Tag Archives: brownies

Spooky Chocolate Brownies

Posted on October 2, 2021 by Ruthanne

Spooky2

You know it’s October when I pull out the eyeball and bones sprinkles! 🙂 These deliciously rich chocolate brownies are a family recipe that we LOVE. Whether you decorate them or not, they are guaranteed to make your family smile!

Spooky4

A couple of months ago, a friend of mine came across this recipe of my mom’s that I hadn’t ever made. I actually don’t remember her ever making it either, but my friend sent me a copy in my mom’s handwriting and told me that she’d made them for their wedding reception years ago. We lost my mom to cancer about 7 years ago, so I loved trying this recipe of hers for myself. And… these brownies are the BOMB. The brownies aren’t super sweet, but the frosting is like fudge. They cut *perfectly* too- which I love. When you want to share brownies with a group, there is nothing worse than trying to cut them, and ending up with gooey piles of chocolate. Plus…. they are super easy to make!

Spooky3

Want to try them? Here’s the recipe (printable version):

INGREDIENTS:

Brownies

1 cup of sugar
1 stick butter (room temp)
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups Hershey’s chocolate syrup
1 cup flour

Icing

1 1/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup milk
6 Tablespoons butter
6 oz. chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Brownies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream together butter and sugar
Add eggs and syrup
Blend in flour
Pour into a greased 9×13″ pan
Bake at 350F for 30 min
Cool

Icing

Combine sugar, milk and butter in a saucepan
Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes
Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until completely melted.
Pour over the top of brownies
To decorate, drizzle with colored Wilton Candy Melts and sprinkle with Halloween candies (if desired)
Allow icing to harden up before cutting brownies into squares.

Spooky5

My thoughts: Just make these. Honestly, they are one of the best brownie recipes I have tried, and they have become a go-to recipe for us! Enjoy! ~r

Want to try a different Halloween dessert? We have SO MANY! Click on a photo to see the recipe:

And… our top two favorite Halloween recipes on Easybaked:

1 Comment

Posted in Brownies, Kids recipes, Seasonal dessert and tagged brownies, chocolate brownies, fun scary dessert, halloween brownie, Halloween dessert, hershey syrup brownies. Bookmark the permalink.

Fireworks Tart!

Posted on June 24, 2017 by Ruthanne

A dense chocolate brownie topped with creamy mint filling and a layer of rich fudge- these are the perfect finish to your July 4th cookout!

I’ve been sharing recipes on this blog for several years now, and there are just some recipes that I want everyone to try. These mint brownies are a recipe from my mom and I keep re-making them into different forms because they are just SO GOOD! I’ve filled them with mint, caramel, cookie dough, coconut, praline, candy cane, irish cream, and peanut butter. Just last Halloween I made the recipe into a spiderweb striped tart that was SO fun, and I decided it needed to be remade in patriotic colors for July this year!

Fun- right? And honestly- soooo yummy!

Here is how we made it: (printable recipe is here)

INGREDIENTS:

Brownie:

1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons of dark cocoa powder (try to use dark- it makes it easier to color the brownie black)
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup milk
Food coloring gel in black

Mint filling: (this makes a little more than you need- but makes certain you have enough of each color)

5 cups powdered sugar
8 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons mint extract
Food coloring gel in red, white and blue

Chocolate glaze/fireworks:

1 cup of dark chocolate chips (again, use dark so it is easier to color black)
6 tablespoon of butter
Food coloring gel in black
About 1/8 cup of Wilton’s candy melts in each color: red, white, and blue

DIRECTIONS:

NOTE: Throughout this recipe, be careful when moving the tart pan, as holding it from the bottom will cause the edges to slide off. I usually keep tarts on a cookie sheet when I bake and decorate them- I took this one off (very carefully!) so I could photograph the process for you.

Brownie:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Cream butter and sugar together.
Beat in eggs, cocoa, vanilla and salt.
Add flour and milk (alternating them and mixing well in between)
Add black food coloring gel until batter is a dark almost-black color.
Spread evenly in 9 inch tart pan that has been set on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool completely.

