edible glitter from ABC cake decorating.To get the white royal icing nice and white, we used Americolor White Gel food coloring (it was $5 for a huge bottle at the cake store) and added iridescent glitter for the diamond. The grey to mimic the white gold bands was made with the white coloring with a little Americolor black- silver glitter on top. We tried the Wilton black first and ended up with lavender frosting. They came out beautifully and I'm so grateful to Natalie for sharing her time and talents to help make the day a little more special. I'm also grateful she had four sheet pans so we can get them done because mine were all busy making brownies...

I think I've sharing this picture before but it perfectly demonstrates why I love love love the Nordicware lidded half sheet pans (also called jelly roll pans or cookie sheets around these parts). I had a few of these from wedding gifts, my mom had a different style, and last year we finally bit the bullet and bought a huge matching set. Now we each have four lidded pans that make projects so much easier. I think the secret is to have the same so they stack so perfectly. I have seen these at Ross and TJ Maxx occasionally but the best deal I found, when I wanted a whole bunch, was at Amazon- the four piece set- one lidded half sheet pan and one lidded quarter sheet pan (perfect for a regular batch of brownies) for a few dollars more than the big pan and lid by themselves. Pretty regularly they go on as part of Amazon's buy three get one free promotion. Now our pans can bounce back and forth and all hang out happily together.

I know matching cookie sheets, lined with silpats, isn't the most important thing in the world (or best indicator of friendship) but I love these pans- especially with a big project going on. Last week I made four large pans- that's two batches each- of cheesecake brownies (shown above) and four large pans of chocolate mint 'BYU brownies' for the reception and loved seeing them all stacked up and pretty- safely covered, protected from little wandering hands, and absolutely delicious. Do you have a ridiculous obsession with pans like I do? Please someone say yes...

St. Patrick's Mint Brownies

{printable recipe here}
My favorite frozen yogurt place has St. Patrick's Mint yogurt once a year. It's minty and delicious and tastes as great as 31 Flavors Mint Chocolate Chip, almost. The rest of the time, I remember it and order the peanut butter instead. These classic mint brownies, now dubbed St. Patrick's Mint Brownies in the froyo's honor, blow the delicious, hard to find frozen yogurt out of the water. I start with my favorite brownie mix (or recipe, whatever, but I usually use Betty Crocker Supreme, the kind with the extra chocolate chunks). While they bake, make a simple frosting with mint extract and green food coloring to your liking. Spread melted chocolate and butter on top, chill, and serve. They taste even better cold (is that possible?) Or warm? Either way, I think they are perfect for any holiday. I haven't made a fresh batch yet for tomorrow (Baby Strawberry has a double ear infection so survival is pretty much all that's cooking here!)

A quick note- these would taste amazing right out of the pan, but they look prettiest if you lift the whole thing out, slice the edges, and cut into pieces. I use my big chef's knife. If the brownies are nice and cold and the knife is a little wet they'll turn out a lot prettier than mine did (but we all know patience isn't my forte!)

There's a lot more mint deliciousness around here if you need more ideas for St. Patrick's Day:

Thin Mint Mini Cheesecake

Mint Chocolate Chippers (like at Paradise Bakery)

Mint Filled Vanilla Sandwich Cookies

Mint Oreo Cheesecake Brownies with Mint Ganache

 
St Patrick's Mint Brownies (aka BYU Brownies)
{printable recipe here}
from Anne Strawberry
adapted from Linda Buchanan

One 9 x 13 pan of Brownies, cooked and cooled (I like to line the pan with foil or parchment before I grease it, then I can lift them right out after they cool. Peel off the foil for a nice, neat sheet of chocolate deliciousness).

Mint Frosting:
1/2 Cup Softened Butter
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
2 Tablespoons Milk
1 Teaspoon Pure Peppermint Extract
Green Food Coloring

Cream butter with 1/2 the powdered sugar until well incorporated. Add the remaining sugar and milk until desired consistency is reached (it should be light and nice and spread-able). Add extract and coloring to taste. Spread over cooled brownies and refrigerate.

Chocolate Topping:
1 Cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
6 Tablespoons Butter

Make a double boiler by setting a heat proof bowl over an inch or so of simmering water. Slowly melt the butter and chocolate, making sure to remove from heat just before the chocolate is completely melted. Stir until smooth and pour over cooled, frosted brownies. Place in freeze until firm and cut into small pieces.

