Birthday Brownies!

BrownieI was sitting in my apartment yesterday, wondering what do for my friend’s birthday today. Cake and cupcakes seemed cliché and I’d just made a batch of cookies (and already eaten most of them . . .). There was only one solution.

Brownies.

As I thought more about it, brownies made more and more sense! Ihave yet to make them, they’re similar to cake, and they require no forks. Perfection.

My boyfriend likes these, but I wasn’t very fond of the bottoms. I think I might have sprayed to much PAM in the pan before I baked them. It’s understandable in my case considering I’m always scared things will stick, be ruined, I’ll cry, there will be much drama, etc. etc. etc. Turns out it doesn’t even matter. The birthday boy loved them

I wish I’d had my camera when he showed up in his birthday hat. It was, in one word, amazing.

Simple Chocolate Brownies

(from 101 things to do with Cake Mix)

Ingredients:

1 box of chocolate cake mix

2 eggs

1/3 C vegetable oil

1 C mini chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Mix all the wet ingredients together. This will ensure the eggs are incorporated properly.

2. Add the cake mix. Dough will be stiff.

3. Push dough into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Sprinkle dough with mini chocolate chips.

4. Put in the oven for 12 to 16 minutes or until desired consistency.

Strawberry frostedI spread the melted chocolate chips out after the brownies had cooled a bit and then sprinkled more chocolate chips on top.

As you can see, I frosted my brownies with leftover strawberry frosting from my shortbread cookies. It’s delicious, what can I say?

Peppermint chocolate chip cookies

Candy CanesI save my candy canes for as long as possible. I buy in massive quantities from my nearest Dollar Tree because, for some reason, candy canes are not on sale throughout the year. That’s why I end up with boxes of leftover holiday treats in my cabinet, waiting for me to remember them. And they’re exactly what I needed for my latest recipe.

I adapted my delicious peppermint chocolate chip cookies from a chocolate chip cookie recipe found in the latest cookbook love of my life, “101 Things to do with a Cake Mix” by Stephanie Ashcraft. While the book is over six years-old, I still drool over the simplicity of making cookies with cake mix.

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookie doughIngredients:

1 yellow cake mix

1/2 C butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

2/3 C chocolate chips

1/2 C crushed peppermint candies (or candy canes!) NOTE: Pieces can be whatever size you want!

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix together your wet ingredients first, then add half the cake batter. Mix until smooth.

3. Stir in the chocolate chips, peppermint pieces. Then add the rest of the cake batter until completely absorbed.

Peppermint chocolate chip cookies4. Drop by the tablespoonfull onto greased or lined cookie sheets. It is necessary to line them because the sugar from the candy pieces will melt and spread underneath the cookie. Also, make sure that you use only a tablespoon of dough! These cookies spread easily, so put only about six to a pan, staggered.

5. Bake the cookies for 14 minutes, or until a lovely golden brown on top. Let them cool on the pan a minute before gently removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 2 – 3 dozen cookies.

My cookies never come out perfectly round, but that's okay!

My cookies never come out perfectly round, but that's okay!