Recipe: Chocolate Covered Pretzel Blondies

I love all things brownie/blondies.  It has to be my favorite dessert, snack, dinner....yum!  I try to make a yummy dessert for us after Sunday dinner and this looked so yummy!  I found the recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Alli 'n Sons.  Alli always has the best sweet treats and these were no exception.  I loved the salty chocolaty yumminess and so did my family.  They were gobbled up in no time.


Make these soon so you too can enjoy!

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Blondies

{original recipe by Alli 'n Sons}

6020713

Ingredients

• 1 cup AP flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate covered pretzels (white or chocolate), broken

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray an 8" square pan with nonstick spray.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
4. In a large pan, over medium heat melt the butter. Bring it to a boil, stirring constantly, until light golden brown, about 4 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the sugars until well blended.
6. Let cool for 5 minutes, until barely warm.
7. Stir in the eggs and vanilla extract.
8. Stir in the flour and broken chocolate-covered pretzels. The batter will be thick.
9. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
10. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

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Linked To:
*A Well-Seasoned Life: Sweet Indulgences Sunday
*Nifty Thrifty Things: Nifty Thrifty Sunday
*A Simply Klassic Home: Simply Klassic Sunday
*Addicted to Recipes: Scrumptious Sunday
*Everyday Mom's Meals: Church Supper
*The Southern Institute: Creative Me
*Mrs. Happy Homemaker: Makin' You Crave Monday
*DIY Home Sweet Home: More the Merrier
*Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms: Melt in Your Mouth Monday
*Flour Me With Love: Mix It Up Monday
*Skip to My Lou: Made by you Monday
*Lady Behind the Curtain: Cast Party Wednesday
*Chef in Training: Talent Show Tuesday
*Blessed with Grace: Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
*It's A Blog Party: Delicious Dishes
*Mandy's Recipe Box: Totally Tasty Tuesday
*33 Shades of Green: Tasty Tuesday
*From Mess Hall to Bistro: Made from Scratch Tuesday
*Crazy for Crust: Crazy Sweet Tuesday
*Mom on Timeout: Taking a Timeout Thursday
*Talking Dollars and Cents: Sweet Temptations
*Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday

*Simply Sweet Home: Friday Favorites
*Country Momma Cooks: Link & Greet

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Recipe: Thin Mint Brownies

It's Girl Scout Cookie time!  It is also the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts.  I have three Girl Scouts who are working hard to sell cookies to get to summer camp this year.  We have a huge goal (1000 boxes of cookies) and we are already a quarter of the way there!  So, needless to say, I have to buy several from each of my girls.  As my Grandma Lewis would say, "If you kick one, you have to kick them all."  I have been doing a lot of kicking...lol.  

Did you know that Girl Scout cookies freeze beautifully?  I actually have several cookies from last year still in my freezer.  Not only are they good for eating with a big glass of milk, but they are fun to bake with.  Last year, I made Tagalong Cupcakes that were so delightful.  So, when I found a lone package of Thin Mints in the freezer recently (I must have hid them from the family and completely forgot about them), I thought they would be so SO good in brownies.  This recipe couldn't be any simpler because it uses a box mix, but you could certainly make scratch brownie and add the Thin Mints.  The brownies were awesome because they were fudgy and dense.

If you see Girl Scouts selling, please support them and buy a few (or a case) cookies.  Once you have consumed massive quantities to satisfy your fix, hide the rest in the freezer to enjoy during the rest of the year.

Thin Mint Brownies

by littlebrowniebakers.com

6016772

Ingredients

• 1 sleeve (half the box) Thin Mints
• 1 box brownie mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a 9x13" pan with non-stick spray. Crush the Thin Mints into medium size pieces.
3. Combine all the ingredients into a mixing bowl. Do not use an electric mixer. The batter will be stiff.
4. Once the ingredients are combined, pour mix into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
6. Allow to cool before cutting.

