FIVE Ingredient Blueberry Brownies

Blueberries.
Chocolate.
Both are my favorites.  Combined together they make magic.  Pure, delicious magic!

And magically, after years of trying to replicate this very recipe I was given the secret to it's success.  Only 5 simple ingredients create these brownies.  FIVE.  An egg, some oil, water, Ghirardelli brownie mix (because that's really the best kind brownie mix around) and blueberries.

I jumped for joy with this lovely, lovely recipe finally in my hands.  I felt as though I had won the lottery, found a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and the biggest treasure chest of my dreams were all given to me at once as I walked away with this recipe in my hands.  My prayers had been answered.  Blueberry Brownies could now be accomplished with perfection.

I am delighted to pass on this recipe to all of you chocolate loving, blueberry loving friends.  I honestly think it will change your world in a decadent chocolate, rich texture, blueberry packed loveliness kind of way.

Please pay it forward and whip up a batch of these brownies as quickly as possible.  Share them with as many people as you can.  It is crucial that we spread the love and deliciousness of Blueberry Brownies with everyone in the world.  I really think that world peace can now be accomplished with Blueberry Brownies at our side.  Please help me with this cause.

FIVE Ingredient Blueberry Brownies 

Ingredients:
1 box Ghirardelli brownie mix
1 egg
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Lightly grease an 8x8 pan and then line with parchment paper - set aside.

In a large bowl combine brownie mix, oil, water and egg.  Mix until smooth.  Gently fold in blueberries.

Pour batter evenly into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool, cut and serve and spread the love!  

Happy FIVE Ingredient Blueberry Brownie Baking!

Brownie Pies for July's Secret Recipe Club

Recently I have had a hankering for good old fashioned brownie sundae.  Yeah, that's right a decadently rich chocolate brownie with a nice big scoop of ice cream on top and maybe even a little hot fudge sauce drizzled all over it.  Y. U. M.  Some dreams do come true.  Yes indeed.

 I was perusing through my assigned food blog for the Secret Recipe Club this past month and guess what recipe I came upon!?! That's right....a brownie recipe!  Not just any brrrrownie recipe either.  I discovered on Lynsey Lou's blog a brownie recipe called, "Brownie Pie".   My prayers had been answered.  A Brownie Sundae was in my near future.  Hooray!

Lynsey Lou's recipe for Brownie Pie did NOT disappoint.  It was whipped up in a jiffy, the ingredients were all simple and the taste was OUT OF THIS WORLD dee-lish!  I ended up making personal size brownie pies for all four members of my little family instead of just one 9" pie.  It's kind of fun to have your own brownie pie.  My girls sure thought so!  Their eyes practically popped out of their heads when I placed one of these little treasures in front them.  Having a personal size brownie pie with a scoop of ice cream on top was HEAVEN for them. 

  

I was extremely pleased with the texture and taste of the little chocolate pies.  They had a lovely thin crisp shell on top like all good brownies do and then the inside  was perfectly moist and rich with chocolate.  As many may feel, brownies are not complete with out some chopped walnuts, so I added in a couple handfuls to the batter.  It was a delightful addition I do have to say.

Take a couple minutes out of your day and stir up this recipe.  While the pies (or pie if you chose to make a single 9" brownie pie) are baking go check out Lynsey Lou's blog.  You will find a wonderful amount of scrumptious recipes on it such as, Brown Butter Banana Carmel Muffins, Hot Buttered Rum Pancakes and White Cake with Apricot Filling to name a few that has my mouth watering.  Be sure to keep your eyes open for all the gorgeous napkins, tablecloths and props that she uses in her pictures.  I am such a sucker for pretty linens and Lynsey's collection is just gorgeous! :-)

Mini Walnut Brownie Pies

(oh so slightly altered from Lynsey Lou's recipe)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup baking cocoa

1/8 sea salt + more for sprinkling on top if you so wish

1/2 - 1 cup chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)

1/2 -1 cup chopped walnuts (my addition)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease well 4 mini pie plates or one 9" pie plate.

