Mint Chocolate Brownies

I love mint and chocolate so there was no stopping me when I saw this recipe. The brownie is rich and chocolatey, the mint is light and creamy, and the glaze on top adds a little crunch. Definitely a brownie you might not share!

Mint Chocolate Brownies

Recipe Source: MyBakingAddiction.com

for the Brownie
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, cut into pieces
4 oz Unsweetened Chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
2 large Eggs
1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt

for the Mint Layer
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
1 cup Powdered Sugar, sifted

1 1/2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
1/2 teaspoon Pure Peppermint Extract

Green Food Coloring

for the Chocolate Glaze
3 oz Semisweet Chocolate, chopped
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a 9x9 inch baking dish by lining it with aluminum foil across the bottom and up two opposite sides of the pan. Set aside.

for the Brownie 

In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, using a wooden spoon beat well after each addition. Stir in the flour and salt and beat until the batter is smooth and glossy and comes away from the sides of the pan, about 1 minute. Pour the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake about 25 minutes or until the brownies start to pull away from the sides of the pan. A toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies will come out almost clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to completely cool.

for the Mint Layer
In the bowl of your electric mixer beat all the ingredients until smooth. Add a few drops of green food coloring. If the frosting is too thick, add a little extra cream. Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled brownie layer. Place in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes or until firm.

for the Chocolate Glaze
In a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Spread over the mint filling and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Remove the brownies from the pan by lifting the ends of the foil and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into squares using a sharp knife.

Strawberry Lemonade Icebox Pie

I was watching The Chew, a great show by the way, the other day and they made this delicious looking pie. I haven't ever had a strawberry lemonade pie so I figured I would give it a shot. Its best eaten refrigerated not frozen.

Strawberry Lemonade Icebox Pie

Recipe Source: The Chew

2 cups Graham Crackers, crumbled

1/2 cup Butter, softened
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1/2 cup Water
3/4 cup Sugar
2 pints Strawberries, 1 pint only hulled and 1 pint hulled and sliced into coins

2 - 8oz pkgs Cream Cheese, softened to room temp
2 cups Heavy Cream, beaten to stiff peaks

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the graham crackers and butter and press into a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and set.

2. Combine the lemon juice, water, and sugar in a small saucepot and stir until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, allow to cool completely.  In a blender, combine the pint of the whole hulled strawberries and the simple syrup. Measure out 3/4 of a cup of this mixture. 

3. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and the 3/4 cup of the strawberry mixture and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. 

4. Crumble into each mason jar a layer of graham cracker crust, and then lay a layer of strawberry coins. Add a layer of the cream cheese and more strawberry coins until pie is full. Place in the fridge at least 2 hours. Add a dollop of whipped cream and a strawberry coin.

Naan

This is the perfect side for the Chicken Tikka Masala I shared with you earlier this week. Its soft, chewy, and the flavor is a perfect match for the curry.

 

Naan

Recipe Source: AllRecipes.com

1 - .25oz pkg Active Dry Yeast
1 cup Warm Water
1/4 cup & 1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
3 Tablespoons Milk
1 Egg, beaten
2 teaspoons Salt
4 1/2 cups Bread Flour
1/4 cup Butter, melted

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water with 1 tablespoon sugar. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place dough in a well greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

2. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the grill to medium. At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for about 3 minutes, until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 3 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue until all the naan is cooked.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken tikka masala is my favorite Indian dish. This is one of the dishes that I first experienced in Scotland of all places and have never had one here that came anywhere close to that one. Then I found this recipe and had to try it. Its so flavorful, just the way you expect Indian food to be. The chicken baked the way it is, is so full of flavor that compliments all of the spices in the curry. You need this recipe in your box.

 
Chicken Tikka Masala

Recipe Source: ThePioneerWoman.com

4 Chicken Breasts
Kosher Salt
Ground Coriander
Cumin

1/2 cup Plain Yogurt
6 Tablespoons Butter
1 large Onion
4 cloves Garlic
1 piece, about 1x2 inch, chunk fresh Ginger

1/2 Tablespoon & 1 teaspoon Salt
3 Tablespoons Garam Masala (Recipe Follows)
1 - 28oz can  Diced Tomatoes
1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
2 cups Basmati Rice

1 Tablespoon Ground Tumeric

1. Season the chicken breasts with kosher salt, coriander and cumin. Then cover the chicken breasts completely with plain yogurt. Set the chicken on a metal cooling rack over a foil lined baking sheet and place it about 12 inches below the broiler for 5-7 minutes per side. Watch carefully so you don't char the chicken. The edges should be slightly blackened. Remove from the oven.

