I heart brownies and also all other desserts basically

I was recently perusing through some old cookbooks that my grandma was planning on getting rid of and I came across this super simple brownie recipe. I've made it several times and it's almost as easy as a buying a mix from the store, and tastes way better. In my most humble of opinions.

And get this. You mix it all in the pan, you don't even have to dirty a bowl!! I'm sure there are better brownies out there but these are perfect when your sweet tooth is nagging and you don't feel like putting forth a lot of effort.


That's me most days.


These are chewy, super fudgy, quick to throw together, and delicious.

I thought I'd better share the goods.

You're welcome.




Super Easy Brownies that are Delicious and Amazing 

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup flour
6 tbsp cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup nuts (or chocolate chips if you are a hater of nuts in your brownies, like yours truly)

Melt butter in 8x8 pan (I've done it both in the microwave (I have a glass 8x8 pan) or over the stovetop), then remove from heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix it all in the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Devour while they are still warm with some vanilla ice cream melting on top.

Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies

The hubs' birthday was a couple of weekends ago, and as he is an oreo fiend I usually try and make him something oreo related. Last year was Homeade Oreos, this year I tried Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies. I put them out at his birthday party and they were a huge hit! AND they disappeared super fast. So fast that I felt compelled to make them again, so that the hubs and I could enjoy a batch to ourselves.

Ok that last sentence makes us sound...like we eat an unnecessarily large amount of cookies.

It's nothing but the truth yo.

I originally got the recipe here and followed it pretty closely - the first time using double stuff oreos and the second using regular. Both were great, but if I were to make these again I would use the double stuff - you get more of that "cookies and cream" flavor.

Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies

1 stick of softened butter
6 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
11 broken oreos (I prefer double stuff)
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars until well combined. Add egg and vanilla, mix well. Combine flour, soda, and salt into a separate bowl, then add slowly to the wet ingredients. Add oreos and chocolate chips and stir until just combined. Scoop onto baking sheets and bake for 8-10 min.

Food for Fall

As Thanksgiving approaches the hubs gets more and more excited about all things pumpkin, asking me frequently if I will make him a pumpkin pie.


Now. Pumpkin pie is just fine and everything, but one or two slices a year is enough for me. And when I know there are going to be opportunities for pumpkin pie right and left during the Thanksgiving season, I try to appease the hubs' monstrous pumpkin appetite with other pumpkin treats.


Cue these pumpkin cream cheese muffins.

When I make these the hubs tells me over and over how much he loves them. Which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and wife-like, since I don't spend as much time as I would want to making him his favorite foods.

The recipe is from the always wonderful Annie's Eats. It makes 24 muffins but I only ended up with 22 1/2 because I apparently ate a muffin and a half's worth of batter. Why is batter so good????


AND I've got another pumpkin surprise for the hubsy up my sleeve as well! But because of my crazy frazzled week it may not happen until after Thanksgiving. Which is ok. Pumpkin lovin' can be for any time of the year. 


SO. IF you like pumpkin, you should definitely try these out.


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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (24 muffins)


Filling:
8 oz cream cheese softened
1 cup powdered sugar


Muffins:
3 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
1 tbspn + 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil


Topping: (I had lots of this leftover and probably could've halved it)
1/2 cups sugar
5 tbspn flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 tbspn butter cut in pieces




Filling: Combine cream cheese and sugar in bowl, mix well until smooth. Cover bowl and refrigerate until needed.


Muffins: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with liners. In bowl combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda. In a separate bowl combine eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin puree. Add in dry ingredients after combined. 


Topping: Mix all ingredients together until coarse and crumbly.


Assembly: Fill each muffin liner with a small amount of batter (1-2 tbspns). Add a spoonful of filling. Cover filling with more batter (I filled to just about the top of the liner.) Sprinkle topping on each muffin. Bake for 20-25 minutes.