Desserts for Dudes : Nutter Butter Brownies with Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ganache

If you happened to pop by Bake at 350 last June, you may have noticed that the entire month was declared "Desserts for Dudes month."  Well, I kinda dropped the ball this year, but I'm going to sprinkle this June with "Desserts for Dudes" every now and then.

Chocolate + Peanut Butter.  Dudes love it.
{OK, chicks love it, too....but let's focus on the dudes.}

I actually had a dream about these brownies last week.  It's apparently not enough that I think about food every minute of every WAKING hour....now I'm starting to DREAM about recipes.  Hey...that's a-ok with me!  It beats my reoccurring nightmare of forgetting to wear makeup to my own wedding. 

These brownies are super easy to make and they are super rich to eat.  And they are super quick to make me want to burn my bathing suit.

For the brownies, you'll just need a box of Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Brownie mix (the BEST boxed brownie mix EVER), and...

...Nutter Butters.

Nutter Butter Brownies with Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ganache

1 box Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix
1/4 c. water
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 egg
9 Nutter Butter cookies

Preheat oven to 325.  Spray or lightly grease an 8 x 8 metal pan.

Follow the instructions on the box by mixing the brownie mix, water, oil and egg just until combined.

 Spoon 1/2 the batter into the prepared pan.  Add 8 Nutter Butter cookies on top.


Add the remaining batter on top and smooth with an offset spatula.  Place one cookie on top.


Bake for 39-43 minutes.  The brownies may look under-baked, but will be fully cooked as they cool.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ganache
{adapted from The Culinary Life)

2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 & 1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
1/4 c. peanut butter (I use Skippy Natural Super Chunk...'cause I like to say "super chunk")
pinch coarse salt

Place the chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl.

 
Combine the cream, peanut butter and salt over low heat.  Stir until smooth.  Increase the heat to medium-low and, stirring constantly,  heat until bubbles form along the edges of the pan.


Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for 5 minutes.  {See how the chips look all melty?}


Gently whisk the chocolate chips until the mixture is shiny and combined. Over-whisking will cause the ganache to look bubbly and grainy, so stop once combined.


Let the ganache sit to thicken up to spreading consistency.  If you're in a hurry, place the bowl of ganache over a bowl of ice water.  Stir every 15-20 minutes or so until thickened.


This is called and "ice bath."  And with temperatures reaching 100 already, it doesn't sound like a bad idea.

Spread the ganache over the brownies with an offset spatula.  Hide the leftover ganache in the fridge...in the BACK of the fridge, because you'll be tempted to eat it all with a spoon.

Here's what kiddo said upon finishing his....
"That is the best dessert I've ever eaten. I'll be dreaming about that for the rest of my life."

See?  Desserts for Dudes! ;) 

{If you like Nutter Butters, be sure to try Homemade Nutter Butters! They're dreamy, too.}

I'm linking these to my friend Cheryl's "I'm Lovin' It" party.

Triple Chocolate Muffins

 

Muffins = legally sanctioned cake for breakfast.  

{Please don't tell the First Lady.}

These Triple Chocolate Muffins may not be the most gorgeous, but, oh baby....warm from the oven with two kinds of melty chocolate chips?   They are pure decadence.

The day I made them, I ate one for breakfast, one for a mid-morning snack, 1.5 for lunch and one mid-afternoon.  {Muumuus will be all the rage this summer, right?}

Triple Chocolate Muffins

1/2 c. (1 stick) salted butter
1 and 3/4 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour
2/3 c. dutch-process cocoa (such as Hershey's Special Dark)
1 and 1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. instant espresso powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 c. bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1 c. milk
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. white vinegar

Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cups. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 425.

Melt the butter; set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, sugar, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla and vinegar until blended. Stir in the cooled, melted butter.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.  Stir with a rubber spatula, just until blended.

Spoon into the prepared muffin liners...the cups will be very full. {Be sure to lick the spoon...this batter is SO yummy!}

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the muffins bounce back when pressed with a finger.  Cool on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes.


