Shakin & Bakin Foodie Blog

Four or five years ago I found a recipe online to make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies and I've been making them ever since! As soon as September rolls around and through the end of December...I will make several batches of these brownie that my family devours as quickly as I make them. I have to admit, they're delicious and we love eating them while they are still warm and fresh from the oven.

Pumpkin Chocolate Brownies Recipe

1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chips

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Spray an 8" square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl combine together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, large egg, egg whites and vegetable oil with an electric mixture until creamy. Add in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, ground pumpkin pie spice, salt and ground nutmeg until everything is blended together. Stir in by hand your milk chocolate chips until blended.

Pour the brownie batter into your prepared baking dish. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 22 to 28 minutes or until done. Remove and let cool. Once cool, cut your brownies into squares and store them in an airtight container.

In France, sweet treats have been an important part of holiday traditions for centuries, and this season, home cooks in America can impress their holiday guests by incorporating a new product from esteemed French dessert maker PrePat’33 into their Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year menus.

Filled with wholesome real ingredients, READY TO BAKE LIQUID BATTERS are inspired by actual French recipes. The handy pouches keep for up to a year in your cupboard and bake in 10 - 25 minutes, depending on which delicious treat you prepare. And the best part—no additional ingredients are needed. Simply pour the READY TO BAKE batter into a cake pan or muffin tin, and bake.

Chocolate Cake

Serve up one of these gourmet treats this holiday season—we dare your guests to detect that they’re not scratch-made!

* Caramel Salted Butter Lava Cake: Based on a traditional French recipe; contains gourmet salt from Brittany.
* Chocolate Lava Cake: Rich, decadent, ooey-gooey goodness.
* Chocolate Cake: Indulgent and loaded with real cocoa.
* Brownies: Bakes in about 25 minutes. A French take on an American classic.
* Gluten-free Brownies: Just because it’s gluten-free doesn’t mean it can’t be delicious!
* Blueberry Muffins: Bakes in about 25 minutes. Loaded with real blueberries.
My Thoughts: I love to bake and I primarily bake from scratch. One of the reasons I was a scratch baker was because I could never find pre-packaged baking mixes that tasted as good as homemade until now! After sampling the Ready to Bake Liquid Batters...I've completely have changed my mind!

For this review I received complimentary packages of the Blueberry Muffins, Brownies and the Chocolate Lava Cake to try out for all of you. One of the things that immediately impressed me about these baking mixes is that you need absolutely no other ingredients! The liquid batter is in a squeeze pouch and you simply open it up, put it into your prepared pan and bake according to directions. These things are fabulous for RV travelers like me because we can now bake on-the-road without having to drag along a ton of supplies and ingredients.
The first one that my family tried out was the Ready to Bake Lava Cakes. We decided to pour the batter into a muffin tin and fill the cavities about 1/2 full. We baked according to directions and once they were done...we left them cool for a few minutes and then dug-in. These are delicious when eaten warm. You can eat them all on their own or top them with some vanilla ice cream, frozen whipped topping or even a creamy yogurt spread. Delicious! These didn't last long!
A few days later we whipped up the Ready to Bake Blueberry Muffin Mix. One of the things that really impressed me with this one was the size of the blueberries! One of the reasons I always stayed clear of pre-packaged muffin mixes was because the fruit was always super miniature in size. Well, not with Ready to Bake muffin mixes! These blueberry muffins were moist and flavorful. Just be prepared though...this is a very thick and gooey batter. I had to spoon it into my muffin cups...but other than that, it's fabulous!
If chocolate lave cakes are a tad too sweet for you but yet...you love chocolate, I highly recommend you try out the Ready to Bake Brownies! You can make them in a brownie pan or a muffin pan. (I like using muffin pans and filling the cavities 1/2 way when I make brownies b/c it makes the perfect sized portions. These chocolate brownies have a moist cake-like texture to them. They're not a "wet" brownie and I really enjoyed these!

