brownies Archives - Ari's Menu

DIY Brownie Mix Jars {gluten-free}

November 21, 2013 · by Ari ·

A simple, easy, DIY gift idea for rich and fudgey gluten-free brownie mix. So easy to make, and a perfect gift for anyone in your life who loves chocolate! Includes dairy-free & vegan options.

Every year I do a huge holiday baking day. I usually invite hermano to “help”, and he’ll mix a few things, and then he just lays around…that is until I need a taste tester. 😉

I do enjoy it, but I usually end the day totally exhausted and swearing off ever stepping foot in my kitchen again. And don’t even think about getting me to cook dinner. It always ends up being a Chipotle night, even though all I really ever want at the end is greasy, cheesy pizza. But let’s be honest, all I ever want is greasy, cheesy pizza. And chocolate. And fro-yo.

The truth is, DIY mixes are so expensive at places like Starbucks or the Hallmark store, and they seem like a novelty item, but they are really easy to put together, far less time consuming than huge batch baking, and really inexpensive. The biggest expense ends up being the jars, but if you go to the dollar store, a thrift store, or hit the clearance section of your craft store, you can get them very reasonably.

Not to mention, the store-bought mixes are loaded with refined flours, and often times lots of weird preservatives. By making them yourself, you can control what goes in, and that includes changing things up, and adding your own mix-ins. If you know the person you’re giving it to loves chocolate and peanut butter, you could add some mini peanut butter cups, or Reese’s Pieces.

I just joined The Recipe ReDux which is a challenge hosted by dietitians to create unique and delicious recipes that are also healthy. While brownies are still somewhat indulgent, it is the holidays, and these are 100% whole grain, and the butter is replaced with nonfat yogurt. So you can have your ~~cake~~ brownie and eat it too. 😉

I just took my favorite brownie recipe, and layered the dry ingredients in a jar–it literally took less than 5 minutes, and you can easily do the same thing with any of your favorite recipes. I use my gluten-free baking blend, but you could use white whole wheat flour, or almond meal, or any blend of your own. All you need to add are eggs and some nonfat vanilla yogurt–everything else is included. You could also keep it dairy-free by using coconut oil instead of yogurt, or vegan by replacing the eggs with 2 tbsp cornstarch and 1/3 cup almond milk–so it can work for anyone in your life!

DIY Brownie Mix Jars {gluten-free}

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 16

Serving Size: 1 brownie

DIY Brownie Mix Jars {gluten-free}

A simple, easy, DIY gift idea for rich and fudgey gluten-free brownie mix. So easy to make, and a perfect gift for anyone in your life who loves chocolate!

Ingredients

1 cup + 2 tbsp gluten-free baking blend (or white whole wheat flour
dash salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
1/2 tsp espresso powder
5 1/2 oz dark chocolate, about 1 scant cup

To make brownies:

1/2 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
2 eggs

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk flour and salt together. In a 3.5-4 cup jar, layer ingredients in order listed. You may change the order as long as you leave the chocolate chips on top. Use a tablespoon to smooth down after each layer for the best visual effect.
To make brownies, preheat oven to 350. Line a 9" square pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, melt the chocolate and let cool. Stir in yogurt, whisk eggs in one at a time. Gently fold in remaining ingredients until just combined.
Transfer to prepared baking tin and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan then serve. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

Recipe easily doubled in a larger jar. Feel free to add mix ins of your choosing.

For dairy-free brownies, replace yogurt with melted coconut oil For vegan brownies, also replace egg with 2 tbsp cornstarch and 1/3 cup almond milk.

https://arismenu.com/diy-brownie-mix-jars-gluten-free/

Bourbon Cherry Dark Chocolate Brownies

July 25, 2013 · by Ari ·

Do you know how many years of my life I wasted believing I didn’t like bourbon? It’s a damn shame.

I promise, I didn’t mean to put alcohol in my brownies. They started out as just regular chocolate brownies with cherries and dark chocolate for my dad’s birthday. He loves a black forrest cake, but he loves brownies more than cake, and so I wanted a similar flavor profile in brownie form.

