French Silk Brownies

My daughter Sabrina loves French Silk pie, so I looked for something similar in a brownie and found this recipe at I Am Baker. There are 3 layers to make, but it’s pretty quick to mix up each one. It's a cool and chocolatey dessert that disappeared quickly at my house.

Be aware that the toppings use raw egg. There is no way to know if eggs are safe, but it doesn't stop me from eating some of the cookie dough when I bake.

 

French Silk Brownies

Brownies:

1 1/2 c. flour

1/3 c. dark cocoa

1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

4 lg. eggs, room temperature

2 c. granulated sugar

3/4 c. butter, softened

2 t. vanilla

French Silk Topping:

4.4 oz. dark chocolate, melted and cooled

1 c. butter, room temperature

1 1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 t. vanilla extract

3 T. cocoa powder

4 lg. eggs, room temperature

Whipped Topping:

1 c. heavy whipping cream

1/4 c. powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350°. Grease 9x13-inch pan.

In a large bowl add flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt. Whisk together ingredients until they are fully incorporated.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using a hand-held mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy.

With the mixer off, add in the flour mixture. Turn mixer on low and mix until ingredients are well combined.

Pour brownies into a prepared baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes. Brownies are done when an inserted toothpick is removed with crumbs but not wet batter.

French Silk Topping

Chop dark chocolate and microwave in 30-second increments until melted (about 1 1/2 minutes total). Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and sugar. Turn mixer on high for 1 minute. Butter and sugar should be lighter and fluffy.

With the mixer on low, pour in the melted (and slightly cooled) chocolate. Allow ingredients to combine for 30 seconds then turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides. Add vanilla and cocoa powder. Mix for about 30 seconds. Add in 4 eggs and turn the mixer on high for 10 minutes. The topping should lighten, increase in volume, and appear very smooth and shiny.

Whipped Topping

In a large bowl, pour the heavy whipping cream. Whip (or use the whisk attachment on a hand-held mixer) for about 2 minutes or until soft peaks occur. Add in powdered sugar and whip until there are firm peaks.

To Assemble:

When brownies are cooled to room temperature, pour and spread French silk topping evenly over top.

Spread whipped topping over top of the topping and smooth with an offset spatula. Optionally, top with chocolate shavings or crushed chocolate cookies. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Fudgy Biscoff Swirl Brownies

Hold me back! These heavenly morsels were sitting there tempting me to eat every last one and they didn't last long at my house. I found this recipe at Taste and Tell, a blog with tons of wonderful recipes. I'm already planning on buying more Biscoff just for this. 

Fudgy Biscoff Swirl Brownies

1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 c. chocolate chips 
1/2 c. butter
4 eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. salt
1 c. flour
1/2 to 1 c. Creamy Biscoff Spread

Preheat the oven to 325º. Line a 9×13” baking dish with foil or parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Place both sugars in the bowl of a mixer. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate chips and the butter together. Once melted and well mixed, pour the melted chocolate mixture in with the sugars. Mix on low to combine, then add the eggs, vanilla and salt and mix.

Add 1/2 cup of the flour, then mix to combine. Add the remaining flour and mix just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Melt the Biscoff spread in a microwave safe bowl for 15-30 seconds. Pour the spread over the brownie batter in 3 long strips lengthwise. Use a knife to swirl the spread, dragging it the opposite direction.

Bake the brownies for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Low-Fat Zucchini Brownie

I love desserts, but not how tight my pants feel if I've eaten too much of the wrong food. So I have been trying some lower-fat desserts. Nothing too healthy, but there are fruits and veggies in this one. And no butter, oil or egg. There are 2 WW points per serving if you cut the 9x13-inch pan into 24 pieces, according to Spark Recipes where I found it.

I baked it longer than the 25 minutes stated because it was very undone still. You can see in the photo that the top of the brownies still was a little undercooked, but I liked it that way since I didn't add any frosting. These suprised me, being moist and delicious and I wouldn't have guessed they were low-fat. I didn't add walnuts, but I would like that even more with a bit of crunch.

