Banana Berry Brownie Pizza

{there is fruit on it so it's healthy, right?}
If you didn't already know this, you do now. Sugar cookies and I have issues. I've only made them successfully once in my life and luckily for me, I blogged about it. I've come to terms with it, and so should you. I saw all these super yummy fruit pizza recipes amidst my daily recipe browsing, but my better judgment told me to not even try to attempt a sugar cookie crust again.
So then I decided I should make the crust out of something much easier, and something I knew I could make no problemo. Brownies! What's better than chocolate? Nothing. Nothing is better than chocolate. I'm not really into citrus fruits mixed with the chocolate taste so then I had to come up with super yummy fruits that go really well with chocolate.
Bananas. Strawberries. Raspberries.
I'm sure there are others but that right there had me drooling. So off I went to the kitchen to make this delish of a brownie pizza! Go me!

Ingredients:
For the brownie crust:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup all purpose flour

"Sauce"
4 oz cream cheese, softened (about half a brick)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Toppings:
Strawberries, sliced
Raspberries
Bananas, sliced
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted (for drizzling)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F. Spray a pizza pan with cooking spray, set aside.
In a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil: sugar, water and butter. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips, stir until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and stir until completely blended together. Then add flour and baking soda, mix well. Spread brownie batter on to pizza pan, making it as smooth and even as possible. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, and the edges are slightly crisp. Let cool.
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth, add in powdered sugar and vanilla and beat again until combined and smooth. Spread over cooled brownie crust.
Next, cup your strawberries and bananas. You can arrange them however you want. Don't be afraid to get creative. Hey, you can even just dump them on it and it will still look amazing! Drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired. 

 Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave me a comment and tell me what you think!

Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies

{i'm on a coconut kick}
I saw these and died. I have been on a coconut kick lately, and paired with chocolate...even better! I can't really talk these up anymore, but the original recipe was actually featured on Tasty Kitchen. So, basically they are amazing.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, and stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, and add to butter mixture. Fold in chocolate chips and coconut. Drop by rounded spoonfuls on to cookie sheets.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden. And enjoy!

Source: Vittles and Bits

Chocolate Temptations

{straight from grandma's cookbook}
I'm not quite sure why my grandma titled these 'chocolate temptations' because most of these little cookies are peanut butter. But, there ya have it. These will knock your socks off! Peanut butter cookies with peanut butter cups in the center and melted to perfection. My mouth is watering just thinking about them! I bet you can't have just one.

 Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
50 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, beat peanut butter, butter, and shortening for 30 seconds. Add sugars, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla and beat again until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer, stir in any remaining flour with your hands or a big spoon. Cover and chill for about 15-20 minutes or until easy to handle.
Preheat oven to 375F. Spray two mini muffin pans with cooking spray. Roll dough into 1/3 inch balls and place each ball of dough into each mini muffin slot. Bake for 7-8 minutes. While cookies are baking, unwrap as many peanut butter cups as you can. Immediately after you remove the cookies from the oven, take a peanut butter cup and push it down into the center of each cookie. Let sit for about 20 minutes so the chocolate melts and everything sets together. Pop them out of the mini muffin pans and, ta-da! Eat away!

 You will have lots of peanut butter cookie dough left over, so feel free to use it all up making these (you'll obviously need more peanut butter cups), or freeze it for later use. This dough also makes great peanut butter cookies. To make those, roll dough into balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten by making crisscross marks with a fork. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until bottoms are lightly brown. 

Source: Family recipe 

Homemade Oreo's

{oreo's only without the funky wax frosting}
Okay, that was kind of harsh- everyone loves Oreo's, it's just unfortunate that the frosting leaves a waxy film on the roof of your mouth. And if you knew what that frosting was made of, you might cry. The first time I had these was when I was 14- and I've never forgotten them! I could just sit and eat the entire batch in one sitting, and if I had no will power I probably would. Not only are they delish, they are mega easy and fast! And, pretty fool proof, if you are like me. I hope you enjoy them!

Ingredients:
1 Better Crocker Devil's Food Cake mix
2 eggs
3/4 cup butter, softened

Frosting:
1 8oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions: Combine cake mix, eggs and butter together and mix until well combined and all the cake mix is incorporated. Dough will be thick, so using your hands isn't a bad idea. Chill for 20 minutes. Roll into small balls, and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes at 350F. Let cool.
For the frosting, begin by beating the cream cheese and butter together with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and beat again until smooth. Then add vanilla and beat again. Once cookies are cool, spoon a small spoonful of frosting on the flat side of one cook and sandwich with another cookie. Makes about 16-20 cookies depending on size.

Cream Cheese Brownies

{it's okay, they are cooked all the way this time}
I just have to say thank you to my wonderful oven and kitchen, for being on good terms with me right now. Without them on my side, these brownies would have come out gooey, and uncooked and unprepared to be eaten. Thank you! Seriously, some days that's what it feels like. I know I'm only limited in my skillz (ya like that?) but really, sometimes I know it's not entirely my fault. Luckily for me (and anyone else who eats these) everything was in perfect working order.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup all purpose flour


Topping:
1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg

Directions:
In a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil: sugar, water and butter. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips, stir until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and stir until completely blended together. Then add flour and baking soda, mix well. Pour into greased 8x8 inch baking dish. To make the topping, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Then add sugar, vanilla and egg and beat again until completely smooth and blended. Spoon small amounts on to brownie batter, evenly. Once the cream cheese layer is spread over the brownie batter, take a small knife or a toothpick and make cool designs on the top. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 325F, or until brownies set up. Use a toothpick to determine when brownies are finished. Let cool and serve.

