Festive One Bowl Brownies

Festive One Bowl Brownies

We’re getting down to the wire… Christmas is only two days away!!! I hope everyone is almost finished with their Christmas shopping, gift wrapping, and holiday baking. I still have some sugar cookies that I need to frost today, but after that, I’m declaring my holiday baking DONE!

If you’re looking for one more treat to add to your Christmas cookie/dessert platter, you may want to consider whipping up a batch of these Festive One Bowl Brownies. These moist, fudgy brownies are very quick and easy to make. So much so that, since I had a little time to kill while my sugar cookie dough chilled in the refrigerator, I decided to do some multitasking and make a batch to add to my holiday platter. I was able to prepare the brownie batter and bake the whole batch while my sugar cookie dough was still chilling out in the refrigerator. In fact, the brownies were finished before the sugar cookie dough was even ready to roll out.

The brownies turned out perfect, and I just love how the colored morsels sprinkled on top adds a splash of holiday cheer to them. These brownies will certainly brighten up my holiday platter.

Well, I think it’s probably time for me to head back to the kitchen. I don’t think there is any chance that those sugar cookies will frost themselves, so I guess I’d better get to it.

~Enjoy~




Festive One Bowl Brownies

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 (10-ounce) package Nestle Toll House Holiday Morsels

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt all at once and stir until just combined. Fold in half of the Nestle Toll House Holiday Morsels. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the brownies cool for a couple of minutes, then sprinkle the remaining morsels over the top. (you want the morsels to melt slightly, but not completely)

Lift the brownies out of the pan with the foil and cool completely on a rack.

Cut into squares and serve.

Flourless Chocolate Walnut Brownies

Flourless Chocolate Walnut Brownies

I’m so sorry my posts have been few and far between lately. I’ve just been so busy both at home and at work, and I haven’t had a chance to do much baking or photo taking. I’m hoping things will calm down here soon and I’ll get a chance to post more frequently. I can’t even believe that Thanksgiving is less than a week away! Once again, it seems like the holiday just totally snuck up on me.

I did get a chance to make these Flourless Chocolate Walnut Brownies this past week though. I love experimenting with recipes and trying to make treats that are eggless, flourless, etc…, just to see how they turn out. Sometimes the result turns out to be great, and sometimes not. Well, without a doubt, these brownies turned out to be absolutely delicious. I must warn though that they are more geared for the serious chocoholics and sweet tooths out there. Since both chocolate chips and cocoa are used in this recipe, the brownies have a very rich, chocolate flavor. The large amount of chocolate, combined with the sugar, also makes them very sweet.

So if you’re a serious chocoholic or have a very large sweet tooth, this recipe is for you. If your sweet tooth isn’t quite that big, then I’d recommend cutting the brownies into very small squares and enjoying just a little piece at a time.

~Enjoy~




Flourless Chocolate Walnut Brownies

1 cup butter, cut into pieces
10 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder
6 large eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 8 x 8 inch square baking pan.

Combine butter and chocolate chips in a heavy medium-sized saucepan. Stir over low heat until melted.

In a large bowl, mix the sugar and cocoa powder together. Add eggs and whisk until well blended. Whisk in the chocolate-butter mixture, then fold in the walnuts. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Cut into squares. Dust with powdered sugar; if desired.

Peanut Butter Chewy Brownies

Peanut Butter Chewy Brownies

Hi Everyone! Sorry I’ve been absent for awhile, but I was feeling under the weather a couple weeks ago, and during that time I started reading a really good book. It turned out that it was the first book of a trilogy, and the story was so good that I couldn’t stop reading until I finished the whole series.

So, let me catch you up on what’s been happening here the last couple of weeks. It snowed, then the snow melted. It snowed again, then melted again. Then it got really, really cold. (It’s currently 14 degrees as I sit writing this) Oh, yes… and I made these delicious Peanut Butter Chewy Brownies – Twice! I made one batch earlier this week for my family, and I made a second batch for a potluck at work yesterday.

