Better Than {Anything} Brownies - {Better Than Crack Brownies}

First off, I just wanna say I didn't name the brownies, I just made them. That's why we are calling them Better Than Anything Brownies (more family friendly).

I wanted to create and awesome dessert for my niece who was celebrating her birthday near by (she lives in Oregon, me in California), so this was a treat for me to met her and her sister at the hotel for her birthday celebration. I only had a few hours to throw something together, and I was working, but that didn't stop me. I set out to find something with two of her favorite things chocolate and peanuts (and peanut anything). She has a son who is highly highly allergic to peanuts, so we she leaves town, YAHOOO for anything with peanuts.

I scoured my Pinterest boards and found many Better Than Crack Brownie recipes and well, I just devised this recipe myself from a combination of several recipes. I ran home on my lunch hour, threw the brownies together, while baking (jumped in the shower got ready), finished them up so they could set in the refrigerator for 2 hours, ran back to work for a couple of hours and then back home to pick up my twins, the brownies and still meet them at the hotel by 4pm. Yep, it can be done!

A perfect dessert for the birthday girl. And yes she is my NIECE.. we are only about 5 years apart. That's what happens when you marry someone 10 years older then you, and he is the second to the youngest baby in the family and has brothers and sisters older then my parents. AH, FAMILY! I LOVE IT!

Better Than Anything Brownies (Better Than Crack Brownies}
original recipe author unknown

1 pkg chocolate chunk brownie mix (but make in a 9x13 pan instead of traditional 8x8)
1/2 cup peanuts (salted or unsalted but add a little sea salt)
1 cup chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (chopped)
2 cups miniature marshmallows or Marshmallow BITS work better
1-1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
1-1/2 cup peanut butter (chunky)
2 to 3 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Mix brownies according to directions (it's better if you have brownies with chocolate chunks or add a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, why not). Bake for 20-25 minutes (a little less time then the box says because it's thinner) in a 9x13 pan (instead of the 8x8), brownies will be alot thinner, but that's what you want. Remove from oven and top with peanuts, chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and marshmallows, return to oven and bake for about 4-6 more minutes.

In a medium (microwave save) bowl, combine chocolate chips and the peanut butter. Microwave for 1 minute or until creamy. Add the Rice Krispies cereal and stir until completely coated. Pour the cereal mixture over the brownies and spread evenly. Refrigerate for about 2 hours before cutting into squares. (I like to lined the pan before baking with parchment paper, this allows for easy cutting. Just pull the whole batch out of the pan and use a super sharp knife to cut even squares.) ENJOY!

Knock You Naked Brownies {Pioneer Woman}

My son (the little boy, as the twins call him) is still on a brownie kick, so away we go making more and more brownie recipes each and every week. We even made some last week on vacation in the motorhome. Good thing I like brownies and don't mind tasting them all. Click here to see all our brownie recipes, so far to date.

These brownies are delicious (and don't mind me I totally forgot the Powdered Sugar on top). AH, photographed, served and ALL of them eaten and then it hit me. I guess it wasn't missed, but to top them off I would of totally added it, and you should too.

Here are the girls saying goodbye to the little boy in Missouri last week. You can tell he is really gonna miss them. He wouldn't even take out his Hawaiian roll to hug them goodbye. OH, KIDS!!!

Let's get to the brownie recipe now. It's not as hard as it looks, but it does require a few steps and some unconventional things that you do not normally do. (like make the brownie so thick you can shape them on the counter and using a German Chocolate cake mix, yep! that's how it's done). But, no matter what it tastes GREAT!

Knock You Naked Brownies {from Pioneer Woman}

recipe found at The Pioneer Woman

1 box (18.5 Ounce) German Chocolate Cake Mix
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup evaporated milk (additional)
1/2 cup butter, melted
60 whole caramels, unwrapped (of other kind of caramel)
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, chopped pecans, 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and melted butter. Stir together until totally combined. Mixture will be very thick. Press half the mixture into a well-greased 9 x 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and set aside.

