Turtle Brownies

I have had a dire need to bake something! I feel like I have neglected my kitchen for the past couple of weeks because work has been super busy. I have been so mentally exhausted by the time I get home that I cannot fathom doing anything else that involves using my brain. Do you ever have those moments? Well now, my brain is screaming for some baked stimulation! Work is going to be a bit insane for the remainder of the month, so I need some fuel to recharge and stay focused. Plus Matt has literally asked me five times this week to bake something. How can I say no to the man I love so dearly? :)

These brownies were just what I needed to top off my weekend. They are phenomenal!!! I had no trouble deciding what I wanted to bake... I wanted to recreate the sweetness of a turtle candy into the form of a brownie. I stumbled upon a few recipes for caramel brownies that were recently adapted from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather. I do not have this book, so I have not seen the original recipe, but I might have to run out and buy it tomorrow. :) These brownies were definitely some of the best brownies I have had in a long time, and I'll make sure to keep this recipe handy because I sense that I might have future cravings for these sweeties. Delicious!!

Ingredients
Yields 9-12 brownies
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
7 oz caramel candies, unwrapped
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp light cream

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches of overhang along two sides. Grease parchment and sides of dish with baking spray; set aside.

Cut butter into 6 cubes and combine with chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until completely melted. Transfer chocolate mixture into a medium size mixing bowl, and whisk in both sugars, eggs, and vanilla until incorporated. Stir in flour and salt just until combined. Evenly spread half of the batter in the prepared dish and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, place pecans in a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Toast until fragrant, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine caramel candies and cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat until melted and smooth, stirring frequently. Stir in half of the pecans, and immediately spread caramel mixture over the bottom brownie layer. Carefully pour and spread the remaining brownie batter over the caramel layer. Top with the remaining pecan pieces, and bake for 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Lift the brownies from the pan and remove parchment paper. Cut into squares. Store brownies in airtight container.

Source: adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather

Cookie Brownies

I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to this three-day weekend ahead of me. The weather is supposed to be nice (great for tennis!), I have a few dates with some of my dearest friends, and I have a kitchen screaming my name (begging to be used!). I hope I can find time to fit everything in!

Before I jump to this amazing recipe and leave you to start my weekend, I wanted to take a few lines and thank a couple of my fellow bloggers who have been kind enough to share some blogging awards with me over the past few weeks. Mateja from Indulging Life shared a Most Deserved Award and Lynn from Sprinkles of Flavor passed along a Stylish Blogger Award. Both of these foodies have amazing blogs with scrumptious recipes, so I highly encourage you to check them out! And again, thank you Mateja and Lynn! I'm truly honored that you would select Burn Me Not for these awards.

And now, how about some yummy goodness to set this weekend in the right direction. These brownies were awesome! They are cakey with a walnut crunch and a delicious cookie topping. I could sit down and eat a handful at a time because they are not overly rich... they are right on the money! I do wish the cookie topping was a solid layer, so next time I think I'll reserve half the batter for it (instead of one third). If you decide to try it that way, then I would recommend cutting the walnuts down to 1/2 cup. Either way, I think you'll be pleased with the results.

Have a great weekend!

Ingredients
Yields 20 brownies
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup raw sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 oz semisweet chocolate, melted
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 13x9 inch baking pan with baking spray; set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium speed, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine milk and vanilla in a measuring cup. With your mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk mixture. Beat just until ingredients are incorporated.

Remove a third of the batter to another bowl. Mix in melted chocolate with the remaining two thirds of batter. Fold in walnuts. Spread evenly into prepared baking pan. Add chocolate chips to the reserved batter. Drop by spoonfuls over the top of the pan and (gently) spread evenly.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack before cutting.

Source: adapted from Taste of Home Fall Baking Cookbook magazine

Peanut Butter Brownies

I know I've mentioned my weakness for chocolate and peanut butter before, and these brownies were no exception. They are thick, moist, cake-like, and heavenly!

I made these for a coworker's birthday. She has always been super supportive of my baking, so I asked her what her favorite dessert was (so I could bake it for her) and without hesitation she said brownies. :) I knew I had this recipe marked on my "to bake" list, and she had no objections to trying something new.

If you're not a huge fan of peanut butter, there is plenty of batter to make regular chocolate brownies (and it would definitely stand well on it's own!). I would just bake them in a slightly smaller pan for a thicker brownie because that's what I loved about these... there was a whole lot of baked goodness in each bite!

Taste tested and coworker approved. These brownies were delightful!

Ingredients

Yields 20 brownies

3 eggs

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Peanut Butter Filling:

2 packages (8oz each) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tbsp 2% milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 13in x 9in baking pan with cooking spray; set aside. 

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat eggs, butter and vanilla until smooth. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture, mixing just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Reserve 1 cup of batter for topping. Spread remaining batter into prepared pan.

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, peanut butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and milk on low speed just until combined. Carefully spread over batter. Drop reserved batter by tablespoonfuls over filling. Cut through batter with a knife to swirl.

Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool on a wire rack. Chill until serving.

Source: Taste of Home Fall Baking Cookbook magazine

Cappuccino Brownies

Looking for a kick-start to your work week? Look no further... these cappuccino brownies will do the trick! Infused with espresso powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg, these flavorsome treats taste as though you're enjoying a dessert from your favorite coffee shop... and the heavenly aroma will have you imagining you're actually there. :)

I have had these brownies on my "to bake" list for a few weeks. When I came home from work one afternoon, I decided I had put them off long enough. I'm so glad I whipped these up because they were a perfect end to my day!

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tbsp instant espresso powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup semisweet morsels

Directions
Preheat oven to 325°. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan, line bottom with parchment paper, and coat paper with butter; set aside.

In a medium heatproof bowl, combine butter and unsweetened chocolate. Place over a saucepan of simmering water until completely melted, stirring occasionally. Let cool slightly. Whisk in sugar, espresso powder, vanilla, and eggs.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add chocolate mixture to dry ingredients, and stir until just combined (do not overmix). Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out slightly wet. (Be careful not to overbake.) Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Remove from pan. Cut into 16 squares, wiping the knife blade clean after each cut. Serve and enjoy!

Source: Martha Stewart