2. Cream together butter and sugar.  Add in vanilla extract and eggs.  Beat well all together.

3. Add in flour, cocoa powder and salt.  Mix well.  

4. Add in chocolate chips and chopped walnuts (if you wish)

5. Pour batter into prepared pie pans (pan) and bake for 30 minutes.  My minis took just under 30 minutes to bake.

6. Cool slightly and serve with freshly whipped cream, ice cream or chocolate sauce - all of the above is just fine too!

Enjoy!

Happy Mini Walnute Brownie Pie Baking!

Fluffernutter Blondies (for the Secret Recipe Club)

I have a delightful treat of a recipe for you today! Yum, yum, YUM....Fluffernutter Blondies.  I found this recipe on the blog, The Spiffy Cookie that was assigned to me this month through the Secret Recipe Club. Definitely a recipe to make for those that you love, that you adore, that you know REAL well and even those that you may just know by name.  You will make ALL of them happy with these blondies (except those that are allergic to peanut butter as there is indeed PB in them as predicted by the name of these treats).  When you bite into one of these bars you will take a double take to the treat in your hand as you will think you just took a bite of a fluffernutter sandwich.  The taste of peanut butter and fluff melts in your mouth as you enjoy

The owner of The Spiffy Cookie, Erin is just adorable!  She is a graduate student that just adores to cook and bake - hmmm, sounds like someone else I know! Erin has worked hard on filling her blog with lots and lots of recipes.  Definitely take a moment to hop over to blog to check out her recipes. Also be sure to keep your eyes open for the gorgeous pottery in some of her pictures as SHE is one that has made them! Erin is an all around talented

gal. :-)

Fluffernutter Blondies

(recipe from The Spiffy Cookie)

Ingredients:

8 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened + 2 Tbsp for melting

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1 cup flour

1/4 + 1/3 cup peanut butter, divided

1/2 cup marshmallow creme (otherwise known as, fluff)

1/4 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8 pan (I used a 9x9 pan with success) - set pan aside.

2. Cream together 8 Tbsp butter, white and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in eggs and vanilla extract - mix to combine. Add in salt and flour - again mix until incorporated. Next add in 1/4 cup peanut butter.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan.

4. In a small sauce pan add in the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter, 1/3 cup peanut butter and marshmallow creme.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly as it melts until it is smooth.  Drizzle this lovely mixture over the batter in the prepared pan.

5. With a knife swirl the peanut butter/fluff melted mixture into the blondie batter.  Lastly, sprinkle the white chocolate chips over the top.

Pop pan into oven and bake for 20-25 minutes (23 minutes was just right for my blondies). Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Yum!  Enjoy!

Happy Fluffernutter Blondies Baking!

PB Marshmallow Brownies (with HONOR and compliments)

Don't you just love giving someone a compliment?  To see their face light up with happiness or a soft blush come over their cheeks is always so rewarding to me.  Unfortunately for many (including myself) it is often easier to give a compliment than to receive one.  I work hard on accepting compliments with grace and appreciation even though it may make me feel uncomfortable.  It's just one of those things that I continually have to work on in life....I've accepted it.

Well, not that long ago I received a very BIG compliment.  I was asked by a fellow food blogger, the sweet Maranda of Jolts and Jollies to be a guest on her blog.  OMGoodness was I so happy that she asked me to do so! I have never been asked to be a guest on someone elses blog before!!!  In my humble opinion it is a very HIGH compliment to be asked to write a post on someone else's blog - they are trusting that you will provide the same kind of care, appeal and creativity that they themselves work so hard to provide to their blog followers, family and friends.  Needless to say I was over come with honor when Maranda presented me with her proposition.  Thank you, thank you Dear Maranda for asking me to be a guest blogger on your precious, delicious and fabulous blog.   I enjoyed every minute of it!