Mint filling:

Melt butter and add to powdered sugar.
Add extract.
Mix well, using water to bring it to a thick but spreadable consistency.
Divide filling into three bowls and mix in gel food coloring until you get a desired shade of blue and red. I also added a bit of white coloring to brighten up the natural color of the filling- but you wouldn’t have to do this.
As soon as color is mixed in, spoon each filling color into a small and sturdy (use freezer, not sandwich) zip-top bag. Push all the air out and seal tightly. As this filling is exposed to air it begins to harden up- so sealing these up right away prevents this. If you are slow, you can always add a little more water to get it back to the right consistency.
Set aside until brownie has cooled.
Cut a corner off each bag, and squeeze filling out into a circle at the center. Alternating colors, add rings around this until the entire top of the brownie is covered with filling.
Once the top is covered, set a piece of parchment paper or wax paper on top and gently press the filling down so that it goes all the way to the edges. Try to make it nice and flat. The glaze will cover all the ridges, but you want to be sure that the edges are pushed down enough that the glaze has room to get to the edge of the pan without overflowing.

Chocolate glaze:

Melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until completely melted and smooth.
Add black gel food coloring until glaze is a dark almost-black (I added quite a bit and never got it completely black- but close!)
BEFORE pouring glaze onto tart: melt each color of candy melts and place each in individual zip-top bags (so they are ready as soon as glaze is poured)
Pour glaze over top of mint filling, using a spoon or knife to push out to all the edges.
Before glaze hardens, cut a small corner on each bag of melted Wilton’s candy melts and pipe circles (like a target shape) in alternating colors on top of the melted glaze.
Use a toothpick or skewer to draw lines through the glaze, starting at the center and drawing lines outward- like fireworks!

Chill until top layer of glaze is hardened. Do not remove outer ring of tart pan until this has completely hardened. Then, push up on the bottom firmly, until the edges slide out of pan. This takes a little patience- I refrigerated my tart overnight and then let it sit out for about 30 minutes before I was able to push the bottom up and remove that outer ring. If you have a hard time, push up in different spots along the edge, loosening all the edges 1st, before pushing the whole thing out.
Enjoy!

My thoughts: I love this dessert for so many reasons. It is a little time-consuming, but it’s SO cute!!! If you want to save time, skip the colors in the mint layer- just make it white- and decorate the top. Or swirl the colors and make these in a sheet cake pan to have a bunch of them (refer to my candy cane brownie recipe here for directions and just add some blue instead of pink!) However you make them, ENJOY!!! Happy summer to you! ~r

Other patriotic desserts for your 4th of July celebrations: (click on a photo to see the recipe)

8 Comments

Posted in Brownies, Tarts and tagged brownie tart, brownies, chocolate fireworks, chocolate tart, fireworks brownies, fireworks dessert, fourth of July dessert, Fourth of July party idea, fourth of July recipe, July dessert, mint brownie recipe, mint brownies, patriotic dessert, patriotic party idea, peppermint patty tart, peppermint tart, red white and blue dessert, red white and blue recipe, striped tart, summer mint brownies, Summer recipe, tart. Bookmark the permalink.

Peppermint “Smoke Bomb” Brownies!

Posted on June 25, 2016 by Ruthanne

Celebrate July 4th with these fun peppermint brownie cups! Fun to make and sooooo yummy to eat!

I got a little chocolate bomb mold a few months ago and I love it. I have used it for so many creative things! This time, I am using it to make actual bombs- edible smoke bombs that is! The inside of this red candy shell is packed with sweet mint filling that mixes with the dark chocolate of these brownies perfectly!

Yes, these are a little fussy. It seems like anything super fun in the food realm takes some effort. If you want to make these SUPER easy, they are simply an adaptation from my Candy Cane Brownies from last Christmas. You could certainly add a little blue to the mint filling and just sprinkle stars on top for a fun (and equally delicious) patriotic alternative. OR you could be an over-achiever and make mint smoke bombs. Your choice! 🙂

Here is how we put these fun treats together: (printable recipe here)

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

Chocolate Glaze:

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

Mint “Smoke Bombs”:

5 cups powdered sugar
8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) melted butter
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
Food color in red and blue
One bag of Wilton’s Candy melts in red
One bag of Twizzler’s Red, White and Blue licorice (I found them at Target)
Large Star Sprinkles
Mini Star Sprinkles

DIRECTIONS:

Brownie:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Cream butter and sugar together.
Beat in eggs, cocoa, vanilla and salt.
Add flour and milk (alternating them and mixing well in between)
Spoon evenly into 24 cupcake liners in a cupcake tin.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes (don’t over bake- they will start to pull away from the liner)
Cool.

