Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Bars

Never decide between chocolate chip cookies and brownies again!  A delicious gooey brownie is sandwiched between layers of chocolate chip cookies, leaving you with an irresistible dessert!

Church potlucks are the bomb dot com!  Did I just say that? ...

Anyway, has anyone ever gone hungry at a church potluck?  I haven't!  A couple weeks ago we had lunch after our church service.  There was a ridiculous amount of desserts on the dessert table.  Have you ever noticed that when there are a lot of dessert options, people tend to take about 5 desserts?  At home I only get 1 dessert choice so that's all I take, but when I have a million choices, I'm going to load up!

One of our youth group kids stopped by our table to show off his creation:  a cookie, topped with a brownie, and topped with another cookie.  It was a cookie brownie sandwich! And it looked amazing!  I thought to myself, I could make that...

So I did!  It was my turn to bring dessert for our small group and since this dessert idea was fresh in my mind, I decided this was the perfect time to give it a try.

I spent a good amount of time researching the idea and trying to figure out the best way to make these bars and get the brownie to cook all the way through without burning the bottom layer.  Turns out, this concept hasn't really been done before, so I was on my own.  I thought about it for a while before deciding that it would be best to bake the bars in steps.  I baked the bottom cookie dough layer and brownie layer for about 20 minutes before adding on the top cookie layer.  The brownie layer turned out perfectly gooey, but not under-baked, and the cookie dough layer wasn't over-baked.  Win!

So next time you have a craving for chocolate chip cookies and brownies, whip up a batch of these bars, then you won't have to choose between the two!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Bars

Makes one 9x13" pan, about 24 servings

Ingredients:
1 boxed brownie mix, plus ingredients to prepare it
1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips


1.  Prepare brownie mix as directed on the box.  Set aside.

2.  Cream together the shortening, butter, and sugars.

3.  Add in the egg and vanilla and mix well.

4.  Stir in the flour and baking soda until completely incorporated.

5.  Add in the chocolate chips and stir to combine.

6.  Divide the cookie dough in half.  Place half in the fridge to chill.  Press the other half into a greased 9x13" pan.

7.  Pour the brownie batter over the cookie dough.

8.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  The edges of the brownie should be baked.

9.  When there's about 3 minutes of baking time left, take the other half of the cookie dough out of the fridge.  Place between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and use your hands (or a rolling pin) to press the dough into a rectangle approximately 9x13".

10.  Remove the pan from the oven and place the flattened cookie dough on top of the brownie.  If it breaks a little or doesn't fit perfectly, that's okay!

11.  Return to oven and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, until the brownie is baked all the way through and the cookie layer is brown.

Cool completely before cutting into squares.  Cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

Bite-sized Cheesecake Brownies

The perfect sized two-bite brownie...and cheesecake! No more deciding between your two favorite desserts with this decadent combination!

I love baking for other people.  One reason is that I like to try new things, and I love to see other people's reactions when they eat them.  You could say food is my love language.  Another reason is because baking for others gives me the chance to bake, but not to have to eat everything I make.  I'm trying to lose weight, not gain it!

Every couple weeks, Mike and I get together with some of our friends from church for our life group.  We rotate who hosts the gathering and take turns providing the main meal, salad, and dessert.  I often volunteer to bring dessert because it's my favorite thing to make!

Recently it was my turn to bring dessert and I was craving brownies.  I'd brought Cookie Dough Brownies before and while those sounded good, I wanted to make something different.  I came across a recipe for Cheesecake Brownies and I knew that was the perfect dessert!  It's always nice to have something that isn't messy to eat since we are usually eating on the couch or floor.

These Bite-sized Cheesecake Brownies are incredibly easy to make!  I "cheated" and used a boxed brownie mix because I didn't have a lot of time, and let's face it, they're pretty delicious.  The cheesecake mixture came together quickly and within minutes, my brownies were in the oven.  I was able to mix, bake, cool, and photograph these brownies all while Summer was napping.  That's a win in my book!

I had to sample a few brownies of course while I was photographing them.  I won't tell you how many I tried...  I came home with an empty tray that night--a sure sign of a delicious dessert!

