mexican hot chocolate brownies

sunday, march 9th 

mexican hot chocolate brownies

mexican hot chocolate brownies

1 1/2 c chocolate chips

2 c sugar

3/4 c butter

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c milk

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 heaping tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

preheat oven to 350 f. lightly grease a 9X13 pan.

melt together the butter and chocolate chips, using a double boiler or in the microwave. whisk until completely melted and smooth. 

in a large bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, cocoa, cayenne powder, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. whisk until combined. add the melted chocolate and mix until combined. add the milk and vanilla extract and stir until a batter forms. 

pour into the prepared pan. bake for 45 to 50 minutes until done. let cool completely and then slice into squares. 

**my brownies actually didn't turn out how they were supposed to. i was in mexico so i don't know if i should have adjusted the temperature or cooking time or what. they still tasted fantastic though. they rose up like a souffle and then started over flowing. the top was cooking a lot faster than the rest and i thought it would start to burn so we took it out of the oven, peeled the top off, and put the rest back in to finish cooking. we called the top layer brownie bark and looooved it. i'm going to work on a purposeful brownie bark recipe. stay tuned.  

mini chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting

sunday, march 2nd 

mini chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting

mini chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting

i feel funny about posting recipes like this. 1) i did the same cupcakes that i did on super bowl sunday just a few weeks ago, and 2) i literally followed instructions on the cake mix box and made a simple frosting. but here it is again for the sake of not missing a week.

cake

i used betty crocker chocolate fudge cake mix. prepare as directed on box. oh i also filled the cupcakes with bite sized snickers. put snickers piece in each cupcake half way through cooking. 

frosting

ingredients

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

4 cups powdered sugar

¼ cup milk

½ teaspoon vanilla

directions

beat butter in medium bowl on medium speed until fluffy. beat in peanut butter, 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar, the milk and vanilla. gradually beat in remaining 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, beating after each addition until smooth. thank you betty crocker for the frosting recipe.

i was getting ready to go to mexico with some friends so i decided to decorate them to look like the flag of mexico. i used sprinkles, died sugar, and powdered sugar. 

butter-crunch lemon bars

sunday, february 23^rd

butter-crunch lemon bars

butter-crunch lemon bars

crust:

½ c butter, softened

¼ c packed brown sugar

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

1 c all-purpose flour

place first four ingredients in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. lightly spoon four into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife. Add flour to butter mixture and beat at low speed until well blended. press crust into bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. bake at 350° for 20 mins.

filling:

1 c 1% low-fat cottage cheese

1 c granulated sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

3 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 large egg

1 large egg white

place cottage cheese in a food processor; process 2 minutes or until smooth, scraping sides of bowl once. add granulated sugar and next 6 ingredients (through egg white) and process until well blended. pour filling over crust.

bake at 350° for 25 minutes of until set (the edges will get lightly browned). cool. cover and chill 8 hours. sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving if desired. serves 12.

(recipe from cooking light’s lighten up, america! cookbook)

marbled red velvet cheesecake brownies

sunday, february 16^th

marbled red velvet cheesecake brownies

marbled red velvet cheesecake brownies

yield: 16 hearts

ingredients:

red velvet layer:
3 1/4 cups flour
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
4 tablespoons milk, divided
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon red food coloring
2 teaspoons white vinegar

cheesecake layer:
2 8oz packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

directions:

preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease a 13 x 18 jelly roll pan.

in large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. set aside. in a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons milk, vanilla extract, red food coloring, and white vinegar.

combine the dry and wet ingredients, until completely combined. the batter will be a really thick, almost moldable texture...but don't worry, that's what you want. remove 3/4 cup of the batter and place it in a medium bowl. whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk (into the 3/4 cup of batter you just took out). set aside the 3/4 cup batter.

pour the remaining batter into the prepared jelly roll pan. using a spatula, smooth out the batter to reach all the edges.

now, in your stand mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. add eggs and vanilla, beating until combined and there are no lumps. pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the red velvet layer and smooth mixture till it reaches all the edges.

drop spoonfuls of the remaining red velvet batter (that you mixed with milk) onto the top of the cheesecake layer. drag the tip of a knife through the red velvet and the cheesecake layers to create swirls.

bake for 30 minutes, rotating half way through, or just until the center is set and it no longer jiggles. let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting. use a small or medium sized heart cookie cutter to create the perfect valentine's day treat!

http://www.thenovicechefblog.com/2012/01/marbled-red-velvet-cheesecake-brownies/

egg-less cookie dough

Sunday, february 9^th

egg-less cookie dough

egg-less cookie dough

ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

¾ cups packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons milk

½ cup mini chocolate chips

½ cup milk chocolate chips (ghirardelli is my fave)

½ cup of shredded coconut

½ cup of toffee bits

directions

with your mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar. add in vanilla and salt, mix. add in flour. the mixture is going to be crumbly at this point. add in 2 tablespoons of milk and mix. now the dough will look like the cookie dough you’re used to seeing. fold in 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, coconut and toffee. store leftovers in the refrigerator. freeze for up to three months.

http://centercutcook.com/edible-egg-less-chocolate-chip-cookie-dough/