Sneaky Peanut Butter & Cocoa Brownies

I don't usually gravitate towards recipes with "hidden" ingredients or call for hard-to-find flours or ingredients. But, when I found this recipe today for Lightened- Up Gluten Free Brownies I was intrigued because it doesn't call for ANY flour at all OR call for anything strange. Well, except for chickpeas...and I've had some lurking in my pantry for awhile...so awesome use for something that no one else in my house will eat!
Oh...but they did for dessert this evening. Heeheehee!
I tweaked this recipe a little and am pleased to say that these brownies received rave reviews from both my 2-yr old and my husband. 

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter & Cocoa Brownies
3/4 c. peanut butter (or nut butter of your choice)
15-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 c. milk
2 eggs
 1 T. vanilla
3/4 c. honey
3/4 c. dried mission figs
1/2 c. dark cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350 and grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
Combine nut butter, chickpeas, milk, eggs, vanilla & honey in the bowl of a food processor. Puree mixture together. Add figs and pulse until figs are chopped fine and mixed in well. In a separate large mixing bowl, combine cocoa, baking soda, salt & cinnamon. Pour nut/chickpea mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well to combine.
Spread batter evenly in your prepared dish and bake for 30-35 minutes or until center is set.

Frost while still warm with Vegan Chocolate Ganache (like I did)!

Watch your loved ones devour these brownies and smile knowing you are sneaking in some extra protein into their diets. :)

Use-Up-What-Ya-Got Bars

Every several months I tend to have random baking ingredients in only small amounts taking up space in my pantry. This is when I make a layered bar cookie! The beauty of these is you can mix up all kinds of ingredients and there are endless possibilities. Here's what I made this time. I'll call them:

Almond Chocolate Cherry Bars

1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted

1 c. graham cracker crumbs

1 c. sliced almonds

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c. dried cherries

1 c. rolled oats

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

Mix together melted butter and graham crumbs; press onto the bottom of a 9x9-inch cake pan. Mix together almonds, chocolate, cherries & oats; spread evenly over graham crust. Pour the condensed milk evenly over the top and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into bars. 

*Any 3-4 cup combination of nuts, dried fruit, baking chips, coconut - really any cookie addition you can think of, can be used in the "filling".  Just always use at least 1 cup of desired chocolate or baking chips. 

* Easily doubled in a 9x13-inch pan!  

Chocolate Brownie Bird's Nest Cookies

HAPPY EASTER!

We are taking our little one to an Easter Egg Hunt party tomorrow and I want to take a treat that will appeal to both kids and adults - so I made these. Cute for the kids! Chocolate for the moms and dads that need it.

I chose to use yogurt-covered raisins for more natural-looking eggs, instead of the traditional candies. I hope everyone enjoys them!

Brownie Cookies

20-oz pkg. Fudge Brownie Mix

2 eggs

1/4 c. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together all ingredients until well combined. Scoop out 1-inch balls and place on greased cookie sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until just set. Let cookies rest on sheets for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

 Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

**subbed Neufchatel Cheese for regular Cream Cheese 

**also subbed Whole Milk for the Half & Half

When cookies are cool, top with about 2 teaspoons of frosting and dip into green coconut or crushed chow mien noodles. Nestle in 3 yogurt-covered raisins. Stand back and revel in the cuteness you have created.

** I recommend chilling for at least 30 minutes to let cookies set up!

Energy Bars

Every now again (though not often enough) I feel like making something not covered in chocolate, topped with whipped cream, or involving buttercream icing. Enter in wheat germ, flax seed and oatmeal. Fiber anyone? Omega-3s?

Energy Bars

In medium saucepan, over low-medium heat, combine until smooth:

1/2 c smooth peanut butter
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c lite maple syrup

In large bowl sir together:

2 c rolled oats (not instant!)
1/2 c wheat germ
1/4 c flax seed
1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 c mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Pour warm syrup over dry ingredients until coated. Press into greased 9 x 13 in pan.