Go check out what I wrote up and featured on my guest post on Jolts and Jollies....it sure is YUMMY.  And yes, it contains not only peanut butter but also chocolate and marshmallows coming all together in one lovely brownie. Scrumptious to the MAX!

And while you are over at Jolts and Jollies be sure to check  Maranda's delicious recipes.  You won't be disappointed!

I thought I would leave you today with one of my favorite recent views in life.  It just makes me so happy to look at I must say!

Can you guess who it is?  Yup....my little Coco-Nut :-)

Strawberry Swirl Blondie's

For the 11th week of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies.....

....I present to you Strawberry Swirl Blondie's!   A treat of all treats these blondie's are....a rich buttery taste with a lovely ribbon of strawberry jam through it.  Super easy to throw together with basic ingredients that are right there in your pantry.  And, the very BEST part of this recipe is that if you don't have strawberry jam you can easily substitute another flavor of jam - such as peach, apricot, raspberry or even blueberry.  The original recipe actually called for raspberry jam but because I had a HUGE jar of strawberry jam and no raspberry jam I used strawberry jam instead.

Strawberry Swirl Blondie's

(recipe adapted from Let's Dish)

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter, unsalted

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup strawberry jam (or jam of your choice)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 pan.

2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

3. Over low heat melt butter in a large saucepan.  Remove fully melted butter from heat.  Stir in sugar into melted butter until dissolved.

4. Quickly whisk in eggs and vanilla extract to butter/sugar mixture. 

5. Stir in flour mixture to the egg/butter/sugar mixture - just until combined.

6. Spread batter into prepared pan.  Spoon jam over batter and then swirl into batter with a butter knife to create a marbled effect.

7.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from the center of pan.  Cool before cutting into squares and serving.

Enjoy!

Happy Strawberry Swirl Blondie's Baking!



Week 11 Twelve Weeks of Christmas:

A NUTTY Give-Away with SUPER Special Brownies

Hooray for another weekend!  In celebration of the weekend and the 10th week of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies I would like to share with all of you a fabulous GIVE-AWAY! Yes, a GIVE-AWAY!!!!!!

A couple of weeks ago I attended a local Thanksgiving Farm Fair at Stonewall Farm (such an amazing facility/farm we have here in Southern NH!).  As I was filling my bags of locally made beautiful handmade gifts I came across a table that was laiden with some of the most delicious nuts I had ever tasted from yet another local company called, The True Nut.  I had sampled their nuts before and already knew how much my taste buds enjoyed them (SO yummy!) but then as I introduced myself and started chatting further the owner of the company (Steve Ryder) I knew I had come across a gem.  Not only did Steve hand me over a bag FULL of a variety of his fabulous nuts but he was super nice!  The fun part about his company is that it was started to show his daughter how a business could be started and ran successfully with the hopes that a little bit of money could be made.  Steve did this and more for now his treats are well known and full of positive outcomes.  I feel honored to be able to give away some of The True Nuts and I know you will enjoy them too!

Enter to win all FOUR packages of nuts that you see in the above picture just by leaving a comment at the end of this post or on my Facebook page for Baking and Creating with Avril.  To double your chances of winning visit The True Nut website and come back to tell me something that you enjoyed discovering from your visit to their website.  Winner will be chosen at random.  Contest will be closed 12 midnight on Monday 12/6/10.

And now without further delay here is a wonderful brownie recipe for the holidays.....York Peppermint Paddy Brownies  (rich in chocolate flavor with a peppermint paddy surprise in the middle)....in honor of the 10th Week of The 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies....

York Peppermint Patty Brownies

(from the lovely Jaime Cook's It Up! blog...goodness do I adore her recipes!!!)

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

8 - 1 oz. squares unsweetened chocolate

5 eggs

3 3/4 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)

1 2/3  cup flour

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 bags York Peppermint Patties (generic brand is not recommended from Jaime)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with tin foil and spray with non-stick spray.

2. Place unsweetened chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl.....

  Microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each cooking interval.  Continue to cook and stir until chocolate and butter are fully melted.  Set bowl aside.

