Roasted Cherry Brownies

Fresh cherries just scream summer to me and they are one of my favorite fruits to snack on through the warm months. Brownies are also a favorite of mine so when I came across this recipe I knew I had to try them, and it had to be soon since cherries are only in season for a short time! Chocolate and cherries are a perfect combination and these brownies were no exception! These were everything a brownie should be, rich and moist, very chocolately and the roasted sweet cherries just pop making these extra special!

Roasted Cherry Brownies: (slightly adapted from The Pastry Affair)

• 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and quarted
• 2 1/2 cups (1 lb.) semi-sweet chocolate chips 
•  1/2 cup butter
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup, plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

                                                           Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

In a small roasting pan, combine the fresh cherries and 1 tablespoon sugar. Roast for 10 minutes or until cherries start releasing their juices. Remove cherries from pan, strain the juices, and place in the refrigerator to cool down.

Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x9-inch pan, set aside.

In a double boiler, melt together the semi-sweet chocolate and butter until smooth. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 cup of sugar, and vanilla extract until well blended. Add the melted chocolate and mix until incorporated. Gently fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the cooled, roasted cherries. Pour brownie batter into prepared pan and bake for 15-30 minutes (mine took closer to 30 minutes), or until brownies do not jiggle in the center when the pan is shaken.

*Note: It states that even when baked completely, a toothpick may not come out clean. Don't overbake! They are best when slightly under-baked.* 

Better-Than-Crack-Brownies

What else can I say about these fabulous brownies?

I guess the name says it all, although I don't know if they are truly better-than-crack, thank goodness! 

But, what I do know is that these brownies are sinful and are full of pure delicious-ness.

You have a fudgy chocolate brownie, topped with chopped up Butterfingers and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, which then gets topped off with a mixture of melted chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter and then Cocoa Pebbles cereal gets mixed in! Wow, I know, trust me they are gooooood!

These brownies are chewy and fudgy, crunchy and smooth, and chocolatey and peanut buttery! It's like eating a brownie, a candy  bar, and a scotcheroo all in one!

 I have made these several times and everywhere I take them, they are a huge hit!

Go make these brownies : ), don't wait!

Better-Than-Crack-Brownies: (adapted from How Sweet It Is)

-1 batch brownies for a 13x9-inch pan (boxed or your favorite homemade)

-1/2 cup chopped Butterfingers

-1 cup chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

-3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

-3/4 cup butterscotch chips

-1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

-1 1/2 cups Cocoa Pebbles cereal

Make brownies according to directions for a 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, just so that they are slightly underbaked. Remove and top with chopped Butterfingers and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and bake 4-6 minutes more.

While they finish baking, melt chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter together until smooth. Stir in cereal. Remove brownies from oven and evenly pour peanut butter mixture over top.

Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. I think they taste best cold straight from the refrigerator!

Fudgey Frosted Brookie Bars

When I saw these Brookies over at Bakingdom, which I am calling Fudgey Frosted Brookie Bars, I just about drooled and I made them the very next day! Brookies, which are part chocolate chip cookie, which I love, and part brownie, which I love even more, are turned into a tri-level decadant treat! You have a buttery and chewy chocolate chip cookie base, topped with a dense and fudgey brownie, topped with a smooth and rich chocolate buttercream. I love, love, love them! Give these a try and if you like these, you may also like these, these or this!

Brookie Bars=pure decadance, indulgence, and are simply irresistable : )

Fudgey Frosted Brookie Bars: (adapted from Bakingdom)

Ingredients:

For the Cookie Layer

-3/4 cup all-purpose flour

-1/2 teaspoon baking powder

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3/4 cup brown sugar

-1 egg

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

For the Brownie Layer

-1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

-1 cup sugar

-2 eggs

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-1/3 cup cocoa powder

-1/2 cup flour

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1/4 teaspoon baking powder

OR

use your favorite boxed brownie mix plus the ingredients called for on the box (if using a boxed mix, be sure you use a mix for an 8x8-inch pan, not for a 13x9-inch pan).

For the Frosting

-4 tablespoons unsalted butter

-1/4 cup cocoa powder

-2 cups powdered sugar

-2-6 tablespoons milk

-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Make the cookie layer first: In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter and brown sugar together. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined. Fold in the flour mixture until just combined (be careful not to overmix). Fold in the chocolate chips and spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until lightly golden on top.