But then I remembered these cookies, and made a game time decision to soak the cherries in bourbon. Of course, if you don’t like bourbon (who are you????), you can totally skip this step and still have some rich and gooey cherry and dark chocolate brownies, but I really feel like the bourbon takes them to the next level.

One of the secrets to perfect brownies is to just ever so slightly under-bake them. They will continue to bake when you let them cool in your pan. My problem is that I am impatient and I never wait long enough to cut into them. Oh and also that I often over estimate the amount of unbaked that is ideal and end up eating brownie batter because I pulled them from the oven a good 10 minutes too early. These were totally still hot and gooey when I photographed them, but I just couldn’t wait. They firm up a bit as they cool making them easier to serve, but still soft and fudgy.

I love the crisp brownie top (my favorite thing about brownies and sometimes hard to achieve with no butter!) and the extra melty chunks of dark chocolate with the bold flavor of the bourbon soaked cherries. These were a huge hit, and the entire pan was gone in one evening!

Bourbon Cherry Dark Chocolate Brownies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 9 large or 16 small brownies

Serving Size: 1 brownie

Bourbon Cherry Dark Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

3/4 cup cherries, pitted
Approx 1/2 cup bourbon
5.5 ounces dark chocolate, melted
1/2 cup nonfat coffee yogurt*
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup dark chocolate covered cherries**

Instructions

Place cherries in a wide shallow bowl. Cover with bourbon and soak for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9" square pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, slowly stir yogurt into melted chocolate. Whisk in sugar, then whisk in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Gently fold in flour until just combined. Strain soaked cherries (save the extra liquid and make yourself a drink!) and fold in soaked cherries and dark chocolate covered cherries.
Transfer to prepared baking tin and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan then serve. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

*Vanilla yogurt may be substituted. The coffee enhances the chocolate flavor. I suggest adding 1 tsp espresso powder if you use vanilla yogurt. **I found dark chocolate covered cherries at Trader Joe's. You can always use dark chocolate chunks instead, or add more fresh cherries.

https://arismenu.com/bourbon-cherry-dark-chocolate-brownies/

Buckeye Brownies

April 25, 2013 · by Ari ·

My favorite (and best) cooking inspiration has always been making things for the people I love. Especially birthdays. Birthdays are my favorite thing in the world, and nothing brings me more happiness than making the perfect treat to show my love.

In fact, to date my favorite recipe I’ve ever made was for Steve’s birthday last year. I have to tell you, though–these give them a run for their money!

When I saw this post on Brown Eyed Baker a couple of months ago, I immediately sent it to Nicole–the idea is genius, the photos are absolutely gorgeous, and I wanted to jump through my screen and lick every crumb.

So when I was deciding what to make Nicole for her birthday this year, I knew exactly where I wanted to start. Of course, I changed a few things to make these a little less indulgent, but they still tasted rich and decadent. The brownie layer is the fudgiest brownie I have ever tasted, and the peanut butter tastes like the inside of a Reese’s cup, and then that perfectly glossy glaze? I diiiieeee.

The good thing about cooking for your BBF (best blog friend–I know, we’re totally, like tweens) is they don’t mind that you cut into their birthday dessert to photograph it, and maybe sneak a tiny bite so that you can make sure it’s perfect before you give it to them. 😉 Thanks for taking one for the ~~team~~ blog, Nicole!

Buckeye Brownies

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours

Yield: 32

Serving Size: 1 brownie

Buckeye Brownies

Rich and fudgy brownies topped with creamy sweetened peanut butter, followed by a chocolate peanut butter glaze--these brownies are to-die-for!

Ingredients

For the brownies:

1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1 1/2 tsp espresso powder
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp boiling water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
dash salt
3/4 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt

For the peanut butter layer:

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
2-3 tbsp unsweetened almond milk

For the chocolate peanut butter glaze:

1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

Instructions

To make the brownies, preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil and spray lightly with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, espresso powder and water. Add unsweetened chocolate and whisk until combined. Beat in eggs one at a time, then beat in vanilla and sugar. Stir in flour, salt and yogurt until combined. Do not overmix.
Transfer batter to prepared baking dish. Bake set and until a toothpick inserted a couple of inches from the edge comes out with a few crumbs, about 30 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.
To make the peanut butter layer, beat together peanut butter, coconut oil and powdered sugar until smooth. Add milk 1 tbsp at a time until you reach a smooth, spreadable texture. Spread evenly onto cooled brownies.
To make the glaze, place chocolate and peanut butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 20 second increments, stirring between each, until melted. Spread glaze evenly over peanut butter layer. Cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, then serve. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baked

https://arismenu.com/buckeye-brownies/

Coconut Mocha Brownies

October 23, 2012 · by Ari ·

There was a time in my life where I didn’t love chocolate.

