Candy Bar Brownies

Summer is here and we've been busy.  My son is playing summer baseball, of course, so we're at the ball park all the time.  We have also had some out-of-town visitors for the past few weeks.  Not to mention doctor's appointments and such.  I really just need a day to sit around with my feet up.  I'm sure many of you can relate.

Father's day was this past Sunday and my hubby loves brownies with frosting.  They're his favorite dessert.  So, I made him a special batch with a little added love (aka candy bars).  Bonus: they start with a boxed mix!  So easy!

CANDY BAR BROWNIES

1 box brownie mix (9x13 pan size)
plus ingredients needed to make them
1/2 cup chopped candy bars
1 (12 oz) bag milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used salted peanuts)

Preheat oven to temperature called for on the box (they're all different so read the directions).

Follow the directions on the brownie mix to make batter.

Add 1/2 cup chopped candy bars.  I used Hershey Bars and Mr. Goodbars, but use whatever you like.

Stir to mix the candy bars evenly into the batter.

Grease a 9x13 baking dish.  TIP:  Use a stick of margarine for this.  I don't like to eat margarine but it's basically buttery flavored shortening.  It's cheap and works great for greasing baking dishes.

Spread the batter into the greased baking dish (it will be thick).

Read the box and however long it tells you to bake it, bake for 2 minutes less than that.  For example if it says 28-30 minutes, bake it for 26 minutes.  You don't want to over bake brownies!  You want them to be fudgy and yummy not hard and dry.

As soon as you remove the brownies from the oven, spread the chocolate chips on and return to the oven for 1 minutes only.  This helps to melt the chocolate chips.

They may not look melty but they are.  Gently spread with a rubber spatula (or a butter knife) to frost the brownies.

Finally, sprinkle with the chopped nuts.  TIP:  I use a pastry blender to chop nuts.  I just rock it back and forth to gently chop them.  Easier than using a knife.

Sprinkle the frosting with chopped nuts.

Now, let these cool!  (This is the hardest part of the recipe).  If you try to cut them now you will have a big old mess on your hands!  Let them cool completely before cutting.

These brownies are fudgy and sweet with nuggets of candy bars inside!  You can use Snickers, Twix, Reeses, Milky Way, any candy bar you like.  These are a real treat!  Perfect with a tall glass of milk.  My hubby loved them by the way.  I think you will too.  Enjoy!

Father's Day "Grill" Brownies

We celebrated Father's Day a week early.  My son kept my husband busy while my daughter made a Happy Father's Day banner, readied the cards and gifts and helped me make these cute brownies.  They are little grills topped with candy pork chops and hot dogs (complete with grill marks) including the grates and red coals.  Too cute!  I saw these in a magazine and just had to make them.  My husband loves brownies so it was a no-brainer.  Here's how we did it:

FATHER'S DAY "GRILL" BROWNIES

1 box brownie mix (plus ingredients to make them)
white frosting (from a can or homemade- *see below)
black food coloring
red sugar crystals
caramels
Hot Tamales candies or red Mike and Ike candies


*Homemade Buttercream Frosting:  Mix 1/2 stick butter, softened, 2 cups powdered sugar and 1 TBS milk.  If too thick you can add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time until spreadable.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Make brownie batter according to box directions.  Line cupcake pan with liners.  Fill each 2/3 of the way with batter.  Bake 20-22 minutes.  Don't over bake or they'll be dry.  Let them cool.

Meanwhile, tint about a cup of the frosting with a little black food coloring, just enough to turn it gray.  Set aside.

Then, warm the caramels (either hold them in your hands for a while or put in microwave for 5 seconds (NOT LONG or they'll melt).  Then mold them into pork chop shapes.  Using a toothpick dipped in black food coloring, make grill marks on the pork chops and the Hot Tamales hot dogs.

Once the brownies are cool, sprinkle them with red sugar crystals.

Spoon the gray frosting into a small ziploc bag.  Snip the tip of the corner with scissors.  Draw the grates onto brownies.

Add the pork chops and hot dogs.

My husband loved the brownies!  Cute and delicious!  If you've got a Grill Master Guy in your life, make these and ensure a Happy Father's Day!

Nutella!

My first trip to New York was about 20 years ago.  My husband, then boyfriend, took me to Brooklyn to meet his family.  I not only met his big Italian family, I also met friends, neighbors and acquaintances.  Everyone was very nice to this little girl from the swamp and it was a wonderful trip that I remember with fondness.  But, what I remember most about that trip is the massive amounts of food we encountered everywhere we went!  Baked ziti, cannolis, spumoni, the best pizza I've ever tasted, amazing bagels, prosciutto bread, the list goes on and on.  My favorite foodie find, however, was Nutella.  Back then, it wasn't available all over the country like it is now.  I had never even heard of this chocolate hazelnut spread.  When my Mother-in-law handed me a pretzel covered in Nutella to try, I was hooked.  All I could say was, "Where has this been all my life?"

Here are a couple of recipes featuring this little jar of awesomeness:

This first recipe is super simple.  In fact, it only has 3 ingredients.

NUTELLA BROWNIES

1 cup Nutella
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
10 TBS all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8x8 baking dish.  In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together until combined.

Press into the greased baking dish in an even layer.  The batter will be thick.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Let them sit and cool before you try to cut them.  Otherwise you'll have a big mess on your hands.

These are fudgy and delicious!  Not too sweet and they have that undeniable Nutella flavor.  Perfect brownies!  And the recipe could not be easier.  The hardest part is waiting for them to cool.

This next recipe is a bit more work but well worth it.  If you like chocolate chip cookies, you'll love these.  These are chocolate chip cookies kicked up a few notches!

NUTELLA CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 stick butter, softened (let sit at room temp till soft)
1/4 cup Nutella
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (350 degrees if you have a dark or nonstick cookie sheet).  Cream together butter, Nutella, granulated sugar and brown sugar until smooth (a mixer works great for this but if you don't have one just beat the tar out of it with a whisk).

Add the egg and vanilla extract.  Mix until fluffy.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon with a whisk until thoroughly combined.

Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture just until combined.

Gently stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by heaping Tablespoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Leave some room between them because they will spread.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until set.  8 minutes is perfect for my oven but every oven is different.  Just keep an eye on them.

These cookies are crisp on the outside and fudgy on the inside.  Almost like a cookie/brownie combo!  Yum!  Have a few of these with a big glass of milk and all is right with the world.

So, if you love Nutella like I do, make these recipes.  Right now.  And if you've never tasted Nutella, well, what are you waiting for?  Seriously, go.