Whoopie Pies

I made these pies for my Activity Days girls this afternoon, and they were a big hit.  They are super easy, and, for once in my life, mine were just as pretty as the ones in the pictures.  :)  I used my cookie scoop to guarantee all the cookies were the same size, and it was perfect.

I used a different filling, however, since I didn't have enough peanut butter to make the filling in the recipe.

Here's the filling I used:

Peanut Butter Filling

1 cube unsalted butter
1 8-oz package low-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 tbsp. half-and-half
1/2 tsp. salt
about 2 cups powdered sugar

Beat peanut butter, butter, and cream cheese together until perfectly smooth and uniform.  Add half-and-half and salt, then beat in powdered sugar until fluffy.  Adjust consistency with more powdered sugar or more half-and-half.  Scrape bowl into gallon-sized ziploc bag, squeeze out excess air, snip off the corner, and pipe onto one of the two whoopie pie cookies, topping with another cookie.

This filling would be delicious between two layers of chocolate cake as well.  It's fantastic.

Best Brownies EVER. No JOKE

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.
In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.
To Make Frosting: Combine 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Frost brownies while they are still warm.

Holy crap.

Holy deliciousness-Lemon and White Chocolate Parfait with Strawberries

If you're looking for an incredible dessert, look no further. This recipe...AMAZING.

5 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (this was about 4 lemons)
4 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel (Grate entire peel of 2 lemons)
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup plus 2 2/3 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
13.5-ounce bar high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), finely chopped
5 cups sliced hulled strawberries (about 2 pounds)

Whisk egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, and salt in medium metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water. Whisk until mixture is very thick and thermometer inserted into center registers 160°F to 170°F, about 6 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Cool lemon mousse base to room temperature.

Combine 1/4 cup cream and white chocolate in another medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir constantly until chocolate is soft and almost melted. Remove bowl from over water and stir until white chocolate is melted and smooth. Cool white chocolate mousse base to room temperature.

Beat remaining 2 2/3 cups cream in large bowl until firm peaks form. Divide whipped cream between both mousse bases, folding in 1 cup at a time (about 3 cups for each).

Layer scant 1/4 cup lemon mousse in each of 8 parfait glasses or wineglasses; top with 2 tablespoons strawberries. Layer scant 1/4 cup white chocolate mousse over strawberries. Repeat layering 1 more time. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and chill. Cover and chill remaining strawberries.

Spoon strawberries over top of each parfait, if desired, and serve.

Really amazing, really rich, but did I mention amazing?

Brownie Bites

Ladies, apparently this is dessert day Chez Wells, but if that's the way it is, that's just the way it is.

These Brownie Bites are the perfect recipe to have on hand because the ingredients are all refrigerator and pantry staples, and they are infinitely variable.  I adapted Nedra Bunker's delicious brownie recipe to have a little more butter and cocoa and a little less flour to make them work better in a mini muffin tin.

Brownie Bites
1 stick unsalted butter  (I've also used 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup canola, and it's nearly as delicious)
4 tbsp. cocoa powder (I heap the tablespoons a little to make it extra chocolatey)
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs (but I've used 2 in a pinch--still okay)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour (a scant cup, not a heaping cup)

Melt butter and cocoa together in a small glass bowl.  Mix sugar, eggs and vanilla together in a larger bowl, and add cocoa mixture.  Add salt and mix well.  Add flour and again mix well.
Put mini muffin liners in the mini muffin pan.  Pour batter into a quart-size ziploc freezer bag, emptying out the excess air, and sealing it securely.  Cut off 1/2 inch of the corner of the bag and squeeze the batter into the muffin liners, filling 3/4 full.  (It helps to bunch up the freezer bag just under the zip part, to take the pressure off the zipper.  Otherwise, sometimes the bag pops open and you have brownie batter all over your hands.  Delicious, but messy.)  Bake at 350 for 18 minutes.  Remove immediately from tin and place on wire cooling rack.

Variations:
Candy Bites:  Put cut up candy bars in the muffin liners first, pouring the batter on top.  Rolos work amazing well.
BYU in miniature:  Top with the mint frosting from BYU's mint brownies.  (I put the frosting in another ziploc bag, cut off the corner, and make a cute little swirl.)
Peanut Butter:  Melt 1/3 cup peanut butter in the microwave.  Dollop 2 tsp on top of each brownie bite before baking, and swirl with a toothpick.  Bake as usual.

These are always a hit, and very very easy.

HI

This is a good idea!! Infact I have a treat to post right now. My friend Christy made these yesterday for a birthday party and they were oober yummy!

York Peppermint Patty Cupcakes

-Make chocolate cupcake mix according to recipe

on chocolate cake box.

-Fill paper lined cupcake tin 1/3 full.

-Then place York peppermint patty on top.

-Finish filling cupcake tins till 2/3 full.

-Bake according to directions.

-Let cool then eat them up!!!!!!

You can add frosting but the patty makes it quite rich:)