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!

Howdy Buckeye! - Week 4 of 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies

I seriously blame Betty - Betty Crocker that is - for this rich and DEE-lightful (and I don't mean that in the "lite" sense but rather the "scrumptious" sense) 2 bite chocolate-y and peanut-y treat that I have made for the 4th week of my 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies baking group. 

Yes, it is all Betty's fault.  She created this little treasure of a recipe that should NOT be ignored....especially if you are a chocolate and peanut butter fan.  Make this recipe (it is an easy recipe but it involves a couple of steps - be warned)  and you won't regret it. You may even want to double it.  It will be absolutely perfect for your holiday gatherings.  Your friends and family will be begging for more (and the recipe of course). :-)

Enough said.  Here is the recipe.

Buckeye Delights

(recipe found in the cookbook, Best of Betty Crocker 2011)

*recipe makes 32-36 treats

Cookie Base Ingredients:

1 pouch (1.5oz) Sugar Cookie mix

1/3 cup unsweetened baking Cocoa Powder

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, unsalted - softened

1 egg

Filling Ingredients:

1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

1/2 cup Peanut Butter

2 Tbsp Butter - softened

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4 tsp Salt

Topping Ingredients:

1/2 cup Whipping Cream

1 cup + 2 Tbsp Semisweet or Milk Chocolate Chips -(I used Milk Chocolate Chips)

1 Tbsp Peanut Butter

Directions:

Make Cookie Base....

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line mini muffin tins with mini cupcake liners.

2. Combine all cookie base ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix until soft dough forms.  Press 1 tablespoon of dough into individual liners.....

3. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until puffy and set.  Cool for 2-3 minutes and then gently press a teaspoon into the center of cookie to make an indentation where the filling will go.....

  Don't wait too long to make this indentation or else your cookie cups will crack.  Cool cookie cups completely as you make the filling.

Make Filling....

1. In a small bowl combine all filling ingredients and mix until well blended. 

2. Spoon about 1 tsp of filling into cookies and spread gently....

 Set cookies aside as you make the topping.

Make Topping....

1. In a small sauce pan over low heat, bring whipping cream to a gentle boil and then remove from heat.  Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips.....

  Mix together until well combined. 

2. Refrigerate topping for 30 minutes or until thick and cooled.  Spread over filled cookie cups with a butter knife....

Man, Oh Man is that ganche frosting soooooo GOOD!!!

3.  Take remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips and place in a resealable plastic bag along with 1 tablespoon of PB....

.....Partially seal bag and microwave for 30-60 seconds (it took me 60 seconds).  Knead with your fingers to combine and to completely melt the chocolate chips with the PB.

4. Snip a small corner off of bag.  Squeeze bag over frosted cookie cups in a drizzle fashion....

....then stand back with happiness over the gorgeous yumminess you just created.  HUGE pat on your back at this point for such a good job!

Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set.  Store covered in refrigerator.

Happy Buckeye Delights Baking!

Week 4 Twelve Weeks of Christmas:

Mini Pecan Muffin Cutie Pies - Week #3 of 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies

Happy 3rd Week of Christmas Cookies!!!

This recipe is dedicated to all of you that love pecans and anything "mini" - you are going to LOVE this gem of a recipe! 

Okay, so technically these little Cutie Pies are not cookies, bars or candies but they are seriously a scrumptious little treat and absolutely perfect for a holiday treat platter. And, they are super super easy to make! 

After seeing this recipe on Lick the Bowl Good (Hey, Monica!) I knew as soon as I promised my Dad that I would help provide refreshments for his art show this past weekend that these little gems would be perfect.  Perfectly delicious and perfect for people to just grab as they were looking around at all my Dad's beautiful photographs.   And I have to say, I was soooo right!  They disappeared just like that!

Mini Pecan Muffin Cutie Pies

Ingredients:

*1 cup chopped pecans - don't be afraid to add in an additional 1/4 cup if you'd like your Cutie Pies to be even more pecan-y

*1/2 cup flour

*1 cup packed brown sugar

*2/3 cup butter, melted (10 1/4 Tbsp = 2/3 cup butter)

*2 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine all ingredients in bowl....

.... and mix until well combined.

3. Spray mini muffin tins (24-28) and fill 3/4 of the way full....

....pop in oven for about 18 minutes.

4. Cool for 5 minutes then remove cutie pies from pans onto a wire rack to continue cooling comopletely.  Do not let them sit too long or else you are going to have to put in some extra muscle power to get them out of the pans.

Hello there Cutie Pie!

Enjoy!

Happy Mini Pecan Muffin Cutie Pie Baking!

Week 3 Twelve Weeks of Christmas:

Liza's Mini Cherry Cheesecakes

I just LOVE anything miniature!!!  It makes my happy.  It makes me smile.  It gives me a warm feeling inside.  "Mini" anything is delightful to me....and these mini cheesecakes are soooo yummy.  You can simply pop them right in your mouth and instantly be over come with a big ole warm and happy smile. :-)

My dear friend Liza passed this recipe onto me just after Jolie was born.  She and my sister (yes, Colline actually baked!!!) made a whole bunch of these little cuties for my Baby Shower - a precious precious day that I will never forget (love you ALL who worked so hard and with so much love to put on that Shower for me).  That being said I pass this recipe onto all of you  in hopes that you can make and share this recipe with those that you care about and wish to give a happy (and yummy) memory to.  In other words I am "paying it forward" by passing on this recipe....may you do the same.

Liza's Mini Cheese Cakes

(a version of this recipe can also be found at allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

1 box of vanilla wafers (warning...you won't need the whole box for this recipe to plan on indulging in a couple as you make this recipe)

2 (8oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. almond extract (I adore almond flavor paired with cherries....but feel free to omit this flavoring if you wish)

1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with miniature paper liners (I used the regular size muffin tins for the mini liners didn't fit very well in my mini muffin pan for some reason....this worked out just fine).

2. Place a whole vanilla wafer inside each paper liner.  As you see in the picture below.

3. In a mixing bowl  beat together cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in eggs one at a time until they are well combined.  Add in extracts. 

4. Fill in each muffin liner almost to the top with the cream cheese mixture.  I used a medium size scoop (from Pampered Chef) that worked great for this purpose.  It took about 1 1/2 scoops to fill up each liner.

5. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.  Top with a 2-3 cherries of the cherry pie filling.

Enjoy!

Happy Mini Cherry Cheesecake Baking!

~avril :-)

**This post has been linked to Mommy's Kitchen for "Pot Luck Sunday"