Moist Date Bars

My Mom makes the most fabulous date pinwheel cookies every Christmas holiday season for us to snack on.  I asked for her to pick up some dates at the fancy specialty grocery store she frequents so we could make cookies on Christmas eve.  She brought over the best Medjool dates I've ever tasted...seriously, they were like candy.  We spent Christmas eve making frosted sugar cookies for Santa and having so much fun with our girls that we never made the cookies.  I put the dates in the freezer to keep fresh, planning to use them when life slowed down a bit. 

Life finally slowed down and the dates caught my eye every time I opened the freezer door.  I found this recipe for Classic Date Bars at epicurious.com and decided to try it out.  Oh my gosh, they are so moist and delicious!  I can't wait to make them for my Mom.  These bars are quick and easy to make and really showcase the Medjool dates.


Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups fresh Medjool dates, pitted and chopped

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 
  
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced, room temperature
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8x8 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.  
  
  
  In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a simmer. Add the dates and simmer until very soft and thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Stir in vanilla.
  
  
  In a large bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.  Add butter and use pastry cutter or hands to work into dry mixture until moist clumps form. 
  
  
  Press half of oat mixture evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Spread date mixture over. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture and press gently to adhere. Bake until brown at edges and golden brown and set in center, about 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Cut into bars and serve.  Enjoy!
  
  
  
  

Valentine's Day Red Velvet and Brownie Cakes

Valentine's Day is next week so I created a dessert that is perfect to make for your loved ones.  I used boxed brownie mix and red velvet cake mix to speed up the process, but you can use your favorite brownie and red velvet cake recipes.  I used my favorite homemade chocolate buttercream frosting to pipe between the layers and on top. 

Ingredients:

1 - box Red velvet cake mix plus ingredients to make (water, oil and eggs)
1 - box Brownie mix plus ingredients to make (water, oil, and eggs)

Bake the Red velvet cake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes in a 16x12x1 inch parchment lined sheet pan (leave overhang to lift baked caked out easily).

Bake the Brownies at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes in a 9x13 inch parchment lined cake pan (leave overhang to lift baked brownies out easily).

Let cool completely in pans on wire rack.  Remove the cake and brownies by gently lifting using the parchment paper.

Use heart shaped cookie cutters to cut out shapes.  You could use different sizes too.  You will only need 1/2 of the red velvet cake if you plan on using brownies on all of them. 

Note:  I made Red Velvet Cake Truffles with the leftover cake.  All you have to do is add just enough canned cream cheese frosting to bring it all together (I used about 1/3 can).

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk (maybe less, maybe more)

In a large stand mixer bowl, beat the butter for a minute. Add the sifted powdered sugar and cocoa powder and mix until combined. Add the vanilla extract, then slowly add the milk, a little at a time, until the right consistency is achieved. Piped frosting needs to be thicker than frosting that will be spread using offset spatula. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes until thick and fluffy.

Assemble the brownies and cakes and pipe or spread frosting in between the layers and on top.  Decorate with Valentine's sprinkles.  Store in airtight container lined with wax paper at room temperature.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie~Double Stuf Oreo~Brownie Bars

These sweet treats are very decadent and perfect for the holidays.  The bottom layer is homemade cookie dough, then a layer of Double Stuf Oreos with caramel drizzled on top, which is topped with boxed brownie batter.  I found this recipe over at Betcha Can't Eat Just One, which is the perfect title for Katie's blog.

I made these as a "Thank You!" for my husband's  friend's wife who stood in line at 5:00am on black Friday to purchase a new electric smoker for our patio. Thanks again Dee!

Cookie Dough Layer:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 T pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray, line with parchment paper leaving an overhang, and spray parchment paper with cooking spray. (You can never be too careful).

In a large stand mixer bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated.  Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix just until combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips.

Spread the cookie dough in an even layer by pressing into the bottom of prepared pan.

Oreo Cookie Layer:

1 package Double Stuf Oreo cookies
1/2 cup caramel sauce (I used Hershey's), or dulce du leche

Place the Oreos in a single layer over cookie dough.  Drizzle with caramel sauce or dulce du leche sauce.

