Showing posts with label Brownies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brownies. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Brownie Points!



When we were kids, my step mom, Olivia, used to make my brother and me caramel brownies. She didn't make them very often and I remember them being really good (they were my brother's favorite) but I thought maybe it was a difficult recipe so they were only made for special occasions. I was wrong! She shared the recipe with me and they could not be simpler to make. I took the liberty to tweak things here and there (that's what I do) because the amounts were a little vague and I like to be specific when it comes to baking. Specific amounts in baking lead to consistent results, am I right? Here we go!



Pillsbury® recently sent me their new seasonal line of cake and cookie mixes just in time for holiday baking. I received Chocolate Peppermint Premium Cookie Mix, Traditional Sugar Premium Cookie Mix, Dark Chocolate Premium Cake Mix as well as Peppermint Frosting and Funfetti Frostings in Rudolph Red and Garland Green. My step mom's recipe for caramel brownies called for German Chocolate cake mix, but I opted for the Dark Chocolate Cake mix for these rich and gooey brownies. To learn more about these products, visit Pillsbury on Facebook, PillsburyBaking.com and Pillsbury on Pinterest

Dark Chocolate, semisweet chocolate chips, gooey caramel, crunchy pecans. You know these were good...and decadent! These brownies are for sharing. After making these and being left with an entire pan of brownies, I now understand why my step mom only made these about 1-2 times a year. They are dangerous and so much better than I remembered. I'm typically a "plain jane" brownie person and don't like anything but cocoa in my brownies but these are excellent. Thanks for the recipe and the trip down memory lane Olivia :-) I hope you'll seek out these new Pillsbury® products and make these brownies!

Dark Chocolate Caramel Nut Brownies 
adapted from my step mom, Olivia Luna

  • 14-16 oz. package caramels (50-60 caramels)
  • 2/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 1- 15.25 oz. box Pillsbury Dark Chocolate Premium Cake Mix
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and line it with a sheet of parchment paper, allowing the paper to hang over the edges. Spray the paper once again with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the caramels and 1/3 cup of evaporated milk. Stir occasionally over medium heat until the caramels melt and the mixture becomes smooth. Turn off heat and allow to cool slightly while you prepare the brownie batter. 

In a large bowl, combine the dry cake mix, melted butter, vanilla extract and the remaining evaporated milk. Mix until well combined. 

Press half of the brownie batter into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 6 minutes. 

Remove the pan from the oven and gently and evenly drizzle the caramel mixture over brownie base. Evenly distribute the chocolate chips and the chopped pecans over the caramel. Crumble the remaining brownie batter evenly over the nuts and chocolate and return back to the oven. 

Bake for an additional 20-22 minutes. It will be hard to tell when it's done because the brownies will be really gooey in the center and don't firm up until they have cooled completely, but don't bake any longer than the recommended time. 

Cool completely until the brownies have reached room temperature. Using the handles of the overlapping parchment paper, lift the brownies out of the pan. Cut the brownies into squares. Store in an airtight container. 


I was provided with product samples and compensation by Pillsbury, though the opinions I express here are my own.

©/® The J.M. Smucker Company. Pillsbury is a trademark of The Pillsbury Company, LLC, used under license.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The Perfect Brownie




It's a cliché to have chocolate on Valentine's Day. But so are big puffy red hearts and oversized teddy bears. I'm okay with that, especially when chocolate comes in the form of these delicious brownies. These would be "perfect" brownies, to be exact. And perfect they are. Brownies are a funny thing and there are so many different types out there and everyone has a preference. There are some made with just cocoa, some made with only chocolate, with chocolate chips, with nuts, without nuts, frosted, iced, glazed. Then there's the cakey, the fudgy and the chewy. Me? I like them chewy on the edges, a little fudgy in the middle, plain with no adornments and there must me a shiny crackly top. Enter the "perfect" brownie. 


 
I found these brownies through a fellow Instagrammer named Cheryl. She posted a photo on her Instagram of a recipe she made from Blackjack Bake House and was kind enough to share the link with me. Thanks Cheryl! There are so many drool worthy recipes on her site that I want to try. I read her description for these brownies and they were high on the top of my list. For the longest time, I thought that the only way to achieve chewy brownies was to make them from a boxed mix. And while those are still delicious, I prefer to make them homemade. I just never quite found the right recipe.  I tend to be a "cocoa only" type of brownie girl, but the added melted chocolate in these makes them a little richer and denser. if you want to add nuts, chocolate chips or chopped up candy, feel free to personalize them. You'll have everyone (even sneaky toddlers) reaching for one!