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Linked To:
*Sweet as Sugar Cookies: Sweets for a Saturday
*Be Different Act Normal: Show and Tell Saturday
*A Well Seasoned Life: Sweet Indulgences Sunday
*I Heart Naptime: Sundae Scoop Link Party
*Nifty Thrifty Things: Nifty Thrifty Sunday
*Flamingo Toes: Think Pink Sunday
*The Foley Family: Sunday Funday
*Everyday Mom's Meals: Church Supper
*Petite Hermine: Sunday Link Party
*The Girl Creative: Just Something I Whipped Up
*A Simply Klassic Home: Simply Klassic Sunday
*My Sweet and Savory: Meatless Monday
*Boogieboard Cottage: Masterpiece Monday
*11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven: Homemaker Monday
*Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms: Melt in Your Mouth Monday
*Blessed with Grace: Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
*Permanent Posies: Tuesday's Tasty Tidbits
*Chef in Training: Tuesday Talent Show
*From Mess Hall to Bistro: Made from Scratch Tuesday
*Mrs Happy Homemaker: Makin' You Crave Monday
*Skip to my Lou: Made by You Monday
*Talking Dollar and Cents: Sweet Temptations
*Something Swanky: Sweet Treats Thursday

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Gifts from my Kitchen: Cranberry White Chocolate Bars

When I saw this recipe posted on one of my favorite blogs, Glorious Treats, I knew that I would be making them for our teachers for Valentine's Day.  Do not let the cute heart shape fool you....these are pure sin!  OMG....you can never go wrong with white chocolate and cranberries...am I right? 

This recipe is a keeper and I will be pulling it often!   I was in a hurry to get these packaged and ready to take to school, so check out Glory's blog and see her beautiful pictures of these little gems.

Enjoy!

Cranberry White Chocolate Bars

(recipe from Glorious Treats)
{print}

Bars
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (slightly softened)
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons fresh orange zest
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup dried, sweetened cranberries, chopped
6 ounces (about 3/4 cup) white chocolate chips


Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon orange extract


1/2- 2/3 cup dried, sweetened cranberries, chopped
2 ounces white chocolate, melted


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 pan.  Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving some hanging over the two long sides- this allows the bars to be pulled out of the pan after baking for easier cutting.  In a medium bowl add the flour, powdered ginger, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set bowl aside.  In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until smooth.  Add eggs, vanilla, and orange zest and mix well. Gradually add the flour mixture and blend until combined.  Stir in cranberries and white chocolate. Pour the batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.  Bake 25-30 minutes, until edges are light brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Prepare frosting by beating the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and orange extract. Beat about 1 minute until fully incorporated.  Assemble dessert by spreading the frosting onto the baked and cooled bars. Sprinkle additional cranberries on top. Drizzle melted white chocolate on top as desired.


To make the bars heart shaped, use a heart cookie cutter.
 

If you love cranberries (like me!), here is another awesome recipe to try:

Cranberry Pecan Cookies

Linked To:

 * All the Small Stuff:  Tuesdays at the Table

 * From Mess Hall to Bistro:  Made From Scratch Tuesday

 * Blessed with Grace:  Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

 * Balancing Beauty and Bedlam:  Tasty Tuesday

 * Simply Sweet Home:  Friday Favorites

 * Paisley Passions:  Fun with Food Friday

 * Designs by Gollum:  Foodie Friday

 * Crazy Domestic:  All Things Domestic

 * Alli-n-son:  Sweet Tooth Friday

 * Sweet as Sugar:  Sweets for Saturday

 * Miz Helen's Country Cottage:  Full Plate Thursday

 * Boogieboard Cottage:  Masterpiece Monday

 * LambAround:  Not Baad

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Countdown to 2011: Desserts

Okay, so I am a day late in this post but I wanted to share some of the desserts I made over the past year.  I am joining Finding Joy in My Kitchen's countdown. 

Here is some of the delightful goodness we enjoyed!