Chocolate Glaze:

Melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until completely melted and smooth.
Set aside until bombs are made

Mint Smoke Bombs:

Melt red candy melts in microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between until smooth.
Use a pastry brush to brush melts into a chocolate bomb mold and freeze for a couple minutes until hard. Do two coats- freezing in between.
Make mint filling by adding melted butter to sugar and extract.
Mix well, using water to bring it to a thick but spreadable consistency.
Divide into 3 parts and color 2 of them red and blue using food coloring.
Place all three colors into a large zip-top bag and swirl together with a knife before sealing bag.
Cut a corner off bag and pipe mint filling into each red bomb shell- filling them about 3/4 full.
Refreeze these for a few minutes before gently popping them out and setting them on a plate. (I took pictures of this process in an earlier recipe here– but I didn’t fill these shells all the way full like I did there).
Repeat this process until you have 24 mint bombs ready.
Assemble brownies by spooning a little glaze on top of a brownie cup and then setting a bomb on top. Sprinkle edges with small star decorations and freeze to harden the glaze.
Once all your brownies are in the freezer, make the wicks by pulling apart the licorice and cutting into 1 to 2 inch pieces of blue.
Dip one end into the leftover red candy melts (you might need to remelt these) and set it on top of a large red star sprinkle to harden.

Once these have hardened, and your brownies are nice and cold, take a few brownies out of the freezer, dip the end of a “wick” in red candy melts and hold it to the top of a cold peppermint bomb. It should immediately set and hold the wick in place.
Then- simply enjoy the smiles as people bite into your yummy (and very patriotic!) peppermint brownies!!!

My thoughts: Ah…I loved making these. I always wonder if the idea in my mind will come across the way I pictured it, and these did—-makes me smile! I loved sharing these with friends and family too. Makes me wish I had a 4th of July party to go to this year!!! 🙂 I hope you get a chance to try these and that you love them as much as I do! ~r

Other fun desserts to make for the Fourth of July!!! (click on a photo to see the recipe):

6 Comments

Posted in Brownies, Candy, Cupcakes and tagged american dessert, brownie cups, brownies, candy melts, candy smoke bomb, cherry bomb dessert, chocolate, chocolate bomb, creative brownie recipe, creative holiday recipe, fireworks dessert, fireworks recipe, fun summer dessert, holiday recipe, July Fourth dessert, licorice, patriotic dessert, peppermint brownies, red white and blue dessert, smoke bomb brownies, stars. Bookmark the permalink.

Candy Cane Brownies

Posted on December 22, 2015 by Ruthanne

Nothing says Merry Christmas like peppermint and chocolate! These beautiful little brownies combine those two flavors in a colorful, layered treat!

These brownies are an Easybaked staple. I’ve swapped that peppermint filling up for everything from cookie dough to caramel. I love recipes that can be changed up with different flavors and looks!!! This peppermint candy cane flavor is the most beautiful filling I’ve used in these though. The guests at every party I’ve shared them at have all commented on how pretty and festive they are. They just make me smile- and they really aren’t that difficult to make! Promise.

This recipe makes a lot of brownies. The good news? They freeze really well and can be made ahead for all your Christmas gatherings. Just pop them out of the freezer and thaw!

Here’s how we made them: (printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

Brownie:

1cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Peppermint Filling:

5 cups powdered sugar
8 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
red and pink food coloring

Fudge Topping:

12oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 tablespoons butter (do not substitute margarine here!)
Wilton Candy melts in Red, Pink and White (if desired for design on top)

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 (12 1/2 x 17 1/2 x 1″).
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.
Divide into 3 parts and use food coloring to color one part red, and one part pink.
Place little dollops of each colored filling all over the cooled brownies (I placed the fillings in small zip-top bags, clipped a corner off and piped these on.
Spread colors together into one even layer that covers entire top of brownies.

