Secret Recipe Club: The Best Frosted Brownies Ever

Once again it's time for the Secret Recipe Club. Group C took the month of December off to celebrate Christmas, so we are back and ready to go! Now I have to apologize for my lack of posts lately. My husband was seriously hurt in an accident involving a bucking horse and my attention has been needed elsewhere. He has required a lot of care and we still have a long road to full recovery, but at least there will be a full recovery and that is what matters.

But enough about me... I have an awesome blog to tell you about today. The Savvy Kitchen has something for everyone. I found so many great recipes and my super secret Pinterest board is chock full of goodies to try. The Slow Cooker Cuban Pork, Herb-Mustard Vinaigrette, and Bananas Foster are just a smattering of the delicious recipe selection. And all of them happen to be on my menu this month. I can't wait to try them.

I've been on a brownie kick lately and any recipe titled The Best Frosted Brownies Ever is just begging to be tried. My favorite part of the brownie is the corner piece. It is the perfect combination of crunchy edges and chewy inside. And these brownies are perfect. Once they were cut they didn't have a chance, and yes, I ate all 4 of the corner pieces. All. By. Myself.

I wish I could have cut these brownies to show you how chewy and delicious these are, but at my house, a cut pan of brownies is a gone pan of brownies. Had I cut these, there wouldn't have been one left to photograph, even if I was home alone. But with 6 ravenous kiddos at home, these didn't stand a chance. Better to be safe than sorry!

The Best Frosted Brownies Ever

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Creamy Brownie Frosting (recipe follows)
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan and set aside.
Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Add chocolate chips and combine well. Stir in nuts, if desired. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Prepare Creamy Brownie Frosting; spread over brownies. Cut into squares. About 16 brownies.
 
Creamy Brownie Frosting

3 tbsp. butter or margarine, softened
3 tbsp. Hershey's Cocoa 
1 tbsp. light corn syrup or honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 
1 cup powdered sugar 
1 tbsp. milk
Beat butter, cocoa, corn syrup and vanilla in small bowl until blended. Add powdered sugar and milk; beat to spreading consistency. About 1 cup frosting. 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars

I know I haven't posted a lot of pumpkin recipes this year, but I have been making plenty of them in my kitchen.  Like a lot of people, pumpkin is a fall obsession.  I figure I can get away with the over abundance of pumpkin flavored treats until Christmas, but after that it starts to get a little weird.

On to these amazing little beauties!  This is hands down one of my favorite pumpkin recipes.  It is so moist and so nicely spiced that I can't stop eating them.  I've learned that I have to make them when the kiddos are home so I don't eat the whole pan by myself.  Trust me, I don't need the calories!  :) I sent a plate with my hubby for the crew of hungry cops he works with (they don't always eat doughnuts) and they were a huge hit.  I even  got a few "orders" to send a copy of the recipe to their wives.  They are really great!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars
Makes 24 bars

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin (or 1 3/4 cups fresh pumpkin puree)
1/4 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Filling

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg

In a bowl, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until smooth. Beat in 2 eggs, pumpkin, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and water until well blended. In a separate bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and combine until well blended. Spread about 2/3 of the batter evenly into a 9 x 13 pan sprayed with cooking spray.

In a bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 egg, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over the pumpkin batter. Dollop the remaining pumpkin batter over the cream cheese batter and spread out as evenly as possible. Use a table knife to swirl together the cream cheese and top layer of pumpkin batter. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes, or until the center of the pumpkin batter springs back when touched. Cool on a wire rack.

Source:  Kim H.

Cinnamon Rice Crispy Treats

Rice Crispy Treats are one of my favorite snacks to make.  Not only because I can have them done in less than 10 minutes, but also because there are 1001 variations you can use.  I love to add peanut butter or frost them with something made of chocolate.  But this variation easily makes it into my Top 5 Rice Crispy Treats of all time list.  My kiddos loved it too and ate the entire batch in less than 5 minutes.  I had to hurry and put some away so I could take a picture.  Your kiddos will love you (even more than they already do) if them come home from school to these little beauties!

Cinnamon Rice Crispy Treats
Make about 24 treats

1/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 (10 oz.) package mini marshmallows
6 cups Rice Crispy cereal
3/4 cup toffee chips
1 cup chocolate chips
1 Tbs. vegetable shortening

In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the cinnamon and cook and stir until fragrant.  Stir in the marshmallows and allow to melt.

Stir in the cereal and toffee chips and mix well.  Press into a 9 x 13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

In the microwave, melt the chocolate chips and shortening 30 seconds at a time until smooth.  Drizzle over the Rice Crispy Treats.  Allow the chocolate to set before serving.

Source:  A Mommy's original recipe

Raspberry Patch Crumb Bars

 

The weather has finally started to cool down a little bit, if you can call a cool down dropping from the mid 90's to the high 80's.  But its been enough of a drop that the raspberries have finally started to produce again.  There are some great u-pick berry farms near my home so I've been really taking advantage of it.   With all the heat, my own berry patch has been really sad.  It's been hard to keep things watered well enough to get more than a handful of berries at a time.  I hate having to pay for berries, but at $2.00 a pound, I'm not going to complain.  If you're interested in finding a u-pick farm near you, go to Pick Your Own and do a search.  It's a fun after school activity for your kiddos.  Mine love it!

These amazing bars were the first thing I made with my huge box of raspberries.  And they were fantastic!!  The berries tasted so fresh and sweet.  I ate way more than my share of these bars!  You can also use frozen berries so that's a plus if fresh aren't available or are to expensive.

