4 Brownies, 4 Days: Day #1

As you may or may not know, my little sister is expecting a baby in just over a week.  Our good friends threw her a baby shower recently, and they asked me to make the desserts.  Jill's favorite dessert is brownies, so I made brownies...4 different kinds of brownies, actually.  I went all out.

Here we are in front of the dessert table.  Isn't she the cutest pregnant lady ever?! 

And here is the adorable dessert table, complete with "So Sweet" banner.

I know I have not been very good at posting recipes lately, so I am going to try my hardest to post these four brownie recipes in four days.  Think I can do it?  No?  Oh, well...ok.  We'll see.

I'm going to start with the coffee cream brownies.  They were my favorite.  Then again, anything with the word coffee in it is my favorite.  I'm obsessed with coffee; I'm not addicted to it.  I could totally go a day without coffee.  I just don't want to. 

Coffee Cream Brownies

Ingredients:

Brownies -

1/2 cup butter, cubed

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Coffee Cream Filling -

1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

Chocolate Ganache Glaze -

1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter an 8" x 8" metal baking pan.  Line pan with parchment paper for easy brownie removal.  Butter the parchment paper.

2.  Melt butter and chocolate.  Stir until smooth, and set aside to cool.

3.  In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract.  Stir in the chocolate mixture.  Add the flour and baking soda.  Stir just until combined.

4.  Spread batter in prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool brownies.

5.  In a small bowl, stir the coffee granules into the cream until dissolved.  

6.  In a stand mixer, cream the butter and powdered sugar until fluffy.  Beat in coffee mixture.  Add a little extra whipping cream if necessary to achieve a spreadable texture.  Spread over brownies.

7.  Eat the leftover coffee cream filling from the bowl.

8.  In a small saucepan, combine chocolate and whipping cream over low heat. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture has thickened.  Cool slightly before spreading over the coffee cream filling.  Let chocolate ganache set (in refrigerator, if necessary) before slicing brownies.  

Source:  Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Food for a Crowd

Anybody need to feed a crowd?  This BBQ Beer Chicken not only makes a ton, but it will also impress the aforementioned crowd.  It's the perfect summer recipe because you can just stick it in the Crock-Pot and enjoy the company of friends and family while it cooks away...and it doesn't hurt that it's very yummy...and that it's made with beer.  

BBQ Beer Chicken

Ingredients:

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon paprika

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup beer

4 cups (32 ounces) barbecue sauce

Directions:

1.  Combine everything except chicken in slow cooker.  Stir.

2.  Add the chicken to the slow cooker, covering chicken with sauce.

3.  Put lid on slow cooker and cook chicken on low for about 6 hours.

4.  Shred the chicken and return it to the sauce.  Toss together and let sit for 15 minutes.

5.  Serve on hamburger buns.

Source:  Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body

And I thought all hope was lost...

I have become very lazy about posting in my blog.  I've still been cooking and baking, but I just have not wanted to write about it lately.   Although I enjoy the thought of somebody reading my blog, I really post recipes here for myself.  It's a nice way to remember what I have made and a convenient spot to "store" recipes that I would like to make again.  

Since I haven't been keeping up on my blog, I am forgetting where my recipes came from in the first place.  Not cool.  Quite awhile ago, I made this awesome cheeseburger mac.  I had the pictures on my computer, but I couldn't for the life of me remember where I had found the original recipe.  I thought I would never find it in my long list of bookmarked blogs, but I did!  YAY!

Cheeseburger Mac

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

2 cups pasta (elbows or shells)

1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles (I recommend the 'mild' kind)

1 pack of taco seasoning

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 cups beef stock

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

Directions:

1.  Cook beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Drain if necessary and return to heat.

2.  Add taco seasoning and stir.  Add Rotel diced tomatoes and beef stock.  Stir.

3.  Add pasta and allow it to cook for 12-14 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed.

4.  Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Whisk in the flour.  Stir for 3-4 minutes.

5.  Whisk in the milk.  Continue to stir over medium-high heat until the mixture thickens.

6.  Remove sauce from heat and stir in cheese until melted.

7.  Add cheese sauce to pasta and stir everything to coat.

Source:  Table for Two    

Bacon, Gouda, and Apple Grilled Cheese

It has been forever since I've had a grilled cheese with just cheese in it.  I've discovered that there are SO many ingredients that can add flavor and texture.  The sweet and salty combination of this grilled cheese is perfect.  You can also sprinkle a little cinnamon on the apples before grilling the sandwich for an extra boost of flavor.

   

Bacon, Gouda, and Apple Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

bread

thinly-sliced apple

cooked bacon

sliced smoked Gouda cheese

butter

Directions:

1.  Butter outsides of 2 slices of bread.  Layer cheese, apple, and bacon on one slice of bread.  Top with the other slice of bread, making sure to put buttered side up.