I can honestly tell you that my entire family enjoyed all three of these Ready to Bake Liquid Batter Baking Mixes! I am going to look for this brand in stores near me and pick up several of them to have on hand. Plus...when we get the RV out again next summer...you bet, I'll be taking these baking mixes on the road with me. Absolutely fantastic!

The READY TO BAKE LIQUID BATTER products are currently available at: Central Market stores in Texas, WINN DIXIE stores in Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina, Meijer stores in Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois and you can find them in Fairway stores in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The products are also available for online order anytime through igourmet.com.

Disclosure: Shelly received complimentary samples of the products featured in this foodie review. No monetary compensation was received. Regardless of receiving free products, Shelly is sharing her 100% honest and unbiased opinion with her readers. Your opinion may differ.

Last week my husband was craving chocolate brownies so I got busy going through my family cookbooks and found this recipe for homemade chocolate fudge brownies. When it comes to brownies, we like ours more on the fudgy side than the cake-like side which can often times be too dry. Here is the recipe that I used.

Note: Once they have been baked and are cool, you can lightly dust them with some confectioner's sugar if desired.

Homemade Chocolate Fudge Brownies Recipe

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

In a large saucepan melt together the butter and unsweetened chocolate over low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Once it has been melted and is smooth, remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes (off the burner).

Once the 5 minutes have passed, stir int he granulated sugar until sugar has melted and the ingredients are combined. Lightly stir in the eggs and vanilla extract, gently stirring until combined. Blend in the all-purpose flour using a rubber spatula or spoon, keep stirring until batter is smooth and combined.

Lightly grease an 8" by 8" baking pan with some butter or spray it with nonstick cooking spray (lightly). Pour brownie batter into the pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until done. Remove and let them cool in the pan. Once cool, cut them into squares and place the squares into an airtight storage container.

How to Print Recipe: At the bottom of the post is a share button. Click on button to see options and then click on PRINT. A new window will open with the recipe inside it for printing purposes. Enjoy!

I love brownies and I love them made in all kinds of different ways! I will eat chocolate brownies, cream cheese brownies and even blondies when the opportunity presents itself. When I am looking for a decadent and fancy brownie to serve at one of my family gatherings, I love to make this recipe for marbled cream cheese brownie squares.

Marbled Cream Cheese Brownie Squares Recipe

3/4 cup butter, softened
4 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
8 oz. block cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 10" square baking dish or brownie pan.

In a large mixing bowl beat together the softened cream cheese and the granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in the large egg and blend in the 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Set aside.

In a large saucepan over low heat melt the butter and the chocolate squares until creamy. Remove from heat and let cool for 3 minutes. Beat in the granulated sugar and the large eggs until well blended. Stir in the milk and then blend in the 1 cup of all-purpose flour.

Spread half of the brownie batter into the base of your prepared baking dish. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the top, running a knife through it to give it that marbled look. Pour the remaining chocolate brownie over the top, run knife through the batter & layers again to give it that marbled look.

Place baking dish into the preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 30 to 33 minutes or until done. Remove and let cool on a wire rack before cutting them into squares. Store squares in an airtight container.

Optional: You can place a sliced almond or a half of a pecan on top of each square for an elegant presentation.

How to Print Recipe: At the bottom of the post is a share button. Click on button to see options and then click on PRINT. A new window will open with the recipe inside it for printing purposes. Enjoy!

For sweet satisfaction and easy preparation, there's nothing like a plate full of brownies, bars or squares fresh from the oven. In the world of baking, these are the ultimate comfort foods, evoking wonderful memories. Best of all, brownies, bars and squares are so easy to make. For many recipes, you simply mix up the dough in one bowl, put it into a square or oblong baking pan and bake!

Bestselling author Esther Brody brings back all of that homemade goodness in this outstanding collection of fully tested recipes. You'll discover many familiar recipes, as well as new recipes that are sure to create warm memories for your family and friends.