Remove from the pan and let them cool just a bit longer.  Serve warm.

Confession: I have one small white plate. Once we started, kiddo would.not.stop.eating to let me take a picture of the melty insides of his on the pretty white plate.  Note to self: buy more white plates.

Nutella-filled "Frenched" Tortillas

 
This post starts with a happy accident. 

I love to make french toast in the mornings for kiddo.  It's easy, no measuring....eggs, a little milk, sprinkle of sugar, dash of vanilla....whisk it all up...bread, pan, BAM!...french toast.

Well, a few weeks ago, I whisked up the eggs, milk, etc. and realized....I was OUT.OF. BREAD.

What's a girl to do?  In Texas, you might run out of bread, but you always have tortillas.  So, "frenched" tortillas were born and they are now a staple in our house.

Let me tell you how to make them.  Prepare....you are about to achieve domestic goddess status in 5 minutes.

OK....I like the start with these "ready-to-cook" tortillas.  But, these may be just a Texas thing. (They're in the refrigerated section at HEB, y'all.)  So, start with flour tortillas. (If they are the ready-to-cook kind, cook them.)

Whisk up 2 eggs, about 1/2 cup milk, a TBSP or so of sugar (or cinnamon-sugar), and a dash of vanilla.  (Eyeball it.)

Heat up a pan and add a pat of butter.....I like salted, but whatever you have.

Dip both sides of the tortilla in the egg mixture; let the excess drip off.  Cook briefly in the pan; flip and cook the other side (but you knew that).

Once cooked, add a spoonful (1-2 TBSP) of Nutella down the middle of each tortilla.  Roll.
 

{Don't you want to dive right in?}

Dust with powdered sugar.  If you're feeling fancy (and you probably are), heat up a bit of Nutella in the microwave.  Drizzle over the tortillas.

SOMEDAY, when kiddo goes off to college, he will come home for *THESE*.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Muffins Recipe

Sexy delicious gluten-free vegan chocolate muffins.

Today is all about muffins. Yes, muffins. And not just any muffins. Chocolate muffins worthy of a story.

Chapter 1.

The morning was cool and bright. It was going to be one of those quintessential Cape Cod autumn days. A day tourists swoon over. Worthy of a post card with The weather is sublime- wish you were here scrawled in black gel cursive between sips of a Hot Chocolate Sparrow latte. The sky was a cake bowl of cobalt blue with that particular pink edge to it that only painters notice, the blush that softened the tree line at the north end of the West Barnstable marsh gentling the heavy greens of the pines and oaks into a bluish, almost violet gray. 

She brushed her teeth with fennel toothpaste and spit into the low slung sink, pausing to breathe. A long inhale to slow her heart. The cottage was pin drop quiet. The boys had climbed the rubber lined steps into the school bus hours ago, peanut butter and honey sandwiches bagged, milk money in their pockets. She had waved from the street and watched them navigate the bus aisle in shadow, avoiding her maternal gaze, not turning to wave back. Too risky, she understood.

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Valentine *Conversation Heart* Chocolate Bark

Time to get your sprinkles on...

I'm gonna be honest; I love conversation hearts, but I don't like to eat them.  I like to LOOK at them.


So, I figured....combine them with chocolate? Yeah, now we're talking.

I love the way conversation hearts are updated from time to time.  This year along with "Be Mine" and "Kiss Me," I saw "LOL" and "You Rock." :)

This is a quick, easy, fun Valentine treat to take to school parties, to the neighbors....or to eat wearing your jammies while watching Young & the Restless. {Not that I did that.}

Valentine Chocolate Bark

2 bags white chocolate chips (I like Ghiradelli)
2 bags bittersweet (or semisweet) chocolate chips (I still like Ghiradelli)
2 cups Rice Krispies
conversation hearts
sprinkles

Place 3/4ths of the white chocolate chips in a glass or metal bowl.  Place over a pan of simmering water and stir until melted.  Remove from heat and stir in the remaining white chocolate chips until melted. (If the chocolate is too thick, stir in some Crisco...about 1 TBSP).

