Time for Thursday! Rise and Shine!
What’s with my peppiness? Well, we know I am a morning person. So I am naturally up and ready for the day.
Although I think I am still on a caffeine high from yesterday morning. I worked from Panera Bread and went a little refill happy with the hazelnut coffee.
I couldn’t help myself. Free coffee refills is like allowing a child free rein in a bakery.
Actually, allowing me free rein in a bakery would be a bit of situation as well.
Speaking of bakeries, let’s talk dessert recipes today.
I would like you to meet my recipe box. Isn’t she beautiful?
I fell upon this beauty last year at a cute little shop in Manhattan. The box is so beautiful, it is more than just a kitchen tool, it is a decorative piece in my house.
I mean really, even these pretty flowers matched up yesterday.
The recipe cards are so delicate and adorable…. but wait, there is a catch here – let me explain.
I know I have readers of all ages so it is quite possible some of you have never seen the show, iCarly.
My son used to love watching iCarly and I swear I would watch it even without him in the room. I still do.
One episode in particular was centered around a secret pie recipe that everyone wanted their hands on. The baker died and only one person alive possibly knew of the exact recipe.
If they couldn’t locate the recipe for sure, there would never be another coconut cream pie again.
What am I trying to get at? Well, not pie. Although I do like a good pie…
You see, I don’t like to share my most secret signature of recipes. In fact, I refused for a long time to even write them down.
Until I scored this beautiful recipe box.
I decided to write down a few of my top recipes – but only in terms I understand.
I only list ingredients, no exact measurements, no over temperatures or cooking times.
Yes, I am convinced someone will want to come in and steal my recipes.
This method (or call it madness if you prefer) worked for me until yesterday.
See these beautiful brownies? Nice and thick and fudgy and moist and chewy. Well, I wanted to make them yesterday.
I haven’t made them in a while so I needed to consult my recipe box to refresh my memory a bit.
When I checked my recipe box, I learned that it is the one special recipe of mine that I NEVER wrote down.
And, I forgot the recipe. Complete mental block.
Instead of trying to wing it, I chose to loosely follow a Double Chocolate Chip brownie recipe from the website, Very Best Baking. Click here for the original link.
Double Chocolate Chip Brownies:
- 2 cups Chocolate Chips of choice (divided)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 stick of butter
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease square brownie pan (8 X 8, 9 X 9 – whatever you have)
Melt one cup of chocolate chips and butter either in sauce pan or in microwave.
I went with microwave option. Quick and easy.
Mix well once melted. Add in eggs and the rest of the ingredients except for remaining one cup of chocolate chips.
I chose to use two types of chocolate.
I found these Hershey’s Baking Melts interesting because they can be used in recipes without melting, in place of chips.
I broke them up though and added in one cup at the end.
Bake for 18-22 minutes or until fork comes out pretty clean.
I popped some mini peanut butter cups into the brownies once they came out of the oven.
Delicious, moist and super super fudgy.
BUT, they are not my recipe. I don’t know if you can tell from the picture, they are almost too fudgy.
Don’t get me wrong, nothing can ever really be too fudgy for me but cutting them was not easy, even after cooling down longer than necessary.
Maybe they needed more time to cook even though the fork was clean. I know my brownie recipe needed to bake for at least double this amount of time.
These brownies will certainly not go to waste but I will have to try again to perfect the appearance and consistency.
Or just remember my secret recipe.
****************************************************************************************************************
Do you write down your recipes in a recipe box or save them all on your computer?
Do you have your own secret recipes you don’t share?
Do you watch iCarly?
Do you take advantage of free refills?
The Cookie ChRUNicles 
If my recipes end up working out, I write them down on a file in my computer. And I’ve never seen iCarly, but it sounds like a cute show.
I love that you added in mini peanut butter cups to your brownies! You really cannot go wrong with the chocolate/PB combo.
Girl, what are you doing to me?? Those brownies look heavenly, and I don’t even like chocolate that much. Anything with pb cups in it will do it for me every time, though. I’m going to convince Meghan (she won’t need convincing) to make this recipe with me after our cruise. Not paleo at all, but I don’t even care. Your recipe box is adorable. I wish I could cook well enough to keep recipes. I usually just wing it anyway. Haha, I haven’t seen icarly in quite some time. Cute.
Cute recipe box! I have a book that I put all of mine in. Also…I am totally craving brownies now 🙂
ah mah goodness loving those brownies! my mom makes cookies and she uses mini reeses also, such a brilliant idea! i love kids shows and have missed them dearly since i haven’t had cable. 🙂
cute recipe box, I totally never follow or use recipes so that adorable box would be lost on me!! 🙂
That recipe box is so cute! And I like that recipe because the ingredients list is simple! I wonder how to make them less fudgy (although its hard to imagine anyone would want them less fudgy, haha)
I have to say – I had one yesterday and decided the fudgy part is good but the taste is off – not sweet enough for me. If you make this recipe, I advise more sugar. I need to remember my secret brownie recipe- it was the best!
It’s not my firsxt time to visit this website, i am visiting this webb pagbe dailly and take pleasant facts from here everyday.