Brownie Layer:

1 Box family size Brownie mix, plus ingredients to make (oil, eggs, water)

Follow directions on box to prepare brownie batter.  Spread on top of Oreo cookie layer in an even layer using spatula.

Bake for 45-50 minutes.  The brownies should look slightly gooey in the middle and will set up when cooling.  Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes.  Remove from pan by lifting the parchment paper out and cut into bars.  Enjoy! 

Janice & Joni's BFF Caramel Bars

Let's end the week with these chocolaty caramel bars from Keeping Up Cookbook.  

They are simple to make and the kids can help.  My girls stirred together the oat crust/topping mixture and unwrapped all the caramels.  They love getting in the kitchen and helping out Mommy.  I have little chefs in the making.  Make up a batch of these caramel bars to share with your neighbors and friends, or make some new friends!  They are sure to check in with you weekly to see what you're baking next.

I hope you have enjoyed the recipes featuring Keeping Up Cookbook this week!  Check out this post to read more about this awesome cookbook.  I made the Lemon-garlic spaghettini with grilled lemon shrimp, Blueberry cream cheese muffins, Sjoblom's slow cooker french dips, Bonnie's Cheerio snacks, and these delicious caramel bars.  

Oat Crust/Topping:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 cup flour

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper leaving a 1/4 inch overhang.  Spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients.  Press 3/4 of the mixture into the bottom of prepared pan.  Save the remaining mixture for the topping.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Caramel/Chocolate Filling:

1 (14 oz) package Kraft caramels, unwrapped

3 T heavy cream or half n half

3 T butter

2 cups milk chocolate chips

While crust is baking, melt the caramels, cream, and butter over low heat or in a double boiler.  Pour melted mixture over baked crust.  Sprinkle with milk chocolate chips and crumble remaining oat mixture over top.  Bake for another 15 minutes.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack.  Lift out of pan using parchment paper and cut into bars.  Enjoy!

Mint Oreo Brownies with Mint Fudge Icing

I always see these Mint Oreos in the grocery store next to my favorite Double Stuf Oreos.  I knew we would like them since we loved these Homemade Oreos, where I used Peppermint extract in half of them.  These Oreos are really good just by themself, but I decided to try them in some brownies with a mint fudge icing.  They are thick, rich, and delicious!

Brownie Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
2 T water
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
Dash salt
8 Mint Oreos, cut into quarters

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.  Line with parchment paper with a 1 inch overhang to help lift out brownies later.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, butter, and water.  Stir in eggs and vanilla extract. 

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in separate bowl.  Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until combined and lump free.  Add the quartered Oreos and carefully fold into brownie batter.  Spread into prepared baking pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out slightly sticky.  Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
 
Mint Fudge Icing:
 
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
6 T milk
4 T unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp mint extract
6 Mint Oreos, quartered (for garnish)
 
In a small sauce pan over low heat, melt butter.  Stir in milk.  Sift in cocoa powder and powdered sugar.  Whisk until smooth.  Turn off heat and whisk in mint extract.  Pour over warm brownies and let cool until set.
 
When the icing has set, lift brownies out of pan onto cutting board.  Cut into squares and garnish with Oreos.  Enjoy!
 
As you can tell, I didn't wait for the icing to completely set because my girls were anxious to eat them and I wanted a good picture before the sun went down. They are so good warm! Enjoy!

Super Bowl Party

I just wanted to share some of the tasty food from our Super Bowl party.  My girls did an amazing job decorating our home with homemade posters for both teams.  They even made a sign for each team, and asked for everybody to sign their name to show which team they wanted to win.  It was a split decision, so there was plenty of playful conversation going on during the day.  Now if our Dallas Cowboys could show up for another Super Bowl, that would be fabulous! 

Green Bay Packers Vanilla Cupcakes

Kid Friendly Snack Table

Triple Chocolate Football Brownies

Double Chocolate Heart Brownies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dip - from Brown Eyed Baker

Fruit Platter with Green Bay Packers Fruit Dip

I prepared the filling for these Jalapeno Egg Rolls, but ran out of time to assemble them..  There was already way too much food to be eaten, so they got scratched from the menu! 

