Brownie Frosting

This frosting is a bit untraditional because it starts with melted butter.  I think it makes for an especially creamy, decadent frosting.  After it's been chilled, it almost reminds me a little of a dense mousse.

Brownie Frosting

Yield: a thick layer of frosting for an 8x8 pan

Ingredients:

1/2 cup salted butter

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla 

4-6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter in the microwave.

2. Add the cocoa powder and use an electric mixer to combine thoroughly.

3. Add 1 cup powdered sugar, the vanilla and heavy whipping cream, as needed to help everything mix together.  Beat thoroughly.

4. Add one more cup powdered sugar and heavy whipping cream as needed.  Beat 3-4 minutes, until frosting noticeably lightens in color.  If frosting is too thick, add more cream.

5. Spread on completely cooled brownies.  This frosting is good chilled.

 Source: adapted from www.cookiesfordays.com

Peanut Butter Chocolate M&M cookies

 

While I love a good chocolate chip cookie, I seem to find myself opting for a version that includes peanut butter more often than not.  These cookies are dressed up fancy by adding peanut M&Ms and roasted peanuts to the tops.  I like to bake 10 cookies per sheet if making a typical medium-sized cookie.  But my favorite way to bake them is as big, bakery-style cookies.  I do four to a sheet and they are thick and delicious.  

I like to cut the large size in half before freezing them so we can pull out half to eat as a serving (which actually equals about the size of a regular cookie, but I love the thickness of the large cookie).

Here is a size comparison.  I like to refrigerate the dough before baking them to help ensure they bake up thick.  I portion the dough out into dough balls of the desired size, place them on a cookie sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 24 hours.  Lots of people might say the best way to eat a cookie is when it's still warm from the oven, but I like these best when they've been frozen and are still cold.  I take one out of the freezer and put it in a ziploc bag to thaw for a few minutes (probably less than 5 minutes) and enjoy one of my favorite cookies!

Peanut Butter Chocolate M&M Cookies

Makes 28-30 medium-sized cookies or 14-15 very large bakery-sized cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup salted butter, very slightly softened, but still quite cold

1 cup creamy peanut butter (I like natural peanut butter)

1 1/2 cups light or dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (more if using unsalted butter)

2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I like to use the larger Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet chocolate chips and give about half of them a rough chop to get a variety of sizes of chocolate pieces in the cookies)

Additional chocolate chips for placing on tops of cookies

Peanut M&Ms (for placing on top)

Roasted peanuts (I like the big roasted, salted Virginia peanuts I can find at my local Costco)

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixture, beat butter until creamy.  Add the peanut butter and beat until well combined.

2. Add in both sugars and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 3-4 minutes.

3. Add eggs, egg yolk and vanilla and mix until well combined.

4. Add baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix until combined.  Add flour and mix until about halfway incorporated.  Add the chopped chocolate chips and whole chocolate chips and mix until just combined.

5. Portion out dough into desired size onto a silicone mat or parchment-lined baking sheet.  (I like to make medium-sized cookies about 2.25 oz. each and large cookies about 4 oz. each.)  No need to leave room for cookies to spread as they will just be chilled at this point.  Press peanut M&MS, peanuts and additional chocolate chips on top of each cookie as desired.  These toppings can be placed quite close together as the cookies will later spread during baking.  Cover baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough balls for about 24 hours.

6. After chilling, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place cookies 10 to a sheet for medium-sized cookies or 4 to a sheet for extra large cookies.  Medium cookies bake for about 12 minutes, large cookies bake for about 15 minutes.  Pull the cookies out when you start to see the first hint of browning around the edges (or even just before).  Immediately after removing from oven use the back of a spoon to push in the sides of each cookie slightly to create an even circle and make the cookie edges a little thicker.  If any cookies look sparse, press additional chocolate chips or M&Ms on top.  Allow to cool completely on cookie sheet.  

7. To freeze cookies: after cookies have cooled completely, (cut large cookies in half if desired) and either place the baking sheet in the freezer or carefully transfer cookies to plates in a single layer and freeze cookies for about 15 minutes.  (Uncovered is fine.)  Transfer cookies to freezer bags.  Before enjoying a cookie from the freezer allow it to sit at room temperature for a few minutes to slightly thaw.

If you don't want to bake all the cookies in the same day, you can transfer the dough balls to a ziploc bag and refrigerate for up to a total of 72 hours from the time you mixed up the dough, or they can be frozen in a freezer bag.  They will need an extra bit of time in the oven if baking frozen dough.

Source: adapted from bakerbynature.com

Crispy Chicken Fajita Wraps

If you have some cooked chicken on hand, these are so quick and very tasty.  If you want to add a little crispy cheese layer to one or both sides of the wrap, it's a fun addition, but totally optional.

Crispy Chicken Fajita Wraps

Makes 4 wraps

Ingredients:

4 large flour tortillas

2 red bell peppers, seeds removed and sliced thinly

1 small red or yellow onion, thinly sliced

Olive oil

1-2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese

1-2 cups cooked, chopped chicken (rotisserie chicken works great)

Cooking spray

Extra white or yellow shredded cheddar, if desired

1-2 avocados

Salt

Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Directions:

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Add a teaspoon or so of olive oil to a skillet.  Add peppers and onions to the skillet, and don't stir for a minute or two to let them char a bit.  Stir and saute peppers and onions until tender.  Remove from heat.

2. Heat a griddle (or clean skillet) over medium heat.  Place tortillas on the griddle and add desired amount of chicken, sauteed peppers, onions and cheese to each tortilla.  Fold up to create a flat wrap.  Spray one side lightly with cooking spray.  Turn over, spray over side.  Cook on both sides until brown and crispy.  If you want a crispy cheese layer on the outside, put a tablespoon or so of cheese directly on the griddle next to the wrap.  Let the cheese sizzle for a few seconds, then move wrap on the cheese.  Cook for another minute or so.  Remove from heat.

3. Smash avocados and mix in desired amount of salt.  Top wraps with smashed avocado and/or sour cream/plain Greek yogurt.

Source: inspired by melskitchencafe.com