2.  Grill sandwich in a skillet or an indoor grill until cheese is melted.

Source:  Gimme Some Oven

Bacon and Pumpkin Pasta

Random thoughts currently going through my mind:

1.  I have not blogged in a VERY long time.  My bad.

2.  Trains are loud, especially when my windows are open.

3.  Charles Kelley has a gorgeous voice.  Actually, he's just gorgeous.  Period.

4.  Boys smell (figuratively speaking).

5.  My apartment smells amazing (literally, thanks to some banana bread baking in the oven).

6.  10 MORE DAYS UNTIL SUMMER BREAK!

7.  I really want to make more coffee.  I love coffee.  Somebody please conduct an intervention.

8.  I can't believe there's a hole in my Lazy Triathlon t-shirt.  I worked my butt off for that free t-shirt (for real, my jeans were too big by the end of it)! 

...and last but not least...

9.  I did not think I could love pumpkin any more than I already do, but I keep finding new ways to enjoy it.  Like with pasta, for example!  It completely surprised me that I liked this recipe as much as I did.  Then again, it's pumpkin and bacon paired with pasta.  How could that not be delicious?  I will definitely be making this one again.

Healthy Bacon & Pumpkin Pasta

Ingredients:

2 cups whole grain shell-shaped pasta

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 ounce light cream cheese

1/4 cup fat-free evaporated milk

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

pepper, to taste

1/4 cup cooked and crumbled bacon

1/4 cup sliced green onions

Directions:

1.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Drain pasta and return to the pot.

2.  Over low heat, add the pumpkin, cream cheese, evaporated milk, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Stir until cream cheese is melted and mixture is warm.  

3.  Transfer to a serving dish and top with bacon and green onions.

Source:  Pinch of Yum 

Oh, yum.

Who can resist spinach-artichoke dip?!  Definitely not me.  This is spinach-artichoke dip on pizza crust, and it is a genius idea.  Genius, I tell you.

You know what's not a genius idea...eating the whole pizza.  Whoops.

Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Pizza

Ingredients:

one batch pizza dough (or one refrigerated tube of pizza dough if you don't feel like making the dough yourself...I don't judge...it's possible that I used the kind in a tube)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 shallot, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (6 oz) bag fresh spinach

1 (14 oz) can of artichoke hearts (about 5-7)

2/3 cup ricotta cheese

8 ounces mozzarella cheese

4 ounces parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Prepare pizza dough for baking by pressing into a pan.

2.  Drain artichokes and squeeze with a paper towel.  Roughly chop and press with a paper towel again.  Combine ricotta cheese and artichokes in a bowl.

3.  Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  Add shallots and a pinch of salt.  Cook until translucent.  Add garlic and spinach and toss to coat.  Cook until spinach is wilted.

4.  Add spinach mixture to bowl with artichokes and ricotta.  Stir in salt, pepper, 1/4 cup parmesan, and 1/2 cup mozzarella.   

5.  Brush 1 teaspoon olive oil over dough.  Sprinkle some mozzarella over the dough, and then evenly spread spinach ricotta mixture over the top.  Cover with remaining cheeses.  

6.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.

Source:  How Sweet It Is

Again with the best friend...

I know I talk about my best friend, Cindi, a lot on this blog.  Sorry about that.  She's pretty cool though.

So, my best friend left me for Colorado.  I can't blame her.  Colorado is a great place to live.  Before she left, we got together with some of our high school friends for a little goodbye party, and I made these delicious Cookie Dough Truffles.  

Cindi and I used to do a lot of "baking" when we were younger.  We would often make chocolate chip cookies just so we could eat the raw dough.  I know, I know...naughty.  We once tried to make it without the eggs so that we wouldn't be in danger of contracting salmonella from the massive amounts of dough we were about to eat.  It did not go so well.  In fact, it was a disaster.  Too bad we didn't use the Internet all that much back then, because this recipe would have been perfect.  It's cookie dough (without the eggs) covered in chocolate.  I repeat, it's cookie dough COVERED in chocolate.  Could anything be better?

   

Cookie Dough Truffles

Ingredients:

8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

3 cups (about 18 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

3 tablespoons shortening

Directions:

1.  Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.  Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract.  Stir in the miniature chocolate chips.  Refrigerate until firm enough to form balls.

2.  Form 1-1/2 inch balls of dough and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.  Freeze for 1-2 hours.

3.  Melt the chocolate chips and shortening in the microwave following the directions on the package of chocolate chips.  Dip each truffle in the chocolate coating using forks or dipping tools.  Transfer to a baking sheet covered in wax paper.  Store truffles in the refrigerator. 

Source:  Dainty Chef