Brownie Brownies

Things that run through my mind while I am trying to do annoying paperwork.... I need to repot all my plants. And why is paper made out of trees and not banana peels or avocado skins? And are people really that crazy about avocados that it is now a trend to propose with a ring in a avocado? Apparely it is a thing now and I don't feel very good about it.  And why haven't I made brownies in a long time?

Paperwork set aside, I couldn't repot my plant because I need to get potting soil, I didn't want to think to much more about avocado rings because, blah, but I could make brownies. I did a quick hustle and got all the stuff together. A measure and a mix, a little time in the oven, and then done. Wonder no longer, the brownies were made. And perfect timing too cause a bunch of littles were on their way over to trash my house. Got to have some chocolate sugary things to fuel their madness. Now when to finish all that paperwork......

 This is a good recipe to have on hand because it is simple, doesn't require to have any fancy stuff to make them so I always have the ingredients, and they make the  house smell like chocolate. As far as brownies go, these are more fudgy then cakey. Just so you know. 

The stuff. Cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt.  Also some coconut oil, vanilla, sugar, ground chia seeds, coffee, and chocolate chips.  All to become brownies. 

The coca powder, sugar, vanilla, chia seeds, and hot coffee get whisked together with the melted coconut oil (which I melted in the microwave in the bowl first). Whisk it until smooth and lump free. 

I usually mix dry together before I add  it to the wet but I really didn't want to get another bowl so I sprinkle on the baking powder, then the salt, then top wth the flour. Use a rubber spatula to fold the dry into the wet unit just incorporated to avoid over mixing he batter. 

Can't forget the chocolate chips. Fold those chocolate chips into the batter as well.

Pour batter into a well greased and lined pan and pop it into the oven to bake.

20ish minutes later you are looking at a pan of brownies. And when I pulled them out I realized that there was something missing. 

More chocolate and sprinkles.

Melted the chocolate with coconut oil and smothered it all over the suckers and sprinkles on the sprinkles . 

Cut up and ready to go.

Brownie Brownies because because. 

-C

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Brownie Brownies 

makes and 8x8 pan which could feed anywhere  between 1person to 9 people. 

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/2 cup hot coffee
• 2 tablespoons  ground flax or chia seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips plus 

Optional chocolate glaze is 1/4 cup chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon coconut oil. And sprinkles to finish.

Preheat oven to 350

Combine the melted coconut oil (I microwaved the coconut oil in the bowl) sugar, cocoa powder, ground chia, vanilla, and hot coffee in a medium bowl. Whisk together until completely combined and smooth. Let sit for a few minutes then add in the flour, baking powder, and salt together and fold in in with a spatula. Once combined, add in chocolate chip and fold those in as well. Be careful not not overmix or you will end up with gummy brownies. 

Grease and line a 8x8 baking pan. and pour/scoop the batter in. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a test in the middle barely cames out clean. (under baking is better then overtaking)

Remove from oven and let cool completely

To make the chocolate glaze, combine chocolate with coconut oil and microwave for 30 seconds then mix until a smooth consistency. Pour onto cooled brownies, disperse, then cover with sprinkles .

Cut into squares and eat..

Jam Heart Hand Pies

I have had a shit ton of rhubarb in the freezer all winter and the other day I just needed it gone so I made a big old batch of rhubarb jam. I was actually saving the rhubarb to make the mr a pie for his birthday, but that was like 2 months ago and he ended up with ice cream sandwiches and that is why the rhubarb was still there. Oops. But now we have rhubarb jam. And I think I was feeling a little guilty about not making the pie so I, like the nicest girlfriend in the entire universe (self proclaimed yes, but so so true), used that jam to make little hand pies. And in the shape of hearts no less because hearts are amazing and it doesn't hurt that it is Valentine Day next week.  

 Valentines Day. What does that even mean? I think the primary meaning of Valentines Day is that all things should be in the shape of hearts. The rest is to be determined by however you may feel about the day. Whether you hate it or love it, (we love it, It's an excuse to take the day off and cover the house in hearts) you get to make the day yours. Just make sure that whatever you do, you make it with hearts. And with pie. 