I mean, I liked it okay, but I always preferred vanilla based desserts. Now? Let’s just say I’m an equal opportunity dessert eater. 😉

My friend Jason, however, has always been a chocolate fiend. He always chooses the chocolate desserts, and it was only through tasting his amazing drink at Dutch Bro’s that I found the perfect post long run coffee drink (Cocomo–basically an iced latte made with chocolate milk + coconut syrup. I get sugar free coconut to make this drink so healthy 😉 ).

When Jason’s birthday came around (back in June…), I knew immediately that I had to make something chocolate, and after several post run coffee dates, I was super inspired to make something based off a coffee drink. Espresso makes chocolate sound even chocolatier, and these brownies are ohhhhh so chocolatey. Like, must have a glass of milk chocolatey.

I honestly don’t even know how I did it. I don’t know how I made the gooeyest brownie I’ve ever tasted without using any butter or oil, and I don’t know how or why they tasted so freaking good, but I just know they didn’t taste the slightest bit healthy. I mean, they really aren’t, but they tasted like they had ALL of the bad stuff, rather than compromising somewhere in the middle.

The flavors just all complement each other perfectly, and the melty chocolate chips in the center with the rich chocolate cream cheese frosting are just to die for. They are definitely a little indulgent, but worth the treat, in my opinion.

Coconut Mocha Brownies

yield 32 brownies

For the brownies:

1 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour
1 tbs espresso powder
dash salt
11 ounces dark chocolate, melted and cooled
1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
1 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
1 cup egg substitute
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1 cup shredded unsweetened reduced fat coconut
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips

For the frosting:

12 oz reduced fat cream cheese
1/4 cup + 2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder (dutch process or special dark are best)
2 tsp espresso powder
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/4 oz dark chocolate, melted and cooled
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coconut extract
extra shredded coconut for topping (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9×13 pan, then line with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, espresso powder and salt.
In a large bowl, beat together yogurt, chocolate, and sugar, eggs, and extracts until combined. Fold in the flour mixture, followed by coconut and chocolate chips. Do not overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30-40 min, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out mostly clean. Let the brownies cool completely, then use parchment paper to lift them out of the pan.
To make frosting, beat cream cheese in a large bowl on medium speed until smooth. Add extracts. Add in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, beating on low speed, followed by cocoa powder. Increase to medium speed and add melted chocolate. Beat until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl often.
Frost completely cooled brownies, then serve immediately or store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Skinnified Sunday: S’mores Brownies

July 22, 2012 · by Ari ·

My girl Nicole knows her brownies, and when she posted her recipe for her favorite S’mores Brownies, I ~~almost ended my friendship with her because she didn’t share any with me~~ knew I had to make my own version!

Okay, so don’t go look at her blog, because hers are sooooo much prettier. We all know that presentation is not my forte, but they were delicious, so you know…

Honestly, with gooey, browned marshmallows, chocolate and graham cracker, how could that be bad???

These had everything I love about s’mores combined with everything I love about brownies. I had to send them all home with Jason, so I wouldn’t devour them in one sitting!

No, I don’t think it’s weird to add more chocolate to a brownie. I think you’re weird if you don’t always enjoy the idea of more chocolate.

