The Everything But The Kitchen Sink Brownie Bar

Ever since getting married I have been on a baking terror. Seriously I need Bakers Anonymous or something. I can't go a week without whipping up something insanely tasty (and insanely unhealthy). I swore to myself I was going to limit my baking activities, which lasted until last Friday when my brother looked at me with these big puppy dog eyes and inquired when I was going to bake something because his sweet tooth was acting up. Now who am I to deny a child his dessert? (He's actually 19, but just go along with my baking justification).

So, I gave in. I baked cookies. I baked brownies. I baked Oreos. I baked it all in ONE DESSERT! All these ingredients and more were required in these "Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie n' Oreo Fudge Brownie Bar" from a blog called "Kevin & Amanda". Try saying that recipe name three times fast. And on top of that, I added my own spin on things. Before I give out the recipe, feast your eyes on these pics and try to refrain from drooling on your keyboards. 

So much goodness 

Photo from www.kevinandamanda.com 

Ready to bake? Here is the recipe:

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie n’ Oreo
Fudge Brownie Bar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 ounces) milk chocolate chips
1 pkg Double Stuffed Oreos
1 Family Size (9×13) Brownie mix

1 Bag of pre-unwrapped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (*My personal revision)
1/4 cup hot fudge topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream the butter and both sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well to thoroughly combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt, then slowly incorporate into the mixer until the flour is just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread the cookie dough in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish that’s been lined with wax paper and sprayed with cooking spray. Top with a layer of Oreos. Mix together brownie mix, adding an optional 1/4 cup of hot fudge topping to the mix. Pour the brownie batter over the cookie dough and Oreos. Sprinkle Reese's Peanut Butter Cups on top (if you are adding my revision). Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for an additional 15-25 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting — brownies may still be gooey in the middle when still warm, but will set up perfectly once cooled. Enjoy!!

To half this recipe for an 8×8 brownie mix, simply half the chocolate chip cookie dough ingredients.

First layer: Cookie dough

Next layer: Double Stuffed Oreos 

Third layer: Brownie mix 

Add the Reese's 

Fresh out of the oven

Pros: Just reading the recipe again makes me want to bake it all over again! Seriously, how can you go wrong with those ingredients?! It was all that I hoped it would be and more. The recipe was easy to follow and the baking time for my oven was just about accurate although it did take me the full 25 minutes for the second baking time period for the brownies to cook all the way. I would definitely recommend letting it sit after it is done baking so that everything can settle otherwise it will be a bit runny. I know, the wait is the torturous part, but it is worth it! I've devoured this warm and room temperature and either way it is delicious. After a few days out I would recommend heating it up though just because the only thing that starts to go a little stale is the cookie part.

Don't forget the vanilla ice cream!

This leads me to the good (and bad) part of this dessert: it lasts for days. I would recommend making this when you either 1. Have a lot of people to feed or 2. Have people in mind to force this dessert on the next day so you don't end up with a whole pan to eat by yourself. Unless your metabolism is supernatural, then I say keep it all for yourself! 

Cons: The only real problem I had was figuring out when it was done. I didn't want to burn the cookies or under bake the brownies. I think mine turned out just fine, but once again, the cookies dried out faster than the brownies after a few days left out.

Revisions: If you remotely enjoy Reese's I say adding them is a must! That little bit of peanut butter really put this dessert over the top. In fact, I think you could really get creative and add some crushed butterfingers, M&M's, caramel sauce, etc and make it your own.

I don't even feel like I should have to say it but, we are all in agreement that this is a Hall of Fame recipient right? Right. 

"Let's Get Chocolate Wasted!"

I am a sucker for catchy food names, so when I discovered this little gem for "Chocolate Wasted Cake", I knew I had to try it. I found the perfect excuse with my new job and my brother's first day at a new college.

This is a great multi-step cake for beginners and bakers looking to perfect their cake skills alike, plus it's a great recipe that allows you to use what you have in the pantry for the topping. (Hint hint all that leftover Christmas stocking candy...)

