Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

Pin It Why pick brownies OR chocolate chip cookies when you can have both? I love making bar cookies and brownies becuase they are so easy; no scooping and no waiting for mulitple batches to finish cooking.

The chocolate chip cookie layer is my Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe that I halved and changed just a bit--a tad more butter and flour to give it more structure, and the brownie layer is a Betty Crocker Triple Chunk box mix for an 8x8 pan (18.9 oz box). I used a smaller box so the layer would be the right thickness once spread over the cookie layer in the 9x13 pan. If you don't want to use a box mix, you can use my Fudgy Brownie recipe, or any other brownie recipe you love (just make sure it's a recipe for an 8x8 pan).

Notes: They are much easier to cut once cooled completely, so hang on to your horses and wait to cut them (if you can)**To adjust for my high altitude I added 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour to the dry brownie mix.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies printable recipe

for the cookie layer

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

for the brownie layer

1 18.9-oz box Betty Crocker Triple Chunk brownie mix
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup water
1 egg

1. Heat your oven to 350. Line a 9x13-inch pan with foil so the foil comes up the two long sides. Spray the foil and pan with non-stick spray.

2. In a mixer bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing well after each. Add the baking powder, salt, and flour, and mix well. Add the chocolate chips and mix gently until combined.

3. Crumble the cookie dough into the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake 10-12 minutes. The dough should not be cooked through, just enough to hold up when you spoon the brownie batter on top.

4. While the cookie layer is baking, prepare the brownie layer: In a medium bowl, combine the brownie mix, flour, oil, water, and egg. Mix well.

5. Very gently, spoon the brownie batter on top of the partially cooked cookie layer and gently spread it into an even layer. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the brownie is set but still soft (not jiggly). Cool completely before cutting. To cut, use the foil to lift the brownies out of the pan; use a very sharp knife to cut into bars or squares.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Creamy Tomato Soup

Pin It A few years ago my church women's group put out a cookbook and this tomato soup recipe is one of the many yummy things I've tried from it's pages. The only change I made was adding a few sun-dried tomatoes to pump up the tomato flavor a little. The soup is super easy, and is thick and creamy, and quite wonderful as a side dish or as the main dish for a light meal (add a salad and your set).

Creamy Tomato Soup (lightly adapted from Chelsea Hubbard)
printable recipe

4 cups whole milk (can use lowfat for less creamy soup)
3 14-oz cans diced tomatoes, drained
6-8 sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 rib celery, coarsly chopped
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pices
2 rounded tablespoons tomato paste
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the milk over medium heat in a medium pot.

2. Put the tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, onion, celery, garlic, sugar, butter, tomato paste, and flour in the bowl of a food processor, and process until smooth. Pour mixture into the warm milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Homemade Yogurt with Granola and Honey

I was totally inspired by 5 Second Rule's post from a few days ago where she made her own version of a Larabar, and I decided to try to make my own version of a Clif bar my husband really likes.

My first go included a purchased cranberry-sunflower seed trail mix, quick oats, rice krispie cereal, creamy peanut butter, honey, and vanilla. The flavor was super, super good, but it crumbled when you picked up the bars; it needs more sticky stuff. So I crumbled it all onto a sprayed baking sheet and baked it at 350 for 20 minutes (I stirred it at the 10-minute mark). Once it cooled it was a beautifully crunchy granola. For breakfast this morning I had it with some of my homemade yogurt and a little honey. So tasty!

Stay tuned for more granola bar testing; my 8-year-old practically lives on a store-brand knock-off of Fiber 1 bars, and I'm going to come up with my own version of that. Thinking of the money I could save just making her bars (plus no mystery ingredients) makes me a little giddy!

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