Baking Wonderful-ness

I have been baking up a storm lately. I think it's just this time of year that puts me in the mood to bake.  In the last three weeks, I've made Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Icing, two loaves of banana bread, a loaf of bread in the bread machine, rhubarb muffins, and this weekend, my project was Cookie Dough Brownies.

I should have written about the "red" velvet brownies as another baking disaster.  I ran out of red food coloring, so I just put in all of the colors that I had.  They turned out a sort of greenish-black.  M said they looked "like calf shit...and I don't know if the calf was healthy."  Of course, he was raised on a farm and would know what that looked like.  I just took his word for it.  Food coloring doesn't affect the taste, and they were wonderful!!  (Bad blogger...I didn't take pictures!)

The cookie dough brownies, which I found through a crafty/recipe blog hop, turned out great!!  As I'm typing this, I'm biting into my 19384745756th brownie since I made them yesterday.  They took a little effort to make, but it was TOTALLY worth it.  ;)

That's right, they have a layer of brownie on the bottom, a layer of cookie dough (no eggs, totally safe), and then a chocolate glaze on top.

M and I have finished off half the pan since yesterday afternoon.  I'm a little ashamed of us, but it's getting closer to the holidays, and calories don't count during the holidays, right!?!?!?

Oh well, I'll bring some to school tomorrow to spread my caloric intake to others.  Teachers are like vultures for sweets.

Here's the recipe for anyone else who wants to participate in some pre-holiday gluttony with me!!

Found at Chef in Training

COOKIE DOUGH BROWNIES

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1-1/3 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

Filling:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Glaze:

• 2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 3/4 cups walnuts, optional

Cream butter and sugar together.  Add eggs and blend well.  Add vanilla, salt, cocoa, and flour.  Don't over-beat.  Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes or until done.  Cool completely.

For filling, in a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light & fluffy. Beat in milk and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour. Stir in mini chocolate chips. Spread over brownies (works best to just press out with clean hands.); chill until firm.

For glaze, in a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and shortening in 30 second intervals, stirring after each time, until smooth. Spread over filling. Immediately sprinkle with nuts, pressing down slightly.

Let glaze harden before cutting in.