Bread Pudding

~~~~

Banana Walnut Cupcakes

~~~~

Banana Bread

~~~~

Mom's Peach Cobbler

~~~~

Quick S'mores

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Dolce de Leche Brownies

~~~~

Chocolate Caramel Cookie Bars

~~~~

Orange Creamsicle Cookies

~~~~

Buttermilk Cookies

~~~~

Pumpkin Spice Bars

~~~~

German Apple Cake

~~~~

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Recipe: Dulce de Leche Brownies

I can't believe it is already week four of the 12 weeks of Christmas cookies.  I didn't have a lot of time this week so I wanted to make something easy but yummy.  Who doesn't love brownies and caramel?  This would be perfect to make when you don't have a lot of time and you need a fabulous dessert, hostess gift or a dessert to share.  And it only requires five ingredients!

Dulce de Leche Brownies

1 box brownie mix

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

pecans, optional

Make brownies according to box directions.  Once you remove the brownies from the oven, make the frosting.  In a saucepan, combine condensed milk and butter.  Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly.  Cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes more or until slightly thickened.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Pour frosting over brownies, spreading evenly.  Sprinkle with nuts.  Cool completely before cutting.

Linked To:
  * Blessed with Grace: Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
  * Tales from the Fairy Blogmother:  What's Cooking Wednesday


Week 4 Twelve Weeks of Christmas:

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Gifts from my Kitchen: Snickerdoodle Blondies

Let me just say that I was a bit skeptical about these blondies.  I LOVE brownies/blondies!  They are my favorite dessert.  But, I love snickerdoodle cookies.  I just couldn't see how these were going to work, but I gave them a try.  And I am so glad that I did.  They were so yummy! I used the recipe from Cooking with Cristine.

And let me just say that I am kinda proud of myself for getting four days of home baked goodies to all 12 teachers!  This has been a crazy week with us getting ready to move, finishing up school, etc. that I almost didn't think I would get it done.  But I wanted the teachers to know how special they were to our kids.

Enjoy!

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Semi-Homemade: Cream Cheese Brownies

Yesterday, it seemed the entire family had a sweet tooth.  Because we are moving, I am trying to use up as much of our pantry as I can.  I had a box of fudge brownies (you know the most awesome one with the fudge packet) and had some cream cheese in my freezer.  Cream cheese brownies sounded so good.  I would have added walnuts but I have a few that don't love nuts...darn it!  The brownies were so good and totally cured our sweet tooth.

Cream Cheese Brownies

1 package Fudge Brownies
2 eggs
2 tbsp water
1/2 melted butter
1 cup walnuts or nut of your choice (optional)
1-8 oz package cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat over to 350 degrees.  In a 8x8 baking pan, butter bottom and sides.  Prepare brownie mix with eggs, water and melted butter.  In a separate bowl, prepare cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.  Stir until smooth.   Pour half of the brownie mix in the pan.  Spread the mix until the bottom of the pan is completely covered.  Pour the cream cheese mix on top covering the brownie mix.  Pour the remainder of the brownie mix on top of the cream cheese. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes.  Allow brownies to cool before cutting.

Eat and enjoy!

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Recipe Review: Brookies with Chocolate Ganache

I can't believe how fast time flies....I didn't realize how long it has been since my last post.  This winter has been long, cold and snowy and I am sure that I am not the only person ready for spring.  Winter has got me down!  So much so, I haven't even been inspired to cook and bake.  However, I decided to try out a new recipe yesterday from the Bakerella blog. I tried the brookies (brownies and cookies together) with chocolate ganache. 

 

Image courtesy of Bakerella

These were super easy to make because you use packaged brownie mix and chocolate chip cookie dough mix.  The hardest part was trying to keep my family away during the cooling of the brookies and then again to let the ganache set.  They will satisfy a chocolate fix or a sweet tooth.  However, I will only make these for special occasions or upon request because they are SUPER rich!

This is a recipe that I will add to our family book.

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