Tasty Madness

OMG – these are faboosh! What is better than brownies? Brownies with cheesecake! But better than that? Brownies, cheesecake AND peanut butter = heaven.

Here are the ingredients:

- 1 package of brownie mix (any type)
- the ingredients listed on the brownie mix
- 1 package of Philadelphia cream cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups cool whip
- 20 cherries or strawberries

Follow these super simple steps to have the best snack you have ever had in your life!

- Heat the oven to 350 degrees
- Prepare the brownies and pour the mix into 20 muffin tin cups
- Beat the cream cheese with the sugar, egg, peanut butter and vanilla with a mixer until it is all blended. Then put one tablespoon of the mix into each muffin cup.
- Bake the treats for 30 minutes
- Let cool and then put cool whip and cherries/strawberries on top

YUM!

Frozen Grasshopper Squares anyone? Yes please for me!

These are a super simple dessert that you can make and stow away in the freezer until you get a craving for some ice cream. All you need is a pack of Oreo cookies, or a similar store-brand cookie, a container of mint chocolate chip ice cream (softened), a container of Cool Whipp and a square of Baker’s Semi Sweet chocolate, which you should grate.

Line a 13×9 inch pan with tin foil and crush in 20 Oreo cookies and spread along the bottom of the pan. Then spread the softened ice cream over the cookies and smooth it into an even layer, then add another layer on top of Cool Whip. Next pour the grated chocolate on top.

Put this lovely looking dessert in the freezer for about three hours and then take it out and get ready to dig in! You might have to let it stand at room temperature when it comes out of the freezer until you are able to easily cut it, like cake, with a knife. You can use the remaining Oreo cookies you have to top the pieces you cut.

Yum, yum, yum!!! What is your favorite frozen dessert?

Mmm this recipe makes me so hungry just thinking about it! Here’s what you need:

- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- 3/4 granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

The first step is to heat the oven to 350 degrees. Then beat the butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is fluffy. This is best done with an electric mixer. Next add in the egg yolks, salt and vanilla and mix it. Once done, gradually add in the flour and mix it.

Next you can divide the dough in half and shape it into 1 1/4 inch diameter logs. Wrap these in wax paper and refrigerate them until firm (which usually takes about a half hour).

Slice the logs you made into thick pieces and space them apart on parchment paper on a pan or baking sheet. Place in the oven and cook until golden brown (which usually takes about 15-20 minutes).

While the cookies are baking mix together the confectioners sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice until it forms a thick glaze. When you take the cookies out, and they are cool, dip the top of each cookie into the glaze and let it sit until it is hardened.

Now the next step is the most important – eat them!!!!

Image Via Flickr

Ever had a party where everyone wanted to drink, drink, drink but you just weren’t in the mood? Well now you don’t have to be the odd man out not carrying around a martini glass, and your drink wont give you a headache the next morning!

I call this the Non-Alcoholic Martini Mayhem, but really you can call it whatever you’d like. And it’s super simple to make, which is nice.

All you need is one package of jello, I prefer cherry, but most people like strawberry. You also need one cup of orange sherbet and perhaps a little cool whip for the top – in fact optional, but in my book totally necessary!

All you do is add one cup of boiling water to the jello mix in a bowl and stir it for a couple minutes until all the jello flakes are dissolved. Then you stir in the cup of sherbet until it is melted. Then pour the mixture into martini glasses (this much mix should make about four glasses worth) and then put the glasses in the fridge for an hour or two until the mix is firmer. Take them out and grace the top of each concoction with some cool whip. Tada! Non-alcoholic beverage and dessert all in one!

Image Via Flickr

Living in a small apartment in Boston pretty much tells the world that my oven is not up to par. I’m lucky enough that it turns on and the stovetop works, but when it comes to cooking at the temperature on the back of the brownie mix box I’m out of luck.

My oven thinks that 350 degrees means about 520 degrees. When it should take 30 minutes for the brownies to be cooked through and still delightfully gooey, they come out hard as bricks and dry as can be! But don’t fret, there is a solution!

I started cooking my brownies in cupcake tins. I leave them in the oven for about half the time as the box says and take them out to test them ever so often by sticking a toothpick in the middle to see if they are cooked through or not.

By separating them into cupcake tins rather than a huge tin of brownies it helps them cook thoroughly in a shorter amount of time and makes it easier for me to check on them.

Mind you this process took me over a year to learn, so just imagine how many brownies I have ruined up to this point!

Image Via Flickr