Make the brownie layer: While the cookie layer bakes, prepare the brownie batter. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Once melted, remove from heat and whisk in the sugar until combined.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

Whisk in the dry ingredients until combined. Once the cookie layer comes out of the oven, immediately pour the brownie batter on top of the baked cookie layer and return to the oven. OR, prepare boxed mix according to package directions and immediately pour over baked cookie layer and return to the oven.

Bake 20-30 minutes more, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely on a wire rack and then frost as desired.

To make the frosting: In a microwaveable medium size bowl, melt the butter. Stir in the cocoa powder until combined. Mix in the powdered sugar and milk alternately until you reach your desired consistency. Stir in the vanilla.

Chocolate Chip M&M Cookie Dough Brownies

When I saw these brownies on Lovin' From the Oven, I knew they were just perfect for me and I knew I had to try them. Of course, that was because they consisted of two of my favorite things! And I was right about these, I absolutely loved, loved, loved them. A super thick, fudgey, moist, chocolate brownie that is topped with an eggless cookie dough filled with cute mini chocolate chips and mini M&M's. These are to die for if you love brownies and if you love eating spoonfuls of raw cookie dough. They are super easy and very satisfying and I think they taste best cold out of the fridge after sitting in there for at least a few hours. The flavors all combine so well together and you get one super rich and delicious dessert! Give them a try.........I dare you : )!

Tip: I used a 9x9-inch baking dish instead of a 13x9-inch pan so I would have thicker brownies and then I halved the cookie dough batter.

Chocolate Chip M&M Cookie Dough Brownies: (adapted by me)

For the Brownie:

-1 box of brownie mix for a 13x9-inch baking pan plus ingredients called for on the box (for thicker brownies use a 9x9-inch baking dish), or your favorite brownie recipe

For the Cookie Dough:

-1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

-3/4 cup brown sugar

-1/3 cup sugar

-4 1/2 tablespoons milk

-1 1/2 cups flour

-1/2 teaspoon vanilla

-3/4 cup mini M&M's

-3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Prepare your brownies according to package directions. Let cool completely.

2. Next, combine the butter and sugars and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add in the milk, flour and vanilla and beat until well combined. Then stir in the mini chocolate chips and M&M's.

3. Spread the cookie dough on the cooled brownies.

4. Chill the brownies until the cookie dough is firm. Serve.

Death By Chocolate Brownies

The title says it all! These are seriously Death by Chocolate Brownies and they are seriously, absolutely so fabulous tasting. These brownies are for serious chocolate lovers, absolute chocoholics, brownie and chocolate addicts, must-have-chocolate-now people......like myself! I have probably told you enough that I LOVE BROWNIES, I am in love with them, they are my absolute favorite dessert of all time! So, I created this super decadant brownie for all of you out there who feel the same way I do about  brownies!

These brownies have four wonderful layers of chocolate. You have a brownie base that gets swirled together with a lucious and smooth chocolate cheesecake layer which is studded with double chocolate oreos. Then you bake it, let it cool and top them off with a creamy chocolate fudge buttercream. These are very rich, moist and dense, chocolately and fudgey and they are just perfect...... in my humble opinion! 

Death by Chocolate Brownies:

For the Brownies:

-1 box of your favorite brownie mix, plus the ingredients called for on the box, or 1 recipe of your favorite brownie recipe for a 13x9-inch pan

-Chocolate Cheesecake Layer (recipe below)

-Chocolate Fudge Buttercream (recipe below)

For the Chocolate Cheesecake Layer:

-6 oz. cream cheese, softened

-1/2 cup sugar

-2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

-1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-2 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Spread half of it into a greased 13x9-inch baking pan; set aside.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla until smooth. Add melted chocolate and eggs and beat on low speed just until combined. Spread evenly over brownie batter. Cut through batter with a knife to swirl.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely on a wire rack. Once they are cooled, frost with chocolate buttercream. Store covered in an airtight container in the refrigerated.

