The Best Fudgy Brownies Ever!!!

For starters, I'm not on my home wireless connection and this one at my mother-in-law's is dodgy. Apparently. I've already lost my post once.  Fingers crossed it doesn't happen again.

Getting back to what I originally came here to do... these fudgy brownies are incredible!  I made them for my husband for Valentine's Day so he could enjoy his favorite treat.  It doesn't hurt that brownies are among my all-time favorite goodies too ;')

So back to trolling online I went in search of THE recipe that would deliver me decadent, chewy, gooey brownies.  I found them here on allrecipes.com

They're easy to make and the longest part of the process was actually mixing it all together.  No biggie.

FUDGE BROWNIES

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter, melted

3 cups white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.

Combine the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, until thoroughly blended.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until blended. Stir in the chocolate morsels. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove, and cool pan on wire rack before cutting.

Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars with Pink Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

I know, Valentine's Day was yesterday.  So that meant I was busy baking for my sweetie... yesterday.  Today I post the yummies.  This time it was Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars with Pink Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting the recipe for which I found here.  Unfortunately, my pictures weren't all too sexy, but you get the idea...

Major YUM!!!  Although I made the cookie bars in the same size pan that the recipe calls, so they came out really tall.  Since they're so good though, I don't think pan size matters. 

And probably because they came out taller than they should have, their consistency is more like brownies or a dense cake.  With the cinnamon in there, OMG, these are just delicious. 

Essentially, I baked these for myself (well not really for me since I give them out at whatever yoga studio I'm teaching at that day).  Meaning, my husband prefers fudgy brownies rather than anything too vanilla.  Don't worry, I made him his favorite brownies for Valentine's Day.  Me, I can go for both :')

SNICKERDOODLE COOKIE BARS

INGREDIENTS:

(For the bars)

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour

(vanilla cream cheese frosting)

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 1/2+ cups powdered sugar
splash of milk or water, if needed
(pink) food coloring, optional

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375F and prepare a 8×8 or 9×9-inch pan by lining it with foil and then spraying it with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and mix until combined. Add the baking soda and flour and mix until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. The batter will be very thick and sticky, like cookie dough. Use your hands if necessary to spread it evenly. Bake at 375F for 19 to 22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle of the pan comes out clean. While the bars are baking, prepare the frosting.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter and cream cheese until combined and it begins to fluff. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar (one-half cup at a time after 3 cups) and mix until desired frosting consistency is reached. Carefully add the food coloring, one drop at a time, until desired color is reached. After the bars have cooled, frost them. Optionally, garnish with sprinkles, candy bits, sanding sugar, or any optional garnish of your choice. Consider storing the bars in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese and butter in the frosting; the bars freeze well and will keep in the freezer for up to three months.

 

Valentine's Truffles

I began experimenting with this at Christmas time.  You can find those results (and recipe) here.  These are some of the yummiest and easiest treats you can make.  And with Valentine's Day only 2 days away, you don't need a ton of time to put these together.

Well actually, that's not entirely true.  The Red Velvet Cream Cheese Truffles required baking in order to make the Red Velvet Cream Cheese-iced treats. 

RED VELVET CREAM CHEESE TRUFFLES

The recipe for the Red Velvet Cream Cheese Swirl Bars can be found here.  You'll need these in order to make the Red Velvet Cream Cheese Truffles.

DIRECTIONS:

Melt down whatever chocolate you want to use to create the shell for these truffles (ie; milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white, etc...).  Be sure to use baking chocolate as it will melt and coat the truffles best.  I use Callebaut morsels.  They're on the pricey side but so worth it.

Mix red velvet cream cheese swirl bars together in a large bowl. But do NOT overmix.  You still want to be able to see the cream cheese bits.  Using a tablespoon-sized scooper, scoop out some of the mix into the melted chocolate.

Use a fork to remove the truffle from the chocolate and place it on wax paper to harden.  Once the batch is done you can allow them to chill in the fridge.  If you want afterward, melt some additional chocolate and drizzle on top of the truffles to make some fun designs.


VALENTINE'S COOKIE TRUFFLES

These are so easy to make you don't even have to bake!  They just require a little bit of love and patience (so they come out all pretty :)

Again, recipe and directions for the Oreo Cookie Truffles are here. 

Red Velvet Cream Cheese Swirl Bars

A great Valentine's treat right here.  What a great excuse to bake more goodies.  This is a new recipe for me; never made anything "red velvet".  Can you believe it?

Of course there are more I want to get to (cookies, truffles, cheesecake...nom, nom, nom), but frankly I don't know that I have the time before Tuesday comes around.

Regardless... here are the red velvet cream cheese swirl bars.  Recipe is courtesy of Big Fat Baker.  When I saw those pictures I caved immediately.  Weak in the knees.  Mixing two of my favorite things: cream cheese and brownies.  OY!

RED VELVET CREAM CHEESE SWIRL BARS

INDREDIENTS:

Bar layer:
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbl red food coloring
1 tsp white distilled vinegar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Cream cheese layer:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 8"x8" baking dish with parchment paper or foil and spray with cooking spray.

In medium bowl, combine melted butter with sugar and mix well.  Add vanilla, cocoa powder, salt, food coloring, and vinegar in that order, mixing between additions.

Whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each.  Fold in the flour.  Pour all batter excet 1/4 cup into prepared baking pan.

To make the cream cheese layer, blend together the cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla.  Spread the cream cheese on top of the brownie batter.  Drop dollops of remaining brownie batter over cream cheese layer.  Using a knife, swirl through the cream cheese mixture to create a swirl pattern.

Bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven and cool completely before cutting into squares.