Bite-sized Cheesecake Brownies

Makes 24-30 brownie bites

Ingredients:
1 boxed brownie mix, plus ingredients to make it
8 ounces cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg yolks

1.  Mix brownie mix according to the box's directions.

2.  Beat the cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla, and egg yolks until fluffy.

3.  Scoop 1 Tablespoon of brownie batter into greased mini muffin tins.

4.  Top brownie batter with 1 teaspoon of cheesecake mixture.

5.  Bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a brownie comes out clean.

Allow brownies to cool at least 10 minutes before removing from the tin.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge.

Adapted from: Annie's Noms

Skinny Brownies

These skinny brownies have just 3 ingredients and come together quickly! You'd never guess they're actually healthy!

I love trying new things.  As I mentioned a few weeks ago when I did my Avocado: Tips and Tricks post, avocados are a relatively new-to-me fruit.  I first purchased a few to try as a first food for Summer.  My basic rule of thumb is that if I won't eat it, she doesn't have to.  So I had to try a bit of avocado before giving it to her.  I've had guacamole in the past but I've never been a big fan of it, so I really wasn't expecting to like avocados.  I was pleasantly surprised when I did like them, and I've made a few recipes using avocados since then.

So why am I talking about avocados?  Isn't this a brownie post?  Well, remember I told you this recipe had only 3 ingredients?  One of them is avocado!  The other two are water and a box of brownie mix.  Does water even count?  I love recipes that use a boxed mix because it makes it so easy.  (Like these Lemon Crinkle Cookies!)

You just take 2 avocados and mash them up really good.  I used my food processor to make sure there weren't any chunks.  Avocado in brownies is weird enough, but chunks of avocado is brownies, no thank you!  Then mix in a bit of water and the brownie mix.  And that's it!  Pour it into a pan and bake.

These brownies are extremely fudgey!  I think their texture is similar to a Lara bar (if you've had one of those before).  They're dense and gooey.  I opted to store them in the fridge since I wasn't sure how avocado would do sitting out on the counter.  I loved eating the brownies cold.

I would consider these brownies to be pretty healthy.  The fat from the typical eggs and oil is replaced by good fats from the avocado.  A large piece of brownie came out to be just under 200 calories.  I figure that's pretty good for such a decadent snack! 

These brownies are skinny, unless you eat half a pan...

Not that I would know or anything!

Skinny Brownies

Makes 1 9x13" pan, about 12 servings

Ingredients:
2 avocados (about 1 cup of puree)
1/3 cup water
1 boxed brownie mix

1.  Remove the flesh from the avocado (directions here) and place in your food processor.  Add water and process until smooth.  (If you don't have a food processor, you can also use a blender or mash the avocado with a fork.)

2.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the avocado and brownie mix.  (If your food processor is large enough, you can mix everything in there.)

3.  Pour into a greased 9x13" pan.

4.  Bake a 350 for 27-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out clean.

Source: JelliBean Journals 

Cookie Dough Brownies {Flashback Friday}

It's time for Flashback Friday!  In all honesty, I've struggled the past few weeks with balancing a new baby, going back to work, making recipes and updating my blog, and trying to have a life.  In order to take a little stress off my plate, while still maintaining the posting schedule I strive for, I've decided to make Fridays Flashback Friday.

I have a lot of recipes on this blog.  Since starting it over 5 years ago, I think the quality of my pictures and recipes has improved.  (Don't get me wrong, there is still plenty of room for improvement, especially when I'm in a hurry!)  On Fridays, I'll post an updated picture of one of my past recipes.  I'll link to the old post, so you can get the recipe I originally posted.  Hopefully that will give you a chance to see some of my old recipes, especially if you are a newer follower!

These Cookie Dough Brownies are one of my absolute favorite desserts!  I could eat an entire bowl of cookie dough by myself, and probably a whole pan of brownies too!  Yikes...  I always under-bake the brownies slightly to leave them a little gooey.  They're best that way!  This recipe combines both in a delicious dessert.

Get the recipe here:  Cookie Dough Brownies

Cosmic Brownies

It was really no contest when it came to deciding which recipe I was going to make for this month's Secret Recipe Club.  As I browsed through Jess's list of recipes at Life's Simple Measures, I was immediately drawn to her recipe for Cosmic Brownies.  She has a plethora of delicious looking baked goods, but like I said once I saw this recipe, there was no turning back.