The recipe comes from "The Art of Dessert", a self-explanatory blog that I discovered thanks to Pinterest. This is my first recipe from this blog, and with the ease I found making this delectable dish, I will definitely be checking out future recipes. Let's get to the good stuff...

The Art of Dessert. A work of art. Photo from http://www.artofdesign.com/

Mine

Oh my.

Check out that drizzle. I ain't even complainin' about the mess

Chocolate Wasted CakeMakes 8-12 servings
Allergy Note: contains wheat and dairy ingredients
(See notes for allergen-friendly or vegan alternatives)

cake: 
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
1 cup butter, melted
4 tsp. honey
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

frosting:
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1/3-1/2 cup whole milk (start out with 1/3 cup of milk and add more milk to your desired consistency)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

liqueur for drizzling on the cake layers (i.e. chocolate, coffee or almond)

melted chocolate for drizzling, :
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips*
(* I didn't have enough chocolate chips, so I melted 4 Hershey's Bars instead)
2-3 Tbs. heavy cream or vegetable oil
semi-sweet chocolate chips for the sides of the cake

assorted chocolate candies for the top of the cake*

To make the cake:

(Note: Instead of milk, you can replace it with water or cooled brewed coffee. Instead of butter, you can use vegetable oil. Instead of honey, you can use corn syrup or agave nectar. Instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips, you can use Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips. For allergen-free alternatives for the candies, you can try Enjoy Life chocolate chips, bars or cookies)

Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease and dust two 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans with cocoa powder. Set aside.

Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, combine milk, butter, honey and vanilla extract. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the milk/butter mixture. Mix until combined.  Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Pour in the batter into prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and wait for about 10 minutes to remove from cake pans and place on a cooling rack.  Allow to cool completely before decorating.

Mix the dry ingredients.

Mix the wet. I LOVE my brand new Mixer!

Add dry ingredients to wet. Mix till combined.

Baked cakes!

To make the frosting:

Note: instead of butter, you can use any allowed margarine, Spectrum organic vegetable shortening, or coconut oil.  Instead of milk, you can use rice milk or soy milk.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add the butter, milk and vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer, slowly mix together at a low speed. Once all the ingredients are combined, increase the speed and beat till fluffy.

It is so much easier mixing for 2-4 minutes without a hand mixer.

To assemble the cake:

Place the first cake layer on a plate or cake circle.  Lightly drizzle with liqueur.  Spread an even layer of frosting. Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting. Lightly drizzle with liqueur. Cover the sides and top of the cake with frosting.  Cover the sides of the cake with semi-sweet chocolate chips and cover the top with assorted chocolate candies. Drizzle the melted chocolate all over the top of the cake and let it drip down the sides of the cake.

Frosting the cake. (I'm not that good at making pretty desserts as we now know)

The final product post drizzle

(*I don't drink so I left out the liqueur completely. It's just as good and will still get you plenty wasted...chocolate wasted ;)

Pros: Did you see the pictures!? I think they speak for themselves. The cake is amazing and the recipe is very easy to follow. Also, the time it takes to bake the cake gives you the perfect time to prepare the frosting, get some dishes washed and out of the way, and prep for the decoration of the cake.

Cons: That it is going to force me to buy a bigger pair of pants. Other than that I have no qualms.

Revisions: My first revision was actually a mistake. I left out a stick of butter from the cake (oops), but it actually turned out just fine, it just finished baking sooner and wasn't as moist as if I had used the correct amount. Also, I left out the liqueur and used chocolate bars instead of chocolate chips, melted, for the drizzle. As far as the topping goes, I just used what I had, which included: mini marshmallows, tiny chocolate bars, M&M's, and crumbled double stuffed oreos. Ok now I'm hungry again.

This is a definite hall of famer. It will become your go to cake (although don't make my mistake and bake it for only three people!). So, get creative, use what you have for the topping, and get chocolate wasted!

Can we just take a moment to ooo and ahhh over my new mixer? I am seriously in love.

Homemade Hostess Cupcakes (A Hall of Fame Recipient!)