PERSONAL NOTES:

While these dessert bars taste wonderful, they didn't turn out like your typical fudgy brownie.  These ended up more cake-like.  So just know when you get started that this is what to expect.  They're still super moist and chewy, just not as dense as a brownie.

Up next... I use some of these red velvet cream cheese swirl bars to make cake truffles!  NOM NOM NOM!

Roasted Acorn Squash & Quinoa Pasta

This dish is probably the best thing I've come across in a LONG time.  Not only is this a keeper, but I think it'll be something I make several more times through the end of the winter.

I made this dish twice.  It's based on a recipe found here.  I adapted it to make a pasta sauce, baked pasta dish as well as a soup.  It's more than fair to say that this is a versatile recipe.

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH & QUINOA PASTA

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup onion

1 tablespoon butter or oil

1 garlic clove

2 cups pureed acorn squash (from 1 roasted corn squash)

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (divided in half)

Parmesan for topping

2 boxes elbow pasta (8oz boxes)

DIRECTIONS:

1. To roast acorn squash, cut squash in half and remove seeds. Place cut side down in a pan filled with about a 1/2″ of water. Roast at 400˚ until squash is tender (mine took about 30 minutes.) Remove and let cool. Scoop out the insides and set aside (this can be done the day before as well.)
2. Cook pasta according to package (or about 2-3 minutes less to make it al dente).
3. In a bowl, stir together the acorn squash, ricotta cheese and Parmesan.
4. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Finely dice onions and add to pan along with chopped garlic. Cook until onions are translucent and cooked through.
5. Add onions/garlic and squash mixture and puree in a food processor till smooth.
6. Once everything is ready, spoon squash mixture onto pasta.
7. **If you're making the baked version** Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 casserole dish. Combine cooked pasta and squash mixture. Put it in the casserole dish and top with either breadcrumbs or parmesan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, just enough to get the top a little crispy.

PERSONAL NOTES:

Okay.  So I've made this dish twice now.  It was delicious both times.  Actually, the first time I made the acorn squash mix, I was spooning it out from the food processor right into my mouth.  I could have made a meal just out of that alone.  It was that good.

That said, I decided to see what else I could make from the original recipe. 

Let me rewind for a moment.  Since I didn't have pasta shells, I decided to use the quinoa pasta I had which was elbows.  I made the acorn squash mix as a sauce.

Then the wheels started turning and I thought that it would make a good baked dish, similar to a macaroni and cheese - in the loosest sense of the phrase. 

But then I also thought it would make a great soup if it was thinned out to the right consistency.

Oh - the acorn squash.  It's easier to cut through and set up than butternut squash, but once cooked, it's still a little challenging to scoop out the cooked parts.  There's probably an easier way to do it, but I find my hands get mighty dirty in the process.  Then again, maybe it's good to get the hands dirty now and again ;)

TO MAKE ROASTED ACORN SQUASH SOUP:

Add 1 cup vegetable broth and 1 cup half and half (I used fat free, but the real thing would make it even creamier :) to a large saucepan with the acorn squash mix and simmer for about 30 minutes.

YUM.

Baked Zucchini & Sweet Potato Chips

Since I had the zucchini I decided to make these baked zucchini chips.  Then I decided that since I also had a sweet potato to use, I'd try it as a baked chip too.  They're fun, no doubt about that.  But they were a bit time consuming to prepare.  In an effort to save time, I used my food processor, but that wasn't the time-killer.  Dipping the slices into flour-->egg-->bread crumbs (back to)-->egg-->bread crumbs took some time.  Then I had to contend with everything sticking to my fingers which was a little gross.  Then as I'm dipping one piece into the next mix, I'm dragging bread crumbs and things are clumping up and well, take my word for it; it was time consuming.

Once I filled up a cookie sheet with all the chips, the rest was easy.  They don't come out super crispy or anything, but they're just tasty.  Even as leftovers, they're good :)

BAKED ZUCCHINI & SWEET POTATO CHIPS

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs 

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 

2 egg whites

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
2. In one small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Place the egg whites in a separate bowl. Dip zucchini slices into the egg whites, then coat the breadcrumb mixture. Place on a greased baking sheet.
3. Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn over and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until browned and crispy.

PERSONAL NOTES:
I think I cooked mine at about 375 degrees, not 475... that seems awfully high.  I also ended up cooking them for about 10-15 minutes each side.  So my advice to you on this would be to cook them as directed and check to see if they're done or need more time.  Everyone's oven is different. 

And on second thought... since I made the leftover slices the next day, it was too much work.  I'm not sure I'd make these again.  As I said though, they taste really good. They're just time consuming :(

Spinach and Mushroom Frittata

I'm so glad I discovered frittatas.  I've always been a big fan of quiche but the crust is typically so calorie-laden that I tend to shy away from eating too much of it.  But since I've been making these frittatas, I can have the quiche without the crust.  Plus they're easy to make and not guilt-inducing.  Which makes me an even bigger fan!

The following recipe is based on this one from allrecipes.com

SPINACH & MUSHROOM FRITTATA

INGREDIENTS:

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed thoroughly to remove liquid

4 eggs or equivalent egg substitute 

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

3/4 cup chopped portobello mushrooms 

1/2 cup finely chopped scallions with some green tops

1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasonings

1 pinch Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well mixed. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray and fill with the spinach mixture.
3. Bake for 30 minutes, or until browned and set. Let cool for 20 minutes, cut in wedges and serve.

PERSONAL NOTES:

The Monterey Jack cheese is my addition to the recipe.  And I also used Egg Beaters to lower calories and cholesterol. 

This is so easy to make there's really no excuse not to go for this when you're looking for a good (and low-cal per slice) meal.

At 6 servings, each slice is only about 230 calories! Whooh!