In a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water) melt caramels with additional 1/2 cup evaporated milk. (I like to melt in the microwave, as long as you can do it without burning). When melted and combined, pour over brownie base. Sprinkle chocolate chips as evenly as you can over the caramel.

Turn out remaining brownie dough on work surface. Use your hands to press it into a large square a little smaller than the pan. Use a spatula to remove it from the surface, then set it on top of the caramel and chocolate chips.  Bake for additional 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for several hours.

When ready to serve, generously sift powdered sugar over the surface of the brownies. Cut into either nine or twelve helpings, and carefully remove from the pan.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

My son and I have been on a brownie kick. Any kind of brownie, all kinds of brownies, we even have a Pinterest board just for brownies, we are a little obsessed with finding the perfect brownie recipe. We want to find that one recipe that we will make over and over again. We haven't exactly found it yet, but stay tuned on this FUN and WILD taste test as we continue to make brownie recipe after brownie recipe to find that ONE perfect one.

This brownie was a midnight creation. We are usually sitting around the living room, everyone bored, and my son wants dessert, and yep it's usually a brownie. We jump right over to our brownie board and go to town picking out a recipe.

The brownie in this recipe was soft and chewy and the cookie dough topping, WOW! If you love cookie dough, then this recipe is one that you must try.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
recipe found at Darn Near Domestic

Brownies:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2-1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1-1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups chocolate chips

Cookie Dough:
3 sticks butter, softened (at room temperature)
1-1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
9 tbsp milk
3 cups flour
3 cups mini chocolate chips (or regular size)

Prepare Brownies: Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan.

In a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat briefly, just until it's hot, but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.

Transfer the sugar mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl, if you've heated it in a saucepan. Stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs, stirring until smooth. Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth. Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan.

Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool completely on a rack.

For cookie dough: Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in milk. With mixer on low, add flour and mix until well combined. Stir in mini chocolate chips.

To assemble: Spread the cookie dough onto the cooled brownies. You can set in freezer for about 30 minutes to speed up the cooling process.

Chill the brownies until the cookie dough is firm. Cut into bars and serve.

Brownie Trifle {SECRET RECIPE CLUB}

It's almost time for my 3-week Family Vacation & Road trip to drive my twin daughters from California (where we live) to Missouri (where they will be going to college for the next 4 years). WOW! That seems like a long time when you say it out loud. I know there are crazy emotions running wild and although a tear or two will be shed, I am SO excited for them and SO thrilled that they get this amazing opportunity. I can't wait to see what God has planned for their young adult lives. And plus I already warned them that I will be visiting once a month.

I can't believe Secret Recipe Club; Group C is already here again, it seems like just yesterday when I wrote last month's post. This is my 15th post for the Secret Recipe Club and I love searching through my secret blog for a recipe. You should see the 10 plus recipes I picked out from this blogger, and YES they were ALL chocolate or sweet related. And YES, I am sure I will be making all 10 of them at some time or another. 

When I am sent my blog assignment, I always jump right over and check it out. Of course, I start pinning everything that I would LOVE to make. My secret blog this month is Hugs and Cookies XOXO. You should see all the AMAZING sweet things she makes, here are just a few on my to-do list Homemade Peanut Butter Twix, Reese's Peanut Butter Cupcakes, and for my daughter GLUTEN-FREE Marshmallow Toffee White Chocolate Cookies, WOW! WOW! I will be making two of these this week I know, for sure! But, let's get onto the recipe I did make for today (please ignore the Christmas bell shaped Reese's I bought for half-price and still had in my cupboard). 

Although I LOVE LOVE Rolo's (which the original recipe called for), my kids LOVE LOVE Peanut Butter (and I am thrifty and like to use stuff I have on-hand) and I love taking pre-made mixes and turning them into a homemade dessert the original recipe called for Homemade Caramel, Homemade Whipping Cream and Homemade Brownies, and in my next life I would LOVE to make it all from scratch, but this time I totally cheated, I hope you all don't mind. It still tasted FANTASTIC Out-of-This World Delicious!

Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle

I adapted this recipe to add in our favorite Peanut Butter EVERYTHING!
original recipe found at Hugs and Cookies XOXO

1 fudge brownie mix; bake as directed

2 packages (13 oz) peanut butter cups

2 packages (5.1 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix; make as directed on pkg with milk

1 cup peanut butter

4 tsp vanilla extract

3 cartons (8 oz) Cool Whip topping, thawed

Prepare brownie batter according to package directions; (stir in peanut butter chips or chocolate chips if desired or buy the brownie mix with chocolate chunks). Bake in a greased baking pan according to directions on package. (do not overbake). Cool on a wire rack; cut into small pieces.

Cut peanut butter cups in half; set aside 1/3 cup for garnish. In a large bowl, make pudding according to package. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Add peanut butter and vanilla; mix well. Fold in 1-1/2 cartons Cool Whip topping. (Instead of using plain Cool Whip we wanted to make it more Peanut Butter'y)

Place a third of the brownies in a 5-qt. glass bowl; top with a third of the remaining peanut butter cups. Spoon a third of the Cool Whip pudding mixture over the top. Repeat layers twice. Cover with remaining whipped topping; garnish with reserved peanut butter cups. Refrigerate until chilled.

Here is a list of my past Secret Recipe Club recipes:

• Blueberry Muffins (Gluten-Free)
• Bean Roll-Up (extra post)
• Cucumber Salad
• Raspberry & Nutella Pizza (extra post)
• Pioneer Woman's Chicken Pot Pie 
• Frozen Breakfast Burritos
• Pink Pearl Applesauce (crock-pot)
• Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cake (extra post)
• Cake Mix Cinnamon Chip Brownies
• Sweet and Smokey Roasted Cauliflower
• Cheesy Bacon Ranch Dip
• Trail Mix Cookies
• Creamy Noodles
• German Chocolate Cracker Candy

The LITTLE BOYS Birthday!!! & Chocolate Chip Brownie Cups

Okay, today is the day! My LITTLE BOY is 13 years old! OH MY! Officially a teenager.

I can hardly believe that my baby is growing up. He is such a quiet little guy. He loves to golf and play on his Ipad/Ipod or any video game that is near by. He is a great student and is on track for the A/B Honor-Roll this semester. This past year he has made tremendous leaps and bounds as a golfer. He just LOVES the sport. You can often find him on the golf course a few days a week. 





He elected to receive an Ipad this year for his birthday and for-go a birthday party. This shows maturity right there, but he is also getting to go to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida because his sisters are going their dance and well he gets to come along and enjoy 5 days of the Walt Disney Parks, 1 Water Park and oh yea, a day of golf. I would say that pretty much is an AWESOME 13th birthday party.

But before we head off onto this awesome get-a-way. The grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and a few family members are stopping by for dinner and dessert. He choose G'ma's Spaghetti and Olive Garden (copycat) Alfredo Sauce and some Brownies for dessert.

This is what two boys do in the kitchen at 11pm (on a school night);

making Chocolate Chip Brownies with my "extra" kid Adam.

Chocolate Chip Brownie Cups
adapted by me, brownie recipe found at Somthings Swanky from a Guest Blogger

1 cup butter, melted
3 cups white sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together the melted butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs. Fold in the flour mixture until the ingredients are just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

To make Regular Brownies: Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper, and spray with cooking spray. Spread the batter evenly in the pan and bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes back mostly clean (brownies should be very moist).

To make Brownie Cups: Spray heavily a muffin tin and then place one scoop into each muffin tin. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes (they cook way fast in the muffin tins) and then as soon as you pull out, you neen to indent the middle of the brownie. You can use a scoop, or a spoon or Pamered Chef sells and awesome tart tool that we use. Then fill them up.

We filled the brownie cups with a tablespoon of peanut butter or nutella and sprinkled with a few more chocolate chips.

Heart Brownie Bites

Here are the cute and adorable Heart Brownie Bites from the cutest baby shower ever. This is the last dessert recipe from our PINKEST BABY SHOWER event. These too were delicious. I know the Heart Marshmallows are around only at Valentine's Day, but these brownies could easily be made with those CUTE bunny marshmallows that are out now for Easter or just regular ole' white marshmallows would work great too.