Fudge Topping:

Melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until completely melted and smooth.
If desired, melt about 1/8cup each of Wilton’s Candy Melts in White, Red and Pink. Place in small zip-top bags and clip corner on each.
Pour melted chocolate and butter mixture over peppermint filling and spread evenly over top.
Immediately, pipes lines in all three candy melt colors across the entire top of the brownies.
Immediately after piping, use a toothpick or a cake-tester to drag across these lines- first one direction and then back the opposite to make the colorful design on top.
Chill until top layer is hard and cut into squares.

My thoughts: Love them! This brownie recipe never fails me, and I love experimenting with different flavors of filling! These will add a festive and fun layer to any dessert tray at your Christmas celebrations! Enjoy!! ~r

Take a look at some of the other fillings we have used in these brownies: (click on a photo to open the recipe)

9 Comments

Posted in Brownies and tagged best Christmas brownies, brownies, candy cane, candy cane dessert, chocolate, christmas, Christmas dessert recipe, colorful dessert recipe, layered, mint, peppermint, peppermint dessert, peppermint filling, pretty Christmas dessert, recipe. Bookmark the permalink.

Praline Fudge Brownies

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Ruthanne

A dense brownie covered in creamy praline filling and topped with chocolate fudge and pecans. This will satisfy the most demanding sweet tooth!!!!

I adore pralines. Especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas when anything with pecans is somehow better. Some people say they are just too sweet- and this filling is no exception! Paired with this not-too-sweet brownie, I think it is perfect though. These got rave reviews and several people exclaimed, “These taste like Christmas!”

So let’s make these yummy little treats! (printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

Brownie:

1cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Praline Filling:

1 cup whipping cream
12 Tablespoons of butter
3 cups of brown sugar (packed)
1 1/2 cup of finely chopped pecans (divided)
3 cups of powdered sugar
2 teaspoon of vanilla

Fudge Topping:

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 (12 1/2 x 17 1/2 x 1″).
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until done in center and just starting to pull away from sides.
Cool.

Praline filling:

In a large saucepan, mix cream, butter and brown sugar.
Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until mixture comes to a boil.
Cook for one minute, stirring constantly and then remove from heat.
Stir in powdered sugar, vanilla and 1 cup of pecans (you may need to do this in a separate bowl if your saucepan isn’t big enough)
Cool for 5 minutes, stirring often until it thickens up a bit.
Spoon mixture over cooled brownies and spread into a smooth layer over the top.

Fudge Topping:

Melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until completely melted and smooth.
Pour over praline filling and spread evenly over top.
Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of chopped pecans.
Chill until top layer is hard and cut into bars.

My thoughts: These aren’t hard to put together and they are oh-so-yummy!!! I froze about half of the batch in an air-tight container for several weeks and just pulled them out for a party I was having- they freeze GREAT. In fact, they are pretty yummy frozen. 🙂 I hope you get a chance to try these and enjoy them as much as I did!

Other yummy Christmas desserts: (click on a photo to see the recipe)

6 Comments

Posted in Brownies and tagged beautiful brownies, best, brown sugar, brown sugar frosting, brownies, candy, chocolate, christmas, dessert, fun, layered brownies, pecans, praline filling, pralines, recipe. Bookmark the permalink.

Peanut Butter Bomb Brownies

Posted on August 29, 2015 by Ruthanne

What could be more yummy than a chocolate brownie covered in creamy peanut butter ganache and topped with a chocolate covered peanut butter mousse bomb? If you are addicted to chocolate and peanut butter, this dessert is for you!

Chocolate and peanut butter are a timeless combination, and these brownies combine those flavors in such a fun way!

The homemade brownies are dense, but not too rich. They compliment that sweet creamy peanut butter mousse perfectly and are such a pretty dessert!

You will need a silicone bomb mold for this, and a brush for coating it in chocolate. I found both of these at a local cake-decorating shop and they were really inexpensive.

