Trick or TREAT?

Of course you picked "treat"! Who wouldn't? Especially if these amazing (addictive) brownies brookies are the reward. That's right, "brookie".  Brownie + Cookie = Brookie.

Now when you can't decide if you're craving a brownie or a cookie, you don't have to! This is exactly what happened on a rare lazy, rainy, family-movie-marathon-Sunday in our household. We were all craving some kind of home-baked, decadent treat, but couldn't agree upon a recipe. My family was lobbying for brownies, but I had cookies on the brain. We compromised with this. Best of both worlds. And it was perfect, because these are so easy. No need to take tray after tray of cookies out of the oven.

I found a recipe from "Pinch of Yum" that offered excellent details for chocolate chip cookie brownies. The author had clearly done her "brookie" research, and her post was very helpful to the success of this recipe. After reading all of the instructions and insights, I altered the recipe to fit my craving.

On the day that I made these, I was craving candy corn and dry roasted peanuts. Around these parts, at this time of year, one can often find a delectable mix of peanuts and candy corn set out at parties and tailgates. It's that whole "sweet and salty for the win" combo. I had this in mind as I gathered my baking ingredients. And so...rather than chocolate chips for the cookie layer, I opted for peanut butter chips and candy corn.

The beauty of these is that you can use any brownie and cookie recipe combo to customize them to your liking.  This time I went with the Triple Fudge Ghiradelli brownie mix and the peanut butter chip/candy corn cookie mix. (And it was INCREDIBLE!) But the possibilities are endless. I've seen them with Oatmeal Scotchies baked on top of brownies and I imagine that peanut butter cookies with chopped Reese's cups stirred in would make for an amazing peanut butter/chocolate combination. Or hey, maybe stir in or top with some chopped up Halloween candy. You've gotta get rid of it before the Christmas candy starts rolling in, right? Be creative!

Let's gather the ingredients. A quick glance shows that you just need a brownie mix, oil, water, and egg for the brownie layer and ingredients for a small batch of cookie dough + whatever stir-ins you choose. In this case, I selected peanut butter chips and candy corn.

To get started, line an 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan with foil and spray with a little non-stick cooking spray or grease with butter.

Then prepare the brownie mix and pour it into the pan.

Prepare the cookie portion, just as you normally make cookies- cream the butter and sugars, add the egg and vanilla, beat in the dry ingredients until just mixed.

Finally, stir in the chips.

Drop the cookie dough by spoonful over the brownie batter. Or find a determined, brownie-lovin' 3 year old to complete this step for you. I recommend the latter. It was pretty entertaining.

You only want to use about 2/3 of the cookie batter. I took the remaining batter and baked it into 5 or 6 cookies. This was a really good thing, since these brookies took about an hour to bake and at least 20 minutes to cool to the point that they were ready to cut. Conversely, cookies only take 10 minutes to bake. I used the cookies to satiate the hungry crowd who was growing increasingly impatient for the brookies as the smell of them baking filled the house.

Gently press the cookie dough into the brownie batter and smooth it a bit.

Our finishing touch was the candy corn. My pre-schooler and I arranged a little over 1/4 cup on top and then gently pressed them into the dough for a festive fall twist.

Pop the pan into a 350 degree oven. The recipe recommended baking for 40 minutes. When I checked at 40 minutes, they were still really "jiggly" in the center. I continued baking them for another 20 minutes, checking at 5 minute intervals, until the center was a little more "set". Not completely firm- I do love my brownies pretty gooey- but the cookie layer should be baked so that a toothpick would come out clean if you tested it.

This was a very long wait for a certain young man...

The recipe also recommended covering with aluminum foil to allow the brookies to bake without getting too brown. I followed "Pinch of Yum's" suggestion, and baked them for 20 minutes uncovered, then 10 minutes covered, then I uncovered them for another 5-10, and finally I covered them up for the remaining baking time.

Hey! Maybe that's why they took so long to bake?!? I kept opening the oven! Ha!

Mine came out of the oven looking like this. Now you just need to let them sit and cool for a bit. I'd say 20-30 minutes is ideal.

Ugh. More waiting!

I cooled mine on a baking rack to allow cool air to get underneath and speed things along.

Finally, a little over two hours after I announced, "I'm baking brownies!" these were ready to cut and serve.

