Peanut Butter Goodness

If you like chocolate and peanut butter, do I ever have a treat for you (cough cough AMBER hahaha).

I made this dessert for our father's day supper, and it got great reviews!

Start by making a batch of brownies, you can use your own fav, or mine.

Here is the line-up for your topping...

Start by mixing together 1/2 marg, 1 package of cream cheese, and a cup of PB.

Next add 1 cup of icing sugar...it doesn't look that different but the texture and taste sure is!

In a separate bowl whip your cream (250mL), and add 1/4cup sugar, and 1tsp vanilla.

Then fold your whipped cream into your PB mixture...when I tasted this I actually said "wow" outloud!

Once your brownies have cooled, add the PB topping, and garnish with cut up Reese PB cups (I used 2 king sized bars...but I did quality control test some of them :))

I took a piece out to get a picture, but before I knew it, it was gone, so this is what ya get!

Not quite sure what this should be called...if you have a suggestion leave it as a comment!

Chocolate PB eggs...a MUST try!

So I went on a little bit of a cream cheese kick awhile back...now I seem to be on a PB kick!

Here is what you need...

To make these...

Head on over to the Whimsical Princess to get the recipe...seriously go right now, you won't regret it!

snickers brownies

The other night my sister and I made the snickers brownies from my baking addiction...if are a baker and have not visited their site you better get over there!

Here is the line-up

Start by putting the margarine and chocolate into a bowl and microwaving in 30 second intervals.  Here is ours about 60 seconds in...

after a minute and 30 seconds our melting is complete!

Add your sugar, add in eggs, salt, vanilla and mix!

Gradually add your flour.

perfect!

Grease an 8x8 pan and pour half your brownie batter in. Then comes the fun part, sprinkle your snickers all over!

Then pour the second half of the batter on top...be sure to spread it as best you can while pouring so that you do move the snickers pieces while spreading!

no snickers showing! Ready to go in...

and out...

After it is COMPLETELY cooled...cut out your delicious brownies!

Recipe 

(from my baking addiction)

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate; coarsely chopped

3/4 cup butter

1 ½ cups white sugar

3 eggs; lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 snickers bars

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Microwave chocolate and butter or margarine in large bowl in 30 second intervals until butter is melted.

3. Whisk until chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar. Add in eggs, extract and salt. Gradually add in flour and stir until just combined.

4. Spread ½ the batter into a greased 8x8 pan. Add an even layer of Snickers and cover with remaining ½ of brownie batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes; do not over bake.

5. Remove to cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

Creme Egg Cupcakes

So there is no line-up for this recipe because I wasn't quite sure where I was going with it...I did have a little bit of a plan in mind but not 100% sure.

I started by making my ultimate favorite chocolate cupcake recipe that was passed down from my G-ma!  It is on the very first page of my recipe book...although I have made it so many times I could probably do it from recall!

 (the amounts are written at the bottom)...

Cream together your marg and sugar, and then add the cocoa.

Apparently I skipped pictures for a few steps...they are easy though so you don't really need a picture...well it is all easy but I like the pics!  Okay back to business...

add your boiling water and mix...add your flour and mix.  Make your sour milk and add it...it will look odd for a bit but just keep mixing and it will become a perfect chocolate batter!

Add your baking soda and mix.  Then add your eggs & vanilla and mix. 

 PERFECT!!!  This is where I usually stop for cupcake batter...

but  NOT today! I added a broken up chocolate easter bunny!

RANDOM SIDE NOTE: I found a pack of 500 white cupcake liners at the Great Canadian Wholesale for $2.99!!!! I was crazy pumped!  They also had a pan that would bake 24 cupcakes at once...I might have to make a trip back for it!

Back on track...ready to go into the 350 degree oven.

18 minutes later :)

Now onto the icing...I made butter icing according to the back of the icing sugar package.

Cut open a bags worth of mini creme eggs

Scooped out their insides

 Added it to the icing

and mixed...yummy!!!

Ice your cupcakes and add some of the "egg shell" to the top!  I am so happy with how these turned out!

