Chocolate Brownie Drops

Since Christmas, I have been trying to cut back on the amount of sweets I eat. I gained a few pounds at Christmas (always do) and since I have a metabolism as slow as a turtle, I need to cut way back for a while. But me without chocolate makes for one cranky person, so I had to make something. I found this recipe on my Sparkpeople site. I changed it a bit to make it even healthier (i.e. I could eat more) so I was surprised when my kids ate most of the cookies! You can add whatever you want to the batter or leave them plain. Since I still don't have any chocolate chips in the house (check out my willpower!), I couldn't add anything. But next time, I think mini chocolate chips would be a great choice.

Chocolate Brownie Drops

2 cups flour (I used 1 cup regular flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
2 large eggs (I used 1/4 cup Egg Beaters (equals 1 egg) and 1 regular egg)
1 tsp vanilla

In medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and cocoa powder.

Cream butter and both sugars with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix again.

Gradually add flour mixture and combine well. Add any extra ingredients like chocolate chips, dried cherries, walnuts, etc. Drop onto baking sheets using a cookie scoop.

Bake at 350 F for 13-15 minutes. When cookies seem soft yet hold their form, they are done. Do not overbake, which will make the cookies dry.

"Chocolate is the answer. Who cares what the question is."
-Author Unknown

Butterscotch and Chocolate Brownie Bars

After Christmas, my pantry looks like a train wreck. I have half used bags of this kind of chips and half used of that. When I went to make something sweet the other night for the kids (really, just for the kids), I didn't have enough chips of any kind to make cookies. Since I did have 1 bag of butterscotch chips, I was able to scrounge up a recipe for Butterscotch brownies. I altered the recipe a bit to fit what I had left in the pantry, plus I added a bit of oatmeal just because I was craving some. They were so soft and chewy. Considering they are already gone, I think I'll be making these again!

Butterscotch and Chocolate Brownie Bars

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 tablespoon milk
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chopped nuts, if desires
1 cup each Butterscotch and Chocolate chips

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Mix in brown sugar, vanilla and egg; stir well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spread in greased and floured 8x8x2 inch pan. Bake butterscotch brownies at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes.
Cut butterscotch brownies while warm.


"Woke up, it was a Chelsea morning, and the first thing that I knew There was milk and toast and honey and a bowl of oranges, too. And the sun poured in like butterscotch and stuck to all my senses."

-Joni Mitchell

Go Steelers!

Way to go Steelers!! On to the next playoff game. All the way to the Super Bowl!

A Thursday Meme

Well, as much as I would love to be sharing a new recipe with you right now, I haven't had any time to bake. I thought it might slow down a bit after Christmas but for some reason, life has been put on high speed and we are just as busy as before. Plus my mother in law got sick and was in the hospital for a while. She is fine now, but we were so worried. Pittsburgh got itself a bit of a snowstorm this week and we spent most mornings running from radio to the computer trying to see if there was a school delay or if it was cancelled, like yesterday (only a delay today-whew!). But I am determined to bake something next week, even if it kills me so I hope to have a goodie to share with you then. In the meanwhile, I thought I'd steal Anita's Meme and give it a go:

Marched in a protest? No

Slept past 5 pm? No

Fallen asleep at work/school? Yes

Held a snake? Yes

Ran a red light? Yes

Been given detention in school? No

Totaled your car/motorbike in an accident? No

Been fired from a job? No

Eaten your kid's Halloween candy? YES!

Sang karaoke? No

Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? Yes

Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? Yes

Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Yes

Kissed in the rain? Yes

Cross dressed? No

Sang in the shower? Yes

Sat on a rooftop? No

Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? No

Broken a bone? no

Shaved your head? No

Played a prank on someone? Yes

Felt like killing someone? Yes

Made your girlfriend/boyfriend cry? Yes

Had Mexican jumping beans for pets? Yes

Been in a band? No

Shot a gun? Yes

Donated Blood? No

Eaten alligator meat? No

Eaten cheesecake? Yes

Worry about the future? Yes

Believe in love? Yes

Like to cuddle? Yes

Sleep on a certain side of the bed? Yes

Talk in your sleep? Yes

Daydream? Yes

Laughed until you peed your pants? Yes

Spend too much time on Facebook? No

Play a musical instrument? No

Been to Canada? No

Been to Mexico? No

Been to Europe? No

Been to China? No

Been skinny dipping? No

Gone sky diving? No

Killed an animal without hunting? Yes

Gone snowmobiling? No

Been on TV? No

Dated someone longer than you should have? Yes

Given the wrong person a second chance? Yes

Adopted a stray animal? Yes

Climbed a mountain? No

Taken to the hospital in an ambulance? Yes

Been bungee jumping? No

Knitted? Yes

Miss someone every day? Yes

Speak a second language? No

Passed out when not drinking? Yes

Simple And Easy Chocolate Fudge

Right before Christmas I was listening to a local radio station called KDKA, (supposedly the first ever radio station in the U.S but that is up for debate) and they have a program on each weekend called the Kuhn's Cooking Hour. People around the area can call in and share recipes. One woman called with a recipe for fudge she said was so simple it was silly. And it was. I copied it down and added it to my Chrismas cookie baking blitz. I was very surprised at the results. I don't like fudge all that much but this stuff was good! I didn't even add anything to it like she suggested and I still liked it a lot. Now I can make it anytime for a quick treat or to give away as a thank you gift. Fudge in no time. Who can argue with that?

Simple and Easy Chocolate Fudge

3 cups semi sweet or dark chocolate chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp. vanilla

(you can also add 2 tablespoons of cream cheese for tartness if you like)

Place chocolate in a glass bowl set over a pan with hot water on medium heat. Add condensed milk. Heat over water, stirring often until chocolate is melted. Take off the heat and add 1 tsp. of vanilla. You can also add anything you like such as chopped nuts, dried fruit, or other candies.

For thick fudge, pour fudge into an 8 inch pan. For thinner fudge, use a 9 inch pan. Cool, covered, in the refrigerator until set. Cut into small pieces. Serve.

'Twill make old women young and fresh,
Create new motions of the flesh.
And cause them long for you know what,
If they but taste of chocolate."
-James Wadworth

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Welcome 2011!