This recipe comes from the Spring 2012 “Penzeys Spices” catalog. If you haven’t heard of Penzeys, I encourage you to check them out. They have a very wide variety of spices at very reasonable prices. (hey, that rhymed) Their free catalog also includes mouth-watering recipes, like these brownies. My mom clued me in to this catalog, and I’m very grateful that she did. It’s one of my favorites. Thanks, Mom!!

~Enjoy~




Peanut Butter Chewy Brownies
(recipe from Penzeys Spice catalog)

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup softened butter
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips for topping

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×9 or 8×8 pan.

In a medium bowl, cream together the peanut butter and butter. Gradually blend in the white sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into the peanut butter mix. Fold in 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips until they are spread throughout. Spread into the pan and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25-35 minutes, depending on the type of pan used; a toothpick should come out clean.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Serves: 16

Glazed Spicy Mexican Brownies

Glazed Spicy Mexican Brownies

Looking to spice up your day? Well these Glazed Spicy Mexican Brownies just might do the trick. I should warn you though… you’re going to want to pour yourself a tall glass of milk while munching on them. Not because they’re dry, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. These are incredibly moist brownies. No, you’re going to want that glass of milk because these brownies are SPICY!!! They’re rich, chocolaty, and spiced up with a generous dose of chili powder, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon.

I would call these more of a “grown-up” brownie. If you’re planning on sharing them with the kids, I would suggest cutting back a bit on the spices – unless you have children who enjoy spicy food.

I have to head back to the kitchen now. We’re having an all-day potluck at work on Monday and I’m bringing Overnight French Toast. I really hope they like it…

~Enjoy~




Glazed Spicy Mexican Brownies

1 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, divided

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

Place butter in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave for approximately 30 seconds, until butter is melted. Let cool slightly. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix with a spoon until combined. Add the cocoa, flour, cinnamon, chili powder, cayenne pepper, coffee granules, salt, and baking powder. Mix until the batter is nice and smooth. Fold in 1/2 cup of the chopped walnuts. Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and set on a wire rack. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup chopped walnuts evenly over the top of the baked brownies.

Baked brownies with walnuts on top

Cool brownies to room temperature before topping with Glaze (recipe below)

Spicy Chocolate Glaze

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan.

Set the burner to medium low heat. Cook and stir with a whisk until the sugar is dissolved and everything is well combined.

If glaze is too thick, add more milk. If it is too thin, add a little bit more cocoa powder. (It should be thick enough to stick to a spoon but thin enough to pour)

Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool until it is still pourable. Spoon glaze over cool brownies.

Glazed brownies

Let the glaze set before cutting brownies.

Fudgy Mocha Toffee Brownies

Fudgy Mocha Toffee Brownies

Anytime I can combine two ingredients I love – coffee and chocolate – into one recipe, I know the result is going to be a winner. This recipe proved just that. There’s just something about the flavor of mocha that I absolutely love. In fact, my go-to coffeehouse drink is a tall, skinny mocha. These brownies have that same coffeehouse mocha taste, except in brownie form.

Now, I can honestly say that I’ve never met a brownie that I didn’t like, but my absolute favorite type of brownie is a rich, chewy, fudgy brownie. This recipe created that exact type of brownie. The brownie itself has a wonderfully moist texture, but I also wanted the brownies to have a bit of a crunch, so I topped them off with a sprinkling of toffee bits. They turned out so yummy!!

A brownie was the first thing I reached for when I got home from work today, and I’m desperately trying to resist the urge to grab another. This recipe is definitely a keeper.

~Enjoy~




Fudgy Mocha Toffee Brownies

2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/4 cup toffee bits

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine coffee granules and 1/4 cup hot water. Stir until the coffee granules dissolve.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine butter and semisweet chocolate chips. Microwave for approximately 30-40 seconds, or until butter melts; stir until chocolate is smooth.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Add coffee mixture, melted chocolate mixture, vanilla extract, and eggs to dry ingredients. Stir just until combined.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with toffee bits.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Fudgy Mocha Toffee Brownies