Heart Brownie Bites
idea found at A Pumpkin and A Prince

1 box of your favorite brownie mix
1 bag of Heart marshmallows (other shapes or just plain white will work too)
White Melting Chocolate

The recipe is quite simple. Fill a mini muffin pan 2/3 of the way with brownie mix and baked them for about 13-15 minutes. As soon as you remove them from the oven while they are still hot, press marshmallows into each one. The heat of the brownie slightly melts the bottom of the marshmallows, keeping it in place. Once they are completely cooled, then melt a few melting chocolates in a ziploc baggie, snip off the end and drizzle over them.

Chocolate Orange Brownies with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

As I was looking at the pile of oranges in my basket wondering what in the world am I going to make with them, in my email box I found this; Chocolate Orange Brownies! YAHOOO! If you like orange flavor, you will LOVE these orange brownies.

FREEZER TIPS: Here are a few freezer tips too for all the left-over oranges. With an entire basket still full of oranges, I decided to zest all the oranges and then squeeze them all for some fresh orange juice. I love to have both in the freezer to use in later recipes. I can tell you this it's worked out wonderful. First zest all of the oranges with your zester and store in a small ziploc container. The zest does not stick together in the freezer and you can use a teaspoon here and there or whenever you need it. Then with the fresh squeezed orange juice, I used an ice cube tray to freeze all the fresh juice. Then later remove the cubes from the tray and store into a ziploc bag. These thaw out very quickly and so when you need a tablespoon of fresh orange juice, it's always on hand.

Chocolate Orange Brownies
recipe found at Gingerbread Bagels

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp orange zest
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Sift the flour, unsweetened cocoa powder and kosher salt. Set aside.

In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the brown sugar, sugar and melted unsalted butter on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Add in the orange zest and mix. Then add in the vanilla extract and mix. Add in the eggs, one at a time. Mix until the eggs are completely incorporated.

Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until almost combined. Take a spatula and fold the ingredients together. Add in the chocolate chips and fold them in. Spread the batter into a lightly greased 8 by 8 inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350.

Cool the brownies in the pan on a cooling rack. Do not frost them until the brownies have completely cooled. Frosting will melt.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp orange zest

Sift the powdered sugar and set it aside. In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and cream cheese for 3 minutes on medium low speed. Add in the orange juice and vanilla extract. Mix. Add in the orange zest and mix again. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time on low speed. Once the powdered sugar is all added, increase the speed to medium low and mix for about 2-3 minutes until the frosting is smooth.

If the frosting is too thin, place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes until somewhat firm. Frost the cooled brownies with orange cream cheese frosting and decorate with orange sprinkles.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Mega-Brownie Bites from GUEST BLOGGER:

I wish I had a batch of these right now! Please help me welcome my next Guest Blogger!

Blog: Sumptuous Spoonfuls

TAKE IT AWAY: 

Hello! I am Ann from Sumptuous Spoonfuls and I feel very honored to be guest blogging here at Mom's Crazy Cooking today. I started Sumptuous Spoonfuls last July as a way of sharing and documenting my recipes, and I can't believe what an incredible journey my blog has taken me on. I never in a million years would have guessed I would meet so many amazing people from all over the world. Through facebook and twitter, I've made such wonderful foodie friends that introduce me to so many different cooking ideas, fantastic photography, and so much more. These people I have never met in person have become some of my best friends. I look forward to "seeing" them every morning and finding out what they've been up to.

