Blackout Brownies

Blackout brownies

As we close out another week, I thought blackout brownies would be a good treat to bring into work. Rob gave them a 👍 and I think my work friends will enjoy them too.

Remember to scoop your flour and baking cocoa from their containers into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. Also, preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking so it cycles to the right temp. And right after taking brownies out of the oven,make the frosting. I frosted the brownies while still warm.

A little messy, but good!
  • Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup corn syrup (or honey)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup baking cocoa
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees so it cycles to the right temp. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray. In a bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients. Add chips. Spread evenly into pan. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Now, onto the frosting!

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 3 tbs butter, softened
  • 3 tbs baking cocoa
  • 1 tbs corn syrup (or honey)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 to 3 tbs milk

In a bowl, combine butter and baking cocoa. Add corn syrup then powdered sugar. Add milk, one tbs at a time, until you get the consistency you want. Frost warm brownies. Let them cool completely and store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by today! I wish you a wonderful day, filled with happiness, peace and love.

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Chocolate peanut butter chip cookies

I have made a LOT of chocolate chip cookies (or some version of them) lately and was looking to break out of the box. I noticed I had some Reese’s peanut butter chips among my morsels collection, and thought I would put them in some large chocolate cookies. So here is that recipe.

Remember to spoon your flour and cocoa from their bag or container into your measuring cup so you get the correct amount. If you directly pour into the measuring cup, it gets packed in, and you can wind up with a dry cookie. Also, chill the mounds of cookie dough for a few hours to prevent spreading of the cookies in the oven. And, preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes so it cycles to the right temp.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 1/2 cups flour (scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cup, so you get the right amount)
  • 1 cup unsweetened baking cocoa (scooped from your container into your measuring cup)
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 bag peanut butter chips

Directions – cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients. Blend in chips. Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough. Chill in fridge a few hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes so it cycles to the right temp. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners. Stagger cookies on prepared sheer – a row of 2, a row of 1, a row of 2, a row of 1 (I fit 6 or 8 on a sheet, depending on size of sheet). Bake 10 to 12 minutes (no longer. You don’t want the bottoms to burn). Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I wish you a day filled with peace, joy and happiness!

7

An ode to Keebler Cookies Magic Middles

Fudge filled chocolate chip cookies

Rob and I were talking about store bought cookies from childhood and I mentioned the only ones I really liked were magic middles by Keebler and Mystic Mint (which I know may gross some people out, because they can’t accept mint in a dessert, but I loved them). Anyways, Rob had never heard of magic middles, but I told him I remembered them as a chocolate chip cookie with melted chocolate inside. I looked them up and it was more of a shortbread cookie, but I decided to do my own version with chocolate chip cookie dough. Of course, I did not make enough fudge, so I used leftover Reese’s eggs for the remainder of the dough and added mini m&ms so the cookies could be told apart.

Filled with mini Reese’s eggs

Reminders – scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. Do not pour directly from the bag and pack it in. Give yourself time with these. The fudge needs to harden a bit (I scooped put individual scoops of 1 1/2 tbs, put them in the fridge. Once I stuffed the cookies with then, I popped them in the freezer to make sure the fudge didn’t leak all over the place).

  • Fudge ingredients
  • 14 oz condensed milk
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • In a saucepan, combine condensed milk and chips over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Grease a sheet of tin foil with butter (I sprayed with butter spray). Scoop out 1 1/2 tbs fudge and place in the fridge for about an hour to firm up.
  • Cookie dough ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions – cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Fold in chips. Scoop out 1/4 cups of cough and divide in half. Slightly flatten and place a ball of fudge on top.

Top with second half of slightly flattened dough.

Seal edges

I ran out of fudge, so I used mini reese’s eggs for the rest of the dough.

And I used mini m&ms for the Reese’s, so people can tell the difference between them and fudge filled cookies

Chill cookie dough for a few hours or freeze for an hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. Bake 12 to 15 minutes (light golden patches on top). Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Brownie cupcakes with fudge frosting

I got an unusual request from Rob. Chocolate cupcakes topped with chocolate frosting and coconut. Normally, coconut is not his bag.. but luckily I had coconut in my stash of baking items (it is rare I am missing anything). So I made a small batch (5) of jumbo brownie cupcakes, frosted them and sprinkled them with coconut. Not sure what to do with the rest of the coconut. Of course, you do not have to use coconut. And you can use regular size cupcake pans and liners, but they will cook in less time.