Jalepeno Popper Egg Rolls

Also on the Super Bowl menu (not pictured):

Spinach Dip with French Bread Dippers

Rotel Dip and Tortilla Chips

Sun dried Tomato and Roasted Pepper Guacamole - prepared by Matty Jones

Fresh and Tasty Guacamole - prepared by Matty Jones

Steak and Chicken Fajitas - prepared by Matty Jones

Spanish Rice - prepared by Molly

Jalapeno Pinto Beans

Now, I need to rest up until next Football season!

Chewy Fudgy Double Chocolate Brownies

We were having some friends over Sunday to grill fajitas and watch football with us.  They were bringing the fajita meat, guacamole, and rice.  I was making the salsa, charro beans, and dessert.  Their son's favorite dessert is brownies, and my girls love brownies, so I set out to find a simple yet delicious brownie recipe.  I didn't have to look far as I already have several saved to try from Brown Eyed Baker.  I chose to make the Triple-Chocolate Brownies, but adapted it slightly by using only two kinds of chocolate.  The original recipe is from Baker's Illustrated cookbook. 

Ingredients:

7 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped
8 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into quarters
3 T unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Line it with 2 pieces of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides.  This will help you remove them from the pan before cutting into bars.

In a heat proof bowl, add the semi-sweet chocolate and butter.  Microwave for 1 minute.  Remove and stir.  Microwave in 15 second intervals until completely melted.  Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth.  Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until well combined.  Slowly pour in the melted chocolate, whisking constantly.  Sift in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon just until combined.  Pour brownie mixture into prepared pan and tap on the counter to release any bubbles and level.  Bake for 32-38 minutes, or until toothpick comes out with a small amount of sticky crumbs.  Cool on a wire rack in the pan.  Lift brownies out of the pan using the parchment paper, and cut into squares.  Dust with powdered sugar.  Enjoy!

Update...

I made these for our Super Bowl party too!  I used a large round cookie cutter, then used a knife to make two football shaped brownies.  I know that a football has 8 stitches, but I fit as many as possible. They still look cute!

Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Treats

Our home is finally clean after all the holiday festivities.  I'm finally feeling better after a week long cold.  So it's time for me to get back in the kitchen and make some sweets.  Uh oh...I'm still out of flour...I ran completely out on Christmas eve when I was making our Cinnamon Rolls for Christmas morning.  I used two sheets of wax paper to help me roll out the dough and had my Mom holding one side of the paper and my daughter holding the other end.  We looked like the 3 stooges.

I organized my bookmarked recipes into categories yesterday on my laptop so I can easily find what I'm looking for.  I finally got smart and now print recipes right before I plan to make them.  Otherwise, they get lost in my kitchen drawer.  Seriously, my printed recipes are a good 2 inches thick now!  I've only made a small portion of them.  So many recipes and not enough time.

I easily found this bookmarked recipe from Brown Eyed Baker for Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Treats under my desserts.  It does not require flour and we had all the ingredients in the pantry and fridge.  This little treat is a layered bar with the crunchy marshmallow rice krispie treat topped with creamy peanut butter and mini Reese's peanut butter cup pieces, then drizzled with milk chocolate.  I also topped mine with more milk chocolate chips to make them look pretty and help me portion the treats.  My girls and I loved them!  They are almost as good as the Marshmallow Peanut Butter Crunch Brownies I also made from Brown Eyed Baker.  She has so many peanut butter and chocolate recipes to choose from, and I plan on making ALL of them!  Thank you Michelle for being such an inspiration to me!

Ingredients:

6 cups Rice Krispies
1 bag (10.5 oz) mini marshmallows
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 jar (16 oz) peanut butter
1 bag (12 oz) miniature Reese's peanut butter cups, quartered
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 tsp shortening
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips (for garnish)

Butter a 9x13 pan and set aside.

Add the Rice Krispies to a large bowl.  In a medium saucepan over medium low heat, melt the butter and marshmallows.  Stir occasionally and be careful not to burn.  Add the marshmallow mixture to the cereal and stir well to coat.  Immediately pour into prepared pan.  Use a piece of was paper and the bottom of a metal measuring cup to help you press into the pan in an even layer.

