Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

Jessica Seinfeld wrote a cookbook that encourages sneaking vegetables into whatever food you can. I made this recipe to see how zucchini in brownies tasted. It was good but very rich. This makes an ideal dessert for when company comes over and would be very tasty served with vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
  powder
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1 cup dark chocolate baking chips

Preparations:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease and flour a 13x9 inch pan or spray with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
4. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until knife cut into center of brownies comes out cleanly.

Hershey's Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie Bars

Wow! These bars are rich and should be served with vanilla ice cream. :) Note: I made the mistake of cooking the peanut butter chips, butter and condensed milk on too high of a setting. That pot is soaking in my kitchen sink as we speak so make sure to keep the burner just under medium heat and don't get
distracted.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 2/3 cup Hershey's cocoa
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/4 cups chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup butter (for peanut butter topping)
• 1- 10 oz bag Peanut Butter Chips
• 1 - 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted (to be drizzled on top of peanut butter topping)

Preparations:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9x2 baking pan. 
2. Combine melted butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl; beat well. Add flour, cocoa and milk; beat until blended. Stir in 1 cup nuts. Pour into prepared pan. 
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or just until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Melt 1/2 cup butter and peanut butter chips in medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Add sweetened condensed milk, stirring until smooth; pour over baked layer.
4. Place chocolate chips in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 45 seconds; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted when stirred. Drizzle bars with melted chocolate; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup nuts. 
5. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Cut into bars. Cover; refrigerate leftover bars. About 36 bars.

I don't drizzle well....

Betty Crocker's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

With the holidays coming up, it's nice to be able to come up with a fast, easy recipe that you can make cheaply. Betty Crocker coupons are easy to come by. You can take a $1.00 off two cookie mixes and combine this with a $.40 coupon for each mix. As long your local grocery store cooperates, you can save $1.80 off two mixes. (Be sure to buy on sale too.) I wait to buy brownie mixes until they are a $1.00 or less.

Frost if you want. I think they are pretty sweet without it.

Ingredients:

• 1 box (1 lb 2.4 oz) Betty Crocker® Original Supreme Premium brownie mix
• Water, vegetable oil and egg called for on brownie mix box
• 1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® chocolate chip cookie mix
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 container Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting, if desired 

Preparations:

1. Heat oven to 350ºF (325ºF for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray, or grease with shortening. Make brownie mix as directed on box. Spread in pan.
2. Make cookie mix as directed on pouch, using butter and 1 egg. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls evenly onto brownie batter; press down lightly.
3. Bake 42 to 47 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool on cooling rack 30 minutes. Frost with frosting. For brownies, cut into 7 rows by 6 rows.

Hershey's Brownies with Peanut Butter Chips

This was supposed to be pumpkin week but my husband (who literally works next to the base commissary that sells groceries) forgot to buy pumpkin. Oh well, here's a brownie recipe instead.

This recipe is pretty easy. Even if you use a brownie mix, it's about the same amount of effort.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, melted 
• 1-3/4 cups sugar 
• 4 eggs 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour 
• 2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) 
• REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips, divided 

PEANUT BUTTER CHIP GLAZE

• 1/2 cup Peanut butter chips
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons of milk
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Preparations:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Stir together butter and sugar in large bowl. Add eggs and vanilla; beat with spoon or whisk until well blended. 
3. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture, stirring until well blended. 
4. Reserve 1/2 cup peanut butter chips for glaze; stir remaining chips into batter. Spread batter in prepared pan.
5. Pour batter into greased 9 x 13 pan.
6. Combine 1/2 cup REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips (reserved from brownies), 2 tablespoons butter or margarine and 2 tablespoons milk in small microwave-safe bowl. 
7. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 45 seconds; stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth.
8. Gradually add 1/4 cup powdered sugar, beating with whisk until smooth. About 1/2 cup glaze.

Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Want a brownie and don't have a lot of time? Or want to the distract the kids that are now on summer vacation and bored out of their minds? Here's an easy recipe for you!

Ingredients:

• 1 vanilla cake mix
• 1/2 cup of butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup of Semi-sweet chocolate chunks (I used morsels because I was out of chunks)
• 1/3 cup of ready-made chocolate frosting

Preparations:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of 13x9 inch pan.
2. Combine cake mix, butter, and eggs. Mix well. Add chocolate chunks.
3. Spread evenly in pan.
4. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool for 1 hour.
5. Warm frosting and drizzle over brownies. Let stand 30 minutes.
   

Nestle's Deliciously Rich Chocolate Brownies

After a long busy week, trying a new brownie recipe with the kids and watching a movie can be a fun and inexpensive way to spend a Saturday night. This recipe is very easy and doesn't take much time to make. It's from Nestle but I actually used Hershey's chocolate that I got on sale awhile ago. Being rather impatient, I baked them at 350 for 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

10 ozs. NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® CHOCOLATIER 62% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar, divided
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons water
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparations:

1. PREHEAT oven to 325º F. Grease 8-inch-square baking pan. Set aside 2 ounces chocolate (1/2 bar) for drizzle topping.
2. HEAT 8 ounces (2 bars broken into small pieces) sugar, butter and water in small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate and butter are melted. Pour into medium bowl. Stir in eggs, one at a time, until mixed in. Stir in vanilla extract. Add flour and salt; stir well. Stir into nuts, if desired. Pour into prepared baking pan.
3. BAKE for 33 to 35 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center comes out still slightly sticky. Cool in pan on wire rack.
4. PLACE reserved 2 ounces of chocolate broken into small pieces, in small, heavy-duty plastic bag. Microwave on HIGH (100%) power for 20 seconds, knead bag to mix. Microwave at additional 10- second intervals, kneading until smooth. Cut a small hole in corner of bag; squeeze to drizzle over brownie. Cut into bars. 

