Mint Chip Brownie Ice Cream “Cake”

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My daughter just turned 9! This birthday celebration-worthy dessert was super sweet and decadent – my daughter called it “amazing”! 😉 Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Brownie Layer – adapted from Handle the Heat

  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (*next time I think I’ll use bittersweet chocolate*)
  • 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup (94 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions –

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch or a 13×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper. (*I didn’t do this, but it makes for easier pan removal and slicing later on*)

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Melt the chocolate and butter over a double boiler. Stir to combine and take off the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed until light and thick, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula. Add the flour and salt, folding gently until combined.

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Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake until a tester comes out with moist crumbs still attached, 35 to 40 for the 8×8 pan, or 20-25 minutes for the 13×9 pan. Do not overbake. Let cool to room temperature. Once cooled, place it in the freezer for at least 4 hours or overnight in preparation for the ice cream layer.

For the Mint Chip “Cake” – adapted from Glorious Treats

Ice Cream Layer- 

  • 1 carton (1.5 quarts) Mint Chip Ice Cream

Chocolate Layer-

  • 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Whipped Cream Layer-

    • 1- 8oz tub of Whipped Topping (*I used Truwhip*)

Garnish/Toppings-

  • Chopped Andes Mints, and/or mini chocolate chips

Directions –

Ice Cream Layer

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Allow a carton of ice cream to sit out at room temperature about 20 minutes, until soft enough to spread over the cooled brownies. Once the ice cream has been evenly spread, place the entire pan in the freezer to allow the ice cream to re-freeze.

Chocolate Layer

WP_20150410_008 1Heat the cream in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until hot (watch it so it does not boil). Add chocolate chips to the hot cream and set aside (undisturbed) about 3 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt. After 3 minutes, stir the chocolate until the cream and chocolate are fully combined. Set aside and allow to cool to about room temperature. Once cool, pour the chocolate over the ice cream layer, and spread evenly. Return pan to freezer.

Whipped Cream Layer

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Spread the whipped topping over the chocolate layer, then garnish with toppings of your choice. Return pan to freezer and FREEZE AT LEAST 3 HOURS before serving. The entire dessert can be made ahead, and kept in the freezer (covered) up to 3 days in advance.

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Brownie in a Mug

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Sometimes, you just have to have chocolate, it has to be warm and vanilla ice cream is a must! Good quality cocoa powder is so important, and I used my stash of Valhrona 🙂 Yes, it is worth the $1 + an ounce price! This brownie is rich, moist, and more cakey than fudgy and hits all the right buttons. I’m kind of mad at myself for making this! 😉 Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Brownie in a Mug – adapted from Simply Recipes

  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 3 – 4 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp cocoa
  • Pinch of salt
  • Tiny pinch of cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 to 2 drops vanilla extract
  • ice cream

Directions –

Place flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, and cinnamon in a microwave safe ceramic mug. Stir with a fork or spoon to mix well and break up any clumps.

Add the butter, water, and vanilla to the cup and stir until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps.

Place in microwave and heat on high until the mixture is cooked through, about a 1 minute and 20 seconds. If you don’t know the power level on your microwave, start with 60 seconds and increase until the brownie is done. It should still be moist when cooked through, not dry.

Let cool for a minute and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Cookie Dough Brownie Bombs

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These are a perfect special occasion (ahem, Valentine’s Day), treat that any chocolate lover would appreciate. My husband was pretty excited about these because the original is one of his favorites, so how bad could the addition of brownie be? The brownie bakes up thin, chewy and fudgy and it sticks really well to the frozen dough ball. As I rolled the brownies around the cookie dough I decided that these win the prize for messiest dessert ever – my hands were coated in sticky brownie, but in the end these were worth the effort. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Cookie Dough Brownie Bombs – adapted from Handle the Heat

For the cookie dough:
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 – 3 tablespoon milk (any kind)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips

For the brownies:
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

For the chocolate coating:
16 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 teaspoons coconut oil (or more if needed )

Directions –

For the brownies:

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Meanwhile, make the brownies. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with foil, leaving an overhang.

In a large bowl combine the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir until well combined, mixture will be thick. Let cool if the butter is still hot. Stir in the vanilla and then the eggs, one at a time, stirring very well after each addition. Stir until the batter is very well blended. Add the flour and stir again until very well blended. Spread into prepared pan.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked through but still very moist and fudgy. Let cool.