3. In a mixing bowl combine eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, salt and almond extract (if desired).  Beat for 3-4 minutes until smooth and thick....

4. Add in the melted chocolate/butter mixture and flour.  Mix until incorporated.  Stir in chocolate chips....

5. Spread  1/2 the brownie batter into prepared pan....a butter knife will help if need be....

6. Unwrap the peppermint patties and place them all over the brownie batter.....

  Carefully spread the remaining 1/2 of batter over the peppermint patty layer.

7. Bake for 25-30 minutes.  This is the tricky part. You don't want to over-bake the brownies....I found that my brownies were done once the sides of the brownies came away from the side of the pan and my toothpick had just a few crumbs of brownie batter stick to it.

Cool on a wire rack and then refrigerate for a good 6 hours or overnight.  Cut into squares (small squares are a good idea for these special brownies are RICH in flavor).

Enjoy your brownies along with browsing through all the other d'lish cookie, bar and candy recipes from the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies group.

Happy Peppermint Patty Brownie Baking!

Week 10 Twelve Weeks of Christmas:

Hold onto your hats these are sinfully delish! - Peanut Butter Blondies with Milk Chocolate Frosting

If you want something that is sinfully decadent and easy peasy to make here you go.....

Peanut Butter Blondies with Milk Chocolate Frosting

(recipe was discovered on the lovely Joy the Baker's blog)

Ingredients:

10 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 5 cubes

2 cups dark brown sugar (I'm sure "light" would be fine if that's all you have on hand)

1 cup smooth peanut butter (Joy suggests the "natural" PB is best...I only had store-brand on hand)

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13 pan, line with parchment paper if you have it on hand, then grease the parchment paper.  Joy says, "if you don't have parchment paper, these blondies will be just fine."

2. In medium to large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and sugar together until the butter is just melted.....

.....set aside to cool for 5 minutes, then add peanut butter.  Stir until incorporated.  Allow to cool another 5 minutes and then whisk in eggs and vanilla extract. It is important for the butter, sugar and peanut butter mixture to be cool enough so that the eggs do not cook once introduced to the mixture.

3. Whisk together salt, flour and baking powder.  Add dry ingredients all at once to the wet ingredients.  Stir just until incorporated.  It's a lovely thick but smooth batter....

.....pour into prepared pan and smooth out. Bake for 20-25 minutes. or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the blondies comes out clean.  Allow to cool to room temperature before frosting.  While allowing to cool to room temperature make the Milk Chocolate Frosting.

Milk Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar

3 Tbsp milk

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips, melted (*I melted mine in the microwave in a glass Pyrex measuring cup for 45 seconds, stirred and then another 30 seconds)

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, cocoa powder and salt. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar followed by 1 tablespoon milk.  Beat well.

2. Add in another cup of powdered sugar, followed by 2 tablespoons of milk. 

3. *Melt chocolate chips in the microwave or double boiler (see note above). Add melted chocolate once slightly cooled to the butter, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, milk mixture....

 ....beat to incorporate.  If you need to make the frosting thicker at this point add in the remaining 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. 

4. Frost blondies with happiness! 

 I actually lifted the whole slab of brownies out of the pan with the parchment paper, frosted the whole surface then cut into small squares.....

....and then placed the little treasures on a platter for serving....

Yum!

Happy Peanut Butter Blondies with Milk Chocolate Frosting Baking!

This recipe has been linked to...

Tempt my Tummy Tuesday

Foodie Friday

Potluck Sunday

S'mores Brownies

Oh yes, it's that time of year again....BBQ time!!!  The weather is getting nicer, the sun is getting warmer and yes, the days are getting LONGER which all leads to cook-outs with friends and family! :-)

This past weekend we went to our first BBQ and I thought it would be appropriate to bring along a batch of  S'mores Brownies for this special event.  Boy, was I right!  These brownies were scummmmmmptiously delish...no doubt about it.  Easy, quick and fun to make with kiddos too.  Jolie almost feel over backwards with happiness as she helped me plop on the BIG puffy marshmallows on top of the brownie batter.  Crushed graham crackers are mixed into the batter to really make it a "S'more" kind of brownie. 

