This is something I was contemplating saving for my daughter’s birthday in May (she loves bugs and worms and dirt!) but I think I might just use it for Halloween too!
A “worm” cake would be a big hit at a Halloween party, or as a special treat for a kid’s classroom Halloween party. Using crushed Oreos, gummi worms, chocolate frosting and brownie mix.
Prepare and bake the brownies as directed on the box before letting them cool down a bit to frost. Add some gummi worms on top of the frosting, and crush up about half a pack of Oreo …read more

My sister and her family and heading down my way tomorrow for an overnight stay as they pass through on their way to California. We haven’t seen each other in over two years and I was so excited about the visit that I nearly forgot to plan out my end of their trip!

After a few exchanges back and forth about what she and her husband and their daughters would like for dinner and breakfast, she requested that I also make these brownie buttons, a picture of which I had posted in a private family blog several months back.
I got …read more

General Mills’ Betty Crocker brand is rolling out four new gluten-free products to store shelves this summer. The products include favorite mixes such as devil’s food cake mix, chocolate brownie mix, chocolate chip cookies, and yellow cake mix.

The increased demand for gluten free products has been on the rise for many years, and for those who suffer from celiac disease or just want to eat gluten free, these dessert mixes are a great addition to a growing market.
Celiac disease, an auto-immune disorder that causes digestive distress in individuals who eat any form of wheat flours, affects approximately 1 in every …read more

I don’t know why there is a whole month dedicated to having brownies at brunch or why anyone would have felt so strongly about it in the first place, but it exists so let’s have fun with it!

What are your favorite kind of brownies? Do you like them light and cakey, or dense and fudgy? Do you prefer the crispier edge pieces or the gooier middle pieces? Do you like anything added to them, like nuts or chocolate chips, or do you prefer them plain, just a big pan of chocolate yumminess?
Over the last two years I’ve done several posts …read more

Lots of yummy chocolate creations this week! Check out:
~ Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cupcakes at Miss Cupcake Face
~ Mocha Chocolate Cookies at Baked Alaska
~ Bittersweet Chocolate and Cardamom Cupcakes at Tartlette
~ Chocolate Thumbprints at The Food Librarian
~ Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes with Spice Cream Cheese Frosting at Pinch My Salt
~ Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies at Cinemon Girl
~ Fall Chocolate Cookies at Priscilla’s Baking Adventures
~ S’more-dillas at Chaos in the Kitchen
~ Mini Brioches Filled With Chocolate Truffle at Baking for the Cure
~ Quintuple Chocolate Brownies at Dreamy Desserts
~ M&M Studded Fudgy Oreo-Chunk Brownies at The Recipe Girl

Like I said, there was some chocolate action happening in my kitchen this weekend! Yesterday I made a batch of Coconut Swirl Brownies that I linked to on Saturday.
They turned out beautifully, but there are a few changes I’m going to make next time, because there will definitely be a next time!
The condensed milk and coconut were a little understated. To pick it up a bit I think I’d probably mix in an ounce or two of softened cream cheese with the milk and coconut mixture, and I’d add some chopped walnuts to the whole thing. I think I …read more

We felt like some brownies yesterday but I wanted to play with them a little bit first!
I just used a box mix (I like the Ghirardelli triple chocolate brownies) because I’m out of cocoa (the horror!), but before I put it into the oven I mixed one 8oz package of softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 egg together until smooth (if it’s too thick you can add a tablespoon or so of water or even coffee), then poured it over the top. Then I used a fork to pull the brownie batter up and around the …read more

Brownies, like many other great inventions, are said to have been the mistake of a careless cook who forgot to put baking powder into a chocolate cake recipe. She ended up with what we now call brownies, and thank heavens she didn’t just toss the pan out without trying them first!
I was watching Food Network last night and caught Alton Brown doing an episode on cocoa, which included him to making the brownies below. I’ve made these before (but didn’t get pictures of them) and they’re delicious!
Cocoa Brownies
Soft butter, for greasing the pan
Flour, for dusting the buttered pan
4 large eggs
1 …read more

These candy bar brownies make a yummy, hearty treat, perfect for snacking on while watching football. Cut them smaller for a quick bite or larger for a dessert.
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cocoa
4 (2.07-ounce) Snickers candy bars, coarsely chopped
3 (1.55-ounce) milk chocolate bars, finely chopped
Stir together first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; stir into sugar mixture. Fold in chopped candy bars.
Spoon mixture into a greased and floured 13- x 9-inch baking dish; sprinkle …read more

There are few combinations as perfect as chocolate and peanut butter. To really make this decadent and over the top you could cut up some peanut butter cups to mix into the batter before adding the chocolate chips on top.
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Marble Bars
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips
2 teaspoons vanilla
Cream peanut butter, butter and sugar; add eggs. Add dry ingredients and vanilla, mixing well. Spread in a 13×9″ pan. Sprinkle chips over top.
Bake for 5 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove …read more