Title: The 250 Best Brownies, Bars & Squares
Author: Esther Brody
Publisher: Robert Rose
ISBN: 978-0-7788-0457-3
Pages: 205 pages with 16 color photo pages, softcover cookbook

Examples of Recipes in Book:

* Classic Chocolate Nut Brownies
* Rocky Road Brownies
* Coffee Mocha Cheesecake Brownies
* Cinnamon Applesauce Squares
* Matrimonial Date Bars
* Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Spice Bars
* Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
* Rainbow Gelatin Squares
* Ultimate Nanaimo Bar
* No-Bake Crispy Peanut Butter Squares
* plus Many More!!!
My Thoughts: I love baking brownies and typically bake up a batch every 2-3 weeks. I love that I can usually whip together all of the ingredients in one bowl, pour into my baking dish, plop it into the oven, walk away and come back when they are done. Unlike cookie making where you dirty a lot of bowls, utensils and you have to stand there taking sheets in and out of the oven for an hour. Brownies are KING for people like me who are super busy and don't have 2 or 3 hours to be in the kitchen baking.

I decided to make the Classic Chocolate Nut Brownies which are featured on page 17 in the cookbook. For this recipe you only need 7 different ingredients and the author gives you the option of making them with or without frosting on the top. It took me about 7 minutes to prepare them and about 30 minutes of baking time. In less than one hour, we had warm delicious brownies to enjoy! A lot of time when I make a classic brownie like this one, we like to spoon vanilla ice cream on top. Yes, brownies ala mode! They were really easy to prepare, baked up quickly and tasted delicious!
Within the next two or three weeks when I have more time, I want to try out the Glazed Boston Cream Bars recipe that is on page 145. Oh my gosh...they sound delicious and since we love Boston Cream Pie and Cake, I am sure we will love these brownies once I get them made.

This is a great brownies, bars and squares cookbook with a lot of variety. You can find your classic recipes and recipes with a new twist. The author did a great job at giving us such a wide variety to choose from. You can head on over to Robert Rose and take a look at all of the fabulous cookbooks they have to offer.

Disclaimer: Shelly has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. The Shakin N Bakin Blog is not responsible for delivery/shipping of giveaway items won from this blog nor are we responsible for mis-use or injury caused by items won from this Blog. Content on this blog is copyrighted, all rights reserved. We reserve the right to legally pursue anyone who violates our rights and/or steals our copyrighted material.

For many of us, we purchase and use boxed cake mixes to save us time when we need to bake a homemade cake or a batch of cupcakes. However, that same box of prepared cake mix can be doctored up and used in so many different ways.

Our goal today is to not give you boxed cake mix cheater recipes, but to point out all of the different ways you can use a boxed cake mix. In most of these instances, you will need to add a few additional ingredients to the cake mix to turn it into something wonderful.

1. Quick Breads
2. Cake-Like Cookies and Bars
3. Cake-Like Brownies
4. Muffins
5. Cake Pops
6. Cupcakes
7. Whoopie Pies
8. Ice Cream Sandwiches
9. Sheet Cakes, Layer and Bundt Cakes
10. Fruit Pudding Dessert Cakes
11. Dessert Tortes
12. Cream-Filled Snack Cakes
13. Fruit Cobbler or Fruit Crisp
14. Homemade Cake Donuts

As you can see, you can really turn that boxed cake mix into something special with just a little creativity and a few additional ingredients. I find it best to keep a box of white, chocolate and yellow cake mixes in my pantry at all times. When the need arises, I can select one of the three, make some additions and bake something delicious for my family on short notice.

You can find some boxed cake mix cheater recipes right here on my blog or do a web search using your favorite search engine to find them.

This article is copyright 2012 by Shelly Hill ~ Owner of the Shakin 'N Bakin Foodie Blog. All Rights Reserved. 

I love chocolate brownies and bake brownies often for my family. To keep my brownie fetish interesting I like to use a wide variety of brownie recipes and this particular one is one of my favorites. It will make approximately 2 dozen brownies.