Cherry Cheesecake Brownies

 

{printable recipe here}

Did you know Christmas is almost here? I'm sure that, unlike me, you're on the ball and all ready. I actually made these brownies for a Halloween trunk or treat party (as evidenced by the styrofoam plate and hastily shot picture) and haven't had a chance to post yet. My little chickens keep getting sick and like nice children they are sharing their germs with their parents, so we've all been a little crazy! Today I finally got the lights on the tree and my little man is excited to cover it (or the lower half anyway) with ornaments. We made some homemade cinnamon ornaments that were quick and fun- I can't wait to share them with you next week. My house smells wonderful. I love Christmas time even though it's plenty busy!

It feels like we have some get together every spare minute in December. These brownies are the perfect accompaniment because they come together in a flash (five or ten minutes, really, and you can taste the brownie batter along the way so you won't mind the time, or is that just me?) I swirl in some softened cream cheese and a can of Lucky Leaf cherry pie filling and they actually feel fancy, are super easy, and taste SO good. I didn't used to like cherry pie filling. I'm not sure what I was thinking there, but now that I'm a "grown up" I've changed my ways. Lucky Leaf is also having a recipe contest that you can read about here. I have a few more cans of their yumminess in my pantry that I'm going to experiment with. Let me know if you enter- and you should, there's a prize and a trip to their bake off!

Cherry Cheesecake Brownies

from Anne Strawberry

{printable recipe here}

1 box of brownie mix, prepared in a 9 x 13 pan lined with parchment or generously greased- I like Betty Crocker

1 can Lucky Leaf Cherry Pie Filling

1 stick (8 ounces) Neufchatel (reduced fat) cream cheese, softened (regular cream cheese works just fine too, use what you have!)

1 egg

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350.

Make the brownies as directed on the box and pour into a pan lined with parchment so you can lift the brownies out later. Spoon the pie filling evenly over the top.

In a mixer or bowl, combine cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla until perfectly smooth. Using a large spoon, divide it over the brownie batter in random piles. Use a butter knife to swirl everything together and bake for about a half an hour or until they reach your desired "doneness".

TWD- York Peppermint Brownies

I love brownies. If I were Will Ferrel's Elf I would have brownies as a food group like his "Candy, candy corn, candy canes, and syrup"- "Cookies, Cheesecake, Brownies, Lasagna (oh and Strawberrries of course!)"  Alas, my life/diet is not made up only of brownies and cookies but you might think so from my blog! These brownies were great to add to my reportoire. Quick, delicious, almost even refreshing with the York Peppermint patties. They were also pretty flexible. I was out of baker's chocolate so I subbed in cocoa powder, a little extra milk chocolate (mixing everything up), and it all turned out. Thanks Dorie- you're brilliant.

Get the recipe from Karen and make these stat. It'll ease the heat of the summer, I promise. And let me know what your favorite food groups would be. Hopefully I'm not the only one with dessert issues.

PS Did you know tomorrow is French Independence Day? Come back tomorrow for our Bastille Day menu. Oh, and bring some butter. I'm making Dorie and Ina's recipes so you'll need it!

Quick Desserts and a Betty Crocker/Safeway Giveaway

It's no secret that I have my uses for cake and brownie mixes, like the above birthday cupcakes that were delicious, freakishly hot pink, and took me less than an hour from thought to finish (aren't the little Haribo raspberries so cute on top, too?). I know lots of people are mix-haters, and I am in the frosting department. But oh I love me a quick cupcakes or batch of brownies! I only buy the nice Betty Crocker premium brownie mixes, for the record (even if I do with a coupon) but I do like to doctor them to make delicious desserts in no time. Some of my favorite things I've made with boxed mixes include-

Super Brownies

Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes (or any cupcake for that matter- I have five German Chocolate cake mixes ready to go in case of a Red Velvet Cupcake emergency. A little sour cream and extra flavoring- vanilla, zest, etc- makes a world of difference!)

St. Patrick's Mint Brownies

So when MyBlogSpark contacted me about doing a giveaway featuring a Betty Crocker baking prize pack and $25 Safeway card I was totally on board. I hate to sound like a sell out with giveaways but really these are my favorite and Safeway is my favorite grocery store so I knew this was a match made in heaven. Betty Crocker cake mixes and traditional brownie mixes are on sale at Safeway through April 6th for only $.69 so you can bet I'm going to cram more into my already overflowing pantry (especially since my normal stock up price for those is a buck! Yay!) They also have a lot of great looking desserts and ecoupons you can load onto your Safeway card on their site here.

So leave me a comment letting me know what you like to make with cake and brownie mixes- I'd love some fresh ideas! One entry per person, US addresses only please. And PLEASE leave your email or a way to contact you- I hate when I can't get a hold of the winner! Giveaway ends one week from now.
 
Disclosure- the coupon, prize pack, information and additional prize pack to give away were all given to me from Safeway and Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark- but the opinions are my own!