You see, one of the staples in Mike's lunch is a package of Cosmic Brownies.  He's been eating a package nearly every day since high school.  Really healthy, I know!  Actually, he hasn't had nearly as many since we've been married since I don't buy them for him all the time.  But when I saw a recipe so I could make them at home, I was sold!

I made these brownies for dessert for our small group.  Everyone enjoyed them, but agreed that they are quite rich.  If you look at the picture below, you'll see that I did a really bad job of cutting the brownies into even squares.  However, it worked out in the long run because those small pieces on the edge were just the perfect size for brownies this rich!

Cosmic Brownies

Makes 1 9x13" pan of brownies

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 Tablespoons milk
2 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1-1/3 cup flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup chopped M&M candies (or topping of your choice)

1.  In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla.

2.  Add in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and stir until just combined.

3.  Pour the batter into a greased 9x13" pan.

4.  Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownie comes out mostly clean.  Allow the brownies to cool.

5.   While the brownies are cooling, make the ganache topping:  Pour heavy cream into a microwave-safe liquid measuring cup and microwave the heavy cream for 1 minute, until hot.

6.  Add chocolate chips to the hot heavy cream and allow it to sit for about 3 minutes.  Stir the chocolate chips into the cream until the mixture is smooth.

7.  Pour the ganache over the cooled brownies and sprinkle with chopped M&Ms.

8.  Refrigerate the brownies until you're ready to cut and serve.  Store brownies, covered, in the fridge.

Source: Life's Simple Measures

Speedy Little Devils

Do you ever have recipes that you look at and think there's no way that recipe is going to turn out?  This recipe was definitely one of those for me!  (Come to think of it, I was a little skeptical of the 45 Minute Dinner Rolls I posted last week...)

About a month ago, I posted on my Facebook page, and asked what you would make if you had an hour of free time to spend in the kitchen.  One of my fans responded with this recipe and said it's a simple but crowd pleasing recipe.  (Thanks Rachael!)

The recipe is called Speedy Little Devils--probably because the recipe comes together in a flash!  As I was making it, I thought that there was no way it was going to to turn out correctly.  The "batter" was so dry, I was afraid I was going to end up with a mess on my hands!  Nevertheless, I pressed on and baked the recipe.

Was I ever in for a surprise!  These little bars turned out amazingly!  I brought a plate in to work to celebrate our intern's last day and I had quite a few requests for the recipe.  I absolutely loved the center of these bars--it reminded me of my Peanut Butter Fluff recipe.  I should note, I didn't have a Devil's Food Cake mix in my house, so I used a brownie mix instead and they still turned out great. 

The moral of the story is:  even if something doesn't look good at first glance, keep going, the results may surprise you!

Speedy Little Devils

Makes 20 bars (1 9x9" pan)

Ingredients:
1 box dry brownie mix (or Devil's Food Cake mix)
1 stick of butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow fluff

1.  In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the butter.  Allow it to cool before using.

2.  In a medium bowl, combine the brownie mix and melted butter.  The batter will be very crumb-like and dry.

3.  Reserve 1 cup of the brownie mix and press the rest into a greased 9x9" cake pan.

4.  In another medium bowl, combine the peanut butter and marshmallow fluff.  If the mixture is difficult to mix, microwave for about 20 seconds and try again.

5.  Spread the peanut butter fluff over the brownie mix.

6.  Sprinkle the remaining cup of crumbs on top of the peanut butter fluff.  Gently press the crumbs down.

7.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Cool bars completely before cutting into squares.

Nutella Bites

It's that time again!

Today is the Secret Recipe Club reveal date for my group.  This month, I was assigned to Diethood.  At first, I was a little disappointed, thinking I had been assigned to a "diet" blog, and that's certainly not something on my mind right now!  I was pleasantly surprised when I saw Katerina's tag line "Not a diet-food food blog".  Whew!

I just have to say, why have I not seen this blog before?  The recipes Katerina publishes are amazing, and I had so many mouthwatering recipes to choose from. 

I had quite a list of recipes I was hoping to make, but there were two that topped the list.  I wasn't able to make my first choice, due to time constraints (my parent's basement flooded and I helped clean it up). However, I'm really happy that I chose to make these Nutella Bites.

First of all, I love Nutella.  Second, aren't these little bites adorable?  Who can resist?  I know I couldn't, and neither could my friends!  There are about 3 left on my counter, but I'm going to go eat them now...

