Brownie Cupcakes.

I promise these are best tasting and easiest homemade brownies you will ever make. And, you make them in the form of a "cupcake." I love that this recipe makes a small batch (about eight brownies), but can easily be doubled, tripled, etc! Because they are individual every brownie is equally crunchy on top and deliciously moist and dense on the inside. AND, the add-ins or add-ons are endless.

Brownie Cupcakes.

1/2 cup each - butter, semisweet chocolate chips, sugar, flour

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter and chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Use the microwave for melting - it goes fast! In a small bowl, beat eggs and sugar. Stir in vanilla and chocolate mixture. Add flour and mix well.

Fill paper liners two thirds full. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until tops begin to crack. Remove from oven and cool. Like I said, these are perfect just like that. Or you can frost them or you could mix something in before making (oreos, pb cups, etc).

As I began to think of what kind of "cake" I would prepare for Gary's birthday I thought about these and I thought about ice cream cake (which I made last year)...and then, I was visiting Joy the Baker's Blog and knew I had to combine these brownies with ice cream, ganache, and whip cream.

I knew for sure I would need mint ice cream as that is Gary's favorite. And after browsing the freezer section I went with this Cappuccino Chip another option since I don't care for mint ice cream.

Happy Birthday Gary!!

Brownie Peanutbutter Cheesecake Trifle.

I enjoy my trifle bowl. I think it is fun to use! I like getting to see the layers of deliciousness. I've done layers of fruit with was very pretty and you could do a seven-layer salad. You could do something classic like strawberry shortcake. Or, you could make your family and friend happy with this deliciousness:



For lack of a better name I am calling it Brownie Peanutbutter Cheesecake Trifle. I suggest making it for your next potluck or get-to-gether. People will look at it and try a small scoop. They'll taste it and go back for a second helping guarenteed. I made it for one of my Memorial Day celebrations. It went over well and what was left Gary scarfed up this evening!



Brownie Peanutbutter Cheesecake Trifle.

1 - 9x13 pan of brownies with chopped chunks of peanutbutter cup added to the batter
1 - small box cheesecake flavored pudding
1 - container whipped topping
peanutbutter
chocolate fudge ice cream topping
peanuts
additional chopped chunks of peanutbutter cup

Prepare brownies from scratch or package. Cut into small chucks and divide into two groups. Layer first half into the bottom of trifle (or other dish). Prepare pudding mix - adding in about a cup of melted peanutbutter. Allow to soft set and layer over the brownies. Top with whipped topping, peanuts, pb cup chunks, and drizzles of peanutbutter and chocolate fudge. Top with remaining brownies, whipped topping, peanuts, pb cup chunks, and drizzles of peanutbutter and chocolate fudge. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pasta Pizza.

I'm putting together a fews slides for the department newsletter at work. I wanted to concentrate on dairy farming in honor of June Dairy Month. When looking up some information I came across the original version of this recipe. Good stuff!!


Pasta Pizza.

(adapted from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board)

3 cups rotini or similar pasta

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 teaspoon dried onion

1 pound ground beef

1 can tomato sauce (I used 16 ounces that I had canned...I think you can buy a 15 ounce can though...that would be plenty)

1 teaspoon each dried basil, oregano, garlic powder

1 medium tomato, thinly sliced

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 cup garlic cheese, shredded

Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain well and place in bowl.

Combine eggs and milk - stir into pasta. Stir in cheddar cheese and onion. Mix well. Spread pasta mixture evenly over a well-buttered 14-inch pizza pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook ground beef. Stir in tomato sauce, basil, oregano, and garlic. Spoon meat mixture over baked pasta crust. Arrange tomato slices over that. Top with mozzarella and garlic cheese. Bake about 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

This was fairly quick to make and tasted delicious. It was surprisingly really easy to serve too! I think this would also be great with some additional pizza toppings - green peppers, onions, mushrooms, etc.

Success! :)

Well, the recipe did turn out... as Holly commented on the previous post - it may just be a little dryer than the original.