Want to see how we did these? Here’s the recipe: (printable version)

INGREDIENTS: (makes 18-24 brownie cups)

Brownie:

Two sticks (1 cup) butter
2 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 cup milk

Ganache:

1 cup of peanut butter baking chips
1/2 cup of heavy cream

Bombs:

1 to 2 cups of dark chocolate candy melts
1 c. creamy peanut butter
8 oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened to room temperature)
1/2 c. sugar
8 oz. Cool Whip topping

DIRECTIONS:

Bomb:

Make these first, so they are ready to use once you need them.
Melt chocolate candy melts in 30 second increments in the microwave, stirring between until melted and smooth.
Use a brush (clean, food brush) to brush the inside of each cavity of the bomb mold with melted chocolate.
Freeze for about 3 minutes and repeat, to give a nice thick layer of chocolate. Re-freeze for another 4-5 minutes.

Make filling by beating together peanut butter, cream cheese and sugar.
Gently fold in the container of whipped topping.
Place filling in a large zip-top bag and keep in the fridge until use.
Cut a corner off the bag, and squeeze filling into each chocolate coated bomb mold. Smooth tops with a spatula.

Refreeze for about 15 minutes- until filling is hardened.
Gently peel mold away from bomb. Place each one on a plate covered in parchment paper and freeze until use.

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)
Spoon into 18-24 cupcake liners placed in a muffin tin (only fill 1/3 to 1/2 full)
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Ganache:

While brownies bake, heat peanut butter chips and heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second increments. Stir and repeat until smooth and creamy.
When brownies are out of oven, carefully remove them from muffin tins and spoon warm ganache over warm brownies. Allow both to cool until ganache is firm but still a bit sticky.
Gently place a chocolate bomb on top of each brownie, and press gently into ganache.
Drizzle a bit of white chocolate on top if you desire.
Keep refrigerated. Leave at room temperature for a few minutes to warm before serving. Yum.

My thoughts: Yum!!! These were a huge hit among my friends and family. They do take a little extra time to make that bomb on top– but the wow factor is worth it! I will definitely be using these little silicone molds again- they are easy to use and I love that fun dome of chocolate! I hope you get a chance to try these!! Enjoy!!! ~r

Other yummy peanut butter treats on Easybaked:

11 Comments

Posted in Brownies, Candy and tagged best, brownies, chocolate, chocolate bomb, chocolate dessert, dessert, fun, mousse, peanut butter, peanut butter bomb, peanut butter mousse, recipe, unique dessert, unique recipe. Bookmark the permalink.

Fourth of July Dessert Ideas!

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Ruthanne

Bomb Pop Cupcakes!

Oh my, I love the fourth of July! I love the picnics, and pool parties, and cookouts, and fireworks…and the time with family!

My parents have always (like always, for as long as I can remember!) had a giant pool party for the fourth and invited our entire extended family for burgers and brats and volleyball and sunshine….and for a competitive display of our best “at home” fireworks we could find, later in the evening. I have so many fun memories of chasing fireflies and waving sparklers with my cousins (that are all grown with kids of their own now!). This year is different. For starters, mom isn’t here to orchestrate the complexities of the celebration. The house is in boxes and bags- ready to show to whomever might be interested in buying, and the pool and yard are immaculately kept. Pool toys and floats are all deflated and either sold or put away. Sometimes I sit on the back porch and watch the fireflies and remember all the laughter and fun.

I know that these times are not forever over. This year is different, but once dad settles into his new place there will be other celebrations and family times over the fourth. This year though…my heart wasn’t in the “create something new and fun” place. So instead, I thought you might enjoy a collection of some of my previous red-white-and-blue recipes. You can click on the photo or the title, to be taken to the recipe.

American Flag Oreo Pops

Patriotic Polka Dot Cake!!!

Flip Flop Cookies for the Fourth!

Patriotic Tie-Dye Cake!

Stars and Stripes Brownies!

Red White and Blue Bundt Cake!

And if you are grilling out for the Fourth, you might need these…

BBQ Grill Cupcakes!

Grilled Burger Cupcakes!

However you celebrate this summer, I hope you have fun making memories with your friends and family~ and I hope you enjoy trying fun, new recipes that become a part of your family traditions! ~r

1 Comment

Posted in Brownies, Cake Pops, Cakes, Cookies, Cupcakes, Seasonal dessert and tagged brownies, bundt cake, cake, chocolate, cookies, cupcakes, dessert, dessert collection, Fourth of July cake, fourth of july cookies, fourth of july cupcake, fourth of July recipes, fun, kids, oreo pops, patriotic recipes, recipe collection, red white and blue, red white and blue dessert, stars, summer. Bookmark the permalink.

Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Ruthanne

These aren’t your average brownie- they are full of creamy peanut butter filling and topped with a layer of fudge! Unbelievably delicious!

Peanut butter and chocolate are a timeless combination. These brownies have the perfect blend between the two, and they cut into beautifully layered bars that are fun to serve at any occasion! These are a variation on a brownie recipe that my mom makes all the time with mint filling. This brownie recipe has appeared on Easybaked many times, and in many forms:

But adding peanut butter? Oh my goodness….. a definite show-stopper!

Here’s the recipe: (printable version)

INGREDIENTS

Brownie:

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup milk

Peanut butter filling:

5 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup of creamy peanut butter

Fudge topping:

One bag (12 oz) of chocolate chips
12 Tablespoons of 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)
Pour batter into a jellyroll pan (12 1/2 x 17 1/2 x 1″) that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
Bake at 350F degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Cool.

Peanut butter filling:

Combine softened butter with peanut butter, mixing on low until completely smooth.
Add powdered sugar, mixing until combined.
Add a little water to make filling a thick, but spreadable consistency.
Spread over cooled brownies.

Fudge topping:

Melt chocolate chips and butter together in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until completely melted and smooth.
Pour over peanut butter filling and use a spoon to push topping over entire top of brownies.
Decorate with sprinkles or by drizzling a little white chocolate on top.
Refrigerate for several hours.
Cut brownies when the top layer is firm, but not hard. Your knife should go through it easily without cracking it. If your top has chilled too long, simply let it sit at room temp for a little while until it softens up.
Store these in a large air-tight container, in layers separated with parchment paper or wax paper to avoid sticking.
These can be frozen really well (I like to eat them frozen, in fact!)

My thoughts: This brownie recipe is so versatile and fun. Really, there are so many possibilities! I love the addition of a peanut butter layer- they are so pretty and mmmm…so good! Do you want to make a design on the top of yours like I did? There’s a step-by-step example from when I 1st posted this recipe in mint. You can see it here. I hope you get a chance to try at least ONE of the easybaked variations on this brownie recipe. I guarantee you will be back to experiment with your own flavor combinations! Enjoy!! ~r

What? You like peanut butter? So do we!!!! Try one of these other yummy recipes:

12 Comments

Posted in Brownies and tagged baking, best, brownies, chocolate, food, fudge, layered bars, peanut butter, recipe, recipes you can freeze. Bookmark the permalink.

Chocolate Chip Oreo Brownie Cups

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Ruthanne

Chocolate chip cookie dough topped with an Oreo cookie topped with a chewy brownie… does dessert get better than this? Plus they are just so cute- and fun to eat!

These little dessert cups are incredibly easy to make. All you need is refrigerated cookie dough, Oreos and brownie mix (plus the oil water and eggs to make the brownies!)

They are so easy to put together:

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
Put 24 cupcake liners into cupcake tins.
Break apart refrigerated cookie dough (the Nestle brand comes already divided into 24 pieces)
Press cookie dough into the bottom of each cupcake liner so it covers the bottom of each cup (I thought that as the dough warmed a little bit to room temperature that this was easier).
Press an Oreo cookie on top of each bit of cookie dough.

Prepare the brownie mix as directed on box and scoop batter evenly into all 24 cups, covering the Oreo completely.

Bake at 350F degrees for 20-30 minutes. Check often and be sure you don’t over bake the brownie. They are much better a little chewy!
Remove from oven and serve warm or at room temperature.
I served with a little whipped topping and chocolate/ caramel drizzle.

My thoughts: These are a really easy and yummy treat. They are fun right out of the cupcake wrapper (eaten like a cupcake), or they are fun to dress up as a fancy dessert with pretty drizzles and toppings. The three layers of different flavor and consistency make this a truly unique dessert! Enjoy!! ~r

Other dessert cup recipes you might enjoy: (click on the image to be taken to the recipe)

40 Comments

Posted in Cookie Cups and tagged baking, brownies, chocolate, chocolate caramel, chocolate chip cookie, chocolate chip cookie dough, chocolate chip cookies, cookie cups, cookie dough, dessert, fancy dessert, food, Oreos, unique dessert. Bookmark the permalink.

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-