Sweets – Brownies

Sea Salt Caramel Brownies

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Want to take your brownies from hum drum to WOW? All it takes is a simple caramel sauce and a sprinkle of  Sea Salt added to your favorite boxed brownie mix. The caramel sauce is just three ingredients. There are many caramel sauces but there were no caramels in the house.  Wonder why??

Ingredients: 

  • 1 package fudge brownie mix
  • Eggs
  • Vegetable oil
  • Water or coffee (coffee is better!)

Directions:

  1. Heat oven and prepare brownie mix as instructed on the box.
  2. After placing brownie mix in an 8 x 8 baking pan, set aside, unbaked.
  3. Make caramel sauce as instructed below.
  4. Drizzle half the sauce on top of brownie batter.
  5. Bake brownie batter as instructed on package.
  6. Remove brownies from oven.
  7. Sprinkle with Sea Salt.
  8. Cool brownies before cutting.

Serves:  16 brownies
Source: allrecipes.com

Oh-So-Easy Caramel Sauce

Ingredients: 

  • 1 c packed brown sugar
  • ½ c butter
  • ¼ c milk (I used sour cream – no milk in the house!))
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

  • Bring brown sugar, butter, and milk to a gentle boil.
  • Cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Add vanilla extract.

Serves:   8   1 cup

Source:  allrecipes.com – Barb Maxwell

Zucchini Brownies

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Brownie lovers, rejoice! This is the chocolaty solution for all your extra summer zucchini. With fudge brownies, mini chocolate chips and chocolate frosting for good measure, you get triple the chocolate in an easy, sweet summertime treat!  Or make and freeze the brownies in a foil pan, keep the frosting on the shelf, and have a ready treat/dessert at a moments notice.

Ingredients:

  • 1 box (18.3 oz)  fudge brownie mix
  • Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box for cakelike brownies
  • 1 c coarsely shredded zucchini (about 1 medium)
  • 1/2 c miniature chocolate chips
  • 1 container  chocolate frosting

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 350°.
  2. Spray bottom only of 13×9-inch pan with cooking spray.
  3. Make brownie batter as directed on box for cakelike brownies.
  4. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips.
  5. Spread in pan.
  6. Bake 23 to 27 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean.
  7. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
  8. Spread frosting over top.
  9. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.
  10. Store covered in refrigerator.
Serves: 24
Source:  Betty Crocker Kitchens

Dream Whip Butter Frosting

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A vintage recipe from an envelope of Dream Whip.  A rich butter frosting!  Vanilla, lemon, or orange  – make your favorite flavor for cupcakes or use for filling in chocolate cups.

Ingredients:

  • 1/3  c cold milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 (1 1/3 oz) envelope Dream Whip
  • 1 lb powdered’ sugar
  • 2 Tab milk
  • 3 Tab butter, softened

Instructions:  

  1. Combine 1/3 cup milk, vanilla, and Dream Whip in large bowl.
  2. Add half of sugar.
  3. Blend well.
  4. Whip rapidly until thickened–about 2 minutes.
  5. At medium speed alternately add remaining sugar and milk.
  6. Beat after each addition.
  7. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well.

Serves:   2 3/4 cups, enough for 8- or 9-inch layer cake or 24 cupcakes.

Source:  Genius Kitchen

.Lemon or Orange frosting
Prepare as above; omit vanilla and substitute 2 tablespoons lemon or orange juice for
the 2 tablespoons milk. Add 1 teaspoon grated lemon or orange rind after beating in
butter.

Sand Art Brownie Mix

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Beth and I used these as a thank you for the people who helped with a Girl Scout beach event.  The tops can be decorated with sea shells or fabric to match an event,  tied with a ribbon. Be sure to include direction for additional ingredients and baking.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup baking cocoa
  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup vanilla or white chips
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:
  • 3 eggs
  • 2/3 cup canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
  1. In a small bowl, combine flour and salt.
  2. In a 1-qt. glass container,layer
flour mixture,
brown sugar,
sugar,
cocoa,
chips and
pecans.
If there is space in the jar, crumple wax paper or plastic wrap so layers stay put.
To prepare brownies:
  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, oil and vanilla.
  3. Add brownie mix; stir until blended.
  4. Spread into a greased 9-in.-square baking pan.
  5. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (do not overbake).
  6. Cool on a wire rack.
Serves:  16 servings
 Source: Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Claudia Temple, Sutton, West Virginia

Brownies or Fudge Cake

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Mabel Rice was my Grandfather’s (Margie’s great grandfather) sister.  Things were simpler in those days!

Ingredients:

  • 1 c sugar
  • 1 c flour
  • 1/2 c butter (melt if you prefer)
  • 2 tsp cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 c or more of broken walnut meats

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven 350°  (I presume that is moderate.)
  2. Combine the sugar, flour, butter, cocoa, and salt.  (Probably not an electric mixer!)
  3. Add the eggs, one at a time beating then in as you add. (Get our that wooden spoon.)
  4. Add walnuts.
  5. 1/2 inch deep in pan.  ( I am guessing that it is a greased 9×9 inch pan.)
  6. Bake in moderate oven for about 20 minutes.
  7. Bake soft. They will harden as they cool.