Tina is one of the great foodie friends I have met through facebook and the MOMS CRAZY COOKING Challenge. I have to say I admire her endless energy, her enthusiasm and all the work that she does to help promote everyone's food blogs. With a family of six, I don't know how she does it all! She is such a sweetheart, always so kind and so organized and she always has something nice to say to everyone. (You are TOO sweet, Thanks Ann)

I want to share this wonderful brownie bite idea I came up with last month ... I was baking up a storm for the bake sale we were having at my daughter's dance studio, and this idea popped into my mind. It was one of the favored treats at the bake sale--the little dancer girls would come up and with big eyes, point and say "What's that?" When I told them there were Reese's cups hiding inside, their eyes just lit up.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Mega-Brownie Bites Supreme

1 batch of your favorite brownie batter (one that makes a 13 x 9 inch pan of brownies … if your brownie recipe or mix only makes a 9x9 inch pan of brownies, double the recipe)

Cooking spray

12 mini-Reese's Peanut Butter cups

Chopped peanuts

Caramel sauce

Chocolate chips. melted, with a little milk stirred in to thin the chocolate so it drizzles better

Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Mix up the brownie batter and divide evenly amongst the 12 spots. Press a mini-Reese's cup into each one down into the batter so that the top of the Reese's cup is evenly aligned with the batter.

Bake the brownie mega-bites according to your brownie directions. As they rise, the brownies will rise up over the edges of the peanut butter cups and make a sort of "basket" or “nest”.

Fill each brownie basket with chopped peanuts, then drizzle with caramel and melted chocolate chips.

Next time I want to try this trick as mini-brownie bites with junior mints in place of the peanut butter cups and crushed peppermint candy canes in place of the peanuts, drizzled with white and dark chocolate. Wouldn't that be good? I also thought at Easter time, you could put little jellybeans in the brownie “nests”

Thanks Ann for such a wonderful recipe! I hope to try these sooner then later!

Cake Mix Cinnamon Chip Brownies: SECRET RECIPE CLUB

SECRET RECIPE CLUB

Cake Mix Cinnamon Chip Brownies

Today is Group B: Secret Recipe Club reveal day. I am doing a blog this month that I have actually run into in the past which is always alot of fun, please hop on over Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. If you haven't heard of the Secret Recipe Club or you'd like more information click on over and read all about it, there may be a little waiting list, but feel free to sign up anyway.

I always click right on over to my assigned blog Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker and pick out a handful of things I'd LOVE to make, this month was no different. I choice a few things...and PINNED them of course, but when it came time to pick what I was going to make I finally choose the Cake Mix Brownies, only I substituted the Peanut Butter Chips for Cinnamon Chips. I bought these Cinnamon Chips in Oregon over Thanksgiving and I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what to make with them and this recipe was PER-FECT!!!

Cake Mix Cinnamon Chip Brownies
adapted from Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker

1 chocolate cake mix

3 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 package cinnamon chips (original recipe called for peanut butter chips)

Stir the cake mix, eggs and oil together. Add the oatmeal and chips. Spread batter into a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Here are a list of my past Secret Recipe Club recipes:

• Raspberry & Nutella Pizza
• Cucumber Salad
• Bean Roll-Up
• Blueberry Muffins (Gluten-Free)
• Pioneer Woman's Chicken Pot Pie 
• Frozen Breakfast Burritos
• Pink Pearl Applesauce (crock-pot)
• Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cake

This post is linked up one, two or all of these FABULOUS Linky Parties!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

It's National Dessert Day

and what better way to celebrate then with a dessert!

We started TIVO'ing the Hungry Girl show and the first time we sat down to watch it we copied down a handful of recipes and this was one that my daughter jumped right up to start making. Yes, it was low on calories, but don't the caloires add up when you eat the entire thing? It was THAT good!

Even though this is a brownie mixture it really does taste like fudge and you want to eat it like fudge, one after another, over and over again. I am telling you this recipe did not stay in our house for very long. And just an FYI the pumpkin flavor is not to apparent, which is a good thing for my husband (he hates pumpkin flavor anything)! But the pumpkin replaces all of the oil, eggs and other stuff that would normally be added, so that's why it's a healthy brownie.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
from Hungry Girl Show

2 cups canned pure pumpkin

1 box Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies Mix
2 tbsp Peanut Butter (she uses low-fat peanut butter)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine pumpkin with the brownie mix in a large bowl; stir until smooth (do not add anything else). Spray a small 8x8 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and pour in the mixture. Spoon 2 tbsp of Peanut Butter on top (melt in microwave if needed) and use a knife to swirl peanut butter around. Cook for approximately 35 minutes. The batter will remain very thick and fudgy, and it should look undercooked. Remove from oven. Cover with aluminum foil and let cool in fridge for a couple of hours.

