No Bake Brownies

Last week I was seriously craving brownies, but with two kids at home now I just didn't have time to bake! That's when I remembered a recipe I had mentally bookmarked, no bake brownies, now even I could find time to make these. I didn't have the exact ingredients on hand so I hand to wing it and hope for satisfactory results. The good news is they turned out delicious! And they are so easy to make that you should head to your kitchen and mix yourself up a batch. Rich, fudgy chocolate and peanut butter flavors combine with a nice crunch to create a decadent and irresistible quick brownie. Enjoy and happy no baking!

Ingredients:

1 c chocolate, I used milk and semisweet chocolate chips

2 Tbs butter

6 Tbs corn syrup

40 miniature marshmallows

1 c peanut butter

1 1/2 c Chex cereal, I used corn

Directions:

In a medium sized saucepan over low heat melt the chocolate and butter, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Remove from the heat and stir in the marshmallows until smooth, add the corn syrup, peanut butter and cereal and stir to combine. Press the mixture into a greased 8"x8" pan and refrigerate for 2-3 hours until firm. If you like a soft brownie let the mixture set at room temperature, this will take longer but is equally delicious. Slice and serve.

Yields 16 brownies

Recipe adapted from No Bake Brownies by Lisa Slater, Brownie Points

Onion Dip - Guest Post: Mom's Test Kitchen

Hello foodies! Today we welcome the lovely Jaime of Mom's Test Kitchen as she helps cover for me by sharing a really tasty recipe. Stop by here blog and show her some love, thanks again Jaime!

  I'm so excited to be here hanging out with Emily today!! I absolutely adore her & her blog!  And that new precious baby!!  Isn't he just the cutest thing ever!!     Just in case we haven't met ~ I'm Jaime, the wife and momma behind Mom's Test Kitchen, my little recipe corner of the blog-o-sphere. You won't find anything too fancy over in my kitchen, just good simple recipes that a mom can make while stepping around a 2 year old & her puppy!

Do you ever go through phases where you eat something & then that's all you want to eat?  You crave that one food, nothing else that you eat seems to taste as good?  This is how I feel about this Sweet Onion Dip!  I will make multiple batches & eat it for days on end!!  This is the best onion dip I've tried!  I love it just simply as a snack with some chips but I could probably make a whole laundry list of other things I think would be just as yummy with it!  Sandwiches, onion rings, fried green beans, fried pickles, fried zucchini, I'm thinking pretty much anything fried would be A.Mazing!

Anyway, if you like onion dip, go forth & make this recipe!!

Sweet Onion Dip

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium sweet onion, peeled & sliced thin
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 cup mayo

Cooking Directions

1. Melt the butter in a medium frying pan over medium to medium high heat, and add the sliced onions. Sprinkle the sugar over the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, then caramelize. This should take between 10 and 15 minutes.
2. Once the onions are a medium brown, remove from the heat and add the vinegar to the pan.
3. Place the onions and vinegar into a small food processor or blender. Add the honey and mustard, and process until smooth.
4. Add the mixture to the mayonnaise, stirring to combine. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.

recipe inspired by: king arthur flour

       

Thanks for letting me hang out with y'all today!  If you like this recipe, I hope you'll stop by & check out some of my others!  

Brownie Crumble Banana Bread

A few days before I went into labor I was digging around my freezer looking for a little dinner inspiration when I came across the bag of leftover brownie crumble topping. I thought to myself this would be good on banana bread, so I threw together the batter using my go to banana bread recipe and sprinkled some of the topping in the middle of each mini loaf, as well as on top and eagerly anticipated the results.

All I can say is yum – if you like chocolate and bananas you need to try this bread! Moist, delicious and not too sweet, it makes a great breakfast or snack. Bake yourself up a loaf or 8 minis like I did. It also freezes well or makes a great gift to share, enjoy and happy baking!

Ingredients:

For the bread:

1 1/2 c mashed banana (about 3 medium bananas)
1 egg

3/4 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 applesauce

2 1/4 c all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

For the topping:

1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c dark chocolate cocoa
1/4 c oats
1/4 c whole wheat flour
3 Tbs coconut oil
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375º F and coat a large loaf pan or mini loaf pans with cooking spray. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the banana, egg, sugar, vanilla and applesauce. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in another bowl, stir until combined. Beating on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, beat until moist. In a mixing bowl combine the brownie topping ingredients and mix until crumbly. Spread the batter into the loaf pan(s) adding a layer of brownie topping in the middle and again on top. Bake for 50-60 minutes for a large loaf, 25-28 for mini loaves; until a tester comes out mostly clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack, cool completely.