All that chocolate goodness!
  • Ingredients
  • 1 stick butter
  • 4 oz unsweetened chocolate (I used a bar of baker’s and broke it into pieces
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup flour

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Line a jumbo cupcake pan with jumbo cupcake liners. in a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and unsweetened chocolate in 40 second increments until you can stir smooth. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes. Add sugar and brown sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and stir until just blended. Spoon 2/3 cup batter into prepared pans for jumbo cupcakes. Spoon 1/3 into regular size cupcakes. Jumbo cupcakes take 18 to 22 minutes to bake. Regular take 15 to 19 minutes. (A toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs) The middles might seem a little soft, but they will continue to cook in the pan after being removed from oven. I always err of the side of underbaking. Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/2 stick butter soft
  • 2 tbs unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tbs milk

Blend butter and baking cocoa. Add powdered sugar. Add milk. You can add more powdered sugar and /or milk to get the consistency you want. Frost cupcakes. Sprinkle with coconut.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful day filled with peace, love and joy. Remember to be kind!

Brownie stuffed chocolate chip cookies

Now that’s a cookie!

To celebrate having one of our favorite co-workers on campus this week in Bristol – the one and only Harry Douglas, of “Fitz and Harry” on ESPN Radio, as well as day 2 of the 2023 NFL draft, I present brownie stuffed chocolate chip cookies. I “cheated” and used a mix for the brownies. But honestly, I think brownie mixes are just fine to use and make great brownies, especially when you are pressed for time.

Nothing wrong with using a brownie mix!

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the correct amount. If you pour directly from the bag to the measuring cup, it gets packed in, and you could end up with dry cookies! I chilled the dough overnight to prevent spreading. Also, preheat the dough for 20 minutes before baking so it gets to the right temp.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 pan brownies baked and cooled, cut into 2 inch squares
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup crisco
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream crisco, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. If dough seems a little try, add a tbs or 2 of water. Fold in chips. Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough. Divide in half and slightly flatten.

Place a small brownie square on top.

Top with other half of flattened cookie dough

Seal edges so you can’t see brownie.

Chill dough at least a few hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners. Stagger cookies on sheet. Bake 13 minutes – there will be light golden patches on top. Don’t bake them too much longer. Even if they are a little doughy, they will firm up. Store in covered container.

There is magic inside this cookie!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I wish you peace and joy today. Remember to be kind. Life can be so hard for people. We are all fighting a battle, and some are worse than others.

Very puffy triple chip cookies

As we enjoy another night of Stanley Cup playoff hockey, I decided to make some chocolate chip cookies. These are made with browned butter and 2 oz of cream cheese. The cream cheese helped them stay thick and they did not spread out at all. You can not taste the cream cheese at all! They stayed nice and puffy and are loaded with 3 kinds of chocolate chips.

A few notes – browned butter is super easy. Place the butter in a sauce pan, cook over low heat . A few minutes after it completely melts, brown specks will appear. Turn off the pan and pour butter in bowl. Let it cool for 30 minutes. Spoon your flour from your flour bag into your container so you get the right amount. And preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking so your oven cycles to the right temp.

1/2 cup butter

2 oz cream cheese (I used low fat)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 yolk

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cup flour (scooped from your flour bag into your measuring cup)

1 tbs cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2/3 cup white chocolate chips

2/3 cup milk chocolate chips

2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3 kinds of chips!

Directions – place butter in a pan, cook over low-medium heat until there are small brown specks. Cool in a bowl for a half hour. (Otherwise, the chips may melt and you will have marble cookies). Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. In a bowl, combine cooled butter, cream cheese, brown sugar and sugar. Add egg, yolk and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients (you may need to use your hands and mix them like meatballs). Mix in chips. Scoop our 1/4 cups dough. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners. Stagger cookies on the sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes (no longer). Cool completely.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!

Cakey chocolate chip cookies

Cakey chocolate chip cookies

These are a cakey chocolate chip cookie. Very soft and pillow. I used a half all purpose flour and half bread flour. I incorporated bread flour because I wanted to prevent them from spreading too much. I also froze the dough pieces for 20 minutes to prevent spreading.

Scoop the flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount and preheat your oven for 20 minutes before baking so it cycles to the right temp.

  • Ingredients
  • 10 tbs butter, softened
  • 4 tbs crisco
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 cup bread flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – cream butter, brown sugar and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Fold in chips. Scoop out 3 tbs dough and form into tall mounds. Freeze 20 minutes or chill an hour or two. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Stagger cookies on sheet – a row of 2, a row of 1, a row of 2, a row of 1. Bake 12 to 14 minutes. Bottoms will be golden and tops should be mostly set. They will firm up after taken out of the oven. Cool completely and store in covered container.