Original Recipe:

via Nicole @ Foodie Misadventures

My swaps:

Nonfat vanilla yogurt for butter (-fat, -saturated fat, -calories, -cholesterol)
Turbinado/Splenda combo for sugar (-sugar, -calories)
Egg substitute for whole eggs (-fat, -calories, -cholesterol)
White whole wheat flour for all purpose (+fiber, +protein)
Whole wheat graham crackers for regular (+fiber, +protein)
Natural dark chocolate for Hershey’s bars (-sugar)

Skinnified S’mores Brownies

yield 16 brownies

3/4 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
1 cup turbinado sugar
1/2 cup Splenda
3/4 cup egg substitute
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
dash salt
6 whole wheat graham cracker squares + crumbs for sprinkling
1/2 cup all natural dark chocolate chips
5 oz marshmallows (regular or mini)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F°. Grease an 8 inch square pan.
In a large bowl, beat together yogurt, vanilla, egg substitute, Splenda, and sugar until thoroughly combined. Mix in cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt until well blended.
Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Layer graham crackers side by side over the top of the brownie batter until completely covered. Next pour chocolate chocolate chips evenly over the graham crackers. Then lay the marshmallows out over the chocolate. Pour remaining batter evenly over the marshmallows, spreading with a spatula if necessary.
Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.

Black & White Peanut Butter Chip Brownies

April 16, 2012 · by Ari ·

In case you missed it, which would be super sad for you, Monday was my BBFF Nicole’s birthday! To celebrate, I made her brownies!

Now, I’ll be honest. I don’t usually make brownies from scratch. I usually let TJ’s Reduced Guilt Brownie Mix or No Pudge Brownie Mix do the work for me, because they are both delicious and easy. However, there was no way I was going to use a box mix for Nicole’s birthday. Have you read her blog??? She’s like a real chef. In fact every single time I cook for her, or she eats something I make, I get suuuuuuper nervous.

Luckily, these turned out much better than the gnocchi incident of 2012. In fact, they came out ridiculously good.

And now I have a huge problem on my hands…

All I can think about is brownies!!

Brownies, brownies, brownies, brownies, bbbrrrooowwwwnnniiieeesss!!!

Rich, sweet, gooey and chocolatey with peanut butter chips perfectly complementing the white and dark chocolate.

Or in other words YUM!

Black & White Peanut Butter Chip Brownies

yield 36 brownies

For the white layer:

2/3 cups white whole wheat flour
5.5 ounces Sunspire white chocolate chips
2 tbs light whipped butter
6 tbs nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup turbinado sugar
1/3 cup Splenda
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tbs egg substitute
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup Sunspire peanut butter chips

For the black layer:

2/3 cups white whole wheat flour
5.5 ounces Sunspire grain sweetened chocolate chips
2 tbs light whipped butter
6 tbs nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
1/3 cup Splenda
1/2 cup + 2 tbs egg substitute
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup Sunspire peanut butter chips

For the White Chocolate Glaze:

10 oz bag Sunspire white chocolate chips
1/2 tbs light whipped butter
3 tbs unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
sprinkles for topping (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9×13 glass baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper.
Start with the white layer.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and salt together.
Put the white chocolate and butter in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water (or a double broiler), stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add sugars, Splenda and yogurt. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan.
Add eggs substitute and vanilla to the white chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Do not over mix.
Gently fold in flour mixture followed by peanut butter chips. Batter will not be completely smooth. Tiny flour clumps will bake out.
Pour into prepared baking pan.
Repeat steps 3-6 with black layer.
Pour black layer on top of white. Use a butter knife to gently swirl.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, turning once in between to ensure even cooking.
Let stand for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (this is where the parchment paper comes in handy!)
Make glaze by microwaving white chocolate and butter together in a medium bowl on 20 second intervals, stirring after each, until melted.
Add vanilla and milk and stir until combined.
Spread over completely cooled brownies, top with sprinkles if desired and allow to cool for approx 1 hour.

Nutella Cheesecake Brownie Bars

March 19, 2012 · by Ari ·

Did you know there are actually people out there who have not tried NUTELLA?!?! That is a shame people. A big, huge, fat shame. Let’s change that by mixing it with cream cheese, sugar, and brownies. ~~Then proceeding to eat the remaining Nutella straight from the jar.~~ Sound like a good plan?

