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Brownie Krispies
When I saw this at Cookie Madness, it was called “easy peanut butter marshmallow krispie topped brownies.” While certainly an accurate description, that’s too much of a name. I’ll just call them brownie krispies.
I made these this morning because my girlfriend was coming over with her daughters, and if there was ever someone I like to share goodies with, it’s her. Not that we need the chocolate for our visits to be great, but it was a tasty perk all the same. And apparently, I’m developing a nice little baking reputation with her girls and I’m not one to disappoint.
These bars are three layers of delicious – first a brownie, then gooey marshmallow, topped with a crunchy peanut butter/chocolate combination. I thought they were awesome and they seemed to be a hit with most of the kids that were here today. And I have to tell ya that we both got a kick out of the fact that I used a LOW FAT brownie mix to make these. Ironic, isn’t it? You can bake your own brownies if you want, but I grabbed what I had in the pantry and they turned out great.
Recipe: Brownie Krispies
1 box brownie mix + additional ingredients to bake brownies according to package directions
4 c. mini marshmallows
1 1/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. creamy peanut butter
3 Tbsp. butter
2 c. crispy rice cereal
Bake brownies according to package directions in a greased 9×13″ baking pan. Two minutes before they are supposed to be baked, pull brownies from the oven and sprinkle marshmallows across top. Return to oven for 2 minutes to soften marshmallows. Remove from oven and spread marshmallows across top of brownies. Let cool completely. (I didn’t actually spread the marshmallows – they just covered the whole top and softened up nice and gooey.)
Prepare crispy topping: combine chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a bowl. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds at a time until mixture is melted and smooth. Add cereal and stir to coat. Pour over marshmallow layer and spread evenly. Place brownies in the refrigerator for at least an hour until chilled. This helps make them easy to cut and makes them a little less messy to eat. : )
5 Layer Jello Jiggler
I saw this idea floating around the blogsphere a while back and thought it was fun and kind of pretty and that sometime I was gonna give it a try. “Sometime” came and here it is. I still love how it looks and it really is a fun and tasty treat to eat. But, mercy, it felt like it took forever to prepare.
It’s one of those things that I knew was going to take a while, and I probably wouldn’t have minded if the kids had been knocking me down to get to them. But the fact of the matter is that my kids and Evie didn’t want them. I actually had to pull out the “one bite to be polite” rule to get them to even try them! Isn’t that crazy?? It’s Jello, man! When I was a kid, Jello was king. We used to love mixing it up and drinking it. Forget the fridge – give it to me straight up. My first “cookbook” was a Jello cookbook. Remember poke cakes? Jello. And that thick part that formed at the bottom of the bowl sometimes? {sigh} Loved it! So Jello jigglers were just a natural progression, right? Whatever. My kids are so weird.
All the more for me and Jim I guess. It really is yummy and it would be fun to make for a baby shower or for Christmas or in your kid’s school colors. Sometime that there’s a definite color scheme. As for me… I probably won’t make it again. Did I mention my kids are weird?
Recipe: 5 Layer Jello Jigglers
(this has been on a few blogs, but the one I bookmarked was The Food Librarian)
3 boxes of 3 oz. Jello (I used lime, orange, and pineapple)
1 box of Knox unflavored gelatin
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
Mix the sweetened condensed milk with 1 c. of boiling water. Stir until smooth and combined. In a small bowl, sprinkle 2 packets of Knox gelatin over 1/2 c. cold water. Let stand a few minutes, then add 1/2 c. boiling water and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Pour the dissolved gelatin into the sweetened condensed milk and stir until combined. Cool to room temperature.
Empty 1 box of Jello in a bowl with 1/2 a packet of Knox gelatin. Add 1 c. of boiling water and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Pour into a 9×13″ glass baking pan. Place in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
After first layer of Jello has set up, pour 1 c. milk mixture on top and return to refrigerator. Chill until set, about 15 minutes. Repeat with next layer of Jello; then milk; then Jello, until you have as many layers as you like.
(You will have enough milk mixture to add one more layer of each and have a 7 layer jiggler, but you’ll want to remember to buy another box of Jello.)
Salted Butterscotch Blondies
Oh my. These are Good, with a capital G. Ingrid, you brilliant baker, thank you for posting your blondies recipe the other day. (By the way, head over there to see her photos. My picture doesn’t do this justice!) As soon as I saw the word “salted” in the title, I knew I was gonna love these. And I did. We did. Book club did. They’re a keeper. I went with butterscotch chips this time, but I’ll shake it up a bit for next time and try something w/ peanut butter or toffee or white chocolate chunks. The possibilities seem endless. Frankly, I might like them best of all without any kind of add-ins. The cookie part is just amazing all on its own. Especially with that little extra kick of sea salt. {sigh} Makes me happy.
