Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownie Cups

I feel like I can’t keep my days straight with Monday being a holiday and having both my boys home now that school is out! Summer came fast didn't it? Where did that snow go I was just in last weekend!!

This morning, amidst the craziness of getting ready for swim lessons, I felt like baking something snappy. So, I pulled out my extra cookie dough from the Massive Cookies that I had left over and felt like combining them with my handy brownie mix and ta da, out came these adorable and tasty brownie cups.

This is a no brainer, can’t mess up recipe and great for a quick summer treat. Use your favorite cookie dough recipe to put in the center of the brownies. I think I'll try peanut butter cookie dough next time. Frost them with your favorite frosting or sprinkle with a little powdered sugar and enjoy. I have a feeling my summer recipes are going to be all about kid friendly and QUICK with us on the go so much, should be fun.

Have a great rest of the week, I'll be cooking up some more easy recipes soon. I’ve got a 60 second lunch that is so tasty! Stay tuned.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownie Cups

1 box brownie mix 9 x 13 size
1 batch of your favorite cookie dough
Powdered sugar or frosting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare brownies according to package directions. Pour batter into mini cupcake tins (about 36-40) that have been sprayed generously with cooking spray. Spoon 1 Tablespoon of cookie dough into the center of each filled cupcake tin, gently pressing down into the batter. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until cooked through. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing brownies from tins. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or frost. Enjoy!

Cookies and Cream Swirled Brownies with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache

I love brownies and have been wanting to make this idea I’ve had for the last few weeks now. I finally decided this morning to do it. I had all intentions of making homemade brownies, but ran out of time and grabbed my handy box mix. You can use this same concept with your favorite homemade brownie mix. Cookies and cream is one of my favorite combos and talk about yummy swirled in these brownies, I knew it would be fantastic !

As if that wasn’t good enough, I’ve frosted them with a decadent chocolate peanut butter ganache that will have you licking the bowl! I gotta run, my little guy is having a hay day with the goldfish all over my carpet! Enjoy everyone!!

Cookies and Cream Swirled Brownies with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache

1 box Brownie Mix (9x13 size)
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/3 Cup sugar
10 Oreo Cookies, broken into pieces
1 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 ½ Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
3 Tablespoons half and half

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and place into a 9x7 inch baking dish that has been lined with tin foil and sprayed with cooking spray. **I like a thicker brownie, so I use the smaller baking dish, but you can use the 9x13 inch size as well.**

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Stir in Oreo Cookie pieces until combined. Using a spoon, spoon cookies and cream mixture evenly over brownie mix. Using a knife, gently swirl cookies and cream into brownies without scraping the bottom of the dish. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center. Cool completely.

3. Place chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 1 minute. Stir in peanut butter and stir chocolate chips until smooth. Place back in the microwave for 15-30 more seconds if not smooth. Stir in half and half until glossy smooth, then spread over cooled brownies. Cut into squares and serve.

Caramelized Roasted Banana Swirled Brownies

Happy Wednesday! I'm pooped and it's only lunch time around here. I spent part of my morning cleaning my front door/porch area that for the last 5 weeks or so was home to a mother bird and her babies. We wondered why this bird kept flying away as soon as we'd open our front door and soon realized that she made her nest right in our front door wreath. I thought it was adorable, my husband thought otherwise, but after some negotiating he agreed to have mother bird stay for a while.

The boys and I had so much fun peeking at the eggs to see if they had hatched. When they did, the babies were adorable. It didn't take long for them to grow. Just 2 days ago, we heard them chirping for the first time and yesterday I watched the brave young birds stand at the edge of the wreath ready for their first flight. I just loved watching them. I'm a geek, but I took a picture of 2 of them that were about to leave the nest. See bottom picture.

Ok, onto my yummy brownies...... get your glass of milk ready.

I wrote this brownie recipe last week, whipped them up and my entire family raved about them. You've got to try them chilled in the refrigerator. Yum! This is another jazzed up brownie mix, easy and quick and my current favorite recipe. The caramelized bananas and cream cheese really make this recipe incredible. Trust me, you won't be sorry for giving these a try. I couldn't do bananas without peanut butter, so I added it in the frosting. Enjoy everyone!

Caramelized Roasted Banana Swirled Brownies with Peanut Butter Sweet Cream Frosting

3 large ripe bananas
2 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/4 Cup sugar
1 box brownie mix (9x13 size, I used Pillsbury)

8 oz softened cream cheese
2 Heaping Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 ½ Cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice bananas into ½ inch slices and place into a medium baking dish. Top evenly with butter pieces and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly and caramelized (golden). Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Mix with cream cheese and sugar until combined.

2. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Line a 7x11 inch baking dish (makes for a thicker brownie with this size of dish), with tin foil that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. Pour brownie batter into prepared dish. Drop banana cream mixture by the spoonfuls evenly over brownie batter. Gently run a knife through the banana and brownie mix, in a swirling motion, without scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent tearing in the foil. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from middle of brownies. Let cool completely, then pull out of pan with foil edges.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. Slowly add in powdered sugar until well combined and desired consistency. You can add a bit more if desired. Spread over cooled brownies and cut into squares. Enjoy!

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Here are the brave young birds at the edge of my wreath getting ready for their first flight. Aren't they cute?

Happy 100th Post Picky Palate!

Dark Chocolate Mascarpone Brownies With Blueberry Ganache

Ok, I'm a total geek, now I'm celebrating my post's.

If you need a chocolate fix, these should do the trick! Another heavenly recipe, I tweeked from a 1993 Cookworks show on Food Network. I remember watching and really learning from Cookworks, they have since cut it from Food Networks weekly line up. Too bad.

I'm always looking for ways to make things a little easier in recipes that I try from various cookbooks/shows, so instead of using blocks of chocolate, (which I rarely have around), I used good quality chocolate chips, like Ghiradelli. I also had some frozen blueberries in the freezer that I wanted to use. I love chocolate covered blueberries, so I thought, why not use it in the ganache?! It is serioulsy spoon licking delicious! Just a hint of blueberry, a great combo with chocolate.

These brownies are rich, buttery, chocolaty and ultra fudgy. I can't wait to have one of these tonight with a tall glass of milk, yum!

Dark Chocolate Mascarpone Brownies With Blueberry Ganache

1 cup unsalted butter
¾ Cup best-quality semisweet chocolate chips (Ghiradelli's is great)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Hershey’s Dark cocoa powder
8oz mascarpone cheese, softened
6 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon fine salt
Ganache, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 9 x 13-inch square pan and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and bring it to just below a boil. Place the chocolate chips in a large bowl. Pour in the hot butter and let stand for 30 seconds. Stir until completely melted. Sift in the sugar and cocoa powder. Beat in the mascarpone, eggs, and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Gently fold the flour and salt into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

Spread the warm ganache over the brownies. Allow the ganache to set completely before cutting into squares.

Blueberry Ganache:

1 12 oz bag best-quality semisweet chocolate chips
2 Cups frozen blueberries
1/2 Cup sugar
½ Cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Place the chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Place the blueberries and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until mixture becomes sauce like and bubbly. Pour into a sieve or strainer that is placed over a bowl to catch blueberry liquid. Discard remaining blueberries. Pour blueberry liquid over chocolate chips. Bring the cream and butter to just below boiling point in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds. Stir the mixture until smooth.

The ganache should be used for spreading while warm.

Hot Chocolate Brownies

I knew when I saw Emilie's Oktoberfest brownies from sugarplumsweets.blogspot.com, I knew I wanted to make them. I used hot chocolate in place of the beer and since I couldn't find my 8x8 inch pan, I used my 7x11 inch, which made a thinner brownie. These are the best homemade brownies I've had, hands down!! Grab a tall glass of milk and you'll be in heaven. Good thing I gave most of these away! Thanks Emilie!

Hot Chocolate Brownies

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2/3 cup half and half or heavy cream (heated in microwave for 30 seconds)

2 Tablespoons hot chocolate mix (I used Ghiradellis)
1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Hershey's Dark unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt (scant)

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Ganache:

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8-inch square baking pan (or use 11x7 inch) with foil, and spray foil with non-stick cooking spray.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook the butter, stirring freguently, for 6-8 minutes, or until light golden brown. Stir in half and half and hot chocolate mix. Stir until well combined. Remove from heat.

In a medium-sized bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, and salt.In a large bowl, combine sugars, egg, and vanilla, and beat together, using an electric mixer on high speed, for 2 minutes.Reduce mixer speed to low, and gradually add melted butter/hot chocolate mixture, and beat 1 additional minute. Gradually beat in flour, until just combined.

Spread batter into pan, and bake at 350 degrees F, for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Cool on a wire rack, or do what I did: Cool pan in an ice-water bath; when cool, freeze the pan for an hour or two in the freezer. I think this process gives brownies a better texture.

To make the ganache, heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, until hot, but not boiling. Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla and chocolate chips, until well combined and smooth. Pour the ganache over the top of the cooled brownies. Freeze or chill, until set, before slicing.

*Another option: I froze the brownies for 20 minutes, frosted and cooled at room temp. These are heavenly!*