brownie

White Chocolate Brownies

Ooey Gooey Chewies! That’s what my house is calling these brownies! They are so good, exactly what I have been craving. Basically a brownie but made with white chocolate chips instead of semi sweet chocolate or dark chocolate. So quick and easy to make, the perfect anytime dessert or snack. Oh, and the best part? You only need 1 bowl and 1 spoon which makes for easy clean up!

What you will need:

8 inch square baking dish lined with parchment paper

1/2 cup unsalted butter
6 oz. white chocolate chips
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large microwavable bowl, melt the butter and chocolate together in microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring well after each time until completely melted. Stir in sugar, salt and vanilla until combined. Stir in eggs until incorporated. Stir in flour.

Pour into prepared bake dish and bake for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool a bit before taking out of bake dish and cooling completely on a wire rack. Cut and enjoy!

Store covered at room temp or in the fridge.

Small Batch Brownies!

Yum! Who doesn’t love a delicious, warm, gooey brownie?! These are super good and easy to make and guaranteed not to have any leftovers! So if you need a dessert for 2-5 people, here you go! Small batch brownies are perfect for a quick little gathering or dessert for movie night with the kids (or a date!). Serve warm with some vanilla ice cream on top and you are good to go… Oh and the best part, one bowl and one spoon is all you need for easy clean up! Let’s get to baking…

What you will need:

Small loaf pan (I used a 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan) greased and lined with parchment paper hanging over the sides.

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons water
1 large egg

Note: Feel free to add chopped nuts or chocolate chips!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add in melted butter, vanilla, water and egg and stir until fully combined. Pour into prepared pan and smooth out the top evenly.

Back for 18-22 minute. Allow to cool a bit before pulling out by the parchment paper and cooling completely on a wire rack.

Serve right away, warm! Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Brownie Christmas Trees

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Thanksgiving is over so Christmas has officially exploded everywhere! And if you know me, you know I LOVE it! Time to blast those Christmas tunes, shop, drink hot chocolate and of course… bake! I saw these cute trees on Pinterest and thought they would be perfect and a lot of fun for my 4 year old. Super easy, super delicious. Done and done!

I used a box brownie mix but made my own green frosting. And then the stars are mini M&M’s, ornaments are jumbo Nonpareils, we also used sparkling sugar and then the trunks are pretzel sticks!

So, let’s get creative and start baking!

What you will need:

9 x 9 inch square pan lined with foil and then sprayed with non-stick spray
1 box brownie mix plus all ingredients to make (eggs, oil, water)
Sprinkles of your choosing
M&M’s or other star type topping of your choosing
Pretzel sticks (I’ve also seen them done with candy canes)
Green frosting

If making your own frosting:

1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1 cup powdered sugar
Green food coloring

Make the brownies using whatever recipe you want. I just used Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies. Pour in prepared pan. Bake and allow to cool completely.

Take out of pan and remove foil. Place brownies on a cutting board and cut into triangles.

Here are my triangles. They are all different shapes and sizes because I did not plan out my cutting like I should have but also no 2 tree is the same in real life so…

I put my frosting is a Ziplock bag and piped it on. And then decorate! For the tree trunks I used half a pretzel stick and just sticked it in. Easy peasy.

Here’s my little guy helping me! He did such a great job 🙂

Store covered in a cool, dry place. As always, enjoy! Happy Christmas season!

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

Who loves chocolate??!! Me! Me! Me! I know I posted another recipe for brownies, but this one, in my opinion, is better. These are so chocolatey and chewy, droool. You can store them at room temperature, or in the fridge. I personally like them room temperature. They melt in your mouth. So without any further typing, let’s go bake some brownies!

A little side note: use a metal baking pan. I used a glass one and my brownies collapsed. Heat transfers differently in glass. Duh, Emily.

What you will need:

8 inch square baking pan

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into pieces
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter or spray bake pan and then line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl over simmering water. Stir constantly and then set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla until frothy. Whisk in the melted chocolate.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into brownie mixture.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes. The top will crack and the sides will start to pull away from the pan. Let cool on wire rack for a couple hours. Cut into squares and enjoy!

The BEST Brownie Recipe

As a baking blogger, I can’t believe I have not shared a brownie recipe yet! This one is SO good and easy, I hope you try to make it sometime. Best of all, no electric or hand mixer needed! Just one bowl and one spoon 🙂 This recipe includes a chocolate ganache topping, but you don’t have to add that if you don’t want to. You need heavy whipping cream, which I don’t always have, so feel free to just sprinkle powdered sugar on top of the brownies instead of the ganache. The word “ganache” used to scare me and I would avoid it in my baking past. But now I know how simple it is! And how delicious! So, let’s get to making the BEST brownie ever…

Note: If you like cakey brownies, this isn’t the one for you. This brownie is ooey, gooey and extra chocolaty!