Low-Fat Zucchini Brownie

1/2 c. applesauce
2 small or medium bananas mashed
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 c. finely shredded zucchini
2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. walnut, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour an 9x13-inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, mix together the applesauce, mashed bananas and sugar. Add vanilla and cocoa and mix together. Then add baking soda, salt, and zucchini and mix together. Add flour and walnuts and mix together. Spread evenly into a prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes until brownies spring back when gently touched.

Caramel Fudge Brownies

Found this recipe at Easy Baked and couldn't wait to try them. I made the first batch as a test batch and they turned out pretty good, but the brownie was a bit dry. I decided to make the second batch for a family birthday party and maybe if I cooked it just a little less, the brownies wouldn't be dry. I think they were about the same though. But the oozey, yummy caramel layer and the fudge glaze made up for that. These are very rich so you can cut the pieces small and that gives you a lot of brownies since the batch makes a jelly roll pan full.

Caramel Fudge Brownies

BROWNIE:
1 c. butter
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
2 t. vanilla
1/2 c. cocoa
1/2 t. salt
2 c. flour
1 c. milk
1 c. chopped pecans (optional)

CARAMEL:
32 Kraft caramels (unwrapped)
1/2 c. butter
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk.

FUDGE GLAZE:
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 T. butter

Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs, cocoa, vanilla and salt. Add flour and milk (alternating them and mixing well in between).Spread evenly in greased jelly roll pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until done in center and just starting to pull away from sides. Cool. 

       

Place unwrapped caramels, butter and sweetened condensed milk into a saucepan and heat until completely melted. Stir this constantly to prevent scorching (about 6-8 minutes). Gently pour over cooled brownies and spread to edges. Put brownies in freezer while you make the glaze (10-15 min) to allow the caramel to harden a little.

Melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until completely melted and smooth. Pour over cooled caramel and gently spread evenly over top. Chill until top layer is hard and cut into bars.

Chocolate Mint Brownies

I made these brownies this weekend since it had been so long since I did. For some reason, the mint layer wasn't as thick as when I made it before and blogged about them (way back in 2008). Elisa and I think they tasted better today, the next day, than they did on the day they were made. Moist and chocoalatey with creamy mint. Yummy combination!

Chocolate Mint Brownies
Brownie layer:
1 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1 c. granulated sugar
4 large eggs, beaten
1/4 c. butter, melted
2 T. water
1 t. vanilla extract
1 (16-oz.) can chocolate syrup
Mint layer:
2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted
2 T. milk
2 t. peppermint extract
2 drops green food coloring
Glaze:
3/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips
3 T. butter

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray. To prepare bottom layer, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and salt; stir.

In separate bowl, combine granulated sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, 2 tablespoons water, vanilla, eggs, and chocolate syrup in a medium bowl; stir until smooth. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring until blended. BATTER WILL BE VERY THIN! Pour batter into baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

To prepare mint layer, combine powdered sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, and next 3 ingredients (through food coloring) in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer until smooth. Spread mint mixture over cooled cake.

To prepare the glaze, combine the chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until melted, stirring after 30 seconds. Let stand 2 minutes. Spread chocolate mixture evenly over top. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Macadamia Nut Double Decker Brownie Bites

I made these for a baby shower along with some other treats. These have a fudgy brownie layer and a crunchy top layer. Really good, but I will cut back on the butter a bit next time since it was a bit greasy for me. I found this decadent dessert full of goodies at From My Sweetheart.

Macadamia Nut Double Decker Brownie Bites

BROWNIE LAYER:

12 T. unsalted butter, cut into large chunks

1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. dutch processed, unsweetened cocoa
1/4 t. salt
2 large eggs
2 t. pure vanilla extract
3/4 c. flour

Preheat your oven to 325°F. Position the rack in the center of the oven. Line the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with foil. Leave some overhang on the sides. Spray the foil with cooking spray.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and add the sugar, cocoa, and salt. Whisk until blended for about a minute. Add the vanilla and the eggs and whisk until smooth. Add the flour and stir with a rubber spatula until blended. Scrape the batter into the baking pan and smooth out evenly. Bake for about 20 minutes. The top should be shiny and dry looking. But the brownie should not be completely baked. Set on a wire rack.