2. Dice the onion. In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Place the onions in the pan and sauté them until they are slightly browned. As the onion cooks, mince the garlic. Cut off the outer skin and mince the ginger. Add the garlic and ginger to the onions. Also put in 1/2 tablespoon of salt.

3. Add 3 tablespoons Garam Masala spice and mix. Add the diced tomatoes and continue cooking and stirring, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Add about 1 tablespoon of sugar and taste, adding more if too salty. Let mixture simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes.

4. To a rice cooker add 2 cups Basmati rice, 4 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon Ground Turmeric and 4 cups water. Cover, turn on your rice cooker and walk away. If you do not have a rice cooker, cook your rice as usual but use Basmati rice.

5. After the Tikka Masala sauce has had a chance to simmer, add in the 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream. Now, cut up your chicken breasts into chunks and stir them into the Tikka Masala sauce. Serve the rice with the Chicken Tikka Masala over top.

Garam Marsala
1 Tablespoon ground Coriander

1 Tablespoon ground Cumin

1 Tablespoon ground Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon ground Cayenne Pepper

1 Tablespoon ground Fennel Seeds

1 Tablespoon ground Ginger

1 Tablespoon ground Cardamom

1 Tablespoon ground Nutmeg

1 TEASPOON ground Cloves

Mix all spices together.

Lime Swirl Cheesecake Bars

I found this recipe and it was so pretty looking I had to make it, and heaven knows I am a sucker for cheesecake. The lime is creamy and tangy and the cheesecake is rich and sweet. It is a perfect combination.

Lime Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Recipe Source: SprinkleBakes.com

Crust
2 cups (about 16) Graham Crackers
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 7x11 or 9x9 pan with parchment paper enough to hang over the edges. Mix the butter and graham crackers together and press into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 5 minutes and let cool completely.

Filling
2 - 8oz pkgs Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
2 large Eggs plus one large Egg White
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup prepared Lime Curd, (recipe below)
Liquid Green Food Coloring
Liquid Yellow Food Coloring

1. Tint the chilled lime curd with the liquid food coloring until lime green. You use about three drops of both green and yellow food coloring. Set aside.

2. Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl on medium high speed until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time on low speed. Beat in sour cream and vanilla, then flour just until blended. Remove 1 cup of batter and reserve. Pour the rest of the batter over the crust.

3. Mix 1/2 cup of lime curd with the 1 cup of reserved batter. Place spoonfuls of this mixture on top of the plain cheesecake batter. Dollop the remaining 1/4 cup of lime curd on top the previous mixture. Use a toothpick to swirl the mixtures together so it looks marbleized.

4. Bake for about 50 minutes at 325 degrees or until center doesn't jiggle. Let cool completely in pan then refrigerate. Lift cheesecake out of the pan with parchment overhang. Cut into bars before serving.

Lime Curd
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, room temp
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1 large Eggs
1 large Egg Yolk
4 1/2 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice

1. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium. Slowly add the egg and egg yolk one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour in lime juice and mix again. The mixture will look curdled.

2. Cook the mixture over medium heat in a medium-size saucepan until it no longer looks curdled. Increase the heat a small amount and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens. Cook until the mixture reaches 170 degrees.

3. Remove the curd from the heat. Transfer the curd to a bowl and press plastic wrap on the surface of the lime curd to keep a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator.

S'more Whoopie Pies

You cant miss with a whoppie pie and s'mores are so simple and so delicious. Everything about these are soft and fluffy. The cookie has the taste and texture of a graham cracker. The chocolate is soft and the marshmallow is light, fluffy, and sweet. A delicious version of a s'more without having to make a fire!