For the Frosting:

-6 tablespoons butter, softened

-5 tablespoons cocoa powder

-1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

-1-2 tablespoons milk

-1/2 cup hot fudge topping, such as Smucker's

-1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Cream the butter. Slowly mix in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Add the milk, hot fudge and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy.

 

Give Me S'more Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Have you ever made a classic campfire s'more with a Reesee's Peanut Butter Cup instead of Hershey's Milk Chocolate? If not, you should give it a try before summer so shortly comes to an end, or you can try out my Peanut Butter Cup S'more Brownies! I must say....Delicious!

I had leftover marshmallows, ghram crackers and peanut butter cups from our vacation a couple weeks ago that I wanted to use up and I thought that brownies would be a great base to throw all of those leftover goodies into.

And I was right! The brownie itself was very fudgey, rich and chocolately, just the way I like them, which paired perfectly with one of summer's classic favorite treats, s'mores; chopped ghram crackers and peanut butter cups get mixed into the brownie batter and then it gets topped with large marshmallow halves that get that great toasty flavor and golden brown color; just as if you were roasting it over a campfire. If you serve them warm, the marshmallow gets nice and gooey and the peanut butter cups melt and it is just like eating a s'more but in a brownie! Give these a try, they are super yummy!

S'more Peanut Butter Cup Brownies:

Ingredients:

-5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces

-6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

-2/3 cup granulated sugar

-2 large eggs

-1 teaspoon vanilla

-pinch of salt

-1/3 cup all-purpose flour

-6 regular size Reesee's Peanut Buttr Cups

-3/4 cup chopped ghram crackers

-8 large marshmallows, cut in half

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 8x8-inch pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Set a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Put butter in bowl, top with chopped chocolate and stir occasionally until just melted. Remove bowl from the pan of water.

3. With a whisk, stir in sugar. Whisk in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and whisk vigorously to bring butter together. Gently stir in the flour and salt; just until incorporated. Fold in the chopped ghram crackers and peanut butter cups.

4. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and then layer the marshmallow halves evenly on top, leaving a little bit of space in between each one. Pour the rest of the batter on top of the marshmallows and spread evenly.

5. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool completely. Cut into squares and serve warm (nooked in the microwave) or at room temperature, (I liked them best nooked in the microwave for about 10-12 seconds, it gives you the ultimate warm and toasty s'more campfire feeling)!

MMMM!!!! Marshmallow, chocolate, peanut butter and ghram crackers combined into one fabulous brownie! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Hot Fudge Sundae Brownies

You are just a handful of ingredients and a short prep time away from a very rich and decadant, yet easy to put together brownie that has a few fun ingredients! You take a boxed brownie mix and add  the normal eggs and oil called for on the box, omitting the water, and then you add your favorite ice cream, hot fudge and

chocolate chips! 

These brownies come out perfectly with crisp, chewy edges and centers that are really, really moist and very fudgey. It's hard to describe, but,  in a way, the texture of the centers of the brownies is almost smooth and creamy, and they almost melt-in-your-mouth, it  kind of reminds me of the centers of a chocolate molten lava cake. I think that the creaminess of the ice cream and the fudgey chocolate hot fudge gives these brownies the extra creamy, fudgey and ultra luscious centers.

These taste great at room temperature, or nooked in the microwave and served warm or go all out and serve it with a scoop of ice cream, some hot fudge, and of course, sprinkles!

                                               Ice Cream Sundae Brownies: (Picky Palate)

-1 Brownie mix for a 13x9-inch pan

-2 eggs

-1/2 cup vegetable oil

-Heaping 1/2 cup of your favorite ice cream

-1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

-1/4 cup hot fudge topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and foil and grease a 13x9-inch baking pan. Mix together the brownie mix, eggs and oil until combined. Scoop in the ice cream, chocolate chips and hot fudge; mix until combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool on a wire rack and cut and serve as desired.

Mini Brownie Mosaic Cheesecakes

I found this recipe a while back here at Brown Eyed Baker's blog and I definitely reccomend checking out her blog, she has tons of awesome recipes. Although, I am not usually a cheesecake fan, this caught my eye because of my love affair with brownies and chocolate. I don't think I need to tell you anymore how much I absolutely adore brownies.....by themselves, frosted, warm and topped with ice cream, or in cheesecake! This recipe also caught my eye because cheesecake is my boyfriend's favorite dessert and when I saw this recipe I thought how perfect....both of our favorite desserts combined in one decadant masterpiece!  

