Brownie Pie

I’ve discovered a new use for brownies – brownie pie. Brownie pies consist of a piecrust, brownie batter and the topping(s) of your choosing.  Although you have to make and bake the brownie batter, there are endless opportunities of what you can do with the brownies once they are created.

One brownie pie idea is brownie ice cream pie.  First you need to select the ice cream that you would like to use. You can also throw in chocolate chips, M & Ms or other candies if you so choose. Here’s how you would create the brownie ice cream pie:

1 nine-inch pie shell

Brownie batter or brownie mix

1.5 quart of ice cream

¼ cup candy of your choosing

¼ cup hot fudge or syrup for topping

Whipped Cream

In mixing bowl combine sugar, flour, coca, salt and baking powder. Combine oil, eggs, corn syrup and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients. Put the brownie batter in the piecrust and bake from 25-27 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Once the brownies are cooled, place the ice cream on top of the brownie and freeze until the ice cream is hardened.  Take the pie out a few minutes before you are ready to serve.  Before serving the brownie, I recommend drizzling hot fudge or syrup topped with whipped cream over the pie.

If you are looking for a quick brownie ice cream pie, you can get pre-packaged brownies. Just be sure to push the brownies down and spread them out evenly in the piecrust.

If you are hosting a get together, mini pie trays are a great dessert idea. It gives your guest a choice of desserts. You can create s ‘mores brownies, brownies with nuts, brownies with candy and the list goes on. For s ‘mores brownies you need to cook the brownie batter for about 18 to 20 minutes. Take the pie out and put the marshmallows on top to cook for the remaining 5 minutes. Once the pie is cooled, drizzle some chocolate over the pie and enjoy! 

Jell-O and its Many Shapes

The other day I came across an article in the Wall Street Journal talking about sculpting Jell-O into a variety of shapes and colors. This got me thinking about how versatile Jell-O. You don’t need an oven so it’s great for the summer months; they come in sugar-free and have a variety of flavors that fit almost anyone’s taste.


Think about it. Who would want to turn on a hot oven in sweltering 90 degree heat? As much as I love to bake, I do not want to make the house any hotter. This is where Jell-O desserts and snacks comes in. 

Jell-O molds come in all types of shapes so they are perfect for any occasion, ranging from fun things like zombie brains to hearts, stars and Tupperware models for drinks. Jell-O is also a great project if you are looking for something to do with kids. There isn’t too much mess, and is a healthy alternative to ice cream and cookies. 


All you need to do is check the web or your local home goods store for Jell-O molds, pick up a variety of flavors and you are on your way to crafting a delicious Jell-O dessert. 

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I am a huge fan of red velvet cake. I absolutely love the cream cheese frosting and the taste of biting into a piece of red velvet cake. I don't know how to explain it, but there is just something about the texture and flavors that really gets to me. With this in mind, I decided to combine my love of the cupcakes and red velvet cake to create red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

This recipe turned out great. My family and friends loved them. The sour cream in the frosting really added a nice kick to the flavor. The only downside to the cupcakes was that I did not put enough batter in the cupcake tins. They turned out a little smaller than I hoped. The recipe and frosting also took a little longer to make than I thought, but the results were definitely worth the extra time.

Prep Time: ~20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 to 25 minutes

Servings: 30

Batter

2 ½ cups flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1-teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1-cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1-cup sour cream

½ cup milk

1 (1 ounce) bottle of red food coloring

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Red velvet batter

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

¼ cup butter, softened

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 (16 ounce) box of confectioners’ sugar

Cream cheese frosting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time.

Mix in sour cream, milk, food coloring and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Do not overbeat.

Spoon batter into 30 paper lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat cream cheese, softened, butter, sour cream and vanilla extract in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until smooth.

Prepared and ready to be baked

The final product

This recipe came from www.allrecipes.com

Gluten Free Oatmeal Pancakes

Over the weekend I was helping prepare brunch for several people. We decided to serve pancakes and fruit, but had to accommodate a few of the guests who have gluten allergies. Since people with gluten allergies cannot have any wheat ingredients, we had to come up with an alternative pancake recipe that everyone would love. 

After talking to a few of the guests, one of them lent us a gluten-free oatmeal pancake recipe that she promised would taste great. She was right.  The pancakes tasted amazing. The oatmeal really adds that extra something. Everyone loved the pancakes with a request that they be made on a regular basis.

Ingredients

3/4 cup gluten free quick rolled oats

 1 cup nonfat mils

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea alt

2 eggs beaten

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions
In a small saucepan heat milk till hot; stir in oats; let stand for 5 minutes.

In a mixing bowl combine oat flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add oat-milk mixture.

In a small bowl combine egg yolks and cooking oil; add all at once to flour-oat mixture, stirring just till combined.

In another bowl beat egg white till stiff peaks form; fold into the batter. 





For each pancake, pour about 1/4 cup of the batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet. Cook till golden brown, turning to cook other side when pancake has a bubbly surface and slightly dry edges.

Use a 1/4 cup measure as a handy scoop for transferring pancake batter from the bowl to the griddle. If you want smaller pancakes, switch to a 1 tablespoon measure. That will put just the right amount of batter on the griddle for dollar-size pancakes. Makes 12 pancakes.







This recipe came from http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes_details.php?rid-236

As a side note, oatmeal pancakes take a little longer to cook then regular pancakes. Be sure to check the middle before serving.

If you are looking for gluten-free pancakes or just pancakes in general, oatmeal pancakes are the way to go. Everyone will surely enjoy this pancake twist.