Thursday, March 15, 2012

Happy Fake Patrick's Day


     Yes I am aware that it is only the 15th of March and that the 17th is the appropriate day for the celebration of forceful eviction of snakes.  However, being that the 17th is a Saturday and I work in a very small office that is inhabited by even smaller numbers on Fridays, we have embraced today as the day for green!
I am also on a quest to be one of the few that actually follows through on their pins to Pinterest.  So when I saw this recipe, I knew it was gonna get done!  So I present to you……

Leprechaun Mint Brownies!!

     First let me say… The original Pinterest link had a list of ingredients that was not accurate.  There was also limited source information.  All the poster said was that it was a Betty Crocker recipe.  Having never been one to be out done by a bad link, I started my research.  The original recipe was easy to find and thankfully the ingredient list was only off in quantity, so I had everything I needed.  The concept was easy: Bake some brownies and slather multiple layers of ooey, gooey decadence on top!  The implementation was many hours of waiting.  The brownies needed to cool completely (90 minutes), the cream filling needed to set (2 hours), the ganache needed to set (2 hours).  After everything had cooled, and layered, and set, and then warmed back up again, I had to get it out of the pan!!!  This led to a couple sacrificial pieces, though the husband and children didn’t seem to mind.  It was a big challenge to get the brownies out of the pan intact.  The next time I do a layered anything I will definitely be using a springform pan!

     The finished product, however, more than made up for the time and the struggle.  They look impressive on the plate and are beyond decadent. I have also decided the following:  Due to the amount of effort put forth, let be decreed: “These brownies are CALORIE FREE!!!”

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Making "The Box" Yummy

So I know it has been a long while... Life just gets in the way. With two little boys under the age of two and two jobs, I always have good ideas for writing, but the time always disappears.  I wanted to share a quick and easy weekend morning recipe. This morning I wanted to make a nice breakfast for the boys and I without spending the whole morning in the kitchen. I immediately turned to the old standby of pancakes and even faster felt the guilt of making "box mix" pancakes. In my dreams I am one of those moms that walks around a perfect house and makes pancakes from scratch.... But reality is so far from that it's not even funny!!!  So I embraced the box and tried to think of a way to make it just a little yummier...  The result:

Sweet Apple Pancakes
(makes 5-7 pancakes)
1 cup instant pancake mix
3/4 cup water
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. Sweet Apple Sprinkle (unfortunatley no longer available from The Pampered Chef - see variation below)
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Conf. Sugar
Sliced Apple


Mix pancake mix, water, vanilla, and apple sprinkle together.  Do not over mix as this can cause the pancakes to get heavy.  


Heat pan or griddle on medium low (until a splash of water will sizzle).  Spray pan liberally with olive oil.  Pour on batter to desired size.  When the top of the pancakes begin to bubble, its time to flip! Serve with sliced apples, chocolate chips, and dusted with confectioners sugar


Variation: If you don't have Sweet Apple Sprinkle (which sadly, I am running out of) replace the water with 3/4 cup of applesauce and 1 1/2 Tbsp of cinnamon and 1 Tbsp of sugar).




Making the pancakes this way, makes me feel a little less guilty about just "opening a box"!   ENJOY!!!