Stir in the Rice Krispies.

Spread onto a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper. (An offset spatula works great.)

Melt the bittersweet chocolate using the same method. (You shouldn't need the Crisco here.)

Using an offset spatula, gently spread over the white chocolate.

{I don't use the word "sexy" very often on the blog....or ever....but really, melted dark chocolate?  Sexy.}
 

OK.....sprinkle on the conversation hearts and sprinkles.  Let set up until hardened.


Break into pieces.

 

{I served them in a vintage muffin tin. :)} 

PS....this post is dedicated to my friends, Teresa and Kristan.  I think of them every time I reach for the sprinkles. :)

Light(ish) Chocolate Cheesecake Squares

 
Alright, they're not exactly diet food, but if you have a hankerin' for chocolate cheesecake without too much guilt, you're going to LOVE these babies!

These bars are really easy to make, but if your boys are like mine, they'll take one bite and think you are a domestic goddess.  I like that.

Light(ish) Chocolate Cheesecake Squares
{adapted from Everyday Food magazine, Jan 2004}
makes 9 squares

shortening for pan
8 chocolate wafer cookies
8 oz  (1/3 less fat, or reduced fat) cream cheese
1 c. reduced-fat sour cream
1/3 c. dutch-process cocoa (regular is fine, too)
1/2 tsp. espresso powder (optional)
2 TBSP cornstarch
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
1/3 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven 325.  Coat an 8x8" baking pan with shortening.  Line with 2 criss-crossed sheets of parchment, coating the with shortening between sheets.  Coat the top sheet with shortening.

{Here is one sheet coated.  Lay another sheet in opposite direction on top and coat that one as well.}

Process wafers in a food processor until finely ground.

{Chocolate wafers....in my store, they are near the ice cream, not in the cookie section.  You can substitute Oreos.  What you do with the cream filling is your secret.}
 
Press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan. 

Without rinsing the processor bowl, process the cream cheese and sour cream until blended.  Scrape down the sides and bottom as needed. Add the cocoa, espresso powder, cornstarch, sugar, egg and egg white; blend until smooth and combined.

{This is the Hershey dutch-process cocoa. It's labeled as "Special Dark."}

Pour into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Bake 35-40 minutes, just until set.

Cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack.  Refrigerate at least one hour.

Lift out of the pan using the parchment.  Cut into squares. (I love using my bench scraper for cutting bars like this.)

Enjoy!

(Also...there is a new vlog post over at University of Cookie: how to apply luster dust!) :)

Peppermint Bark with a Little Somethin' Somethin'

{I just asked kiddo if a "little somethin' somethin'" was an expression. His response..."maybe for people your age." Someone is getting coal in his stocking.}

Anyhoo....this might not be the prettiest Peppermint Bark in the world.  (My friend Cheryl makes the prettiest peppermint bark.)  I think it's one of the yummiest, though.

It has a secret ingredient.....RICE KRISPIES!


Peppermint Bark with a Little Somethin' Somethin'

1 pkg. Starlight Mints (peppermint candies)
16 oz. bittersweet (or semisweet) chocolate, chopped
2 c. Rice Krispies
16 oz. white chocolate, chopped

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.

Crush the peppermint candies.

{Those little suckers are HARD...I used a hammer.}

Place the crushed peppermints in a fine sieve over a bowl and shake out all of the fine powder, leaving only the chunks.  (You can stir that powder into hot chocolate.)  Set aside.

In a bowl over a pot of simmering water, melt the bittersweet chocolate.  I like this Ghiradelli Bittersweet Chocolate...it's in the baking aisle.

Once melted, gently stir in the rice krispies.

Pour onto the prepared pan and spread with an offset spatula.

Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.  Pour over the bittersweet chocolate.  Sprinkle on the peppermint chunks.

Refrigerate 30 minutes until set.   Break into pieces.  Take to the neighbors. :)

{PS....if you are shipping cookies with week, but sure to check the vlog post at University of Cookie on packing and shipping cookies.}

What are YOU baking this week?