I doubled the recipe and made it in a 9×13″ pan, so I also had to let them bake longer. I found that they really puffed up around the edges and seemed a little sunken in the center. They also didn’t seem to get baked as much through in the center, but I was worrying about the edges being overcooked, so I took them out anyway. (Next time I won’t double the recipe and I think they’ll be perfect.) Once I took a bite, I didn’t care a smidge that they didn’t bake up evenly. I strayed from Ingrid’s recipe only in that I sprinkled some sea salt on top of the blondies before I baked them, instead of adding the extra salt into the dry ingredients.
Recipe: Salted Butterscotch Blondies
(from Ingrid at 3 B’s)
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
sprinkling of sea salt for blondie tops, but I didn’t measure it
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. melted butter
1 large egg
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. of favorite add-ins (i.e.: chopped Heath bars, white chocolate chunks, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, etc.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×9″ baking pan.
Into a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/2 tsp. kosher salt.
In another bowl, beat together brown sugar and melted butter. Add egg and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture, along with add-ins. Pour batter into pan. Sprinkle top with sea salt, to taste.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely.
My real interest in food and cooking started after Sam was born. I remember so many times sitting on the couch to feed him and watching Food Network. My favorite chef was Sara Moulton. Her show was awesome and I learned so much just from watching her. To this day, I make a mean roast turkey every Thanksgiving, and we always thank Sara for our turkey-induced naps.
Another thing I learned from her was how to make a perfect hard-boiled egg. No green rings, no under-cooked yolks. There’s an easy “recipe” to get them just right.
From Sara Moulton: “Here’s how to make perfect hard-cooked eggs (notice I said hard cook not hard boil.) Place eggs in a saucepan with cold water to cover them by 1-inch. Bring the water just to a boil, cover the pan and turn off the heat. Thirteen minutes later, drain the eggs and immediately chill them under cold running water or, better yet, in a bowl of ice and water. Let them cool completely. (This cooling part is what keeps that nasty green line away, the not boiling part keeps the egg white tender). Peel and enjoy.”
I feel like we are having some sort of kids’ dessert-fest while Evie is staying with us. This is the third thing I’ve made for the kids this week, but it’s been the one I’ve liked the most. It’s easy to make, it looks fun, and it tastes great. I love that you can top it with whatever you like too. I thought we’d all like the rocky road version the best, with the mini marshmallows and chopped peanuts, but it turns out that we actually like the others better. The kids’ favorite is the m&m ones and Jim and I like the ones topped with chopped Heath bar bits. Not that those poor old rocky roads will be neglected for long. We’ll gobble them up eventually too, then it’ll be time to bake again. Stay tuned!
Recipe: Saltine “Cookies”
1 sleeve of saltine crackers
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 – 1 1/2 c. chocolate chips
assorted toppings: mini marshmallows, chopped peanuts, toffee bits, m&ms, etc.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. While mixture is boiling, arrange saltines in a single layer on top of the parchment.
Once mixture has boiled for 5 minutes, remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over the crackers and spread to cover them. (If you want a thicker layer of toffee crunch, you can double the butter and brown sugar. I wanted only a thin layer of toffee crunch on mine.) After the toffee has been spread evenly, place in the oven for 5 minutes.
Take the crackers out of the oven and scatter the chocolate chips all over the top. Spread the chocolate to cover all the crackers. Now comes the fun part ~ add whatever toppings you enjoy. Gently press toppings onto chocolate and place sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes. Remove and break apart. Keep stored in refrigerator.
I saw this today on the Today show and I dare you not to smile. I double dog dare you not to laugh out loud. And I triple dog dare you not to want to clap at the end. I wish my wedding had been like this one!
Potato Chip Brownies
Bea’s daughter, Evie, is enjoying her annual vacation with us, and she and I have been pouring over recipes and food blogs looking for fun and tasty sounding treats to make. She spotted this one and we decided to give it a try.
I gotta say right from the get-go that I wasn’t a big fan, though it is a clever idea. Combine salty potato chips with chocolatey brownies? Hmmm. Definitely some potential there, right? While the brownie part was yummy, the texture of the chips was a bit odd. (We used a ruffled chip from Target.) I’m sure if you played around a bit and found the perfect chip to use here, you might have success. Personally, I don’t plan to try again. I did love the occasional salty flavor, but I’d much, much prefer my favorite stand-by, salted fudge brownies.