Nutella Bites

Makes approximately 30 bites

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Nutella
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup flour
powdered sugar

1.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the Nutella, eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla.

2.  Whisk in the flour until smooth.

3.  Scoop batter into the wells of a greased mini muffin tin, filling 2/3 of the way full. (I used a Tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop the batter and found about 3/4 of a Tablespoon to be the perfect amount.)

4.  Bake at 350 for 13-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a bite comes out clean.

5.  Allow bites to cool before removing from the pan and sprinkling with powdered sugar.

Source: Diethood

Loaded Brownies

Yesterday one of my co-workers asked me if there is anything that I've been craving during my pregnancy.  Yes!  I told her I was always wanting Oreos and brownies.  The other day, I came home from work and I wanted brownies so badly!  I thought I had bought a brownie mix at the store not too long ago, and I planned to whip up a batch while supper was cooking.  For some reason, I couldn't find the mix I thought I had, but I did find a mix that I bought from a chocolate party I hosted.

I whipped up the brownies and was surprised when the recipe called for an 8x8" baking dish, yet the nutrition facts said the brownies made 20 servings.  The directions said to cut the brownies into 2-1/2" pieces.  I think someone needs to try their math again!  Anyway, the brownies were pretty good, but they certainly didn't hold a candle to these loaded brownies.  

I made these brownies a while ago, I just never got around to posting them.  It turns out that was a good thing, because this month's ingredients for the Lady Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge are caramel and pretzels!  These brownies contain both, plus they're full of chocolatey goodness. They're everything I've been craving, and then some!

Loaded Brownies

Makes 1 9x13" pan, approximately 18 servings

1 box brownie mix
2/3 cup vegetable oil*
1/4 cup water*
2 eggs *
*or ingredients listed to prepare brownie mix
1/2 cup chocolate chips, divided
24 caramels, unwrapped and cut in half
1/2 cup pretzels, broken in pieces

1.  Mix the brownie mix, oil, water, and eggs together in a medium bowl.

2.  Pour half the batter into a greased 9x13" pan.

3.  Sprinkle half the chocolate chips and the caramels over the brownie batter.

4.  Pour the remaining batter into the pan and top with remaining chocolate chips and broken pretzels.

5.  Bake at 350 for 22-24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownie comes out mostly clean.

S'mores Brownies

What is better than an ooey-gooey brownie? How about a brownie with toasted marshmallows on top?  Oh, and graham crackers on the bottom. It's a s'mores brownie!

I've had this idea churning in my head for a while.  It started as a s'mores cupcake idea, but then since I was short on time, it morphed into s'mores brownies. I cheated and used a boxed brownie mix, but you could certainly make your favorite brownie recipe.  I brought these on our youth group retreat a couple of weeks ago and they were a hit!

As a side note: I made these in a non-stick pan that you can't use a knife in.  Because the bottom is graham crackers, it took a bit of work to cut these brownies with a plastic spatula.  I'd recommend either breaking the graham crackers into smaller pieces if you must use a non-stick pan, or baking these in a glass pan so you can use a sharp knife!

S'mores Brownies 

Serves 24

Ingredients:
1 package graham crackers
1 boxed brownie mix, plus ingredients required to make it
12 regular sized marshmallows, halved

1.  Break the graham crackers into quarters (along the "lines") and line the bottom of a greased 9x13" pan with the graham crackers.

2.  Make the brownie mix according to the directions on the box.  Pour the brownie batter over the graham crackers.

3.  Bake at 350 for 25-28 minutes (or according to the directions on your brownie mix box), until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the brownies comes out mostly clean.

4.  Remove the brownies from the oven and turn your oven onto broil.

5.  Sprinkle the halved marshmallows on top of the brownies and place under the broiler for about 1 minute (watch closely!), until the the marshmallows are golden brown.

Allow the brownies to completely cool before cutting into squares.  

Zucchini Brownies

On Monday I mentioned that I enjoy spending time preparing my garden in the spring.  I also love checking it throughout the summer to see what is ripe and ready to be enjoyed.  I don't plant any zucchini plants, but I certainly don't turn a zucchini down when it's offered to me.  My boss brought in 3 large buckets full of tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant from her garden last week.  I took a few tomatoes and zucchinis home with me.  The zucchini sat on the counter, waiting to be made into something delicious.