Double Chocolate Nut Brownies Recipe

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup peanuts, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is heating up grease a 13" by 9" brownie pan. In a small microwave safe bowl, melt 1 cup of the semi-sweet chocolate chips at 15 second intervals until melted, stirring in-between each interval. Remove from the microwave and pour the melted chocolate into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the large eggs, flour, sugar, vanilla extract and baking soda until all ingredients are well combined. Fold in the chopped peanuts. Pour the brownie mixture into your prepared baking pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until done. Let the brownies cool and then cut into bars.

Today I would like to introduce you to the company called French Meadow Bakery who makes a wide variety of organic, all-natural and gluten-free bakery products. You will find delicious breads, rolls, bagels, tortillas, brownies and cookies that have been baked to perfection. These days we are all trying to eat more healthy and that starts by purchasing and consuming organic and/or natural food products.

My Review: The great folks over at French Meadow Bakery sent us a box of their Gluten-Free Fudge Brownies to review for all of you. These snack-sized brownies come individually packaged and there are 9 to a box. They are chocolate brownies with a fudgy like consistency which is exactly how I like my brownies to be. (I am not fond of cake-like brownies). The brownies are Gluten-Free, made with All-Natural ingredients and they contain no Trans Fat which makes them a healthier choice.

We are big fans of fudge style brownies here in my house and I knew my family was going to love these brownies! After dinner one night I got them out and gave each member a brownie to try out (after-dinner snack). The first thing that my husband commented about was the taste...he loved the chocolate flavor and said that the brownie just melted in his mouth. My adult daughter commented on the texture...she loves the fudgy texture to these brownies and of course, she said they tasted delicious.I am a pretty big snob when it comes to brownies so next was my turn to try them out. The first one was so good that I told my husband that I needed a second one so that I could do my review properly. LOL I agree with my family...the brownies have a wonderful fudgy texture to them and the chocolate flavor is divine! You can tell that these brownies are made with the best all-natural ingredients! If you really love brownies place one on a plate and put it in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up...ahhh...pure chocolate heaven!

My family loved these Gluten-Free Fudge Brownies from French Meadow Bakery. They are delicious and we highly recommend that you give them a try too! You can use the Store Locator on the French Meadow Bakery site to find a retail location near you that sells their fantastic food products. There is also a $1.00 OFF printable coupon on their site that you can print and use to save a dollar on any French Meadow Bakery gluten-free product.

I would like thank the great folks over at French Meadow Bakery for sending us the box of fudge brownies to try out for all of you! We loved them!

Disclaimer: Shelly Hill has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. The Shakin N Bakin Blog is not responsible for delivery/shipping of giveaway items won from this blog nor are we responsible for mis-use or injury caused by items won from this Blog. Content on this blog is copyrighted, all rights reserved.

Today I would like to introduce you to a company called Naturally Nora who I stumbled upon a few weeks ago when I was searching for all-natural baking mixes online. This company sells a large variety of all-natural cake mixes, frosting mixes, brownie mixes and cookie mixes. The Naturally Nora baking mixes are all kosher and most don't contain dairy or soy products.

My Review: I was sent several products to review for all of you and my mouth was watering as soon as I opened up the package and took a look inside! First up was the Fantastic Fudgy Brownies. These brownies are made with all-natural imported cocoa with a delicious unbleached wheat flour. We mixed up our brownie batter according to the package directions and baked them until done. Once done...they became our dessert after dinner along with a heaping of vanilla ice cream. We love fudgy brownies and prefer that type of brownie over cake-like brownies and wow...these brownies are the best brownies I have ever made from a box mix! We loved them!

Next up...the Spectacular Sugar Cookies and the Marvelous Chocolate Chunk Cookies. We couldn't decide which one to bake first so we baked them both! These mixes are made up of a special blend of sugars, unbleached wheat flour along with a natural vanilla flavor. We followed the package directions and had the cookie batter mixed up & ready for baking in less than 3 minutes. Once done we left them cool down for a bit and dug in for our cookie eating feast! They were soft, chewy, moist and had a wonderful deccadent flavor to them. The cookies didn't last long and within 2 days, the family had them gone!


