The Dangerous Mug Brownie

If you’re one of those people who could care less for chocolate/dessert, go back to whatever it is you were wasting your time on – this post isn’t for you.

It happens almost every night. A few hours after dinner, I crave need something sweet. I usually go for some ice cream, or leftover dessert, but there comes a time in every girl’s life when — she runs out.

A few years back, someone gave me a recipe for a chocolate mug cake – mix some ingredients in a mug, and microwave for a short time. It doesn’t get much simpler than that, and patience isn’t my virtue. So needless to say, I have had my fair share of mug cakes. Are they perfect? Definitely not… UNTIL NOW.

I’d say its been about two years since I felt the need to make myself a mug cake. (Don’t tell anyone, but I think I got sick of them ??) So when I suddenly had a craving the other week, I came across this nearly perfect mug brownie recipe. It doesn’t call for an egg, so for those of you who are scared of putting eggs in your food, this is a plus. More importantly, though, there is no cakey texture coming between you and the chocolate. The real secret is in the brown sugar – it makes for the best consistency in a mug cake.

So why is it dangerous? Because you probably have all the ingredients a few feet away in your pantry. And if you don’t, there’s a good chance you’ll stock up once you’ve tried it.

Ingredients

• 1/4 Cup flour
• 1/4 Cup light brown sugar
• 2 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder (I use hershey’s)
• large pinch of salt <— necessary
• 2 Tbs. canola oil
• 2 Tbs. milk or non-dairy creamer
• 2 Tbs. chocolate chips

Directions

1. Mix the dry ingredients very well, until there are no flour or sugar clumps.
2. Add the oil and milk/non-dairy creamer, and mix until you have a thick paste.
3. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Microwave for about 1 minute and 10 seconds (on high) – check every 30 seconds, until you have that gooey brownie texture we all love.

Source: Babble – They say you can make it with water (whyy??), or coffee (extra step, nothankyou), but they do have great pictures!

 

You can thank me later.

– Li-or

One Bowl A-Mayonnaise-ing Chocolate Cake

I know I’ve been apologizing for my lack of time these past few posts, but let’s just be real. Even though I would love for it to be, my blog isn’t my first or even my second priority…maybe it’s my third.. but probably more like my fifth or sixth. (ok fine, I don’t have a list) I’ve started my new job and all is going well, although I have to admit it is extremely draining. But enough complaining – from now on, let us each hold up our end of the deal – you keep checking back.. and I will do my very best to post at least once a week. Deal? deal.

I want you to know I am no cake person. If you were to set three desserts in front of me, one being cake, it is most likely the last one I would choose…That is if you made me choose. I love dessert – it is by far the best course and you know how they say ‘there’s always room for dessert’? – well that’s not true, but if there isn’t room – you make room.

This is one of the few cakes I make. It’s also the only Jamie Geller recipe I use (Quick an Kosher: Recipes from the Bride Who Knew Nothing). Why, you ask? I’m just going to go right ahead and say it – one of the ingredients is mayonnaise. If you’re grossed out by the mayonnaise, I’m grossed out by you. Has my blog taught you nothing??

Take my word for it – this cake is a-mayonnaise-ing.

Make sure you make it in a bundt pan – cake needs an exciting shape. If you don’t know what a bundt is, watch this.

One Bowl (+1 small pan) A-Mayonnaise-ing Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 2 Cups flour
• 2 Cups sugar
• 1 package Osem Chocolate pudding mix
• 2/3 Cup unsweeteneed cocoa powder (I like Hershey’s)
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 Cup liquid non-dairy creamer
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325° F – grease and I mean grease and bundt pan with pam.
2. In a bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the dry ingredients.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.
4. Pour into pan and bake at 325° for 45-50 min (usually takes longer for me), until a knife comes out clean.
5. Let cool for 20 min and try to flip onto a plate. If it doesn’t come out on it’s own, loosen the sides and center with a knife and try again.

Chocolate Glaze

• 1 Cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 Cup thawed Rich’s whip topping

-Melt over medium-low heat in a small sauce pan. Turn of heat and allow to cool for 3-5 minutes. Drizzle over cake.

‘Till next time!

-Li-or

Toothpaste Brownies

Calm yourself. This recipe doesn’t actually call for toothpaste, and it definitely doesn’t promote dental hygiene. It does, however, make one of the best desserts (assuming you enjoy a chocolate and mint combination).

I don’t even remember who coined the name, but once they did – it stuck. I guess we just love the look on people’s faces when we tell them we have toothpaste brownies for dessert. So here it is, one of everyone’s favorites …

Ingredients

• 1 Box of Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge brownies.

If you thought I made my brownies from scratch, you were definitely mistaken. I don’t know why anyone would. It’s not so much more impressive…after all, it is just throwing some basic ingredients into a bowl and mixing. If you want to try to argue that brownies made from scratch taste better, go talk to someone else. I just don’t believe it – Duncan Hines has been putting Betty Crocker, and your Grandma’s homemade brownies to shame for years.

Buttt…there are a few things that I do to make this already amazing box of brownies even better (especially for this recipe).

• First, make sure you follow the recipe for fudgy brownies. To be honest, I am not sure why they still include the cake like brownie recipe on the box.
• Second – add an extra splash of oil to the mix. I did this once by mistake and have been doing it ever since.
• Third – The box says to mix 50 times. Mix until it’s super smooth – I don’t care how many times that is. Don’t leave your brownie batter grainy.
• Finally – grease the pan with margarine, not oil or pam. I don’t know what it is, but im convinced this makes the brownies better.

[Disregard the pam in the picture, I promise you I greased it with margarine]

Mint Topping

• 3 Cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1 tsp Mint extract *not peppermint
• 1 egg
• 2-4 drops green food coloring (depends how green you want it)
• Water

Chocolate Drizzle

• 6 oz chocolate chips (about 12 Tbs)
• 3 Tbs vegetable shortening
• 1 Tbs confectioner’s sugar

Directions

1. Make the brownies, and allow to cool completely.
2. Mix together the first four ingredients for the mint topping, then add water little by little until you get a smooth, thick liquid mixture.
3. Pour over cooled brownies and spread quickly to cover the entire pan. Let sit for 30 min. 
4. Microwave chocolate drizzle ingredients for 15 seconds at a time (mixing in between), until you have a shiny, thick liquid chocolate.
5. Drizzle over mint topping with a small spoon, and allow to set for 15-20 minutes before cutting.

[Enjoy =)]

g-night!

Li-or