MACADAMIA LAYER:

1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar

1/3 c. flour
2/3 c. light corn syrup
3 T. butter, melted
2 t. pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 c. roughly chopped macadamia nuts
1/3 c. sweetened coconut flakes

While the brownie layer is baking, start this topping. Combine the brown sugar and flour in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until combined, using your fingers to break up any large clumps. Add the melted butter, corn syrup, and vanilla. Whisk until blended, about a minute. Add the eggs and then whisk until combined. Don’t over mix or the batter will be foamy. Add the nuts and coconut and stir with a rubber spatula until evenly blended. Pour the macadamia mix over the warm, partially baked brownie layer. Carefully spread the mix into an even layer. Return the pan to the oven and bake an additional 35-40 minutes; until the top is golden brown. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool completely. Using the foil overhang as handles, lift the brownies from the pan and invert onto a work surface. Carefully peel away the foil. Flip right side up and cut into desire shapes.

Oatmeal Milky Way Brownies

Ever make anything with Kraft Caramel Bits? I found this recipe that looked so good, but I couldn't find these little guys anywhere. I kinda gave up looking for them, and then last week when I went to buy chocolate chips at a store where I didn't look for them, they were next to the chocolate chips. They are tiny little unwrapped caramel balls. Maybe you could even try 11 ounces of regular caramels if you can't find these. 

You melt the caramel bits in a saucepan with Milky Way candy bars and heavy cream. Oh, the delicious sugar and fat in that concoction! And that is the filling between 2 oatmeal brownie layers.
I am not a fan of brownie mixes, but didn't know how to covert it to a from-scratch recipe. Now does anyone have any ideas what I can do with the rest of the mix I didn't use in this?

These were my Finals-Are-Over! treats. Fun to make and so yummy. I was good and just had one little piece. I even waited til the day after I made them to eat it. Baby steps to healthy eating for this sugarphile. Found this dessert recipe at Live.Life.Create.Art  who found it at I Am Baker

Oatmeal Milky Way Brownies

2 c. old fashioned oats

2 c. flour

1 c. packed light brown sugar

2 1/2 sticks butter, at room temp

3/4 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

2 cups boxed brownie mix

1/3 c. canola oil

1 egg

1 bag (11-oz.) Kraft Caramel Bits

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 Milky Way Bars

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a medium sauce pan, place two Milky Way bars, entire bag of caramels, and half cup of heavy cream. Let simmer over medium to medium low heat until fully melted. Remove from heat and let cool approximately ten minutes.

In a large bowl combine oats, flour, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, and butter. Either use a fork to incorporate or just use hands to combine. Its ok if there are some chunks of butter, you are looking for no chunk bigger then a pea though.

Add in two cups of brownie mix, egg, and oil. Stir until just combined.

Using a prepared 9x13-inch baking dish, spread half of the oat mixture into dish and press firmly to flatten. Pour the melted Milky Way over the oat mixture. Make sure to get all the way to the corners.

Top with remaining oat mixture.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Peanut Butter Fudge Pretzel Brownies

I like salty and sweet combinations and chocolate and peanut butter combinations and this is both. I found it at The Sweet Spot. It is pretty similar to one I made before called Super Peanut Butter Filled Brownies, but those didn't have pretzels. I actually just used the Chewy Cocoa Brownies recipe I posted before instead of the one I found with the recipe since it called for coffee. I'm sure you can use your favorite recipe or even a boxed mix if you like them. I was a little disappointed because I expected a crunchy pretzel crust, but it was a little soggy and very crumbly, but still good. It might be because I made the crust and brownies and put them in the pan, and then stuck it in the refigerator until the next day when I baked it. So probably my fault.   

Peanut Butter Fudge Pretzel Brownies 

Pretzel Crust
3 c. crushed pretzels
3/4 c. melted butter

Combine in a bowl then press into the bottom of a greased 9x13" pan. Set aside.