I am so excited to have found this company because now...we are going to be customers! We loved EVERY baking mix that we got to try out and I am going to be purchasing additional ones & giving those a try next! I am usually not a fan of boxed baking mixes but this brand and this company have now converted me!!!

Seriously folks...if you have not tried any of the Naturally Nora all-natural baking mixes I highly suggest that you do!

I would personally like to thank Naturally Nora for participating in this product review here on the Shakin and Bakin Foodie Blog! We appreciate you!!!

Disclaimer: Shelly Hill has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. The Shakin N Bakin Blog is not responsible for delivery/shipping of giveaway items won from this blog nor are we responsible for mis-use or injury caused by items won from this Blog. Content on this blog is copyrighted, all rights reserved.

If you are like me and you love love love chocolate desserts then I think you will appreciate this chocolate dessert recipe. It is super easy to make and great for summertime desserts and parties.

Brownie Rocky Road Torte

1 pkg. fudge brownie mix
1 (8 ounce) milk chocolate almond bar
7.5 ounce jar of marshmallow fluff
1 1/2 pints chocolate ice cream, softened
slice almonds (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9" baking pan. Prepare and bake brownie mix according to pkg directions. Cool completely in pan on rack. Meanwhile break off 9 squares of chocolate and set aside for garnish. Coarsely chop remainder. In a bowl, stir chopped chocolate into contents of 1 jar of fluff. Fold in ice cream until almost blended. Freeze about 15 minutes until firm enough to spread. Have a 8" by 4" loaf pan ready. Cut cool brownie crosswise into 3 equal pieces. Put 1 strip in bottom of loaf pan, pressing it down gently to cover completely. Spoon 1/2 the ice cream mixture on top; spread evenly to edges.

Repeat layers, then gently press remaining brownie strip on top. Cover and freeze for 8 hours until firm. Meanwhile chill serving dish. To unmold, dip loaf pan into hot water for 15 seconds. Frost sides and top of torte with remaining fluff.

Optional: You can also garnish top of torte with sliced almonds.

I love to make brownies for my family and I enjoy making them several different ways (and flavors) just to keep it interesting and this recipe is from the 1970's and was given to me by my great auntie. If you like a 'rich' and 'decadent' brownie...this recipe is for you!

Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Brownies Recipe


1 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9" square baking dish. Place the 1 cup of pecans into a blender container and chop or use a food processor. In a large bowl combined together the flour, baking powder, salt and chopped pecans. In a large mixing bowl combine together the eggs, butter, sugar and vanilla extract and blend together with an electric mixer. Stir in the melted chocolate and mix again until everything is well combined. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix together until everything is combined and then pour into your prepared baking dish. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 18-23 minutes or until done.

Brownie Baked Alaskas Recipe

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons cold milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped almonds
2 scoops of chocolate chip ice cream
Meringue
Chopped or sliced almonds

Cream shortening, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg, egg yolk, and milk. Blend Well. In another bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and almonds. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture and blend well. Spread batter into a greased 8" baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes until done. Cool in pan. Cut into squares.

To assemble: Place 2 brownie squares on an ungreased cookie sheet. Prepare meringue. Place one scoop of ice cream on the center of each brownie. Cover ice cream and brownie completely with meringue. Garnish with chopped almonds. Bake at 450 degrees for 4-5 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned. Serve immediately.

If you love chocolate brownies and want to make them in the hot summertime when you don't want to heat up your home with using the oven...then consider making your brownies in the microwave oven. This recipe tastes just as good as oven baked brownies but in half the time! You can use your favorite type of chopped nuts or completely omit them...the choice is yours.

If you are looking for a deccadent dessert style brownie recipe than this recipe is for you! It is a very moist and sweet type of brownie dessert that is perfect for parties and entertaining. If you don't like Pecans you can omit them or substitute with your favorite type of nut.