St Patrick's Mint Brownies

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! My dad's grandmother came over from Ireland and even though he doesn't care in the least bit, we like to celebrate with corned beef, cabbage, and carrots. It's yummy once a year (haha) but I think we should add these brownies on to the tradition. I made them for the adults so I kept the green pretty low key but for next St. Patty's I'm going all out kelly green. You could change the extract and coloring, though, for a different dessert- almond, orange, or anything like that would be yummy. Though I must admit I'm super partial to the mint!

I've been on a serious brownie kick lately. I love that you can top them, swirl something in, and vary your mixins to make a totally different end product. They freeze nicely, are easy to serve, and please everyone (minus my tall man who can't have chocolate!) These brownies look pretty impressive but are actually pretty simple. Line your pan with foil (both ways) so you can lift them out after they cool. Spread on your mint frosting (this would be a good use of leftovers- I know I usually have some after I make cupcakes), let it set, and spread on your chocolate. Not a lot of hands on time but really these brownies pack a lot of deliciousness. Cut them with a hot knife and clean it in between strokes to get prettier brownies than me! I like to cut them into one and a half inch pieces and put thm into cupcake wrappers. Set them on a nice platter and people go crazy. Yum.

St Patrick's Mint Brownies
from Anne Strawberry
adapted from Linda Buchanan

One 9 x 13 pan of Brownies, cooked and cooled (I like to line the pan with foil before I grease it, then I can lift them right out after they cool. Peel off the foil for a nice, neat sheet of chocolate deliciousness).

Mint Frosting:
1/2 Cup Softened Butter
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
2 Tablespoons Milk
1 Teaspoon Pure Peppermint Extract
Green Food Coloring

Cream butter with 1/2 the powdered sugar until well incorporated. Add the remaining sugar and milk until desired consistency is reached (it should be light and nice and spread-able). Add extract and coloring to taste. Spread over cooled brownies and refrigerate.

Chocolate Topping:
1 Cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
6 Tablespoons Butter

Make a double boiler but setting a heat proof bowl over an inch or so of simmering water. Slowly melt the butter and chocolate, making sure to remove from heat just before the chocolate is completely melted. Stir until smooth and pour over cooled, frosted brownies. Place in freeze until firm and cut into small pieces.

Super Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

{printable recipe here}
This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe is a simple, rich brownie. I love love love brownies. Of all the desserts I made they are probably my favorite (that and cheesecake) but I couldn't squeeze this recipe in. However, last minute my parents had a Super Bowl party and last minute (as in during the actual game) we decided we needed something sweet so I made my go-to brownies. I swirled in reduced fat cream cheese and broken Dove candies filled with Peanut butter for an extra surprise. They are kind of (I REALLY hate to say it) semi-homemade but when you're in a real hurry and the kids are crying semi is better than not at all. Maybe I'll eat my words on that later and maybe some of you will "unfriend" me or whatever but these brownies were eaten quicker than they were made. Which is saying something.

I like to line my pan with two pieces of aluminum foil- the first "hot dog style" folded to the width of the pan, the second "hamburger style" over the first. Then grease, then pour, then bake, then lift out beautiful brownies. Plus, if you're like me and have your husband take the brownies out, he'll ensure they aren't overly gooey like mine usually are. Ah, perfection is a close as a hastily lined brownie pan. Really, though, don't the scraped out and mangled brownies kind of ruin it for you? Try this next time or just let me know if I'm the only one who cares about such things.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a $50 giftcard to the Safeway family of stores here and see the rest of the real "brownies for Julia" at the TWD Blogroll.


Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies
from Anne Strawberry

{printable recipe here}

1 package Betty Crocker Deluxe brownie mix (I like the one with the chocolate chunks, not the fudge), prepared as instructed on the box
1 package Neufchatel (reduced fat) Cream Cheese (softened- on the counter or in the microwave on low power for one minute)
1 Egg
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
10 Dove chocolates filled with peanut butter, broken into quarters (or your favorite candy bar, nut, etc)

Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare brownies as directed on the box and pour into prepared 9 x 13 baking dish.

In a small bowl, whip the cream cheese until soft and smooth (about one minute). Add the egg, sugar, and vanilla and mix until well combined. Dollop spoonfuls evenly over the brownies, drop on the candy, and use a butter knife to carefully swirl the pattern by pulling it through the batter until desired look is achieved.

Bake for about 30 minutes until they are done as you like them (gooey for me, just set for my Tall Man).

