Facebook Brownies

This recipe was making the rounds on Facebook.  I'm posting it here mainly so I can find it again easily rather than having to search through the Facebook archives for it.  I didn't make it as a mix.  I just mixed it all up at the same time.  It's a pretty thick batter, so if you sprinkle chocolate chips on top, they stay on top, unlike most box mixes where the chocolate (or, even better...mint) chips all sink to the bottom.  I did it in a pie pan, and it worked well in that.

Facebook Brownies

Never buy boxed brownie mix again! Follow the recipe below and make brownies for approximately .30 a mix! So simple, so easy. Not just frugal but cuts out the unknown ingredients.

1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/3 cup Cocoa
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Baking Powder

Put mix in plastic bags or mason jars.

At baking time add:

2 Eggs
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1 tsp Vanilla

Bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan.

It was a Pampered Chef rep who was circulating the recipe, so she recommended using the Pampered Chef brownie pan, which supposedly cooks faster.

Check after 12-15 minutes of baking and remove when brownies are done!

Nutella French Toast

I made these for breakfast on Mother's Day. They were a big hit. Well, except with Eddie. He is going through an anti-sauce phase and refused to touch them on account of the Nutella in the center (he ate a stale mini bagel instead). The original recipe says in makes 2 sandwiches, but the egg mixture went a bit further for me—I'd say there was probably enough for 3-4 sandwiches.

• 4-8 slices quality white bread (Harmon's challah bread worked nicely)
• 1/4 cup Nutella
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tbsp confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat a panini press or flat griddle. Spread 2 pieces of bread with the Nutella. Top each side with another piece of bread.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla in a shallow bowl. Dip each side of the sandwich in the egg mixture. Transfer to a platter. Let stand for a few seconds.

Put the sandwiches on the press, pull the top down, and cook until they are golden and crisp, about 4 to 6 minutes. If you are using a flat griddle, you would just have to flip them over like regular french toast.

Dust with confectioners' sugar, then do your best not to inhale as you bite.

Bossk Brownies and Deja Vu

We needed a FHE treat and Caleb was assigned the treat. He said he wanted to make something new and yummy. "Let's get out the Hershey cookbook, no where is the Star Wars cookbook" I was laughing picturing Caleb making all the things in the Hershey cookbook. He finally decided on Bossk Brownies in the Star Wars cookbook. It says under the title "Bossk, the bounty hunter never caught his quarry, Han Solo and Chewbacca. Perhaps he was distracted by these delicious brownies."

Here's the recipe:

2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup white chocolate or butterscotch chips

Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish. Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Don’t forget to USE THE FORCE! Pour into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake about 25 minutes (until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean). Cool completely, cut and enjoy.

We didn't have any white chocolate chips or butterscotch so we used Andes mint chips.

Peppermint Bark

As requested, here is the recipe for peppermint bark that we made for the family Christmas party. Also, you can find the marbled bark recipe with oreo chunks over on our blog.

• 1 pkg. (8 squares) semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 pkg. (6 squares) white chocolate
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup crushed candy canes

Line the bottom and sides of a 9 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, smoothing out any wrinkles.

Melt the semi sweet chocolate with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a microwave-safe dish. Immediately pour the melted chocolate into the prepared pan and tilt the pan so the chocolate makes an even layer. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, or until the chocolate has set.

Melt the white chocolate and remaining 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Immediately pour the melted white chocolate over the dark chocolate and spread evenly. Sprinkle the crushed candy canes evenly over the white chocolate. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, or until the chocolate has set.

Remove the firm chocolate from the pan by lifting the edges of the aluminum foil. Peel back the foil and break into small irregular pieces. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Oreo & Fudge Ice Cream Cake

This ice cream cake from Kraft Foods is a surefire way to impress your friends. It really couldn't be easier to assemble, but when you pull it out of the freezer you will be serenaded with a chorus of "oohs" and "ahhs" and "wow, you actually made that?"

• 1/2 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed
• 1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip, thawed, divided
• 1 pkg. (3.9 oz) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
• 8 Oreo Cookies, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 12 vanilla ice cream sandwiches

Pour fudge topping into medium bowl. Whisk in 1 cup Cool Whip. Add dry pudding mix; stir 2 min. Stir in chopped cookies.

Arrange 4 ice cream sandwiches, side-by-side, on 24-inch-long piece of foil; top with half the Cool Whip mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining sandwiches. Frost top and sides with remaining Cool Whip. Bring up foil sides; double fold top and ends to loosely seal packet. Freeze 4 hours.

Gelato di Cioccolato (Chocolate Gelato)

Gelato differs from American ice cream in that it has lower butterfat and sugar content. It also has a more dense texture with more intense flavor. The author of this particular recipe notes that it isn't totally authentic because real gelato doesn't use whipping cream, but this is "the best way to re-create it at home with the kind of ice cream makers most people can afford to have in their own kitchens." For more detailed instructions with plenty of photos, definitely check out her original article.

• 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 2 3.5-oz high-quality chocolate bars (I used Lindt 50% Cocoa Bars)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup whipping cream
• Mix-in of your choice (optional)

Put the beaten egg yolks, sugar, and milk into a small saucepan, then turn the heat onto a relatively low setting. Cook this mixture, stirring regularly until it is slightly thickened and starts to coat the spoon and sides of the pan as you stir. Remove from heat.

As the milk/sugar/egg mixture is heating up, break up the chocolate bars into pieces and put the pieces in a microwave-safe dish. Melt slowly in the microwave on a medium power setting in 30 second intervals, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is melted.

Add the vanilla and whipping cream to the melted chocolate and mix it thoroughly. The chilled cream may cause some of the chocolate to solidify. If so, briefly return the mixture to the microwave to maintain a smooth texture. Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the saucepan with the milk/sugar/egg and mix until well-blended.

Pour the mixture into a container and cover with plastic wrap so that the plastic actually touches the liquid. This will keep a skin from forming in the cooling process. Put the mixture in the refrigerator and cool it to at least room temperature, then freeze it according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.

Eat it straight out of the machine if you like it soft, or let it set in the freezer for a couple of hours if you want it more firm. Store the finished gelato in an air-tight container.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

This was our FHE treat on Monday(thanks to Melinda for the idea).. anybody drooling? It was a fun little project for me and the boys. You can also drizzle with white chocolate, etc. to make them fancier, but these were just fine.

• 1 lb strawberries, washed and dried
• 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

I melt the chocolate chips in the microwave.. careful not to overheat. Dip the strawberries and set on wax paper. Refrigerate until set. Enjoy.