Homemade Brownies

I finally found the recipe for brownies I've been looking for. Only took about 3 years!! I'm going to make more Peppermint Brownies tonight, but I'll use this recipe instead of boxed brownies. I'll also just throw in the peppermint extract. Oh, & by the way. The brownies? Tasted AMAZING. I'll take pictures tonight, when I make them (yes again, already). Ok. Here is my brownie recipe!!

1 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Preaheat oven to 350F. Lightly butter & flour an 8" square pan, shaking out excess flour. Whisk flour, cocoa & baking powder in mixing bowl & set aside. Whisk remaining ingredients together, & combine with first 3 ingredients. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool.

Sometime I add white chocolate chips, or regular chocolate chips to these. No nuts though!! Well, mostly because G & the boys are all allergic to nuts, but also because I believe nuts do NOT belong in brownies!! You can frost these, or leave them as is.

Peppermint Brownies

Oh people. I have not even eaten one yet, but the smell of these brownies are AMAAAAZZZZING. Seriously. Chocolate. Mint. TWO kinds of frosting. How could they NOT taste good?!?! Here goes (I'll come back with our verdict after we eat them!).

Brownies
1 box of brownie mix
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp peppermint extract

Place parchment paper into a 9x13" pan, & lightly grease. Beat all the ingredients together for 2 minutes (until moistened). Pour into prepared pan & bake at 350F for 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool


Peppermint Buttercream
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 TBSP milk
1/4 tsp each of vanilla & peppermint extract

Beat butter together with 1 cup of sugar until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients & beat until smooth. If you have to, add more icing sugar (up to 1/2 cup) so it's not too runny. You can tint this red or green if you want to make it more festive! Smooth over cooled brownies & refrigerate until buttercream is firm.

Chocolate Frosting
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
12oz chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup icing sugar

Bring milk & butter to a boil over medium heat. Pour over chips in a heat proof boil & let sit for a couple minutes. Add vanilla, then whisk until smooth. Using your mixer, beat in icing sugar until smooth & glossy. Spread over buttercream layer. You can use decorator's gel (red & white) & swirl across the top in a pretty pattern.

Seriously. Try these. You will drool hours before you even eat one & I can GUARANTEE that you will be asked to make this every Christmas!!!

Christmas Means Baking!!

At least, it does in my house!! We bake for gifts, we bake for us, we BAKE! I love making Christmas cookies, & the boys love decorating (okay, and eating too!) them. I love to try new recipes, but have to REALLY want to try them if it's a recipe I've never made before. I've found a couple VERY good ones, "keepers", that I end up making every year. Some are ick, but for the most part, they are all yummy!

So, in the spirit of the season, I'm going to post some of my very favorite Christmas recipes. A couple I won't, just because they are "family secrets", but everything else is game!! I'm also hoping to go back & take pictures of what I've made, or what I make. Maybe I'll even post in here more often!!

Let the baking begin!!