Thong Buster Cookie Dough Brownies

2 cups Butter, Divided
¾ cups Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2-¾ cups Granulated White Sugar, Divided
1 cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
3-¼ cups All-purpose Flour, Divided
3 whole Eggs
½ teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoons Baking Powder
4 Tablespoons Milk
3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract, Divided
2-½ cups Mini Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips, Divided
1 Tablespoon Shortening, Such As Crisco

For Brownies:



1 c. butter

3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 1/4 c. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Prepare 13×9″ baking pan by laying a piece of foil in the bottom and up the sides. Spray with cooking spray or butter the foil.

Melt 2 sticks of butter in a medium saucepan; add cocoa, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add sugar, salt, eggs, and vanilla; beat with a spoon until combined. Add flour and baking powder; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread batter into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. (I always remove my brownies from the oven when a toothpick inserted 1 inch from the side of the pan comes out clean or almost clean.) Allow brownies to cool completely before moving on to the next step.

For Cookie Dough Filling:



1 c. butter, softened

1 c. packed light brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

4 Tbsp. milk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine first 5 ingredients in a mixing bowl and cream together. Add flour and stir until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread in an even layer on top of cooled brownies. Chill before adding chocolate glaze.

For Chocolate Glaze:



1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 Tbsp. Crisco shortening

Melt chocolate with shortening and stir until smooth. Spread over chilled cookie dough layer.

Dulce de Leche Brownies

1. 
   
   
   Ingredients:
   4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
   3/4 cup butter
   1/4 cup dulce de leche (purchased or homemade, see  recipe below)
   1 1/3 cups sugar
   1/4 cup brown sugar
   3 eggs
   1 cup flour
   1/2 teaspoons salt
   1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
   2 teaspoons vanilla
   1/3 cup dulce de leche
   1/2 cup flour
   3 tablespoons brown sugar
   1/2 cup pecan halves, chopped fine
   1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
   1/4 teaspoon salt
   2 tablespoons butter, melted
   1/3 cup fudge sauce
   
   Preparation:
   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   
   
   Line an 9-inch square baking pan with foil.
   
   
   Melt the butter with the chocolate in the microwave, heating for 15 second intervals on medium power and stirring in between, until melted.
   
   
   Whisk in 1/4 cup dulce de leche (recipe here), eggs, and vanilla.
   
   
   Stir in flour and salt until well mixed. Pour batter into pan.
   
   
   In a small bowl, mix together 1/3 cup dulce de leche, 1/2 cup flour, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, chopped pecans, cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Mixture should be crumbly - add 1-2 more tablespoons of flour if it's too sticky.
   
   
   Sprinkle crumbled mixture over brownie batter in an even layer.
   
   
   Place pan in oven, lower temperature to 325 degrees, and bake for 45-50 minutes.
   
   
   Check for doneness (center of brownies should be firm and not jiggly). Bake for 5-10 minutes more if necessary. 

Dulce de Leche

Ingredients
1 quart whole milk
12 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Directions


Combine the milk, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds in a large, 4-quart saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the baking soda and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered at a bare simmer. Stir occasionally, but do not re-incorporate the foam that appears on the top of the mixture. Continue to cook for 1 hour. Remove the vanilla bean after 1 hour and continue to cook until the mixture is a dark caramel color and has reduced to about 1 cup, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a month.

Drunk Cherry Cheesecake Brownies

ingredients
Cheesecake:
1/2 cup chopped dried tart cherries
3 tablespoons cherry liqueur
1/4 cup sugar
6 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Brownies:
Cooking spray
1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
6 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
3 19/50 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3/4 cup)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. To prepare cheesecake, place cherries and liqueur in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 45 seconds or until boiling; let stand 20 minutes. Place 1/4 cup sugar and cream cheese in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 1 minute or until smooth. Add flour, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 egg; beat just until blended. Stir in cherry mixture.
3. To prepare brownies, coat a 9-inch square metal baking pan with cooking spray; dust with cocoa. Combine chocolates and butter in a microwave-safe dish; microwave at HIGH for 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, egg whites, and 1 egg. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir the chocolate mixture into flour mixture.
4. Scrape half of the brownie batter into prepared pan. Dot half of cheesecake batter on top. Top with remaining brownie batter. cover with the remaining cheesecake batter. Bake at 325° for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares

Ingre

Mint Julep Brownies with Candied Pecans

Candied Pecans

1 Tablespoon butter

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1/3 cup pecan halves Melt butter over low heat. Add brown sugar, stirring until combined. Add pecan halves, cooking over low heat until mixture begins to darken; about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat for about 15 minutes until pecans cool and sugar hardens. Break the pecans into pieces





For Brownies:

1 cup butter

4 ounces dark chocolate, broken into pieces

4 eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup candied pecans

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 Tablespoons bourbon



In a medium saucepan, warm butter and chocolate over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat to cool slightly.