Perfect Brownies adapted from Blackjack Bake House


  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate or chocolate chips 
  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Make sure the edges are long enough to drape over the sides of the pan, for easy brownie removal. Butter the foil or parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray and set aside.   

In small bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour and salt. Set aside.

Melt butter over double boiler. Add sugar and chopped chocolate and whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is fairly smooth (it will be grainy). Remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly.

Add eggs to lukewarm chocolate mixture and beat with an electric mixer on medium for about 1 minute, until smooth. Add vanilla extract and beat to combine.

Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture and beat on medium speed for a full 3 minutes. (This is important to the success of the recipe)

Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly over the bottom and into the corners. 

Bake for about 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in brownies comes out mostly clean. 

To store, wrap in plastic or store in airtight container at room temperature.

Happy Valentine's Day! Lots of love to you all!

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Superbowl Round Up


Superbowl Sunday is in a few days! I have no earthly idea which teams are playing, but I know there will be balls and sweaty men wearing tight uniforms playing catch. Football is not my thing, but eating yummy foods at Superbowl parties is! I've compiled several recipes, both sweet and savory, that I've made over the years that are simple and great for feeding crowds. Here they are in no particular order. 

One-Bowl Brownies- Basic homemade brownies, with or without nuts that come together in s snap.  

Goldfish Bowl Bites- These goldfish crackers are coated in butter and Ranch seasoning. Addicting and great for snacking. 

Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Dip- Gooey, cheesy and warm form the oven. Tasty with crackers, chips or veggie dippers. 

Soft Pretzels- I could eat these everyday. I love a warm, chewy pretzel. These are versatile and can be made  into a sweet or salty treat. 

Rolo Stuffed Ritz Crackers- Two ingredients. Ready in 10 minutes or less. Sweet and salty- yes, please!

Motherload Cookie Bars- These bars have something for everyone. 4 layers of cookie dough, together in one bar, then drizzled with chocolate. mmm!


Pepperoni Pizza Puffs- These pizza puffs are the most popular recipe on my blog, thanks to Pinterest. Pepperoni not your thing? Use sausage or veggies. 

Cap'n Crunch Peanut Butter Bars-  No bake and fuss free. marshmallows combine with creamy peanut butter to coat crunchy cereal. 

Aunt Nette's Scramble Dogs- My blog friend Jeanette used to make these scramble dogs. It's like a decomposed chili dog with the crunch of oyster crackers, served in a bowl. Messy man food!


Sopaipilla Cheesecake Bars- If you love cinnamon sugar and cheesecake, these are for you! Make them the day before you need them. 

Baked Corn Dog Muffins- I love corn dogs but don't eat them often because they're deep fried and no so healthy. These use cornbread and your favorite wieners and are baked in muffin tins. 


Bruschetta Burgers- Probably one of my favorite burgers ever. The garlicky tomato topping and the pesto mayo make these special. 

Buffalo Chicken Dip- The name says it all. Buffalo chicken flavors in a dip!

Cheesy Ranch BLT Dip- Cheese. Ranch Dressing. Bacon. Spinach. Tomato. On warm crusty bread. I could eat this hot dip as a meal. 

Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork- Let the crockpot do the work for you! Juicy, spicy shredded pork sandwiches.

Ham and Swiss Sliders- These are fun and simple and both kids and adults like them. Toast them in the oven to melt the cheese and the buttery mustard topping soaks into the bread. Ohhh! 

Chocolate Sybil Cake- Also known as Texas Sheetcake. Chocolate cake, topped with rich chocolate frosting them sprinkled with pecans. Heaven help me. 

__________________________

Hope you guys eat well this weekend. What are you planning on making?