In a microwave safe bowl, heat the peanut butter for 1 minute.  Set aside and let cool for a few minutes.  Meanwhile, unwrap the mini peanut butter cups and cut them into quarters.  Add the peanut butter cups to the thinned peanut butter and gently stir.  Pour on top of the rice krispies layer and use a spatula to spread evenly.  

In a microwave safe measuring cup, melt the milk chocolate chips.  Stir in the shortening.  Drizzle over the peanut butter layer.  Refrigerate for 1-2 hours until set before cutting into bars.  Store in an airtight container and serve at room temperature.  Enjoy!

Linked up at:

Recipe Link Party at Remodelaholic

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

My husband has a bake-off every year at work and asked for me to make two desserts to enter in the contest.  I sent him an email with several recipes and asked for him and his sales guys to choose which ones I should make.  The votes were for my Red Velvet Cake Truffles and these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars I found on Brown Eyed Baker.

These bars have 3 layers with different flavors and textures that create the best little cheesecake bite you've ever tasted.  My favorite cookies are chocolate chip, so I was more than happy to make these since I had already bookmarked them.  I obviously had to taste them before sending them off to be judged, and they are so good and rich!

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 Tbsp butter, melted
2/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cookie Dough:
5 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips

Cheesecake Filling:
10 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Prepare a 9x9 baking pan by lining it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all 4 sides.  This will help you lift it out easily so you can cut into bars. 

For Crust:

Crush graham crackers into crumbs to make 1  1/2 cups.  In a small bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until moistened.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Press crust mixture evenly into bottom of pan. Bake for 6 minutes. Set pan on wire rack to cool.

For Cookie Dough:

In a large stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix butter, brown sugar, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract at medium speed until smooth.  Add the flour and mix on low speed just until incorporated.  Remove bowl and stir in the chocolate chips.  Set aside in a bowl.

For Cheesecake:

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating just until blended.  Pour the batter into cooled, baked crust.  Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls over the top of the filling.

Bake about 30 minutes, or until set.  Place in the refrigerator to chill for 4 hours.  When cheesecake is cooled and completely set, lift entire cheesecake out of pan using the parchment paper overhang.  Cut into small bars and serve cold.  Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container.  Enjoy!

Here's our family's entries for the bake-off.  

Linked up at:
Tuesday Night Supper Club at Fudge Ripple

Chewy Oatmeal, Peanut, and Dried Cherry Granola Bars

These granola bars are great for breakfast with some yogurt.  They are also great for an afternoon snack to keep you going strong until dinner time.  This is the combination that I came up with using ingredients my girls like.  You can add any dried fruits you like. 

Ingredients:

2 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cup salted peanuts, crushed
4 whole sheets honey graham crackers, crumbled
5 oz. dried cherries, chopped
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 T unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Add the oats and crushed peanuts to a large sheet pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.

In a small sauce pan, add the honey, brown sugar, and butter.  Bring to a boil, stirring for 1 minute.  Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Add the toasted oats and peanuts to a large bowl.  Add the crumbled graham crackers, dried cherries, and honey mixture.  Stir well to coat.

Line an 8x12 baking dish with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on the sides.  Spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Pour the granola mixture into the dish and use a spatula to press down and pack tight.  Leave on the counter for 2-3 hours.  Cut into granola bars or squares.  Enjoy! 

Tip:  If you want crunchy granola bars, bake in a 300 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.

Marshmallow Peanut Butter Crunch Brownie Bars

I was browsing all the brownie recipes over at Brown Eyed Baker and came across these brownie bars she named Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars.  The peanut butter makes these so good since chocolate and peanut butter are so perfect together.  I used a boxed brownie mix to make life easier, but you could also use your favorite homemade brownie recipe.  I also have a simple Nestle Toll House Chewy Brownie recipe posted.   

I made these brownie bars last night for my my two big girls to give to their friends at school as a holiday treat.  I did verify that none of their friends have nut allergies...you have to be very careful these days.  They smelled and looked so good that I just had to try one before they cooled down.  I needed to make sure they were "gift worthy", right?  I couldn't stop "uuuuuummmmm" ing.  They were finger licking good!  I also packed some up for my hubby's guys at work for their weekly treat.