In a large bowl beat eggs on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the cooled chocolate mixture, sugar, flour, salt, peppermint extract and bourbon and pecans stir until fully incorporated.



Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 pan (I just line my pan with parchment paper). Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting

Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Streusel Brownies or AH HUNKA HUNKA Burning Love Brownies

Chocolate-Banana Peanut Butter Brownies:

5 oz semi sweet chocolate (or a little less that 1 cup chips)

1 oz bittersweet chocolate (or 3 tablespoons chips)

6 tablespoons salted butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 t vanilla (optional) – Gloria leaves it out, anna added ½ tsp

1/2 of a small banana-well mashed (around 50 grams)

3/4 cup sifted flour

1 T unsweetened natural cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter, add an extra pinch)

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup lightly toasted chopped pecans or walnuts



Peanut Butter Streusel: Stir together 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp. light brown sugar, 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons peanut butter, 1 Tbsp. melted butter until blended and crumbly. set aside



Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray cooking spray on bottom only of an 8 inch metal pan. Gloria noted that for the fair, she used non-stick foil to line the pan.



Mix flour, cocoa, and salt together and set aside.

Combine sugar, eggs, and banana in a separate bowl-stir until combined. I did this with a fork.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium low heat, then reduced heat to low and add 5 oz and 1 oz of chocolates.

Cook and stir over low until smooth. Cool 5 minutes.



Add chocolate to sugar egg/banana mixture-stir until combined.

Stir in dry ingredients until just combined.

Fold in that last 1/2 cup chips and nuts.

Sprinkle Peanut Butter Streusel mixture over batter

Bake 35-40 min, check at 35

Bourbon Candied Bacon Brownies with Bourbon Caramel Sauce

Who can resistBrownies with bacon especially when it is coated with brown sugar caramelized to a sweet lacquer? Plus there's a hint of bourbon and chili for a little kick.

BOURBON CANDIED BACON

1 pound sliced bacon, separated into strips (at least 3 strips per person, try not to use thick sliced bacon)
1 cup brown sugar
1 generous teaspoon ground hot pepper or chili like pepperoncini
½ cup (more or less) bourbon
PAM Spray
Preheat oven to 375°.

1. Heat the bourbon in a small pan over high heat, bring to a boil and reduce to two tablespoons. Brush the bacon with the reduced bourbon on both sides.

2. Line two sheet pans with aluminum foil and spray with PAM. Place the brown sugar and hot pepper and mix well in a shallow dish. Place the bacon slices one at a time in the sugar and pat firmly, turning to coat both sides well. Don't worry if some of the sugar falls off. Remove the bacon from the sugar and place on the sheet pan.




3. Bake on the top rack of the oven for 7 minutes, check to make sure it is browning evenly rotate pan from top to bottom turn and cook for another 5 - 8 minutes. Cook until browned and lacquered.

To test for doneness take a piece of bacon and place on a oiled sheet pan when cool it should be crispy not limp. Remove from the oven and let cool on a oiled sheet pan.

Bacon Brownies with Bourbon Caramel Sauce

Makes 9 brownies
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1/2 lb bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup thick BOURBON CANDIED BACON , chopped******

bourbon caramel sauce:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:
To make the bourbon caramel sauce, cook the sugar over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until golden brown and caremalized. Add the bourbon and stir to combine. Then, add the butter and cream and stir to combine. Cook for another 10 minutes, or until the sauce comes together.


To make the bacon brownies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.


Cook the bacon instuctions above********


Whisk together the eggs, vanilla and sugar until smooth. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring to combine. Add it to the eggs/vanilla/sugar mixture and stir to combine. Then, sift together the flour and cocoa powder, and fold into the wet mixture. Fold in 3/4 of the bacon.

Spread the batter into a parchment-lined 8 inch square pan. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the top . Bake for 20-25 minutes. remove from over top with the rest of the bacon

Let cool in the pan. Cut into 2 inch squares

Prosciutto di Parma-Black Pepper Quesadillas with Rosemary Oil

Rosemary Oil:
1 cup(s) extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup(s) fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 cup(s) coarsely chopped chives
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Quesadillas:
24 (6-inch) flour tortillas
1 1/4 pound(s) fresh mozzarella, shredded
1 small red onion, finely sliced, rinsed and dried
2-3 teaspoon(s) coarsely ground black pepper
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil
1/2 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese
32 slice(s) very thin slices prosciutto di Parma

Directions
Combine the oil, rosemary, chives, and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a food processor and process until smooth. Pour through a fine strainer; store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place 16 tortillas on an ungreased baking sheet. Spread the mozzarella, onion, and coarse black pepper evenly on each, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Layer the prepared tortillas, 2 per stack, then top with the last 8 tortillas(you will have 3 layers). Brush the quesadillas lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the tortillas are golden brown and the cheese has melted.
Cut into quarters, top each with 1 slice of prosciutto, and drizzle with a little rosemary oil.