brownie bites with peppermint frosting

More Christmas baking! This recipe makes about 2 dozen, but you will probably want to double it...they are chewy, chocolatey, and Christmasy. They can be made without the peppermint flavouring if you're a plain chocolate kind of person.

Brownie Bites
*adapted from Holiday Cheer magazine

3/4 C. sugar
3 Tbsp. melted butter
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg white
2/3 C. flour
1/2 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt

Combine sugar, butter, honey, vanilla and egg white. Mix well.

Sift in remaining ingredients to form a sticky dough.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Press to flatten slightly.

Bake at 350 for about 7-8 minutes or until tops of brownies have cracked slightly. Let cool.

Peppermint Frosting

1 C. icing sugar
1 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
2 oz. white chocolate, melted and cooled
candies for topping (optional)

Mix icing sugar, milk and butter until well combined.

Stir in peppermint and melted white chocolate.

Swirl 1 tsp. of frosting on top of cooled brownies. Top with candies...

or leave white!

peanut butter brownies: revisited

I already posted this recipe a few months ago, which you can find here, but I made these brownies again yesterday and they are so darn good I had to tell you to go make them. Make them now! But be warned: they contain lots of chocolate (10 oz.) and lots of sugar (2 cups regular, 2 cups icing sugar). And peanut butter. This is not a problem for me at all (until after I finish eating them and don't fit into my jeans) so you shouldn't let it stop you either. Unless you're allergic to peanut butter, in which case do not make these. But in all other cases, make these. They turned out better the second time for me, and the secret was in keeping the pan in the fridge until you're ready to cut and serve. I am now going to go eat one and undo the effects of my workout from this morning. Worth it. Definitely worth it.

peanut butter brownies

If you don't like peanut butter and/or chocolate, a) you're crazy, and b) don't bother reading this recipe. But if you DO like peanut butter and chocolate (mixed together to make the best dessert ever), it's your lucky day! This recipe is from the Canadian Living "Best Brownies and Bars" magazine. I spotted it and had to make it immediately.

I think my new little piggy spatula and whisk made the finished product taste even better.

Peanut Butter Brownies

*adapted from Canadian Living "Best Brownies and Bars"

6 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate

4 oz. chopped unsweetened chocolate (I didn't have any so I used all bittersweet - still turned out great)

1/3 C. butter

1/3 C. natural peanut butter

2 C. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

4 eggs

1 2/3 C. flour

1 C. chopped salted peanuts

Pinch salt

Topping:

1/3 C. butter, softened

1/4 C. natural peanut butter

2 C. icing sugar (I only used 1 cup, and again, still turned out great!)

1 Tbsp. milk

In saucepan, melt chocolates, butter, and peanut butter over medium heat. Let cool 10 min.

Whisk in sugar and vanilla. Whisk in eggs, one at a time.

Stir in flour, peanuts and salt.

Scrape into 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350 for approximately 25 min. Let cool in pan on rack.

TOPPING:

Beat butter, peanut butter and vanilla until creamy. Do it by hand like me. Then you can burn the calories you're about ingest when the brownies are ready.

Beat in icing sugar and milk. Spread over brownies.

Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hr. Cut into squares.

Optional: Drizzle brownies with melted chocolate before chilling in the fridge. I skipped that step because I thought they would be sweet enough already.

I'm pretty excited for dessert tonight!! (Okay let's be honest, I definitely already "tested" one out. Someone has to).