I feel weird telling you where I found the recipe, since I didn’t like it. In spite of my taste preferences on this one, I actually have been enjoying the blog I found it at. I’ve got my eye on another one of her recipes so I’ll be checking out Bakin’ Bits again. (And if you’re reading this, please, please, please take no offense!!)
Recipe: Potato Chip Brownies
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. butter
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 c. crushed potato chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs, then gradually add sugar until combined. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, and baking powder.
Using a double boiler, melt chocolate squares. When squares have melted, mix in butter until melted. Add chocolate to egg mixture. Stir in vanilla. Blend well. Gradually add flour mixture to chocolate mixture and blend. Fold in crushed potato chips.
Pour into greased 8 inch square baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
Croissant Bread Pudding
Remember I mentioned finding that yummy ciabatta bread on the clearance rack of the bakery dept.? Well, I grabbed some of these croissant “twists” too. I figured I didn’t care if they were a little stale since I knew I wanted to use them in bread pudding anyway.
I’ve had my eye on this Ina Garten recipe for a while and those croissants were destined for it. I don’t even know what to say about this recipe. It is wonderful. Amazing. Perfect. Basically, we took one bite and just sighed. It’s that good. And the house smelled absolutely lovely while it was baking.
Seriously, just look at this! We ate it warm, room temperature, and then cold from the fridge for breakfast the next day. There is no wrong way to enjoy it. It’s pure joy, all wrapped up in custard.
And that’s even without including the raisins Ina suggested. (I am no fan of raisins in my baked goods.) Instead, I added some cinnamon, and we couldn’t be happier with the results. See all those browner croissant tops? Cinnamon. After it starting puffing up in the oven, some of the cinnamon just found a home on the tops of the croissants. So delicious and pretty. In fact, I’ve got my eye out for more day-old croissants to freeze for another time. There will positively be another time.
Recipe: Croissant Bread Pudding
(adapted from Ina Garten’s recipe)
3 large whole eggs
8 large egg yolks
5 c. half and half
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
6 large croissants, preferably stale, sliced horizontally (or 10-12 small croissants)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, half-and-half, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Set the custard mixture aside. Slice the croissants in half horizontally. In a 10 by 15 by 2 1/2-inch oval baking dish, distribute the bottoms of the sliced croissants, then the tops of the croissants (brown side up). Pour the custard over the croissants and allow to soak for 10 minutes, pressing down gently.
Place the pan in a larger one filled with 1-inch of hot water. Cover the larger pan with aluminum foil, tenting the foil so it doesn’t touch the pudding. Cut a few holes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 40 to 45 more minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
We all recognize that blue box full of Kraft macaroni and cheese, right? You know the one. Most kids in America have probably seen their mom or dad reach for that box when they needed a quick meal. But we know that not all kids are so lucky. Kraft has joined Feeding America with the goal of donating 1,000,000 boxes of mac and cheese. You can help by going here. Each “click” donates another 10 boxes, and you can visit the site every day. Way to go, Kraft!
{Please feel free to cut and paste to your heart’s content and pass along the information. The program runs through 7/31/09. Let’s share the comfort!}
Blueberry Lemonade
Are you tired of drink recipes yet? I can’t help it. We’ve been making a couple things every week. I even tried pureeing a cantaloupe to see what kind of cold drink I could make. (Note to self: don’t make a drink out of a fruit I don’t totally love.) And Jim makes a real tasty limonade, so dubbed by Claudia, which is an perfect mix of lemon and lime.
Anyway – this tasted really good but was a mess to make. I have to tell ya that Jim did all the work. He was going to do the lemons and I was in charge of the blueberries… but then Dani called and, you know… she is my sister and everything… so Jim ended up making the whole lemonade. So much for spending time together in the kitchen. He didn’t enjoy pressing all the blueberry puree through the strainer ~ he called it annoying ~ but we only have a small-holed sieve so it took a while. I don’t think he felt it was worth the effort, so I doubt we’d he’d make it again anytime soon.
Recipe: Blueberry Lemonade
(adapted from a Bobby Flay recipe)
3 c. blueberries
3/4 c. sugar
1 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 c. cold water
Place the blueberries and sugar in a blender and puree. Place the lemon juice and water in a pitcher and strain the pureed blueberries through a sieve into the pitcher. Stir well and pour into tall ice-filled glasses.