These heart pies make for great little additions to hand made Valentines day cards ( I see maybe for a kids class), are great for breakfast because they are basically just like heart shaped pop tarts, or even for an evening of bindge watching Netflix with a loved one or by yourself. It's pie my friends. Eat it whenever, and with whomever you want.

Also, hearts are not just for Valentines Day. And pie sure the hell isn't either. They both just happen to work for the occasion. 

The stuff. Basically just pie crust things. Flour, a little sugar, salt, coconut oil, and ice water. Then you need jam. Jam or perseveres of any flavor(s)  you like. I used grape and rhubarb and  had raspberry here, but I didn't use it because I didn't want to open it. 

Make the crust. Flour gets mixed with the salt and sugar  and the the coconut oil gets cut in until it  looks all crumbly.

The water is added  in tablespoons until a shaggy from forms.

Dump the dough onto the counter to gather all together and rest for a bit. Or if you like, wrap in plastic and refrigerate  for up to a day or two.

After the dough got a good rest, roll it out and cut your hearts out. (Not your actual heart. Please and thank you)

Half of the hearts get a dollop of jam

Then each heart gets a top and crimped together with a fork. Poke a little hole into the tops to allow for steam to escape then all of the hearts get stuck into the fridge (or place on the back porch) to get nice and cold for a bit.

 After the chill, off they go into the hot oven to bake and be.

Look at these cuties. A little jam overflow, but all is good. 

I decided last minute that they needed a little something. Powdered sugar, lime zest, and lime juice. The easiest of glazes. You could do lemon, or vanilla, or almond, or even melt a little chocolate and drizzle that on. Next time I will do chocolate because because. 

Drizzle that glaze all over. 

There you have it. The cutest little hand pies ever .

Share if you like, or just eat them all. They are your hearts so do what you will. 

-C

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Jam Heart Hand Pies

makes 18  three inch pies

• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salr
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 8 tablespoons ice water
• 3/4 cup solid coconut oil
• about 1 1/4 cups of some sweet ass jam (any kind you have)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 lemon or lime 

Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. add coconut oil in large chunks then with a pastry cutter or a fork (I used a fork) cut the oil into the flour until the flour looks crumbly and there are lots of tiny little chunks of coconut oil throughout the mixture. Add in 5 of the tablespoons ice water, toss around, then add in another 3. Mix around until the dough starts to come together when squished. If it still seems too dry, add in a tablespoon or 2 more water. (I always end up using a little more in the winter months) You want the dough to just be able to come together. Dump dough onto counter and press and smoosh dough into a ball. Let dough sit for 1/2 hour or wrap in plastic and place in fridge and using within the next day or two. 

After the dough has had some time to sit, flour the counter and roll it out to about 1/2 inch thick. Take a cookie cutter ( I used a 3 inch at the widest part heart cookie cutter) and cut out the hearts (or whatever shape you want) Make sure you have 2 cutouts for each hand pie. After you have cut out as many as you can, gather dough into a ball and roll out again. Repeat until dough it gone. 

To assemble.

Place a tablespoon of jam into the middle of half of the cut out hearts . Gently place the remaining heart cut outs on top of those. . Take a fork and press the edges together and then with the fork or a knife, pierce of cut a small slit into the tops to allow the steam to escape while baking. I did this directly on the baking sheet but found out after it was easier to do on the counter and then move it to the baking sheet. Do what ever it easier for you. Once they are all assembled and on the baking sheet, refrigerate for 15 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350

After the time in the fridge, remove and place directly into the hot oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bottoms are a nice   golden brown. The tops will be slightly pale so check the bottoms. 

Remove and let cool on the baking sheet. 

While they are cooing, make the glaze. Zest the lime and juice the lime and combine with the sugar. If it is too runny, add a little more sugar, too dry, add in a splash of water. Once the pies are cooled, drizzle each one with icing.