1 2/3 c. sugar
¾ c. butter, melted
2 T. water
2 large eggs
2 t. vanilla
1 1/3 c. flour
¾ c. cocoa
½ t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
¾ c. chopped nuts (optional)
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°.  Combine sugar, butter and water in large bowl. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; stir into sugar mixture. Stir in nuts. Spread into prepared baking pan on top of pretzel crust. Bake for 18 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky.

Peanut Butter Frosting
2 c. melted peanut butter
1 c. powdered sugar
1 T. vanilla extract

Mix until smooth and spread over hot brownies. Chill brownies in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.

Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies

I finally started making Christmas treats to take to friends. I wanted to make new recipes since I rarely get a chance to try them anymore. Here's the first one. I found it quite a while ago at Your Home Based Mom. Hers look prettier than mine. I think I should have baked it a little longer and then refrigerated them before cutting them. So mine are messy, but they are good, especially the bites with the raspberries. I used frozen raspberries because they were on sale.

Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies

1 c. flour
2 c. sugar
14 T. (7 oz.) butter
7 oz. dark chocolate
5 oz. raspberries
14 oz. cream cheese
1 t. vanilla extract
5 eggs

Preheat oven to 350º.

Combine butter with 1 cup sugar and mix.  Add 3 eggs one at a time.  Melt the chocolate and mix it in with the butter and sugar.  Gently fold in 1 cup of flour

Butter a 9 x 13 baking pan and line with parchment paper.

Put the cream cheese in a big bowl, add 2 eggs, 1 cup sugar and 1 tsp vanilla.  Mix until it is smooth.

Spread 2/3 of the brownie mix on the bottom of the pan. Pour the cream cheese on top.  Add spoonsfuls of remaining brownie mix on top of cream cheese and marble it together with a knife.  Sprinkle raspberries on top and push them into the cream cheese. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Let the brownies cool completely before cutting them into squares.

German Chocolate Brownies

I've had this dilemma for years now. It's a serious one...I love the frosting on Geman Chocolate Cakes, but I don't like the cake. See how serious? Okay, not really, but I looooove the coconut/pecan topping. And now after all this time, I found the solution! And I found it at The Cutting Edge of Ordinary. It's a brownie with the same delish topping. Oh.So.Good!

Lisa actually made it with a brownie mix, so that's a time saver if you wanna do that. I don't buy brownie mixes so I used Chewy Cocoa Brownies that I like. (You gotta scroll down to find the recipe in that post.) I didn't use the chocolate topping with it, but next time I think I will for an extra layer of yummers. The recipe doesn't say to marble it, but Lisa's photos look like she did. I think I'll keep a little of the brownie batter to drop by spoonfuls on top of the coconutty topping and then marble it.

German Chocolate Brownies
1 pkg. (19 – 20 oz. size) brownie mix
¼ c. butter, cut into smaller pieces
4 oz. cream cheese
½ c. packed brown sugar
1 c. flaked coconut
1 c. pecans, coarsely chopped

Oven to 350º. Prepare brownie mix as directed on package for cake like brownies. Pour batter into greased 9x13 inch pan.

Place butter, and cream cheese in small saucepan and cook on medium heat until cream cheese is completely melted. Don’t worry if it looks a bit curdled, it will come together when you add in the remaining ingredients. Stir in the brown sugar and take the mixture off the heat. Add the coconut and pecans and mix well. Mixture will be thick. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture all over the top brownie batter.

Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes clean. Cool before devouring.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Brownies

Oh, boy. I keep having these days of super-high happiness followed by a crash and burn day where I'm very down. That was yesterday. So I decided that I needed to take a break from studying and do two things that make me happy--bake and eat chocolate.