Monday, December 3, 2012

Latte Cheesecake and Wacky Weather



Happy December! I always wondered what Christmastime in a tropical climate was like. Wondered if people decorated their palm trees with C-9 bulbs and tinsel garland while wearing flip flops and tank tops, stopping to take a break to beat the heat with an icy beverage. Then I realized that 2012 would be the year that I got to experience that, only I'm still in Texas! This weather is so strange. It was 80 degrees today and does not feel the least bit like winter. I had lunch with a friend today (hi L!) and went to pick up Hayden at my mom's house, only to find him wearing nothing but a diaper helping Grandma stick candy canes in the ground. It was a sweet image, but nekkid babies playing outside in December??? It's unreal!

Needless to say, I have yet to start  my holiday baking. There has not been a single cookie to grace my Silpat lined sheets but I will get there. In the meantime, I hope you'll enjoy this recipe for Brownie Latte Cheesecake.  I made it last month as part of the Cake Slice Bakers and it was delicious.  Cheesecake is holiday-ish, right? It probably won't be a part of any cookie trays this year but sometimes you need a nice centerpiece dessert and this is it. 



Instead of a typical cookie crumb crust, this cheesecake has a thick, dense, fudgy, chocolate rich base. In contrast, the filling is ultra creamy and light in texture. The flavors of chocolate, espresso, vanilla, and Kahlua compliment each other so well. This is definitely one for sharing and a little sliver goes a long way but that's what makes it ideal for holiday gatherings and celebrations, that and it can be made a couple days in advance. I'll get my act together, paint the windows with a can of fake snow and flip the switch on my fireplace to get me in the butter baking mood. If y'all have any great holiday cookie recipes for me, please share!

Brownie Latte Cheesecake adapted from The Cake Book


For The Brownie Layer: 
  • 4 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
  • 1 Tablespoon instant espresso powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
For The Latte Filling: 
  • 1 1/2 pounds (24 oz.) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons espresso powder, dissolved in 1 Tablespoon hot water
  • 2 Tablespoons Kahlua
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup sour cream 
  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
  • 4 large eggs
To make The Brownie Layer: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9x3-inch springform pan. Cut an 18-inch square of heavy duty aluminum foil and wrap around the outside of the pan. 

In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate with the butter over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and stir in the espresso powder, vanilla extract and salt. Whisk in the sugar until combined. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, until blended. Stir in the flour until no traces remain. 

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer. Bake the brownie for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached to it. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool while you make the filling. Leave the oven on. 

To Make The Latte Filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese at medium-low speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat until blended. Add the vanilla extract, espresso mixture, Kahlua, salt, sour cream and cornstarch and mix until well blended. At low speed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. 

Scrape the batter onto the brownie layer and smooth the top. Place the springform pan in a roasting pan or a large baking pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come about 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan. Bake the cake in the water bath for 70-80 minutes, until the center is set but slightly wobbly (the cheesecake will continue to set up as it cools). Turn the heat off and crack the door, allowing the cake to cool in the oven for about 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the water bath and place on a rack and cool to room temperature. 

Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving. 


Sleeping Beauty

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Special Brownies Because I'm Getting Old!



I have a BIG birthday coming up on Friday. I'll be 30! To be honest, that number is kind of scary to me. I've always felt older than I am because I didn't have much of a childhood and I was always more mature than the kids that were my age. Even to this day, the majority of my friends are older than I am and I'm okay with that. I just couldn't relate to kids my age. When I was 18, I told people I was 19. When I was 19, I told people I was 20. It wasn't because I was lying, I just have always felt older than my true age. But now I am 29, and I want to stay that way. haha! I will NOT be telling people I am 31 once I turn 30. NO way!


So I am 29 years old for 2 more days and I am trying to make peace with my birthday (aka. Dooms Day!) I don't know why this number feels so different from all the others. I didn't feel that way when I turned 20. My aunt who is 51 says it's not a big deal and maybe when I'm her age it won't be because I'll be wishing I was 30 again. (Love you Letty :-P) All I know is that I'm entering a new age bracket and I have creaky knees. Seriously, I put Hayden down for a nap and quietly back out of the room and my knees crackle and pop like rice krispies. 

I'm getting older old and while I want to celebrate with all my friends and family in a big way, I also want to just ignore it and hope everyone forgets about it. I guess that's not an option anymore though since I'm announcing it to the world here on my blog, but you know what I mean. I was also hoping I wouldn't see my first white hair until after I turned 30, but that didn't happen either. I just discovered my second white hair and neither of them were on top of my head! Think a little further south. No, not that far down, this is a family friendly blog. Would you believe I got my first white hairs in my right eyebrow?! Weird huh? I plucked those suckers at a rapid speed. If you ever see a picture of me and I only have one eyebrow, you'll know why. 

