Triple Chocolate Blondie's

Brownies, bars and cereal treats are some of my favorite things to make for picnics, barbecues and parties. 

They are typically fast, easy and delicious. Not to mention that for the most part you can add most anything to them to "kick them up a notch", toffee chips, chunks of peanut putter cups, etc.

These Blondie's are exactly the sort of recipe that I am referring. They have been around forever, and in fact are known by many names, Congo Bars, Samoa Bars, Blondie's and more. My grandmother had this recipe written on a note card, I have no idea where it came from, my guess is that it is over 20 years old because she has been gone that long. 

Triple Chocolate Blondie's

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of butter, melted
2 cups of dark brown sugar
2 3/4 cups of flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup of 60% dark chocolate chips
1 cup of semi sweet chips
1/2 cup of milk chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a 9 x 13" pan. I use cooking spray and then line with foil or parchment and then spray again.

In a medium bowl combine melted butter and brown sugar, stir until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until combined. Then add the flour, salt, baking soda and powder, mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Then add the chips and stir until combined.

Pour into pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, do not over bake. If you like your bars gooey than cook for less time. Let cool if you can and then cut and serve.

NOTES: You could add anything your would like to the batter, nuts, semi-sweet chips, coconut, or whatever you like.

I have to be honest, I have never really liked Blondie's when I have eaten them at the bakery or other places I have been. I think the main reason is because there are never enough chips to suit my taste and they are often over cooked. 

This recipe was different, I could have eaten the entire pan, and in one evening I ate an entire row before they were cooled. These Blondie's are rich, moist, have a slightly crunchy top and are oozing with chocolate, especially slightly cooled from the oven. 

I hope that you try them, and if you do, let me know. Also if you have a favorite "Blondie" recipe I would love to try your version, if you would like to share it. 

 Enjoy your day!

Linking to:
Savvy Southern Style

Celebrate the 4th of July with Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cupcakes!

 Happy 4th of July! A day to celebrate with family, friends, fireworks and delicious food. Summer barbeque's with all of the fixing's are a family tradition and in my family no party is complete without a cake or cupcakes made using the Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake recipe.

The recipe is quick easy, moist and delicious. And the frosting...it is my FAVORITE frosting EVER! In fact I always make extra because I like to eat copious amounts while I am frosting the cake/cupcakes. 

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake

Recipe from Hershey's

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans. 

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Once the cupcakes are cooled frost with Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Frosting.

Perfectly Chocolate Frosting

From Hershey's

Ingredients:

1 stick butter melted
2/3 cup of cocoa
1/3 cup of milk
3 cups of powdered sugar
1 tsp of vanilla

Melt butter in large bowl, whisk of use electric hand held mixer to bled in cocoa. Add one cup of powdered sugar, and a little milk, alternating between the two until both are used up and the frosting is creamy. Add vanilla and blend. Then use to frost any treat you feel like.

I hope you have a safe and happy celebration! Happy 4th of July!

4th of July Chocolate Treats

There is nothing better after a delicious 4th of July barbecue of hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, beans and more than a delicious chocolate treat.

In the last few weeks I have made many easy and delicious desserts to end your celebration with, everything from Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes, to Rolo Brownies, to Chocolate Chocolate Cheesecake.

I hope you try a few of my treats and enjoy a wonderful and safe holiday!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Espresso Frosting

Although I love baking from scratch, sometimes I use a cake mix, simply because I am in a hurry or lazy. But I try to make it taste more like homemade by adding a few things. 

The one thing that I do not use from a tub or a box is frosting, I always make my own frosting because it taste so much better and is so easy, and comes together with just a few ingredients.

Chocolate "Doctored" Cake Mix:

1 package cake mix
1 small package of chocolate pudding (not instant)
1 Tablespoon Nielsen-Massey vanilla
4 eggs
11/4 cups of warm coffee
1/2 cup of oil

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds and then on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Scoop into cupcake tins lined with baking liners or prepared greased pans. Remember to fill the tins 2/3 full or the cupcakes will overflow.

Bake according to the box directions. Remove from heat and let cool.

Espresso Frosting:

1 stick of butter
1/3 cup of strong coffee warm
2/3 cup of cocoa powder
3 cups of confectioners sugar

Melt butter in bowl, whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Alternate the confectioners sugar and the coffee until  the frosting is mixed smooth.

This frosting could not be an easier and it is so delicious. It has a rich fudge like taste, is creamy, has a hint of coffee and is the perfect accompaniment to these cupcakes. Honestly, I could eat a bowl of this frosting and sometimes I have to make a batch and a half because I eat too much. 

I hope that you try these rich, scrumptious fudgy cupcakes perhaps even make them for the upcoming holiday.

If you would like a few suggestions for some beach reading please visit Pine Cones and Acorns.

Enjoy!

Note: I am not paid to promote Nielsen Massey Vanilla, I have used it for a long time and love the flavor. 

Toblerone Cereal Treats

Are you a fan of Toblerone? 

The scrumptious milk chocolate with honey and almond nougat? I love it and have since I first tried it over 20 years ago. 

