Rich, fudge, moist, chewy, those are just a few ways to describe one of my favorite desserts – a brownie.
A nice tall glass of milk and a big brownie put a huge smile on my face when I was a kid. In fact, it still does today. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve discovered delicious brownie recipes that jazz up my favorite childhood treat.
If you’re a fan of chocolate and strawberries, you’ll love Catherine Cappiello Pappas’ (Amityville, NY) Strawberry & Chocolate Brownies. Take a bite with your eyes closed and you’d swear you’re eating a chocolate covered strawberry.
Catherine makes an easy strawberry jam (seriously easy – two ingredients!), that she mixes into the homemade brownie batter. The flavor of strawberry gets infused in every bite. Then, she folds in chocolate bits and cranberries. The cranberries add a random pop of delicious flavor to the brownies. So yummy!
Audrey Musick (Marion, VA) uses a basic boxed brownie mix to make her Brownies with a Kick, but there’s nothing basic about them. “These brownies are so moist and the touch of cinnamon adds a unique flavor,” shares Audrey.
The cinnamon is fabulous, it’s a lovely twist. You definitely taste the spice, but it’s not overpowering. Audrey also adds strong coffee and espresso powder. Coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor and combined with the cinnamon, these are some flavorful brownies.
“Ever had a craving and you had to satisfy that craving,” asks Diane Hopson Smith (Pine Mountain, GA). “Well, I’ve had a craving for some salted caramel and chocolate and came up with these spectacular Salted Caramel Brownies.”
Oh Diane, I feel your craving. I’ve had the same one … and wish I came up with these brownies to satisfy it. They are sweet and salty at its best!
Creating the salted caramel does take a bit of time, as does making the homemade brownies, but the decadent result is so worth it. The brownies have an intense chocolate flavor and the sweet salted caramel is almost layered in-between the brownies. The combination of flavors is divine.
Angie Forester (Memphis, TN) was dining with her grandparents and was served the best cheese blintzes she had ever eaten. It got her thinking, “what [does] the filling of a cheese blintz taste like with a chewy chocolatey brownie?” That was the inspiration for her Blintz Brownie Bites.
If you’re not familiar with a cheese blintz, it’s kind of like a cheese stuffed pancake. Angie takes that cheese filling and dollops it onto brownies.
The result is really tasty. The filling combines cottage cheese, cream cheese, honey, lemon zest and a bit of vanilla. You definitely pick up the hint of honey and lemon zest when you bite into these mini-brownies. Yum!
Are these a brownie? A cookie? Both? That’s the question when you bite into Cara Roe’s (Warsaw, IN) Mrs. Mom’s Brownie Bombs. The one thing not in question – these ARE the bomb.
“My eight-year-old son named these,” explains Cara. “He calls my kitchen Mrs. Mom’s and [he thought] these brownies were the ‘da bomb’ and ‘a flavor explosion.'”
The cookie dough layer is luscious and creamy, you’re going to want to at it with a spoon. The brownie layer is chocolatey and chewy. Cara uses a boxed brownie but adds a touch of coffee granules to increase the flavor. The last touch is a simple chocolate ganache, that takes the brownies over the top. I guarantee these are going to be a bit hit with everyone.
This week, pick up a box of brownies (or find your favorite from-scratch recipe), bake up a batch and see what creation you can come up with. I’m sure your family will be full of smiles. And don’t forget to post your recipe… Happy Pinching!