And let me tell you, they are worth the wait!

I actually had to take the last 9 over to the neighbor's today. I just couldn't stop eating them. Every time I walked by the plate I'd break off another piece. And that bite would be so good that I'd find a reason to walk by the plate again for another piece. And another. And another. My will power was just no match for the mighty "brookie". And so I made them my neighbors' problem. Aren't I thoughtful? (Insert evil Halloween laugh here).

Okay, so here's the recipe as adapted by me. If you have a chance, pop over to "Pinch of Yum" and read the original author's post. After all, she tested it like 4 times as she was perfecting the recipe. Once you try these amazing treats, I promise, you will join me in thanking her for the hard work!

Peanut Butter Chip-Candy Corn "Brookies" 

Adapted by Krista's Kitchen from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients:

• 1 stick salted butter (1/2 cup, very soft)
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup peanut butter chips
• 18.9 ounce brownie mix - I used Ghiradelli Triple Fudge mix
• (eggs, oil, and water for brownie mix)
• heaping 1/4 cup of candy corn

Instructions

1. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars in a small mixing bowl. Add vanilla and egg; cream again until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir gently until incorporated. Stir in chips. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare brownie batter as directed. Pour batter into a foil lined and greased 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish. Scatter pieces of cookie dough over the top of the brownie batter. In my 8x8 square pan, I was able to get about ⅔ of the cookie dough to fit over the brownies and I just saved the rest for regular cookies. Press gently on the dough just until it starts to sink down into the batter a little bit and smooth slightly. Arrange candy corn evenly over the top, pressing gently into the cookie dough.
3. Bake for 40 minutes, then check for doneness, covering with foil if you need to keep the cookies from getting too brown on top. Let stand for 20-30 minutes and cut into pieces for serving.

Notes from Pinch of Yum:

Beware of taking these out too early because the cookies look brown - usually when I do that, the brownies are still underdone and they sink down in the middle. I found that it was easiest to alternate baking them covered and uncovered. I did the first 20 minutes uncovered, the next 10 minutes covered, and the last 5 minutes uncovered. This allows the brownies to bake without the cookies getting too brown. I've also taken foil and just made a cover around the edges so the middle can bake without burning the tops of the edges.

Harvest Vegetable Tart

When I found this Harvest Vegetable Tart in an old issue of Light & Tasty magazine, it looked so good and was so timely with all of the garden produce that was piling up on my kitchen counter that I couldn't NOT make it.

Note: This tart is NOT a quick weeknight dinner. It involves pastry making, chopping, sauteing, mixing, and baking. But it certainly is yummy! This recipe would be perfect for a late summer brunch with friends or even a baby or bridal shower. It's pretty, impressive, and delicious.

Of course, my family enjoyed it as a Wednesday night dinner, so if you've got the time, I say, "Go for it!"

I started by making the pastry. I combined all-purpose and whole wheat flour with cornmeal, Parmesan cheese, salt, and cayenne pepper.



Then I cut in 1/2 stick of cold butter.

Next, I stirred in ice cold water by tablespoonfuls until the dough began to stick together.

After that, I dropped the stirring spoon and used my hands to work the dough until I could form it into a ball. You want to work the dough as little as possible for a tender, flaky crust. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap before placing it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

While the dough chilled, I prepared the other components of this tart.

First I gathered all of the vegetables. I am proud to say that all of these veggies were gathered from my garden and my grandma's garden save the green onions.

I sliced and chopped them all up as directed by the recipe.

Then I heated a little oil in a non-stick skillet and added the green onions and garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes.

Then add the slices of eggplant. Cook for 5 minutes or until the eggplant softens, then set aside to cool.

While the eggplant cooked, I whisked together the eggs and evaporated milk that hold the whole thing together. Season with salt and pepper.

To roll out the crust, I placed the dough on a piece of waxed paper.

Then I covered it with another sheet of waxed paper and rolled it out to fit a 9 inch pan. A tart pan is recommend for this recipe (after all, it is a tart!). However, I still don't have a tart pan, so I opted for my trusty Pampered Chef springform pan. Peel off one of the sheets of paper and press the pastry down into the pan.

Then carefully peel away to top sheet of waxed paper.

Line the pastry with a double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil and put it into a 450 degree oven to bake for 8 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes, uncovered.

