best brownies ever... continued :)

I'm at that stage in my life where it seems ALL of my friends either are pregnant, have just had a baby, or they really want to have a baby. While I do love babies, I'm enjoying being able to give the child back to their mama at the end of a few minutes ;)

Anyways, a few weeks ago, a friend of mine had a beautiful baby boy, David, and I brought her & her husband dinner and these brownies. Both her and her husband agreed they were the best brownies ever... so yummy. So I had to make them again for her... and I decided to actually document it.

The best part is that you mix everything together in ONE pot and then pour it into a baking pan and GO. Love it.

Step one: melt the butter!

Step two: Stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat in cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder.

Step three: Pour into pan. I chopped up some left over Christmas candy and threw that in. Just for kicks :) I used Snickers, Baby Ruth... and some Butterfingers.

And the icing is a snap to put together. Melt the butter a little bit in the microwave and then mix everything else in. YUMMO.

Ingredients:

Brownies

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1//2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder

Frosting:

• 3 tbsp. butter (a little melty)
• 3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8x8 pan.
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat in cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder. Pour into greased pan. 
3. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when stuck in the center.
4. While the brownies are baking, combine all frosting ingredients and pour over brownies after they've cooled about 10 minutes (still warm!)

carmelita bars

I think I've mentioned before that there are several blogs I check daily for yummy ideas, and Brown Eyed Baker is definitely one. A few weeks ago, she posted this recipe for oatmeal carmelita bars... Doesn't that sound DELISH?

I had to make them. I actually had to make a double batch.

The doubled recipe means: 4 cups flour, 3 cups brown sugar, and 4 cups of oats... Imagine me stuffing that in my KitchenAid mixer, praying it doesn't explode. It didn't... just got a little messy ;) My mixer's a champ.

butter and sugar making friends :)

more flour! Yikes!

here's where we got REALLY messy... add the oatmeal and hope for the best :)

They were SO good. I'm not going to post the recipe, because you can go directly to her site... but here's the final push for you to try these:

How can you resist? 

I brought these to several gatherings, and they were a hit every time. So many different flavors... such a good combination :)

best brownies ever..

I think I've mentioned before my husband does not like chocolate. So... that pretty much messes me all up. I love chocolate. I made these brownies a few nights ago on a whim... and (drum roll, please!) my husband LOVED them... like ate more than half the pan LOVED. Make themmmmmmm!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/best-brownies/detail.aspx