Chocolate Brownie Raspberry Sorbet Cookie Sandwiches ~ #CreativeCookieExchange

Life is better with fresh baked cookies - especially these Chocolate Brownie Raspberry Sorbet Cookie Sandwiches.

Chocolate Cherry Brownie Kisses

You may remember last month I started baking through Lick the Bowl Good, the fantastic new cookbook by food blogger Monica Holland.  Last month we baked a Banana Pecan Breakfast Cake, which was amazing.  This month the group is baking Chocolate Cherry Brownie Kisses, which seems very appropriate for the chocolate-loving month of February.

Better Than Ultimate Brownies - #ElleAPalooza

I am writing this post in memory of someone that I did not know and many people would find that strange.  However, the food blogging community is like one huge family, and when we lose a member we all mourn, and grieve for a life lost way too soon.

News spread very quickly via the internet, and the shock and pain was palpable, as we found out that Elle (Lee Ann), of Elle's New England Kitchen, had passed away suddenly on Tuesday, January 28th at the age of 45, leaving behind so many heartbroken family and friends, including her husband, Billy and their four children.

Mexican Chocolate Crunch Brownies

I have been a member of the Cooking Light Community for more years than I'd like to remember.  It is sometimes strange to think of a group of strangers as friends, but that is what we are - the same as my blogging friends.  We have shared successes and sorrows, received suggestions and support, and we have laughed until we cried.  I still remember the excitement when we found out that one of the long-time posters was a finalist in the Pillsbury Bake-off.  We could hardly wait to see her recipe and try it out.  The brownies were a huge success and I have been making them ever since, although I call them Val's Brownies.

With Cinco de Mayo fast approaching I pulled out my recipe for these brownies, but somehow did not get around to making them.  I think I was more disappointed than anyone else, so I knew I would have to remedy that this week.  Although, they are made with a box brownie mix, you could use your own recipe to top the crunchy base.  Over time I have eliminated one of the ingredients - corn syrup.  It was omitted the first time because I actually didn't have any, and then I found that it didn't affect the end result, and I have left it out ever since.

This is also one of those recipes that could be adapted into so many different variations:

  

* Additional cinnamon or add a spice such as chili, cayenne pepper, or cardamom

* Use different chips in the batter such as cinnamon, toffee, or butterscotch
* Add dulce de leche to the batter

* Add coconut or nuts to the crunchy base

Mexican Chocolate Crunch Brownies
(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• 1 box (12.8 oz) Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal (about 8 cups)
•  ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 box Fudge Brownie mix
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup water
• 2 eggs
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⅓ cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350℉. 
2. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
3. In a small bowl mix together the sugar and cinnamon, and set aside until needed.
4. Place cereal in food processor bowl with metal blade (do in 2 batches if necessary). Cover; process until finely crushed (or place cereal in large resealable food-storage plastic bag and crush with rolling pin).
5. Add butter to food processor and pulse until well blended. Press evenly in pan.
6. In large bowl, make brownie mix as directed on box, using oil, water and eggs and adding cinnamon. Stir in 2/3 cup of the chocolate chips. Pour brownie batter over cereal mixture. 
7. Sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup chocolate chips evenly over batter.
8. Bake 20 minutes, then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar evenly over brownies.
9. Bake 14 to 18 minutes longer or until brownies are set when lightly touched in center. 
10. Cool 10 minutes; loosen edges but do not cut. 
11. Cool completely, about 2 hours.

Makes: 24 brownies

Recipe by Valerie Schucht via the Pillsbury 2008 Bake-Off® Contest.

Kit Kat Brownies

The time is always right to do what is right ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

I awoke to a strange noise this morning.  OK, it was 8:00 a.m but I was still hoping to sleep in a little longer.  It turns out the noise was the sound of a "do not park" sidewalk sign being collapsed and thrown in the back of a truck over and over.  The Sony Open was on this weekend near my house and I guess they were doing a little housekeeping.

After a quick breakfast I decided it was a great day for baking.  I always have a list of recipes I want to try but today I was asked to bake brownies by one of my daughters.  To make them a little different I though I would add a layer of Kit Kat chocolate bars.  I purchased the two of the King Size Kit Kat's that contain 12 bars per packet.  For a 9x13 pan I used 16 individual Kit Kat bars.  After covering the bottom of the brownie pan with non-stick baking paper I added a layer of brownie mix.  I then added two even layers of Kit Kats, and topped them with another layer of brownie mix.

Now for the confession.  I used a box mix to make these brownies.  A friend of mine used to own a coffee shop and she had the most incredible brownies for sale.  I asked her one day what the secret was to her moist, chocolaty brownies and she confessed that she bought the Ghirardelli mix in bulk from Costco.  From that time on I also purchased the Ghirardelli Chocolate Triple Chocolate - Semi-Sweet,  Milk, Bittersweet - Brownie Mix from Costco to make my brownies.  It works for me but please feel free to substitute your favorite brownie recipe.

So, there is no official recipe for these brownies but here is what I did.  I used two packets of brownie mix so that I could have enough to make a bottom layer and to cover the top layer of Kit Kats, and followed the directions on the box.  As I mentioned above I used one and a half packets of the King Size Kit Kat packets (16 sticks).  They baked for 50 minutes and they were pretty darn good, even if I do say so myself.