Remove the crust from the oven and lower the heat to 350 degrees.

While the oven cools, it's time to build the tart. Start with the eggplant. Arrange the slices with the green onions and garlic over the bottom of the tart.

Next, arrange a sliced tomato over then eggplant.

And some red and green bell pepper slices.

Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Top with 1/2 cup of frozen corn. Season with salt and pepper.

Now pour on the egg/evaporated milk mixture.

This is where things got a little "hairy". I assume that because I didn't use a tart pan, the crust shrank as it baked, decreasing the surface area that should have accommodated all of the fillings. The egg mixture ran over the sides and began to fill, then leak out of my springform pan.

Despite the filling dripping from the pan, I decided to press on. I placed a layer of aluminum foil on the bottom rack of my oven to catch the drips, then I put the tart into the oven to bake as instructed.

Luckily, it turned out great! It didn't even stick to the bottom of the pan when I removed it to a serving plate.

The only thing left to do was slice and eat!

The verdict: I loved this! The flavor of the tart was wonderful. I was tempted to eat the whole thing by myself! The eggplant provided a nice meaty/hearty element. However, if you are anti-eggplant, you might try using sliced zucchini instead. I also thought that the tart would be yummy with some mushroom slices.

My only beef was with the crust. Despite my efforts to keep it tender and flaky, I thought that the crust was a little tough. However, it tasted wonderful with the flavor of the Parmesan and that hint of heat from the cayenne pepper. I also appreciated the crunch provided by the cornmeal.

As for the rest of my family's reaction: My kiddos could not be persuaded to try this. The tart just had too many vegetables and worse yet, they were all mixed in there together (mixed veggies constitutes a "double strike" in this household). They did repeatedly comment on how great it smelled while baking, but in the end I made a freezer pizza for them. My husband, on the other hand, shared my enthusiasm for this tart. After a bout of the stomach flu early in the week, this was his first meal in 2 days. He ate slices of this tart right up!

Here's the recipe from the August/September 2006 edition of Light &Tasty magazine

Harvest Vegetable Tart
6 Servings Prep: 45 min. + chilling Bake: 30 min.

Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

FILLING:
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive Oil
5 slices peeled eggplant (3-1/2 inches x 1/4 inch)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 small tomato, cut into 1/4-inch slices
3 green pepper rings
3 sweet red pepper rings
1/2 cup frozen corn
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup fat-free evaporated milk (I did not use fat free)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions
•In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Cut in butter until
crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms
a ball. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

•Roll out pastry to fit a 9-in. tart pan with removable bottom.
Transfer pastry to pan; trim even with edge of pan. Line unpricked
pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at
450° for 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer.

•In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook onions
and garlic in oil for 2 minutes. Add eggplant; cook for 4-5 minutes
or until softened. Cool for 5 minutes. Spoon into crust. Sprinkle
with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Top with tomato slices and pepper
rings. Sprinkle with corn.

•In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper; pour over
vegetables. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake at
350° for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center
comes out clean. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 piece equals 256 calories, 13 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 95 mg cholesterol, 691 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 9 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 fat, 1-1/2 starch, 1 vegetable.

Notes: Make this tart your own! Add in vegetables that you have in your own kitchen. If you don't have any eggplant, consider zucchini.

Banana Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Last week, after our neighbors invited us to their Saturday evening cookout, I immediately spied the very ripe bananas on our kitchen counter and texted back that I would bring dessert. I've been meaning to share my mom's banana layer cake (While I'm pretty sure that my mom didn't write this recipe, it's one of the cakes I remember her making often in my youth) here for a long time, but with so many new recipes out there, it just kept getting pushed back on my to-do list. The cookout invitation created a perfect excuse to make this sweet banana cake covered in creamy, rich, cream cheese frosting, then share it with all of you! The cake is delicious all by it's lonesome, but after smoothing on the decadent frosting there is a definite "WOW" sentiment shared by all who try it.

When I begin a baking project, or any cooking project with a number of steps, I like to do all of the prep work at the beginning so that when it comes to combining ingredients, I can just dump and mix.

Since this is a banana cake, I began by preparing the bananas. While this cake has a lovely banana flavor, you only need one cup. I grabbed for 3 of the very ripe bananas sitting on my countertop.