Now you have a bunch of cute little heart shaped hand pies and you should probably eat one (or a few)

Banana Poppy Seed Muffins

Banana bread never goes out of style. It is a clsasic, everyday, everybody type of food. Have a slice for dessert, maybe drizzled with some chocolate, definitely.  How about for a grab and go breakfast, sure sure.. A chunk slathered in peanut butter for snack time or anytime, well  isn't that's why you make it?  And who doesn't always have a banana bowl in the kitchen? A banana bowl that is always full of bananas because the banana just always makes it's way home. They seem to pile up, even when I don't mean for them to. And I know I am not the only one. I see it all the time. A fruit bowl in the kitchen with a least a couple of really really ripe bananas, waiting for that moment when you know there is no freaking way anyone in their right mind would eat those banana because gross. That's when you have it, the perfect banana for some banana bread, or in this case, banana muffins.  

Here I went muffin style because I had already made a loaf of banana bread earlier in the week and because I wanted to send half of the muffins to the boys at the front desk at the gym. (They give me coffee, I give them muffins) And also, muffins cook a lot faster then bread so if you are a little low on time, muffins are the way to go. But if you would rather bread, you can make it bread. Bananas are there for you and are not fussy. 

The stuff. Ripe bananas, poppy seeds, brown sugar, oil, and apple cider vinegar. Also have flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and a little salt in the bowl. 

Mash the bananas in a bowl, like really mash them up until it turns to a sugar banana slop. Then add in the oil and the vinegar and mix together.

Dump in the dry and the poppy seeds and mix it all up until combined but then stop. Don't over mix the batter or else you will get tuff muffins. 

Scoop into well greased muffin pans and pop them into the preheated oven to bake. 

Done! And in only took like 20 minutes appose to an hour if I made banana bread. 

And here is when you grab a coffee, a muffin, and have yourself a moment.

Stay good.

-C

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Banana Poppy seed Muffins

makes 12-14 muffins

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon 
• 1/4 cup poppy seeds
• 2/3 cups packed  brown sugar
• 1/2 cup neutral flavored oil
• 4 really ripe bananas (they need to be really ripe of the mixture will be to dry)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 

Preheat oven to 350

In a large bowl, mash the bananas with the sugar until the mixture turns wet and sloppy, but there are still a few little chunks of banana.  Mix in the oil and vinegar. In a separate bowl mix the  flour, cinnamon , baking powder and soda, salt, and poppy seeds together. Dump the dry into the wet and mix until all is combined but then stop. Don't over mix batter. 

Scoop mixture into well greased muffin tins and place into oven once it has preheated. Bake the muffins for about 20- 22 minutes or until nicely browned and a tester stuck into the middle of one comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let sit in tin for a few minutes until it cools down. Remove the muffins from the tin and let completely cool on a wire rack. 

Eat whenever and how many you want, store the rest in an air tight container for a couple of days or wrap a few and  freeze. 

Crushed Oreo Peanut Butter Cookies

Is it weird to crush up a cookie to make a new cookies? I don't think so , I actually think it's kind of my best idea ever (although I am sure that I am not the first to think of this). I now have this desire to make all sorts of crushed cookie cookies and crushed cake cookies, and crushed up cookies in cinnamon buns and you get the idea. Picture it now. A cookie full of huge hunks of birthday cake, or a crushed chocolate chip cookie inside a chocolate chocolate cookie crushed up inside of a peanut butter cookie rolled in crushed up chips....This could get dangerous.

Back to these cookies. 

