{Mint Brownie Pie}

It's time to sign Bean up for the ACT. WHAT?

Did he just learn his ABCs?

This is crazy. Time is a bully. No matter how much we want time to slow down, no matter who you are, it won't. Mean.

So, here we are over 1/2 way through Bean's junior year of high school and I don't even know what to do with myself. I'm so not ready to be an empty nester. So. Not. Ready.

For now though, we will just keep making memories. And eating chocolate. In the words of Remus Lupin, "Eat it. It helps. It really helps.". Wise man, that Lupin.

Today I have for you something that will work for not only St. Patrick's Day, but for Pi Day, which is Friday (3.14). Or, you know, any day you need chocolate.

This starts with my favorite brownie ever, Darla of Bakingdom's recipe. I'm not just saying that because she's my friend either, folks!

The crust is none other than Thin Mints, and the glaze, which is the easiest thing ever, is Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips.

Let me tell you about the 'glaze'. After you've baked your brownie, remove it from the oven, sprinkle a cup of Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips on top immediately. Walk away for 5 minutes. Come back, and spread with a knife. Then, let cool and harden. Done-zo. It's super delicious too, of course!

To top it all, drizzle on a little hot fudge, whipped cream, and some sprinkles, because reasons.
(Reasons being YUM.)

Happy Pi Day! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Most of all though, make a memory today. As Ferris said, 'Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.'


Tina





Mint Brownie Pie
by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers
(brownie recipe by Darla @ Bakingdom)


Preheat oven to 350 F

For the crust:

1 sleeve Thin Mint Cookies (approx 16 cookies) or Keebler Grasshopper Cookies
1/4 cup butter (melted)

Pulverize cookies in a food processor or roll with rolling pin until fine crumbs
Stir in melted butter until you have a 'dough'.

Press into 9" pie pan.

For the brownie:

1/2 cup  unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, combine the cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. When melted, remove from heat and add in the sugar, stir until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Whisk in the vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients until well combined and pour the batter into the prepared pan, slowly, over the crust.

Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few crumbs.

For the glaze:


1 cup Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips

When brownie comes out of the oven, immediately pour on 1 cup of Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips. Allow to sit on the brownie for approx 5 minutes. Then use a knife to easily spread the melted chips into a topping.


Allow brownie to cool and chocolate to harden.

{Raspberry Shortbread Crusted Brownies}

Ok, confession time.

My favorite cookies? Plain jane.

Sugar. Butter. Shortbread.

I don't need that extra stuff. Delicious, pure flavors. That's what I like.

Shortbread cookies are probably my favorite. I love the rich, butteriness of them.

I was recently invited to join the Ambassador Program for Walkers Shortbread. The awesome news here is that Walker's was the brand I already buy!

Here's a little info about Walkers:

The brand is imported directly from Scotland. The company was started in 1898 by Joseph Walker. It is still family- owned & ran today. They bake their shortbreads, cakes, traditional cookies, oatcakes, and puddings in the village of Aberlour in the Highlands of Scotland.

Authentic Scottish Shortbread? YOU BETCHA.

What I love most about Walkers' is that their shortbread products are guaranteed to contain no GMOs, preservatives, hydrogenated fats. In addition, no antibiotics or bovine growth hormones are given to their grass fed cows.

The classic shortbread is made of only FOUR ingredients: Flour, Sugar, Butter, and a pinch of Salt.

I love that. Seriously.


Walkers Shortbread products are also 100% vegetarian and certified Kosher OUD.


 My first shipment from Walkers contained Raspberry Thins. I knew right away what I wanted to make.

The raspberry in these cookies (biscuits? I want to feel Scottish, so, I'm going with biscuits!) is intensely real tasting. No 'fake' raspberry taste. They smell amazing.

What pairs perfectly with raspberries? Why, chocolate of course!

I decided to make a Raspberry Crusted Shortbread Brownie.

Super easy to do. Just pulverize your biscuits, add a bit of sugar, flour, and butter to make a crust. Press into an 8x8 pan. Then, whip up this 1 pan brownie from my friend Darla, at Bakingdom. I love her recipe because it has the slightly crisp crust and the deep, fudgey middle. Yum.

After cool, dust with a little powdered sugar & top with fresh whipped cream if you wish! You could also top with fresh raspberries.

Honestly, I intended to put a chocolate glaze on these, it it was NOT needed. They are so good as is!

The biscuit I topped the brownie with is the Vanilla Shortbread, which is not only delicious, but a really lovely looking cookie.

Walker has extended an offer to my readers! You can get 20% off your purchases made at www.walkersus.com when you use my promo code #SBBSPRING until May 24, 2013. This code excludes sale products.

I think you'll love these all natural, delicious biscuits as much as I do!

You know what makes brownies even better?

Shortbread.

You know what makes shortbread crusted brownies even better better?

Raspberries.

Yeah.

Tina

As part of the Walkers Blogger Buzz Ambassador program, I was sent this product to review. However, opinions expressed are my own.

Raspberry Shortbread Crusted Brownies

Preheat oven to 350 F

For the crust:

1 package (4.2 oz) Walkers Raspberry Shortbread Thins
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Pulverize the cookies in a food processor. Stir in the melted butter, flour, and sugar until well mixed. This should be a 'wet sand' texture.

Press into a greased 8x8 glass dish. Set aside.

For the Brownies:
(recipe by Darla of Bakingdom)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup  unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix together the cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter. When butter is melted, remove from heat and mix in sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla. Slowly, whisk the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture.

When well combined, pour batter on top of the shortbread crust.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean with only a few crumbs clinging to it. Allow to cool totally before cutting and serving.

P.S. If you haven’t already,  you can ‘like’ my Facebook page here, and follow me on twitter here, and you can follow me on instagram here.

· 

{Neapolitan Brownie Bites}

This story has nothing to do with anything Neapolitan. 

It's about my Mamma. That's Mam-maw. My grandmother.

You can read more about her here.

Next Monday, April 28, 2013, she will be 93 years old. Yes, Nintey-Three.

She's a spitfire. I love her sooooo much & when I grow up, I want to be just like her.

On Sunday we are having a cookout for her birthday and I'm making her favorite cake- Pineapple Upside Down Cake. I bought her a huge angel for her garden (3'). She loves angels and gardening, so it seemed like a win win. 

I wish you all could meet her. She's just the best. Ever.

And she's darn funny too!

I took this photo of her in December when she was over. She loves my dogs, Jingle and Luna, who she calls 'boys'. She always says, "Oh, I know they are girls, but I just call them my boys!". Hilarious.

I'm blessed not only to know this incredible lady, but to call her my grandmother.

Wishing her the happiest of birthdays!

Also, I made these.

Like I said, they have nothing to do with my Mamma.

Oh, she'd like them, I know she would, but I just had to dedicate today's post to her!

These little gems are white bottom brownies with strawberry buttercream.

Easy & delicious.

This is the most amazing brownie recipe. It's super easy too. They are moist and fudgey, but they hold together well enough for you to cut them however you like.

For these, I cut the brownie into a circle, dipped in white chocolate, and topped with the icing.

Cause yummy.

Want more Neapolitan? You HAVE to go see the totally adorable (and delish) Neapolitan Sugar Cookies Darla made over at Bakingdom!

Tina

P.S. If you haven’t already,  you can ‘like’ my Facebook page here, and follow me on twitter here, and you can follow me on instagram here.

Neapolitan Brownie Bites

For the brownies:
recipe by Darla @ Bakingdom

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour and 8 x 8 inch glass baking pan.

Combine the cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl; put aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Once butter is melted, remove from heat and whisk in the sugar until combined. One at a time, add the eggs, mixing well after each. Stir in the vanilla. Whisk in the dry ingredients until well combined. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it. Allow brownies to cool completely before dipping/icing.


After allowing brownies to totally cool, cut into desired shape & dip the bottoms in melted white chocolate. Place on parchment paper/wax paper/foil to dry.

When dry, top with Strawberry Buttercream.


For the Strawberry Buttercream:
Recipe by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup finely crushed berries
1 Tablespoon heavy cream OR 1 Tablespoon melted and lightly cooled white chocolate

Beat butter until fluffy. Add powered sugar and mix well. Beat in the heavy cream, or melted chocolate*. (If using chocolate, be sure to add it WHILE the mixer is going.)  Add in the berries. Mix until combined.

 *the wateriness of the berries tends to 'break' the buttercream. The heavy cream or melted chocolate will bind it back together.

{ Mint Oreo Brownie Truffles }

Pin It

Remember how I said the Pie Pops were for school?

Well, guess where these little gems are headed?

Yeah... the same place. Only not math class this time.

A bake sale for the Drama Club.

The Bean? Yes, yes, he's a complete and total Drama Llama.

He loves to act. He acts at school, at church, he does summer productions in a local college's kid's theater, and he goes to their drama camp as well.

Where did he get this passion for drama?

Me? dramatic??????????? NEVAH! 

*faints away like Scarlett O'Hara*

More likely even, it's that only child LOOK AT ME! syndrome.

Yeah.

But, yes, the Drama Club at school is having a bake sale.

Which much like the message I got the other day means: MOM.SCHOOL.BAKE.NEED.

I'm a lucky girl!

Since Saturday is St. Patrick's, I decided to go with the chocolate mint theme.

The Chocolate Mint Cupcakes I posted a couple weeks ago are now officially the most popular post on my site. 

Ever.

Seems like a winning combo then, eh?

Mint Oreo Truffles

recipe by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers

For these, you'll need:

Brownie Mix for a 13x9 pan
(and ingredients to make them according to box)

Cool Mint Oreos

Dipping Chocolate

Andes Mints

Mix brownies according to box, then pulverize one row of Cool Mint Oreos.

I used my Ninja. You can use a food processor, blender, or manual labor, if you so choose.

Then stir into your mixed brownie batter

Mix well, then pour into prepared pan

My box said to bake 28-32 minutes. Bake these about 25 minutes.

I always under bake mine. It makes them gooey and fudgey and amazing.

For this recipe, it makes them easier to roll.

(and gooey and fudgey and amazing) 

When cooled, cut off the hard edges. We are only using the (gooey, fudgey, amazing) center.

I'm sure if you throw the edges at some children, they will eat them up. 
Waste not, want not and all.

I use a small Pampered Chef scoop, which is probably a teaspoon/teaspoon and a half. 
However, you can make these bigger or smaller, up to you.

Then roll until smooth...ish.

 This is a good time to get kids involved. The Bean normally loves to roll cake balls, buckeyes, etc, but he is currently nursing a bad knee, so I didn't make him stand and help me.

Melt up some chocolate. I used 6 blocks of Chocolate Almond Bark for these, plus 12 Andes Mints.

I've already sung praises of my Wilton Pot, but... in case you missed that post, read it here.

(Spoiler: I LOVE IT)

Yes, we've already established that I am messy, I know.

I added about a Tablespoon of vegetable oil to my chocolate. When melted smooth, you can start to dip.

use a fork, as I suggested here, to remove the truffles, it allows the chocolate to fall through the tines. Tap, tap, tap off the excess as you remove.

I squished up 2 extra Oreos and sprinkled them, along with green sugar crystals on top when finished. Dip a few at a time, then sprinkle or the chocolate will harden and your toppings won't stick. 

And that would be sad. 

So sad.

These are super sweet with a cool, minty after bite.

Wee Leprechauns, they love 'em, and regular sized people do too!

Tina

Shared at:
In The Kitchen With Audrey
Six Sisters' Stuff
Tidy Mom
Whipperberry
A Southern Fairytale

Gooseberry Patch

{ Sweet Sixteen meets Halloween }

Sweet Sixteen... aww...

We've all seen the movies, the birthday girl all dressed up like a princess or a movie star. Sweet and adorable decorations lined the tables and the room. Pinks & purples, and prettiness.

Precious right?

My niece's birthday party is tonight- and how sweet is it going to be?

NOT SWEET, that's how sweet.

Following in the footsteps of her older sister, she too, is having a Spooky Sixteen. Gross foods, disgusting decorations. It's all so.... special. mmmhmmm... That's my girls.

My laundry list of items included:

Caludron Cakes and Butterbeer

Blood Bites

Giant Bat Droppings

Licorice Wands

and the Pièce de grossness: Blood Clot Brain Cakes. 

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

You want more info?

Really?

REALLY?

m’ok, then.

You can find the link to Caldron Cakes and Butterbeer here. 

Blood Bites (aka Red Velvet Cake Balls) are here. 

Giant Bat Droppings, well, these are simply a batch of brownies rolled into balls and dipped in chocolate. No need to add any icing or anything. I usually undercook my brownies so they are a LITTLE gooey, by about 3 minutes.

Licorice Wands- Twizzlers dipped in chocolate with sprinkles

and Blood Clot Brain Cakes. 

I found these on Pintrest a few months ago and pinned right away. 

Niecey was all excited about these. Have I mentioned she's pretty gross ;) A zombie loving, black wearing, gothic lolita obsessed girl. But, she's pretty cute, so I guess we'll keep her.

Find the original post here at Annie’s Eats. 

Other items on the menu:

"Man"wich (uh.. it's Manwich)

Frankenweenies (hot dogs)

Brains on Toast (our favorite appetizer that my mom makes, and yes, it's SO healthy ;)

Zombitables (veggies for the non-brain eating zombie)

Cheesy Toes (cheetos)

Crisped Critters (potato chips)

Swamp Goo (chip dip)

Cauldron Brew & Skin of Newt (Salsa and Chips)

and a few other disgusting things I can’t think of.

Or choose not to, take your pick.

Of course I made lil name tags too.

Actually, I still have several of those to finish, and cut out, and fold…

I'd better do that now, or they'll set the wolves on me. No, seriously, these people are way into Halloween. 

They may have rented some.

Is the moon full tonight? Perhaps I should be a little worried about that.

uh...yeah, I gotta run!

Tina

Shared at Gooseberry Patch  
Shared at Susie QT Pies Scraps of Life 
Shared at Everyday Mom's Meals 
Shared at Hugs & Cookies XOXO

{ Can You Handle S’more? }

So, my last post was about S'mores. If you scroll down, you can see it.

If your finger is out of shape and just can’t handle the scroll, I’ve linked it here, as well.

You are welcome.

When left alone, with graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows, my mind started to wander.

Or wonder, depending on how I look at it.

I needed a snack to take to church (to a group of chocolate hungry teenagers, no less), and I had little time to prepare.

Always a good thing to shove at teens?

Brownies.

It’s just a fact of life.

Good news? Brownies are fast. Gotta love something you can plop into a pan and not worry about.

I’ve made my brownies with fudge glaze for them before. So, I wanted to do something different.

This is back to where my mind started to wander (and wonder).

S’more Brownies!

I’m sure I’m not the only person to think of it. Most likely far from it… but, I’m posting this anyway.

Because I can. :D

Needed:

1 box or recipe for a 13x9 pan of brownies

3 (or more) full sized Hershey Bars, broken into small pieces

6 graham crackers, broken into small pieces

2 cups (or more) mini marshmallows

If you remember from my last post, I had those new square mallows. I didn’t have minis. I used them anyway. 

Minis would cooperate better.

And spread more marshmallowy love.

Break up the crackers, and the Hershey bars. Throw into a bowl with the marshmallows and toss to mix well.

Bake brownies according to directions, but with about 5-8 minutes remaining, remove from oven, cover with this topping, then finish baking.

This will allow enough time for the chocolate to melt, and the mallows to brown without over baking.

Allow to cool, cut, and if you are serving teenagers… STAND BACK.

I wouldn’t want you to lose an appendage. 

ooey, gooey, messy goodness.

If you want to take it a step further (toward sugar comas), you can make this fudge glaze I mentioned earlier, and drizzle on top when fully baked.

(The recipe is near the end of that post)

I decided to do just that after I took the photos. 

As far as I know, no sugar comas were induced.

Printable Recipe

Tina