I decided to try a new recipe for even more fun and I chose this one from Brown Eyed Baker. You might remember that this blog is where I found the Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake recipe. I was good and only had a sliver, but Alex and Elisa had one of these large pieces and gobbled them up. They are even yummier than I expected--fudgy chocolate with the sweet cream cheese layer and bits of cookie! The recipe is now on our "repeat list" and we might mix it up by throwing in chopped up candy or other cookies sometimes. Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Brownies

For the brownies:
½ c. unsalted butter, melted
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
½ c. flour
1/3 c. cocoa
¼ t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
For the cheesecake swirl:8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 c. sugar
6 Oreo cookies, chopped

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

Stir together the cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar with a spoon until smooth and well blended. Gently stir in in the chopped Oreo cookies. Using a spoon, spoon the cream cheese/Oreo mixture in nine evenly-spaced dollops on top of the brownie batter. Using a dull knife or icing spatula, gently swirl the cream cheese mixture with the brownie batter--not too much.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan and the batter in the center of the pan feels just set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Super Peanut Butter Filled Brownies

Last week I had guests coming over for dinner and was trying to plan a dessert. I started thinking about these divine brownies that I had made a long time ago and started craving them. I started searching all my computer files, unable to find the recipe. I remembered they were brownies with a creamy, not-too-peanut buttery topping, but I didn’t know the name. Finally I decided to search my pile of recipes I had from when I used to print off recipes all the time. I mostly just keep everything on my computer (and back up) now. Then I found it. I actually had printed it off twice I had liked it so much. I found out that I made them in 2007. What?! How could I not make them for so long after having tasted this perfectly decadent dessert? So we really enjoyed the dessert (and made sure to give away lots because I would eat them ALL if they stuck around) and I added the recipe to my computer cookbook file so we can have them again, before 3 years from now.

I doubled the recipe and baked them in a 9x13-inch pan for 22 minutes. It was fudgy and not at all overbaked. You could use a brownie mix and put the filling on top. I searched online to try to find out where I originally found them and found them at Recipezaar and realized that is where I found them. The original recipe has a little less cream, but several people who reviewed the recipe said it made a fugdge topping more than a filling, so I changed it to a little more cream and the filling layer is creamy and soft.


Super Peanut Butter Filled Brownies
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/2 c. butter
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
1/2 oz. semisweet chocolate (1/2 square)

Filling:
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1/4 c. butter, softened
3-4 T. cream
Glaze:
1 oz. semisweet baking chocolate
1 T. butter

Preheat oven to 350º. In a small saucepan, melt unsweetened and semisweet chocolates with butter over low heat, set aside to cool slightly. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar until light and pale colored. Mix in 1 tsp vanilla. Add flour, salt and melted chocolate. Stir to combine.

Pour into a greased 9 in square baking pan. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until brownies test done with toothpick coming clean but with moist crumbs clinging to it. Do not overbake. Cool.

For filling, mix peanut butter and butter in a mixing bowl and mix until thoroughly combined and smooth.Slowly add powdered sugar,mixture will be a bit crumbly. Blend in cream until mixture is fluffy and reaches desired spreading consistency. Spread over cooled brownies. For glaze, melt chocolate and butter in saucepan, stir until smooth. Drizzle over the filling. Chill well before cutting.

Tiger Brownies

My Grandma Fannie sent me this recipe that is perfect for Halloween or a fun zoo party. Unfortunately, I used a fat-free mix this time. It makes a very thick batter that you cannot marble. I just had to flatten out pieces of batter and place them on top of the filling. I do not recommend using the fat-free mix for this. I did use Neufchatel cheese for the filling and it turned out fine. Next time I'll probably just use one of my brownie recipes and use this filling. I did add a few extra drops of red food coloring since Alex thought it looked too peachy for a tiger.
Tiger Brownies
Filling:
2 (3-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. sugar
2 t. orange zest
8 drops red food coloring
8 drops yellow food coloring
1 egg
Brownies:
1 (21 1/2-oz.) pkg. fudge brownie mix
1/2 c. oil
1/4 c. water
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350° and grease bottom only of 9x13-inch pan. In small bowl combine all filling ingredients and beat until smooth; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all brownie ingredients; stir until well blended. Spread half brownie batter in pan. Spoon filling mix over batter and gently spread to cover. Top with spoonfuls of remaining brownie batter. To marble, pull knife through batter in wide curves. Turn pan and repeat. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set. Cool completely before cutting with hot wet knife.
Store in refrigerator.