Raspberry Patch Crumb Bars
Makes about 36 bars

3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup shortening
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. almond extract
1 Tbs. cornstarch
4 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in eggs and extract.  Press two-thirds of the mixture into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine cornstarch and remaining sugar; add berries and gently toss.  Spoon over the crust.  Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.

Bake at 375° for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack.  Store in the refrigerator.

**If you are using frozen berries, do not thaw before tossing with the cornstarch mixture.**

Source:  Taste of Home

Rice Krispie S'mores Bars

I'm always on the look out for new after school snacks for my kiddos.  They are always starving when they get home from school, and if I don't have something ready for them they will raid the fridge and eat everything in sight.  Most of the time we have bottled or fresh fruit or veggies and crackers with some kind of dip (usually ranch dip).  But a couple of days a week I try to make something sweet and fun.

These were a huge hit with my kids.  We love making s'mores in our back yard fire pit, but since open fires have been banned all summer thanks to the hot, dry weather, we've had to resort to indoor s'mores.  These were simple to make and yummy to eat!


Rice Krispie S'mores Bars
Makes about 24 bars

7 graham crackers
2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
1 (12 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips
2/3 cup corn syrup
3 Tbs. butter or margarine
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups Rice Krispie cereal

Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with cooking spray and arrange the graham crackers in a single layer in the bottom of the pan.  You may need to break the crackers to make them fit.  Sprinkle the marshmallows over the crackers.

Bake at 375° for about 7 minutes or until the marshmallows are puffy.  Cool completely.

In a saucepan, combine the chocolate chips, corn syrup and butter.  Cook, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted.  Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter.  Then add the cereal and mix well.

Spread the chocolate mixture evenly over the marshmallows.  Refrigerate for about an hour or until firm.  Store in the refrigerator.

Source:  Walmart Holiday Entertaining 

Strawberry Cheesecake Sandwich Cookies

Pinterest strikes again!  Home of every good idea on the Internet, Pinterest has given me a ton of good recipe and decorating ideas, but so far, these cookies are my favorite.  It's not very often that I find something I'm so excited to make.  I love it even more that I got to make up the recipe myself.  It makes me feel so creative, even thought I'm really not.

These rich and delicious cookies are so simple to make but look so beautiful.  They use mostly prepackaged items, and you could even use a soft and chewy bakery chocolate chip cookies if you wanted. I love how the strawberries balance out the sweetness and richness of the chocolate and cheesecake.  I'm going to make these for my niece's bridal shower this summer.

Strawberry Cheesecake Sandwich Cookies
 Makes about 18 sandwich cookies

1 lb. strawberries, sliced thick

For the cookies:

1 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 (12 oz.) bag chocolate chips

  Heat oven to 350°.  Cream the shortening and sugars until creamy.  Add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, and mix well after each addition.  In a separate bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together then add to the shortening mixture and mix well.  Add the chocolate chips and mix again. 

Place the dough on a baking sheet using a cookie scoop to ensure the cookies are all the same size.  Bake for 9-11 minutes.  The cookies will look undercooked.  Remove from the pan immediately and allow to cool completely.

For the cheesecake frosting:


1 small box cheesecake pudding (you can use any flavor you like)
1 cup milk
~1 to 1 1/2 cup whipped topping


Mix the pudding and milk together until partially set.  Fold in the whipped topping.  Use more or less whipped topping depending on the flavor you want.


To Assemble:

Spread a layer of  cheesecake frosting on the bottom of 2 cookies.  Add thick slices of strawberries then sandwich them together.  Store in the refrigerator.  Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.

Source:  Cookie recipe from my dear friend Amy S.
Inspired by Pinterest

Blueberry Muffin Top Cookies

My hubby thinks I'm crazy.  I always tell him that after nearly 20 years together, he should know that by now.  The reason he thinks I'm crazy is because I like to use recipes I find in books.  In fact, I read the books just for the recipes.  My latest culinary novels are the Sadie Hoffmiller culinary mystery series by Josi S. Kilpack.  There are 6 books and they are a lot of fun to read.  And they have some fun recipes.  Today's recipe comes from book #5 Blackberry Crumble.

 

These cookies have fast become one of my favorites.  I dare say I prefer them over chocolate chip cookies. **GASP!**  They taste just like blueberry muffins but with sightly crunchy bottoms (which I love about them, by the way!).  Thanks to the lemon zest, they also have a nice lemony flavor, so don't skip it!

While I'm here, let me say something about lemon juice.  I have a pathological hatred of bottled lemon juice.  When you cook or bake, always use fresh lemon/lime/orange juice.  Please.  Pretty please.  With sugar on top.  It makes all the difference in the world.  Its worth the 35 cents for a fresh lemon.  Trust me.  Fresh food equals fresh taste, every time!

So without further ado, I give you the delicious, the fabulous, the blueberry-licious....

Blueberry Muffin Top Cookies
Makes about 24 cookies (I know, it doesn't make enough)

1⁄2 cup shortening
1⁄4 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
11/2 teaspoons lemon zest (can use 1 teaspoon lemon juice instead)
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
11⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh blueberries, or frozen blueberries (no need to thaw)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, cream the shortening, butter, egg, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and milk.

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add to shortening mixture until just mixed. Fold in blueberries, careful not to crush the berries. The batter might be a little crumbly.

Drop by teaspoonfuls (or 1-inch scoops) onto parchment or silicone-mat baking sheet (blueberries stick like crazy).  A baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray works too.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until muffin tops are golden brown. Cool on cookie sheet for two minutes before moving to a rack to cool.

Optional glaze

11⁄2 tablespoons butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together. Drizzle over cookies while cookies are still warm