Category Archives: Brownies

Caramel Fudge Brownies

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Ruthanne

Layers of brownie, soft caramel and fudge make this dessert irresistible!!!
If these brownies look familiar to you, it is because they are the very same recipe as my Mint Creme Brownies but with a thick layer of caramel instead of the mint creme.  I love these brownies because they hold together so well and are so chocolatey and rich- the sky is the limit as far as different toppings you could layer on top of them, but here’s a recipe for caramel:
INGREDIENTS:
BROWNIE:

  • 1c. butter
  • 2c. sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2c. cocoa
  • 1/2tsp. salt
  • 2 c. flour
  • 1c. milk
  • 1 c. chopped pecans (optional)

CARAMEL:

  • 32 Kraft caramels (unwrapped)
  • 1/2c. butter
  • 1 (14 oz.) can of sweetened condensed milk.

FUDGE GLAZE:

  • 12oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 12 T. butter (do not substitute margarine here!)

DIRECTIONS:
BROWNIE:

  • 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 at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until done in center and just starting to pull away from sides.
  • Cool.  

CARAMEL:

  • 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 entire pan in freezer while you make the glaze (10-15 min) to allow the caramel to harden a little.

FUDGE GLAZE:

  • 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.

My thoughts:  The mint creme brownies are one of my favorite desserts— add caramel instead and these are just soft gooey sweet amazingness.  If you want a harder caramel layer just store these in the fridge until you serve them.  Softer caramel?  Leave at room temperature and serve with a fork!   I wish I didn’t have a plate of them left in my kitchen….they are calling me….do you hear them??   Enjoy!!! r-

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Sweetheart Brownies

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Ruthanne

Easy cutout brownies decorated like Sweethearts Candy.  A fun Valentine project that your kids will love!

Ingredients:

  • 2 boxes of Little Debbie Fudge brownies
  • Wiltons Candy melts in as many colors as you want…like:
    Yellow
    Pink
    Blue
    Purple
    You will need about 2 (14oz) bags total.

Directions:

  • Unwrap brownies and use a small heart shaped cookie cutter to cut two hearts from each brownie (recipe makes 24 hearts).
  • Melt Wilton Candy Melts in the microwave in 30 second increments until melted and smooth.
  • Cover each brownie in candy melts and using a fork tap off excess and place on parchment paper to harden. (picture of this process)
  • Melt red candy melts and place in a ziptop bag.  Clip a corner and pipe saying on the top of each heart (you could use frosting and cake decorator tips for this as well).
  • Allow hearts to harden and ENJOY!

My thoughts:  Wondering what to do with the extra brownie pieces?  Put them in a ziptop bag to keep them soft and use them to make brownie sundaes— yum!  Two desserts for the price of one!  Happy Valentines Day friends!

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Mint Creme Brownie Cups

Posted on October 29, 2011 by Ruthanne

I get requests for my mint creme brownies a lot.  I could never open a bakery because I get really bored re-making desserts!  The latest request came from my friend Gabe.  I agreed to make them, but decided to try a new presentation.  These are a little more work- but turned out great.  These would be perfect bite-size treats for showers or luncheons- and since its so close to Halloween, you could even drizzle some orange candy melts on top for a Halloween party treat!

INGREDIENTS:

Brownie:

  • 1c. butter
  • 2c. sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 c. flour
  • 1/2c. cocoa
  • 1/2tsp. salt
  • 1c. milk

Mint creme:

  • 5 c. powdered sugar
  • 1/2 c. melted butter
  • 2 tsp. peppermint extract
  • green food coloring (to desired shade of green)

Chocolate glaze:

  • 6oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 6tsp. butter (do not substitute margarine here!)

DIRECTIONS:

Brownie:
  • 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)
  • Pipe batter evenly in mini cupcake liners in a mini cupcake tin
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
  • Cool.  

Mint creme:

  • Add melted butter to sugar and extract.
  • Mix well, using water to bring it to a thick but spreadable consistency.
  • Add food coloring to desired shade of green.
  • Pipe over cooled brownie cups and chill for a few minutes to harden up.
Chocolate glaze:
  • Melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until completely melted and smooth.
  • Spoon over cooled mint creme
  • Chill until top layer is hard and drizzle with melted candy coating if desired
My thoughts: This is a fun variation on the Mint Creme Brownies– the taste is the same and its a perfect little bite of happiness– I just like about 10 perfect little bites of happiness, so I’d take a big piece of brownie over a cute little cup any day! 🙂

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Fudge Brownies

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Ruthanne

These rich, thick brownies remind me of a dessert from an expensive coffee house.  The secret??? They use a mix!  Quick, easy and SO yummy- love ’em!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 boxes of Duncan Hines Fudge Brownie mix
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 c. water
  • 3/4c. vegetable oil
  • frosting (make your own or use a tub of ready-made for SUPER easy brownies)

DIRECTIONS

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Combine together mixes, eggs, water and oil.
  • Mix until well blended (about 50-75 strokes)
  • Pour into a greased 9×13 cake pan
  • Bake 30-45 minutes (until center is set and sides are pulling away from pan a bit)
  • Cool
  • Frost
  • Cover with tin foil and freeze overnight (or longer)
  • Thaw about 8 hours before you need to serve.


