The Best Brownies plus Peanut Butter Frosting

Um, holy crap.  It's been almost two years since I've posted a recipe. TWO YEARS.  That means I've now officially been working for House of Antique Hardware for two years.  And I've been the Accounts Payable (which is a big job!) for almost a year now.  Life is busy.  And maybe I don't post as many recipes because I don't cook anymore.  Sad, but true.
But today turned into a SNOW day and I feel like tomorrow will be one too, so to celebrate, I made the BEST brownies.  No really, in my cookbook they're called Best Brownies.  And while they can easily stand on their own, it's also fun to mix in chocolate chips, nuts, Reeses Pieces, or any other mix in that strikes your mood.  My favorite mix in?  Peanut butter goodness! I made the Best Brownies even better with peanut butter frosting from Our Best Bites found here.  I made their cake and frosting recipe for my birthday treat to my coworkers and while I thought it was really yummy and I had many compliments, I strongly felt that the frosting recipe belonged more on brownies and not cake.  After taking one bite of these puppies, I knew I was dead right.  So delish.  Hope you think so too!

The Best Brownies

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½ cup melted butter

½ cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

1 cup flour

⅔ cup cocoa

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine melted butter, oil, and sugar in medium bowl.  Add vanilla and eggs.  Stir well.  Add flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined.  Pour into greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until brownies are done and pulled away from sides of pans, and toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool before frosting or devouring serving.

Peanut Butter Frosting

www.ourbestbites.com

⅓ cup butter

⅓ cup milk

1 10 oz package peanut butter chips

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Combine the butter, milk, and peanut butter chips in a medium saucepan and heat, stirring frequently, over medium heat until the chips are melted and the the mixture is combined. 
Remove from heat, then whisk in the vanilla extract and the powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy (you can use an electric mixer if you’d like). 
Pour the frosting over the brownies and smooth with a spatula.

If desired, top with Reeses Pieces (mini or full size- I  chose both!)

Enjoy!

Oreo Truffles

My recipe of the week is not a main dish, though these are so addicting that they can become the main dish if you're not careful. I just whipped up a mint batch of these for my Relief Society cookie exchange going on tonight and I know they'll be a hit.

Because it's the holidays (and because I think I like it better than the regular version), I have included the mint variation. Happy holiday baking!

Oreo Truffles

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1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 (16 oz) package Oreo cookies
12 oz. chocolate of your choice (white candy chocolate recommended)

Finely crush Oreo cookies and reserve ¼ cup.

Mix cream cheese and crushed Oreo cookies until well blended. Let mixture sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Shape mixture into small balls and put back in fridge for 1 hour or freezer for ½ hour. Can keep in fridge or freezer longer if desired. (I’ll let mine sit in the freezer overnight)

Coat balls in melted chocolate and sprinkle with reserved ¼ cup crumbs to garnish. Refrigerate until firm. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Mint Oreo Truffle variation:
Because the Mint Oreo cookies have more creme filling than regular Oreos, either use less cream cheese (6 oz. or so), or remove the creme filling from 10 cookies when finely crushing. Dip in melted semi-sweet chocolate chips with a little oil to make the chocolate smoother. Garnish by drizzling with melted green mint chips.

Enjoy!

Graham Cracker Pie Crust

Pie season is quickly approaching as November starts on Tuesday! This recipe works great with my freaking amazing cheesecake recipe you can find here.

Graham Cracker Pie Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup melted margarine.

Melt butter. Stir in remaining ingredients. Press into 9 inch pie pan. Bake at 350 for a glass pan, 325 for a metal pan, for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

I found these delights at the luncheon from Dustin's cousin's baptism just a few weeks ago. A-maz-ing. I hunted down the maker of these treats to get the recipe and was so happy I did! The recipe calls for Pillsbury refrigerated cookie dough (it's from the Pillsbury Cookbook 2007), but I used my own favorite peanut butter cookie recipe and they turned out fantastic! Hit me up with an email (briannecreer@gmail.com) if you need that recipe too if I don't get it on the blog before you need it :) While making these, I also discovered that this makes a LOT of the chocolate topping part, so in my blog version of the recipe, I am halving that amount. If you would like to make your own peanut butter cookies and make extra cookies that are normal cookies (not cups), use 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 3/4 cup peanut butter and top your cookies with the chocolate goodness! We did that and it was great!

Also, I realized that my recipes aren't very printer friendly, but as we are poor and can't afford to buy a pdf maker to make these all super blog legit, you all have to suffer. I'm sorry, really I am. Maybe if I some day become a great blogger of delicious foods and can afford those kind of technical luxuries, then I will. But until then, use your laptop or iPad in your kitchen, or copy and paste into Word and print from there. Those are my suggestions :)

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE CUPS

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1 Roll Pillsbury or other peanut butter refrigerated cookie dough (or insert one batch of your favorite peanut butter homemade cookies! For 24 cookies)

1 cup white chocolate chips

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

2-4 Nature Valley Oats and Honey Crunchy granola bars (optional)

Heat oven to 350. Divide cookie dough and press into greased mini-muffin pan with cookies up the side and pushed down in the middle. Bake for 10-15 minutes until deep golden brown.
Cool 5 minutes on wire racks.

With end of a wooden spoon, push down in center to create cups (push down all the way to the bottom. Trust me, you won't make a hole in the bottom, and this will allow enough room for all the inside goodness!)

Melt white chocolate chips and 3/4 cup peanut butter on low until creamy. Stir thoroughly to incorporate peanut butter and white chocolate. Pour into cookie cups. Refrigerate for 10 mins.

Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup peanut butter together. Pour over cookies.

Optional: Sprinkle with crushed up Nature Valley Bars while chocolate is still melted.

Refrigerate 1 hour. Push down and twist to get out.

Enjoy!

Caramel Dip

CARAMEL DIP

Best caramel dip for apples!

1/2 cup margarine

1 cup white corn syrup

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Melt butter in saucepan. Add sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a medium boil until it reaches soft ball stage. Remove from heat. Add sweetened condensed milk and stir until well blended and smooth. Dip apple slices, banana slices, marshmallows, etc. in carmel dip.

Enjoy!

Hot Fudge Sauce

HOT FUDGE SAUCE

2 1/2 cups sugar
5 Tbsp cocoa
1 cube margarine
1 can evaporated milk

Combine all ingredients and stir over medium heat on stove. Stir occasionally and bring to a boil. Let boil for 1 min. Remove from heat and add 1 tsp vanilla. Cover and let cool. (or serve hot over ice cream!)

Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Brownie Cupcakes

CREAM CHEESE BROWNIE CUPCAKES

Make brownie mix according to directions (or homemade brownie recipe works great too!). Fill each cupcake liner about 1/2 full (makes about 24).

CREAM CHEESE FILLING:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1-2 Tbsp milk

Whip all ingredients together until fluffy. Add 1-2 Tbsp to each brownie. Drag a knife through each cupcake to mix a little.

Bake according to brownie directions or until knife comes out clean.
Put a few mini marshmallows on top and put under the broiler until gold brown. Let cool.
*We didn't broil the marshmallows and they were still great, but the cupcakes do sink down in the middle so this would probably help them to keep a great cupcake shape!*'

CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup margarine
3 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 Tbsp milk

Mix together until creamy and desired consistency. Spread onto cooled cupcakes.

*I've only made this recipe in a cupcake form and they were amazing! I think they'd also be just as good in a brownie bar form. I'm planning on trying it like that soon!*

Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKES

Make a milk chocolate cake mix according to directions except add peanut butter chips to the batter. (I sprinkled them on top of each cupcake so that they wouldn't just sink to the bottom). Bake as directed. Let cool.

Peanut Butter Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

3 tablespoons milk, or as needed

2 cups powdered sugar

Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in the sugar. When it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for AT LEAST 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.

Top cupcakes with chopped peanut butter cups or mini Reese's pieces.

Enjoy!

Caramel Popcorn

Best caramel popcorn recipe. I'd have a picture but we ate it all before we could take one. This recipe makes quite a bit so be sure to share it with family or friends!

CARAMEL POPCORN

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 cup light corn syrup

pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together in a large pot. Bring to a boil and cook until small ball stage.

Pour over 5-6 bags of popped popcorn. (Or just pop a whole bunch if you don't want to use the bag microwave popcorn. We popped our own and filled a huge bowl. I think it was about 2 1/2 cups unpopped popcorn. And it was just right)

Enjoy!

French Crepes with Strawberry-n-Cream filling

This recipe comes from the cookbook "Cooking for Two" by Debbie Harman.

FRENCH CREPES

2 eggs

1 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

Beat eggs. Melt butter in microwave. Stir milk, melted butter, vanilla, and salt into eggs. Add flour and beat until creamy. Heat and lightly butter or oil small skillet. Use a measuring cup to pour 1/4 cup of batter into skillet. Quickly swirl pan to spread batter. Cook until edges are brown. Flip crepe and cook other side. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and roll up.

STRAWBERRY AND CREME FILLING

4 oz. cream cheese

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup strawberries

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup sugar

Slice strawberries and sprinkle with sugar. Meanwhile, beat softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until soft and creamy. Spread cheese mixture and fresh strawberries on crepes and roll up. Spread more strawberries on top and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

Crunchy Caramel Apple Pie

CRUNCHY CARAMEL APPLE PIE

1/4 cup sugar

3 Tbsp. flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

5 1/2 cup peeled and thinly sliced apples

Pastry for one 9 inch pie.

In a large bowl, mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Mix apples with mixture. Pour into pie crust. Combine crumb topping (listed below) and sprinkle over apples. Bake at 375 fro 20 to 30 mins. Then cover with foil and bake for another 20 mins, until apples are tender. Remove from over and sprinkle with 1/2 cup chopped pecans and drizzle with 1/3 cup butterscotch caramel ice cream sauce (Mrs. Richardson's is excellent)

Crumb topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup butter

Blend ingredients together with a pastry blender until crumbly.

Peanut Butter Bars

Photo courtesy of Russell Jack. These are my actual finished products.

This recipe comes from Jared's 9th grade foods class. I was impressed by it. :)

PEANUT BUTTER BARS

1 package semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups oats

Melt chocolate chips in the microwave or in a double boiler.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with peanut butter. Beat in sugar, egg, and vanilla. Add flour, soda, and salt. Add oats. Press about 3/4 of the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Spread melted chocolate chips over the top. Crumble remaining peanut butter mixture over the chocolate. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 mins.

Makes about 24.

Enjoy!

Brianne's Freaking Amazing Cheesecake

This is our favorite cheesecake recipe.... so good and so easy! And I like to think that it's healthier than a baked cheesecake cuz it has only one thing of cream cheese and not 6!

8 oz cream cheese
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 graham cracker crust

Beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add sweetened condensed milk. Add lemon juice and vanilla. Pour into graham cracker crust and let sit in fridge for AT LEAST one hour. Serve with your favorite topping.
Eat and love.