 

The first time I made this cheesecake I made it exactly as the recipe said and without any modifications. I made it for a New Year's Eve party and I cut them into bite-sized pieces and it was a big hit and even better than I expected it to be since I am not a huge cheesecake fan! Everyone enjoyed it and raved about how good it was. This time I decided to experiment a bit with the recipe and I made them mini using cupcake pans and once again they turned out great! 

This cheesecake combines a crunchy double chocolate oreo cookie crust with a smooth and creamy cheesecake filling that is filled with chunks of fudgey brownies........All I can say is MMMMM!

Mini Brownie Mosaic Cheesecakes: (Brown Eyed Baker, adapted by me)

Makes 24

For the Brownies:

-4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

-2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

-2 cups sugar

-3 eggs

-1 tsp. vanilla

-1 cup sifted flour

OR:

-1 boxed brownie mix, plus ingredients called for on the box

(I have done it both ways and both of them turned out great.)

For the Crust:

-1 1/2 cups finely ground double chocolate oreos

-5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

-1/3 cup sugar

-1/8 tsp. salt

For the Cheesecake:

-3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

-4 large eggs

-1 tsp.vanilla

-1 cup sugar

To make the brownies, in a small saucepan, melt chocolate and 1 stick of butter over low heat, stirring until mixture is smooth. Let mixture cool completely. In a a large bowl, cream together the remaining one stick butter and the sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Stir in vanilla and the chocolate mixture. Add the flour and a pinch of salt. Stir until the mixture is well-blended. Pour into a greased 13x9-inch pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes or until it pulls away slightly from sides and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with fudgey crumbs (do not overbake). Cool pan on wire rack. After the brownies have cooled completely, cut them into 3/4-1" squares for use in the cheesecake. Set aside 2 cups for the recipe, and will have many extra brownies left over.

For the Cheesecake:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 standard cupcake tins with paper liners (you will need 24). Stir together all the crust ingredients until well combined. Press 1 tablespoon crust mixture firmly into bottom of each lined cup. Bake until set, about 5 minutes. Transfer tins to a wire rack to cool.

2. For the cheesecake, beat the cream cheese in an electric mixture until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating on low speed, scraping down the bowl between additions. Add vanilla and sugar until well combined. Gently fold in the reserved 2 cups of brownie chunks.

3. Spoon 3 tablespoons filling over crust in each cup.

4. Bake, rotating pans halfway through until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Cool on wire racks completely. Refrigerate (in tins) at least 4 hours (or out of tins up to 5 days in airtight containers). Remove from tins just before serving.

Hershey's Thick and Fudgey Brownies

As you know, I absolutely love brownies...they are my favorite dessert.....EVER!!! And, I hate to admit it, but, I could live off of boxed betty crocker brownies! I think that they are some of the best brownies because they are always dense, chocolately, fudgey, and moist and they just produce the perfect kind of brownie for my liking! I am always a little apprehensive about making brownies from scratch because I don't want them to turn out cakey because to me that is just a waste! I hate cakey brownies....if I wanted cake I would make a cake, which Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake is my go to chocolate cake recipe!

I decided to make these Hershey's Thick and Fudgey Brownies from a Hershey's cookbook that I have because I have had them bookmarked off for a while and I seem to have good luck with hershey's recipes. The name of the brownie being "thick and fudgey" made me want to try them out and the picture of the brownies in the cookbook looked absolutely delicious.

And let me tell you, these brownies did not dissapoint me at all and they tasted excellent. They were everything the name said and more! They were very thick and had a crispy and shiny top that combined so well with their inside texture which was very dense and oh so moist, chewy, and fudgey inside and they had the added bonus of chocolate chips running throughout them....YUM!

Hershey's Thick and Fudgey Brownies:

Makes 24 brownies

-2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

-2/3 cup HERSHEY'S cocoa

-1 teaspoon baking powder

-1 teaspoon salt

-3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, melted

-2 1/2 cups sugar

-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

-4 eggs

-1 3/4 cups (10-oz. package) HERSHEY'S Mini KISSES milk chocolates (or chocolate chips)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. (325 degrees F for glass baking dish). Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. With spoon or whisk, stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl. Add eggs; stir until well blended. Stir in flour mixture, blending well. Stir in chocolate pieces. Spread batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. 

