Peppermint Brownies

BROWNIES:

Mix well:

1 C. melted butter 

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted  

2 cups sugar 

4 eggs

Add and mix well:  

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

3/4 cups nuts (walnuts, pecans)

Bake :

in a greased 9x13 pan at 350° for 30 minutes.  Cool thoroughly before frosting.

FROSTING:

Cream together:  

6 tablespoons soft butter

2 cups powdered sugar       

Add and mix well:  

4 tablespoons whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

green or pink food color if desired

Spread over cooled brownies.  Set in refrigerator or other cool place.

TOPPING:

Melt together: 

 2-3 tablespoons butter

6-oz package chocolate chips (or 1 cup)

Drizzle or spread over brownies.

via: Patricia Rowley who says, "In the late 1960s or maybe 1970 I acquired this recipe from someone in the East Millcreek Sixth Ward (Salt Lake City) where we lived for about 6 1/2 years.  There was much panic in my house (and in Kenneth's) in December 2012 when for a while, I couldn't find the recipe. Had it not been found, it would have been a tragedy of a magnitude heretofore unknown to mankind."

Lemon Brownies

Ingredients for the Brownies
½ cup butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
zest of ½ lemon
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
¾ cup flour
¼ tsp. salt


Ingredients for the Glaze

½ cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
zest of ½ lemon

Instructions 
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8 x 8 pan by spraying with cooking spray or lining with foil, and set aside.
• In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then add the lemon juice. Add the flour and salt, and mix until just combined. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
• Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out clean. Let cool 10-15 minutes.
• To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest, then pour over the brownies, spreading evenly to coat. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.

via iheartnaptime

Swedish Brownies

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
½ cup shortening, melted
2 eggs, well beaten
¼ tsp. baking powder
1 cup flour
1 tsp. almond extract
slivered almonds
sugar

Instructions
Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, flour, baking powder and mix well. Add Extract. Pour into 8x8 greased pan. Sprinkle with almonds and sugar and press lightly into batter. Bake 25 minutes at 350°F. 

Gingerbread Brownies

Ingredients

1½ cups flour

1 cup sugar

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ cup butter, melted

1/3 cup molasses

2 eggs

Powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and cloves. Combine melted butter, molasses, and eggs. Add to flour mixture, stirring until thoroughly combined. Do not beat (the batter will be thick).

Spread batter in a greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until center is softly firm. Do not over-bake. Cool on wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar. Cut into squares. Makes 24 brownies.

Lemony Lemon Brownies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice

For the tart lemon glaze:

• 4 Tbsp lemon juice
• 8 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Grease an 8×8 inch baking dish with butter and set aside.
3. Zest and juice two lemons and set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter until combined.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined.
6. Pour it into the flour mixture and beat for 2 min. at medium speed until smooth and creamy.
7. Pour into baking dish and bake for 23-25 min., should turn golden around the edges.
8. Allow to cool completely before glazing. Do not over bake, or the bars will be dry.
9. Filter the powdered sugar and whisk with lemon zest and juice.
10. Spread the glaze over the brownies with a rubber spatula and let glaze set.
11. Cut into bars and serve.

Today is National S'mores Day

Celebrate accordingly by making some of these…

S’mores Brownies

2 cups of crushed graham crackers
6 Tbsp. butter – melted
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 box brownie mix – prepare mix according to directions or your favorite brownie recipe
2 cups miniature marshmallows
2 milk chocolate candy bars – broken into pieces
Preheat oven to 350º.

To make the crust, combine crushed graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter. Press crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of a 8x8 or 9x9 greased baking pan. Bake for 5 minutes.

Prepare brownie mixture according to the package. Spread mixture over the crust and bake for the directed amount of time (usually about 35 -40 minutes). Test for with a toothpick.

Immediately sprinkle marshmallows and chocolate over warm brownies. Broil about 4 to 5 inches from heat for 30 to 60 seconds or until marshmallows are golden brown. (Watch carefully marshmallows will brown quickly.) Serve while warm.

Julia Child's Brownies

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs

Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°.

Sift the flour and salt together and set aside.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently and keeping a watchful eye on the pot to make certain the chocolate doesn’t scorch Add 1 cup of the sugar to the mixture and stir for half a minute, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour the mixture into a large bowl.

Put the remaining 1 cup sugar and the eggs into a bowl and mix or whisk by hand just to combine.

Little by little, pour half of the sugar and eggs into the chocolate mixture, stirring gently but constantly with a rubber spatula so that the eggs don’t set from the heat.

Fit the whisk attachment to the mixer and whip the remaining sugar and eggs until they are thick, pale, and doubled in volume, about 3 minutes.

Using the rubber spatula, delicately fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture.

When the eggs are almost completely incorporated, gently fold in the dry ingredients.

Pour and scrape the batter in to an unbuttered 9-inch square pan.

Bake the brownies for 25-28 minutes, during which time they will rise a little and the top will turn dark and dry.

Cut into the center at about the 23-minute mark to see how the brownies are progressing: they’ll be perfect if they’re just barely set and still pretty gooey. They’re still awfully good on the other side of set, so don’t worry if you miss the moment on your first try.

The brownies will keep, covered, for 2 to 3 days at room temperature and can be frozen for up to a month. Thaw, still wrapped, at room temperature. These never freeze solid, so you might want to think about using them as a mix-in for ice cream.

Kim Bensen's Midnight Brownies

I saw these brownies on Dr. Oz. They have a lot less calories and a secret ingredient...

Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly spray a 8x8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Brownies
1, 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup agave syrup
½ cup self-rising flour
½ cup egg whites
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp mini semisweet chocolate chips

In a food processor, mix all brownie ingredients (except chips) together. Chop on high, until smooth. Clean off sides and blend for another 20 seconds. Add the chips in and stir well. Spread into the 8x8 baking dish. Cook for 20 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for about 1 hour in dish at room temperature.

Frosting
6 oz fat-free cream cheese
¼ cup agave syrup
2 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp semisweet mini chocolate chips, melted.

With a whisk attachment on an electric beater, blend all ingredients until light and fluffy. Spread evenly over the top of the cooled brownies. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the 2 tbsp of chips with a 2 second spray of nonstick cooking oil. Using a spoon, swirl the chocolate on top. Allow it to set in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy. Don't forget to have seconds!

For more information on Kim and her book, Finally Thin, visit her website!

Two-By-Four Brownies

These brownies aren't really made from 2 x 4 planks of wood. Actually, there are four ingredients with measurements of two, and two ingredients with measurements of four.
That makes it easy to remember...



2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
2 cubes butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
4 tbsp. cocoa
4 eggs




Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix by hand until blended and moist. Spread in a 9 x13 pan sprayed with Pam. Bake @ 350º for 20-30 min. Dust with powdered sugar when cool.

Hint: Cut the brownies with a rotary pizza cutter to save the bottom of pan from being scored by a sharp knife.