* The chocolate chips melted a bit into the bars when I mixed them due to the temperature of the syrup. You can sprinkle them on top instead if you want them to retain their shape/consistency.

Servings: 16

Calories: 178
Calories from fat: 78
Total Carbs: 23g
Dietary Fiber: 3.2g
Sugars: 12.5g
Protein: 2.5g
Fat: 8.1g

White Chocolate Cream Brownies

I love brownies. The recipe for the base below is my tried-and-true recipe from an old Hershey recipe card I keep in my 'favorites' binder when I don't want to have to think about something new for dessert. But the other day I wanted to add a layer of white chocolate cream. And if we're going THAT decadent, we should top it with another layer of chocolate candy swirl, right? So I did.


White Chocolate Cream Brownies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brownie Base:

1/2 c butter, melted
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 c flour
1/3 c cocoa
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt


Mix all brownie base ingredients together. Pour into greased 9in  square baking pan. Bake 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

Whisk together:

1 cup melted white chocolate chips
1 8oz tub whipped topping

Spread this mixture on top of cooled brownie layer.

Drizzle with melted semi-sweet chocolate chips. Store in fridge until ready to cut and serve!

Nutritional Information

Servings: 18

Calories: 226
Total Fat: 13.5g

Cholesterol: 46mg

Sodium: 100mg

Total Carbohydrates: 25.9g

Dietary Fiber: 0.9g

Sugars: 21.3g

Protein: 2.3g

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Cookies:

1 box devil food cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
1 egg

Filling:

1/4 c shortening
1/4 c butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1-3 Tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla


Mix all cookie ingredients together.  Roll dough into small balls. Bake on lightly greased cookie sheets in 350 degree oven for 9 minutes. Let cool on pan 5 minutes before removing.

For filling, beat together butter and shortening. Add powdered sugar and drizzle with vanilla. Beat, adding milk until desired thickness. (We like our icing thick and hearty here.)

Spread on cooled cookie half and top with a second. (If you have extra icing, refrigerate and scoop it with pretzels as a midnight snack!)


Nutritional Information

Servings: 20 cookies
Calories per serving: 247

Total Fat: 12.0g

Cholesterol: 29mg

Sodium: 252mg

Total Carbohydrates: 35.4g

Dietary Fiber: 1.0g

Sugars: 27.7g

Protein: 1.4g

Better Than Fig Newton Bars

Better Than Fig Newton Bars

Dough:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour (I used white whole wheat)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Filling:
 
1 cup mission figs
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp water

1/2  cup chopped walnuts

Cream together sugars and butter. Add eggs and beat well. Add dry ingredients and spread half of dough mixture into lightly greased 9x11 pan.

Place all filling ingredients into food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth. Spread over bottom layer of dough. Spread remaining dough over fig filling.

Top with chopped walnuts. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

Milky Way Bars

I found the 3 ingredient recipe for homemade 3 Musketeer Bars but didn't feel like hand-dipping those little blocks of soft chocolate goodness. But I still wanted the soft chocolate goodness. So I decided to use the recipe for the musketeer-like cream centers in the middle of a bar. I'm calling them Milky Way Bars.

Melt 3 Tbs butter and mix it with 1 c graham cracker crumbs. Press into bottom of 8x8 pan and bake until set, about 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool.

In microwaveable bowl, melt 2 c chocolate chips. Beat with electric mixer 1 minute until fluffy and cooler. Add 1 tub Cool Whip (I used the light variety) and beat for 30 seconds until combined and light. Press this mixture into a waxed paper-lined 8x8 pan and freeze for 20 minutes.



Place cooled (and now firm) square of chocolate filling on cooled crust. Top with 1/8 c caramel topping. 

In microwave, melt 1/2 c chocolate chips with 1 Tbs. shortening. Spread on top and keep in fridge until ready to cut and serve.