When it comes to baking with bananas, my motto is "The riper the better". Extra ripe bananas "mash" easier and they are extra sweet which adds to the overall flavor of the cake.

How ripe is too ripe? As far as I am concerned, as long as there is no mold on the fruit, they are fair game.

My banana "mashing" tip: use a pastry cutter to reduce them to a sweet, slimy, goo.

Next, I sifted the salt, flour, and baking soda together.

Then I prepared the pecans. I filled my Pampered Chef Chopper full of whole pecans...

and turned it over to chop, chop, chop!

In seconds I had a nice pile of finely chopped nuts ready to stir into the cake and sprinkle over the top for a garnish.

Finally, I prepared my cake pans. I buttered the pans first. Then I set the pan on a sheet of wax paper to trace the shape with a knife.

The knife leaves a nice, visible circle on the paper.

Cut out the paper liner x 2,

then press the liners into the bottom of the greased cake pans.

Now for just one final step in pan preparation: sprinkle about a tablespoon of flour into each cake pan and shake it around until the sides are dusted. Knock the pans on the countertop to loosen the excess flour, then discard.

With the baking pans ready to go, it is finally time to mix up the cake batter that will fill them. Start by creaming the butter and sugar together.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the flour alternately with

the buttermilk, mashed bananas, and vanilla. Mix each addition until just combined for a soft, tender cake.

Finally, gently stir in 1/2 cup of finely chopped pecans until incorporated into the batter.

Pour half of the batter into one of the prepared pans,

and half into the other. You want the batter distributed as evenly as possible so that the layers of the cake are equal in size.

Bake the cakes at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until they test done. Then remove them from the oven and cool on a rack for about 10 minutes.

Loosen the edges of the cakes with a knife.

Next, set the cakes on your countertop with cooling racks on top.

Then,  invert!

Take away the pan and admire your perfect cakes while breathing in the sweet banana smell filling your workspace.

But don't get so carried away that you forget to peel away the wax paper liner...

Notice that my cake finished just a tad on the dark side? I shut off the oven timer when it sounded, but forgot to take the cake out of the oven. Duh!  This one baked about 5 minutes too long. Luckily, the delicious smell of the still-baking cakes grabbed my attention and I rescued them before they burned!

While the cakes finish cooling, begin making the frosting by creaming together a stick of unsalted butter and 8 oz. of cream cheese.

Add the vanilla.

And sift in the powdered sugar. Then mix until smooth.

With the cakes cooled and the frosting mixed, it's time to build this mouth-watering dessert!

Start by placing one of the cakes on a serving plate or cake stand.

Add about 1/4 of the frosting to the top of the first layer.

Smooth it evenly over the surface of the cake.

Now apply the second layer. Take care to center the cake exactly over the first layer to avoid a lop-sided final product. Add more of the frosting to the top of the second layer and spread it out before covering the sides.

I use a big spatula to "rough coat" the cake first, then I use a smaller, metal spatula for more precision to finish the cake.

Since I was not decorating this cake, there was no reason to perfectly smooth the frosting.

Instead, I made a nice, "swirly" pattern over the cake by moving my spatula in a half-circle motion all over the surface.

Now it's time for a garnish. I sprinkled some more finely chopped pecans over the top. 

Tah-dah!

Now the only thing left to do is slice....

and serve!

I hope that you all enjoy this cake as much as my family does. We've loved this recipe for years. It was certainly a hit at the cookout!

Banana Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans + more for garnish

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift dry ingredients together. Combine buttermilk, bananas, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the batter alternately with the buttermilk mixture, beating until just combined after each addition. Stir in the pecans. Grease and flour cake pans (line with wax paper if desired). Divide batter evenly between the pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until cakes test done. Remove the cakes to a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then invert and finish cooling to room temperature. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1-8 oz. package cream cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1-3/4 to 2-1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
finely chopped pecans (for garnish)

Cream cream cheese and butter together. Mix in vanilla. Sift in the powdered sugar. Mix until smooth.

Assembly: Place 1st layer of cake on serving plate. Top with 1/4 of the frosting and smooth evenly. Top with second layer. Smooth on remaining frosting. Garnish with pecans.

Note: Refrigerate cake until ready to serve and refrigerate any leftovers.