Chocolate Cherry Almond Banana Bread

1 stick butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup mashed bananas
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. almond extract
2/3 cup chocolate chips
2 handfuls dried tart cherries
Cinnamon and Sugar

Spray large bread loaf pan with cooking spray and coat with cinnamon sugar. Combine rest of ingredients and bake in a 350 degree oven for an hour.

**This recipe is a nice change. Next time I make it, I will add the 1/4 cup of sour cream though!** :)

Banana Bread

The best banana bread I have ever had is my Aunt Debbie's recipe. I had some ripe bananas and decided to make her recipe but switch it up a little bit because that's just what I like to do! Unfortunately, after it has been baking for about a half hour, I remembered that I forgot to add one of the key ingredients: the sour cream!

So, I will share with you first, my Aunt's recipe and will later decide if my "flopped" recipe will be anything worth sharing!

Banana Bread

1 stick butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
salt (a pinch)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup mashed bananas
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine ingredients, place in large bread pan and bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Enjoy! (And don't forget the sour cream!) :)

S'mores.

Hanging out in the wilderness all weekend, sleeping on the ground, packing and unpacking...yup, I'm talking about camping. I am not a camper. Never was, never will be. I don't get it. Maybe it's because I live in the country and the wilderness is all around me. Maybe it is because I enjoy a good sleep. Maybe it is because I have all I can do to keep my house kept up. I'm just not a fan.

Now let's talk s'mores. They go good with camping and fires. There is just something about that hard graham cracker crumbling all over and making a mess. And if your chocolate doesn't melt enough it's too hard. The marshmallow never says in place. I'm not a s'mores eater. They are too messy for my liking. Sure, graham cracker is good. Chocolate in the right form is great. Marshmallows not bad either. The combination is wonderful...just not in a traditional s'mores form. That is why I have fallen in love with two other forms of s'mores...

S'mores cookies which can be found here. These little gems are delightful. So, so good! I suggest you only make them if you have friends to share them with. And if you don't have friends, share them with strangers - it won't take long for those strangers to become your friends!

S'mores Cookies
recipe from Baked Perfection

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I think they would be just as good if you reduced the AP flour with a little whole wheat...)
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash of cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups miniature chocolate chips (I used a mix of regular sized and miniature)
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
2 Hershey bars, chopped (I used almost a whole pack...I was trying to get three pieces on each cookie)

In a medium bowl combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, salt, and dash of cinnamon. In a second larger bowl beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 minutes in 350 degree over, and remove from the oven. Push 3 to 4 marshmallows and a few pieces of hershey bar into each cookies. Return to the oven and bake an additional 3-4 minutes until fully cooked. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.

S'mores bars which can be found here. Again, amazing. Love, love, love them! I found this recipe over winter and have made them several times. They are rich, but oh so good.

S'Mores Bars
recipe from Lovin In the Oven

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.

Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

And so you see, for those of us who are not campers and not s'mores eaters. We have other options. Tastier options if you ask me. So, go, bake, and eat your s'mores as cookies or bars. Your taste buds will thank you.

Kit Kat Bars.

Each year for my boss's birthday I have been making her a special treat. This year I went with Kit Kat Bars. I'd been wanting to make these for about a year - no lie!! But, I thought they were a lot of work. Don't get me wrong - I enjoy cooking/baking things that take a lot of work, but I have to be in the right mind set.

After making these I realized they really are not that much work! And since they only require a stovetop and not the over they will definetly be on my summer treat list!

Kit Kat Bars.

(from my church's cookbook)

2 sticks of butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 cups finely crushed graham crackers

1 box waverly crackers (I used club orginal)

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

1/2 cup chocoloate chips

2/3 cup peanutbutter

Boil butter, sugars, milk, and crushed graham crackers together for 5 minutes - stirring often. Place a layter of crackers on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Spread half of the boiled mixture over the crackers. Place another layer of crackers. Spread the other half of the boiled mixture over the crackers. Place another layer of crackers over top. Melt chips and peanutbutter. Spread over the the top. Refrigerate at least three hours before cutting. Keep refrigerated.