These zucchini brownies certainly are delicious!  If I didn't know that they contained 2 cups of shredded zucchini, I never would have guessed.  They are a cake-type brownie and full of intense chocolate flavor.  I'd consider them to be fairly healthy too--they are made with whole wheat flour, applesauce (in place of oil), and zucchini.  Thanks to the zucchini, the brownies are incredibly moist.  These brownies are also incredibly easy to make and come together in a short amount of time.  Unless you're like me and your grater breaks halfway through the first zucchini so you have to shred the rest with a hand grater...oh well!  The brownies were worth it!

Zucchini Brownies

Serves 9-12 (makes 1 8x8" pan) 

2 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup applesauce
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups grated zucchini
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1.  In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla, sugar, salt, and applesauce.

2.  In a larger bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa powder.  Stir in the baking soda and cinnamon.

3.  Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.  The mixture will look very dry.

4.  Add the grated zucchini and chocolate chips and stir until combined.

5.  Pour the batter into a greased 8x8" pan.

6.  Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownie comes out clean.

Cool completely before cutting.  Cover and store any leftovers at room temperature.

Source:  Baltic Maid

Dulce de Leche Brownies

Mike and I just spent the weekend up north at a lake cottage with some of our friends. We had a fabulous time enjoying a little bit of sun, pontoon rides, campfires, fun games, and delicious foods.  According to Mike and the friends we were with this weekend, the perfect accompaniment to a brownie is a tall glass of cold milk.  I'd have to disagree, but that's simply because I dislike milk.  I think I probably have my usual glass of water with a brownie...boring, I know!  What about you, what do you like to drink with your brownies? 

When I received my Secret Recipe Club assignment this month, I spent a few hours reading through Gloria's blog, Canela Kitchen.  It took quite a while to get through everything because she has been blogging since 2007.  I made a long list of recipes that I wanted to make, most of them were blueberry recipes because earlier this month, I had an abundance of berries.  Unfortunately, time got away from me and I forgot about the blueberries and those recipes.  I realized late last week that I hadn't made my recipe yet and it was nearly time to post!  I quickly went back through my list and came upon this recipe for Dulce de Leche brownies.  I love brownies and I love Dulce de Leche, so I knew this was a perfect recipe.  Plus, I wanted to make something to bring up north with us. 

These brownies certainly did not disappoint.  They were rich and gooey.  I enjoyed the layer of Dulce de Leche in the brownie.  We enjoyed eating these brownies with lunch this weekend. I'm glad I ended up making this recipe...thank you Gloria!  I know I'll be visiting your blog often and I will be making some of your delicious blueberry recipes too.

Dulce de Leche Brownies

Makes 1 9x13" pan, about 16 servings

You will need:
8 Tablespoons butter
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup Dulce de Leche

1.  Melt the butter in a saucepan (or in the microwave). 

2.  Add chopped chocolate to the butter and stir until the chocolate is completely melted.

3.  Whisk in cocoa powder until smooth.

4.  Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated.

5.  Stir in sugar, vanilla, and flour.

6.  Scrape half the brownie batter into a greased 9x13" pan. 

7.  Drop 1/2 of the Dulce de Leche over the top of the batter by the spoonful.  Use a knife to swirl it through the brownie batter.

8.  Spread remaining brownie batter over the swirled mixture.

9.  Top with spoonfuls of the remaining Dulce de Leche.

10.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out clean.

Cool completely before cutting and serving.

Source:  Canela Kitchen

Coke Brownies

These are, by far, the easiest brownies I have ever made!  They require just 2 ingredients...that's right 2!  And no, one of those ingredients is not black beans!  (I'm too weirded out by that idea right now, though I do plan to try that in the future).  The recipe is just a boxed brownie mix and a can of diet Coke!

It's simple to make these brownies and they end up very moist and cake-like.  I'll admit, I ate the entire pan by myself since Mike doesn't care for cake!  (The pan did last just over a week though!)  The flavor of these brownies is a little different that making traditional brownies, I attributed it to the aftertaste of the diet Coke.  I'd like to make these again with regular coke and see if that makes a difference.  However, these were delicious and low calorie/fat enough that I didn't feel guilty go back for another piece...and another...and another!

