tuesday eats.....samoas brownies

i have not posted on here in soooo long. believe me when i say it is not because my world has halted. i feel as if i am in constant full steam ahead mode. any mom probably feels this way some of the time or perhaps sometimes more than not. our world has also changed a lot since the october before last. and there are lots of things to still figure out.

but, today i want to give you something sweet to think about and try.

somehow, a certain someone, keeps sneaking boxes of girl scout cookies into the house! i know, kind of hard to handle right?!?! i have become much more of a do everything from scratch kind of person. so i went looking for a recipe to use up some of these infamous cookies (and save myself from just downing box after box).

cookies + brownies ...... so easy from scratch or just buy a brownie mix at the store and totally change the add in however you would like. sweet anna has lot so f suggestions on her site. i changed her original recipe a little bit.

i hope you will give them a try and let me know what your favorite add ins for brownies are.

toasted coconut samoas brownies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup dutch-processed unsweetened dark cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2/3 cup butter, melted divided (1/3 cup + 1/3 cup)
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar (or organic coconut palm sugar)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 box Samoas Girl Scout Cookies, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350ºF, and butter a 9x13" glass baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cocoa and baking soda. Stir in 1/3 cup of the melted butter until smooth. Stir in the boiling water until the mixture is smooth and thick. Stir in the sugar and eggs with the remaining 1/3 cup melted butter.

Into the chocolate mixture, stir in the flour and vanilla until just smooth. Stir in the chopped cookies and spread the mixture into your prepared baking dish.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the edges start to pull away from the pan. (Always better to under-bake than to over-bake brownies!!) Cool completely in the pan.

*If you'd like, melt 1 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave and then drizzle on top of the cooled brownies for decoration. Not necessary at all, but it sure looks pretty!

tuesday eats....for the love of orange

i am obsessed with pumpkins and squash once the cool weather starts to settle in. we have lots of frost advisories and chilly winds to keep me dreaming about cozy nights with a soft blanket and warm toasty fire and a little something sweet to munch on.

i love this recipe because i do not have to worry about having a pie crust in the freezer....still have not mastered rolling one of those out! i usually end up just patting it into the plate. this sweet also has a little bit of crunch on the top with the added pecans.

go ahead and try it. i would love to know what else you like to use pumpkin for.

pumpkin pie squares

crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter

filling:
2 cups of pumpkin puree
11 oz. evaporated milk
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves

topping:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 T. butter

1. mix ingredients for the crust until crumbly. press into a 13x9 ungreased pan and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

2. combine filling ingredients and mix well. pour unto hot crust and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

3. combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over pumpkin filling. return to the oven and bake 15-20 minutes or until filling is set (may be a little jiggly).