Not going to lie, these cookies were 99 percent inspired but Lindsey Lohan. And no, not because they are like crack (although that's what the mr's brother thought) but because of the movie, The Parent Trap. Yes, it is now on Hulu and yes, I watched it, and yes I was by myself, and no I will not feel shame for that.  In the movie the Lindsey's (well, the one Lindsey that plays two Lindsey's.. you should watch it if you don't know what I am talking about) are away at summer camp being all innocent and cute (what happened to you Lindsey?) but get into a little trouble and are banished to a cabin away from other campers. After getting over there anger at one another, they start talking about their parents and how they share the same birthday and how they look exactly alike. Then they start to eat Oreos dipped in peanut butter. This is the point in the movie where they know something is up and that they are actually twins separated at birth. (Not because they look exactly the same or share the same birthday, it's totally the cookies. Powerful Disney moment.)  I mean, if that food combination could do that for these girls, well what could it do for me? (so far not a damn thing)  But I had the peanut butter and a few Oreos left from a ice cream cake and I needed to bake because I needed to so I listened to the innocent cute Lindsey's and make these crushed up Oreo and peanut butter cookies. And the world thanked me, but really, we should thank Lindsey too.I hear she could really use a win right now. And maybe I will eventually find a girl that looks like me and share my birthday and can be my twin too. I'll make her these cookies.

The stuff. We are gonna need some white and brown sugar, vanilla extract, flax eggs, peanut butter and earth balance. Also flour, baking soda and baking powder, a little bit of salt, and of course, Oreo cookies.

Add to a bowl the sugars, flax eggs, peanut butter, vanilla, and the earth balance. 

Mix until smooth and creamy.

After mixing all the dry together, dump it into the wet and mix until cookie dough happens. 

Then add in your crushed Oreos! I just used my hands and crushed them directly into the bowl, but you could also stick them in a bag and smash them. Your choice. 

Cookies in the cookie dough.. Don't eat it. Ok, maybe eat a little. 

Scoop same sized amounts of dough onto a cookies sheet and take a flat something or another and smoosh the balls into flat disks.

Once the oven is preheated, pop those suckers into the oven to bake. I did 12-13 minutes and they came out perfect. 

See, perfect. 

Now fill your cookie jar with al those perfect cookies and hide it. If seen, they will be devoured. Share with your long lost twin. 

-C

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Crushed Oreo Peanut Butter Cookies 

make 2 dozen 

• 1 3/4  cups all  purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup earth balance or other vegan butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoon flax meal with 6 tablespoons water)
• 10 Oreos 

Preheat oven to 350

In a large bowl combine the sugars, the peanut butter, vanilla, earth balance, and the flax eggs. Mix until all completely combined and smooth. In a smaller bowl combine the flour, baking soda and powder, and salt and whisk to mix. Dump the dry into the wet and mix until combined. Take Oreos and crush them into small pieces (I used my hands but you could stick them in a bag and smash them with a rolling pin or something) into the dough. Mix until evenly disturbed.

Measure out same sized balls of dough and place them on a cookie sheet. Take a flat surface and smoosh the dough so it it a flat dish. Bake cookies for 11-13 minutes or until the edges are starting to lightly brown. Remove and place on a cooling rack.

Eat the cookies.  Hide the cookies. 

Lemon Sugar Cookies

Right now it is all about the holiday cookies. There are the chocolate ones, the filled ones, the nutty ones and all at the other ones, but really, what is the holiday without a good basic sugar cookie covered in way to much icing and sprinkles? Not right it what it is.

So to kick off holiday cookie baking I had a cookie decorating and pizza  party with the littles and big littles. Cookies, icing and frosting, and so many sprinkles. I went the smart route with preparation and precut all the cookies before the party. I was thinking that I would have everyone cut there own cookies out but then I was thinking  a bunch of little and hot pans and more likely then not burnt cookies. I just didn't want to deal with it and it was a good choice on my part. I am so smart. 

These cookies are kind of your basic sugar cookies with a little lemon twist. The lemon adds that extra something, a little zip behind the sweetness, especially after all the glaze. And they can be baked to be slightly soft or to have a nice crisp edge. A good, tasty,  all around cookie, perfect for any holiday cookie party. 

And just a warning about cookie parties. There will be madness and states of being that only an emense amount of sugar can produce.

The stuff. Flour, baking powder sugar, and salt. Squash puree, earth balance, vanilla, and some lemons. 

Sugar, butter, puree, lemon zest, lemon juice and the vanilla get cozy into big bowl and then mixed together.