Best Brownies

When I made the "fat-free" cookies for me the other day, I made these brownies for the kids. It's great because you can mix it all in the saucepan with a wooden spoon. No need to pull out the mixer. These are fudgy.
½ c. butter

1 c. white sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa

½ c. flour

¼ t. salt

¼ t. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease & flour an 8-inch square pan. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat in cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Junior Mint Brownies

I love Junior Mints so I tried them in these brownies from Cooking Light, March 1999. They came out of the oven pretty high, but then it sank. They aren't very thick, but they are fudgy and minty and low-fat!Junior Mint Brownies
1/4 c. butter
32 (about 3 oz.) Junior Mints
1 c. flour
1/4 t. baking soda
1/8 t. salt
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 lg. egg
1 lg. egg white

Preheat oven to 350º. Grease bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan. Combine butter and mints in a 2-cup glass measure; microwave at high 30 seconds or until soft. Stir until smooth, and set aside.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine flour, soda, and salt in a bowl. Combine sugar, cocoa, egg, and egg white in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add mint mixture; beat well. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean; cool completely on a wire rack.

Yield: 16 brownies at 121 calories per brownie (Yeah, right. Like I ate 1/16 of a pan!)

Mix it Up! IX

Easy Chicken Parmesan
I got this recipe from my sister Tiffany years ago. It’s easy to make big batches when guests are coming over. As you can see in the photo, I often use shredded mozzarella instead of the slices.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1-inch thickness
1 egg
½ c. milk
Italian seasoned bread crumbs
8 slices mozzarella cheese
16 oz. spaghetti sauce
Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix egg and milk together. Dip chicken breasts in the mixture and then in bread crumbs. In skillet, with thin layer of olive oil, brown chicken on both sides until golden. Set aside in 9x13-inch pan. Put two slices of mozzarella cheese on each chicken breast. Pour spaghetti sauce over all. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little more mozzarella. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Lemon Garlic Pasta
This has a nice fresh flavor that can be paired with a variety of main dishes.
3 T. minced garlic
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
4 T. lemon juice
4 t. chicken flavor instant bouillon
1/2 t. pepper
1 lb. spaghetti or angel hair pasta, prepared according to package directions
1/2 c. freshly shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 c. parsley

In large skillet, cook garlic in olive oil until golden. Add lemon juice, bouillon and pepper. Cook and stir until bouillon dissolves. In large bowl, toss pasta, garlic mixture, cheese and parsley; serve immediately.

Seashell Chicken Pasta Salad
I first had this salad at a church luncheon and I loved it, but knew Robin wouldn’t. I made it anyway and he didn’t, but Alex and Elisa love it. This was what Alex requested for his birthday dinner, with green grapes instead of red and no cashews. I sprinkled crushed red pepper flakes on mine for extra flavor.
Dressing:
2 c. mayonnaise
1/4. c. vinegar
½ c. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t. garlic powder

Salad:
2 c. cooked chicken, diced
2 c. cooked seashell pasta, chilled
2 c. celery, diced
2 c. canned pineapple tidbits
2 c. red grapes, sliced
2 c. Granny Smith apples, cubed
2 c. cashews

Mix all dressing ingredients together until well blended. Combine with all salad ingredients and mix. Chill for at least 2 hours.

Chewy Cocoa Brownies Recipe
I have tried many brownie recipes. We really like this one because of the great brownie crust and “it’s fudgy, not airy like a cake” to quote Alex, who requested this for his birthday “cake”. I found it at Very Best Baking . Instead of using a frosting, I put the chocolate topping on it that I use in a different recipe.
1 2/3 c. sugar
¾ c. butter, melted
2 T. water
2 large eggs
2 t. vanilla
1 1/3 c. flour
¾ c. cocoa
½ t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
¾ c. chopped nuts (optional)
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 9x13-inch baking pan. Combine sugar, butter and water in large bowl. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; stir into sugar mixture. Stir in nuts. Spread into prepared baking pan. Bake for 18 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or frost with frosting.