And because this is a food blog, a quick note about these brownies. They're delicious and somewhat healthy.  At least that's what I'm telling myself since I had one for breakfast. Right after I baked them, they were fluffy and cake-like, then the next day they became somewhat fudgy and more like a brownie. The zucchini adds tremendous moisture without tasting like there are vegetables in your brownies. You don't taste the zucchini one bit and if you have skeptical ones in your family, then just peel the zuke before you shred it and they'll be none the wiser. The addition of the chocolate chips don't hurt either. Oh and I forgot to mention, if you omit the chocolate chips, then you'll be left with a completely vegan dessert. 



Zucchini Brownies adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod
Printer Friendly Version
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup canola oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 packed cups shredded zucchini
  • 1 cup chocolate chips, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl combine sugar, canola oil, vanilla, flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Mixture will be dry and sandy. With a wooden spoon add the shredded zucchini and stir until well combined. (The mixture will be thick and somewhat dry looking, just keep stirring until it's fully incorporated and brownie-like). Stir in the chocolate chips, if using.

Pour brownie batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the brownies are set.

Cool on a wire rack. Cut brownies into squares and serve.


Friday, February 17, 2012

My Brother Joe

Today my older brother, Joe, turns 31. Happy Birthday Bro! He likes to call me "sis" so today on this blog (even though he doesn't read it) I get to call him Bro. :-) My brother drives me crazy. He's loud, talks too much, asks waaay too many questions (especially while watching movies) and is very opinionated, even about stuff he has no experience in. Here's an example of that: He gives me baby advice left and right though he has no kids nor has he ever raised any. He says babies have sunken in skulls because their mommas pull the pacifier out of their babies mouths too fast, creating a suction that in turn sucks that "soft spot" in and they only way to push it back out is to press on the roof of the babies' mouth with your thumb. One night he was inspecting Hayden's head, looked it up and down from different angles, then said, while nodding, "he's got a good head". I don't know where he gets his information but he means well and it makes us laugh because he's so serious about it. He's a pain in my rear but I wouldn't trade him in for any other. He's a giver, a lover, very protective of his loved ones and will give anyone the shirt off his back, or in this case, the hat off his head.

My brother Joe playing with Hayden. They're pals for life.

My brother was held back in school in the first grade, so even though he's a year older we have always been in the same grade together. We had the same teachers, the same friends, the same homework- you get the picture. We've always been close because we couldn't get away from eachother. haha! When we walked home from school, he would walk behind me and light matches and throw them at my feet. It used to scare me, but he thought it was funny. That was just him being an older brother. We also used to play with sling shots in the back yard and play "classic" Nintendo together conquering level after level. Our game of choice was "Contra" and one of the codes to boost your super power was "up, up, down , down, left, right, left, right, B, A". I don't know why I still remember that, but I do.

Another brother/sister moment, I remember was when we made the neighborhood go dark. My brother had a pellet gun and my grandparents lived three houses in from the corner. On the corner and across the street was a street lamp. He and I parked out on the front porch, pumping up his Wal-Mart purchase and aiming at the street lamp. Peering together through the scope, we decided on a particular spot we would aim at. He took several shots, then it was my turn, then back to him. I don't think we actually knew what we were doing, we were just shooting because we had nothing else to do and it was rebellious. Then all of a sudden, "POP", out went the light! We both looked at eachother in shock then ran inside playing innocent. Yeah, we were careless, but we were kids and the light was fixed a couple days later.

These days, I don't get to see my brother as often. He's a trucker and lives across the state, but when he makes a run into town he makes time to spend time with his family. He was in town this past weekend. He spent most of his time eating gummy candy and Pop Rocks and watching cartoons on the Internet. That's his thing. He can eat sugar straight out of the jar, and eats candy and chugs sodas ALL day long, but he doesn't like glaze or frosting on cakes, because they're "too sweet". He's a contradiction, but that's who he is. And he loves peanut butter. For his birthday treat, I decided to make him peanut butter marbled brownies even though he requested rock candy. I'm not a big fan of PB and chocolate but he loves it. As I went to cut them into squares, they fell apart and onto the counter. I was bummed with their appearance because they weren't as perfect as I wanted them to be, but that's the way it goes sometimes. I kept one to take pictures of and sent the rest home with him. Mr. H and I shared it together with a scoop of Tin Roof Ice Cream and chocolate sauce. It was fudgy and amazing!