Thank you for stopping by!❤️❤️

Chocolate cookies stuffed with Reese’s peanut butter eggs

The other day, I picked up a mega bag of the Reese’s peanut butter eggs while at BJs. They truly are, the world’s best candy. I know Reese’s makes their peanut butter cups and other peanut butter variety treats for various holidays (like pumpkins and Christmas trees), but the ones they have at Easter time just seem different. I can make a homemade version of these eggs, but I opted to buy a huge bag for some reason.. so I decided to stuff some into chocolate cookies.

These chocolate cookies use melted chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate for these, but you can use semisweet) and are super fudgy. After making the dough and wrapping it around the candies, I chilled everything overnight to help prevent spreading.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount. And preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking so it cycles to the right temp.

I made 12 stuffed cookies with this recipe. You can double it if you want to make more.

  • Ingredients
  • 5 tbs butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/3 cups chocolate chips (i melted them in a microwave proof bowl in 30 second increments until i could stir smooth)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Reese’s peanut butter eggs, unwrapped

Directions – cream butter, brown sugar and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in melted chocolate. Fold in dry ingredients.

Scoop out 1 1/2 tbs dough, slightly flatten

Top with a Reese’s egg

Scoop out another 1 1/2 tbs dough,, slightly flatten and place on top of Reese’s egg

Make sure egg is completely covered with dough

I chilled these overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees before baking. On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, stagger cookies

Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, not much longer, so to not burn the bottoms.

Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Doubletree chocolate chip cookies (in case no one brings you one home)

Doubletree chocolate chip cookies

Monday night, I stayed at the Doubletree hotel down the street from work for weather related reasons. (The timing of the snow and uncertainty of the amount that would fall before I needed to leave for work). Anyways, as you know, they give all guests a cookie. When I got home after work on Tuesday, Rob asked “did you bring me a cookie?” I did not, but promised I would make the doubletree cookies. Hilton posted the recipe so I used that, except I left out the cinnamon. Rob wasn’t thrilled about that on a chocolate chip cookie. Next time I think I may try to chill the dough before baking. These spread a ton. (Flat cookies are not my bag)

I did tweak the original recipe, using 1/2 crisco and 1/2 cup butter, as opposed to all butter. Remember to spoon your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the correct amount. These cook at a lower temperature – 300 degrees than the usual for chocolate chip cookies. The directions said bake 20 to 23 minutes. One batch I baked for 20, the 2nd batch 22. I prefer 20 minutes because they are softer.

  • Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup crisco
  • 1/2 cup butter, grated with a cheese grater
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats (pulsed into a fine powder with a blender or food processor)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 2/3 cup chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, crisco, brown sugar and sugar. Add eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla. Blend in flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Mix in chips. Scoop out 3 tbs dough and form tall mounds. I recommend chilling the dough for at least a few hours. Preheat oven to 300 degrees for 20 minutes before baking, so oven cycles to right temp. Bake 20 minutes. The Hilton directions say to cool cookies for one hour on cookie sheet. I did not do that 😉 store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I wish you a day filled with peace, love and joy.

Fudge topped, oreo stuffed blue velvet cookies

Fudge topped, oreo stuffed blue velvet cookies

I wanted to make some red velvet cookies, but take it up a notch – so I decided to stuff them with oreos and top them with fudge and mini m&ms. I didn’t have enough red food color,so I opted for blue food color. When I added the baking cocoa it made for a very dark blue cookie. I don’t have this red velvet thing down very well, but I think these cookies will still be good. 😋

Remember to spoon your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the correct amount. If you pour directly from the flour bag, the flour gets packed into the measuring cup and that can make for a dry cookie. I chilled the cookies overnight before baking, to minimize spread. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking so your oven cycles to the right temp.

  • Cookie ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, cold and grated with a cheese grater or cut into small cubes
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 tbs food color
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 2/3 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 4 tsp cornstarch

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in food color. Stir in dry ingredients. Scoop out 1/4 cup of dough

Divide in half and flatten each half, enough so an oreo will fit with a little extra around it

Place an oreo between the two halves

Completely cover cookie

Chill cookies for at least a few hours. When ready to bake,preheat oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Stagger cookies on sheet (they do spread a bit).

Bake 15 minutes, no longer. As they are cooling, make the fudge topping. The topping may seem a little greasy when warm, but the fudge firms up nicely.

  • Fudge topping ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 2 cups milk (or semisweet) chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp vanilla

In a saucepan, over low heat, combine butter, sugar and evaporated milk. Stir occasionally to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in chips until melted. Add vanilla. Spoon on top of cookies and press in some mini m&ms.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I wish you a wonderful day, filled with peace, love and joy. And remember to be kind. We all need a little kindness.