Yields 1 loaf or 8 mini loaves

Note: this topping recipe is for a full batch, you won't need quite that much, just toss the leftovers into a freezer bag for later.

Chocolate Shortbread Bites - Guest Post: Little Miss Celebration

Monday I shared with you a delicious, quick dinner and today I am pleased to have Cindy from Little Miss Celebration share a tasty, sweet recipe. A huge thank you to Cindy for helping me out while I learn how to be a mom of two. No joke I forgot how much work newborns are, but I am loving every minute of it. I hope you'll enjoy this treat from Cindy, happy baking!

Hi everyone! I’m Cindy from Little Miss Celebration and I’m so happy to be here today at It Bakes Me Happy. Emily, thank you for having me! Sometimes, we just need a little chocolate fix! These shortbread bites are a great little, one bite treat and are not overly sweet. Dipped in bittersweet chocolate, these cookies are the perfect little chocolate fix – and they’re kind of cute, too! This recipe makes about 5 dozen bite-sized cookies. This is also a fantastic recipe to make in advance! The cookie dough can be shaped, wrapped in aluminum foil and frozen for three months. You can also freeze the baked cookies – just wait to dip them in chocolate until after they are thawed.

Ingredients:

Chocolate Shortbread Bites

• 1 cup cake flour
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
• 3 ounces melted bittersweet chocolate

Chocolate Glaze

• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 4 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Beat butter, flours, powdered sugar and salt in a large bowl until crumbly. Add melted chocolate and mix until a stiff dough forms. Divide dough into 5 pieces. Roll each piece into a log about ¾ inches in diameter. Wrap each roll in waxed paper and freeze until firm, about 2 hours. Removed waxed paper and cut dough into ¾ inch slices. Place each slice, cut side down, on a non-stick or parchment lined cookie sheet, one inch apart. Bake at 325 degrees until cookies are firm to touch, about 15 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Prepare chocolate glaze. Melt chocolate and butter over low heat in small saucepan until melted, stirring frequently. Dip half of each cookie in chocolate glaze. Place cookies on waxed paper lined cookie sheet until chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes. Store in cookie in layers in an airtight container, separated by waxed paper. Thank you SO much to Emily for having me here today! I wish her much luck and love on the new addition to her beautiful family! It has been so much fun sharing with everyone here at It Bakes Me Happy. I extend a warm welcome for you to visit me at Little Miss Celebration, where we share crafting, baking, cooking, laughter and more! You can also visit me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest . Have a wonderful and happy day.

 

Chicken Cordon Bleu Mac N Cheese

This past week has been crazy busy! The holiday Monday was so nice to relax and spend the day together as a family. Then early the next morning I started having contractions and a couple hours later we were on our way to the hospital. After a few hours in Triage, once I was admitted it didn't take too long – and by mid day our sweet little boy had made his appearance. So you can understand when I say last week was crazy, I mean I have an almost one week old and a toddler, life is good.

I did some cooking and baking in the days before the arrival of our son and today I am sharing a super easy and quick recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu Mac N Cheese. We loved this meal, it was so rich and creamy and satisfying; a true comfort food. I even told my husband that since this was so easy compared to the traditional method of Chicken Cordon Bleu, that I may never make it any other way. Grab these ingredients next time your at the grocery store and come dinner time, you'll be thanking me and yourself for this meal; enjoy and happy baking!

Ingredients:

8 oz macaroni, cooked and drained
1 large chicken breast, cooked and diced
4 oz ham, cooked and diced
8 oz cheese, I used a mixture of Monterey Jack and Swiss
2 Tbs butter
1 Tbs flour
1/2 c milk
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 c Panko bread crumbs, I used seasoned

Directions:

Cook the macaroni according to package directions, al dente is good for this recipe. In a medium sauce pan melt the butter, add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the milk and stir until a thick roux is achieved, you can add more milk if you like a thinner sauce. Add the cheese and stir until melted, toss in the macaroni, chicken and ham and stir to combine. Preheat your oven to 350º and spray an 8"x8" baking pan with cooking spray. Season the mixture to taste and transfer to the baking pan, sprinkle on the Panko bread crumbs and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden on top.

Yields 6 servings


And if you're interested, here's the best thing I've made all year: