Holiday Baking ~ Teacher's Gifts

This morning I am doing some baking before work.  I want to make little treat containers for Madison to pass out to her teachers.  When you are working on a tight budget and your middle schooler has multiple teachers... holiday gifts become a bit more difficult to manage.

I had these leftover Chinese takeout boxes from our wedding favors plus those great and super cheap labels I ordered through Tiny Prints.

I filled them with chocolate frosted brownie squares and Buckeyes.

Then I made cinammon sugar pretzels (sooo good) and tied them up in little baggies with more custom labels for her teachers too.

I know it isn't much, but I hope it is a small treat to brighten their day.

Even a Baker Has a Bad Day

This afternoon I started working on a baking order for chocolate frosted brownies.  I took a chance with a new recipe...and boy it did not disappoint.  I made two pans.  One for the order and another - which I added caramel bits and chocolate chips to for our family.  Well let's just say the pan for my family slipped when I removed it from the oven and brownies got all over the oven door.  I must have done a good job spraying the pan before I filled it with batter... because they just slid right out...

Only this was left in the pan... and yep... I ate it right from the pan to test it out...which left me even more disappointed I ruined the pan...because these were the yummiest chewiest brownies ever.

FIRST ever Brownies from Scratch {Recipe}

I made Chocolate Buttercream Frosted Brownies. Who doesn't love a quick and easy boxed brownie mix? It is my go to dessert.  They are affordable and easy to doctor up.  Well, this afternoon I picked up some cocoa powder at the store and attemped to make brownies from scratch.  They were very rich...yet tasty.

Here is the recipe I used -

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, melted

2 tablespoons water

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Baking Cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350º F. Grease 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

COMBINE granulated sugar, butter and water in large bowl. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; stir into sugar mixture.  Spread into prepared baking pan.

BAKE for 18 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Top with chocolate buttercream frosting. Cut into bars.

Source : The Very Best Baking

So I Made the Peanut Butter Brownies

I made the peanut butter brownies I blogged about the other day.  Amazing.  Run to the store.  Get the ingredients.  Make them right away.  It tastes like a brownie and a peanut butter cup all rolled up in one.  F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C.  Look at that fabulous layer of peanut butter goodness.

I got the recipe HERE.  This will definitely be a recipe I will making again.  I sent my husband off to a friend's house tonight with a plate of these to share.