Coke Brownies

Makes 1 9x13" pan, about 18 servings (depending on how you cut them)

You will need:

1 boxed brownie mix

1 can Diet Coke

1.  In a medium bowl, combine the brownie mix and diet Coke.

2.  Pour into a greased 9x13" pan.

3.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes, until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.  My brownies took longer than the box said, so adjust the time as needed.

With the box of brownie mix that I used, these brownies had just 110 calories per serving!

Lightened Brownies

I love cookbooks. I tend to read them like a novel, browsing through the recipes and beautiful pictures, making mental notes of the recipes that I just can't wait to make!  I recently bought a copy of The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.  I was thrilled with all the recipes, pictures, and kitchen tips in the book.  One aspect I really appreciated was the tips, telling what they did to lighten up the recipes.  I got a lot of good ideas for lightening up everyday recipes. 

One of the first things I made was the brownie recipe.  Now, I wouldn't say this is the best brownie I've ever had, but for a "lighter" brownie, it was pretty delicious!  They were pretty dense, not really fudgy but not cake-like either.  I will definitely make these again!

You will need:
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons lowfat sour cream
1 Tablespoon chocolate syrup
1 egg
1 egg white
2 teaspoons vanilla

1.  Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.

2.  Microwave the chocolate and butter together in a large bowl until melted and smooth.  Let it cool.

3.  Whisk the sugar, sour cream, chocolate syrup, egg, egg white, and vanilla into the melted chocolate.

4.  Fold in the flour mixture until just incorporated.

5.  Pour the batter into a greased 8x8 pan and smooth the top.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with just a few crumbs.

6.  Cool completely before cutting into 16 squares.

Per brownie: 110 calories, 4 grams fat (1.5 saturated), 15 mg cholesterol, 20 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams protein, 1 gram fiber, 65 mg sodium.

Source: The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

I thought it would be fun to "spruce" up my Berry Trifle recipe, so I added a layer of brownies on the bottom. I made this for a potluck when we were camping a few weeks ago and it was a huge hit!

Toffee Brownie Cake

Chocolate cake, with chocolate ganache, topped with Heath toffee bits.  Do I need to continue?  It was delicious!

You will need:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoon cocoa powder
4 ounces semisweet chocolate (I used Baker's squares)
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

for the chocolate ganache:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used Baker's squares)
1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup Heath toffee bits

1.  In a medium bowl, mix together flour, salt, and cocoa powder.

2.  In a medium microwave-safe bowl, stir the chocolate and margarine.  Microwave in 30 second increments until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

3.  Add the sugar to the chocolate mixture, and then the eggs.  Mix in the vanilla.

4.  Pour chocolate mixture over dry ingredients and stir until just blended.

5.  Pour batter into a greased 8x8 pan.  Bake at 325 for 30  minutes. 

6.  While brownies are baking, prepare ganache:  Place chopped chocolate in a small bowl.  

7.  Measure cream into a glass measuring cup.  Microwave for 90 seconds until cream is hot.

8.  Pour hot cream over chopped chocolate.  Let it sit for 1 minute and then stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.  If needed, microwave for 15 seconds, until chocolate is melted.

9.  Let ganache sit until it's thicken, about 30 minutes. 

10.  When brownies are done, let them cool for about 15 minutes.  Then pour ganache over the brownies and spread evenly. 

11.  Sprinkle with toffee bits and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. 

Source: A Farmgirl's Dabbles

Mini Marshmallow Peanut Butter Brownies

Mini Marshmallow Peanut Butter Brownies

I made these bite-sized treats for my Wall Expressions party last month too!  I loved the original Marshmallow Peanut Butter Brownies I made, but I thought it would be fun to make them miniatures also.  You can find my original recipe here, and I've also included the modified directions in this post.

You will need:  

For the brownie:
1 box brownie mix
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup water
2 eggs

For the peanut butter layer:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup flour
2 eggs

Top with: 
1 cup mini marshmallows 

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine brownie mix, oil, water, and eggs. Set aside.

2. In a small mixing bowl, combine sugar, peanut butter, flour, and eggs. Mix until fluffy.

3. Grease mini muffin tins.  Drop brownie batter by the teaspoonful into each tin.  Top with 1/2 teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until brownie is done.

5. Cool for 10 minutes, then top with marshmallows. Place under broiler for 1 minute, then rotate and keep under broiler until marshmallows get toasted. Cool before serving.