Ingredients:

1 Box Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 bag (10.5 oz) miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 T unsalted butter
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9x13 cake pan with wax paper with a overhang on all sides.  This makes it easy to lift out the brownies before cutting into bars. 

Add brownie mix, eggs, oil, and semi-sweet chocolate chips to a bowl and mix well.  Pour into prepared cake pan.  Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean 1 inch from the outside edge.

Remove brownies from oven and immediately top with marshmallows.  Return to oven for 4 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a medium sauce pan over low heat, add the milk chocolate chips, butter, and peanut butter.  Stir constantly until just melted.  Turn off the heat and stir in the Rice Krispies.  Spread mixture evenly over the marshmallows. 

Set the pan on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Lift brownies out of pan using wax paper overhang.  Cut into 1 inch bars.  Enjoy!

Pecan Pie Bars

I always bake up some special treats for my hubby's guys at work to eat on Fridays.  This week I chose to make some Pecan Pie Bars...it's so close to Thanksgiving and all I can think about are pies, pies, and more pies.  It's kinda hard to share a pecan pie with 20 hungry men!  This recipe made plenty of bars and I even cut them into large pieces.  They are very rich and decadent so this was just the right size for someone with a sweet tooth.  I hope the guys enjoyed them!  My hubby said I could box them up in those little tin containers and sell them on EBay...how sweet is that!?!  I'm sure glad he thought they were that tasty. 

I can't wait to bake up some pies next week for Thanksgiving!  I'm making  Caramel Apple Pie (Madison and Taylor's favorite), my family's Pecan Pie recipe, and Coconut Cream Pie (my hubby's favorite).  Hopefully, during all of the Thanksgiving holiday festivities, I will remember to take pictures of the scrumptious pies before they are eaten so I can share the recipes.  I always serve pie with some sweetened whipped cream on top, although my kids usually ask if we have any Blue Bell vanilla ice cream.  Are you ready for Thanksgiving?  What's your favorite pie and which ones are you making this year?

Pecan Pie Bars
Recipe Adapted from All Recipes

Crust Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened

Filling Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 10 x 15 inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang so you can easily lift out the bars.  Non-stick cooking spray just won't cut it for these sticky treats since the gooey filling will be touching the edges and become one with the pan.  I speak from experience...my husband's favorite spatula he uses for grilling was my tool of choice to pry the outside pieces free from the pan...and these edges were not edible.

In a large stand mixer bowl, add all the crust ingredients and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Add the crust mixture to the jelly roll pan and press firmly.  Bake for 20 minutes.

While the crust is baking, you can prepare the filling.  In a large stand mixer bowl, add all the filling ingredients and mix until smooth.  Stir in the chopped pecans.  Spread the filling into the crust as soon as it comes out of the oven.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Be careful not to overbake as it will become too dry.  It is ready when it just barely jiggles.  It will set up more in the refrigerator.  

Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack in the pan.  Cover with foil and put the pan in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until set.  Cut into bars and serve.  Enjoy!  

Happy Halloween Marshmallow Frosted Brownie Bites

My husband is having a Halloween potluck lunch today and work.  I guess some of the girls in Accounting requested my Halloween marshmallow cream brownies they tasted a couple of weeks ago. 

This recipe is an easy one since it uses boxed brownie mix.  Honestly, I haven't found a homemade brownie recipe that creates a good chewy fudge brownie.  But I do enjoy homemade light and fluffy brownies every now and then too.  Try out these Nestle Toll House Brownies.

I thought it would be great to bake the brownies in mini cupcake tins so everybody gets a good little bite...you know...the chewy outside edge and the fudgy inside.  I tried to mix an orange colored frosting, but it looks more like peach.  I'm definitely getting some of those cool gel color tubes from the store in every color under the rainbow for my next festive baking project.  I also added some festive spider mix Halloween sprinkles I found at the store.

Brownie Ingredients:

1 box Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge brownie mix
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare brownie mix per box instructions.