Peanut Butter Marbled Brownies adapted from Allrecipes

Printer Friendly Version

For The Peanut Butter Layer:

  • 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons milk

For The Chocolate Layer:

  • 1 cup butter or margarine, melted
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used a 1/2 cup peanut butter chips and 1/2 cup chocolate chips)
  • 1 Tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 9x13 inch baking pan.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1 egg, and milk until smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together melted butter, 2 cups white sugar, and vanilla. Mix in the remaining 3 eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; mix into the batter.

Remove 1/2 cup of the chocolate batter and stir 1 Tablespoon of milk into it to thin it out slightly; set aside. Stir the chocolate/peanut butter chips into the remaining batter.

Spread the chocolate chip batter into the prepared pan. Spread the peanut butter filling over the top. Drop the reserved chocolate batter by teaspoonful over the filling. Using a knife, gently swirl through the top layers for a marbled effect.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out almost clean. Cool completely, then cut into bars.

We love you!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Halloween Recipe: Spiderweb Brownies

In just a couple weeks, Lick The Bowl Good will be celebrating it's 3rd Anniversary. It's hard to believe that it's been that long, but as they say, "time flies when you're having fun!" To help me celebrate, I will be hosting a giveaway from CSN, and it's gonna be good, so stay tuned for it. Ever been to CSN? They have everything from bar furniture to luscious cast iron Staub cocottes at great prices. You can even pick up a springform pan so you can make these Spiderweb Brownies!

From now until Halloween, I will be featuring holiday appropriate goodies. Today I have for you Spiderweb brownies, which are brownies with a cream cheese ripple in the center as well as a spiderweb design on top- fun, pretty and delicious! Before I tell you more about them, I have to tell you that I kinda goofed up a bit :-) This recipe says to make it into a 9x13-inch pan or two round pans. But in the comment section on the King Arthur Flour website someone asked if these could be baked in a springform pan, the the folks at KAF said YES and so that's what I did. However, they took so long to bake that the white cream cheese web design turned golden- not the look I was going for. So if you make these I suggest you make them in a larger pan or in two smaller pans. If you choose to make them like I did, bake them for 50-60 minutes.

I've been on the lookout for a chewy brownie for quite a while now. This particular recipe got oodles of great reviews so I tried it. While they are rich and dense and fudgy, they are not chewy. But they are delicious. I doubled the cream cheese mixture and spread half it in between two halves of the brownie batter. This made for one thick and decadent brownie! If you have a favorite brownie recipe or prefer boxed brownies, just use the creamy 'spiderweb mixture' to decorate with. It's a great way jazz things up this Halloween! Click on the link to see step by step pictures on the KAF blog. And if you happen to have a good recipe for chewy brownies please let me know!

Spiderweb Fudge Brownies adapted from KAF

Printer Friendly Version

Brownies:
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 2 1/4 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups chocolate chips, optional

Spiderweb Mixture:

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/2 teaspoon mint or vanilla extract (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan.

For the brownies: In a medium sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly, just until it's hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.

While the sugar heats a second time, crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla till smooth.

Add the hot butter/sugar mixture, stirring until smooth.

Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth. Note: If you want the chips to remain intact in the baked brownies, rather than melting in, let the batter cool in the bowl for about 20 minutes before stirring in the chips.

Spread the batter in a greased 9" x 13" pan, or two 8" round pans. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

For the spiderweb mixture: Combine the cream cheese, sugar and flour in a small bowl, and mix until smooth. Add the egg yolk and flavoring (if using), mixing until smooth once again. Transfer the mixture to a disposable pastry bag, and cut just the very tip off the end, as shown.

Draw a small circle in the center of the brownie batter. Make concentric circles starting from the center and working your way outward, about 1 inch apart.

Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, (If you use a 9-inch springform pan like I did, then it will take about 50-60 minutes to bake through), until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving.

Have a great weekend!

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