These cheesecake brownie bars are based very closely off my Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownie Bars, but super chocolatey, and the hazelnut flavor in the Nutella is especially delicious. I gave most of them away (Happy belated birthday KT!!), but the ones in my house didn’t last long 😉

Nutella Cheesecake Brownies Bars

yield approx 30

For the brownie layer:

1 box No Pudge brownie mix or TJ’s Reduced Guilt brownie mix
1 6oz container Yoplait Light fat free red velvet yogurt

For the cheesecake layer:

8oz fat free cream cheese
1/4 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
1 box fat free, sugar free chocolate pudding mix
2/3 cup granulated
1/2 cup Nutella
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9×13 baking pan well with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine brownie mix and yogurt. Spread in a thin layer to coat the bottom of your baking pan.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, Greek yogurt, pudding mix, sugar, Splenda, and Nutella. Add almond milk, and extracts. Beat until smooth and creamy.
Spread cheesecake mixture evenly over brownie mixture.
Bake for 80-90 minutes until cheesecake layer is set in the center. Yes, that is quite a long time. You may want to pour yourself a glass of wine ~~and catch up on bad reality tv~~.
Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes, then transfer to refrigerator to cool completely.

Cookie Butter Brownie Bars

February 17, 2012 · by Ari ·

Please don’t tell me you’re sick of the cookie butter already. You can’t be. This is only recipe #2. In fact, recipe #1 happened because the first time I tried this recipe it absolutely failed. I mean, it was delicious, but the brownies didn’t bake all the way through, and you couldn’t get it out of the pain, so you kind of had to sit there with a fork chowing down on a 9×13 pan of gooey half baked goodness. It kind of became a problem, and I had to give them away–well give it away, since it was kind of like one big bar. Anyway, I knew I was onto something with the taste, so I tried again.

Try #1 went brownie batter on bottom, cookie butter bar layer on top, bake. Try #2 included baking the brownie layer a little bit first, but still somehow came out looking like try #1. Third time’s a charm, I guess 😉

Cookie layer on the bottom because brownies cook more slowly–duhhh, Ari! The result? Gooey, brownie, cookie butter deliciousness that can actually be plated and served. See?

Cookie Butter Brownie Bars

yield approx 32 bars

1 box TJ’s reduced guilt brownie mix or No Pudge Brownie Mix
6oz nonfat vanilla yogurt (some other flavors also taste good mixed with brownie like red velvet–yum!)
1 cup cookie butter
1/2 cup apple butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
white chocolate and caramel for drizzling (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray to 9×9 baking pans with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Combine brownie mix and yogurt. Set aside.
Beat together cookie butter, apple butter, brown sugar, Splenda, vanilla, milk and baking soda. Slowly beat in flour.
Divide cookie butter dough in half and press into the bottom of each 9×9 baking pan. Smooth out the top as much as possible.
Evenly divide the brownie batter between the two pans, using a spatula to smooth on top.
Bake for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Careful not to over bake–you still want a little gooeyness in the middle, but you want everything set enough to come out neatly.
Cool on a wire rack, then slice and drizzle with white chocolate and caramel if desired.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies

January 18, 2012 · by Ari ·

Well, you know I just haaaaddd to make myself a special dessert to celebrate my half marathon 🙂 Recently, I stumbled across this recipe for Reese’s Cheesecake Brownies–ummm, yes please! Naturally, I couldn’t wait to make my own skinnified version! Let me tell you, these babies do not taste one bit skinny! Luckily, I gave half the pan to Kara, otherwise things would be dangerous in my house right now!

Take gooey, fudgey, rich brownie and top it with creamy, peanut buttery cheesecake goodness and you get one of the most delicious desserts that’s ever come out of this kitchen! I wish I could share some of them with you right now. The only thing I love more than making delicious food is sharing it! And did I mention that the prep time took me about 10 minutes? So unbelievably easy, and guaranteed to be a huge hit.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies

yield approx 30

For the brownie layer:

1 box No Pudge brownie mix or TJ’s Reduced Guilt brownie mix
1 6oz container Yoplait Light fat free red velvet yogurt

For the cheesecake layer:

8oz fat free cream cheese
1/4 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
1 box fat free, sugar free cheesecake pudding mix
2/3 cup raw cane sugar
1/2 cup PB & Co White Chocolate Wonderful
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cups Sunspire chips (I used 1/4 cup chocolate, 1/2 cup white chocolate, but any combo would be good and they even have ones that are like m&m’s now!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9×13 baking pan well with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine brownie mix and yogurt. Spread in a thin layer to coat the bottom of your baking pan.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, Greek yogurt, pudding mix, sugar, sugar, and peanut butter together. Add almond milk, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Spread cheesecake mixture evenly over brownie mixture.
Bake for 50-60 minutes until cheesecake layer is set in the center.
Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes, then transfer to refrigerator to cool completely.