Frozen Brownie Sundaes

This is a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis and I saw her making these yesterday and knew that I had to try them out right away because brownies and ice cream are two of my most favorite desserts and combining them together is pure decadance! My mouth was basically watering the whole time she was making them!

These turned out wonderfully and even with all of the steps they were a breeze to put together (I also made 3 cheesecakes today along with these brownies!) and are the perfect summer time dessert. The combination of the rich, fudgey, and dense brownie with the cool and creamy ice cream and the milk chocolate topping were amazing! And then the added bonus of strawberry sauce...MMMM! It was really great and the perfect compliment for this dessert because it was slightly tart which balanced out the richness of the dessert and the color of the sauce just popped and was so beautiful! My brother said this was like the best dessert he ever had! I definetly reccomend making these and enjoying them on a hot summer day!

Frozen Brownie Sundaes: (Giada De Laurentiis)

Ingredients

Brownie Layer:

-vegetable cooking oil spray

-2 tablespoons water

-1/4 cup vegetable oil

-1 large egg, at room temperature

-1 3/4 cups brownie mix (recommended: Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge)

-1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

-2 (1.4-ounce) milk chocolate-toffee candy bars, coarsely chopped (recommended: Heath or Skor) (I didn't add these)

Ice Cream Layer:

-1 pint dulche de leche or caramel ice cream, softened

Chocolate Layer:

-1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

-1 3/4 cups milk chocolate chips

Sauce:

-1 (12-ounce) bag frozen strawberries, thawed

-1/3 cup powdered sugar

-1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

Brownie layer: Preheat even to 350 degrees F. Spray and 8 by 8-inch glass baking pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper, allowing 2 inches of paper to overhang the sides. Set aside. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray

In a large bowl, mix together the water, oil and egg. Add the brownie mix and stir until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and candy bar pieces. Transfer batter to the pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into the cener of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 20-25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cool the brownie layer completely in the pan.

Ice cream layer: Using a spatula, spread the softened ice cream on top of the brownie layer and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Chocolate layer: In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium-low heat until hot but not boiling. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate chips. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Using a spatula, spread the chocolate mixture over the ice cream layer. Freeze at least 1 hour.

Sauce: Put the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth.

To serve: Remove the laters from the pan and peel away the parchment paper. Cut the layers into squares and drizzle with the strawberry sauce.

Enjoy!

Creme De Menthe Brownies

My sister Diana was coming into town and she requested that I make brownies with a mint frosting and a hard chocolate topping. These turned out really good and she really enjoyed them as well as the rest of my family, myself, and a some neighbors. They were fudgey, chocolately, minty, and really yummy!

For the Brownies:

-1 box of your favorite brownie mix  for a 13x9 pan

-eggs, oil, and water called for on the box

-1 cup of andes mint pieces

Directions:

Make brownies according to package directions and mix in the andes mints.

For the frosting:

-3 cups powdered sugar

-1/3 cup margarine or butter, softened

-3/4 tsp. mint extract

-1/4 cup milk

Directions:

Beat the powdered sugar and margarine together. Add in the milk and mint extract and beat until it is the consistency you like. Spread frosting on cooled brownies.

For the chocolate topping:

-2 cups chocolate ( I used chopped dove dark chocolate)

-6 tablespoons butter

Directions:

In the top of a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter until smooth. Spread on top of the frosted brownies. Let chocolate harden and then serve. (I think these brownies taste best cold and just out of the refrigerator!)

Dulce de Leche Brownies

Happy Cinco De Mayo everyone! Today I am celebrating with these really yummy and scrumptious, moist, chocolately, caramely, and oh so ooey and gooey Dulce de Leche brownies and fish tacos for dinner (I will post that later)! Dulce de Leche is a Mexican caramel and it is very delicious! I got the idea to make these brownies from Dave Lebovitz, although I used my favorite brownie  recipe (The Baked brownie and I halved it) and I didn't make my own Dulce de Leche....but next time I will use Dave's brownie recipe and attempt to make my own Dulce de Leche and I will definetly post how they turn out! I will post both brownie recipes for you because they both have gotten really great reviews. I definetly reccomend giving these a try, they are absoultely yummy!