This week I decided to add it to another favorite dessert, cereal treats. At first I was a little skeptical of the combination, I thought perhaps that the end result would be too sweet but I was wrong. It is perfect!

The recipe could not be any easier. 

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of peanut butter

1 cup of light Caro syrup

6 cups of Krispie Rice cereal

1 small bag of Toblerone Minis

In a sauce pan combine Caro syrup and sugar, bring to a boil and add the peanut butter. Stir until smooth and add the Krispie Rice cereal and stir until combines. Pour into 8 x 8 inch pan. 

Melt Toblerone chocolate and pour over cereal treats.

Cut and enjoy!

Rolo Marshmallow Peanut Butter Brownies

I love cereal treats, brownies, caramels, marshmallows and peanut butter. The combination of all of them together may sound strange but it is delicious! It may be one of my favorite brownies ever. Not only are they scrumptious but they are EASY. 

As I still have a basket of Easter candy sitting in my pantry I decided to use what I had and since I was lazy I started with a mix. My favorite brownie mix to use is Ghiradelli but you can use which ever you like

Rolo Marshmallow Chocolate Krispie Brownies

Ingredients:
1 Box of Brownie Mix and ingredients on package
1/2 Bag of Rolo's opened and cut into pieces
1/2 7 oz jar of marshmallow fluff or Marshmallow Easter eggs cut in pieces
2 cups of chocolate chips
1 cup of smooth peanut butter
2 cups of Krispie Rice Cereal

Directions:

Prepare a box of brownies according to the directions on the package. Bake in a 8x8 inch pan lined with foil.  After they are cooked according to the package directions let cool for a few minutes. Pour the marshmallow fluff in a layer over the brownies, and then put a layer of the Rolo's over the top. Return the pan to the oven for a few minutes until the Rolo's melt. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Add the peanut butter and the chocolate chips to a small sauce pan and over low heat melt and combine. Once mixture is melted add the Krispie Rice Cereal and mix well. Pour the mixture over the brownies and spread to cover.

Place pan in refrigerator to cool completely before cutting.

Note: I like the chocolate layer to have more Krispie Rice cereal in it, so I added about another 1/2 cup. I also cooled mine in the freezer for about 20 minutes and then lifted the bars out of the pan by the foil and cut into pieces. Then returned the pan to the refrigerator. I also used chocolate covered marshmallow eggs for the marshmallow layer as I had a bag of them left but marshmallow fluff serves the same purpose. 

These brownies are rich so I recommend cutting them into small squares to serve. I think that you will enjoy the rich chocolate flavor combined with the salty caramel, sweet marshmallows and the krispie peanut crunch.


Linking to:
Between Naps on the Porch
Stone Gable

Chocolate Chocolate Cheesecake

Good morning! I hope you are well. I thought it might be nice to start the weekend with an easy, delicious Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe recipe.

I have had this on my Pinterest Chocolate Board for a long time and this past weekend I decided to try it. I am so happy that I did. 

Chocolate Chocolate Cheesecake

Recipe Adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

15 chocolate wafer cookies

10 sugar cookies

3 Tablespoons of butter melted

1 Tablespoon of sugar

1/2 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder

1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon

Filling:

8 ounces of chocolate chopped (65%  Ghirardelli + semisweet chocolate chips)

8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

2/3 cup of sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

2 large eggs room temperature

Glaze:

4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1 teaspoon corn syrup

2 tablespoons sour cream room temperature

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Line and 8 inch baking pan with foil. 

In a blender or food processor blend butter, cookies, coffee, cinnamon, sugar, into fine crumbs. Then press into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until set.

Melt  chocolate at 75% power in a microwave until melted. Or place chocolate in a bowl over simmering water until melted.

In the bowl of a mixer blend cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar until smooth. Scrape the side, and then add eggs one at a time until incorporated. While the mixer is running add the chocolate and mix until smooth.

Pour the cream cheese mixture into the prepared crust and bake for 25-30 minutes. The filling will be puff around the edges and be a little wiggly in the middle. 

Let cool on a wire rack.

While the cake is cooling combine chocolate, butter and corn syrup, and heat at 75% power in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Once melted add the sour cream and mix until smooth. Pour mixture over the cheesecake and spread evenly. 

Let cake COOL COMPLETELY, then refrigerate overnight.

NOTES: I changed the recipe to my liking by adding the cinnamon and using different cookies in the crust. I use these cookies from The Salem Baking Company, I like this combination but you can use Oreo's too. Also, I use a combination of chocolate, typically 65% and some semisweet chips.

If you want the cake to be cute into even pieces without the top breaking, remove the pan from the refrigerator after an hour or two, cut and return to refrigerator.

You can change this recipe to suite your taste, add peppermint extract for a little change, sprinkle chopped candy bars onto the chocolate layer for an added dimension. 

This recipe is fabulous! It may be my favorite cheesecake that I have made to date. As I mentioned earlier, it is easy, very rich, chocolaty and a great dessert to make and share!

I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

If you like chocolate than you can follow my adventures on my Chocolate Board on Pinterest or if you have missed some of my baking from this blog than you can find all of the recipes on my  Once Upon a Chocolate Life Board on Pinterest.


Linking to:

Rattlebridge Farm
The Recipe Critic