Decadent White Chip Chocolate Pecan Brownies Recipe

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, cut up into pieces
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Bake in an 8" square pan in a 350 degree oven. Combine flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl. Beat butter, sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl until creamy. Add 2 eggs, beating well after adding them in. Add vanilla and mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Reserve 3/4 c. of batter. Spread remaining batter into prepared baking pan (see size above). Sprinkle pecans and white chocolate chips over batter. Drizzle caramel topping over top. Beat remaining egg and reserved batter in same large bowl until light in color. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread evenly over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until done.

If you like rich and decadent chocolate brownies then this recipe is for you! It is the chocolate lover's ultimate brownie recipe! You can make them with or without the included brownie icing recipe.

Brownie Recipe:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 sticks butter
1 can of chocolate syrup --- we like to use Hershey's (TM)

Icing Recipe:

1 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons cold milk
6 tablespoons softened butter
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
2-3 tablespoons peanut butter

Brownies: Cream butter. Add all other ingredients and beat with a mixer until smooth. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes in a greased pan.

Icing: Combine sugar, milk and butter. Bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips and peanut butter. Beat until chips and peanut butter are completely melted. Spread on top of cooled brownies.

This is a nice homemade brownies recipe with a little twist because of the addition of the peanut butter chips in the brownie batter. You will want to bake these in a traditional 8x8" brownie baking pan. You can frost them or leave the top plain like I do as I find that adding a frosting makes them too sweet for us.

Peanut Butter Chip Brownies Recipe

1/3 cup softened butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 medium eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup peanut butter chips

Cream butter or margarine and sugar in large bowl. Blend in corn syrup and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa and salt. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in peanut butter chips. Pour into a greased 8" square baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Cool in pan and frost if desired.

A few days ago I decided to bake up some brownies for my sweetheart but wanted to do something a little different with the brownie mix. Since my hubby and I love the Hershey's Irish Creme flavored Hershey Kisses, I decided to flavor my brownie mix using them.

I used a box of Duncan Hines Fudge Brownie mix and mixed it up according to the box directions. I then unwrapped 14 Hershey Kisses in the Irish Creme flavor and stirred those into my brownie batter. I poured the batter into my heart shaped cake pan and backed them according to the box directions.

Let me tell you...these brownies were banging good! Hubby totally flipped over them! So the next time you are looking for a little twist on the basic brownie mix, throw in some Hershey Kisses to your basic brownie mix!

I love chocolate brownies and my husband loves any bake good item that has cherries in it so this recipe is the perfect combination of both things that we love! These brownies are decadent and super delicious. When I make them for our church bake sales...they sell out within 30 minutes!

Cherry Chocolate Brownies Recipe

1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chopped, well drained maraschino cherries
1/3 cup chopped slivered almonds

Cream butter, sugar and eggs in a bowl. Blend in corn syrup, almond extract and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder. Gradually add flour mixture to creamed mixture, blend well. Stir in chopped cherries and almond slivers. Spread into a greased and floured 8" square baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until brownies are done.

If you are looking for something a little different when it comes to chocolate brownie recipes then I think you will appreciate this one. With the addition of honey to this recipe your brownies come out sweet and moist (but not overly sweet). You can substitute the chopped walnuts with your favorite type of nut or omit them completely.

If you have to do baking for your church or kid's school bake sales...this is a nice brownie recipe to use for that.

Honey Nut Brownies Recipe

1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream butter and sugar in a bowl. Blend in honey and vanilla. Add eggs and beat well. In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa and salt. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in nuts. Spread in greased 9" square baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until done.

During the fall months I love visiting our local orchard with my family and we go apple picking and bring home 2-3 bushels of freshly picked apples. One of the things I like to make with my apples is this Apple Walnut Brownies recipe. From time to time when I make them...I will substitute the walnuts with some chopped pecans which is equally as good!

Apple Walnut Brownies Recipe

4 cups apples, peeled and chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup margarine, melted
2 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Mix flour, sugar, margarine, eggs, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add chopped apples, mix thoroughly and then add the chopped walnuts. Pour into a greased 9" x 13" baking pan and bake 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees F.