TWD- Brownie Buttons

I made these cute brownie buttons last summer and was so infatuated a left an embarrassingly adoring comment on Dorie's blog. This time I made them early- I couldn't wait since they were so great last time! The chocolate is complimented but an almost undetectable flavor from the orange zest. The white chocolate is perfect on top and looks great, too. I added some sprinkles this time around because I was making these as a birthday treat and thought that would be festive.
When you make these (a great use of your mini muffin pan, by the way) I'd recommend a few things:

~Use a chocolate you love since the flavor really comes through
~Thoroughly grease the muffin tins so you can remove the brownies (a thin knife is also helpful in this task)
~Fill the muffin tins 2/3 or 3/4 of the way full- they won't really rise, but you'll need the extra height for dipping the brownies
~Freeze any leftovers to enjoy later- they thaw out great and even taste awesome frozen!

Grab the recipe here, from the last time I made them, or on Jayma's blog. You won't be disappointed (and the mini factor- people will be so impressed by this simple and easy dessert!)

TWD- Katharine Hepburn Brownies and a name debate

Another week, another brownie. I've made several lately, it seems- Ina's Outrageous Brownies and Dorie's Chipster Topped Brownies, not to mention some that didn't get photographed. I've decided that while an over baked brownie is hardly worth eating, an under baked brownie is practically impossible to eat. I've had a few rivers of chocolate instead of sliceable brownies and so I'm recommitting to cooking my brownies a little bit longer.

As for flavoring, I love the chocolate chips and the pecans. I don't do coffee, so I just omitted that and and added a little extra vanilla. I also skipped the cinnamon (though I loved it in the French Brownies) for the sake of my guests.

These brownies are quick and easy to throw together and if you are a slacker and avoid sifting, you will only need to dirty one little pan. I like that. I put off making these for a while before I read the whole recipe and realized these would come together in 10 or 15 minutes. I'll be making these again, and even baking them all the way. :)

Thanks Lisa for the fun choice and for the beautiful new TWD Logo. Grab the recipe at her blog or here.

For my favorite brownies yet, check out these links:
Oreo Cheesecake Brownies with Mint Ganache
French Chocolate Brownies

Don't miss next week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe... Brioche Plum Tart. I haven't even looked at it yet but I'm sure I won't miss anything with the word "brioche" in it!

Now for the name debate... since these are Katharine Hepburn brownies, I'd love some opinions on the name. This name is topping the list right now for our little girl but we can't decide what to do. Do you think she should be named Katherine if the intent is to always call her Kate? Or should Kate just be Kate and be spared the need to correct it all the time? Spill people. With a name like Anne (pretty much free of options) I need some good opinions.

Snickerdoodle Blondies

For Father's Day, I needed a good and quick dessert to feed my in laws (and husband). It couldn't include chocolate because of my tall man, so I remembered Peabody's Snickerdoodle Blondies and knew they would be just right. I think with a healthy serving of ice cream my husband didn't miss brownies at all. And I know that the light cinnamon flavor is, to me at least, a refreshing break from all that heavy, delicious chocolate. I did up the decadence by stirring in a some cinnamon chips that my cousin smuggled down from Utah (I'm not sure why we don't have them in Arizona, I know they'd be well appreciated!) These come together just like cookie dough and bake in about a half an hour. Line the pan with foil for easy clean up and serving. We served ours with ice cream and strawberries (but you know me, I'd serve strawberries with just about anything.)

Snickerdoodle Blondies
from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
8 ounces (two sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup loosely packed light brown sugar
3 ounces Mascarpone cheese (I subbed cream cheese or sour cream)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
¾ tsp cream of tarter
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cinnamon chips (optional)

Cinnamon Sugar for coating (about 1/3 cup)

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch pan. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar and move pan around to make sure that the bottom and sides are coated. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cream of tarter.

Using an stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Beat for three minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Add the Mascarpone cheese and beat until fully incorporated.

Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds.

On low speed add the sifted flour mixture. Mix until fully incorporated. Add optional cinnamon chips if desired.

Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle more cinnamon sugar on top of the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Ina's Outrageous Brownies

Sometimes things are understated- words like "KitchenAid". To the unsuspecting eye, you might think of a nice little helper to wipe the counters behind you, not the kitchen appliance that will change the way you cook and make the kitchen your favorite room (what, that's just me?) Some things, though, are a serious understatement. Like any baked good that Ina Garten describes as "outrageous". Well we all love to laugh at the amount of butter in the beloved Contessa's recipes (and I'll stick up for Ina and say she's not nearly as bad as Paula Deen), even Ina admits a certain fondness for butter. So with that said, you know when Ina calls it outrageous, that you'd better watch out.

And of course, she delivers. These brownies really were ridiculously delicious. I took the liberty of halving the recipe since I didn't feel right about actually using a pound of butter in a single dessert (except for my beloved Brioche Snails or Pecan Honey Sticky Buns). I omitted the coffee as usual and used my slacker large (not extra large) eggs. I baked them in a small, rectangular Pyrex and think any smaller dish would do (like an 8 by 8- it will just change the thickness a little, which is a matter of personal preference anyways). I did under bake them in my attempts not to over bake them per Ina's dire warning at the end of the recipe. Nonetheless, these tasted as good gooey as I imagine they do fully cooked. And next time I'll serve them with a little ice cream. Even Paula Deen would admit that's outrageous.

Outrageous Brownies
adapted from Ina Garten
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
14 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons real vanilla extract
1 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/8 cups)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (plus 2 tablespoons for the chips and nuts)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup diced walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8 by 8 inch pan.

Melt together the butter, 8 ounces chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler. Cool slightly. Stir together the eggs, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.

Stir together 1/2 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and remaining 6 ounces of chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons of flour to coat. Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven shelf to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Do not over-bake! Cool thoroughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the Barefoot Bloggers' Outrageous Brownies. It'll have you busting out your double boiler (and our of your jeans, likely) in no time.

TWD- Chipster Topped Brownies

Nestled away in this little dish and covered with deliciousness, these cookie topped brownies almost look like a success. But don't be deceived. After plenty of time in the kitchen, more butter than Paula Deen could stomach, and lots of tasty chocolate- these brownies go down in my TWD repertoire as a big fat (and delicious) failure.

After only fourty minutes in the oven they were totally browned and smelled done. I knew the top couldn't take any more and should have tented them early on, but I was distracted by articles about not eating the batter after I had finished eating some of the most delicious brownie batter I've ever tried. It was too late, so I removed them, and after cooled, was shocked by this molten caramel river of goo running through the brownies! I'm not one to shy away from undercooked foods, though (except for ground beef) so I grabbed a spoon. While they were delicious, they were disappointing. I'll have to try again and get a few tricks up my sleeve from the other bakers- because with this much butter and chocolate, this recipe has got to be worth it, right? *Update* After sitting over night, these are much more cohesive and freaking good. Dorie wins again (even if they don't look so hot!)

Grab the recipe at Beth's blog, or here- where's these actually look beautiful (and surely tasted delicious!)

And stay tuned for next week's Cinnamon Squares, some amazing Ina recipes, and the results from my ultrasound later this week! It is a boy or a girl? Your guess is as good as mine...

TWD- Caramel-Peanut-Topped Brownie Cake

I knew this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was going to be ridiculously decadent when I first saw the picture. I also knew I couldn't keep this around the house. My husband can't have chocolate and I can't eat an enormous brownie cake alone. I wanted to reduce the recipe make it in my 4 inch spring form pans but they are in storage so I called Kristi and asked if she could take it off my hands.

I ended up making the cake in an 8 inch spring form pan and making a mini cake in a ramekin as well. That way, I reasoned, I could try it before sending it off to someone else (that always makes me nervous!) The cake came together quickly which was a good thing because my son was "helping" me and dumped about 2 tablespoons of salt into the mixer as I finished the batter! So, I threw that out and made it again. Then I made the caramel and in the middle of the process my husband emailed me an awesome house-hunting site- Zillow. Well I got distracted and burned the caramel so I made that again too! The second batch worked out great, but it was a little grainy since I couldn't find a pastry brush to brush down the sides of the pan. I read later that if you put a lid on the pan while the ingredients come to a boil the condensation will take care of any stray sugar crystals. Frankly, candy making is not my forte and I clearly didn't pay enough attention during that week of my cooking class in college.

Even though it wasn't perfect, the extra caramel was perfect on a little peach.

So, having made the caramel and cake twice and then snacked on too much caramel, I left the room only to find my tall little guy had reached over the counter onto the cooling rack and stolen my mini cake! He had such a look of smug satisfaction and enjoyed every bite, it was hilarious. He ate that whole thing without a bit of remorse, too.

I topped my remaining cake with the peanuts and caramel and sent it off on my trusty red platter. She said the cake was a little dry but liked the flavor and loved it with ice cream. I wish I could have cut a little piece for myself before it went off! Either way, I had a great time making this cake. There's just something therapeutic about baking. With the craziness of getting ready to go to Greece, I knew I didn't really have time for these little projects but I knew I needed to make the time. And I'm glad I did. Next time I'll likely make one of Dorie's brownie recipes and top it with the caramel and nuts since I prefer brownies to cake, but you can't beat the assembly and presentation of a cake- it's so satisfying! Thanks, Tammy, for the great choice. The recipe can be found on her blog.