S'mores Brownies

(recipe has been adapted from one of my favs, Joy the Baker)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

6 oz. unsweetened chocolate 

5 large eggs

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup graham crackers, roughly crushed with your hands

12 (or so) BIG marshmallows (*I also cut up a few additional marshmallows and stirred them into the batter at the very end)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter a 9x13 baking pan.  

2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

3. Place butter and chocolate in a bowl that can be set over simmering water in a heavy saucepan.  Stir chocolate and butter in this "double boiler" until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.

4. Beat eggs, sugars and vanilla in a large bowl to blend.  Stir in melted chocolate/butter mixture, then the dry ingredients. Gently fold in crushed graham crackers. *If you wish to add in extra cut up marshmallows now is the time.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Dot batter with LARGE marshmallows (I kind of gently pushed the m's down into the batter so that they couldn't escape during baking - :-)

5. Bake for 30-40 minutes.  You do NOT want to over-bake these brownies.  Only bake until batter comes away from the sides of pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.

6. Cool at least 20 minutes before you cut into squares and serve.

Enjoy!

Look at the yumminess of these brownies just after they come out of the oven.....marshmallows will be browned and puffy. Unfortunately the marshmallows deflate as the brownies cool.

A scoop of good vanilla ice cream served on the side is just perfect with this sweet.

Store any left-over brownies in an air tight container.

Here is cutie-pie Liza taking a bite of the brownie....see how it just ooooozies with yumminess?!?!

Happy S'mores Brownies Baking!

~avril :-)

**This post has been linked to I Heart Naptime with Chocolate Sundaes blog - a super cute blog!!!

The BEST Brownies (made by scratch)

I am serious....this is indeed hands down the BEST brownie recipe made from scratch! The brownies come out to be chewy, fudgy, moist and DELICIOUS. Do yourself a favor and make this recipe ASAP!!! - then eat one (ok maybe two) and freeze the rest or give them away for you will constantly be going back for more....trust me!

I discovered this recipe through Pamela Anderson's cookbook, "The Perfect Recipe".

The BEST Brownies

Ingredients:

2/3 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate

4 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

10 Tbsp. unsalted butter (1 stick plus 2 Tbsp)

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs

3/4 cup toasted walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts or peanuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350*. Make sure your rack is in the middle of the oven to get optimum heat all around the baking brownies. Spray an 8 x 8 square baking pan with oil then layer with foil or parchment paper (I usued parchment paper) in such a way that you have 2 sides that are longer so that you can easily remove the brownies from the pan after they are baked.

Whisk flour, salt and baking powder all together in a small bowl; set aside.

Melt chocolates and butter in a medium bowl over a pan of simmering (NOT boiling) water. Remove the melted chocolate and butter mixture from the heat and gently whisk in sugar and vanilla. Now add the eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Continue to whisk until mixture is completely smooth and glossy (this will take a couple of minutes). At this point you can transfer this lovely mixture to a larger bowl for you will now add the dry ingredients so you want enough room for all of the batter. Whisk in the flour mixture until JUST incorporated ( you DO NOT want to over stir this batter). If using nuts, add now.

Pour batter into prepared pan; bake for 35-45 minutes. You can tell when the brownies are done by inserting a toothpick/cake tester in the middle of the pan and it comes out with wet crumbs. Do NOT over bake these brownies!!!! - if the toothpick comes out clean you have over baked them....and that will just be sad.

Cool brownies in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes and then remove from pan with the "handles" of foil/parchment paper and cool completely for a good 2-3 hours. ONLY cut once ready to serve.

Sooooooooo YUMMY! - serve with some good vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce (serious YUM) or just eat alone....with a nice cup of tea or a tall glass of milk.

Make 16 brownies.

Enjoy! <3