Serves:  Depends on how you cut them!

Source:  Mabel Rice

Unbaked Brownies

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A great early cooking experience for kids — no fire!

Ingredients:

  • 12 oz vanilla wafers, crushed
  • 1/2 c walnuts, chopped
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
  • 3 oz unsweetened, pre-melted chocolate packets

Directions:

  1. Combine wafers, walnuts, cinnamon.
  2. Stir in condensed milk and chocolate.
  3. Pat mixture into 8 inch square baking dish or on a sheet of heavy foil.
  4. Let sit for one hour.
  5. Garnish with extra walnuts if desired.

Serves:   32 1 inch x 2 inch brownies

Source:  Girl Scout Cookbook

Margie’s Brownies

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A wonderful way to  “doctor” a box of brownie mix.

Ingredients:

  • 1 box brownie mix
  • (oil if called for)
  • (eggs if called for)
  • 6 oz chocolate chips (1 cup)
  • Kahlua
  • extra strong coffee

Directions:

  1. Follow directions on the box.
  2. Instead of water add 1/2 coffee and 1/2  Kahlua.
  3. Add Chocolate chips.
  4. Turn into well greased pan (size according to box).
  5. Bake.
  6. Cool.
  7. Sprinkle with additional Kahlua if desired (and who wouldn’t!)

Serves:  What ever the box says.

Source: MLK

Lucia’s Brownies

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Not your average brownie!  No one will ask if these came from a box.

Ingredients – first layer:

  • 1 squares unsweetened chocolate (2 oz)
  • 1/2 c butter
  • 1 c sugar
  • 2 eggs, well beaten
  • 1/2 c flour
  • 1/2 c nuts, chopped
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Ingredients – middle layer:

  • 1/2 c butter
  • 1/2 c sour cream
  • 1 c powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Ingredients – top layer

  • 4 squares semisweet chocolate (4 oz)
  • 2 Tbs butter

Directions – bottom layer:

  1. Preheat oven 350°.
  2. Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler.
  3. Pour over sugar.
  4. Mix
  5. Add other ingredients.
  6. Mix well.
  7. Pour into grease 9×13 pan.
  8. Bake a brief 20 minutes.
  9. Cool.

Directions – middle layer:

  1. Cook butter, sour cream, powdered sugar over low heat to soft ball stage. (235° – 240°)
  2. Add vanilla.
  3. Pour over cooled brownies.
  4. Put in refrigerator until firm.

Directions – top layer:

  1. Melt butter and chocolate over hot water.
  2. Pour over white topping.
  3. Refrigerate until served.

Serves:  3 dozen small brownies (They are really rich!)

Source:  Lucia Henderson

 

 

Margie’s One Bowl Brownies

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Sure, you can use the recipe on the ingredient box, but where’s the fun in that?

Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 squares Baker’s Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
  • ¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs (4 eggs at altitude)
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup sliced almonds
  • ½ cup maraschino cherries, chopped

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
  2. Microwave the chocolate and butter in a large bowl on High for 2 minutes, or until butter is melted. Take out and stir until chocolate is melted.
  3. Stir in sugar, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract.
  4. Add flour, almonds, cherries; mix well.
  5. Spread mix into the pan.
  6. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake!)
  7. Cool in pan on wire rack.

Makes 24 brownies … depending on how you cut them up

Source: Baker’s Chocolate box, plus additions (cherries, almond extract, almonds instead of pecans)

 

Margie’s Moist and Chewy Brownies

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This is a wonderful quick treat. It has about half the fat of the original recipe and is even better than before. I like to add chocolate chips and dried cranberries. They add great texture and flavor. Chocolate and cranberries are a tasty combination. In another version, I add lots of raisins and nuts to make a chocolate granola bar.

As always this recipe is for high altitude baking, 5,200 feet. Sea level baker may want to use one less egg.

Ingredients:

½ cup Butter
4 ounces Chocolate, Unsweetened

2 cups Sugar
½ cup Applesauce
4 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup Flour
2 cups Goodies (See Note)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Grease 9″x13″ baking pan.
  3. In large glass mixing bowl, melt Butter in microwave. Add Chocolate and stir until melted. You may need to microwave for an additional 30 seconds if chocolate is in big chunks.
  4. Stir in Sugar.
  5. Stir in Applesauce.
  6. Add Eggs one at a time. Stir until shiny.
  7. Stir in Vanilla.
  8. Add flour and stir until just incorporated.
  9. Add any Goodies and mix in.
  10. Pour batter into pan and bake for 40 minutes (30 minutes convection)

Notes:

  • Goodies:  may include Nuts, Chocolate Chips, Raisins, Dried Cranberries, Toffee Chips, or anything else you like.
  • I make this with just a bowl and a spoon. No mixer needed.

Serves: 24 Brownies

Source: Margie Kleerup