Rocky Road Brownies

MOMS CRAZY COOKING on Friday's are Recipe Only Days! Read & Enjoy!
Hope you are having a fantastic Summer!

Double Chocolate Bars

If you are craving some chocolate then this is the recipe for you. This recipe is unlike any other, it does NOT taste like a brownie or a cake, it's more like a thick piece of chocolate. with an oreo cookie crunch. And in keeping with our cleaning out the pantry I used the Christmas red centered oreos we had left over. 

Double Chocolate Bars

recipe author unknown

1 pkg (16 oz) cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

2 cups miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided 

Combine cookie crumbs and butter; pat onto the bottom of an ungreased 9 x 13 baking pan.  In a microwave, melt milk and 1 cup chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Pour over crust. Sprinkle with remaining chips.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until chips begin to melt but do not lose their shape. Cool/Harden overnight before serving. 

I LOVE Linky Parties, what a great way to mix and mingle with lots of bloggers! This recipe is linked to the following linky parties: Check me out Saturday, Saturday Swap, Show & Tell Saturday, and Saturday Spotlight Blog Hop

THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS BLOG PARTY #1 and Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies

Welcome to the very FIRST week of THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS we are going to

compile a weekly list of favorite recipes with a THEME, so LINK-UP.

This week's theme is PUMPKIN, anything and everything you can make with PUMPKIN.

We love the taste of pumpkin,. Here is a fun chocolate brownie with a pumpkin flavor from Martha Stewart and we served it with the Pumpkin Ice Cream we made last week.

Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies

from Martha Stewart

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups solid-pack pumpkin

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or other nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan or dish. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; butter lining. Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until fluffy and well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture.

Divide batter between two medium bowls (about 2 cups per bowl). Stir chocolate mixture into one bowl. In other bowl, stir in pumpkin, oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Transfer half of chocolate batter to prepared pan smoothing top with a rubber spatula. Top with half of pumpkin batter. Repeat to make one more chocolate layer and one more pumpkin layer. Work quickly so batters don't set. With a small spatula or a table knife, gently swirl the two batters to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with nuts.

Bake until set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 16 squares.

This recipe is also linked to: It's a Blog Party Thanksgiving Holiday Party, Just Something I Whipped Up, Made by you Monday, Mouthwatering Monday, Making the World Cuter, Hearth and Soul, Tuesdays at the Table , It's a Blog Party, Homemaker Monday, Saturday's Party, Potluck Sunday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Follow Me Friday, Fat Camp Friday and Foodie Friday

Everyone is invited, if you don’t have a blog, then please post your recipe HERE in the comments for others to see.

<a href=" http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/search/label/THIS%20WEEKS%20CRAVINGS" target="_blank "><img src="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k498/Hudgens6/Buttons/ThisWeeksCravingsButton.jpg" /></a>

Your hosts of this BLOG HOP Party are

myself at MOMS CRAZY COOKING; Delightful County Cookin' and From My Tiny Kitchen.

This is your chance to share your favorite recipe each week based on our themes. Post that favorite pumpkin bread you made for breakfast last week, or post your favorite pumpkin cheesecake you made last month, or do you have a dinner you make with pumpkin? Post any recipe you'd like just please stick to the theme. Please link directly to your post, NOT to your home page. And you MUST include a link back to one of our hosts of "This Week's Cravings", using the button (or a direct link). Click around at the other participant’s and visit as many as you can, LEAVE COMMENTS too! 

This Week's Cravings Schedule & Past/Future Recipe Links

November 1 - Anything with Pumpkin

November 8 – Thanksgiving Cookies & Treats 

November 15 - Thanksgiving Dinner & Sides

November 22 - Recipes with your Thanksgiving Left-Overs

November 29 - Crock-Pot Recipes

This is a BLOG HOP PARTY so please hop around

and read the other PUMPKIN posts!

Click for complete list of guidelines for This Week's Cravings