Secret Recipe Club: Peanut Butter Crunch Brownies

Happy Monday!  It's that time again, Secret Recipe Club reveal!

What is Secret Recipe Club?  Well, it's the brainchild of Amanda from Amanda's Cookin'.  You are assigned a "secret" blog to cook one dish from and post on the given reveal date.

I love how the group has just grown so much since I first joined!  This will be my third SRC post and definitely not my last!  I just love discovering new blogs to ogle over!

This month, I received Edesia's Notebook.  This blog was new to me, but as soon as I was assigned this blog, I knew I would be a regular!  With things like Slow Cooker Garlic Soy Drumsticks to Ginger Scallion Rice, it was hard to choose!  It all looks delicious!

Andy was being especially good, so I thought I'd treat him to a special treat.  I picked Edesia's Peanut Butter Crunch Brownies a.k.a. Better Than Crack Brownies.  I mean, chocolate & Reese Cups?  Two of Andy's favorite things combined into one stellar brownie.  And it couldn't be easier to put together either!  Let's get to it!

Ingredients:
Adapted from Edesia's Notebook's recipe

1 box brownie mix (I used Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate)
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
about 8 Reese's peanut butter cups, roughly chopped
1/2 cup salted peanuts, chopped
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp butter
1 & 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter (I used PB & Co.'s Bees Knees)
1 & 1/2 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Make the brownies as directed on the box in a 9x13” pan.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove the brownies from the oven and top with the peanut butter cups and peanuts. Place the brownies back into the oven and bake an additional 6 to 10 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean. Remove the brownies from the oven.

In a microwave safe dish, melt the chocolate chips, butter, and peanut butter for about 45 seconds. Stir until smooth.  Then stir in the Rice Krispies.

Pour the Rice Krispies mixture over the brownies and let cool. Refrigerate for at least two hours until serving.  This was definitely the hardest part because I totally wanted to dig straight into them!  But trust me, well worth the wait!

Okay, these were seriously one of the best brownies ever.  I even tried to take some leftovers to work and Andy practically held them hostage.  So yeah, they were THAT good.

I had a friend over for dinner that night and gave him a couple to take home for his roommates - Andy didn't see me do this and when he noticed a couple brownie slices were missing, he definitely interrogated me until I confessed.  I didn't know he was keeping track - duly noted for next time.

I got a text later on in the week that read "umm, (roommate's name) says that brownie was better than crack".  I don't want to know how they know this, but hey - I take it as a compliment.

So yeah, trust me - you want to make yourself a batch of these babies.  But I can't promise that you'll want to share them.  Ask Andy.

Great American Bake Sale 6-25-2011

A few months ago, I signed up to participate in a Louisville chapter of the Great American Bake Sale.  All proceeds go to the charity Share Our Strength which helps fight childhood hunger in America.  I was excited and nervous at the same time.  I joined just a random team, which included one other person, Eve.

Eve is a total creative genius when it comes to sugar cookies!  She's the brains behind Sugar Circus and man does she have talent!  She ships her cookies anywhere too, so if you're interested in some custom made cookies - drop her a line!

Anyway, we ended up raising almost $200 so I'd say it was a success!  So check out the goods...

Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches, Oreo Stuffed Brownies, & Homemade Granola Bars!

Mini Nutella Pies - the poll winner from last Friday's poll!  Scroll down for a quick recipe =)

Used our CSA blueberries to make mini blueberry pies too!

Eve's awesome Angry Birds sugar cookies!  She also had Robots, Ice Cream Cones, True Blood, and UK & UofL cookies too!  She's got mad skills yo!

It was so great to meet Eve and her wonderful family!  I know Sugar Circus will do well because she's got some serious talent!

The bake sale was a great opportunity to support a great cause - and I'm definitely excited to get into more events like this!  Oh - and I actually already have.  Lauren over @ KeepItSweet is holding a blogger Bake Sale to Beat Cancer that's open until midnight Wednesday 6-29!  And I've got my Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie up for bid - so if you're in the U.S. and want a little taste of what I've got going on in my kitchen, place a bid - and help us beat cancer!  And even if you don't like my cookies - there's tons of other blogger goodies up for sale too so definitely check it out =)

Mini Nutella Pies

Nutella
Mini Pie Crusts
Chopped Hazelnuts, optional

Okay, there's really not a very detailed recipe to this.  It could get crazy if you wanted to make your own pie crust, but sometimes a girl's gotta take some shortcuts! 