Some people prefer to do this step with an electric beater but I like to use a wooden spoon because arm powder. Either way, make sure the mixtures is completely mixed and that there are no huge chunks of butter. 

Now add in the dry and mix mix mix until if forms a dough.

 Don't be afraid to use your hands here.. I started out with the spoon and finish with my hands. It is much easier.

The dough needs a little time in the fridge so wrap it in plastic (or a large plastic bag) and stick in the fridge for a least and hour or up to a day. 

When your ready for cookie cutting time, remove dough and let sit on counter for a few minutes to warm up. Then place on a lightly floured surface and roll out about 1/4 inch thick (you can go a little thinner if you like)

Cut your cookies.

And keep gathering and rolling ou the dough until all the dough is a cookie.

Bake the cookies for anywhere between 10-13 minutes. This is dependent on if you like a softer cookie or one with more of a crunch. 

All the naked cookies.

And you are probably going to want to make some glaze, which is super simple. Powedred sugar, water, corn syrup, and vanilla extract. 

You of course need to get crafty with colors so color the icing  to your liking.

Then it's all about decorating. The mr and I did a few cookies ourselves before the cookie party began. We figured we wouldn't really get a chance to once all the littles showed up. We were right. 

Also I bought brand new synthetic paint brushes (important that they are new) to use to paint on the glaze. It was a very good idea. We loved it and so did all the little. 

Our cookie masterpieces. Who doesn't love a rapper snowman?

Let the party begin. I ended up making 3 batches of cookies because the more cookies the better. And again, so smart to have the cookies all precut and ready. I couldn't imagine having to deal with cutting cookies with everyone. There would have been tears (most likely mine) 

Christmas music on, happy little littles, it started out so wholesome and good.  Glaze, frosting, so many sprinkles. I could smell the sugar in the air. I also said that there was to be no cookie eating until after dinner so naturally I think that each little ate about 5 cookies before dinner. It would have been worse if I had they could eat any at all. 

And then we ate dinner and more cookies and they all went freaking crazy. Like running around screaming, stoping once in a while to maybe think they might throw up,  then kept on running and screaming.  Sugar can do crazy things. 

 Just a few of the creations from the night. There were snowmen, 3D trees and reindeer, and stars. I guess I don't have a snowflake which bummed me out but stars made do. And yes, that is indeed a target employee cookie.. so awesome.

All in all, the party was a success. The cookies came out great. The decorations were on point. The littles and big littles had fun and were all in a sugar coma by the end of the night.  Annnd my house is covered in a light film of stickiness. 

Enjoy your weekend and make lots of cookies because that is what you are suppose to do. 

-C

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Lemon Sugar Cookies 

makes 20-25 cookies (all depending on you shapes ands sizes of cutters)

Cookie

• 2 1/4  cups flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup squash puree
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup room temp  vegan butter
• 1 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest

Icing 

• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons plant milk or water
• 1 teaspoon extract (vanilla, almond, or lemon)  
• food coloring (optional) 

preheat oven to 350

In a large bowl beat  together butter, sugar, vanilla, squash, lemon zest and lemon juice until fully incorporated. Add in flour, salt, and baling powder and mix until it all comes together. When dough gets a little hard to mix with a spoon, use your hands and compress the dough into a ball.  Take dough and wrap in plastic wrap or place in a zip lock pulled to dough tight and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to a day.

After the dough has had time in the fridge, remove and let sit for a few minutes.. Lightly flour the counter and roll dough out to about a quart inch thick. Grab your cookie cutter and cut away at rolled out dough. Place cut cookies on a baking sheet, gather up remaining dough and roll out all over again. Repeat process until all the dough has been used. Place cookies  in oven and bake for 10 minutes or until cookies are just barely turning golden brown.  If you like a crispier cookies, cook for 2-3 minutes longer. Remove and place on a cooling rack to cool. 

Prepare your icing.

Mix all the ingerdients together until full incorporated. Color to your liking. 

And once the cookies are  cool its time to start you decorating! You can dip, pour, paint, or pip icing onto cookies. Embellish with sprinkles and candies.

Eat your cookies