What you will need:

8 inch square baking pan buttered or sprayed with non-stick spray

For the brownies:

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

For the chocolate ganache:

3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

To make the brownies:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit. In a large bowl, stir together cocoa, melted butter, sugar and salt. Add vanilla and one egg and stir well. Add the other egg and stir well. Stir in flour until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly with the back of a spoon. Bake for 22-25 minutes. Let cool completely on wire rack.

To make the ganache:

In a heat proof bowl over simmering water, place the chocolate, butter and whipping cream. Stir constantly until melted. Pour over cooled brownies.

Tip: Let the ganache set to room temperature, then cut the brownies into squares. Remove from pan and place in another container with a lid and refrigerate before serving. These are best served cold, in my opinion, and cutting them when they are cold is a challenge and a mess (I learned the hard way).

Enjoy!

Brownie Butter Cake Recipe

This cake did not turn out how I had hoped, but it still looks cool, doesn’t it? Sorry for the bad photos. I use my iPhone 4s for everything. Plus, I took these shots at different times of the day so the lighting was off. Oh well. I don’t get paid to do this (yet).

I find a lot of recipes and inspiration from Pinterest, and this one caught my eye from a mile away. We are spending July 3rd at my parents to see a parade, and then July 4th, early in the morning, we are seeing hot air balloons at Eyes to the Skies in Lisle. My son is obsessed with balloons right now. And, of course, I’m bringing something sweet to eat. This delicious cake is very easy to make, just read the directions carefully (you always should anyways). Let’s get to making this beauty…

What you will need:

4.5 x 8.5 inch loaf pan that is lined with aluminum foil and greased

For the brownie layer:

4 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

For the butter cake layer:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 1/2 tablespoons milk

To make the brownie layer: Note: This cake bakes twice at different temperatures

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Place chocolate and butter in heat proof bowl over simmering water. Stir constantly until melted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in brown sugar until blended. Add egg and mix well. Stir in flour until combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.

To make the butter cake layer:

While the brownie is in the oven, start making the butter cake. In a small bowl, sift together flour and baking powder, and set aside.

In a large bowl (or bowl of your electric mixer), beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add in the flour mixture and milk until incorporated.

As soon as the brownie is out of the oven, spread butter cake batter evenly on top. Change oven temperature to 325 degrees fahrenheit. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Keep checking for doneness by inserting a wooden skewer in the center. Let cool on wire rack completely before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

Here is how I cut mine. I also found putting it in the fridge for a couple hours made cutting easier (and it tasted good, too).

Cheesecake Brownie Swirl Recipe

I made these for good friends of mine who just had a baby boy. We are visiting them today and of course I’m going to bring a baked treat. These brownies are so dense and fudgy and the cream cheese layer makes them creamy and delicious! This is also a simple recipe anyone can follow. There are just multiple steps. So come on, let’s go bake…

What you will need:

9 inch square pan lined with aluminum foil

For the brownie layer:

1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into pieces
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate coarsely chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the cheesecake layer:

8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit. Have ready an 9 inch square pan lined with foil. Put the butter and chocolate in a medium, heatproof bowl and place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. (I apologize for the dark picture, but you get the idea.) Tip: I love stainless steel bowls! They are a lot lighter than glass and cool down quickly. Melt the chocolate and butter and remove from heat. Whisk in sugar and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Stir in the flour and salt and stir vigorously until everything is incorporated and the batter is smooth. Remove 1/2 cup of the batter and set it aside. Spread the remainder of the batter evenly into the pan. Next, in a large bowl (or bowl of your electric mixer), beat cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla and egg and beat until smooth and creamy.  Spread the cream cheese batter evenly over the brownie layer. Then, spoon small dollops of the brownie batter that you set aside on top of the cream cheese layer. Run a knife or wooden skewer back and forth through the 2 layers until you have a marble effect. Bake in preheated oven for about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool completely. Then cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or even overnight. Once chilled, remove the brownies from the pan by lifting the sides of the foil and transfer to a cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut into equal squares. Tip: Have a cup of hot water to dip the knife to make cutting easier. Also have a cloth nearby to wipe the knife clean after each cut. Cover any leftovers and store in the refrigerator. Enjoy cold or at room temperature!

1 Minute Brownie in a Mug Recipe

Have you ever wanted a brownie but didn’t want to make an entire batch? And you didn’t want to go to the store because, well, you were in your pajamas and it was 11 o’clock at night? I have a solution! This brownie in a mug is a single serving and is made.. wait for it… in the microwave! Yes, I know, seems too good to be true. But look no further my friends! Sweet, fudgy goodness coming right up…

What you will need:

One microwave safe coffee mug
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Dash of salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

What to do:

In the coffee mug, mix together flour, sugar, salt, and cocoa powder. Add the oil, water and vanilla and stir until combined. Place in microwave and cook on high for about 1 minute 20 seconds. Take out of microwave and voila! A delicious brownie for you, and only you.

Enjoy warm! Serve with a scoop of ice cream and sprinkles, or pour some Bailey’s Irish Cream on top. Yum yum 🙂