For the cookie dough:

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In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until very well combined and fluffy. Add in the milk and vanilla. On low speed gradually add the flour and salt. Stir in the miniature chocolate chips.

Scoop the dough into 2 teaspoon-sized balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze for an hour, or until firm.

To assemble:

Cut the brownies into 1-inch squares. Flatten a square with the palm of your hand. Place a cookie dough ball into the middle of the flattened brownie and wrap the brownie around the cookie dough ball. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect, just try to get as much of a round shape as possible, rolling the ball between your palms. Repeat with the remaining brownie and cookie pieces. Freeze the balls for 30 minutes.

For the chocolate coating:

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Combine the chopped chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir, and continue heating in 30-second bursts, stirring between bursts, until the chocolate is melted.

Dip each brownie ball into the chocolate to coat completely. Allow the excess to drip off then return to the baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes, or until set. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Two Minutes to Chocolate Fix

Quick Post: I doubled the recipe for my chocoholic husband and I. It was quick which was what we both needed. The texture is different from other cakes or brownies I have had before, but I think that is because there is no egg added to this. The night after we tried these, I made a mug cake with eggs to see the difference – but that will be a different post! 😉 These were okay, certainly not as good as these or these, but for a quick fix it meets the requirements. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Two-Minute Mug Brownie – adapted from Babble

  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • Pinch salt
  • 2 Tbsp canola or other mild vegetable oil
  • 2 Tbsp milk, coffee or water

Directions –

In a heatproof mug or ramekin, stir together the dry ingredients until no lumps remain. Stir in the oil and milk until you have a thick paste.

Microwave on high for a minute, checking it after 30 seconds (microwaves vary) – it will be done when it’s springy on top but still a bit gooey – like the very best brownie. Eat warm.

Insane, Triple Layer Brownies

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These are known over the internet as “Slutty Brownies”, and as hilarious as that name is, I can’t in good conscience title this post with that name. When I came across it last week, I just had to laugh and then find out why someone would name something so decadent after an insult. Apparently they’re called this because: “…because they’re oh so easy, and more than a little bit filthy.” (The Londoner) If you can get past the name to try these, you should – because no one likes to choose between cookies or brownies, right? 😉

Because I like to make things from scratch as much as possible, I decided to go with this version of the recipe. The original one is boxed mixes and refrigerated cookie dough. So, maybe this version isn’t “slutty” at all! I’ve redeemed you, brownies! 😉 However, they’re still pretty bad for you – eh, go for a run afterwards. Besides, holiday calories don’t count and this is a special dessert for my sweet-toothed hubby.

Verdict: These taste about at good as you might imagine – rich, sweet and chocolaty. Vanilla ice cream is a must to cut through the richness of these crazy brownies! M really enjoyed these and I’m sure he’ll request them again in the future. With all the butter and sugar amounts in this, I certainly wont make these more than twice a year at best, but we will see if I am able to get away with that! 😉 I passed some of these out to our lucky neighbors and thankfully, they don’t seem to mind too much. Before I make these again, I will have to invest in a 9×9 baking pan. These were super thick because I only have 8×8 pans in my kitchen, and that extra space would have helped. The leftover cookie dough will probably become some deep dish cookies – another one of our favorites. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

 

Slutty Brownies – adapted from Handle the Heat

Brownie layer:

  • 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Oreo layer:

  • 16 double-stuffed Oreo cookies

Cookie layer:

  • 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate cips

For the brownie layer:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×9-inch pan with tin foil then spray foil with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan melt the butter. Remove from heat and add the sugar and cocoa powder, whisking to combine. Add salt, vanilla, and eggs. Whisk until combined. Add flour, mixing until just combined. Set aside.

For the cookie layer:
In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until combined. Add flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and mix on low until incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips. Set aside.

To assemble:
Press half of the cookie dough mixture into prepared pan in an even layer. Reserve remaining cookie dough for another use (store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months).

Layer Oreo cookies into one even layer on top of cookie dough, pressing in slightly.

Pour all of the brownie batter on top of Oreo layer and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a knife comes out mostly clean when inserted into the middle of brownies. Serve warm (will be messy) or let cool completely and cut into 16 bars.