Chocolate Topping:
¼ c. cocoa
2/3 c. sugar
¼ c. skim milk
1 T. vanilla
1 T. butter

Combine cocoa, sugar and milk in saucepan. Bring to boil and let boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla and butter. Cool slightly and pour over dessert while still warm.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars
I made two batches of these for a party the other day, but I didn’t have any chocolate chunks. The first batch had 1 chopped up Symphony bar with enough semi-sweet chocolate chips to equal 12 oz. and the second batch had semi-sweet chocolate chips plus 1 tablespoon orange juice and zest from half an orange. We preferred the second batch with orange. It was sensational, like one of those big chocolate orange candies. I got the idea from a comment someone left at the link below. She also said you could add cranberries. I discovered this recipe at My Kitchen Cafe Both batches I made disappeared quickly at the party.
1 ¾ c. flour
¾ t. baking soda
¼ t. salt
1 c. oatmeal
¾ c. butter
½ c. sugar
½ c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
12 oz. semi sweet chocolate chunks
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 9x13-inch pan. Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside. Beat butter, sugars, egg and vanilla till fluffy and add dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chunks and walnuts. Press into pan and bake for 18-20 minutes until light golden brown. Be careful not to overbake!

Mix it Up! V

Orange Chicken
I found this recipe at Cheap Dinner Date . I know the sauce has a long list of ingredients, but it is very easy. The next time I make it, I will add a little less orange, as requested by my children. I think it's very flavorful.

2 lbs. of chicken, cut up
1 1/2 c. flour
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 eggs beaten
Sauce:
1 1/2 c. water
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 T. orange juice
1/3 c. rice vinegar
2 1/2 T. soy sauce
1 T. finely grated orange peel
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 t. ginger root
1/2 t. garlic
2 T. finely chopped green onion
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
3 T. cornstarch
1/4 c. water

Combine the flour, salt and pepper. Dip the chicken in the eggs, then in the flour mixture and fry in oil until it's cooked through. In a saucepan, combine the 1 1/2 cups water, lemon juice, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Stir and cook over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, orange peel, ginger, garlic and onion. Bring to a boil. In a separate bowl, combine the cornstarch and 1/4 cup water. Pour into sauce and stir until it thickens a little. Pour over the chicken.

Chicken Broccoli Penne Bake
Quick and easy! I didn't grill my chicken this time, but I have before and it makes it extra special.
8 oz. penne pasta, cooked
4 oz. alfredo sauce
3 oz. steamed broccoli
1 oz. diced tomato
2.5 oz grilled chicken breast
3 oz. mozzarella cheese
Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Place cooked penne in individual oven baking dish with the penne pasta hot. Pour alfredo sauce evenly over the hot pasta. Place broccoli evenly on top of the alfredo sauce, followed by chicken, diced tomatoes and then mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle a pinch of shredded parmesan cheese over the entire entree. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is completely melted and light brown, about 20 minutes.

Italian-Sauced Pasta Cake
I first made this when I was a newlywed from a cookbook from my parents. Sabrina won't eat pasta except in this and she eats a lot of it. I don't go by these measurements since we have to multiply it for us. My family prefers me to make individual servings on their plate and microwave them separately. Whatever works for you. The photo is before I microwaved it. 1 (7-oz.) pkg. uncooked angel hair pasta
3 T. oil, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t. parsley flakes
1 c. spaghetti sauce
1 oz. sliced fully cooked pepperoni
1 c. shredded mozzarella

Prepare pasta as directed on package. Rinse and drain. Place pasta in large mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Toss to coat. Set aside. Heat remaining oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, parsley and pasta, pressing into an even layer. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Invert onto 12-inch round serving plate browned side-up. Spread sauce over top of pasta cake to within 1 inch of edge. Arrange pepperoni evenly over sauce. Sprinkle with cheese. Microwave at 70% (MEDIUM-HIGH) for 6 to 8 minutes, or until pasta cake is hot and cheese is melted, rotating the plate twice. Serve in wedges.