German Chocolate Bars

These are very rich, very yummy and best served warm over some vanilla ice cream to help cut the richness.

Check out those chocolate chips! Yummy!

Ingredients:
1 German chocolate cake mix with pudding
2/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup of milk
1 coconut pecan frosting
1 bag of milk chocolate chips

Preparations:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350.
2. Cut butter into dry cake mix until it's soft and moist.
3. Grease 13x9 pan and press half of the cake mix into the bottom.
4. Bake for ten minutes.Let cool for 10 minutes.
5. Layer frosting evenly over baked portion. Top with entire bag of chocolate chips.
6. Add milk to remaining cake mixture and drop evenly over chocolate chip/pecan mixture.
7. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes. (I did it for 30 and they still came out pretty moist.)

Cookies 'N Creme Brownies

Here's a super easy treat for a quick chocolate fix.

Ingredients:

1 box of fudge brownie mix
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup (7 cookies) creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons milk

Preparations:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of 13x9 inch pan with shortening. (Shortening is often more effective than the spray stuff.
2. Beat mix, water, oil and eggs until well blended.
3. Spread evenly in pan. Top with cookies.
4. Bake 24 to 26 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean when you test the center. Cool completely.
5. Mix powdered sugar milk until smooth. Drizzle over top. Cut into squares.

Hershey's Chewy Chocolate Pan Cookies

If you like to bake, Hershey's website is worth checking out. They have tons of recipes that are rated by skill level and you can choose based on reviews people have posted. Here's an easy one for the Thursday "Is it Saturday yet?" blues.

http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipes-by-type/20/Cookies.aspx

Ingredients:

1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips

Preparations:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 15-1/2x10-1/2x1-inch jelly-roll pan.
2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually blend into butter mixture. Stir in peanut butter chips. (Batter will be stiff.) Spread batter in prepared pan.
3. Bake 20 minutes or until set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack; cut into bars. About 4 dozen bars.

Betty Crocker's Cream Cheese Brownies

If there's such a thing as a klutzy cook - I'm it. I'll confess, my versions of these tasty recipes frequently do not match the picture on the author's website or the cookbook. I blame that fact on my lack of attention span and inability to read directions line by line. (Note my picture doesn't match the beautiful confection on Betty Crocker's website.)

Ingredients:

1 box (1 lb 6.5 oz) Betty Crocker® Original Supreme brownie mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
2 eggs or 3 eggs
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preparations:

1. Heat oven to 350ºF.
2. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with shortening or cooking spray.
3. In medium bowl, stir brownie mix, pouch of chocolate syrup, oil, water and 2 eggs for fudgelike brownies (or 3 eggs for cakelike brownies), using spoon, until well blended. Spread in pan.
4. In another medium bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in vanilla and 1 egg just until blended.
5. Pour cream cheese mixture over brownie batter in pan; cut through mixture with knife several times for marbled design.
6. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
7. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until cream cheese mixture begins to brown and toothpick inserted in brownie 2 inches from side of pan comes out clean or almost clean.
8. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

As a side note, I took these to church to feed a bunch of teenage boys but I tipped the pan and seeing as how they were still warm - they ended up in a chocolate cream cheese lump at one end of the pan. Oh, well, I did try.

Brownies and Cream

Ever had Oreo Cakesters? If you haven't - they are so good!!! Eating one is like biting into a piece of surgary heaven.

If you want to make your own versions of these tasty treats - it's really easy!

Ingredients:

1 brownie mix
1 egg
1/3 cup of vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of water
1 container of vanilla frosting

Preparations:

1. Combine brownie mix, egg, and oil.
2. Make equal size round balls of the dough and bake at 375 for approximately 12 minutes.
3. Let cookies cool.
4. Frost one cookie and top with another. Repeat until all cookies are used.

Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

If you haven't looked at Betty Crocker's website, I highly recommend it. Here's a recipe from her very awesome site.

Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies:

Brownie Base
1 box of brownie mix. Mix and Bake as directed.

Filling
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons milk



Topping
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter

Once you've baked your brownies, let them cool. Then mix the filling and cover the brownies. Melt chocolate chips and butter and add as a final layer.

This is an awesome treat on one of those days where nothing is going your way. Otherwise, I'd save them for a special day cause I'm pretty sure they add 5lbs to your hips. :)

Brownies from Heaven

There are days when working with computers is just not much fun. Servers throw up random errors, clients get frustrated and signing up for "Survivor" starts looking like a fun alternative to battling with technology.

But seeing as how I have zero desire to part with my hairdryer, I guess I'll just have to settle for some homemade brownies to turn this day around. I'm not sure that I've ever made brownies from scratch but it turns out that it's actually pretty simple and very easy.

Here's the recipe from Nestle:

10 ozs. chocolate baking bar (They suggested Bittersweet but I went with Semi-sweet)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons water

Cook all of these ingredients together over low heat until completely melted and mixed.

Then stir in:

2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Bake at 325 for 33-35 minutes.

(Note: Calories don't really count on days like these as long no one sees you eating these fabulous brownies. :)