My thoughts: This recipe is just about perfect- easy, inexpensive, can be make way ahead of an event and the results are WOW(!!) chocolate happiness!!!  This recipe came from my co-worker Lisa.  They are her mother-in-law Gloria’s specialty and she claims the freezing makes these into the wonderful consistency that people rave about.  This recipe really does come straight from the back of the Duncan Hines Box with just a few alterations- two boxes of mix, less oil and a longer cook time. (plus the freezer time, of course).  Give them a try for your next event that calls for a dessert!  Hope you love them as much as I do!  Thanks Lisa and Gloria 🙂

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Cookie Cutter Brownies

Posted on June 25, 2011 by Ruthanne

Make a dessert that everyone will love at your holiday parties!  Brownies cut into shapes and dipped in white chocolate— so. much. FUN!!!!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1c. butter
  • 2c. sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 c. flour
  • 1/2c. cocoa
  • 1/2tsp. salt
  • 1c. milk
  • 1 1/2 bags of Wiltons Candy Melts (in whatever colors you want!)

DIRECTIONS:

  • 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 at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until done in center and just starting to pull away from sides.
  • Cool completely
  • Using a sharp cookie cutter, cut small shapes out of the brownies. (I just used my finger to gently push the brownie out of the cutter and onto a cutting board.


  • Place excess brownie pieces into a freezer bag and freeze for another day (we are having brownie sundaes later this week!) 🙂
  • Melt each color of candy melt in separate bowls, microwaving for 30 second increments and stirring in between until smooth.
  • GENTLY set brownie cut-out into melted chocolate and scoop chocolate over the top.  Lift out with fork and tap excess chocolate off.  Place on parchment paper to harden.


My thoughts:  These are SO much fun to make!!!  The brownies are very easy to cut into shapes- its a good “cake- like” brownie recipe (you would not want to use a fudge brownie with this!)  The hardest part is dipping them in the candy melts.  Its not NEARLY as difficult as those crazy cake-pops, but you do have to be gentle and really keep your fork and bowl edge clean as crumbs can get into the melted chocolate and ruin the texture of it.  If you want to skip the chocolate coating part you could easily just decorate these cute little brownies with frosting too!  Enjoy!

 

Dedicating this recipe to all the people in my life who serve or have served our country in the military— THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This recipe was shared on these wonderful blogs:

Bacon Time, Somewhat Simple, Fireflies and Jelly beans, Little Brick Ranch, Sweet as Sugar Cookies, Pinch of this, that and the other, Something Swanky, Two Maids a Milking

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Mint Creme Brownies

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Ruthanne

If you like mint with your chocolate these brownies are the recipe for you!  Rich and chewy, these brownies are topped with a creamy mint layer and rich chocolate.

INGREDIENTS:

BROWNIE:

  • 1cup butter
  • 2 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

MINT FROSTING:

  • 5 cups powdered sugar
  • 8 tablespoons melted butter
  • 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
  • green food coloring (to desired shade of green)

CHOCOLATE GLAZE:

  • 12oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 12 tablespoons butter (do not substitute margarine here!)
DIRECTIONS:
BROWNIE:
  • 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 at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until done in center and just starting to pull away from sides.
  • Cool.  

MINT FROSTING:

  • Add melted butter to sugar and extract.
  • Mix well, using water to bring it to a thick but spreadable consistency.
  • Add food coloring to desired shade of green.
  • Spread over cooled brownies and chill for a few minutes to harden up.
CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
  • Melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until completely melted and smooth.
  • Pour over cooled mint frosting and spread evenly over top
  • Chill until top layer is hard and cut into bars.


Optional decorating:
  • Using  green chocolate melts that are melted and placed in a ziplock with a corner clipped, drizzle over the top of the warm glaze.  
  • Draw a tooth pick , knife or skewer through the chocolate- 1st one direction and then back the other to make a fun design on the top of these bars.

My thoughts:  These brownies are 100% mom 🙂  I grew up enjoying these yummy treats (she always put the nuts in though and I really prefer them without!)  My mom is an amazing cook and baker- these are just one of many of her recipes I love!  I’ve no idea where she got this recipe– I do know that its been modified throughout the years (more mint…more chocolate- YUM!)  One fun twist to this is that you can color the mint layer with any color.  I’ve matched shower colors with these– made orange halloween brownies….etc.  REALLY fun and yummy recipe– enjoy!  -r

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Here we are, six years later. We lost mom to cancer 2 years ago and we miss her SO much. When I asked dad what he wanted for his birthday this year he requested these yummy brownies. This picture was so fun, I thought I’d add it here! So thankful for the recipes that remind me of mom! ~r

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