Potato Spinach Soup
I didn’t make it with the cheese, but it was good without. I think it would be good with some mushrooms thrown in too. Or you could crumble a little bit of bacon on top. I mashed some of the potatoes with a potato masher.
1/4 c. butter
1 lg. onion
2 stalks celery, cut fine
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 c. flour
3 c. chicken broth or water
2 c. potatoes, cubed
2 t. salt
1 c. spinach, chopped
1/2 c. cream
Swiss cheese or parmesan cheese, grated

Melt butter in a pan. Add onions and celery. Cover and cook until tender, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and stir. Blend in flour, and add potatoes, water and salt. Stir constantly until boiling. Simmer 30 minutes. Add spinach cook 2 minutes. Then add cream and mix well. Top with grated cheese.

Raspberry Almond Bars
These are rich.
½ c. butter
1 pkg. white chips, divided
2 eggs
½ c. sugar
1 c. flour
1 t. almond extract
½ c. seedless raspberry jam
¼ c. sliced or chopped toasted almonds

Preheat oven to 325º. Grease a 9-inch-square baking pan (or a 7 x 11-inch pan).Melt butter in medium, microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute; stir. Add 1 cup white morsels. Do not stir. Beat eggs in large mixer bowl until foamy. Add sugar, beat until light lemon colored, about 5 minutes. Stir in morsel-butter mixture. Add flour, salt and almond extract; mix at low speed until combined. Spread 2/3 of batter (about 1 cup) into prepared pan. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until light golden brown around edges. Remove from oven to wire rack. Heat jam in small, microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds, stir. Spread jam over warm crust. Stir remaining morsels into remaining batter. Drop spoonfuls of batter over jam. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until edges are browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Drop Brownies
These are super easy and fudgy. Just be careful not to overbake them. They don’t really look done at first, but they are. They often stick for me, so I use my silicone baking mat or I grease the cookie sheets very lightly even though the original recipe said to use ungreased cookie sheets.2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
½ c. butter
1 c. flour

Preheat oven to 350º. Combine first 3 ingredients in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes, stopping half-way through to stir. Then stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in flour.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2-inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake for 7 minutes. Cookies will be soft. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.


Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

I couldn’t find the extra serving size crust at the store so I made it with a regular one and had quite a bit of extra filling. I have since found the right crust so I’ll try it again the right way, but it was still very good and simple. I ran out of time to try it with the chocolate topping, but that can only make it better, right? I used fat-free cream cheese and no one seemed to notice or complain while they were inhaling their dessert. I found the recipe at Blogger Buffet , where it looks like you can contribute recipes if you’d like.
3 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. mini semisweet chips
1 extra serving size (9 oz.) graham cracker crust
2 T. whipping cream

Preheat oven to 450º. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Stir in 1 2/3 c. chocolate chips; pour into crust. Bake 10 minutes. Without opening oven door, reduce temperature to 250; continue baking 30 minutes or just until set. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Place remaining 1/3 c. chocolate chips and whipping cream in small bowl. Microwave on high 20 to 30 seconds or just until melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Cool slightly and spread over top of cheesecake. Refrigerate 15 minutes or until topping is set.

Fudgy Raspberry Brownies
Wow!!!! These are so good I couldn’t stop eating them so I had to give the rest away quickly.
1 c. butter
4 (1-oz.) unsweetened chocolate squares or 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. seedless raspberry jam
Glaze:
1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
4 (1-oz.) semisweet chocolate baking squares

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 9x13-inch baking pan. Place butter and chocolate in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100% power) for 1 minute; stir. Microwave 30 seconds; stir until smooth; set aside.

Combine sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, until well mixed. Add melted chocolate mixture; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour and salt. Beat just until mixed. Spread batter into greased pan.

Stir jam until smooth. Drop tablespoonfuls of jam evenly over batter. Swirl jam through batter using knife. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until set and brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. (DO NOT OVERBAKE.) Cool completely.

Place whipping cream in 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat just until cream begins to boil (1 to 2 minutes). Add semisweet chocolate; remove from heat. Stir with wire whisk until smooth. Spread over brownies.