Hellloooo, lover.

Is there any better nut butter for baking than White Chocolate Wonderful? If you find one, please send it this way.

Come closer, closer, like inside my stomach close.

Super Simple Pumpkin Brownies

November 13, 2011 · by Ari ·

Okay, I almost never do this, but sometimes it is just nice to bake something that take like 3 steps. Sometimes you can take a normal boxed baking good and make it your own and enjoy not having to spend hours preparing said delicious baked good. Every once in a while I do something like this

Oh my gosh! It's from a box! I know, you're horrified.

And of course, I don’t follow directions. I change it, and make it my own until it’s something more like this

Super Simple Pumpkin Brownies

yield 25 small brownies

1 box TJ’s Reduced Guilt Brownie Mix or No Pudge Brownie Mix (or honestly, if you follow these directions, I bet you could use any brownie mix and still have it be at least healthier)
1 cup pureed pumpkin
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
25 grain sweetened white chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease 8″ square baking pan.
2. Mix all ingredients except chips. It will take a few minutes and batter will be very thick.
3. Transfer to baking dish. If desired, top with chips.
4. Bake for approx 30 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
5. Cut, plate and top with red fat pumpkin ice cream and sprinkles!

Taaaaddddaaaa!!!!

Skinnified Sunday: Salted Caramel Mocha Brownie Cupcakes

October 2, 2011 · by Ari ·

Hi friends! Today I am going to my friend Bekki’s birthday dinner which means I got to make dessert! HOORAY!! I love any excuse to bake. Bekki loves sweet and salty, so I was pretty stoked when I came up with the idea of salted caramel mocha brownie cupcakes! Have you ever had the no pudge brownies? It’s a box brownie mix that is fat free and uses yogurt instead of oil. Heather and I tried them a few times and they were delicious, so I stole the idea and used yogurt in these too. I haven’t had one yet, but my friend Colin confirmed that they didn’t suck. Whoot!

I got the base recipe from Mom Advice

My Swaps:

Dannon Light & Fit vanilla yogurt for butter (-fat, -calories, -saturated fat)
Organic sugar and Splenda for regular sugar (-sugar, -calories, maybe the organic sugar balances out the fakeness of Splenda? 🙂 )
5 egg whites for whole eggs (-fat, -calories, -cholesterol)
Whole wheat pastry flour for all purpose (+fiber, +protein)
+ Starbucks via (+yum)

Skinnified Salted Caramel Mocha Brownie Cupcakes

yeild approx 35 mini cupcakes

3/4 cup Dannon Light and Fit vanilla yogurt
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
6 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1/3 cup Splenda
5 egg whites
2 tsp vanilla (or you can skip it because the vanilla in the yogurt has the same effect)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
Freshly ground sea salt to taste
Cool Whip for topping
Fleur De Sel Caramel for topping

Directions:

1) Combine flour, sugar, Splenda, via, and cocoa powder.

2) Add in egg whites one at a time, mixing after each addition.

3) Add in vanilla.

4) Melt unsweetened chocolate, and add in along with yogurt.

5) Mix until combined, scraping down sides of the bowl when necessary.

6) Transfer into lined and greased mini cupcake tines (I ran out of mini liners so half of mine are full size).

7) Top each cupcake with a pinch of sea salt.

8) Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick in center comes out mostly clean (but don’t over bake–you still want a gooey brownie center!)

9) Top with desired amount of cool whip.

10) Put a little caramel in the microwave for approx 10-15 seconds to warm, then use a whisk to drizzle over the cupcakes.

11) Enjoy!