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

-2/3 cup marg

-2 cups sugar

-1/4 cup cocoa

-1 cup boiling water

-2 cups flour

-1/2 cup sour milk (just add a splash of vinegar to milk)

-3/4 tsp baking soda

-2 slightly beaten eggs

-2 tsp vanilla

Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes

Valentines Day Cupcakes!

I have no pictures of the making of these cupcakes...they were made while the fellas were still up.  The boys LOVE the kitchenaid as much as I do...seriously! But they are not big fans of me stopping to take pictures!

Anyways here is the final product, and yes I used the sprinkle medley AGAIN!!!  I can't get enough of it!  I did add another type of sprinkle into the mix though so it is not the EXACT same!!!

All the cupcakes, yummy!  This batch is heading over to the school that I taught at before the boys were born!

 And for all you cupcake lovers out there if you don't have this cupcake carrier you NEED to find one!!! It holds 36 cupcakes and it is the same size as the wilton one that only holds 12!!!  I found mine at Costco awhile back but I know that you can get them on amazon!

Chocolate Carmel Pretzel Rods

  I have always been a fan of the salty-sweet combo..and other french fry into frosty dippers out there??? Because of this love for the salty-sweet, these little devils have VERY quickly become a favorite of mine.

The supplies...

 Start by unwrapping your carmels...

 throw them in the microwave with a splash of water for 30 second intervals, stirring at each break...mine looked like this after the first time...

 and then this after I stirred them the second time...perfect!

I started dipping right away...I was worried the carmel was going to get hard and that it would not re-heat nicely.  Anyways my first one out looked like this...

 and this was the last one (which I think was better because it ended up having a little more carmel on it)...so lesson learned, no need to hurry!!! (both were super delish though)

 Let them sit for about 30 minutes and then get your dipping chocolate ready.  Follow the same process as melting the carmels.  I have no pictures of this process because it is always a rush to get the sprinkles on before the chocolate hardens...and you all know how seriously I take sprinkles!!!  Because I was so in love with the sprinkle medley from the brownies...i used it again!

anyways here they are... 

mmmm 

 so cute!

also if you have dipping chocolate leftover, dump it onto a sheet of parchment and you can break it up and use it again!!!

I did not include any amounts because it really depends on how many you want to make!  Also I have not been able to find the pretzel rods ANYWHERE in Canada, these ones came from a friend who got them in a gift basket and knew how desperate I was for them...so if anyone know where to get them let me know!

Brownie Sundae!

I did it...A post without cream cheese!!!  Anyways, after the boys went to bed Johnny was craving a sweet treat so I decided to make him a brownie sundae!

Here is the line up for the brownies!

 Start by preheating your oven to 350.  Then begin melting 3/4 cup of margarine with 4 squares of unsweetened chocolate.

 mmmm...chocolaty goodness!

 Once it is all melted together you whisk in your three eggs (beat them together first).  Make sure that you start whisking BEFORE you add the eggs so that they don't cook!!!  It will go a little lumpy, but keep whisking and it will smooth out!  This picture is at the lumpy stage.

Once it is smooth, mix in 2 cups of sugar.

and 1 cup of flour

then pour your batter into a greased 9x9 pan, and put it in the oven for about 27 minutes.

Once it is in the oven you can start thinking about sprinkle selection!!! (I know I am such a geek)  I decided to make a valentines day sprinkle medley using the following three...

 This picture is not great but I LOVE how they all look together!

a few minutes later (thats right the sprinkle selection took awhile!) your brownies will be ready to come out of the oven!

Now for the chocolate glaze.  Put 1/4 cup margarine and 4 squares of semi-sweet chocolate into a microwave safe container.  Put it in the microwave for 45 seconds and then take it out to stir.  Continue in 30 second intervals after the first one...mine only took one more time!

Pour the glaze onto the brownies (they do not have to be cool), spread it out, and then sprinkle!!!  This picture seriously does not do them justice...I think I am going to need a macro lens asap!

Top with some ice cream and chocolate sauce and you have yourself a brownie sundae!!!