A few weeks ago I went back up north to visit family and friends and decided it was time to unveil my new found baking skills. This was a big deal. It's hard to really grasp how anti-kitchen, anti-baking I was until a couple of months ago. The thought of making a box of brownies used to be a daunting task for me and any excuse I could find to take out dinner, I would. Why did I change my ways? I'm not sure, but I think it was partially that my biological domestic clock finally kicked into gear and I was ready to uncover my inner Martha Stewart.

I have to admit, I was rather excited to show off what I had learned and decided to try a new recipe to test my skills that wasn't too difficult, but promised to be delicious. I chose to make Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache and Cream Filling, basically a Homemade Hostess Cupcake. The recipe comes from "Ming Makes Cupcakes", a blog about, well, cupcakes. Although it is a three step process it is surprisingly easy and AH-MAZING! These were an instant hit amongst family and friends and did not last long on the dinner table. Also, these may be the best looking cupcakes or dessert in general I've ever made. They actually look like the picture for once! Small victories. Here's the recipe: (ps. it yields 12 cupcakes)

Here are mine:

Her's. Photo from http://www.mingmakescupcakes.yolasite.com/

Yummm. Everyone loves cream filling

Pros: I can't even think of the adequate adjective to describe just how yummy these are. The chocolate is chocolatey, the cream is creamy, it's perfection in a cupcake!

Con: I didn't love the set up of the recipe. In fact, I even screwed up the first time through making these and followed the instructions for making the ganache when I was making the cream filling. I would suggest saving the recipe to your desktop and reformatting it to your liking.

Revisions: NONE! But, I have a nifty suggestion for carving out the middle of the cupcake for the ganache. Instead of using a knife, I used a little tool I got from Williams and Sonoma. It's called a cupcake corer and it makes a neat little hole in the cupcake for you to fill with whatever you desire. It really saved time and was super easy to use. Best of all it's only $5!

Cupcake Corer. Photo from http://www.williams-sonoma.com/

These are a definite Hall of Fame recipe. They are relatively simple to make and delicious. You'll never want to buy the store bought kind ever again!

Funfetti Sandwich Cookies: The Cookie for the Decorating Disabled

I have a confession to make. I am terrible at "beautifying" desserts or anything creative for that matter. I was that kid with the ugly poster during class presentations in middle school with the slanted writing and uneven cutting while other girls had glittery perfectly shaped posters with bubbly handwriting (the kind where you put an "o" instead of a dot over your I's, you know what I'm talking about). I hated those girls. The point is, while the final project wasn't always pretty, the content was there. The same goes for my baking; it may not always look picture perfect, but it usually tastes delicious. Unless it's a horrific recipe of course.


So this recipe is for you ladies (and handful of men) out there that were ugly poster makers like myself. These cookies even the playing field. It is impossible to fail at making these cookies look like the picture and therefore delicious, which they are. This first recipe comes from Baked Perfection and they are called "Funfetti Sandwich Cookies". I knew I was going to love these because A. I love anything in sandwich form and B. They incorporate my favorite food group: sprinkles. 

Hers. (Photo from BakedPerfection.com)

Mine. (See! Not half bad!) 

The Recipe: 


Funfetti Sandwich Cookies

recipe from Baked Perfection

makes approximately 24 sandwich cookies

1 (18.25) package Funfetti Cake

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pour cake mix into a large bowl. Stir in eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla until combined. Drop teaspoons of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 7-9 minutes in the preheated oven. The bottoms will be light brown. Move cookies to a cooling rack, cool completely before assembling.

Frost bottom side of half the cookies. Top with unfrosted cookie. Roll edges in assorted sprinkles.

Very Vanilla Frosting

recipe by Baked Perfection

1 stick of butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

pinch of salt

1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

Beat butter and vanilla until creamy. Add salt. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until combined. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency

I honestly have no edits, it is very straight forward. The only recommendation I would make is to have plenty of sprinkles on hand because those suckers require a lot! Also, have someone to give them to or you may end up eating 14 on your own in one sitting (not that I did that of course). 

Overall I give this recipe two thumbs up. They are easy to make without being your run of the mill cookie, colorful, and most importantly, insanely good.