Here is the Baked Brownie recipe that I used (halved):

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-1 tablespoon dark unsweetened cocoa powder

-5 1/2 ounces dark chocolate (60-72% cacao), coarsely chopped (I used ghiradelli chocolate chips)

-1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

-1/2 tespoon instant espresso powder (I omitted this for this recipe)

-3/4 cup granulated sugar

-1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

-2 eggs plus 2 tablespoons egg (I beat 1 egg slightly and measured out 2 tablespoons because 1 egg is equal to 1/4 cup, so you really will need 3 eggs)

-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

-13.4 ounce can of Dulce de Leche

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9x9 inch baking pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.

Put the chocolate, butter, and instant espresso (if using) in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature.

Add 2 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaing 2 tablespoons of the beaten egg and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined (do not overbeat.)

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula, fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.

Pour half of the brownie batter into the prepared pan and drop one-third of the Dulce de Leche, evenly spaced, over the brownie batter, then drag a knife through to swirl it slightly.

Spread the remaining brownie batter over, then drop spoonfuls of the remaining Dulce de Leche in dollops over the top of the brownie batter. Use a knife to swirl the Dulce de Leche slightly.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes (start checking their doneness after about 20 minutes), rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies come out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely (if you can wait that long...I couldn't!) and then enjoy!

You can find Dave Lebovitz's Dulce de Leche Brownie recipe here at  http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2006/06/dulce_de_leche.html

Chocolate Malt Brownies

Brownies are one of my most favorite desserts to eat, especially when they have frosting on top. I love a fudgey, chocolatey, chewy, and dense brownie, not the cakey kind. I got this chocolate malt brownie recipe, which has malt powder and chopped malted milk balls in it, from a Paula Deen Best Desserts Special Collector's Issue Magazine. I absolutely love and adore Paula, I wish she was my third grandma. I love all of her amazing desserts and enjoy all of her recipes; no matter how much butter is in them! I have a subscription to her magazine and always pick up the special collector's issues whenever I see a new one! I am hoping to make it out to Savannah Georgia this summer and go to her restaraunt and hopefully meet her....that would be soooo exciting!

These brownies turned out just the way I like my brownies and were super delicious and the frosting was also soooo good (just beware because the frosting is very rich and sweet-but I like it that way so it was perfect for me). These brownies had a great texture and were super fudgey, super chewy, and very dense. I think that the chopped whoppers in the batter gave them a little extra chew that was just so yummy because the whoppers melted into the brownie. The malt flavor in these brownies was very subtle, but, you could definitely tell that it was there. I don't think that I can rave about these brownie anymore! So, have I convinced you enough to get in the kitchen and bake up a batch of these brownies?! ENJOY!

Chocolate Malt Brownies (Paula Deen)

-3/4 cup butter

-6 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped (I didn't have unsweetened chocolate so I used ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips and it worked perfectly)
-1 cup sugar

-1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

-1/2 cup malted milk powder

-3 large eggs

-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

-1 cup chopped malted milk balls

-Creamy Chocolate Frosting

(recipe follows)
Garnish: chopped malted milk balls

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

In a small saucepan, combine butter and chocolate. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, beat sugars, malted milk powder, and eggs at medium speed with a mixer until fluffy.

In a small bowl, combine flour and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating until combined. Add melted butter mixture, beating until combined, being careful not to over beat (the batter will be a pretty light color, I was worried at first that I did something wrong, but, they turned out great.)

Stir in malted milk balls. Spoon batter into prepared pan, and bake 23 to 27 minutes or until brownies are set in center (my brownies took about 37 minutes to bake, so just make sure to check on them.) Let cool completely. Spread Creamy Chocolate Frosting over cooled brownies. Garnish with chopped malted milk balls, if desired.

Creamy Chocolate Frosting

-6 tablespoons butter

-3 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped (I used bittersweet chocolate chips)

-3 cups powdered sugar

-1/3 cup whole milk (I used skim milk)

In a medium saucepan, combine butter and chocolate. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat, and whisk in sugar until combined. Gradually whisk in milk until frosting reached a spreadable consistency.