Brownie source from allrecipes.com "mmm... brownies"  
Cream cheese topping from Joy Of Baking

Double Chocolate Chunk Brownies

{chocolate; a love story}
Just make sure to bake yours all the way. I'm only human, I must admit. I open the oven door too much and thus my things usually need to be baked longer. Like these. They were good the second day after they set up more, still the best brownies I've ever had in my life- which is quite the compliment since this was my first time making them from scratch. They were pretty amazing, I have to say. Chocolaty like you wont believe, and a flaky top that only boxed mixes can achieve!

Ingredients:
1/2 half cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup all purpose flour (for more cake like brownies use cake flour, or self rising flour)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (separate from the rest)
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

 Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F. Spray 8x8 inch baking dish with cooking spray. In medium sauce pan, bring water, butter and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in 1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips. Stir until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla, stir to combine. Sift in flour and baking soda. Once the batter is cool, add in the other semisweet chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips, and mix. Pour batter into baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes or until brownies have set up (you can use the tooth pick trick, too). Enjoy!

 

Chocolate Caramel Shortbread

{aka, Tressa O'Brien's home made Twix bars}
I could just eat these all day- but I wont. I must refrain. The force is strong with this one. You like my Star Wars reference there? 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
7 oz (200 g) semisweet chocolate chips
Caramel:
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons dark corn syrup
14 oz (400 g) sweetened condensed milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F, grease the bottom of a 9 inch square cake pan. Place the butter, flour and sugar in a medium bowl and mix with a fork until the mixture starts to combine. Press into pan and level the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
For the caramel, place the butter, sugar, corn syrup, and condensed milk in a heavy bottom pan. Heat gently until the sugar melts. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and let simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring constantly (I learned the hard way) until very thick and the color has darkened. Pour over the shortbread and let chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until firm.
Melt the chocolate chips (I used the microwave) and spread over the caramel. Let chill again for another two hours (or to speed it up, stick it in the freezer for about 10 minutes). Makes 12.
recipe from my new cookbook:

 

Four Layer Devil's Food Cake

{chocolate; possibly the number one love of my life}
This is my first time making a layer cake. This is also my first time making cake batter (and chocolate frosting) from scratch. Also, my first time using baking cocoa. Seriously, I'd never used it before. I think for my first time, I did pretty dang good! I was amazed at my self! I'll admit that buying a cake mix from a box is a million times easier and faster, but the satisfaction I got from making it from scratch is incomparable.

Ingredients:
5 oz. (140 g) semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
3 eggs, separated
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Frosting:
5 oz. (140 g) semisweet chocolate
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoons corn syrup
3 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons water
1 3/4 cup powdered (icing) sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease two 8 inch round cake pans. Break up the chocolate (I used chocolate chips) and place with the milk and cocoa in a heat proof bowl set over a pot of gently boiling water, stirring until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat. (Check out my little invention for this... haha!)

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, then the sour cream and melted chocolate mixture. Sift in the flour and baking soda, fold in evenly. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff enough to hold firm peaks. Fold into the mixture lightly and evenly.
Divide the mixture between the cake pans, smooth the surface, and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until risen and firm to the touch. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

For the frosting, place the chocolate, cocoa, sour cream, corn syrup, butter, and water in pot and heat gently without boiling, until melted. Remove from the heat and add the powdered sugar, stirring until smooth. Cool, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to thicken and holds its shape. Split the cakes in  half horizontally with a sharp knife to make four layers. Sandwich the cakes together with about a third of the frosting. Spread the remainder over the top and sides of the cakes, swirling with a metal spatula.

 Original recipe taken from my new cookbook:

All-American Chocolate Chip Cookies

{straight from Grandma's kitchen}

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar 
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 package semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.
Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; beat until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls about 3 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool on cookie sheets. 
*Note: For smaller cookies, preheat oven to 375 F. Preheat dough as directed; drop heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. 

 Yum!
 

Rich Chocolate Cupcakes

{A simple twist on a chocolaty classic}
My husband doesn't like cake, or any sweets for that matter. But he raved about these cupcakes, and ate more than just one! 

Ingredients:
1 Devil's Food cake mix (any chocolate cake mix will do) and the ingredients to make it
2 packets of Jell-O milk chocolate pudding mix
1 container of Chocolate frosting (or make your own, something I haven't mastered yet)


Directions:
Mix all required ingredients for cupcakes as per package. Once well mixed, add the 2 pudding packets, stir until well mixed. Bake cupcakes per box directions. Let cool and frost. 
Once you bite in, you can tell that the cake is thick and rich, and more like a brownie than a cake. It's divine!

Hanky Panky Cupcakes

{Formerly known as Better Than Sex Cake}
*original recipe adapted from iheartcuppycakes*

Ingredients:
1 Devil's Food Cake mix (and the ingredients to make it)
1 can of Eagle Brand Sweet and Condensed milk
1/2 cup Caramel ice cream topping (I used the dipping sauce found next to the apples in the produce area)
2 Heath or Skor candy cars, broken up into pieces (I used Skor)
Whipped cream (I made home made, but store bought is just fine)

Recipe:
Make cupcakes as per recipe on box. Next, take a skewer or a fork and poke holes in the tops of the cupcakes. Make the sure holes go at least 2/3 of the way down, if not further. Mix the sweet and condensed  milk and the caramel sauce together over low heat in a medium sauce pan. (I used a microwave because I'm lazy). You just want it to get warm enough that they mix well together. Spoon small amounts of the caramel mixture over the cupcakes, allowing it to sink down into the holes. You may have to repeat this step once or twice, you can add as little or as much as you want. Let cool. Dollop some whipped cream on top, and then sprinkle the candy car pieces on top of that!  If you want to get even more creative, you could drizzle more of the caramel mixture on top again.
*side note: if you aren't going to serve them right away, it's best to keep them in the refrigerator so that the whipped cream doesn't melt.*
Enjoy!