Ganache and mini m&m topped brownies for ALCS Game 3

Today, I present brownies, topped with ganache and mini m&ms for my coworker friend Eric’s birthday and game 3 of the ALCS between the Blue Jays and Mariners.

What is ganache,  you ask?  Why a combo of chocolate chips and heavy cream heated and then poured over brownies that are completely cooled.  And frankly, m&ms make everything better, so that’s why I added them.

Remember to scoop your flour and cocoa from their containers into your measuring cup so you get the right amounts.   Also preheat your oven to 350 degrees before baking.  And, I made the ganache while the brownies were baking so it thickened up a little more.

  • Ganache ingredients
  • 1/4 heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions – in a microwave safe bowl, heat cream for 1 minute.  In another microwave safe bowl, heat  chips 1 minute.  Pour hot cream over chips.  Let sit for 5 minutes.   Stir until smooth and set aside.

  • Brownies ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups butter, melted
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 3/4 cups unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 2 tbs corn syrup
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbs cornstarch

 directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.  Set aside.  In a bowl. Combine butter, sugar, brown sugar and cocoa.  Blend in eggs, yolks, vanilla and corn syrup.  Stin in dry ingredients.   Batter will be thick.  Evenly spread into prepared pan.   Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs.  Cool completely.   Top with ganache.   Sprinkle with m&ms.   Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today

Week 3 victory treats – Little debbie cosmic brownie cookies

Another win in the books for the Bills.  One worthy of not one, but two victory treats.  These are a cookie version of little debbie cosmic brownies, one of my all time favorite treats as a kid.   instead of a ganache like topping, I went with a fudge frosting topping.   Not sure if love this frosting.  I may try a different chocolate frosting next time.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Chill your dough for a few hours and preheat your oven before baking so it gets to the right temperature.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup crisco
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tbs  unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, crisco and sugar.  Add egg and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients. Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.  Chill a few hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies. 

Bake 11 to 16 minutes.  Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1 1/3 cups  chocolate chips
  • 2/3 cup of butter
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1  powdered sugar

In a pot, over low-medium heat, combine ingredients, heat and stir until butter is melted.  Put in fridge until it is a spreadable consistency.  Frost cookies. Top w m&ms. 

Store in covered container

Week 3 victory treats – vanilla little debbie cookies

The other treat for the Bills win over the Dolphins – a vanilla version of little debbie brownie cookies.  I made my own white chocolate cocoa powder and used that.  I probably could have bought white chocolate cocoa at the grocery store,  but didn’t feel like going out again, so I made my own.

White chocolate cocoa ingredients

  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 cup instant milk powder
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup sugar

Directions – in a food processor, chop up white chips for about a minute.  Add remaining ingredients and run food processor until a fine powder forms. 

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.. also, chill the dough for a few hours.  And preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup crisco
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tbs white chocolate cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions- in a bowl, cream crisco, butter and sugar.  Add egg and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.   Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.  Chill a few hours. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Stagger cookies on prepared sheets. 

Bake 12 to 16 minutes.  Cool completely

These came out a lot larger than I planned!
  • White chocolate frosting ingredients
  • 1/4 cup white chocolate chips, melted
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbs heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla

In a bowl, cream butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla.  Blend in melted white chocolate.   Frost cookies.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Football friday #7 (and happy birthday Eric)

Today’s Friday football treats is a request from my coworker, Eric, who’s celebrating a birthday today.   They are a version of Little Debbie brownies, which I  loved as a child.  These even have rainbow chips on top (shout out to Price Rite for having them)

I made these amid a crazy game three of the ALCS between the Yankees and Guardians.  What a nutty last few innings – the Judge and Stanton home runs.  The Noel and Fry home runs.  Rob and I are Yankees fans (but he is more invested than me).  He was quite mad afterwards and broke into hot brownies (which I warned him against).  He mangled them, as you can see below.

Remember to scoop your flour and baking cocoa from your containers into measuring cups so you get the right amount.  Also, preheat your oven for 20 minutes so it cycles to the right temp.  If you don’t have milk chocolate chips, you can use all semisweet for the ganache.

  • Brownies ingredients list
  • 2 1/2 sticks of butter, melted
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed into measuring cup
  • 1 3/4 cups unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 yolks
  • 2 tbs corn syrup
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 2 tbs cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degre3s.  Line a 9×13 cake pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.  In a bowl, mix butter, sugar, brown sugar, and baking cocoa.  Add eggs, one at a time,  yolks, corn syrup and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Mixture will be very thick.  Evenly spread into pan.  Bake 30 to 40 minutes (until toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs).  Cool completely.

  • Ganache ingredients
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions – in one microwave safe bowl, heat chips for 1 minutes.  In another microwave safe bowl, heat cream for one minute.  Combine cream and chips.  Stir smooth.  Let sit 5 minutes.  Spread on cooled brownies and sprinkle with rainbow chips or m&ms

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Wishing you a day filled with joy, peace and love.  Also remember to be kind!

Football friday # 6 Little Debbie brownie cookies

A simple, easy treat for nfl week 6 – little Debbie brownie cookies, frosted, with rainbow chips on top.  These are made with a brownie mix and a few extra ingredients.  They might not need frosting, but I think everything is better with frosting!  I don’t recommend baking these longer than 10 minutes.  They seem undone on top, but pop them in the fridge to firm them up before frosting them and keep them in the fridge for a few hours.   Better a gushy cookie than a dry, overbaked one, right?

Big game for my Bills this week – at the Jets on Monday night football.  Our third straight on the road and our 4th night game in 6 games this season.  I gotta admit the night games are killing me!

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 brownie mix (18 oz or 18.2 oz)
  • 2 tbs unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 tbs chocolate syrup
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a bowl, combine brownie mix, cocoa, eggs, butter and syrup.  Fold in chips.  Scoop out 2 tbs dough.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Stagger cookies.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes.  Cool

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tbs unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 2 tbs water
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbs chocolate syrup

In a bowl, combine all ingredients.  If you want a thicker frosting, add additional powdered sugar.  Feost cookies.  Sprinkle with rainbow chips, sprinkles or m&ms.  Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!