Preheat oven to 350F.  My crusts were ready to bake so there was no need to pre-bake them before filling.  Just check out the directions on the pie crust box before you continue.

Fill the pie crusts about 1/2 way with Nutella.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until crust is golden.  Top pies with chopped hazelnuts.

Quick Nutella fix, right?  Right!

Anyway, I know it's late, so I won't keep ya.  Be back tomorrow - hopefully at an earlier time!

Caramel Brownies

My dinner guests didn't seem to mind either =)

So I ran a mile yesterday.  At 12:30 in the afternoon.  It was 85 F.  Needless to say, it was pretty brutal.  I managed to finish it in 9:39, so I guess that's not bad for starters, right?  It's a tad bit cooler today so maybe I won't feel like death afterwards.

I feel like such a baby complaining about 1 measly mile!  I know a lot of you run on a constant basis and are probably laughing at my pathetic complaints, so I'll try to keep them at a minimum =)

Anyway, this isn't the best picture ever, but frankly.   I couldn't not share this with you.  I should have been more patient and let the brownies firm up a bit more in the fridge (so that they would actually be photogenic - but nothing a scoop of vanilla ice cream can't fix), but instead, they were a big gloopy mess.  The tastiest pile of gloop I've ever eaten.  So yeah, make the brownies, let them set in the fridge (or not), and come and thank me. 

The recipe is from Mel's Kitchen Cafe (who's picture is WAY better than mine - go ahead, go check it out!)

The only thing I changed about it was that I didn't use pecans.  Instead, I topped my brownies with rainbow sprinkles, crushed walnuts, and a mixture of white & dark chocolate chips.  I was feeling a little gluttonous with the toppings. 

But anyway, have a great Wednesday guys!  And don't forget, tomorrow is the CSA round-up so if you feel like joining in, e-mail me at mtlabor85@yahoo.com!  Thanks again for stopping by =)

Peppermint Patty Brownies

Thanks to everyone who voted in the poll last week! Only had 19, but hey, not bad for the first go! Right? So maybe I can convince more to vote after I've concocted up some good eats? Maybe?

Well, there was a tie! Chocolate and Almonds were at the top of the list in a tie! And instead of taking the easy way out, and making something that included both ingredients, I've decided to split it up and do two different things! Sound good?

And I figured you all wouldn't be upset if I rocked out the chocolate first? Would you? Trust me, you won't be disappointed with these babies!

Ingredients:
Adapted from Let's Dish's recipe

shortening, for greasing
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 & 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup York peppermint candies, roughly chopped, plus extra for mixing in to batter

1 tablespoon peppermint schnapps

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

 

Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving a little overhang. Grease the foil with shortnening.
 

Melt 1 cup of the chocolate and all of the butter in a glass bowl in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring each time until melted and smooth.  Mine was melted in about 1 minute.  Cool chocolate mixture for about, 5 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt in large bowl.  Stir in chocolate mixture, then add flour.  Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the whole york peppermint candies, if desired. Transfer batter to prepared baking pan. Bake brownies toothpick comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to cooling rack and let brownies cool completely.

Bring the heavy whipping cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Remove from heat and add remaining 1 cup of chocolate.  Let sit for about 5 minutes.  Whisk in peppermint schnapps and stir until mixture is smooth.  Pour chocolate ganache over brownies in the pan and spread to cover completely. Let ganache cool for about 15 minutes and then sprinkle on crushed York peppermint patty candies.  Let sit in refrigerator for at least one hour before cutting. 

 

 

Using the foil overhang as an aid, lift brownie sheet from pan. Fold down the foil edges. Using a large sharp knife, cut brownies into small individual pieces, wiping your knife with a hot, moist cloth after each cut.  Arrange the brownies on a platter and serve (or keep them to yourself, as Andy suggested).

These were great!  I brought them into work and everybody who tried one said they were pretty tasty!  I love the layer of ganache on top of the brownie, too.  It just gives it that extra something special!  The only thing I regret is that the peppermint candies were white and blue, and someone commented at work today that I made Colts brownies... I almost didn't let that certain someone have a brownie. =)  Hehe!  Enjoy guys!  And definitely be prepared for an awesome almond recipe in the next few days!