Spray the mini muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.  This recipe makes about 30 mini brownie bites.  Pour your brownie batter into a large liquid measuring cup with a spout.  Fill each muffin tin 3/4 of the way full.  Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until toothpick comes out with just a little fudgy brownie sticking to it.  You don't want to overbake these or they will be very dry.

Let the brownies cool completely in pan on cooling rack.  While your brownies are cooling, you can make the marshmallow frosting.

Marshmallow Frosting Ingredients:

1/2 stick butter, softened (4 Tablespoons)
7 1/2 oz. marshmallow cream (small jar)
1 tsp vanilla
2 C powdered sugar
1-2 T milk
Sprinkles

In a medium sized bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together the butter, marshmallow cream, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Gradually add in the powdered sugar. Add 1 T milk and beat until combined. Add more milk as needed until you get a good consistency (thicker is best).

Use a large spoon to drop a big dollop of frosting in the center of each cooled brownie bite.  Let it run down the sides.  Sprinkle on toppings before it sets up.  This frosting sets up quickly...I learned this the hard way and had to add even more frosting so they would all have sprinkles.  Enjoy!

Sugar Cookie Bars

I made these sugar cookie bars as a "Thank You" gift for my daughter's teacher for a great 1st six weeks of school.  Everybody loves a good sugar cookie, right?  And these packed up really well in a colorful plastic box, then wrapped in purple saran wrap.  I hope she enjoyed them!  I got this recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up!.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C sugar
1 C unsalted butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/2 t almond extract
1 t vanilla
1/2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
2 1/2 C flour

Frosting:

1/2 C butter, softened
3 1/2 C powdered sugar
1 t almond extract
3-5 T milk
food coloring
sprinkles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and egg until nice and frothy, about 3 minutes.

Add the vanilla and almond extract, and mix.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and stir.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat for about 2 minutes.

Press the dough into a large jelly roll pan (large cookie sheet pan with high sides).

Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Let the pan cool completely.  While they are cooling, you can make the frosting.

In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy, about 1 minute.

Add the powdered sugar, almond extract, and 3 T milk.  Mix for 2 minutes until smooth.  Add more milk as needed to get the right consistency.  You want it spreadable but also want it to set up good.

Frost your pan of cookies and decorate with sprinkles.  Cut cookies into bars.  Enjoy!

Halloween Marshmallow Frosting Brownies

I was in the mood for some fudgy boxed brownies for our afternoon snack.  I was originally going to just make plain brownies and sprinkle them with powdered sugar.  I prepared the brownie mix per the box instructions, poured the batter into an 8 x 8 inch baking pan, and put them in the oven to bake.  The rich chocolaty smell made it's way through our house and found me.  It brought back memories of the the brownie cupcakes our neighbor brought over for us that she had made for her daughter's birthday.  She is an awesome baker and I've never had cupcakes like those.  They were brownie cupcakes topped with some sort of marshmellowey rich goodness on top.  I'm not sure what was in the frosting, but I plan on getting the recipe soon!  It was too late for me to try and recreate her brownies, so I just added a marshmallow frosting to my pan brownies.  They were good, but I really need to get my neighbor's recipe to share with you.

Brownie Ingredients:

1 box Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge brownie mix
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare brownies per box instructions.  Spray whatever size baking pan you are using with non-stick cooking spray before pouring in batter.  Bake until toothpick comes out clean 1 inch from the edge.  Let cool completely.

While your brownies are cooling, you can make the marshmallow frosting.

Frosting Ingredients:

1/2 stick butter, softened (4 Tablespoons)
7 oz. marshmallow cream
1 tsp vanilla
16 oz. powdered sugar
1-2 T milk

In a medium sized bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together the butter, marshmallow cream, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.  Gradually add in the powdered sugar.  Add 1 T milk and beat until combined.  Add more milk as needed until you get a good consistency (thicker is best).

Spread frosting on cooled brownies.  Sprinkle with Halloween sprinkles and cut into small bars. 

If you use a 9 x 13 baking pan, the brownies will be thinner.  You would then be able to use Halloween cookie cutters and cut out shapes after they are frosted.  I will try this next time.

Enjoy!