Peanut Butter Fudge Iced Brownies

I've had the recipe for this old-fashioned peanut butter icing stored away for awhile and finally got around to making it. It's probably good I waited, since I keep sneaking in and cutting off a piece of brownie when no one's looking. One of my boys even declared it as "the best brownie I've ever had." Should I be offended that I took the quick way out and made a boxed mix instead of making some of my other amazing brownies? This one is the best? Technically it's more about the icing, so I can accept that.

Printable Recipe

Peanut Butter Fudge Iced Brownies

from Southern Plate
 

1 box brownie mix, prepared according to package directions (or your favorite recipe)
1-1/2 cups sugar
7 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons shortening
2 tablespoons margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Prepare brownies according to package directions and allow to cool completely before beginning icing.

In heavy saucepan combine the sugar, milk, shortening, margarine, and salt.

Bring to a rolling boil while stirring constantly.

Once it reaches a rolling boil, stop stirring and let boil for two minutes.

Remove from heat and quickly stir in the vanilla and peanut butter.

Beat until smooth and quickly spread over the brownies.

Allow to cool completely and then serve.

Cream Cheese Brownies

These were so, so yummy! Can you tell they were part of our Valentine's Day meal? The original recipe calls them Red Velvet Brownies, but technically most red velvet use vinegar and/or buttermilk to make the red coloring. I don't count adding red food dye as qualifying for red velvet. So I'm calling them Cream Cheese Brownies. Regardless, they are a tasty concoction, a moist brownie right in the middle between being fudgy and cakey. Next time I'll leave out the red dye--even with using the gel, it took quite a bit to get them red, and I could really taste it. But they sure were pretty!

Printable Recipe

 Cream Cheese Brownies

from Jamie Cooks It Up

Prep. Time: 20 mins.   Bake Time: 45-55 mins.

Brownie Layer:
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 eggs
2 t vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp red food coloring gel (optional)
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (I used chocolate chunks, and they were divine!)

Cream Cheese Layer:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla 


BROWNIE LAYER

Place 1 cup melted butter, 2 cups sugar and 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa into your stand mixer, or large mixing bowl. Mix it until well combined, about 2 minutes. 

Crack one egg and add it to the batter. Mix until the egg is incorporated. Repeat with the three remaining eggs, mixing them into the batter one at a time.  

Add two teaspoons vanilla to the batter and mix it in. 

Put 1-1/2 cups flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a small bowl and whisk with a fork to combine the two. Add these dry ingredients to your batter and mix until they are well combined.

(If you want to make them red, add 1 teaspoon red food coloring gel to the batter and mix until the batter is a nice color.)

Toss in 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips and mix until combined. 

Line a 9x13 pan with wax paper, parchment paper or tin foil and spray it with cooking spray. This will help you lift the brownies out of the pan when they have cooled and are ready to cut. 

Spread the batter out evenly in the pan.


CREAM CHEESE LAYER

Place 1 package softened cream cheese into your stand mixer or medium sized mixing bowl. Beat it until nice and smooth.  

Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix until all ingredients are well combined. 

Drop the cream cheese mixture onto the brownie layer in spoonfuls. 

Drag a knife through both layers to create a marbling effect.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. 

Let the brownies cool on a wire rack, then lift them out of the pan, cut and serve.

Caramel-Pecan Brownies

I like to make desserts on Saturdays and Sundays, since everyone's at home. Usually it gets pretty hectic, and having something sweet always seems to help the mood. So welcome to Sweet Saturday!

This is the recipe you've all been waiting for. And you probably didn't even know it! These brownies have TWICE won first place at our church Chili Cook-Off and Brownie Bake-Off. They are truly one of the best brownies I've ever had, and surprisingly quick and easy to put together. I got the recipe from Kraft Foods, but I did have to make an important change at the end. They absolutely have to be refrigerated for several hours before you cut them. The caramel is much too sticky, and it just makes a mess when cutting at room temperature. I've made them multiple times, and I can't see anyway around it. Definitely use the foil like they say, and even better, use the non-stick foil; otherwise, the edges of the brownies will stick where the caramel oozes out, and you will be picking foil out of the caramel. And if you are lucky enough to own an Ulu knife, it is fabulous at cutting through these. The only problem is, every time I use it, I have to wonder if the Native Alaskans that created it are rolling in their graves. Hey, they said it was versatile.

Printable Recipe

Caramel-Pecan Brownies

from Kraft Foods

4 squares unsweetened chocolate

3/4 cup  butter or margarine

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup flour

1 pkg. (14 oz.) caramels

1/3 cup whipping cream

2 cups pecan halves, divided

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a 9x13-inch pan, place non-stick foil along the bottom; extend foil over the sides to serve as handles. If you are not using non-stick foil (although I really, really recommend you do), grease the foil.

Place chocolate and butter in a double boiler.*

On medium-low heat, melt chocolate and butter, stirring often, until chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat.

Add sugar and eggs, and mix well.

Add flour and stir until well blended.

Spread half the batter into prepared pan.

Bake 25 min. or until the top is firm to the touch.

Meanwhile, place caramels and cream in the double boiler on medium-low heat and stir often. (You can also do this in the microwave--do 30-second intervals, then stir.)

When caramels begin to melt, stir continuously until they are completely melted.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of pecans.

Spread caramel mixture over brownie layer in pan; cover with remaining brownie batter. Don't worry if some of the caramel is visible.

Sprinkle the remaining nuts on top.

Bake 30 min. or until top is firm to the touch.

Cool in pan on wire rack.

When brownies are at room temperature, refrigerate for 2 hours.

Lift brownies from pan with foil handles before cutting into squares.

Makes 24 servings.

*You can easily make your own double boiler. This is the way I do it--Double Boiler