S'more Whoopie Pies

Recipe Source: SweetPeasKitchen.com and CookiesandCups.com

Graham Cracker Whoopie

1 1/2 cups Graham Flour

3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
4 Tablespoons Vegetable Shortening
1 cup packed Brown Sugar
2 large Eggs

1/2 cup Buttermilk
2 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon White Vinegar
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Marshmallow Frosting

1/2 cup Butter, room temperature
1 cup Marshmallow Creme
2 cups Powdered Sugar
2 Tablespoons Milk

4 Hershey Chocolate Bars

Whoopie Cookies
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, shortening and brown sugar until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and the buttermilk and beat until combined.

3. In a measuring cup, combine the milk, baking soda, and vinegar. With your mixer on low and add half of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Mix in the milk mixture. Add in the remaining flour mixture just until just combined. Add the vanilla and mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until combined.

4. Drop tablespoon sized dollops of the dough onto the baking sheets, about 2-inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the tops are firm. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Marshmallow Frosting
Mix butter and creme on medium speed until smooth. Slowly add in powdered sugar with mixer on low. Add in milk and turn speed up to medium and mix until all combined.

Melt chocolate Hershey bars on 50% power in 30 second increments stirring until melted.

Assembling the Pies
Spread a layer of chocolate the flat side of one of the cakes. Pipe marshmallow filling in the center onto another flat side of one of the cookies leaving room for it to spread out when they are sandwiched together. Repeat with the rest of the cakes and filling.

I shared this at
National S'mores Day {Recipe Round-Up}

Barbeque Chicken Sandwiches

This is an easy and delicious crockpot dinner. A great idea for a summer potluck. 

Barbeque Chicken Sandwiches

1 - 28oz bottle Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce

4 Chicken Breasts

1/4 cup Water

1. Pour 3/4 of the bottle of barbeque sauce and the water in the crockpot and mix together until combined. Place the chicken in the crockpot spoon the sauce over the chicken so it is covered. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until it easily falls apart with a fork. 

2. Take the chicken out of the crockpot and shred it. Pour the rest of the bottle of barbeque sauce in the crockpot and combine. Place the chicken back in the crockpot and mix until all the chicken is covered in sauce. Serve on rolls.

Strawberry Meringue Clouds

When I lived in Scotland we would go to the bakery and get meringues, it was two meringues with the most fresh sweet cream sandwiched in the middle. We would twist them apart and the joy would last twice as long.  So when I saw this dessert and realized I could make it in my own house and not have to fly half way around the world to get it, I had to make it. Turns out this is my new favorite summer dessert. The meringue is light and crispy on the outside and a little chewy on the inside. The cream on top is sweet and, well, creamy, and the strawberries top it off and make it the best dessert.

Strawberry Meringue Clouds

Recipe Source: Family Fun Magazine

for the Meringues

1 1/4 cups Granulated Sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons Cornstarch

5 Egg Whites

1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tarter

Pinch of Salt

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

for the Topping

2 pints fresh Strawberries

1/4 cup & 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar

1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream

to make Meringues

Pre-heat the oven to 275 degrees. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl stir together the sugar and the cornstarch until well blended. In a large mixing bowl for a stand mixer or using a hand mixer beat egg whites, cream of tarter, and salt until the mixture is foamy and will hold soft peaks, 2-3 minutes. Increase the speed on the mixer to med-high and slowly add 1/4 of the sugar and beat until dissolved and scrape the sides of the bowl and reapeat until all of the sugar has been added. When the whites hold a stiff peak, add the vanilla and beat until completely combined.

Using an ice cream scoop put 1/3 cup portions of the meringue, 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Then using a the scoop press gently into the meringue to make a well in the center. Place in the oven and reduce the temperature to 250 degrees. Bake for about an hour or until crisp on the outside but haven't really changed color. Let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

for the Strawberries

Hull the strawberries and quarter them. Place them in a medium bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of sugar. Mix until combined, leave out for 30 minutes then cover and refrigerate until time to serve.

for the Cream

Beat together the cream and 3 tablespoons of sugar on medium in a large mixing bowl for about 1 minute. Increase the speed to high and beat and scrape the bowl until the cream holds stiff peaks, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Assembling the desserts

Place a meringue on each plate, spoon on the whipped cream into the center and place the strawberries on top.


I shared this at
Totally Tasty Tuesdays
Hearth & Soul
Too Cute Tuesday